What's up everybody? This has joined the Ranks Your Dynasty Rankings podcast, presented
by the Dynasty Guru. I am Taylor Case, your neighborhood Dynasty dad,
I believe is what I call myself, and I'm here with a couple awesome
dudes today. I am here with Joe Guarino, as always our Dynasty philosophizes,
or the man with the plan, the plan to beat me in the
sleeper draft we're having today. And I am also here with Chris Knock,
one of our newer writers here at TDG, who's doing all sorts of stuff
right now. I've been doing some great stuff on Twitter. I've been doing
a lot of rankings, and I believe was doing some prospect rankings as well.
I'm really excited for the draft today. Let everybody know about some sleepers.
If you believe that there are still sleepers. I hear that there's commentary
that you know, sleepers are not a thing anymore. I think there are
a few out there, so we're gonna get after it. Guys. How
you doing, Chris, how you been man? I am well, thank
you for letting me on the show. Thanks for being here, man.
I know you have you have kids, which makes it hard to you know,
it makes it tough to plan even an hour of alone time sometimes.
So I appreciate you. Appreciate you being here, of course. Joe.
How you doing, man, I'm doing well. Just I've been watching a
lot of March Madness and that's been consuming a good bit of my time.
Fun fact, I have watched his zero minutes of Street training games so far.
I've watched no baseball. I've watched highlights, gone back and watched like
indense games and stuff. I know, but I have not. I just
for some reason this year, I'm just like not super excited about spring training.
I'm like really excited for the beginning of this season. But I don't
know. It's just maybe it's because I have like zero faith in the Angels
and like most of the spring training I've watched is like the Angels. I
would say, I rarely go out and like watch other teams, but I've
just been really into March Madness and I think that's kind of been what's consuming
my time. But gotcha, Yeah, I'll get around too. I hadn't
watched Yeah, you, I'm sure we'll get closer and it'll pique your interest.
A little bit. I haven't watched too much either, not more than
a couple of hours. I did watch Mackenzie Gore Pitz the other day,
but I'm that's surprised. Actually, you know what that doesn't really surprise.
I mean we've talked about before. The way the negotiations went over the last
couple of months is it's kind of a weird. It's kind of a weird
taste in my mouth. Yeah, just like MLB in general. So it's
it's kind of a kind of a weird, weird thing right now, weird
relationship I have with the sport or with with MLB, not not baseball necessarily,
but with MLB. Yeah. Agree, I was, um, you
know, I was just telling someone the other day who had they had no
idea about like the lockout or like what went down and stuff, and you
know this is just really yeah. I mean it was my hairstylist, So
I don't think she was. I mean we were talking. She was she's
a big football fan and like basketball fan, but um, I was just
telling her about baseball and stuff and um, the lockout because she was interested
in, you know, having to explain it to someone. It was like
an outside you know, outside observer of the sport. I guess um it
was really interesting because like, you know, for them, it's extremely easy
to just like hear that kind of stuff and be like, oh, well,
I'm just not going to get into baseball and right now. It just
makes you think, like, you know, what is this going to do
to maybe not the people who like baseball, because we'll come back, I
mean some For some people it's like, you know, not necessarily our jobs,
but like our like you know, thing we do in our pastime.
But I don't know, it's interesting to you know, see and hear from
people who don't necessarily follow the sport on an everyday basis and maybe aren't like
attitude into the economics of professional sports and entertainment. Yeah, it makes you
kind of wonder like how important like things are way more important or they seem
way bigger or important and kind of like the baseball Twitter sphere, but really
like there are millions of people people who just don't give a shit. So
um about you, Chris, you've been watching any spring training? You know,
I have been consuming baseball in my full fantasy fashion that I've you know,
watching MOV Network in the mornings. I haven't watched any game, but
as much digitally as possible when I can. I've been also you've mentioned the
kids. I've also been remodeling my base, so there's a couple of things
pulling my attention as well. No other sports, but holy cow, yeah,
yeah, it's a lot of fun. That's an undertaking man. Any
sort of remodeling. Yeah, that's work. It's a it's a blasts.
It was a hobby and now it's more of a come on, let's get
it together, Chris. Let's get this basic like a third job. It's
all right, I got I hear you. I've got five or six projects
like that, and it's kind of littered around, littered around the house,
constantly working on and slowly getting to the end. So I get it.
Are there any any I know? I want the focus of this podcast to
be this the you know, the sleeper draft. Here and for all of
you who didn't tune in last season, we do this quote unquote sleeper draft.
Last year we did everybody or anybody who had an ad P below three
hundred on the NFBC website. I think, starting from the beginning of the
year until now, catch your first second, all the way through, a
couple outfit fielders, a couple starting pitchers, and this year we're gonna do
two relief pitchers. Make a little deeper there and get you some maybe some
holds guys and stuff. And we're doing ESPN standard scoring because I know a
lot of people play points leagues. Um, not doing a bench because you
know that's why would we do a bench. But think at the end here,
we're probably gonna have I don't know, something like thirty to forty guys
that we uh, you know, believe in for one reason or another.
And I might be worth getting on your teams this year if your draft is
coming up in the next what does what do we have like eleven twelve days
until opening day something like that? Excellent? Any before we get into that,
what I was gonna say, was there any like big spring training things
we got to chat about before we get going. I'm gonna take your silence
as as maybe maybe nothing huge is going on. I actually I was just
going to mit, uh that when you write below three hund I definitely was
getting guys with an ADP at like three oh one and higher. So I
will be you want a minute to adjust, I will be recalculating on the
fly. Damn it, that's my that's my fault. I changed that because
I thought it was confusing to say above um, but apparently it was confusing
to say, you know, yeah, I just that's all. I think
it's actually on the reader, not the writer on that one full But I'll
be good. I'll be able to hang here. Just don't give me the
first pick. We won't give you the Yeah, we won't give you the
first pick. We'll make Joe go first, or I can go first,
Joe. I mean, it's up to you. Man, I crushed you
last year. Whatever you want to be, okay, you want to be
first, and we'll just we'll just snake through. Actually, you know what
I always I say, I don't want to you know what, You could
go first, Taylor, because I always like those middle picks, And if
we're going to snake around, then then I want I want to have an
equal distance between all my picks trying to get Yeah. One thing I do
want to point out that about spring training. Even though I said I'm not
very tuned into spring training right now, one thing I am tuned into is
Ryan Fitzgerald. Do you guys know what's happening with Ryan Fitzgerald right now?
Do you know who Ryan Fitzgerald is? It's the name itself is here.
