Hello, everybody, Welcome into the Cycle. I am Ryan Warmley, joined as always by Mike Mayor.
Mayor.
It is the third straight week of us kind of approaching the show a little differently than our usual format. A couple weeks ago it was the holiday with fourth of July. Last week we had, you know, kind of going into the All Star break. It was a little weird, you know, not having the upcoming week. This week, we don't have the previous week of games right because it
was the All Star break. So we will be back to our kind of our normal format of three different parts spread out on both audio and video starting next week. For this week, we're doing one final one episode of the whole week edition of the cycle.
We're gonna talks to news and.
Notes, kind of react to Homer and Derby, All Star Game, MLB Draft at the top of the show, and then what we're gonna do is a way too early twenty twenty six baseball mock draft. Probably didn't need to say baseball. Everybody knows that for the show they're listening to, But yeah, we're gonna do a twenty twenty six early mock. We're gonna do two rounds to that and just kind of take an early look at who the guys are that we think are going to be at the top next
year and see where we go. I actually very specifically did not prep for that. I mean, obviously I have all the names in mind, but I didn't like sit down and lay out a big board because I wanted to kind of feel in the moment, like I wanted this to kind of be like a gut check, like how are we feeling less so than like, well, the numbers say it'll probably be this guy.
Does that make sense? Like I wanted to be kind of shooting from the hip.
I personally was up all night crafting my strategy, and I have a very clear path going in. No, I don't have any strategy either, but uh yeah, similar I wanted to. I have a bunch of different like resources open that I want to look at, and it's kind of like, what do dynasty rankings look like? What do the stats look like at the halfway point here, what do the rest of season rankings look like? And what
did draft rankings look like coming into last season? Because it'll be interesting to see how different those you know, those looks. So I have all those open to kind of review, but kind of the same thing. I wanted to see it, do it in real time and kind of see how things are gonna land.
Yeah, so that'll be fun.
We'll see how it goes, and everybody can let us know in the comments who they think, you know, went too high, too low, who who had the better version of our way too early draft. But that will be the second part of the show. We'll start off with the news and notes can kind of go a bunch of different directions with this. I say, let's kind of go in order of how the events took place over the weekend, So that would be starting with the MLB Draft.
And I you know, I'm very into dynasty leagues. You and I play in the kind of like a dynasty slash deep keeper format together. It's my favorite form of baseball. I just like prospect stuff. So those are the leagues that I enjoy the most. So I really enjoyed the bet the draft. Also, the Orioles were bad for so many years in a row that you get kind of used to caring about the draft. This year a little different with I'm not picking till nineteen.
You'll be there next year.
Yeah, probably, What's interesting though, is unlike football and unlike basketball, these guys are not contributing for your fantasy teams anytime soon. By and large, now you have the you know, these fast moving pictures lately like Chase Burns, Paul skeens Lee, or Pryor.
Who are moving very quickly.
But by and large, these players that are getting drafted are years away from even being in the big leagues, let alone being impact fantasy players.
So when you watch the MLB draft.
Is there a type of player you're looking for when you're thinking about long term dynasty stuff? Are you thinking like, oh, Mikad Anderson, for example, went to the Mariners. Are you thinking, well, the Mariners have a great track record of, you know, developing pictures, so I'm really happy with that landing spot and I'm more interested in Anderson now, or a guy like Ethan Holliday, big power going to Colorado, like, oh, I'm sure he's going to hit well in course field.
Are you thinking down the line that far when you are thinking about dynasty stuff? Are you just looking at pure talent? Like who did I think the best prospect was? How do you approach thinking about the draft with your dynasty formats?
So I'm kind of an impatient team manager. I don't I don't like to wait that long. So ideally I want the you know, you know, everyone's going to want the Chase Spurns who comes up, you know, quickly and contributes right away. But I also, you know, like the first pick in this draft is probably not going to be someone I'm I'm going to take, you know, this kind of young high schooler who's a long term project.
That's not really going to be the fantasy target for me, unless you know, we're talking you know, uh, generational prospects like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout who came up and we're like in the big leagues at eighteen nineteen years old. But a lot of times I look at the path to the big leagues like how close are these guys
to being ready? And so for that reason, I would probably look at a Kate Anderson because he's probably one of the more you know, not MLB ready, But like, you know, looking at this class, we can talk about the class as a whole next, because it was I thought it was an interesting, like kind of a down year for the class, unless you know, people who are smarter than me really disagree it didn't feel like last year we had, you know, a bunch of high end
talent that kind of went this year. You saw just how the draft played out, even the way people predicted the draft. There were a bunch of surprising picks in the top ten, and so it was kind of a down year for that. And I don't know, maybe this is the year I trade my first round pick and I don't worry about these prospects.
But there are a couple that I like, Yeah, there are definitely prospects I like.
It doesn't feel like, you know, like there was a couple of years ago where like the top five, I think, like you were like Walker Jenkins, Max Clark, those guys aren't in the big leagues yet. But just look at a lot of really high end talented guys, and again we've seen some players move very quickly. Guys like Nick Kurtz were drafted very recently and are already making an impact in the big leagues. This doesn't necessarily feel like
that kind of class. I mean, Kate Anderson is a good example of a guy that I think could move quickly. But the number one pick, Eli Willits is a high school guy. I don't anticipate him moving super fast. Ethan Holliday a high school guy, so it's an interesting draft. I would encourage everybody to check out Welsh, who is an expert on all things draft prospects, did an episode with Joe kind of on their on their end of the feed upbout these prospects and first year player drafts
and that sort of thing. So I would encourage everybody to to go listen in too and watch that and get kind of a deeper dive. Our thoughts just from kind of the macro level, are maybe not the class where you're trying to acquire these high end picks in your dynasty format or like in the league you and I are in. They'll be available in our salary cap draft in the spring. You know, I probably won't be spending a lot, you know, to give you to give you a reference point, because it was before you had
joined the league. Paul Skeens went for like twenty eight bucks the year he was available, you know. Jackson Holiday went for twelve I think the year he was the number one overall pick. I'm not the type to really spend like that in these on rookies, not rookies on prospects in those drafts because I feel like I can get guys for cheaper. So I just feel like, if Ethan Holiday is going for ten plus, I'm probably not going to be in on that bidding.
Yeah, and I I don't have it up, but I'm pretty sure in that league I got Chase Burns for pretty cheap, like three bucks or something, and you know that is that is paid off. I will also say, you know, you mentioned the episode that Joe and Welsh did. Welsh also has an article up on fantasypros dot com on his first year player draft rankings or he kind of breaks down the class and how he would rank them.
I agree with a lot of what he wrote.
You know, I won't spoil all of it, but he kind of had a similar take to what I said at the top, that the way it broke down was kind of interesting, especially for fantasy, and that maybe this is you know, I don't know that you know you would go for like an Eli Willets at the top of your fantasy draft, but you know, maybe you take a big swing on an Ethan Holiday because you know, the power profile is there, even if it's not like a sure thing like we've seen in the past, whether
a Jack Keg Leonner, Nick Kurtz, you know, he has the highest upside, you know. For me, it's like Ethan Holliday and Kate Anderstond the top of the class would be my top targets for fantasy.
Yeah, I was gonna say, I feel like it's Ethan Holiday unless you are in a position where you really want a fast moving, quality pitcher.
In that case, you just go Kate Anderson.
But I think unless you specifically are eyeing that profile, I think Holiday's probably the right pick.
But he is not a perfect prospect.
He's a very different prospect than Jackson too, just in terms of his strengths and weaknesses. So don't don't think you're getting Jackson Holiday if you take Ethan Holiday. But obviously still a high ceiling, like, no doubt about it. All right, So those are quick MLB draft thoughts. Again, check us out, you know, on fanspros dot com and elsewhere on the feed for more of a deep dive there. The next event from the All Star break the home
run Derby, which you didn't think you had won. We said we were doing total you know, home runs hit and cal Raley was the difference for you, so congratulations on winning that he arguably shouldn't have even advanced.
There should have been a swing off in round one. I hate that there wasn't.
