15-Team Roto Mock Draft (Ep. 919)

Welcome in everybody to Fantasy Pros MLB. This is the Fantasy Baseball Podcast. It is me Joey P Joe p Zepia. Happy January everybody. It's time to do some mock draft and this is my first mock draft on the YouTube channel. I've got goosebumps. Check it out. I swear they're under the sweatshirt. I swear they are. And today we're gonna be doing a fifteen team roto five by five old school style for you. So I hope everyone's excited. I'm here with my Fantasy Pros friends, Joe Alrico, Kelly Kirby

I actually always wish I could have met him. I'm out here in Arizona in their spring training facility is not that far from me, and I go to it a decent amount, so like it's not uncommon that I would like run into random people. Happened last year. I was like at the Padres and was like, Oh, there's Jake PV there's Jodeo Nomo, like crazy stuff like that. I never got to have that Major League definitely, and you know, maybe if you're non Milwaukee like, that's probably

Kelly Kirby, probably nobody more anxious to turn the page to baseball season than you after that Viking's playoff loss? Is that correct?

That is correct?

Yeah?

But I have a Bob Bucker story.

Oh yes, please share it.

I was nine when Major League came out and my parents knew I was so baseball obsessed, so they let me watch it, and I thought he was the funniest guy. But the part that stuck with me is that I've quoted that movie incessantly, and if you've seen it, a nine year old should not be quoting that movie incessantly.

I disagree, I respectfully. I think it's hilarious. I think it's adorable, and especially a nine year old girl quoting Bob youger. My favorite is when he is he's looking for the stats and he's like, I can't find it, to hell with it, Like that's my favorite thing. At the end of the thing, Joe Rico is sitting there in the dark, praying at some point that the Blue Jays will extend. Vla Guerrero Junior. I know you're in your silent retreat. You've decided to take a moment and

I am the youth on the show here, so I didn't grow up with Bob Yucker. I didn't see Major League when it came out because I wasn't around yet. But I have heard quotes from it my entire life. It's been one of my more more revered baseball movies. Not like all movies, but in terms of sports flicks. If you're trying to just laugh your head off for a couple hours, Major League is right up there. I know that line just outside and he went for the corner like my dad uses that line like at least

A young guy, by the way, did not do the line he did. I was going to say, right, all right, all right, that's all right.

We're gonna haze the young guy the rest of the draft. All right again, five y five on the mock draft software, We're going to kick things off, just to let everybody know where we are here, uh in this draft, in terms of our locations. Joe Ricou went Joe pi'sapa and he took a top pick. He's at the two spot. Then you go a little bit further down. Welsh's at one o five. He's always very Cagy, knows exactly where he wants to be and what he wants to do.

Well, my thought process was I'll get either Otani or Wit. You never know. Sometimes Wit will go first, but I will happily headle on. Bobby Wit there at number two, settling for the guy who could be number one. Overall, not really settling, but I'll take it.

Poor baby, poor baby settling all right. Bobby Witt goes second to a Rico. Then we have Aaron Judge. Paul Skeen's going forth ooh lolly, look at that Welsh. You're up for one oh five? What do you have?

Yeah, and I'll point out two. The reason we can even do this is because of this software. Not to like plug it again, but like you know, fifteen, if we had all our listeners, which we are going to do Max the season with listeners, no way we could do a fifteen team. But we could do four of us drafting and then the AI system goes through it. Yeah, there are definitely a couple of guys I like here,

All right, So Ellie at the five spot is gone before we get to Kelly's pick here too. Just remind everybody. We've got one catcher on the roster for a second third short. We've got five outfielders a U two, and then we have nine pitcher spots. Two of them are mandatory RPU, and then we have some open bench spots too. I think we're doing six today. So, Kelly Kirby, who's

I was really hoping he'd make it to me. So I am going to take I'm going to take tattoos, even though Scooble is very very tempting.

Yes, he's very tempting, but everybody knows me, knows I don't want to take pitching that early. So Tatis goes, Scooble goes, that's good, I don't have to worry about it.

Not gonna have to worry about it, and so.

Here he goes, that's fine. I'm good, I'm fine, everything's fine, all right. So looking at this right here, and because of what Joe Rico today, I'm just going to I'm gonna do it, Joe. I'm gonna take the guy in the contract year, so give me Vlad Guerrero Junior. And looking around here, I know the suggestions are telling me Corbyn Carroll, but I'm gonna go ahead and be a bit of a homer here. I'm gonna take Franciscolden to her. I'm still on a high from the Mets being relevant.

Well, I was really hoping Lindor would fall because and I had a small brain freeze that I forgot that you were a Mets fan, so obviously that was gonna happen.

But I thought you would think that would go the other way.

Yeah, look, Joe, I try to forget a lot of things about Joe, so I would say this one's kinds tough because Julio is currently at the top, and I go back and further, I think I don't remember which one of you I had a conversation with where about whether or not Julio and Corbin. I think it was Welsh whether they were bus and I truly don't believe that he is. But I also, in the same voice, do not want to have him on my team. So

So amazing because Duran last year was one of our favorite like sleeper guys quote unquote that was like, look, this guy can be a league winner if he performs as well as he possibly can, and he did last year, and now to see him going in the second round is kind of crazy. It's great Julio goes right after a four then at two oh five, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Jackson, Curio Zach Wheeler, the third pitcher off the board. Trey

I will say I'm a little bit. I am actually a little bit bummed here because Jared Durand specifically was a player I thought could fall back to me, because I did not think some of the guys I would have taken Trey Turner obviously, I wanted Churio or I wanted Harper. So like the Duran thing really screwed me here.

At ten seconds.

Yeah, there's a couple of ways that I can go. I'm gonna do this. Oh am, I gonna do this. Yes, I'm gonna do this. Okay, I got it, I got it. I'm gonna take my picture and I because I know I got a Rico, Yeah, exactly, I got a Rico there. I want to do it. Sure, I want to get Garrett Crochet. Garrett crow Shape gonna be at the near tippy top of strikeouts. There's tons of wins support him. A little bit worried about where the offense or where the ballpark on the hitter side is going to affect him.