No, let's just assume I don't. I thought I thought I did for
a second. I'm not sure I do, Chris, do you know the
only Ryan Fitzgerald that jumps into my head is an old quarterback from fifty years
ago? I remember? Where are we going here? Ryan Fitzgerald. Ryan
Fitzgerald is a I don't even think he was ever a prospect, but he
what he I guess, debuted in twenty eighteen the Red Sox at twenty four
in a ball and he has in four seasons, or well, I guess
three seasons because twenty twenty one, but at four different levels. So far,
he's never been a below average hitter, but he's always been at an
advanced age. He's currently like twenty eight years old, or he's going to
be twenty eight during this season, and he has not made his debut in
the majors, but he crushed it at double A last year, and he
currently leads all of baseball and home runs this spring with four and he had
four home runs like three days ago, so I think it was like before
like anybody had like three, he had four. It was incredible, and
he's just he's I think it's like slash line in the spring right now is
like I think, I think it's like one or it's three thirty three,
four forty four, and then I can't find his slugging. But his ops
is one point five seven seven and four of his five hits are home runs.
So I think what he's doing is so funny, and I would love
to see him get an opening day spot with the Red Sox. Um he's
actually like a he's a high like walk low, strikeout guy, And I
just think that it's so cool to see like these kind of breakouts has happened
so like just randomly, and this twenty eight year old, you know,
shortstop prospect that I mean even my queries would have never found Um is all
of a sudden shot radar. Yeah, so I love to see it.
You love spring training. SATs Ryan Fitzgerald. That storyline, it's incredible.
Yeah, I'll keep an eye for I mean it, congrats Ryan Fitzgerald having
a nice spring. If you're if you're listening out there, you had to
get an I'm looking at his stats I had a nice year in Double A
last year. Yeah, but you gotta remember one thirty one WRC plus it's
yeah, but I mean, you know, baseball is hard. Baseball is
hard. You're absolutely right, Yeah, baseball's hard. Okay, thank you,
Joe. A little bit of a little spring training tidbit there. Let's
get into it's gonna be me, Joe Chris. Just like we've got it
lined up here on the sheet. I am going to go first with Manuel
Marco. Yeah, somebody I well, somebody I liked back in the day
with the padres and and never really kind of hit full potential. Right.
I think he's gonna have a locked in spot in the outfield in the lineup
for the Raise this year. You know, do I think he's gonna be
like an all Star? No? I think in Rhodo leagues, I'm like,
his upside could be ten to twelve home runs and geez, if they
let him run like twenty five stone bases. I don't know if that's going
to happen necessarily, but I for points leagues or ESPN Points league, he's
got a really nice, you know, eight percent walk rate and a fifteen
percent strikeout rate, not not too many case, you know, canceling out
those walks, and he can hit a couple home runs, he can steal
some bags, also get some extra points in there. Always got to do
his hit after that. I think, M I think he outperforms. I
think I did a little calculating here, and I think Steamer has n't projected
for something like two hundred and seventy points. I think he'd get an extra
one hundred or so after that. I think he can have a nice year.
Do you guys have manuelm we're going any of your teams? I just
traded him and one, Oh, that doesn't make me feel good. I
think, well, who'd you trade him for? I'm curious? Oh man,
it was actually a big package. Um it. It was an orphan
team that I took over and I traded him along with Robbie, Ray and
Zander and I got back the big names. Yeah, I was selling out.
I got back, Um who did? I am sorry? I am
trying to find actually to give you the full beat. No, that's all
right. I put you on the I put you on the on the spot
there, and while you're finding it, I'm gonna come back to you.
Joe, You're on the clock. All right, you have five seconds.
I have five seconds. Okay, I'm going to take Lamont Wade Junior.
Okay, right, yeah, I I what's his ADP Wade, Lamont Wade.
I have him here at three h five eighty seven. Alright, threw
the needle there, yeah, really threading the middle needle. I love Lamont
Wade and I think I think we talked about him in a recent episode,
but he just he broke out last year with San Francisco after spending his career
with the Twins, and um, you know, he's projected for like twenty
ish home runs fifteen to twenty home runs with some seals. You know,
he's just a consent. He's a pretty it looks like he's going to be
a pretty consistent ballplayer who was mostly gonna hit against righties. And I know
the you know, Giants last year use a lot of pinch hitters, So
even when you know a lefty starts on the mound, I'm sure he'll get
some time in there as a you know, fill in outfielder once the ball
times in the game. So I just really like, I really like the
Giants and what they're doing, so big fan. Also, he has zero
options, so he will start the year in the majors. Oh a good
note. Good note. I had him on a couple teams. I picked
him up halfway through the year last year, and he's he's a solid player.
Yeah. What's not to like about what the Giants are doing? Kind
of revamping a lot of things. Are a lot of players revamping things over
in the Bay Area. Okay, we're a circle back to you, Chris,
are you do you have any dats on that trade or do you want
to get right into your pick? Yeah? It was I I said,
so you know who I sold away, and I got Tyler McGill, Frankie
Alvarez, Trent Grisham, Luzardo, Riley Green, and Everson Pere. I
don't know how to say his last name. I apologize. Holy shit,
that's fantastic. Well I got rid of Xander and Robbie Ray, but then
Marco and Josh. It's a great package. I love that, you know.
It was, like I said, an orphan team that we had an
orphan draft, which was a lot of fun um doing a little dispersal action
there because there was a couple of teams that left the league and the opportunity.
Basically, Zander and Robbie were my only contending pieces, you know,
in a road of league that's not gonna happen, so I figured better go
big and sell out. I like it, especially the Grisham part, you
know. Yeah, I'm still a believer in Trent with you on that one.
Absolutely. All right, good stuff, man, I'm gonna write some
of those names down to kind of get the money on the list here.
That's great, Okay, who's your pick? Man? All right? So
I guess I'm going to start off at the corner here with Yoshi Tsugo Pittsburgh
excellent. Yeah, I'm a real big believer in what he started to show
after second half there last year. Playing time is another must first sleeper in
my opinion, and opportunities will continue at Pittsburgh with basically no one chopping at
the bid at first base, so I think he will probably show out quickly
here this year. Awesome. I love it. I don't have him on
any of my teams. I'm got his name written down here so I can
look into him a little bit. I'm with you on the playing time.
That's that's that's you, which I think that was I mean that was part
of my strategy doing this strap last year. So is that your is that
your goal this year? Joe? We're playing time on your team. Okay,
you know what you don't need to all right, well, I mean
you don't gotta you don't got to talk about that, all right. We
can discuss strategy at the end. Okay, all right, we can do
that. All right. What's what's your next pick, Chris? My next
pick? I think I'm gonna go with a another Well, I guess this
guy is gonna be young here, but I am becoming more and more a
believer of Jeremy Penya okay um. I wanted to give us a little bit
of a dynasty flare as well, so he'll be my short stop. And
started off just he had the high k right coming up. But I think
this year I expect at least fifteen and ten M if he gets that full
time gig, which I believe he will. But I think upwards of a
poor man's Frankie Landor is what we're going to be looking at. My ultimate
feeling. But that's you know, maybe not quite this year. I like
it though, a redraft, sleeper draft, but I still like Jeremy this
year. Yeah. I mean, even when we do this kind of stuff,
that's you know, it's kind of redraft, you know, more of
a redraft format. You know, there's still you know, some people could
be you could be listening to this and gunning for you know, a championship
or something somebody that's a little under the radar. If you're kind of looking
at this from a dynasty standpoint, you know, these are hopefully some more
under the radar guys that you could target in trades or you know, even
if you get really deep, even if it's a shallower league or something like
you know, FYPD or something like that. Any case, love it,
Joe back to you. Oh gosh, Um, all right, I'll wait
on this guy. Um, I'm going to take give me shoes. David
Fletcher. Oh I knew it, Itcher, I love David Fletcher. Um.