I don't understand why it strictly who hit the ball the furthest I actually didn't even realize that was the tiebreaker in round one, and I despise that, not just because it made lose, Like I hated it even in the moment that I was like, why is there not
a swing off? That would be so much more fun alas that's the way it went, And even though the thing that was really frustrating me and I was ready to come on and argue about your victory is junior Cameron Aro like left time on the clock in round two when he was just on a heater because he
went second. I actually didn't remember any of these I didn't remember that they switched to a bracket in the second round, like this whole thing, Like, I don't like that they keep changing the rules of this, and I don't really like this current setup. I don't mind having a limited number of pitches to make sure people aren't just taking every other pitch, but I don't like the time limit because I want to sit back and enjoy
the majesty of these home runs. I don't like, go, go, go, you gotta get as many pitches in as possible.
So you know, that was all kind of a bummer.
At any rate, I was ready to argue, like Junior Camerenarow missed out on home runs that he should have had because he, you know, had to go second, and then he went second again in the finals. So even if he had won and I had picked the winner, he yet again was going to be able to stop and not keep hitting homer as out of the total. So I was like, that's just him getting punished for hitting more in the first round.
But then he didn't hit enough.
Cal Rally won, so it was a clear victory for you, which I, you know what will happily see.
Yeah, I'll take it.
And you know, as we talk about cal Raley potentially winning the MVP, now he's also the home run Derby champion and even more importantly, I just saw today that he won the Mariners Golden Locker Award for having the cleanest and most organized locker. So just an all time season for cal Raley, just racking up the awards and if he's not the MVP. I don't you know we're talking about an all time season here.
I have never heard of that for any team at any level. But great job for him winning that award. Do you like the current iteration of the home run derby?
No, I want to go back to I don't like the current I'm like an old grump. I don't like the current iteration of anything. I want to go back to the outs version. I'm very alone in this take, but I want to go back to the All Star Game meaning something and determining home run or not home field.
Advantage in the World Series. I love that.
I love that the game meant something. I hate the way it is now. You know, I have it on in the background, but it's like not must watch for me. I just like to watch, like, you know, having all the obviously all the All Stars in one place. So though I could go on to rant about how bad the rosters were this year, I know you and I were slacking about that a little bit, and I was just, you know, ranting privately to you about how bad the American League roster was this year in terms of All Stars.
But yeah, I'm an old grump. I don't like the format of anything. I want the All Star Game to determine homefield advantage in the World Series. But I think I might be the only person on Earth who thinks that.
I kind of agree.
Like, honestly, the All Star Game, the only thing that was cool was the swing off, Like I do like that, but like the All Star Game swing I have on in the background while doing other stuff, like I'm not I had friends over to watch the Home Run Derby even though I don't love the current format, I just I just love the idea of the Home Run Derby and I enjoy watching it with people like that is an event that I will care about and hope that it gets kind of back to.
Its glory days.
But the All Star Game is like, yeah, when an Orioles hitter is up, I'm looking up at my TV, which isn't on right now, but like I'd be like, oh, okay cool, Like Ryan O'Hearn's up when you know, besides that, it's like okay cool. But the swing off I did, I did, Like, did you enjoy that as a as? I mean, I certainly would hate it if that was like in a real game. But for the All Star Game, I loved it.
Yeah, I thought it was fine. I don't know that I hate it. For a real game, I might be okay with that. You know, it's kind of like the hell Hockey. Instead of having ties, they do the shootout at the end. I don't know that I'm against it. I might like that more than like the ghost run around second rule, but I don't know, maybe not.
I actually could not more vehemently be opposed to it in a regular season game.
It's so it's so fun.
In the All Star Game and an exhibition it's so it would be so like baseball is afraid of extra innings, and I don't understand why. All my thing I was tweeting about this on Tuesday night, all my best memories of baseball are extra innings stuff like oh that game that went eighteen innings or oh remember like it got all the way to twelve. And I'm like, I don't like that they're trying to limit extra innings with the ghost runner, and well, let's just do a swing off instead,
Like I want all the extra baseball. And I don't understand anybody who doesn't like I get it that, like you don't want every game to go six hours, but like as a as a random like Tuesday night in May and you're like, wow, I'm staying up for that, I'm inning fifteen, Like those are fun.
I did that once.
The Orioles were in Seattle and I was in college, so in Maryland on the East Coast, and I had an eight am class that I could not skip the next day. It was the only semester I ever had an eight am class, and it was one It was like twice a weekend.
It was like totally unskippable.
And I stayed up for an eighteen inning game with the Orioles in Seattle.
Go.
So I went to bed at you know, my time in the East Coast was like I don't know, five or six am, but I didn't care. It was a great memory and a fun like this is what makes baseball great in my opinion. So I would hate it in the regular season, but super cool. And shouts to Kyle Schwarber for being a beast in the All Star Game version.
Yeah.
Speaking of and going back to the rosters, how was Jonathan Rondo one of the American League picks for that swing off?
Like how did he make the top three?
I mean, I know a lot of people left, and that was part of it.
I also think Boone also weird, was probably just like just picked the first three people who saw he saw or something like, I don't know genuinely, like it seems really odd. I don't know who was still like there and who he might have asked people and they said, nah, I'm good, like I'm you know, I've taken off my cleats for the day, like you know, yeah, I'm done.
But I don't know. I agree, it was a weird pick. We didn't even get to.
See, all right.
Schwerber goes three for three and as The Cure's Jonathan Arondez saved the day, and it's like, shocker.
He didn't acted all right.
A couple other dudes and notes here you got some injury stuff on here for a couple of pictures.
Run us through those.
Oh yeah, so a big one. Max Free dealing with a blister not always a huge deal, but when you when you talk about blisters, that's the kind of thing that can linger. And so he doubled in his last start. He's unsure if he's going to pitch this weekend, but it seems like such a minor injury. We've seen blisters really like derail pitchers for like several weeks at a time in the past, and it's the kind of thing where you keep thinking that they're back from it, and
you know it keeps popping up again. I think in years past there were a lot of issues with the balls being changed, and we saw a ton of pictures dealing with blisters and it just almost derailed seasons. I don't want to be an alarmist and say that's going on with Max Freed. I think it's more of a minor blister, but still something you want to keep an eye on, because you know that's always scared. Shane McClanahan completed a short rehab start recently and you know, his
arm did not fall off. It seems like he's working his way back from that nerve issue. He only threw thirty six pitches. But the fact that he's on the mound throwing after what we saw in you know, before the season started, when it looked like really really, really bad while you were actively drafting him in AR league. You know, it's good to see him and he's he's the potential someone we've talked to talked about.
We didn't talk to him.
That would be great someone we talked about recently as someone you could pick up in the second half. It could be a difference maker. And yeah, that was it for me. The last note here is about it on a trade that you're thinking about making in our league.
Yeah, I wanted to ask you kind of your opinion since you are not you're not in kind of that tier one of contenders, so you're not going after this player. So I felt comfortable kind of talking strategy with you. Basically, and this is a dynasty discussion, well deep keeper dynasty.
It's kind of a little bit of both, but hybrid you can keep up to fourteen players, so it very much feels like a dynasty, even though there's technically not like a first year player draft and you don't keep the entire roster, but it's a very very different.
You must keep minor league you must keep.
At least four minor leaguers, so that's part of this. Basically, Ronald Acunya is seventy dollars is his cost in this league. I have I'm actually not sure to pronounce.
Which is a lot. For comparison, it's a lot.
Yeah, I think I think Mookie Betts was once like seventy four in this league. But that's basically like the highest i've we've ever had in this league.
It's a three hundred dollars budget.