Yeah, there you go. And and just for the everybody listening here, if he means a Rico that you know, just oh yeah, make sure we have the right Joe that you're talking trash too, Jesse Chisholm, that's right, Jess.

Just do it with me.

Di Rico one, two three, Look it all right, let's.

Go to the next one, jas Chisholm. Then Mandy Machado, then Joe Rico. You are up here at two fourteen, and it seems only fitting you take one of Welsh's guys.

Yeah, I mean at that point of the draft. He I mean, if you heard me, you heard my reaction. I wanted Crochet. Well, I wasn't going to let him get back to him. I think Merrill. Maybe it's a little it feels a little weird seeing in the second round after just one season, but he was so great he got better as the year went on. All the data is fantastic, the lineup is good, there's nothing, there's nothing to fault him for it. So as much as it might feel weird, I think Merril is worthy of

All right, So Jackson Merrill goes in at the turn here at two fifteen, Chris Sale, followed by Matt Olsen in the third round. Begin Austin Riley A three zero two to you, Joe Aricos. So you got your third basemen, your short stop, and another shortstop eligible slash outfielder here in Merril.

Yeah, Riley. I mean, I'm kind of just banking on that bounce back. That data was still mostly really good last year. I'm hoping that we get a healthy Braves team. Could It seem like everybody was hurt or disappointed last year, But the second round player usually who I'm getting in the third, So I'll take that slight discount off a down year for him.

Taking the discount. By the way, I think the walkout song for Garat Crochet should be the sweater song by Weezer. Anyone agree, disagree? Pull us rand does I walk away? I don't know if you want to destroy my sweater? Whoa, whoa, All right, let's move on. Ozzie Albi's goes next, then Willia Doms goes next, then Raffaeld Dever's to the Welsh. So good value there for Devers five.

I'm stoked. That's who I was gonna. I was considered taking in the second round. Olsen was there. I'm not quite as big there, but Dever's Riley or who are staring at? So absolute perfect scenario for me. I get the picture without getting sniped, and I got the guy that I wanted in general in Raphael Devers. So I'm pretty stoked about it.

Wonky's got a couple seconds. Make your pick, Wonky here, Corey Seeger goes that, Garret Cole Logan, Gilbert Contrarist, the A three ten Altwove Corbyn Burns Schwarber, and then Wonky Penguin going picture. Let's talk about Michael King.

I love Michael King, and I do not like every other picture that was around him. When they're telling like Blake Snell, George Kirby, I'm like mm, but I wanted a picture, and I really like King's makeup. I like his underlying numbers. When I was writing in his profile, it was just like, oh, yeah, I think I should target this guy. And so yeah, I'm actually really pretty excited for him to be my sp one in a fifteen team league, which I have to keep reminding myself.

Come on, Weezer was a band in the nineties. Yeah, yeah, it's a band in the nineties. Look, they had albums and they were colored blue green.

I am not uncultured.

All right, Well it's better than that Ericson. I explained to him, like who Kurk Cobain was one time?

It was a whole bay, I'm gonna have a whole not an anition.

Ah, that is my favorite Weezer, you know, c Joe, you just got some points there because Pinkerton top notch the underrated album. All right. So after Walkee took Michael King, another one of our favorite pieces from last year. Look at that Duran Michael Kinging second round, third round, O we cj. Abrams goes next to three fourteen. Then I double dipped in pitching. That's right. It's a fifteen team league and I want to get some durable starting pitchers.

Took a Yamamoto because he's also pitching for the Dodgers and if he's able to stay healthy right, which is kind of the question for everyone, but his numbers last year were solid until he went down, and I don't know. I just feel like a really good fantasy philosophy is just draft all the Dodgers and then once they're all gone, then then go for the next group. But yeah, so and I like having him paired with King. I guess I'm gonna go West Coast Pitchers this year.

So can I set the draft Wizard strategy to draft more Dodgers? That would be probably a good idea. Marcus Simeon goes next than George Kirby at four oh five, four to oh six, Castillo, than Reagan's Michael Harris. Overrated Mark Vientos goes next, look at my dude four oh nine, then Royce Lewis right before Welsh Welsh, mister closer. There you go, you started the run. Let's talk about Emmanuel class A.

Yeah, Class as a pretty easy pick there, especially in the fourth round.

This is rodo.

We're not looking to punt. Had to have. I mean you can if you want people like to experiment with it. Had to head as a much higher propensity of punting and saves would be the territory. But this is a saves league, this is a fifteen team rot You're not going to do it fourth round. Yeah, it is a smash smash pick for Manuel Classe.

All right, so Classe goes next. After that we have Jacob de gromgo look at the buy back in on team four, Anthony Santander maybe soon to be Blue Jay, who knows? And then Joe Rico did Welsh pressure you into taking a closer? This is a safe place you could tell us.

He did a little bit. But it's also a really nice value on Devin Williams. I've done a lot of fifteen team drafts and he's usually a third round pick, somewhere in the middle of the third, even sometimes late second. So end of the fourth I'll take it absolutely, no question.

Bryce Miller at the turn of four fifteen, five oh one, Pablo Lopez. Then you took Wyat Langford, one of my favorite pieces to invest in. Fifth round. It's pretty good value, Joe. Yeah.

For Langford, I mean I wrote him up the other day just on my own site. I mean, the battle was fantastic, and I kind of you guys at the football guys, he's like the Marvin Harrison junior a fantasy baseball. The expects were so high and everybody expected the world and even though he put up a good season, he's still viewed as out of a disappointment in some people's eyes. So I think that he could even push up higher and higher, even into the third round. But the beginning

Okay, so Langford goes, and then after that you've got Josh Hater back to Zach Gallan and then Welsh. You saw the white Langford and you raised the James Wood.

