2013 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Rounds 4-5

Click here if you missed Round 1
Click here if you missed Rounds 2-3

4-31 = Adrian Gonzalez, 1B-OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

ESPN Projections = .307, 24 HRs, 109 RBIs, 91 Rs, 1 SB
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 3^rd through 6^th Rounds
            I wish I had statistics to back up why I’m so bullish on Gonzalez this year, but I can’t help believing that starting the year away from the Red Sox will do Gonzalez wonders this season.
                    
4-32 = Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals
ESPN Projections = .266, 27 HRs, 93 RBIs, 87 Rs, 22 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 2^nd through 4^th Rounds
            Don’t lose your mind and take Harper in the first round of a redraft league. If you’re participating in the birth of a keeper league though, feel free to blow out the budget to acquire him.
                   
4-33 = Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
ESPN Projections = 17 Ws, 3.24 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 207 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 3^rd through 4^th Rounds
            Is Hamels the most underrated ace in MLB?
                     

4-34 = Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Boston Red Sox
ESPN Projections = .294, 17 HRs, 64 RBIs, 86 Rs, 27 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 3^rd through 6^th Rounds
            If there were anyway someone could guaruantee that Ellsbury would be healthy for the entire 2013 season, he would be a sure fire first round pick. As it stands, he’s fantasy baseball’s version of Stephen Curry.
                    
4-35 = Cliff Lee, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
ESPN Projections = 11 Ws, 3.10 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 215 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th Round
            If you play in a league with a bunch of old farts who still think “wins” is one of the best indicators of the quality of a starting pitcher, take advantage and build your pitching staff around Lee.
                       
4-36 = Starlin Castro, SS, Chicago Cubs
ESPN Projections = .296, 13 HRs, 73 RBIs, 87 Rs, 24 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 3^rd through 4^th Rounds
            We might have to wait another two years, but eventually Castro is going to lay down a hammer of the gods fantasy season. Like Harper, he’s another player you need to move up your cheat sheet if you have the chance to get him in a keeper league.
                     
4-37 = Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles
ESPN Projections = .287, 29 HRs, 92 RBIs, 90 Rs, 15 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 5^th Rounds
            Jones finally broke out last season, and at only 27 years of age, appears poised to deliver another few seasons of similar productivity.
               
4-38 = Zach Greinke, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
ESPN Projections = 17 Ws, 3.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 214 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 3^rd Through 5^th Rounds
            Nerd stats continue to indicate that Greinke has the potential to deliver another year like his 2009 season with Kansas City. Having a powerhouse team around him will only help his cause.
                   
4-39 = Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds
ESPN Projections = .267, 38 HRs, 108 RBIs, 95 Rs, 9 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 6^th Rounds
            Jay Bruce is five years younger than you probably think he is. If you’re willing to throw batting average to the wayside in pursuit of the long ball, Bruce is your man.
         
4-40 = Matt Cain, SP, San Francisco Giants
ESPN Projections = 17 Ws, 2.96 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 194 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 5^th Rounds
            The backbone of the defending World Series champion’s pitching staff, Cain is the perfect example of why you should not use one of your first three picks on a starting pitcher.
         
5-41 = Billy Butler, 1B, Kansas City Royals
ESPN Projections = .320, 27 HRs, 107 RBIs, 84 Rs, 2 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th Round
            With all the preseason hype surrounding Eric Hosmer last year, it was Butler who was the breakout player of the year for the Royals. Locking up first eligibility pushed him up about three rounds on my draft board.
                       
5-42 = Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants
ESPN Projections = 17 Ws, 3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 194 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 6^th Rounds
            The youngest pitcher off the board so far, don’t expect Bumgarner to fade in September like he did last season.
                   
5-43 = Chase Headley, 3B, San Diego Padres
ESPN Projections = .279, 22 HRs, 90 RBIs, 83 Rs, 16 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 7^th Rounds
            Headley was a fantasy league MVP the final two months of 2012, swatting 19 home runs after August 1^st. Now that his home ball park will finally have the fences moved in, there’s a chance that Headley can match last season’s power production.
                     
5-44 = Jered Weaver, SP, Los Angeles Angels
ESPN Projections = 18 Ws, 3.19 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 181 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 3^rd through 6^th Rounds
            I’m not touching Weaver with any of my fantasy teams this year, but someone will look past his declining strikeout totals of a year ago and take him based on name recognition alone.
                      
5-45 = Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Oakland Athletics
ESPN Projections = .279, 26 HRs, 91 RBIs, 77 Rs, 18 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 6^th Rounds
            Cespedes was one of the unsung heroes of Oakland’s improbable AL West winning run last season. It’s reasonable to think that he could make a big jump in his sophomore campaign.
                  
5-46 = Matt Holliday, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
ESPN Projections = .300, 29 HRs, 100 RBIs, 98 Rs, 4 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th Round
            He’s not exciting to draft, but of all the players who will get drafted in the fifth round, Holliday is safest bet to produce.
                     
5-47 = Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
ESPN Projections = .268, 26 HRs, 89 RBIs, 83 Rs, 12 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            Surprisingly effective last season, don’t be shocked if Goldschmidt cracks the 30-homer barrier this season.
                       
5-48 = Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals
ESPN Projections = .292, 26 HRs, 95 RBIs, 92 Rs, 5 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th Round
            If Zimmerman didn’t get banged up so damn much, he’d be a lock to get drafted within the first 20 picks. You better have a solid back up if Zimmerman is your first option to man the hot corner.
                      
5-49 = Yu Darvish, SP, Texas Rangers
ESPN Projections = 15 Ws, 3.22 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 223 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            Yu’s second half last year inspires enough confidence to think that he could make the jump to elite status in 2013. If nothing else, he’s going to strike out a bunch of guys.
     
5-50 = Craig Kimbrel, RP, Atlanta Braves
ESPN Projections = 4 Ws, 1.99 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 120 Ks, 42 SVs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            Remember what I wrote before the first round about how you shouldn’t pay for saves. Kimbrel is the exception, but it’s not necessarily the saves you’re paying for. The possibility of 120 strikeouts in 65 innings is too great to ignore at this point in the draft.