You know, he's just he's gonna he's gonna get some shots to hit
at the top of the order, I think, um, when Atani's not
heading there, so that'll be really exciting to see. Um, he's gonna
score some runs and I think he can provide some decent stolen base numbers too,
especially for after this. Um. You know, even though this is
like a standard draft, I think in most drafts, if you're playing in
like a Broado League or something, that's where Fletcher gets even more value just
because he's gonna hit for a high average and um, he's gonna steal some
bases. He's not going to provide Jenny power, but he's likely going to
get you know, second base, shortstop, potentially even third base. I
friendon gets hurt or arrests eligibility and if the Angels can sign a shortstop that
isn't Tyler Wade um, which I don't think they're going to. I think
I think Fletcher's the guy at short so that'll be interesting to see where that
goes. But I like him a big fan. I have heard that you
like David Fletcher. Yes, that you are a big fan. Um,
how many times do you think we've said David Fletcher's name over the last year.
We don't. We don't talk about him too much. I mean he
comes up in like our conversations about you know, maybe second base or shortstop
like the infielders, and then maybe in the top like in the you know,
top five hundreds or something where I go well, you guys don't have
David Fletcher ranked in the top three hundred. Yeah, I like him.
That's that's what I was looking for you. I like you get fired about
David Fletcher. I like I do. I love him. That's what look
if you, if you get if anyone who follows like Angel fans should know
that like this, the entire fan base is like, like, we've got
Shoeotani, he had whatever man, Mike Trout, whatever man. David Fletcher,
though, now that's the one that's the guy, that's your guy.
Okay, onward, I am going to go with Evan Longoria of the San
Francisco Giants, who actually he was hurt for quite a bit of last season,
but before he got hurt was having really a really solid year, best
max exit velocity of his career, highest walk rate we had seen in a
while. To go with, you know, some more strikeouts unfortunately, but
I really like this new or so highest barrel percentage as well, So I'll
take that. I like this new barrel per plate appearance stat that Baseball Savants
got on here that I'm kind of I'm just starting to dive into a little
bit, but a little bit higher than it has been in the past for
him, which is great, back to when they started tracking at least.
So I'm again another another giant. So I like what the giants are doing.
And then I'm gonna go with Andrew McCutcheon, who is just kind of
my blow he steady go to for years for you know what feels like a
decade now kind of are underrated below the raidar, radar raider um, below
the radar outfielder who's just going to do a little bit of everything and be
pretty pretty good at everything. So I'm gonna take him back to you,
Joe. I love Andrew McCutcheon. Sorry, man, all right, all
right, um, all right, I'm going to go with a pitcher.
I'm gonna go with Taiwan Walker. Okay, yeah, I like I like
um Walker All Star last year Taiwan Walker. Um yeah, he was an
All Star and somehow, I mean, I think I think he got hurt.
But he's pitching and he's Alfie so excited to see what he can do,
and he's likely got that rotation spot. Even though I do like Tyler
Miguel, I just don't think that he's got the opening day rotation spot.
Lockdown with the additions of Scherzer and Bassett. I think Carrasco and Walker are
the last two guys there, but I do really like him, and I
also like David Peterson. Both those guys are ill will be picked, but
I don't foresee them starting the year in the rotation. And but I mean
they wouldn't be bad picks because the Mets do get hurt, So I don't
know. I just like the idea of Walker having you know, maybe the
highest floor out of all of those guys, and also already having a rotation
spot the floor you mean, like Peterson and Miguel Yes, gotcha, Yeah,
got it, all right, I've got him in the spreadsheet here,
all right, Chris, you're back up, man. All right. Well,
I'm gonna stick with a picture for my first one too, and we'll
see what the Angels fans have to say about read. I love it,
Read Love read debors. Yeah, man speaks volumes right there. Since you
guys both kind of let out that audible groan, I thought for sure,
Like I actually thought for sure that Joe was gonna pick Read Devers with his
first pick in this No. No, I mean, I I like debtmers,
but he does not have that rotation spot solidified. M He pitched,
He pitched on the backfield yesterday and had a he went like I think Justin
Upton was out there among other minor league players and he had that. He
went like three innings with one hit, no walks in five case, which
is great. He's been really good this spring, um. But and he's
showing like a lot better control and everything. So I think he's gonna be
really really strong. But I think that there's very very good chance he starts
the range. Boy, Well, so why do you like him? Yeah,
I was just gonna say I don't think. I mean, I totally
agree that he probably will not be on that opening rotation, but the way
historically health has eluded many starters, um, I think he'll be quick one
of the first ones in, if not the first one up. And I
don't think he'll lose it this year. I think last year was just you
know, dipping his toe into the jacuzzi, so to speak. And he'll
be all in this year once he gets that opportunity. Are you telling me
that you don't have complete faith in Shoheo Tony Noah Syndergard Patrick Sandoval, Michael
Lorenzen, and Jose Soras. But I agree. Hey, hey, I'm
sorry, I'm sorry. I just like that's that's it's a good point.
They really think Michael Lorenzen is their fourth starter, by the way, fourth
not fifth fourth. That's that's what roster resource says. Yes, and are
we are they still talking about doing a sixth man rotation? They're I think
they're going to do. Yeah, they're they're going to with Otani because he's
only gonna pitch once week. I mean, they had him pitching every five
days at the end of last year, but I highly doubt that continues to
start the year. Maybe as the year goes on. Um, but to
start the year, the like to stick with six man just to you know,
make sure that Otani doesn't get her burnt out right away. Yeah,
yeah, makes sense. All right, Chris, onto the next one.
All right, I am going to let's see, speaking of frequent injuries,
I'm gonna actually go with Nick Senvil. I know that's the opposite of what
I was just talking about, but I think this will let's just say,
he's going to have a longer leash as long as he can handle it,
and stay healthy. I think you know, he's got the pedigree one of
the top picks whatever year that was twenty sixteen, um, seventeen, somewhere
in there, college bat that was highly touted right off the bat. He
started to he started to actually perform well last year until he then missed the
greater part of the season. But his health is with him this year.
I like bat playing a great America and getting as many high up in order
at bats they'll give him. Yeah, here's hoping he can stay healthy.
Man, he could have it. He could have a great year if he
could just stay healthy. We were joking earlier. I think it was before
we started about having issues with our draft styles, and one of mine is
just this tease of injury. You know. I like to I'll walk that
fine line with my draft sometimes. Yeah, that is something I try to
avoid, but sometimes it's just too hard to pass it up. I love,
you know, the talent that sucks me in. Oh yeah, I
turned the blind eyes sometimes. I hear you. I hear you. Good
stuff, all right, Joe, Who are you taking next? Man?
Dominic Smith? Dominic Smith? What is he down at first base or outfield?