I did James raise the James Wood. That's a good reference. I can't say it. Langford I wanted. I absolutely wanted why at Langford there? So I was just kind of like, oh, that's why I did that, because Langford one hundred percent was the pick. And you know, I've got some I got some question marks around batting average with Ellie, but I feel like I'm answering that with Devers. My problem is is Langford. I feel better about it, and now I'm kind of back into maybe putting on a few

Okay, there you go. I mean this seems like a perfectly fine thing to say. I don't know why you're being weird about it at all. All right, let's continue on with the draft tier and go through this draft board as it unfolds. We have James Wood going, Then we have Luis Robert O'Neil Cruz. Sorry, well, she couldn't get all the guys you want. Then you had I couldn't put the cruises together again, to Oscar Hernandez goes to team eight to five oh eight, then Edwin Diaz,

I think I might be heading into the season as Brent Rookers like president of the fan club. At this point, I might order a Jersey if they have new jerseys. But yeah, I like them in Sacramento. I love him. I think his power is real even at thirty. It's just and also he's just a really good Twitter follow So I think that that might also be influencing me, because that is definitely how you should draft a fantasy baseball team.

All right, So after Brent Rooker goes than Marcelozuna, I get two picks and I'm going outfield hit with them both here Randy Rose Arena, Brian Reynolds. I'm looking for a bounce back from a Rosa arena, just kind of, you know, getting out of Tampa cleared his head a little bit. Very good player here, Brian Reynolds, a guy

You know, I had Josh Naylor everywhere last year, and he obviously, like way performed what I thought he was going to, just beyond everything. But I like him in Arizona. I like who's batting behind. Even though it's not jose Raen Miers and Stephen Kwan, I still feel like Carol and Marte are are decent to you know, bad around.

I'm hoping he shows up to camp in better shape too, because at the end of the year he looks. I'm being honest here because I know you aren't. Look man, this is the thing we've seen with other players like Pablos Anival and a lot of great players the Ian vlad Garreo Junior, right, like, you've got to be in a right friend of mine, focus and conditioned here, Josh Nelle is a tremendous player, but would you don't want his injuries to happen because a guy I always say

I wish you would have signed back. But guess what even better destination? We know that left side of the ballpark that pull heavy stuff had parades back. It's held up Alex Bregman. Maybe you know the reasons why he hasn't signed some of the contract you never know, but it's beneficial ballpark. He's going from a hitter friendly environment to another hitter for the friendly environment with a bunch of guys that should be getting on base in front of him. Kind of a smash pick for Christian Walker.

Which seconds for your pick too. I don't want you to get skipped, all right, So Christian Walker goes than Hunter Brown, one of my favorite values. Here, he's off the board, Zach netto Roki Sazaki goes to Joe Alrico. Let's talk about your picks of the second here, Profar at six fifteen, then Alex Bregman at seven oh one. As of recording, this still a free agent. We'll see where he ends up. And then after you took Sazaki, your next pick was Joan Durand of the Minnesota Twins.

Ideally, he wouldn't be my first pitcher, but I'm also banking on his price is not gonna be anywhere close to this once he signs, which I mean, it looks like it's gonna be the Dodgers. But even if it's the Padres, because just forget about the Blue Jays, it's just not happening. It's gonna be the Dodgers or the Padres, it's gonna be a very good destination. I'm not gonna just I'm not gonna do it to myself again. I

What do you think Kelly about that? So I go ahead and I'll make my picks here.

Yeah, I think he'll jump because the hype train, especially if he goes to LA But yet, like you said, even San Diego, it will pick up so much steam and like the second they see him in a jersey, like it's just a it's like a psychology thing for a lot of fantasy players. I think where now you know where he is, now you can picture him. And if it is the Dodgers, then we just go right back to the is it bad to have any Dodger?

Sorry aightp, Yeah, it's definitely gonna fly up there. It's think going to be six fourteen where he went just now, that's for sure. Kevin Goswin goes at seven three, VINNYE. Pas Quentino at seven oh four. Lawrence Butler, well, shot of my cue onto your team. Let's talk about him.

You must have gi I just did this thing talking about like there are some concerns I have with Butler in general of like, you know, he hit like under two hundred or hit two hundred or under for three months the first three months of the season, but then he made this noted swing change which then had the big breakout big barrel numbers, hard hit numbers. I'm a little worried that's still gonna kind of flip flop, but you got a little bit more of a hitter friendly

All right, let's continue on with the draft board here. After that's selection of Butler, Adley Rutchband, Grayson Rodriguez, I was hoping make it to me.

He did not.

Then we have Tristan Kasas, Tyler Glass now Diaz from Houston, Boba Schett at seven to eleven. Sorry, you can't collect any of the Blue Jays here, but maybe that's for the best, Joe. Then you've got Jackson Holiday going at seven to twelve, Jackson Holiday deciding. Oh boy, I'm so excited to be on this team. I haven't said that in a long time. I'm so excited to do Jackson Holiday voice again. Damn it, Baseball's back rights sol Iglesias,

Yeah, you know, I saw Felix Bautista sitting there, and I really went back and forth between the two of them because I think that he's one of the forgotten ones in a way since he was injured all of last year and he was so good the year before. But Iglesias, he kind of has that. Yeah, it's that safety net. If I'm gonna go a closer to kind of get in there. I like a guy that typically you know, is going to save thirty games and that's

So where to go? Spencer Steer at seven fourteen, that's seven to fifteen. I selected Brenton Doyle. How a guy from a twenty thirty season is still floating around the seventh round. I'll never know. So yeah, and he plays in Colorado, Thank you very much. I'll take it. And Matt McLean on the buye back he played in the ANFL. Was just doing some research daring him actually just recently, and you know, power's starting to come back timey coming back. I want to see a bounce back from McLain, who

Yeah, I just wrote up. I just wrote his profile, I think like two days ago, and I really loved everything about it, and so I kind of made a mental note to nab him somewhere in this range just to give me that sort of the solid strakeout numbers. And also he just was impressive last year when he finally like figured it out. So I'm hoping he continues to have it figured out.

Let's hope. So certainly a good season from him last year. All right, let's continue on with the picks after Schwellenbach, Jordan Westberg than Mike Trout. I thought about Trout. I just couldn't pull the ch I just couldn't do it. Welsh. I don't know. Was that wrong? Should I have done it? Well, so you think I should have pull the trigger on Trot.

I took it.

I mean, like I'm probably going to like.

I thought about it as like, so I took the twenty five year old middle infielder with you know, fourteen steals in twenty twenty three and a half a season, or do I take Mike Trout and take my you know, sixty games.