By the way, I know most people don't, you know, can really care about the specifics. The main important question here that I want to talk through on the show is, is Ronald o'cunya at seventy dollars based on what we've seen so far somebody that you think is worth giving up an elite prospect for Because I have Leo DeVry Devree is how you're pronounced, the Padres shortstop who's eighteen years old, crushing it in Hia. Still a couple of years away, but I mean, he's going to be the
number one prospect in baseball. I think after this year, at the very least, he will be top five for the next couple of years, it feels like, and I have him for just one dollar, and eventually that cost will go up a few years into his career. But he's basically going to be very cheap for the next five or six years, and then even after that's still pretty cheap assuming he's a good player. Would you trade a prospect like that for Ronald Kunya, who we have
seen be the best player in Fantasy at times. Obviously, coming back for the injury, he hasn't been running as much. I mean, he only has four steels since coming back. Obviously he's been home runs. I'm kind of torn. I am the type of manager who typically does not like
to move elite young, cheap talent. I'm like, this is the core of my team going forward, like I want guys like Leo de vrye toe again, I'm not sure to pronounce it, you know, for a dollar in my roster, and the Padreas are aggressive with these guys, so maybe he moves a little faster than I expect. But fly forever. I am a Tier one team. I am not the best team in this league, but I'm clearly in the
contending top tier. And the other factor here is if I do not make this trade, I know for a fact that the number one team, who is already clearly the best team in this league, will be getting Acunya.
So what I want to ask you is A what do you think about that this.
Trade offer of Devree for for Acunya, given costs and everything, and b how much when you're making trades in keeper in Dynasty formats, are you thinking about the fact that, oh, this other player, this other manager who is who I'm directly contending with, is going to get this guy if I don't, you know, overspend.
So that makes it tricky because that obviously context matters you when you talk about a trade like this. If you're just talking about Acunya for DeVries, which is I say his name, it's in Dynasty, You're like, wow, I'd love to have Acunya. But then you consider that it's seventy dollars, which in the grands gay things is prohibitive to keeping him like that is just too Like.
Mookie Betts has been caught kept for seventy dollars before, but it is like, okay, I'm now missing out on the opportunity for other talent elsewhere in the draft. It's capable, but it is like a lot and he is I believe was just per I believe he was sent back like this year, So he is his price isn't going up for a couple of years. Let me double check on that, or was he kept this year? He actually he actually might have been kept. Oh no, it is
going up every year. Okay, so he will be seventy five dollars next year, which which is like borderline getting into not capable and like this is a rental.
Yeah, so that's where it gets interesting. And then in the context of this league, the best team is like by far the best team, he's clearing a head and so if he gets a Kunya, it's almost like he's unbeatable.
And so I don't know.
I feel like in this instance I would I would go for it and just try to take my swing and hope that you know, knowing your team, you already have a good stockpile of young talent, and so it's not like Devrees is your only good prospect, And so it's the kind of thing where context really matters. In this context, I think you're close enough to go for it, and that Acunya could put you over the top. And I believe you've already beaten him head to head once, Is that right?
I did earlier this season?
Yeah, So the team ahead of us in the standings, who's really really good?
He doesn't.
Actually he doesn't have good prospects and doesn't really have good depth either. It's just his starting his starting lineup is very loaded. I think he's beatable, and getting Akunya for him obviously makes that more challenging. I guess what I'm curious about from your perspective too, And that's part of why I wanted to bring this up on the show, is because you know, people don't really care about like my fantasy team, but I think they care about Acunya.
Do you see Yakunya as the type.
Of player going forward, because like in past seasons, this is a guy who's been you know, however many points per game, likes like six point two points per game in twenty twenty three. If the steals aren't there anymore to the degree we need them to be, that changes things. And you know, last season, in forty nine games, he had sixteen steals. This season in forty five games, he
has four and obviously two knee injuries. You know, the ops is over a thousand, right, he has twelve home runs in forty five games, like a lot of it's very good. He's not been a bad player, clearly, But if he's not, if he's a four point per game player instead of a six point two point per game player and is also a clear rental, you know, does
that sound worth it? Even setting aside the prospect that I'm giving up it, you know, setting aside cost is a Kunya somebody like that that you think is the type of player right now as he is playing this seas in the guy that can you know, put somebody over the top to win the league. Or do you just see him as a good player but not an elite one right now?
I think he's still elite. I think you're you're seeing it.
I just think the stolen bases are going to be a little bit lower, which he which he has already said, you know, he's probably not going to run as much. It's also possible he's the only stolen four bases in forty five games. It could just be as he's working his way back. He's also four for four on stolle bases. It could just be the more he gets comfortable with this knee, you know, being surgically repaired and not being nervous to run anymore, he might run a little bit more.
And he in last year in forty nine games, you said he stole sixteen bases. This year he's only stolen four. But also last year in those forty nine games, he only had four home runs. This year, he's got twelve and he's patting three twenty three, and we've seen him just come back and it wasn't like before when the power was kind of apped. The powers there. He looks
like the elite hitter again. And so yeah, I you kind of stole the line I was going to say about Flags five forever, which you know, it's hard when you're you know, especially in like a dynasty or keeper league, when it can it can be so fluid from year to year and you never know when you're going to really like be a contender, Like if you're in the contending window and you have an opportunity to go for it, it's hard to not pull the trigger, especially when when
you know, we don't know if Davrez is a sure thing, like he's a top prospect, but Akunya is basically a sure thing, even though it's a one it's a one year rental.
I really like Devrees, which makes it tough, right, Like if it was a guy who was ranked highly as a prospect but I wasn't like super invested in, I might feel a little differently.
Devrez is a guy that I do like.
Really believe in, So you know, that makes it like if it was just like, oh, you're not willing to give up in a vacuum. It's like, Okay, you're going to pass on a Kunya as a win now team for a guy that's not going to be in the big leagues for three years.
Sounds silly, but.
If you really believe, I mean, this is how I have a very cheap Bobby wit Junior in this league because I held on to him and now I'm reaping those bens benefits right like same with Jackson Curio I got for cheap.
Gunnar Henderson has been a little down this year. Same thing.
I have him for cheap because you know, I held on to them when they when they kind of took off as prospects. So because that's been so successful for me in the past in building this foundation, it's hard to give up on that. And I don't know, there's a lot to think about. I would love to hear what the commenters think on a trade like that. Given what they've heard, I won't waste their time.
With that anyway. I vote Aunya, You vote Acunya.
Well, speaking of Acunya, let's transition into our twenty twenty six way too early mock draft. We're going to go through two rounds here. Acunya will certainly be one of the players taken in the first two rounds here, let's say, because actually before we dive in, I want to let everybody know that we are giving away a Wan Gonzalez signed Rangers jersey courtesy of our friends at Pristine Auction
dot com. All you have to do to enter is subscribe to the Fantasy Pros MLB YouTube channel right now, comment below on any video, and that is we will be announcing one lucky winner right here on the channel, So make sure to turn on those notifications so you can know when new videos are up and to claim your prize. I think we should let you go first as sort of a reward for winning the home run
derby draft. But basically we'll just alternate here, so you'll you'll get picks one, three, five, seven, I'll get two, four, six, eight, et cetera, et cetera, and we'll go through twenty four picks here, two different rounds. Does that sound good to you?
It sounds good to me, except that I didn't want to go first. I was hoping to not have to pick. But I will just go with the tried and true Tony and I'll just take Otani first and just lock that in and just make sure I can't ever use my utility spot for an entire season.
I actually like I would be more inclined to take Otani if they just said, like, he's not never pitching again, Like I almost just like don't want him. It's cool that he does it, it makes it more valuable in real life, but I'm like, that is kind of.
Hanging over your head a little bit.
And there are other elite players, so yeah, I yeah.
I should have also checked, like, is this a daily line up league? Can I use him as well?
Yeah?
I mean he will never pitch for me.
Yeah, let's let's let's call this weekly lineup And you know, do you want to call this roto versus categories?
I don't really care.
Yeah, we'll just do standard roto weekly league. Okay, but that is interesting. I do have Otani in both kinds of leagues. In a daily league, I will let not right now because he's only going like two three innings, but if he's like back to being a traditional starter in a daily league, I will start him. When he's a starter in a weekly league, he never leaves my hitter spot. He's never pitching for me.
Yeah, so I don't know how you view this. So if Otani is the clear number one, how big of a kind of a next tier do you view? Like, like, I don't know that he is a clear number Well, well let me rephrase, because I actually agree that I don't think he's a clear number one. How many names would you consider for this for the pick?
