Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Rounds 2-3

            If you missed Round 1, click here to get caught up.

2-13. Justin Upton, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks

            It feels like Upton has been playing for years, but he’s only 24 years old. A 30-30 season is coming soon.

2-14. Hanley Ramirez, 3B-SS, Miami Marlins

            There are tons of questions surrounding Hanley (is he fully healthy again, will he finally make peace with moving to third base), but if he’s firing on all cylinders, Ramirez could easily be the most valuable player in fantasy this season. Throw in the added third base eligibility (meaning you can plug him in at two of the weakest positions), and he’s well worth the risk at this point in the draft.

2-15. Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers

            Verlander’s 2011 performance was extraordinary, and it would be foolish for anyone to think he can duplicate it. In increase from last seasons ridiculous .236 BABIP was a certainty even before it was announced that Miguel Cabrera would spend time at third base. He will still be good, but if someone takes Halladay or Cliff Lee ahead of him in your draft, don’t snicker at him or her.

2-16. Roy Halladay, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

            Halladay’s incredible consistency has almost made him a boring player to draft. He might not be the top fantasy pitcher this season, but there isn’t anyone else who is a safer bet to finish the year in the top-5.

2-17. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox

            Fresh off a career year in home runs and steals, Pedroia is poised to have another stellar all-around campaign.

2-18. Carlos Gonzalez, LF-CF-RF, Colorado Rockies

            Don’t ever expect his 2010 numbers again, but you shouldn’t be too bummed out about 50 combined homers and steals. You do need to be prepared for a batting average that can be anywhere from .260 to .320.

2-19. Jose Reyes, SS, Miami Marlins

            If you like to gamble, you’ll bet on Reyes staying healthy for 150 games and giving you 50 steals and tons of runs hitting in front of Hanley Ramirez and Mike Stanton. If you’re conservative, you’ll stay away from him because of his injury history. He’s essentially the MLB version of Mike Vick.

2-20. Mike Stanton, RF, Miami Marlins

            I’ve done a full 180 on Stanton, which may or may not be related to the fact that I took him in the eighth round of my keeper league draft last year. He should have more than enough RBI opportunities with Reyes and Ramirez hitting in front of him.

2-21. Cliff Lee, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

            Cliff Lee attacks the strike zone in a similar manner that George W. Bush assaulted the English language. Like Halladay, another dude that’s not exciting to draft.

2-22. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers

            Kinsler’s BABIP last seasons suggests that his batting average is due for an increase this year. The fact that 2011 was the first season Kinsler ever dodged the DL suggests that he is due for at least one 15-day stint. Whichever of those last two sentences you feel more strongly about should determine what pick (or money in an auction) you’re willing to spend on him.

2-23. Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

            While his first two teammates who were drafted are considered boring, Hamels is the trendy choice. His excellent ERA and WHIP hasn’t translated to the win column the past two seasons, which one could argue means that he’s due for a 20 win season.      

2-24. Mark Teixeira, 1B, New York Yankees

            He won’t do you any favors in the batting average department, but 35+ homers and 110+ RBIs aren’t easy to come by in the post-steroids era.

3-25. Jered Weaver, SP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

            Weaver delivered a career season last year, but don’t be shocked if his ERA creeps closer to 3 if his BABIP moves closer to the norm. Wins are a tough stat to predict, but with Pujols on board, they should be easier to come by for Weaver and the rest of the Angels staff.

3-26. Andrew McCutcheon, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates

            McCutcheon was terrible after the All-Star Break, which derailed a potential breakout season. If he can play an entire season with a .280+ batting average, we could be talking about one of the ten most valuable players in fantasy.

3-27. Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners

            King Felix still might be the most talented starter in MLB, but Seattle’s anemic offense severely handicaps his win potential. Unless you’re in a league that has more categories than the standard 5x5 league, you have to drop him down your rankings.

3-28. Curtis Granderson, CF, New York Yankees

            Ever since the second half of the 2010 season, Granderson has been the modern day version of Mickey Mantle. Like Teixeira, Granderson will more than likely sport a poor batting average, but walks enough to still set the table for Cano, Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez.

3-29. C.C. Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees

            His peripheral numbers aren’t as strong as the other elite starters, but there isn’t a safer pitcher to bet on winning 20+ games than C.C. Bump him up your rankings even more if you are in a league that counts innings pitched as a stat category.