Let me see what I have more on my adems chart. I'll take
him at first, Um, who you will? Yeah, I'll take first.
He's Vangraft says he's first base outfield and realistically that's what he is.
Played fifteen games at first, so he should have eligibility. Um, okay,
but he's mostly an outfielder. But since he's got that eligibility first,
I mean pick three seventy five, I love it. Yeah. I love
Dominic Smith. Great in twenty twenty, great and twenty nineteen. He had
a bad twenty twenty one, but I think the DH will help him.
Um. Truthfully, I think that Pete Alonzo should be dhing and Smith should
play first. He's a better first baseman defensively, but I doubt the medsment
do that. So um, but I mean, you know, I think
you should get some time in the outfield. If Marte and Canada and all
of them are you know, dhing or hurt and currently breaster resources Robinson Cano
is the DH, which I think that Smith will have that job over just
based off those you know, track record in history of canoes problems and injuries
and everything. Right, all right, awesome, I'm gonna go with Marco
Gonzalez of the Mariners. Oh I love. I love when I elicit that
kind of reaction. Love. He was gonna he was high on my board,
high on my board. Really yeah, man, I love it.
Marco Gonzalez at adp of three twenty five. And I'm gonna go next with
Caesar Hernandez at second base, and I'm gonna write those guys in really quick.
Marco Gonzalez, I mean, you're not gonna find too many guys.
I don't think at you know, what's what did I say is AD was
three twenty five that are gonna throw potentially un seventy eight innings and in the
Points League, that's huge. I mean, he's we're doing. My home
league is an eight team and we've got some questions on this later and we've
got an eighteen twenty five twenty six man roster teams. So it's like you
don't even draft him in that league, but you can. You can stream
him, and he's better than a streamer like he to me, Marco martin
Zal is very steady, even in rodal leagues. Is a very steady picture
kind of you know, kind of a crafty, lefty type guy, doesn't
throw all that hard. From what I remember from my brain doesn't work all
that well sometimes right now, but good picture, better than better than perceived
in my opinion. And Caesar Hernandez again another underrated hitter. Um well,
I think should hit close to the top of the order for the Nationals.
Does anybody have any more info on that? No, not necessarily and if
I kind of feel I kind of feel like he's going to be the leadoff
guy, I mean, and then so there's there's hopefully you know, five
hundred and fifty to six hundred plate appearances. Again, a good thing in
points least is maximize actually in all leaks, right, we want to maximize
or plate appearances and our chances to a crew of points. And another guy
that I think he's got pretty solid walk to strikeout ratios. I know I'm
always going back to that, but I think it's important in these links were
you know, we want to cancel out as many as possible and could hit.
We hit twenty one home runs last year, and you can get him
at what is this what is his ADP? We make sure three twenty seven,
so right around where you're gonna get Marco Gonzalez love it. So I'm
all over those two guys. Back to you, Joe Connor Joe, Oh,
come on, outfielder. Yeah, I love Connor, Joe. I
know Taylor loves Connor. Joe. I actually almost took him with my first
pick, but decided I would wait a little bit and said, if Taylor
wants to take a really high up pe and take him. But I love
Connor Joel dudes raking and spring training too. By the way, he's got
like a you know, obviously it's a small sample, it's one lad appearances,
but he's killing it and he plays all over the field. He's going
to fit into that lineup somehow. And you gotta love points leeves and the
horse fields, especially with the improved lineup of Chris Bryant. That's it.
Here's the one thing you gotta worry about though, right like they now have
so there's a lot of Sam Hilliard hype right now. Randall Richard just got
traded to the to the Rockies and they have Chris bryan and left field.
That's the only thing I worry about now, Okay, that that's great.
I love the Rockies, are you know, spending some money right like good
good for them for trying to win sucks. I maybe it won't suck for
Connor Joel, but it's not the best thing that could have happened to him.
Yeah, I mean no, I certainly did they see that, And
you know, it's gonna be interesting to see it where he's gonna be playing
a lot um, you know if but an injury to CJ. Crown or
Chris Bryant or Charlie Blackman or you know, Gritcha Hilliard, any of those
guys gives him that, you know spot, He's the guy, absolutely absolutely,
I love him. We talked about him on Yeah podcast. You know
at the end of last you were really were the one that put him onto
me. I didn't know he's great and now and now he's like love's and
he's kind of like the perfect definition of like you know how we were saying
earlier like there like there isn't a sleeper anymore and his Connor Joe is kind
of like this is our sleeper draft and Connor Joe is like one of the
big ones of the off seasons. You were, I know you were on
him before everyone else, So I'll give you that for sure. Thank you
man. All right, Chris, take us through the turn here man,
all right, and I'm gonna go with another outfielder, Chas McCormick. As
McCormick, I can say that I know absolutely nothing about Jaz McCormick. Let's
hear it. Yeah, he got his basically his real Cup last year.
At the end of the year, he's going to be the starting center fielder.
There might be a small position battle again, but likely he hits his
to lose. All the public facing projections have him at on a fifteen and
five pace with half of the season at bats, so maybe nice, you
know, you can up that a little bit if he gets the full time
gig. Obviously it's a powerful lineup. He's hitting on the back half more
than likely. But full time gig and I combo platter machine of home run
steels, combo platter machine in a sleeper s in a sleep. Oh,
I like it. I like that term too. We're gonna have to do
a podcast all centered around combo platter machines CPM episode anyway, Oh, good
stuff. Who's your next one? That is a good question here it is,
thank you. I'm gonna go with for third base, We'll go with
Kevin Smith. I think he's a hot name right now. Yeah. Um,
again, he's gonna be getting that full time gig at third base there
with the athletics, no one behind him, so they will give him the
full opportunity that he deserves. Um. He might not be a full combo
platter machine, but he is still going to be just racking up at baths
and probably give you a good fifteen plus home runs out of the gate.
My thoughts here. So I like taking Kevin Smith there and on the turn.
Love it. Yeah, he was actually somebody that Joe had talked about
a little bit ago. And fun fact, we're in a we're in another
dynasty league together, more of a family friends type league where he was taken
third overall in the FYPD that just started last night in this morning. So
there's Kevin Smith hype out there right now. There definitely is I like it.
Thank you, Chris, Joe back to you, all right, I
am going to take sho It's a tough one. I'm going to take a
picture. Okay, I'm gonna take I guess yeah, you can't m and
wait if I say, if I say somebody's name and on your list,
are you are you going to change it and take that person instead Tyler Wells.
No, okay, all right, go ahead, good old Kyle Gibson,
Oh okay, yep. Um. For those who may not be aware,
Kyle Gibson is one. Um is one of Taylor and mis guys.
I would say, Um, he's a guy that we roster in pretty much
any league that the other one is not in. Otherwise we're trading him back
and forth if possible. He's just a really consistent pitcher. Dudes, pretty
he's just got a he's got a million miles in his arm at this point.