I think that's hard to answer in mid July because I think will depend on how the second half goes.
Because you can see.
That's why this is way too early.
Yeah, so I think you have Otani and you have Judge. But then it starts getting interesting because then obviously, like Bobby Wit comes into the equation. I don't think Jose. I think Jose Rimire is going to be locked in. I don't know if he's going to push for the top spot of it, but I think he's going to be locked in.
Like the top five.
But then based on how the second half goes, is Peek or Armstrong in that conversation, is cal Rawley in that conversation. So it's very interesting to see how the top very like tippy top of the draft goes next year.
I am going to go with the guy that I am most confident is going to help me in the most categories, and that's Bobby Witch Junior with pick number two. And I view this as almost the safest pick here just given age and the categories he will help you in.
I don't know that that's the right pick.
Actually, I could very is you see myself a year from now saying I'd rather have taken you know, Judge or one of these other guys. But right now, I feel like Bobby with Junior is just the best at the most things. Even if like Judge is going to hit more homers than him, and you know, cal Roley has the catcher eligibility and all that sort of thing. Witt has both floor and ceiling and I'm just gonna be really happy with every league that I start with him in it.
Yeah, that's fair. So at the third pick, I'm going to go with the player. I don't usually draft based on where I'm picking, but it just what almost feels silly to pass time at this point based on the season he's having Aaron Judge with the power and the average and ever all the other counting stats.
You're going to get from him.
I always worry about him and injuries and his you know, his size, but he's stayed healthy recently, so.
He's he's also thirty three.
Do you feel like he's the type of player who once it goes it's it's going to go fast. I'm not like, obviously he's been so good this year, you're not anticipating a falloff next year. But like you get into your mid thirties, I know he's kind of like a freak of nature just physically, but at a certain point it does go like, like he's not as young as you might think for how little he's been in the big leagues.
Yeah, he and that's some of that is because he wasn't like this like one oh one draft pick who came up like he was kind of an un heralded, unheralded draft pick kind of coming up who just you know, outperformed his his draft slot and turned into the superstar. And so he didn't have the same kind of like really really quick path to the big leagues. I've said for a long time, I worry about how he's going
to age. I was worried about that, you know, if I was Yankees I'd be worried about that contract, but I you know, I understand they had to do what they had to do.
They couldn't just like let him walk, especially.
With what he meant to that lineup and what he means to you know, how popular he is in that city. You know, they just were not in a position that they could let him go somewhere else. But I do think the back half of this contract could could get pretty ugly. It could be like a mcgul cabera kind of back half of the contract.
Yeah, I don't disagree with that fourth pick.
A couple of names of considering, I think, you know, this is maybe a little ironic, given that I'm not even sure if I want to if I'm going to be trading for him, But I think Ronald Acunya should be a top five pick as of right now from what we expect him to be, you know, even further removed from the injury, so maybe you know, more willingness to run, not seventy stolen bases again, but more willingness to run. The home runs haven't gone anywhere right in
his prime. I think he'll be what twenty eight next season? I think so, assuming that the second half looks really good and he looks even healthier and healthier. I think the lineup will be better next year in Atlanta too. So I got where do you think Acunya should have gone? Because I do feel like top five or six is like the right place, and maybe even low like me, if he looks like the Acunya of old, maybe he'll even be like in the conversation for number one.
Yeah, it'll be interesting.
I don't know that he's going to go number one based on what we just talked about about with the speed, Like if if he only steals six stolen you know, six six bases the rest of the year and ends with ten in half a season, it might be pushing it to to.
Draft him at one.
Overall, I think at that point you'll see people lean more into like the Otani, the Bobby with the Aaron Judge.
But yeah, I think he's gonna go top five. I think you're gonna he might be the player next year who has the biggest like difference in like average ADP where you know, an average ranking, just kind of the difference there, because you're going to see people are gonna be nervous, like there's two injuries here, Like some people just don't want to draft that at the top of the draft, and that's fair.
I yeah, I think that's very fair.
This is me kind of wanting to be aggressive and feel like I'm getting a superstar at the top, but I I will not as of right now. Obviously let's see what the second half looks like. But as of right now, I would not fault anybody.
For thinking this is too high for Acunya.
All right.
I was debating which direction I want to go with this pick.
It's it's possible.
And I also will want to say, like part of this is like strategy of like going head to head in a draft, whereas like maybe I shouldn't be doing it thinking about this way, but like in the fifth for the fifth pick in the draft, if this was like my first pick, like one zero five is my first pick, I don't know that I'm taking this chance at least at this point of the season. We'll see
how the second half goes. But this person is second in VBR already and is on pace for a forty forty season, and so I'm going to go Pik Armstrong, And some of that is like strategy thinking about what you're going to do next and how I'm building my roster. But Piker Armstrong second most valuable player so far and pushing for number one.
But also, look, it's gonna be tough five. I'm getting in at fifth.
I hope this isn't going to throw off picks you've made. But I don't say this is building a roster. This is like, these are twelve different managers I think that are drafting here.
So like it's not like, yeah, that's why I said it's maybe the wrong way to think about it, but just also looking at value.
Like I don't view it as like my team has went and a Kunya. It's like just kind of where they would go.
But yeah, I mean, I'm drafting for the YouTube commenter. I want them to say that I have the best.
I mean, what PCA has done so far, it's hard to argue. It's just a matter of, you know, how replicable you think it is for him compared to some of these other guys who have done it longer.
I maybe it's an apology pick because we've we've kind of like downplayed his his season so far.
Yeah, you know, I'm reverting.
I'm kind of torn between two players, So I'm just going to go with the younger one. I think Ellie Dala Cruz should not fall to this pick in a in a.
In a Roto draft, sorry my computers, not any.
Type in a you know, Roto format. The steals he is giving you. He is twenty five already this season, and eighteen homers and the best batting average of his career at two eighty four. I like he's a stud. I think it should be a top five pick. And there's there's another player that I really like that I could have taken here, but I will happily take the value of the following daily Cruz and get the power speed combo. Who's who's now hitting for average too?
Yeah, so that was the player I was thinking about when talking. When talking just about like you know, if you if we're assuming this, this is us going to head to head and kind of like building a building a roster. Was like, I want to get PCA stolen bases and potentially the other counting stats there, assuming you might take Ellie next. I didn't want to miss out on like both of them kind of a thing. But now this gets really interesting because there's a player I
really want to take. But a we're also at pick seven here, and there's a player that should not fall out a pick seven take who you really are?
All right, well, I'm going to go calt Rally. Nice, that's I'm going to take count Rally.
I thought that's who you really wanted, which, by the way, it might not be a terrible decision. It's not who I would have taken there, because there's a player that should not be available anymore, Jse Ramirez, and I'm.
Just going to take him to exactly that's who I was talking about.
I'm glad I go toed you into taking the other guy, because Ramire is at eight is the best value on this whole board. But yeah, I mean Raley is like Pete crow Armstrong, where you're very much leaning into what's happening this season with these last two picks and clearly buying into you're gonna be drafting these guys like you're gonna get something close to a repeat next year.
Yeah, and you can make the argument Jose Aramir should have gone where I took p kromstro total.
You can make the argument Ramirez could have gone.
As high as four. I think, yeah, yeah.
I think you could have gone instead of Acuna four.
So I'm drafting on vibes, baby, I'm trying to clear how to build the best, the most fun team.
Here clearly a right who's left? Anybody left?
Well, you're on the clock.
So I took hose air Ameres again great value at eight, just like consistently the best third basement and contributes everywhere, and it's just like an absolute stud eighteen homers, twenty nine stolen bases, two ninety two average like arguably could have, like I said, could have easily gone five.
Spots Hires or four spots Hires. So at pic nine you're on the clock.
So here's an interesting one because I think there's an obvious pick here, But he's also someone who is going to be three hundred million dollars richer by the time you're making this pick next year, and he might not be on the same team, he might be on a different team, And those two things can sometimes scare me. In the first round, you know that you're drafting someone
in potentially a new city with new expectations. We're seeing it with mon Soda right now, and who just got paid, and you know, sometimes you know you get paid, maybe you don't have the best steer it next year. You already got your money. But I think the obvious pick here is Kyle Tucker, and so I'm going to have to lock in Kyle Tucker at the ninth pick.