3-30. Josh Hamilton, LF-CF, Texas Rangers

            The last time I remember a player going 10 to 15 picks later than he should because of alcohol issues was Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera is pretty good (incase you didn’t know), and so is Hamilton. He’s an injury risk, but I feel better taking him in the middle of the third round as opposed to the second.

3-31. Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco Giants

            Lincecum is the NL version of Felix Hernandez, with a slightly better offense supporting him and more injury concerns.

3-32. David Wright, 3B, New York Mets

            Thanks to the devastating loss of Jose Reyes, Wright’s supporting cast is a cast of misfit toys (with the exception of Ike Davis, if he’s healthy). Wright could be top-10 player in the second half if he gets traded, so he should be a player that is on your radar all season long after the draft.

3-33. Pablo Sandoval, 1B-3B, San Francisco Giants

            No Credentials predicts that this will be the season that the 25-year old Sandoval will crack the 30-homer mark. He won’t rack up a bunch of RBIs (he doesn’t exactly have the TECMO Super Baseball versions of Barry Bonds and Matt Williams on his team), but he delivers enough in the batting average department to warrant being the third player added to a team.

3-34. Desmond Jennings, LF-CF, Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays

            This pick is way to early. I’ll acknowledge that. However, guys with the potential to steal 50 bases and hit 15 home runs don’t grow on trees. If he keeps his average above .270 (which he was well above before a disastrous September last season), he’ll be one of the top 20 players in fantasy.

3-35. Nelson Cruz, LF-RF, Texas Rangers

            One of the greatest teases in fantasy baseball. If healthy, Cruz could easily top 45 home runs. However, Cruz pulls a groin about as often as Lindsey Lohan violates her probation. I’d prefer to get him in the middle of the fourth round.

3-36. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers

            Amazingly enough, Beltre is the fifth Rangers hitter off the board (think they’ll score some runs this year?) Beltre smashed 32 homers last year in only 124 games. Forecasting 40+ dingers would be a little optimistic (his health won’t allow it), but Beltre is still one of the sexier options at third base in the majors.

Mid-Season Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Review, Part II

           We’re at the halfway point of the fantasy baseball season (that also means that we are at the halfway point of real baseball, but sadly for MLB, fantasy baseball is much more interesting to me). Now is a good time to call out some of the good predictions, as well as the crappy ones, made by No Credentials during the pre-season. I’ll find two players from each round of my 25-round mock draft to discuss. If you missed the review of the first 12 rounds, click here. Now on to rounds 13-25.

Round 13

GOOD CALL = Adam Lind, 1B-OF, Blue Jays – If it wasn’t for a short stint on the DL, Lind would be on a 40 homer pace right now.

BAD CALL = Gordon Beckham, 2B, White Sox – His first half this year wasn’t nearly as terrible as it was last year, but he’s still been a major disappointment for a second straight season.

 

Round 14

GOOD CALL = John Axford, RP, Brewers – It hasn’t always been pretty, but Axford has delivered 47 strikeouts in 36 innings to go along with 20 saves.

BAD CALL = Brian Matusz, SP, Orioles – Matusz was so bad after returning from the DL that he just got sent to the minors yesterday. Max Scherzer suffered a similar fate last season, but came back after two starts in the minors and dominated the rest of the season. Matusz doesn’t have the same strikeout potential, but could still be useful at some point.

 

Round 15

GOOD CALL = Jordan Zimmerman, SP, Nationals – The strikeouts haven’t been as plentiful as No Credentials predicted before the year, but if you own him on your team, you aren’t complaining about his 2.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.

BAD CALL = Brett Myers, SP, Astros – A waiver wire gem in 2010, Myers has returned to the form he often displayed in Philadelphia, which could best be described as wildly inconsistent.

 

Round 16

GOOD CALL and a BAD CALL = Curtis Granderson, CF, Yankees – A good call in the sense that I at least called out the fact that he never should’ve gone so late in my mock, but at least I mentioned that he hit 18 homers in the second half of 2010.

 

Round 17

GOOD CALL = Nick Swisher, RF, Yankees – No Credentials successfully predicted a major dip in batting average for Swisher. He’s come to life in the past couple of weeks, so 25 home runs are still in play at season’s end.