It's your risk tolerance. At the end of the day. The guys that are I say, it's a million times. The guys that screw me up are massively talented players when they're not hurt, and that's Jacob deGrom Well. I won't have crazy, but like I saw him in the fourth round, like, okay, I might have done that, and then Mike Trout like they're amazing when they're on the field, but they're never on the field. So it's like you

Hetal five Yeah, eight o five. So look, yeah, I want to let's earmark this all right, and let's see, you know, in future drafts and adp where he starts to go. So eight o five is this like big fifteen team mock here that we're doing. Uh, I'm not risk averse. I took Matt McClean ato one, like I'm gonna take some risk there. There's definitely some risk there, without a doubt. It's a crowded in field. Who knows,

Yeah, yeah, I mean I just got just demolished in that round. I wanted Schwell and back more than anything. I want to justin Steele, of course I wanted. You know, those are the guys I wanted. Everybody just demolished me with it. I still love Joe Ryan's stuff really, you know, faltered on the back half of the year, but there's still great stuff. There's still good strikeouts. He didn't have the innings this year, but I think he can get back there. He's an okay, number two. I'm gonna have

Right, all right, so Joe Ryan, then Batista goes andros Munio's goes Bailey Ober to Joe Rico. At the turn we have Cody Bellinger going at eight fifteen, then Nodolas Garcia at nine oh one, and then back to for Sean McClanahan. So, I like what you're doing here. You're taking some risks on pitching with some big payoffs here over a guy that you know, we've seen the teases

Yeah, Ober, I mean, it was a couple of really ugly blow ups that people will remember. I think it was his first start of the year was like nine earned runs, and there was one or two others that were seven or eight. But I mean it's hard to just remove those. But outside of those couple of blow ups,

Okay, after your selection, Junior Camerinero great value at nine oh three, Robert Suarez and then Welsh Sandy al Contras, same kind of copy and paste. They're just hoping that Alcontra can regain his form of yesterday.

Yeah, he was pitching before the season ended. He's an innings eater, and there's definite trade rumors that they're going to trade him mid season, and that will only improve his stock. So again, I need to start playing a little bit of upside. I have to balance upside in safety right now, and al Contra's a good version of that.

All right, constant balancing act for the Welsh. That's what we're looking for here. After you go ahead and took out Contra, Tyler O'Neil Ian Happzekiel Tovar, another one of our favorite guys for last year, had a pretty good season. Say As Azuki at nine oh nine, Salperez at nine to ten, Nolan Jones Welsh's favorite. I kid, he hated Nolan Jones. He was right and I was wrong nine to eleven. I'll take the ail on that one, Matt Chapman. Then Wonkee Penguin takes Riley Green will get to that

With Yankees sack here.

Well, I'll look all the W's baby Dylan Cees Blake's now Max Free, Carlos Rodin. That's not a terrible pitching staff for a fifteen team league. Just saying it's not too bad. Dull am I afraid? Am I gonna lose sleep at night over this rotation in their health? Possibly with freedom roadn there it's possible, but I could not

I loved him last year. I think that he's batting a top a lineup that's going to be pretty good and has some on base skills that I really like. So yeah, I was very happy to get him this late too. And then I think, my, yeah, my outfielders are pretty stacked. I have nothing else, but I have outfields.

That's you know what. As long as you have something, well you have you know you've got some. I don't think you're giving Michael King enough credit for how good he was last year. I mean, Michael King was an ace.

You know you've got hah hopes. That's about what you've got, all.

Right, So Weaver goes next than Contreras at ten oh five, Seth Lugo no respect for Seth Lugo at ten oh six none. I'm very upset by this. Adp Anthony Volpi teno seven, Christian Yelich at ten oh eight, than will Smith, Brandon Nimo. Back to you, Well, she took a young pitcher Jared Jones, who certainly started out like a house on fire. Second half took some lumps there. So what are your expectations for him in twenty five?

Yeah? Pretty big one and one thirty stuff plus on his fastball and slider his fastball among all starting pitchers last year, true starting pitchers. Luke Weaver's in there doesn't count reliever number one stuff plus Marker for that fastball, huge strikeout with rates on Jared Jones, I think he's going to take a big step this year. And I will tell you I wanted him and Flerty. I wanted to pare them back to back. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to go Jones with the upside.

All right, Well, obviously I'm not worried about saves. Otherwise I would be doing a better job of drafting those. Bryce Teranngo's next than Jake Berger, Joel Rico, select Dial and Cruise building that dynasty team A Joey, huh? Is that what you got going here? Could I Sanga goes next? Jack Flaherty at eleven oh one to start the eleventh round, then back to a Rico for Josh Low at eleven oh two. So Cruse and Low building out the outfield, Joe, let's talk about it.

Building out the outfield when you need five outfielders, it does wear with thin pretty quickly. We're kind of approaching the cliff. We're not quite there yet, but we're getting there. So I locked down two guys who I think are probably both in the twenty home run twenty five to thirty stolen base range. Josh Low gets the park upgrade.

Okay, Cruise and Josh Low are the picks there. Continuing on with the draft board after that, Josh Low selection, Kyle Finnegan, Brandon Lao then Welsh. Who did you select here? At eleven oh five?

Who did I select it to? Oh, Luis Garcia needed a second basement.

Where am I?

Luis Garcia is perfect for this team too. I got a lot of power, I have some batting average risk I needed. I wanted to come back balance that, and I did that with Luis Garcia, who's going to run higher batting averages this year. He showed off counting stats for the first time. I always called him kind of like a CVS version of Luisa Rise, and that's gone

Kenley Janssen. Next here Brian wu at eleven oh seven. Jason Dominguez when of Walsh's favorite at eleven eight Shaman, I eleven oh nine. That seems like a value considering how good of his season he had last year. Will it repeat? That's the question. But in the eleventh round and a fifteen team league, I'm willing to find out. Nick Cassianos goes next, Then Jonathan India Kirby Gates, Lane Thomas. We're going to talk about Wonky's picks here in just

I was fairly happy about that because I was eyeballing him pretty too much to fill in the other side of the relief pitching for me. I like, And but the thing I was gonna talk about was how the draft wizard tells you, like, this is your biggest boost, which is why I ended up with Lean Thomas. I I do not chase stolen bases in a head to head league, but I will add some. Even if he's never on base, he might steal some bases, so that's great. Maybe they'll pincher on him. I don't know. And uh,

Right, continuing on with the picks as they are flying off the board here, Uh, let's see, I gotta lose my place, all right. After Ryan Walker, you got Yadi Diaz, Nolan Aronado at twelve oh six, Louis Heel Langolier's a twelve oh seven, Colton Cowser twelve oh eight, Alexis Diaz. You say, Kakuchi, I say, why not? Jordan Romano goes next? Philadelphia Phillies new Closer. You think Welsh, I think so it seems like a lock.