Yeah, I agree. If you didn't take him, I was going to just having a great year in Chicago. Where do you think he ends up? Do you think because will keep him or I think they should.
I assume they will.
But you know, it's the kind of thing where when you get to free agency, the kind of money it's going to get thrown around.
I don't know.
My fear is that he goes to the Yankees as a baseball on Red Sox fanas that he.
But not not your fear as a fantasy manager.
Nos a fantasy manager, he's not.
This is a fantasy show, not a baseball show.
Baseball show.
Yeah, if he goes to the Yankees, he's not making it to die. And I can tell you that right now.
Yeah, all right, I'm going to be the guy to take the picture.
Schooble is just too good. We take him at ten here. Do you think that's the right spot for the first picture?
Yeah, I think that's fine.
I uh just because of like overall strategy and like what we've been talking about recently and like how you
value pittures. I was almost not even considering pictures, but uh yeah, I think it's we've we It also feels like just looking at the like at the hitters we've taken and like kind of the tier where we're at it kind of it feels like the right spot and that I think Tucker is probably the end of this hitter tier, and you know, you're you're kind of picking between a lower tier hitter or the clear one of the top best pictures.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know if this is who you're gonna take next, But in terms of just thinking about the hitters like Juan Soto, I think you can make a compelling case belongs in that tier.
James Wood slower start.
To the season for him, obviously, but like this this quote unquote disappointing start for Mets fans, twenty three homers, eleven stone bases two sixty two average. If that's his floor in New York, like, I'm not I'm expecting big things next year when again he's still like entering his prime, you know, realistically, or the very least in it. So I think you can make a case for him, especially with the eleven steels this year, that he does belong in that upper tier.
But maybe maybe are you gonna go with him? Are you going to go in a different direction.
I was thinking about him. I was thinking about James Wood. Not to spoil my picks here, but I was I think he's in the tier.
I think you're right.
I think the eleven steels do matter because I think if we're looking at twenty three home runs two sixty two average on like two steals, I think there's a big difference in the value we're talking about here. But the elevens deals does help Jackson Churio. But again, like we're we're drafting now in July based on how the season is gone, and I don't know. I feel like I feel like I would want all these players over Juan Soto. Okay, well you're on the clock, so okay,
so I'm not taking one. So now the question is do I take one of the pictures or do I keep going down the hit or rabbit hole? And I guess I will go with everyone's favorite breakout and.
I'll go James Wood. I'll take James Wood here.
I wasn't sure if Wood had become a first round player. I think it's a great pick. I have nothing against it. I wasn't sure if he'd become a first round player, if he would still be more like kind of top of the second. I think I think there will, as of right now, there will be leagues where he would get to the second because I don't think you can really make a case for him in the top ten.
So it really just kind of becomes personal preference in those last two spots, because I feel like, personally the top ten is pretty set with those nine hitters and Scooble For me personally, like I just can't like, I can't imagine taking would sixth be you know, more power
to you if you did. And also I guess I should limit backtrack and say, if somebody is buying into significant regression for like cal Raley, then maybe he doesn't belong inside that top ten, and you you make the case for Wood ahead of him or something like that, like if you believe in his breakout season more, then I could see that case being made. So I don't want to say that Wood doesn't belong in the top ten, but I was curious if he was going to go
there or not, you know, inside the first round. But I think it's a great pick just everything he's done, Like you know, I love James would, so I'm not going to argue with this one. I am going to I'm gonna take one Sido by the way.
Okay, yeah, just for for James Wood. You know, just everyone was kind of predicting the breakout this year.
We saw it.
You know, I talked preseason about drafting meta ceiling shame on me because he's currently you talked about him going in the top ten. He's currently tenth in VBR in terms of fantasy value on Fantasy Pros, and that's thanks to twenty four home runs. And we just talked about Juan Soto's eleven steals. James Wood has twelve, and he's batting two seventy eight. And so the other thing that
you and I have talked about is his power. It's to all fields, it's not just the pull power, and so you know that I think gives him a higher floor going forward.
So someone I'm.
Potentially excited about, assuming he has a strong second half as well.
So I mean the stolen bases matter to me that he's getting more of them. I have no doubt about the power and batting average long term.
So you think he's gonna keep running.
I don't know, but enough, I think he'll keep running it more than you know, previous seasons of like you said, you know, really not doing anything. He's already what won off his career high in steals. Like, I think he'll run enough to be in the double digits. May maybe that's you know, wishful thinking, but I think he'll always be in the double digits with what we've seen so far.
And if that, you know, if you give me that and thirty five to forty homers and a high batting average or you know, high enough batting average, I'm happy.
Maybe he just really cares about fantasy managers and he knows he's not producing enough as a hitter, so he's running more, and that next year, if the batting stats come back, he won't run as.
I mean, the bating stats aren't bad.
He has twenty three homers at the All Star break, and his batting average is a little down.
It's still too sixty two, And like I.
Three fifteen expected batting average by the way.
Yeah, like I don't feel like the bat's letting us down. It's maybe not like mega insane, you know, all time batting season, but it's not bad.
By the way, how many picks are we doing?
Two rounds?
Okay?
We said that already, was.
Looking at the sheet we had. We had a break, and are we doing ten teams or twelve twelve?
Yeah?
She she got messed up in the formatting we're doing. We're doing twenty four picks to two rounds of twelve. So okay, So we are through round one and.
Yeah, why don't you recap us real quick?
Yeah?
Round one went in this order. Twelve picks, Shoho Tani, Bobby Wit, Junior, Aaron Judge, Ronald o'cunya Junior, Pete rah Armstrong, Ellie d La Cruz, cal Raley, Jose Ramirez, Steel, the Draft, Kyle Tucker, Tarique's Google, James Wood and Juan Soto. Pretty good first.
Round, not too shabby. So I'm on the clock at thirteen. Are we doing just or are we snaking?
That's a good question.
I actually was thinking of just still alternating, but you're right, we should snake and keep the kind of the same quote unquote managers let's do that for fun. So I'll be on the clock then to start round two. I was not thinking about that pairing with Sodo. I think there's a couple of names you could pick between. I
am inclined. In a real draft, I think I would make a different pick than the one of my out to me, because I don't think you're going to take the player that I would really take in a real draft.
So pretend like you know what I'm going to do.
I just I said, think. I didn't say I know, So I think what I will do.
Now real quick before you pick.
So you are sorry, You're sorry, you already said this. So you are considering this like the twelve team and you're pairing with Juan Sota.
I am approaching it that way, yes, like I said, Yes, that is the way I'm approaching it.
Do you want to not approach it that way?
No, that's fine. I just.
I just wanted to, you know, clarify for our wonderful listeners.
I think I'm going to go with the if Wan Soto is the floor, I'm going to go with this ceiling upside of his former teammate Fernando Tatis Junior. And like I said, this is probably not what I would pick if I was not going up against you, but that's what I'm picking here, So pairing up Soto intentions, But what do.
You think about that against me? No, that's good.
He I've been kind of like like I mentioned at the top of the show, bouncing around between like you know, current stats and the VBR and like previous rankings.
And so if you just.
Go by VBR in the first half, he's seventeen, but he's also behind players like Juanniel Suarez who are not going to go this high.
He's in our rest of season consensus rankings on Fantasy pros TATIS.
Yeah, that's unsurprising, even you know, despite the VBR. So, I mean that's not a bad pairing either, especially you know, high ceiling, high floor for both those players, assuming Tuty stays healthy.
Ye.
And so so you went twelve thirteen paired Soda with tatists, that means I'm pairing James Wood with this pick. So to pair with James Wood, I think I'll go back into the pitchers bucket and I'll go Garrett Crochet. Okay, much the chagrin of Chris Rolls, we caret.
Crochet all right, Yeah, that that's I think a totally valid pick. Do you think Crochet is is the right guy for SP two? Did you consider Skiens or Wheeler?