BAD CALL = Andres Torres, OF, Giants – Another waiver wire stud in ’10, Torres has struggled mightily this season (.222 AVG, 3 HRs, 8 steals).

 

Round 18

GOOD CALL = Alfonso Soriano, OF, Cubs – Endorsed as a player worthy of a late round flyer, Soriano has hit 14 home runs in the first half of the season.

BAD CALL = Manny Ramirez, RF, Rays – The fact that he was even included in the mock makes Manny Ramirez an easy choice for the BAD CALL of round 18.

 

Round 19

GOOD CALL = James Shields, SP, Rays – It didn’t predict that Shields would be the AL version of Roy Halladay, but I did mention his very high BABIP in 2010 as a reason to believe he was poised for a solid bounce back season. Shields has been a rock for both of my fantasy teams this season.

BAD CALL = John Lackey, SP, Red Sox – In my preseason write-up on Lackey, I argued that Lackey had the talent to bounce back from a dismal first season in Boston. Writing that Lackey actually had talent was one of the dumbest things ever posted in No Credentials history.

 

Round 20

GOOD CALL = Ryan Theriot, SS, Cardinals – Theriot has delivered solid run production hitting at the top of the Cardinals line up.

BAD CALL = Marco Scutaro, SS, Red Sox – Predicted to be a source of 90 runs scored in 2011, Scutaro is currently on pace to finish the year with 32.

 

Round 21

GOOD CALL = Randy Wolf, SP, Brewers – Not having to be the workhorse for the Brewers has paid wonders in Wolf’s performance. He still gives up a lot of homers, but has been a solid innings eater who is usually good for a quality start.

BAD CALL = Travis Wood, SP, Reds – Tabbed as a guy who doesn’t walk people, Wood unfortunately had a hard time getting people out. He’s currently down in Triple-A.

 

Round 22

GOOD CALL = Ben Francisco, RF, Phillies – No Credentials predicted that if he didn’t start the year strong, his major league career would be over. He’s still on a MLB roster, but has been replaced in the Phillies regular line-up by Domonic Brown.

BAD BALL = Travis Snider, RF, Blue Jays – Called out as a potential random 30-homer guy, Snider has been plagued by injury and is currently in the minors trying to regain his mojo.

 

Round 23

GOOD CALL = Erik Bedard, SP, Mariners – This call would be considered a great one if Bedard didn’t just hit the DL three days ago.

BAD CALL = Fausto Carmona, SP, Indians – You could make a case that Carmona has been the worst pitcher in the AL who’s name doesn’t start with “L” and end with “ackey”.

 

Round 24

GOOD CALL = Jordan Walden, RP, Angels – No Credentials correctly predicted a Fernando Rodney implosion (which I’ll admit, wasn’t that hard to call out). Walden has stepped into the closer role and ran with it.

BAD CALL = Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals – Moose isn’t a total bust by any stretch of the imagination, but I predicted that he could provide similar production to what Evan Longoria gave the Rays in 2008. Needless to say, my expectations were a little too high.

 

Round 25

GOOD CALL = Alex Gordon, 3B-LF, Royals – Gordon has finally shown that he belongs in the majors.

BAD CALL = J.D. Drew, RF, Red Sox – I liked the line I wrote about him in March so I’ll post it again.

 

Neither sexy nor likeable, Drew is a dependable source of 20 home runs.

 

Drew needs to hit 16 home runs the rest of the year to reach 20. If that happens, then the Rapture dude might’ve been on to something after all.

2011 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Rounds 16-17

16-181 = Curtis Granderson, CF, Yankees – I honestly have no idea how Granderson fell this low in the mock (probably due to me over-emphasizing starting pitching and infielders). Granderson was a disappointment during his first year in the Bronx, but did hit 18 home runs in his final 81 games of 2010. A great buy low candidate you should consider taking as early as the 9^th round if you need to fill an outfield spot.

16-182 = Phil Hughes, SP, Yankees – Hughes’ poor second half is the reason he dropped on my board (along with his job pitching in the sand box that is the new Yankee Stadium). He’s going around the 147^th pick in ESPN leagues. 