But he, um, you know, throws like at least one hundred
and fifty innings a year minus twenty twenty for obvious reasons. And um,
I don't like the ballpark all that much, but I'm just looking at past
precedent. I think it's really easy to pencil them in for one hundred and
eighty innings, and doing that post pick three hundred is really difficult to find.
If you look at the other guys that we're taking in this spot.
You know, the Marco Marco Gonzalez is kind of a similar boat, but
doesn't throw as many innings, I would say, and you know, like
you know, Debtmer's and Taylan Walker there's questions there. But with Gibson,
it's like he's gonna probably have a four era A yeah, sure, that's
fine, but he's just gonna rack up innings and points and know, I
know in points leagues, you know, quality starts and innings are really really
big. Um. So I just like his presence there. I think he'll
be a good stabilizer for me. This is my Madison bum Garner pick last
year. By the way, it's the exact same like vising, it's the
exact same reasoning. So this is going to clearly go very well. Yeah,
it'll be it'll be perfect. You're gonna do great this year, Joe.
Yeah, don't don't worry. Okay, you're right. Yeah. I
like Kyle Gibson as well. I'm gonna go Tyler Wells. Damn. It's
somebody that you know, you had pointed out a long time ago, and
I think you probably do a better better job of explaining the upside of Tyler
Wells to me. To me, he's kind of entrenched in a hopefully hopefully
a closer battle that leans his way because I think he's got great stuff.
But I know that you had written or you had done you know, you're
the ground formula, and he was somebody that showed up. Yeah, have
any other like deeper thoughts on Tyler Wells you could throw out there for everybody.
Yes, so Tyler Wells actually might have a like path to starting at
some point if you like think about like the Orioles is what the astros were.
I like to think of Tyler Wells is like what Collin MQ was like,
where he's like this guy that you know, doesn't like he's going to
be there from the very start and will likely not have a long term rotation
spot, but could eventually like stick into some type of multi inning or you
know, while even closer or even like a small rotation role where he goes
for three or four innings kind of in a raised type you know, a
situation. And he was really really good last year. Um he qualified for
the report that I do every year called the Dagram Formula, which is just
identifying pictures under the age of thirty that have the potential to break out.
And he was one of the guys that showed up in the list. So
I'm really interested to see what the Orioles are going to do with him,
But I think that he's got a pretty solid future, you know, coming
up. He's also sixty, which is cool, so love that. Yeah,
dude, that my next pick is going to be Pierce Johnson because I
seem to be on like a you know, Pierce Johnson hype train tour this
offseason. I kind of made the bold prediction a while back that he was
going to get thirty saves and that everybody's gonna be scrambling for him in the
first couple of weeks of the season. That feels, you know, like
that maybe could still happen. I don't know if people, I mean,
his ADP is at four or five. I know he's not going to be
drafted in you know many you know, smaller leagues. Um, and maybe
it's the first TI I've ever heard of Pierce Johnson. I don't know.
In my opinion, he's the guy that should be gone to as the closer
first for the Padres. I don't know if that is in the end going
to be the case because they know they have Robert Suarez and they could sign
somebody else. Who knows they've got I mean, we've got Dnilson, Matt
got Amelia Pagan. They've got all sorts of guys that could that could close
out games. In my opinion, though it should be Pierce Johnson. He's
got really great stuff. He's got a wicked little curveball, and I watched
him pitch probably more than I watched a lot of other pitchers last year,
really good in in uh, like where do you come? Like high leverage
situations. He was put in against a lot of big bats and performed really
well. So he's a guy I have an eye on that one. If
we're talking about like safe picks, that's not a safe pick, that is
that is kind of a dart a dart throw. But somebody I have speculated
on in quite a few weeks lately. So get after Pierce Johnson. Back
to you, Joe, I'll take Wilmer Flores third base. Flores. Tell
me about Wilma Flores in the same mold of like Lamont Wade junior. Floreses
crushes opposite handed pitching and will most likely almost like not exclusively, but will
mostly be used in that role. He also just fills in really nicely into
the infield playing for a second and third base, so that flexibility towards the
end of the draft is really nice. He's pretty consistently getting like four hundred,
close to five hundred plate appearances a year UM, and especially with the
Giants, it's really cool to see UM. And with the DA which I
imagine he's going to get even more of a of a chance to hit maybe
even against righties UM in this upcoming season. So just in the same mold.
He's a guy who's, you know, on a good team that I
like, had a good year last year and can probably hit like fifteen to
twenty home runs and with a good batting average. How did Rumor Flores tie
his career in home runs last year? I had no idea runs. It
was really good. It was really solid. You know, it's just a
good He's a good ballplayer. He's one of the best like lefty hitting players
in baseball and has been for like his entire career. I remember that being
like a thing when he was on the Mets. It was just he absolutely
destroys lefties and just struggles against righties. But if there's any team that can
figure out how to get him to hit against righties, it's the Giants.
Wow, No, that's that's surprising to me. That's a really good one.
I'm looking at Steve like I did some you know for ESPN leagues.
I did some math here, I took I pulled the excel file for projections.
So Steve, I believe it's Steamer. That's where I pulled us from.
He's projected as a top two hundred hitter. Wow or top two hundred
Yeah, top two hud is pretty awesome. That's great, great value,
so solid, solid pick cool Chris. Back to you, man, Well,
I gotta say I am happy you aren't with Wilmo Flores because I thought
there was gonna be a reliever here. So my reliever that a buddy of
mine from my home league, turned me on to late last year's Art Warren
and the fact that he's still being drafted so late. It completely surprising to
me, especially after the Sims injury news. As we were talking here,
I actually pulled up roster resource and the red steps chart is actually kind of
funny. Um, they have five different closures lifted. I guess that's a
in their eyes. But about Art Warren, if you're not familiar yet,
I'm pretty sure he's going to get the first opportunities he had a ridiculous k
rate last year and his decent sample size of a rookie year. I think
it's forties, low forties. It's just this wipe out slider that he got
a forty six percent way right. I'm strongly buying him in every opportunity.
Yeah, I can, much to the chagrin of the guy who turned me
onto him, but I am all aboard. I heart art of that.
Oh yeah, I love that. Ye all right, good stuff I've been
hearing about. I've been hearing some whisperings about him, yether. That bullpen
seems like it's kind of a kind of up in the air. But speculate
on skills, right, Yeah, if you're in the safehold league, gets
a no brainer in my opinion to have him on your roster. If it's
the staves only, I think he's definitely worth a late round pick to fill
out that bullpen. Love it awesome. Keep that reliever. You're keeping the
reliever ugoing, or you can move off. I am going to move off,
but I'm going to stay on the mound. Carlos Hernandez from the Royals
nice. You know, I know a lot of people have mixed emotions about
his performance last year. You know, he kind of came out of nowhere.
He wasn't a hyped prospect by any means that the Royals have had plenty
of pitching prospects before him that were way more hyped. But his five pitch
arsenal I he to me, it just seems like there's something underneath that I
can't quantify. I don't have that ability, but I just see him as
being this once he puts it all together and it's able to effectably use all
five of those pitches. Um, I think he's got another level here.