I did?
I maybe, Yeah, I considered Skeens and Wheeler, and then it's too early too at this point to make this pick. But I do think Hunter Browns can be in that conversation too. But just given what Crochet, Wheeler and Skins are doing. As much as I like Hunter brown and believe in what he's doing, it's going to be hard to to overtake them. Barring injury. They look really really good right now. But yeah, I'm a big Paul Skins guy.
I had him this year as coming into the year as SP one, but three schoobl is U making a mockery event.
I think this is an interesting spot with Schooble because I think, like I would probably be inclined to take Skiings. I'm not somebody who really goes pocket aces though, so since we are can considering this as pairing them, I probably will go away from like I think, I think this is a spot where schemes should be off the board. But I don't know if it makes sense to pair with Google unless unless that is just your strategy of pocketases, which is totally valid if that's kind of the way
you like to do things. There are I think as many as one, two, three, four. I think you can make a case for seven hitters here. Honestly, I mean, do you see a clear standout hitter or it feels like a real group of Are you buying a bounce back for Gunner? Lindor is great but another year older, you know, Churio taking another step forward? Maybe Mookie Betts. Is this just a down season? Vla Gerrero best first baseman available? Like, I feel like there's a lot of
different cases you could that you can make here. Do you do you see that too? Or do you have a clear guy?
No?
I see that too.
So there is one guy that came to mind first, just as not like I don't want to say highest ceiling, but like that I'm most excited about.
Yeah, these guys all have high ceilings, right, Like you can paint a picture for any of them as really smart picks here.
I think what I'm gonna do. I'm actually really torn this.
This is a really fun exercise because it is teaching me that I see a really big group here. And I don't know that I would have assumed that going in that's the end. This is kind of why I like doing it. Shooting from the hip.
Do you consider Camanaro in this group?
I'm probably not taking him yet, but I wouldn't like say you're wrong for considering him, es like giving out how difficult third base is. Right, I'm not considering him with this pick, but I think it's reasonable. I think what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna say, you know, this is just a fluke down season for Mookie Bets
and and take him. I know he didn't play full season last year, so this is now two years in a row where the coounting stats maybe aren't as good, but we know what this guy is at his best, and you know the Dodgers, there's always gonna be opportunities for runs and RBI. And I'm gonna say that he kind of goes in the next season fully healthy and we get one last kind of elite season out of him. Maybe not one last, but I'm gonna go with Nuoki Bets here. Does that Does that feel too early for him?
Given what we've seen this year?
It makes it?
I mean yes and no, It feels a little early based on the down season we're seeing. We're like, I need to see a stronger second half from him in order to take him this early. But also like if he had a great season to be a first round pick, and we're already at pick fifteen, so it does feel fair, but.
We're we're we're imagining going in the next season, Like again, he started off this season weird with the sickness, Like it's just like, it just feels like he has earned the benefit of the doubt of I'm willing to look past this kind of fluke bad year and hope that it is just a fluke and he's a lot lower and the rest of the season ranking, so this this
might actually be a reach. I'm not saying that it's not, but I think all these guys are again justifiable, So I want to go with the guy that's been the best for the longest and count of this being a down season.
Yeah, there's a lot of worry there. He going into next season, he will be thirty three, as you mentioned, wou judge, and there's also the possibility that we're seeing the downturn. So in twenty twenty three, he played one hundred and fifty two games, it hit thirty nine home runs. Last year he only played one hundred sixteen, but he only hit nineteen home runs, so not the same kind of pace and so and this year eleven home runs in eighty nine games. So it's possible we've seen that power.
You know, we're not going to see that thirty plus home run power anymore, which we only saw it like a few times before. Anyway, he kind of has floated between that, like, you know, twenties and thirties home runs power. I don't think we're seeing thirty nine anymore.
What I'm more worried about is the risk of he's not going to run any He's only six stolen bases this year, so like, if he gets me like twenty six homers and fifteen stolen bases and his batting average is back to three hundred, like I'm okay with that.
But if he's in the single.
Digit steals total and low twenties homers and the average bet like that's where it starts to be. Like, Okay, this is like a significant reach, but maybe it's buying a little too much into name value. But I have made the pick, so it's locked in Yeah.
Yeah, we don't have to spend much more time on him, but there is when you just look at like, granted it's only half a season, but if you look at the numbers, there are some concerns he' about in two forty four.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm not focused on this season's counting stats in making this pick. This is a This is me saying it is a weird start to the year, weird year in general for him, Like we're counting this as a fluke to me, the if you want to paint the case of this being a concern it's last year.
Yeah, because the county sides are down and his expected stats or a lot of them will all be career worst as well, and so he's earning it all right, But we can move on. I could tell you want to move on. You don't want to, you know, just well.
No, you don't want to. We don't spend ten minutes on every pick.
I know you're regretting the Mookie Bets pick already. So you paired Mookie Betts with Scooble, is that right?
Yeah?
So now I'm up with the team who picked at one on nine and picked Kyle Tucker and so for me, I'll make it quick and I just think he shouldn't have fallen this this far. And I'll pair a really one of the top hitters with one of the top pitchers, and I'll take Paul Skins off the board.
Yeah, Skens would have been my next pick for sure. If I didn't take Scooble with the tenth pick, I would have taken Skins. I like gu said, I just didn't want to go pocket aces, but like I would have taken him a pick before if we were just
drafting in a vacuum correct pick. I think, I don't know that I want to take another picture here in Wheeler, like I don't know that I want to take another picture this whole mock draft is, is my point, even though I do really like Wheeler obviously, just like another year older. That's hard, and there's so many good hitters that I like. I'm gonna say, I'm going I'm gonna kind of a bounce back from Gunner Henderson. Other than this too far, he was a first rounder like very
easily a year ago. He's still very young, he's still very good. A lot of the bad of ball data is very promising. He's sitting the ball hard, he's just not lifting it a lot. I think it gets back to you remember he also started this season weirdly, getting injured in in spring training and then kind of working his way back. It gets major league pitching. This is just buying into the talent what we saw last year.
And I'll just take a Gunner Henderson and again, I kind of have the floor of Jose Ramirez that I'm pairing him with, and now I'm kind of getting I think I think the ceiling again with Gunner Henderson.
All right, so you paired Jose Ramirez and Gunner Henderson. I am now up at eighteen with the team that one oh seven. I took cal Raley and so I could go in a couple different directions here. But I also think this player should not still be on board, and that's Jacksonio. And so I like the idea of pairing the power of cal Rally with the speed and power of Jacksonterio.
I could have easily taken Cheerio instead of Gunner. You know, again, I think this is kind of a big group of hitters, and I think that's a totally good pick.
I want to let.
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Okay, I'm back.
On the clock and I will take a guy that I considered a couple of picks ago. Really, a lot of these guys I've at least considered for a couple of picks. I know the batting averages hasn't been very good. Corbyn Carroll is only twenty four years old. I know he's got a bit of the wrist injury stuff right now. But this is guy that in general, going into next season, barring anything unforeseen this year, I'm going to be expecting twenty five homers and thirty five stolen bases and hoping
for a batting average bounce back. Even though this is two years in a row of a low batting average. I just think the town's too good. And again in this in a Rodo format with the Steels. I just think back half of Route two is a perfectly great place to take him.
Yeah, I think it's fair.
I think it's he's probably he's been on the on the uh missing the word here.
He's been available for too long in this draft.
As someone who coming into last year he was like contensus top five, top three pick. There are some injury concerns there. You know, I share those coming into last season. I don't have any shares of Corbyn Carrol. But yeah, I think nineteenth pick, second round, like mid to late second round, is just way too long for him to be on the board.
That's the word I was looking for it.
Yeah, I mean he's he's on his one hundred and sixty two game pace this year is forty two homers and twenty two steals, and I think the steels is the one that we're more confident would bounce back in the future. So, like again, a twenty five to thirty five season is selling him, sure from what the ceiling could be. So I think if the floor is you're at least getting power speed combo, and the ceiling is like a top five player, which is what it is.