16-183 = Francisco Cordero, RP, Reds – Another cardiac closer. If you own Cordero on your fantasy team this season, do yourself a favor and never watch him pitch live. Also be aware that if he struggles, Aroldis Chapman is lurking to take his job.

16-184 = Brandon Lyon, RP, Astros – Lyon is essentially the same pitcher as Cordero, but he pitches on a poorer team and has more job security.

16-185 = Michael Cuddyer, 1B-3B-RF, Twins – You won’t get much more than 15 homers and 80 RBIs, but he’s a solid bench player with corner infield and outfield eligibility.

16-186 = Jhoulys Chacin, SP-RP, Rockies – Chacin delivered a strike out per inning during his rookie year with Colorado at the age of 22. For those of you that plan on punting saves, this is a guy you want to get to fill your RP spot.

16-187 = Joel Hanrahan, RP, Pirates – Hanrahan is competing with Evan Meek for the closer job, but his high strikeout rate should give him the edge in that battle. Hanrahan was fourth in strikeouts by relief pitchers last season.

16-188 = Jorge Posada, C, Yankees – This is probably the last season Posada will ever be owned in a fantasy league, as he will lose his catcher eligibility after this season.

16-189 = Ike Davis, 1B, Mets – Davis hit 19 home runs in his first season in the majors, and at age 24, has potential to hit more.

16-190 = Carlos Quentin, RF, White Sox – Health is a concern, but at any point from round 10 on it’s appropriate to take a chance on a guy who could deliver over 30 home runs.

16-191 = Johnny Cueto, SP, Reds – Don’t expect him to turn into a top-10 starter, but Cueto is a solid option to anchor the middle of your fantasy rotation.

16-192 = Johan Santana, SP, Mets – Santana could miss as much as half the season recovering from shoulder surgery last September. It’s important to know if your league has DL spots before adding him to your roster.

17-193 = Andres Torres, LF-CF-RF, Giants – Torres’ numbers would’ve been much stronger if his appendix didn’t explode. It isn’t unreasonable to expect between 10-15 home runs and 20-30 steals.

17-194 = Fernando Rodney, RP, Angels – No matter how bad I need a closer, I will not draft Fernando Rodney. Someone desperate for saves will though.

17-195 = Matt Garza, SP, Cubs – I’m not as high on Garza as others because I feel Chicago is a mess. He’ll be a great buy-low candidate in 2012 when Pujols is playing first base for the Cubs.

17-196 = Juan Uribe, 2B-3B-SS, Dodgers – Uribe should not be targeted as a potential starter, but can be a valuable member of your bench.

17-197 = Jaime Garcia, SP, Cardinals – Garcia’s 2.70 ERA was helped greatly by opponents only hitting .243 against him. Expect it to be at least 3.85 or higher in 2011.

17-198 = Ryan Raburn, 2B-LF-CF-RF, Tigers – Similar to Uribe, Raburn’s multi-position eligibility (in Yahoo leagues only, not ESPN) makes him an attractive option for your bench. A .270 batting average with 20 home runs is not out of the question as he enters the season as Detroit’s starting left fielder.

17-199 = Kevin Gregg, RP, Orioles – You can count on three things in life. Death, taxes, and Kevin Gregg somehow finishing the year with 30 saves.

17-200 = Jorge De La Rosa, SP, Rockies – It’s often not pretty, but he’ll give you close to a strikeout per inning.

17-201 = Nick Swisher, RF, Yankees – There’s no way Swisher (a career .253 hitter) matches his .288 batting average from last year. Still, he’s a great bet to net you 25 home runs by seasons end. You could take him 50 picks earlier and get no complaints from me.

17-202 = Ervin Santana, SP, Angels – Santana was on my fantasy team for all of 2010, and I honestly have no idea how he won 17 games last year. We’ll probably never see him put up a season close to his production of 2008 (16-7, 214 Ks, 3.49 ERA, 1.12 WHIP), but you’ll happy with 170 strikeouts from your 17^th round pick.

17-203 = Frank Francisco, RP, Blue Jays – Francisco is the favorite to win the closing gig for Toronto.

17-204 = Bronson Arroyo, SP, Reds – Arroyo doesn’t have the talent to be a top-25 pitcher, but he’s going to give you a solid 200 innings. He also has a good chance at racking up 15 wins.