I think this didn't like it because the ranks haven't gone there. By the way, I gotta give you credit for you, like I would have given up on giving every single pick. The board is up on the people can see it. I have a big credit to you have to continuous.

Part of the people who listen. They want to know what the picks are, so I sure keeping it real for the peeps.

Well, I'm giving you extra credit for it. But yeah, Jordan Romano is an early value right now. He's not ranking properly. He should be higher. It said, Hey, it might be there. I didn't think he would last much higher. This is the Phillies closer. I think it's a much I think I got a value on it. I think in a lot of competitive leagues he's going to go inside the top one fifty. So Romano's a smash. And by the way, I just took Brandon Fott so to.

Everybody that he with me about that, I wanted, yeah.

Of course, love me some Brandon Fought and that he's got a rotation spot locked up power offense, and I think strikeouts are going to pop up this year. So Fought and Jordan Romano my.

Two picks, all right, let's continue on with the picks.

Here.

After you took Romano, went Guriel, Real Muto, Arico took Stevenson. Then O'HOPI goes next. You know me, I'm gonna wait as long as I can for Catcher u Aenio Suarez begins a thirteenth round. Ryan Moundcastle to a go, Stevenson Mountcastle, your two pixe Rico, let's chat.

Yeah, Catcher. I put it off as far as I felt really comfortable because a lot of the guys left I'm not so huge on. But Stevenson does have the great lineup. Still, he's a good source of batting average behind the plate, which is pretty hard to come by. So I don't mind using a twelve round pick. Generally, I'll wait as long as I can, but it is

All right. So after that selection is done, Michael Toglia goes. Francisco Alvarez, you took fought. We just discussed that. Ryan Pepio goes after that at thirteen oh six, thirteen oh seven, cronin Worth, Rhyese Hoskins, you, Darvish ten or how Camillo, Doval then tenor Scott where he land. I hope the New York Mets. We'll see Robbie Ray at thirteen thirteen. Then Ronaldo Lopez at the turn again. I'm not risk adverse.

Well? See, you know how I just said that I drafted Walker to help with my era and whip, and I immediately was like, how can I undo that? And so I did?

How can I self distruct?

Yes?

Yeah, yes, And even though I promised my fantasy baseball therapist that I would never draft Robbie Ray again, I think that it has been enough years now that I'm willing to ride that train and then begin to complain about it as soon as possible.

There you go. I think that's exactly what is that what therapy is for, and just to complain about stuff. George Springer goes at fourteen oh four, Than Francis at fourteen oh five, Evan Carter fourteen oh six, Berlson nice value here at fourteen oh seven, Ranger Suarez, Shane Bose, Rafaela, then Jack Peterson to the wels kg pick. I'll let Welsh make his selection. Next Michael Kopek in that battle for the closer job JJ Bledeh, it's a fun name to say, and uh, pretty good second half from him too.

I mean, Tores is going to play every day, even though the ballpark isn't maybe ideal for right handed hitter where you're trying to maybe hope for twenty plus home runs might be a little bit hard to come by, but it's an up and coming line. If Detroit's gotten better and better every year, you should slot somewhere in the middle, maybe even if we're lucky in the top

Okay, Eflynn, Joe Rico Happy, everything's possible. Continuing with the next picks after that, let's recap Welsh's two selections. Dalton varshow goes then TJ. Friedel, Walker Buehler Welsh. He is now a Boston Red Sox so Peterson in Texas, Bueller in Boston. What are your expectations for those two guys?

Yeah, I mean it wasn't a great like season by when I say like regular season playoffs was a real big bounce back. We were starting to see like that Villa backup, We were starting to see that original Walker Bueler. There's just a lot invested. I think this is a really good landing spot, great offense division, kind of tough, you know, so you're gonna have to have that good stuff,

Nathaniel Low goes next after excuse me, yeah, Nathaniel Low. Then Cutter Crawford, than Nadyavaldi, Hasseiung Kim Porter, Hodge Hori Solaier at fifteen eleven, Jade Martinez at fifteen twelve, still free agent there, Max Munsey at fifteen thirteen to the Penguin. She's on the clock right now. Hayesu's Lozardo fifteen fourteen. That's a good value. I went and double dipped in the outfield again, Helio Ramos and Cedric Mullins. I want

I believe that they are. And yeah, I am looking at my infield and I do not like anything about it. But I went with Munsey just again, back to the whole Dodgers thing. And also he can he has some pop if his elbow stays in place, then I think that would be that would be okay. I did like Gore toward the end of the year. I feel like he has some good strikeout numbers if he can. You know, it's always about like maintain kind of keeping the walks down,

Certainly makes sense. After Kelly's selections, we continue on. Let's see who is next after you, McKenzie Gore, then Jose Burrios, Taylor Ward at sixteen oh five, Christopher Morell, Andro Semenez, Bryce and Stop Bobby Miller, Ronel Blanco. David Bednar goes at sixteen eleven. After Bednar gets selected, Oh, I just saw somebody go off the board that I wanted. Michael Garcia goes next, and then we have Taj Bradley, Nick Pavetta,

Yeah, I needed to build out some more pitching depth with Pavetta. Still not sure where that's going to be. I actually think he probably does end up in Toronto. I mean, they'll end up getting him at the end because he's a Canadian, because there's nobody else available, whatever the reason is. I don't know why I feel like he ends up in Toronto. I know that's super analytical right there, but I think the strikeouts are still very good. The underlying numbers are all very good. It's just that

Round seventeen certainly does feel like that, all right, I am up next here continuing to take some shots. I have a question for you, Christian KNOSSI own Strand still on the board, a guy that we were very high in a couple of years ago, Welsh, where are we at with his value in twenty twenty five.