I think this is a good value, and I'm pairing him with Eli Da La Cruz.
So that's a lot of power speed.
Yep, yeah, I was going to say that you're you're pairing with Eli Data Cruz, so I'm no up. And this is pairing with Pik or Armstrong who went at one oh five. Maybe a little early, but you know, projecting the superstardom. So I did take a little bit of a risk with that first pick with Piak or Armstrong. And so now do I want to pair it with an elite pitcher and kind of build the floor in the pitching side, or do I want to further cement
my offensive floor. I think I'll go offense and I will go with.
I already have some of that speed. Do I want to I'll go Lindoor, Francisco, Lindor.
Good Claire and a good a good floor picked to pair of somebody like pe K Armstrong.
I'm a little nervous about batting average because there's a chance that like I just drafted like two two fifty two sixty hitters, which was which was my one hesitation there. But I do think you're locking in a lot of power speed and like a good enough batting average really early on.
Yeah, no, I think it's a good pick.
We're starting to get into the territory of feeling like you're taking a step down.
With who's available. Yeah, I'm looking around.
It's like like we're in the territory of there. There's a red flag somewhere. Was Zach Wheeler. It's age, you know with I mean, I don't know how far down you're looking. But you know, a guy like you know, Ca tel Marte, you're not getting any steals. You know, a guy like Trey Turner, you know, the power hasn't been there this year, you know, and he's also into his thirties now, so how long is the speed going
to be there? You know, Julio Rodriguez has been like a slow starter, you know, for so much of the time. But he's you know, fourteen homers, seventeen steals at the All Star break, you know, low batting average. I'm like kind of talking it through because again, there's kind of like downsides for a lot of these guys. Somebody who's having a very you know, a good season is Manny Machado and third base is so difficult, you know, seventeen homers,
eight steals two ninety two average. But he is another guy into his you know, early to mid thirties. Now he's thirty three years old right now. Like I said, I'm kind of talking it through because I think there's a lot of different options. I think what I will do in this is pairing with Ronald Acunya is and I didn't expect to this. I'm gonna take Zach Wheeler. I I'm at the point with Zach Wheeler where it's
almost like Derrek Henry and fantasy football. I'm not I'm just gonna ride this thing until it burns me, right Like, I don't want to be the one. I'm not gonna keep predicting when he's gonna fall off. He's been so good for so long it does concern me his age, But I mean, this is several years in a row of being a real fantasy ace, one of the five best pitchers in fantasy baseball. I'm just gonna let I'm gonna let him burn me one year, and I'm gonna
keep taking him until he does so. Pairing him with ron On Acunya Cook, that's that's a low ceiling. If he does at the age Cliff and Acunya, you know, has injury issues.
But that's a high ceiling. It's it's a low floor.
I feel like I feel like you tricked me saying you weren't going to take any more pictures. I just you know, filled up my strategy.
Later I planned to not and then in the moment talk again, this is where we're figuring this out. In the moment, I kind of realized, actually I do.
Yeah, No, I think it's the right move.
I do think, especially when you start looking at like pitching tears, you need to not need to, but you know, locking like he said, like that ceiling floor of a Zach Wheeler, especially pairing up with someone like Acunya, I think it makes a lot of sense. So you paired Acunya and Wheeler, and now I am up with the team that was one O three, that Aaron Judge, and so I have a pretty high floor, high ceiling there,
and who do I want to pair him with? So if I want to go the pitching route, there's Hunter Brown and there's Max Freed, and I feel like those are probably the only two.
In that tier. And you could argue that the Hunter Brown is not in that tier yet. I Vlad is.
Someone I consider, but he's not having the stats I would want to take. Take this early, like we're not not seeing the powers.
Yeah, I thought about Vlad the last couple of picks, but I'm like, it's just not happening, and I don't know. Yeah, I Lad was a tricky one for me to decide on.
Yeah, I want to go Junior Camenaro.
That's you know, I don't know that. I don't know.
It makes me a little bit nervous, but you know, there is a lot of power out of her weak position there. I'm taking too long to make the pick here. Uh you know what, Just give me Junior kerin Air. I'll take him, Okay, I'll take the Plunge.
Was not in on them this season.
I'm I'm correcting the mistake like I did with Pek Armstrong. I'm I'm going back.
My last pick. I have Bobby Wood. Junior is the guy I'm pairing this with.
Ma'am.
I I am torn as it happened for a couple of picks in Rowe because there's a lot of guys that I think are pretty close to each other.
There's guys like Trade Kyle Schwarber.
Is he someone you would take. I can't take him with the next pick because that's the team.
I am just somebody who typically does not like that strategy. As good of a hitter as he is, I mean, dude, his thirty home runs this year, and like, I'm not even saying that I'm correct in that stance. I just don't typically go for guys like Schworber, you know, at their cost. But that's just a personal preference.
Yeah, I just wanted to bring it up because I actually I cannot take him with the next pick unless there's two utilities.
Yeah, no, no, no, it's valid. I mean I think you could even scroll down and look at like like I'm not taking him. But I wouldn't fight too strongly against somebody making the case for like Jackson Merrill and just saying, like, listen, he said, injury issues this year and that's why everything's
looking really bad. But as a rookie, as a young rookie twenty one years old, he went he had twenty four homers, sixteen soul bases in a two ninety two average, and just kind of thinking a step forward from that is the most likely outcome for next year. I I mean, I don't think I'm a take it, but I wouldn't fight against it.
Do you I'll be real quick.
But do you want to see I have like last year's draft rankings up. Do you want to hear some of the top names setting into last draft season that are still available. Sure, there's a few of them, So scrolling through the list, Julio Rodriguez, consider God Alvarez, Bryce Harper, I.
Will not be taking Jared on Alvarez.
Jared Duran, Drey Turner, and then you're Jackson Merril, Freddie Freeman, Jazz Chishom could tell Marte Austin, Riley, Logan Gilbert.
I mean there's good players there, yeah, for sure. I mean the highest in our rest of season rankings available is vlad.
Yeah. I think I think he's too high there.
It's just it's just so hard to take him with what the season has looked like.
I think I agree.
I mean, Trey Turner, you're getting steals, but another year. Yeah, I also have Bobby wit Junior on the team, so pairing shortstops, I could do it, right, There'll be there'll be an infielder spot, but I probably won't, you know, Julio, just betting on the talent Pete Alonzo. If I wanted to go a different first baseman.
I do.
I mean again, I can't. I feel like I can't take him base on what we've seen. But I do really like Jackson Merrill a lot. Tell Marte just like getting the best second baseman is appealing.
Would you consider Max Freed here?
No? If if I was going to take a picture, I would take Connor Brown like unequivally. I I like Brown better than Freed for sure. Okay, so I don't think I want to take a picture, but if I was to take one, it would be one hundred percent.
I think I'm going to.
Say he's too talented and young enough that there could still be a step forward, and he was a high pick. He's had a thirty thirty season on his resume. I'm going to take Julio Rider. You guys, I think he can't get out of the second round just with the talent and age alone.
Wow, do you think that's the wrong pick?
No?
I just think you were already talked about it. There's a lot of uncertainty there. He's also a he's been you know, it's kind of fluky, but he's been a second half player. So there's a world where we're heading into next draft season and his numbers look really good and you're like, wow, he had a great season forgetting that, Like the beginning of season was I mean, I mean.
His poor first half is still fourteen homer seventeen steals, and like the average is twenty points lower. But his average the first three was two eighty four, two seventy five, two seventy three. This year's two fifty two. So that looks like the outlier. You know, he's he's been a twenty twenty guy every year of his career.
He's going to be that again.
He's been a thirty thirty guy once, twenty five to twenty five guy twice. So I feel like the floor is actually higher overall maybe then you would think with him, and the ceiling is very clear and apparent too, So I think like him getting out of the second would be crazy, and like pairing him with Bobby Woo Junior, I feel really good about.
Yeah.
So I'll be really quick again, but I'll just hit some of the before I hit the top draft rankings of a players heading into last year's draft that are still available. Now, I'll hit some of the players through the first half of the season have been the best statistically that are still available. Number nine Byron Buxton, not taking him here. Number eleven Kylesh forber he already said, can't take him.