Yeah. I mean, if you're gonna speculate on guys this late at what
what was it ADP three eighty five, three eighty one something like that,
Yeah, I mean, can't you can go? It could be worse than
a guy throws ninety seven ninety eight miles an hour and with five pitches.
So exactly love it all right, Joe, I believe it is your turn,
all right. I moved David Fletcher off the second base because I wanted
to move him to short is eligible there. Um, oh, you're doing
You're just like making moves mid draft King making moves with mid draft. This
guy Okay, I'm taking Jeff McNeil at second base. Okay, what what
is there that is exciting about Jeff McNeil, Uh, very little, but
like it's just time and he's kind of like a high batting average guy.
You know, he hit for prior to twenty twenty one, he had a
three hundred batting average over a three hundred batting average every year of his career,
and he never had a WRC plus blow one thirty. So he's just
a you know, he's a good hitter. And I think that, you
know, I think that last year is going to be the blip year.
I much. You know, I believe the one thousand played appearances prior to
that of three eighty OBP versus the four hundred of you know, three twenty,
and you know, I just think that there's some home run upside there
too, with like hit twenty three home runs in twenty nineteen. I know
it's a juiced ball year, but you know, I still think there's like
ten to fifteen home runs there. Not really any stolen basis to be accounted
for, but I certainly believe that the batting average is there and just the
hitting potential and the playing time. He plays all over the field. He
can play second, he can play third, you can play the outfield until
pH probably as well. So I like it. I will take I'm just
trying to think this true. I will take the under on eleven home runs
or ten and a half home runs for Jeff McNeil this year, Olier on
that. Okay, so you're not you know, Okay, I don't be
over to be the odd one. Yeah, I don't okay, even the
Yeah, I don't believe in the power like, but I certainly wouldn't be
surprised if he hits fifteen, just to be shocked. Who knows, maybe
Albe's gonna juice the ball to change the conversation from the lockout to the runs.
Again. Well, we did get word that. I don't know if
you guys heard. I got to find the story. Maybe I can um
I can try to link it. But I had heard that they're going to
have humidors in every stadium, so maybe that works in his favor. And
he's not supposed to help, right, Yeah, he puts the ball in
play. You know, he doesn't strike out very much. Strikes outis and
ten percent of the time he only struck out seven print. He actually had
like close to a you know, not a career low, but a significant
drop off in strikeout rate last year that was closer to his career line.
And he had a career high walk rate as well, which is cool to
see, even though it's only like or not. Wait that was I.
I was reading those incorrectly. I was reading the strikeout rate as his walk
raad strikeout rate. Get a career high strikeout rate and a close to career
low walk rate. That is the opposite of what I was just trying to
signify. So ignore what I said. Ignore Joe, everybody, noor Joe.
All right, we've got Jeff McNeil on the board. Just a couple
of picks left for everybody. I think six something picks left for everybody.
I like it. I am gonna go with another deep, deep guy who
I just have a feeling about. I don't again, this is another dark
throw. I just think he's a good hitter who was eventually going to get
a chance, and that is Luis Campusano. I know that the Padres have
like three or four catchers on their roster right now. They've got Jorge Alfaro,
You've got Austin Nola, they've got somebody else. I don't even know
Victor Carrattini, right, who's gonna play once at least once every five days,
or you know, at least once through every run through the rotation,
right, because he's you Darvish's catcher. I just think at some point maybe
this is more of a gut call that Luis Canso forces his way onto this
roster. I think he's I think he's that. I don't think he has
anything else left to prove. In the minor leagues for the last couple of
years, he's been just excellent. And obviously last year when he did play
them in the majors, you know, it was only under forty he played
appearances, he was very he was very bad, right, there's no the
way to ignore that he was very bad. But I think if I'm going
to speculate on somebody with an ADP and the five hundreds at catcher, maybe
even you know, especially in the two catcher league, it's going to be
Louis Compassona. Still, I still believe it feels like he keeps getting pushed
out, But I believe do you guys have Louis Compassona on any of your
teams. I actually do. I have him in a good bit of leagues.
I really like him. Well that makes that makes me feel a little
bit better about it. And I'm gonna go next. I'm gonna go is
Zach Rinky? Oh okay, Yeah, because Zach Ranky's kind of cool and
kind of weird and back with the Royals, and I don't know, I
kind of maybe that's just like you know, anecdote storyline base. I think
it's cool friend to him to end up back with the team that he started
with. And I don't know, it's just I like I like Wiley old
veterans. You know, he doesn't grow very hard, he doesn't strike out
that many guys. But again, another guy that threw one hundred and seventy
one innings like pretty much under the radar last year, you know what I
mean. I don't know. I think innings are king in a lot of
in some of these points leagues, like I mentioned earlier, and I'll definitely
be taking a shot on him. His ADP is very three fifty three forty
seven, so just meets through criteria. Back to you, Joe, all
right, gonna take my last picture here or my last starter. I'm gonna
take Zach Efflyn. Oh man, he was. I have him here right
next to Zach Ranky, David Love, Zach Eflin, big fan. Um.
He was really really good last year, kind of like a you know,
a pseudo breakout here, I guess, even though he's kind of just
been like a you know, the same picture, but I think more people
started to notice last year. But even in like twenty twenty, dude had
like a twenty eight percent last strikeout rate in a six percent rock rate.
I know it's only in sixty innings, but it's ten starts that show what
he could potentially be. And his line, like his peripherals were you know,
somewhat in line with that time. He lowered his walk rate in twenty
twenty are in twenty twenty one, but his striker rate also lowered a little
bit. So I expect him to probably sit around like twenty four percent strikeout
rate, maybe like a five percent walk rade, six percent walk ratee.
And he should be healthy. He's you know, starting and didn't give up
a hit and his most recent, most recent spring start, so I really
like that, like it, like it. Where was his so I didn't
catch cut out? For a second, what's his ADP? Never mind,
I got a four forty crazy right very late? Wow? Wow? All
right, Well you closed that your rotation nicely with Thailand Walker, Kyle Gibson,
and Zach Ethel. Those are three guys that were on my radar as
well, and I hate you for it. All right, Chris, you're
up? Man, Well, I am gonna go actually with two Mariners here
on the turn. Um, I need a second basement, So I'm going
to start off with their leadoff man Adam Fraser or they're currently penciled in leadoff
man. Oh. I mean it's obviously well documented his post trade UH to
San Diego collapse last year. Yeah, it wasn't good. And I hope
I'm not giving you too many flashbacks here, but you know, his time
with Pittsburgh, I think, um show that he hits the ball. You
know, he does not strike out or doesn't strike out often outside of his
time there. But the Mariners offense is much improved, um, and so
I think he's going to be scoring a good amount of runs of leading that
that team off second base is also pretty thin, especially in the PA.
Oh yeah, the earn pick. Then we'll close up my rotation, and
I'm gonna go with the currently listed fifth starter, Matt Brash thin rate off
the charts. You know, he's hopefully going to be lining up for stay,
not a five and dive type. That's my biggest concern in this to
format, that he might not be out there long enough for to qualify for
wins, but he'll be striking guys out. He will currently be out there
every fifth day, and I think at this point he wants his draft position.