I think you're in a good value range. I walked away from the AFL unimpressed with Strand. He's kind of playing all over the field. He still has you know, big hard hit, big barrel numbers. It's an incredible ballpark. You're playing every single day. It looks good. But you know, I remember even asking him, like, how do you like the outfield?

How?

I said, how's the outfield going? And he looked at me, He's like not good, Like he does like I think that stuff is in his head about where he's playing and stuff. I think it's a good risk. We're in a territory where take takes up shot plays here. You know, I mean, like, you want your core team, you want your core pieces, but don't be afraid to take some risks here. And Strand has thirty home run upside if things start to work out and he's hitting lefties and

I did not.

I just wanted to Okay, well good, he's an honorable player.

Then well here you go. I didn't think all right, so Clark Schmid goes, Michael Walker, goes Giancarlo Stanton, wells, you took Bednar and then carry Carpenter. Carpenter lasted a little bit longer than I thought he would.

Well, yeah, I'm god, thank god, because outfield is just another one of those that, like, I feel like you got to be aggressive on especially in five outfielder early, like these guys have been talking about. I wasn't, so I felt like I was kind of tapering back.

You know.

I took Jock Peterson, who maybe doesn't get platoony, but he's just just such a ridiculous hitter against righty's in that lineup. He's going to do great, and I just needed more outfield help. And Kerry Carpenter is one of those eighteen homers in just under ninety games last year, big power output potential. Hopefully this you know team is going to be one of those big breakouts for this year.

Q got abliterate. Nick Lodolo gone Rangifo, then goes than Bot, Naylor, Torkosen Byron Bucks, and Louis Severino was looking at that. Austin Wells goes, Soderstrom, goes, Connor Norby goes. I was thinking about him and said, I ended up with Cole Keith at the seventeenth seventeen fifteen pick. And then, speaking of taking shots, let's see what Jeffrey Springs is. I don't like when Tampa gets rid of pictures. Typically I like when they acquire pictures. So I don't feel warm

Yeah, it told me, It told me he was my biggest boost. So I muted myself and I asked for Draft Wizard if it was sure. It was my biggest boost. I said, yes, so then I drafted him. But I think I need a little bit of average help, and he tends to bet for average, even if he bets for nothing else when he plays sorry, when he plays well.

The caveat is accepted here after you took that selection. Let me just scroll through and then we'll bring up the picks. Here we have Carl's Carea, then Spencer Arraghetty at eighteen oh five, Shane Bieber We'll see how he comes back from the TJ surgery, Chris Bassett at eighteen oh six, Justin Martinez, Drew Rasmussen, Tyler Fitzgerald, William Gavin Williams, Parker, Mitch Keller, and then Merle our friend Merle Kelly Goes. Finally DJ Hurts, friend of the Show. I helped him

I didn't hear from DJ charge the back end of the season, so maybe I gave him a bad football. AJ is an avid fantasy footballer.

Big Fantasy football guy. Jeremy Pania eighteen fifteen. Then Jongho Lee at nineteen oh one, Lars Newbar, Joe Rico, you took the new Bar from Welsh. I don't know how it feels about that. I don't know if he's still on new Bar for all these years. But Dj Hurts, big strikeout potential, Lars new Bar a guy that I think we're all waiting to see, you know, maybe realize his full potential. Your thoughts.

If new park can stay on the field, and if the Cardinals just put him at the top of the order, specifically against Righty's, then great things are going to happen. The on base skills fantastic, You get the power speed mix, the lineup is good enough where you know, we're talking round nineteen here in a fifteen team or fifth outfield. I think a lot of people will take him as a bench piece. Things could really break right for him and Dj Hurts I didn't even know he's a fantasy

Yeah.

But on top of that great strikeouts. I mean, the whole National's pitching staff actually was a lot better than you might have thought. Last year. Trevor Williams made some strides, Mitchell Parker came up and made some noise. Mackenzie Gore made some strides specifically down the stretch. So I like the organization. I like what he showed right off the gate and right off the bat, I you'd say, and he's somebody that I think I'm gonna have a lot of this year.

Okay, well, let's recap your picks here. You made a few since last week chatted Jackson. Job goes next, then Brendon Donovan. You took Parker Meadows and Anthony. Actually Roman Anthony. Pardon me, I almost said Anthony Rendon for a second, and I was gonna scream at you. You took Roman Anthony. It's a much better pick. I guarantee you he'll play more games. So here you go. Well, if we were just talking about him seen as many people as the big time number one prospect, are you taking him to

Now?

I mean we're drafting bench you sentence in these mocks. Don't do bench if we're doing bench in here in the two seventies, absolutely like we're in the same general vicinity of a lot of these players. So you know, I got Parker Meadows as my fifth outfielder. So I've kind of locked that down power speed combo. I'm really hurting myself in batting average. But why would I not take the upside of a guy like Roman Anthony. There could be trade bait. The hit skills in Boston might

All right, getting in on it early. Let's talk about the next picks here. Ryan weathers Man, he lasted a long time. I surprised you didn't take him, Eloja Menez, Craig Kimberleam Hendrix, Luke Railey, Clayton Kershaw, Kumar Rocker, Brian Bayo to you, Wonky, why don't you talk about that while I make my picks.

Yeah, I had him last year and he would do kind of either blow up or he would have a really nice start type of thing. And I feel like he's going to have some growth this season, I like, and I feel like he's gonna pitch a lot of Indians because they've kind of worked him up in that regard. So at this point in the draft, that's kind of what I'm looking for, like who might possibly throw one to sixty one seventy Indians. So I don't necessarily have to go out on the on the waivers looking for

There you go. After that selection. Gabriel Moreno goes next. Then I took Nolan Chanal and Nestra Cortes, who does not pitch for the Yankees anymore, but Yankee adjacent was close enough. Now he's in Milwaukee, will see how he does. James Outman goes next. Walkee, what are you doing with your next bic heurere at twenty oh three?

Oh, I don't know. I'm town between. I'm torn between three people and Jake McCarthy, Willy Castro and Jesus Sanchez, And once you're in this territory, you just kind of

It's the small joys in life.