With the on the Otani team.
This is the one oh one team that is now, you know, pairing whoever this player is without Treya Turner.
Riley Green is an interesting one.
I don't know that I would take him this high, but he's having a very good year. Twenty four home runs, twenty four batting average. You Haino Suarez not taking him here? Say Suzuki is an interesting name. Peelansa many him Chatto, you already mentioned Kristin Yelli's not doing that. And then I think you kind of get further down into two different kind of tears.
And so.
Assuming this you know this team, I'm making two picks, but we're not going to you know, go past this pick. But this, you know, in this, you know turn I would be making two picks, so I think one of them would be a pitcher, and so I'll take Hunter Brown. I'll take Hunter Brown as the final pick.
And that tell us who who would the hitter have been? If you said, okay, Hunter Brown will be the first pick of the third round, just so we'd know who would who would the hitter have been.
That's where I kind of was struggling. I think I think just based on.
The you know, what we've seen so far, and he's having a really good year, though I don't know that I could really trust trust it based on the injury stuff.
I was gonna say, say.
It's Azuki would would have been would have been the pick, But I don't know. I'm not a big tell Marte guy is gonna be a year older Price Harper, I'm not going to do.
So.
Yeah, I feel like it's kind of a weird area. Yeah, I think it probably would have been saying Azuki.
That would not I was not my guess. I I what was your guys gonna make?
I don't know that I really had one, But it was not that I was thinking more like a guy that we had ranked in this way coming into the year, like like like the previous list you read like guys that were here a year ago, and we're thinking, oh, they just had a little bit of a down year or somebody like not not saying Laddie, but like you know of Laddie or somebody like that that was that we expected to be here would have been my guess, yeah, Duran.
But I think the rants haven't down year. He's not good.
Yeah, I mean all these guys that were in this range of year ago, like in the spring, that we're not taking are having down years to varying degrees, or are older and we don't expect to maybe like like Mana Machada was having a good year, but like, is he having this kind of year that you expect him to do this as a thirty three year old next year?
Like, I don't know.
Yeah, I mean the answer could have been or would have been Jackson Merril. But we're not seeing the kind of second year we were hoping for after that breakout rookie season, so it was hard hard to trust him in the second round either.
But that's also injury based too.
Like I feel like next year, I'm going to be really happy in any draft where I get Merrill in the third round if that happens, And maybe maybe that won't happen based on how the second half goes. But as of right now, he obviously didn't make our top two rounds here, but I'm going to be I'm gonna be stoked to buy low next year, I think.
And he was twenty three consensus going into last year, so he would have gone right around.
Here and is going to be twenty three years old next season.
Yeah, but also seven home runs in sixty four games, but that's after hitting twenty four.
Yeah, I mean again, you're buying on it being it down. I think my one.
Regret one one stolen base.
I think my only regret from this is I actually I do think I reached on Mooki bets as I talked through it. But the rest, I actually I'm really happy with with the values I got. Like I think Jazeramirez eighth, Soto twelfth, you know, you getting Skiens sixteenth,
I think was great. I would have taken skiin to heead of Crochet, honestly, although I think it's a coin flip, Like I'm not saying you're wrong for that, just the direction I would have gone, like Gunner, like from pick sixteen to nineteen being Skeens, Gunner, Churio and Corbyn Carroll is like, that's really enticing. And then even even after that, Lindor Wheeler, like that range of the mid teens to the early twenties.
I think is really strong.
Yeah, and I took Pca early knowingly, but he's going to be a fascinating one going into next season seeing on the second half go because he could go as high as like top four, top three, or if he falls off in the second half, he could fall to the back end of the first round, maybe out of the first round.
I think a few of these guys, you could say there's a chance they could go Like Acunia I think could go higher than four if he has a vintage second half. I think Julio could go a lot higher if he has his what he usually does in the second half. Gunner and Schurio I think could go higher. I think I think Camvanaro could fall off. I mean one of my bull predictions last week was that he has forty homer So I don't think he will, but I think he could. James would I could see falling
out of the first. He's not falling out of the second, but I could see him falling out of the first. Cal Raley if he slows down, I think people he won't be a top seven pick. But but yeah, some of these guys could could move around a bit.
I think the top three. Is even if he is the easiest part of this whole draft.
Yeah, even if cal Raley falls off, think about going into second going into next year, he's going to be a catcher with a good average, forty home rounds and some stolen bases. Like someone's going to take that in the first round just because they want to be done with and don't have to worry about it anymore.
And they're you know, maybe not wrong about that. You know, it's that's a totally viable thing. Is he's twenty eight this year, so it's not like he's like young young, but he's not old either. He's not one of these guys in his thirties that you would expect to see fall off. But I think we'll just be expecting general statistical regression, right, Like it's just gonna be hard to repeat it. All.
Right, let's get into our two start pitcher competition quickly, because we went pretty long on this. It's currently tied.
That includes the home run derby win for you, so it's six six and then we had one week that was a tie, so we've each won six and then there is the tie in there and that, by the way, I very easily gave myself the win. For the last full week, we had Christopher Sanchez thirty three Fantasy points, Hunter Brown just two for you against Cleveland and Texas.
This week's really true second round pick Hunter Brown.
Yeah, So what we decided to do for this week because obviously, like rotations aren't totally set yet as of Thursday morning when we're recording this, and it's a weird week where it's we have this weekend subpcoming weeks. So what we're doing is Mayor and I have each picked a each picked a pitcher that is has been announced to be pitching this weekend, so we can be reasonably confident they are getting two starts, including this weekend and
then all of next week. So rather than try to play this game where we try to guess because like some teams want to give their best pictures like a little bit of extra rest, it's just sorry to tell what direction it's going. So pictures that are announced to pitch this weekend, we are assuming we'll get this weekend and then at least one more start in this upcoming week, and therefore we will be two starts between now next Sunday.
That will be our approach with it. There was not.
A super long list as of the time we're recording this, some guys that have even been confirmed to pitch this weekend, so it might sound like worse pictures than you know, we usually trying. We usually have some aces in here, but the guys that were announced we either had already used or we're not very good.
So my pick is Nick Pavetta.
He gets Washington and then we think the Mets next week, so one really good matchup in there. Mets have been up and down that has been good this year. I remember we had the guy predict he was going to lead the league in strikeouts before the season. That was one of our commenters bold predictions. So so yeah, I'll go with Paveta.
And I'm going to go and just to you know, further cement your point. Looking at the announced schedule for this weekend, less than fifty percent of pitchers have been announced, so there's a lot of TVD and undecided on the schedule. So I'm going with Nathan Valdi, who is lining up this weekend to pitch against the Tigers, and then he should line up to face the Braves in his next start.
So not the easiest of matchups. But the Braves are down and they will be without Austin Riley, So I'm going with Nathan Ivaldi.
All right, Paveta versus Evaldi. I'm on a real winning streak here. By the way, you have not won a outside the home run derby version of it. You have not run a two start pitcher week since Week eight. I won in nine. We didn't have Week ten because both pitchers always started one game. Week eleven was our tie. I won a week twelve. I won a week thirteen. So we were on a little worm run here, but broken up by the Homer derby.
Some we'll see I had one four out of five heading into that.
It's a game of runs, like like basketball.
So all right, we'll go ahead and wrap up there. I appreciate everybody tuning in for the episode. Let us know what picks you would have made in different spots in that two round mock draft. If you would have taken a guy earlier or lower.
Let us know who didn't get drafted that should have been. Who we you know, we might have just forgotten. It's totally possible.
Like I said, I wanted to do this shooting from the hip rather than strictly, like you know, laying out a big board, so maybe I overlook somebody let us know. If we did be able go ahead and wrap up there. We'll get back to our usual three part episode next week. It would be myself and Mayor through the end of July, and then we'll be having I believe Kelly stepping in for me in August, so a couple more weeks left of the dynamic duo. Here for Mayor, I'm Ryan Warmlan.
Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Baseball podcast.
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