I think it's in the mid force, well closer to even six hundred,
about five hundred here. I think he is definitely an arm that's worth
grabbing very late. I at one agree another player that the Padres traded away,
so it was obviously Lea destined for greatness. Obviously good good stuff man,
Joe, do you all right? I'll round out my outfield with um
all rounded out with Randall Gritchick. Okay, yeah, okay. I think
that I was looking for, you know, some stability here, some plate
appearances with taking Lamont Wade and Connor Joe, who are you know, like
really you know, good players, and I think that they'll, you know,
see some good time. I wanted a guy who could realistically get like
six hundred plate appearances. And I think that there's, you know, a
possibility that even with perfect health, Wade and Joe might not get there,
and I think that Gritchick should get there. I like it. I've always
had a kind of a weird, irrational like I don't want to call it
a love affair, but I've always liked Randall Richard. You want to know,
Oh sorry, go ahead, Yeah, I don't tell me my favorite
Randall Gritchick story. So the Angels had two picks in the two thousand and
one draft was two thousand and nine first round. They had back to back
picks, and I think it was twenty four to twenty five overall. With
number twenty four overall, they take Randall with They take Randall Gritchick, the
first of two right handed outfielders they would take. The second one was Mike
Trout. Wow, yeah, so he was. They had back to back
picks and they took Gritchick and Trout. M Gritchick was traded away before making
a debut with the Angels. I think he was sent in David Freeze trade.
For those who remember trades from like the early two thousand, dudes that
involved, you know, third basement that were past their prime. But um
yeah, always one of my favorite things that he was taken one pick before
Mike Trout by the team that took Wake Trout. That is wild because they
have had wildly different careers. Yeah, very very different. Wow, Wow,
all right, cool, I am gonna wow. This is okay.
I've got four picks left, No three picks left. I need a first
baseman and outfielder. No four picks. Geez, I screwed that up.
I need a shortstop, a first basement, an outfielder. I started pitcher.
I'm gonna go with Jorge Mateo at three eighty two, and I'm gonna
go with Chris Flexen to round out my rotation. Flexing, I think is
fairly self explanatories, very similar to the other guys. I had picked a
lot of innings, one hundred and sixty innings or so, fairly good ratios
across the board, you know, otherwise, not many strikeouts, which isn't
which isn't great. I'm kind of baking on those innings. So there's keep
that in mind if you're drafting him, right, he just doesn't have a
whole lot of strikeouts to prop up when things go poorly right in ESPN leagues,
right, because if you're given up runs, that's minus too. You
got to get another strikeout to balance that out. So there's not too many
there to balance it out. At six point two six k per nine,
which is very very low. That being said again, I'm kind of going
for innings here, you know, at this point, you know picked four
hundred, three hundred and eighty year draft. Jorge Mateo, though, is
another guy I really like who really was great after he was traded to Baltimore
last season. Got a couple of steals, a couple of home runs.
Russ Or Resource doesn't have him currently in the starting lineup. I'm not as
sure. I'm not that sure why. I don't know much about Ramone Arias,
who is currently penciled in shortstop. However, I think Jorge Mateo finds
his way into that lineup. I think they're something there, like he really
like with consistent playing time in the second half of last season, was a
very was a very good player, or if not a very good player,
a useful, like a very good, useful fantasy player for your lineups.
So that's where I'm headed. Chris flexing three eighty No, where did I
say flexing was? Flex was three seventy four? Mateo at three eighty two?
Joe back to you. All right, I'm gonna take another one of
Taylor's guys. No first relief picture. Very surprised you didn't take this relief
picture. So this is paybacks with Tyler Wells. Is it Jonathan Leisa?
It is Jonathan Eliza Ga? Yes, oh, I love that guy.
It is Jonathan Elizaga. I'll let you do this then, okay, pull
up. Let me let me pull up some stats here. I mean,
here's the thing with jump with Lois is it? Jeez? I had this
right the other day, and now I feel like I'm saying it run is
it? I think it's low Isaaca, not Loisika. So lo Isaaca?
Um I pulled up? You know, I know, and I know that
Baseball Savant isn't everything. But if you're a fan of a lot of red
on the Baseball Savant h site dot com dot MLB dot com, Jonathan's page
is for you. It is. It is wild and in my opinion,
if he could stay healthy and be healthy through a full season, I mean
he's the closer of the of the future for the Yankees, and maybe even
should be the closer right now with what we've seen to be a little bit
of a rollercoaster with a Roaldis Chapman. And plus I'm just not a huge
Chapman fan, so little a little biased there. But so Loisaca does just
about everything right. He limits hard contact if you're into expected dras his was
close to last year, that that ultimately doesn't mean a whole lot. I'm
aware of that, but I'm I'm just I'm a big fan of guys who
can get strikeouts, who can limit the hard contact when when people do make
contact. And another guy, I think, who are we saying with Carlos
Fernandez right? Obviously who wise I guess not a starter. But he throws
quite a few different pitches. I mean, it's mostly sink or curveball,
and you throw some changeups in there as well, but mixes it up,
you know, mixes up with with fastball, sliders as well, just premo
stuff. The one thing you got to keep in mind with him, and
as far as I know right now, he's healthy. The one thing you
gotta keep in mind is he's just he just gets hurt he's been hurt on
and off for a couple of years. I'm trying to pull up. I
will look for it as we go. If you've got anything else to say
about the why it's a good Joe, I do. I can look it
up. But yeah, that's that's the one thing that's always been so you
know, horrible for him. He's just he just gets hurt. Yeah.
So while not one of the greatest dads, he still it's a useful one
to get the idea of who a pitcher is, their kind of repertoire,
and the batted ball profile of them. There are three pitchers with seventy innings
or more twenty twenty one who had a groundball percentage or well, there's only
two pitchers that had a higher groundball percentage than the wis and that's Clay Holmes
and Fram Ravaldis. Those are the only two pitchers in the entire league who
had a higher groundball percentage in there. So he is, you know,
really good at getting those ground like getting keeping the ball on the ground with
a reliever. That's incredibly useful because he can come into sticky situations and you
know that more than half of the time the ball is gonna end up on
the ground. That's really cool to see out of a guy like that,
and that, you know, could you know, potentially lead him if he's
healthy to reach that seven beinning platform again or that platform, but that's seven
beinning you know, mark again, which would be great out of any relief
pitcher. And that's a lot of points even if he's not getting saves.
Absolutely love it, solid pick, very good Joe Chris, Chris, Oh
do you man? Alrighty Um, I'm gonna round up my outfield with Matt
Berley. Okay, Philadelphia. Currently it looks as if he'll be, if
not winning, but battling for that center field starting starting job. He got
a cup of coffee. I think I had a September call up and he
did really well. Um, he's got flexibility into first base. Um,
he's a combo platter kind of guy. He's gonna be batting at the bottom
of the order if she does win the job. But it's a high flute
and offense. They're gonna be scoring a lot of runs and I think he
is just going to flourish. You know, he won't have to worry about
hitting up early, and he'll be moving around the order, um getting plenty
of bad bad So I think it's possible you can have a fifteen fifteen season
if you're looking for a sixth outfielder on your you know, including your bench.