It is the small joys in life.

After Willi cashro Starling, Marte, Zach Gelof, Dansby Swanson, Michael Bush, Victor rold Blaze, Jeff Hoffman. If you could pass a physical somewhere, then we have Christian and Knossil Strong going right before Kristinal Kanassian strand excuse me, going right before Trevor's story to you Welsh, Yeah.

I didn't care about that. I was happy with the Trevor story. But what I wasn't happy about was three guys in my queue in this round. I wanted Michael Bush, I wanted Dance Dancy Swanson. Let mean, its just value at this point. Michael Bush, and then I didn't think anyone was Jeff Hoffman. Like Jeff Hoffman, I got on maybe his arm and a couple orgs were given bad markers, but he's gonna close this year. So I was gonna take like a fourth guy just to kind of really

You're up again, so you might as well walk us through your selection or do you want me to recap picks?

No?

No, I think I know exactly where I'm gonna go because we're at this stage where we are. We got like four bench spots and maybe are pending. You know, if you guys have already filled out your major roster, I probably don't need to do this. But I think there's a big tier difference. I'm gonna take my catcher in Sean Murphy. The rest of the catchers are fine, Like there's like kyper Ruiz, Connor Wong I think is still out there, but I think Sean Murphy is like

So, just to recap again, Trevor story goes to Welsh at twenty eleven, then Estuary of Ruiz at twenty twelve, Andy Payas, who I really liked, I want to get him. Twenty thirteen, he's gone Estrata to a Rico Chas McCormick to end the twentieth round. To begin the twenty first, Hori Polanco than Eric Fetty. So let's talk about Estrada and Fetti Rico.

Yeah, Tyro Estrada, Like, I don't know if I've ever been more wrong on a player than I was about Tyro last year. I thought he was going to steal a lot, you know, new manager, proficient and stealing blah blah blah. Hes still like four bases. He was terrible, But going to Colorado good place. To kind of revitalize your career. So I'm taking a chance on him there.

All right, I am making my selections and we are flying through the rest of the draft board. A couple rounds left here. Thanks for hanging out with us. Don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel. Ryan McMahon goes

And then my next one is basically a different version of O'Hearn, but it's Matt Willner from the Twins. I think he has He's got twenty home run potential pretty easily. And again at this point in the draft, it's like, Okay, I guess I'll just go with a bunch of switch hitters who are going to be in platoons.

Hey, well why not? But that's that's a good value there, and there's upside. Matt Shaw goes next a bray You then Puck Keller Nick still kicking around Jared Kelnick. You gotta give him credit. He's like, you know, just can't get rid of him. Nick Gonzalez, you have John Kenzie, Noel than Henry Davis justin Verlander to the Welsh. Do my eyes deceive me? You finally got a picture of your own age on your team?

Well, you know what we found out? I am younger than Justin Verlander.

Shout out to Scott making this selection better.

He celebrated his birthday yesterday we found out he is older than Verlander. I'm still younger than Verlander. Verlander had a horrible season and things do not look good. I'm hoping for some small revitalization. It's an incredible ballpark for him to be in, and I'm hoping that's going to carry some of this. I needed some innings. I'm hoping to pick up some wins. I'm not like crazy optimistic about this, but you know, maybe a slight bounce back.

Happy birthday bugs, Yeah, that's.

Right, our good palace gott bagman here next here after, let's see Justin Verland are still reeling from that. Joe Adell, Josh Smith, Kyle Man, the Manchild, and then earldest Chapman goes to Team one to begin the twenty third round. Joey Ortiz, Ryan Nelson, so Manzarto and Nelson so Joe. You know, they moved on in the off season, but they still brought back Carlos Antanas, So what does that mean for Manzarto this year?

He was so good down the stretch in September especially, he started hitting for power, started hitting for average. It seemed like things started to click. I'm betting on him having more of a full time role than maybe we're expecting and maybe some of the projections they're expecting. I think the talent is still through the roof and I think they will find a way to play him more than a lot of people are thinking. And then Ryan

Right it looks like, I mean, they have to They're going to Tradejordan Montgomery, and once Jordan Montgomery's traded, that's going to open up the possibilities here. But that's the move that they got to make and they will.

Okay, after those selections, you have Peven Smith, Griffin Jacks, Well, she took Rhee Olsen, who had a bit of an up and down season. So what are your expectations for him going forward?

Yeah, again, there's you know, team context. I think they're moving in the right direction. He showed some really good signs in some spots this season. I think there's some good strikeout potential with resouls. And this is like, you know, bench starting pitcher. We're in the territory where if it doesn't work out early on in the season, boom, you're gone and you become a streaming spot. So that's what

That's right on this one, Max Kepler, Arcade Smith, Matt Strom, and then Brandon Marsh, Hunter Goodman, and Chris Martin. We have Jacob Young, then David Peterson. Look at that one of my guys there, Jason Foley. Then I selected Matthew Boy who just signed with the Cubs. Can he stay healthy? We'll see, But again just building out the w of bodies, and then I had to take a shot on Urropeerrize at some point in the second half. I'd like to see him healthy and making starts every fifth day. The

Well, the one I'm drafting now is this is what we call a dart throw. I went with Chris Bryant mostly because I was running out of time, and you know, again it's the same thing. If he can stay.

I just want to say, you've got Carlos Korea and Chris Bryant on the same team. This would have been amazing in twenty eighteen.

I know, I thought, and I thought that, like, maybe we should just throw it back for a second, but no, I with David Peterson. Again, it was this was a Draft Wizard pick. Like it said, this was my biggest boost. He had probably more strikeouts than anyone else, which is the one category that I'm kind of attempting to stay up in the top, which you can check, and I've been looking at it and I've just been ignoring whip entirely.

So there you go. Actually, I have to stand correct at twenty seventeen would be the last time both of them had a good healthy season. So it's only eight years ago. What's eight years Trevor Larnick, Then Jacob Wilson, Jeff McNeil, Jake Frailey, Andrew Benin, Tendi, Will Benson, iSER, Isaiah Kiner Falafa. Then we have Eduardo Rodriguez going to the Welsh Welsh. You think he can say healthy in twenty twenty five.

I'm crossing my fingers that. I mean, there's a couple of these that are out there. But if he does, we know there's gonna be a huge value on Edwardo. He can at least be SP four on a team. If you get to that original side of it, and hopefully he spent most of the time just chilling out last year, so hopefully he's healthy, healthy for this year.

All right, Michael Canfordo, David fried nueve A Marte tu A, Rico Vierling, then Victor Scott in the last round, David Festa another young pitcher here for Minnesota. So Marte another guy with a lot of upside coming off that suspension year. Joe, what are your expectations for him?

There really are no expectations. Is just like he's my last position player on my bench. He might be fantastic. He might have been aided more than we would have hoped than by the PDEs. I don't really know. I honestly don't really know. He was dreadful down the stretch, hoping that he can bounce back this year. If he doesn't, he's an easy cut at this point. And then David fast Does is another guy in the same vein as DJ Hurts debuted look really good. The numbers below the

Okay, recapping just the final picks here, as we are at the end of the very final round, Siri Verdugo, than Tobias Myers, to Welsh, Chad Green, Melendez, Kyle Ismael. Then we have Davis, Clay Holmes, Johnny de Luca, how you doin, Robert Garcia, Redebt Meurs, Brian Dela Cruz, and I took Jesse Winker last, so maybe a little powers the grade.

I laughed out loud at the grade that I got and just say, I guess.

Can I see? I gotta be down minus.

Ely Further further, I got word So the thing that I love, I've always loved about it. It's like when I first started working with Fantasy Pros, even before I was ever full time with him, was like, I loved this board. I love the projection, stand out, the insights. It's my favorite thing. I love seeing the people that like the drafts, and I knew there were gonna be things that wasn't gonna like, but I got a D minus probably because of the Roman anthony.

It was brutal.

I will say this though I got a D minus. Though I ranked top five in stolen bases and saves. I also was high in homers in a couple of categories. It's all over the place about some stacks and what I could have done here and there. But you guys want to take a at the expert that loved my draft more than anybody?

Uh?

You, Kelly, what do you think I was gonna say?

Mayor Joe?

What do you think me? Of course me?

Of course hoot on the team.

Of course I loved it more than anybody. Mike Mayer did love it the third most, as did Chris Towers. But the haters a lot of people I've done shows with and then host hosted. Scott White hates me. Piece of PA hates me. Kelly, you hate me and Andy Barron's not big fans big.

I don't like my draft more than anybody else, So that feels pretty good. I finished at six. Wenky Penguin the winner amongst us. She finished third in this draft. Joe Alrico finished eleventh, right ahead of Welsh. You just snuck it in, Rico. That's got to feel pretty good, right, as long as.

I came out ahead of Welsh after he took Gary Crochet for me, I'll take.

Apparently Kelly Kirby likes my draft as well, because I did Brian Reynolds, Randy Rosarina and Carlos Rodan.

Uh.

What is what we're talking about here is the announcers on the back end here. It tells you the steals. It tells you, Hey, if I had taken Corbin Carrol, I would have been X number of spots higher. And these are the things that you can really start to hone your draft strategy. And that's why you were using Draft Wizard here for all these drafts. Uh, Halio o' ramos, Chanel and Connor Wong were all steals for me, Kelly.

I mean it says you know, with my stack, you'll be training for Minnesota with your Carlos Carreo, Willie Castro and Matt Walner stack, to which I say, really, you think I'm gonna cheer for that.

That's so exciting.

Yeah, however, I did like my tip. I liked my drafts more than anyone else, and it said I'd be in the top five and five different things, So I mean, I'll take it. I drafted to some players that I obviously don't love, but in a fifteen team, I think everyone gets to the point where they have to. But I really like I like stacked. How I stack my outfield, and like you said, Michael King as an sp one is pretty I'm fine with that.

So yeah, the outfield of Taptiste Junior, Duran, Brent Rooker, Riley Green, Lane Thomas pretty darn good. The infield Nailor Bogarts, Mason Win, Max Munsey, Soderstrom, and the pitching staff here Michael King, Yamamoto, Iglesias, Walker, Schwellenbach, Robbie, Ray, Gore Bayo. I mean, it's a good group here from my roster here here, Connor Wong, Vlattie, Matt McClean, Lindor Josh Young,

He could have end up as my sp one, or he could end up back on the shelf. That is the risk I've taken here. If I'm gonna go back and look at it through the twenty twenty vision. I would probably not have waited as long on pitching. I think Welsh just kind of screwed me up with taking Crochet, and then I didn't want to reach too far under Graham, and then it just kind of messed me up. So that is another thing that people should know, Like Welsh

Right, and well, Sean Murphy, Christian Walker, First, Garcia, Elie Dela Cruz, rap Field, Devers, James Wood. That's a good grouping there, Lawrence Butler, Jock Peterson, Parker Meadows, Kerry Carpenter, Trevor Story, and then Garrick Rochet is your ace, Joe, Ryan Classe, Bedner, Alcontra, Jared Jones, Burndon, Fott, Walker, Bueller. This is a big upside pitching staff here, welshnes.

Haters just a bunch of haters. It's a good team. I like your construction. I think there's some there's some question marks in here, but like I love my infield. I love my infield. I think my outfield is going to end up working. Am I pitching staff. Maybe there's some questions, but again it's it's big upside. I think there's stream ability. But again, like I'm gonna hit waivers in here, Galla haters is a good team.

Well, it's officially baseball season. Welsh is unhappy, Kelly Kirby's beating us, and Joe Rico is still in his darkness retreat.

So what do you do the light Joe come in?

What do you think those of you watching on the YouTube comment below, which one of us has the best team? That's what we want to hear from you. Was it a Rico? Was it Welsh?

Was it me?

Was it Kelly Kirby? Like the Draft Wizard says, and run your own mock drafts right now again, fantasypros dot Com slash Draft Wizard. It's fast, it's free, it's fun. It's a way to get prepared for the MLB season. The head over to Fantasypros dot com for all the latest articles in rankings. Fantasy baseball season is quickly approaching. Go get your Fantasy BlackBook Too Odd on Amazon with all of us contributing to it. The whole team is here.