I think he's definitely worth taking a flyer on near the end of the
draft. Wow. Wow, that's that's awesome. Another guy that I don't
really know much about. I love how deep you're going with this man.
Fantastic. That's some reason I really like these That's that's why we're here.
This is this is awesome. Yeah, this is great. I think looking
at upside of the guys here on your list with Feeling and Endeavers and Hernand
is brash. I mean there's probably higher upside. I mean, I'm like,
I've gone deep with a couple of these guys, but they're like steadier
you've got You've got high upside of some of these guys I don't even know
much about. I gotta do something. I gotta do some more deep Diamond
into Bearling and McCormick too, is another guy you mentioned I just don't know
much about. I love it. They're right, they're kind of similar actually,
But yeah, where you head next I'll go back to the bullpen.
Taylor Rainey Washington Nationals. Um, you know I started. He's another high
k rate kind of guy. He doesn't quite have the control of Art Warren,
so his his K minus walk rate isn't quite as outstanding. But he's
and he's also not even going to be the closer to begin the year Lightry,
so keep that in mind when looking at him. But I just think
he's going to end up with the job. I forget who it is ahead
of him, to be honest, off the top of my head, but
um, someone who's not a fantasy locked in closer, and so I think,
um, as long as Rainy is able to keep those walks in check,
he'll end up taking over that job and lock it down, hopefully by
the end of the year. I like it. It's Kyle, It's Kyle
Finnigan, who, Yeah, who I can confirm is Yeah, a decent
picture but a little all over the place, so yeah, I could definitely
see that happening. That's that's another guy I'm taking some notes on. I
like that. I like it. He's another save save hole type. I
think he's almost a no brainer, almost a no brainer. If that makes
any sense, But yeah, sign him up. Yep, sign yep.
Joe back to you, all right, I'm gonna go with this is a
repeat pick from last year. Actually, I've got a hold on you guys
right now. Draft strategy wis on on the relief picture position. I'm the
only one who can take a relief picture still, so catcher because Chris can
still take a catcher, even though it comes back to me before it goes
back to Chris. But look at the strategy strategy. Yeah, so instead
of taking a reliever or instead of taking a catcher or a relief pitcher,
I'll take a catcher. So I'm gonna take Ryan Jeffers. I don't know
if you guys he's the catcher for Minnesota. I picked him last year as
my catcher, and he actually had a pretty solid year. He had like
three hundred plate appearances. His OBP was really bad because he just had a
really bad like batting average he had under two hundred. But I don't foresee
that to happen. It was really his first real cup of tea in the
majors. But he hit fourteen home runs and only like three hundred plate appearances
and most of the projection systems currently only have him slated for three hundred plate
appearances. But I don't know if you guys know the catcher, like the
backup quote unquote catcher Minnesota is, but it's Gary Sanchez. Yeah, you
guys might have heard of him. So I'm not sure how that's gonna go
with the whole backup thing. So I expect Jeffers is the main guy there
with very little to come back like around him. I don't presume that they're
going to be you know, Sanchez will catch, but I think that Jeffers
will get a lot. So I think that the projections are underselling him right
now. But even so, in those three hundred plate appearances, they're still
tagging him about fifteen home runs. And I just really like his Like,
you know, his head tool is raw, just as raw tools in general,
I think really will play well. He's not going to be a high
batting average guy, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's able to develop into
that a little bit because it's just how much power he has. I'd love
to see him find some extra you know, batting average in there. But
at the worst case, I think this is a twenty home run catcher,
maybe even more if he breaks out. Wow, you did snipe me for
the record. Yes, this late in the draft. That's brutal. Well.
So I'm up next any of the first basement and outfielder. I'm going
to go back to somebody that I have drafted quite a bit, especially in
OBP leagues, which I think are also very good, good guys for points
leagues. It's Carlos Santana, a guy that just doesn't strike out much at
all, and I think is a better hitter. I'm trying to pull his
stats here against I think he's a much better hitter than he was. You
know that he and he showed last season, let's say. Unfortunately, actually
the last two years I have not been great twenty twenty, which I give
you a little bit of a pass. Unfortunately, it was an eighty three
w RC plus guy in twenty twenty one that was in one hundred and fifty
eight games and six hundred fifty nine plate appearances, which is wild, but
almost a one to one walked a strikeout and can hit twenty home runs and
ADP is what is it this year for twenty seven I'll take it. I
was tempted to go back to the Evan white Well, but I have learned
from my mistakes. I will not be going, at least for this draft.
In real life, I may go back to the Evan white Well at
some point, but not for this draft. And for my last outfielder,
I'm gonna go with Lorenzo Kane. I do I think is going to be
a another top two hundred hitter, maybe top one fifty, maybe if if,
if we're lucky, Steel's Homer's good I mean good late Rhodo guy as
well. Because of that, I know that I feel like the Brewer's outfield
is a little crowded right now? Am I thinking of the right Am I
thinking of the right place? I know that Tyrone Taylor got a little bit
of run last year, and Kess and Hira is is switching things up and
having a pretty decent spring from what I understand. And Kane can also He's
been known to get hurt a little bit. He's thirty six years old now,
so he can't be running in the walls as much as he used to,
I would think. But somebody that I have drafted before, and I
am still confident in having a top well, let's say top one with the
top hundred fifty, top hundred and forty hitter season in my opinion points wise,
all right, Joe last pick man, All right, going with a
high floor guy. Um, Alex Collaming, Hell yeah, he's had over
ten saves. I think let's see his lowest number. Yeah, the lowest
number of saves over the last since like twenty sixteen, it is twelve.
Um. So he's consistent in terms of, you know, just get the
job done. He's always going to find himself in the back end of the
bullpen. Signed a one year deal with my favorite team to draft from.
That is the Colorado Rockies. Um, and that boat. And I don't
know if you guys have seen it, there's no competition. If he lows
saves, it doesn't matter. They're gonna they're except for your team, except
for my team, because your fantasy team. Yeah, I guess for my
fantasy team. It's not great. But um, you know, I'm not
too concerned about it. I don't think that pitching Colorado's big of a deal
with some people make it out to be. It is, you know,
a knock, But I think that the idea of you know, a guy
who could get thirty saves. This late in the draft is really cool,
especially when you have you know, guys like you know, Ryce Lacis at
Diaz and all those guys going in the top and you know, hundred versus
this guy who's way past three hundred, and you know, you can potentially,
I mean he's past four hundred, but could potentially get you some saves
and that's a great upside. And if he gets traded at the deadline,
that's even better, even better. Talk about a roller coaster. But yes,
I hear you at the upside of saves and this late twenty two that's
all we're really doing. We're just speculating, all right, close us out,
Chris, last pick of the draft, all right, So the most
exciting pick of the draft, too, right is the catcher. So I
gotta stick with my second catcher from the TGFBI, and that's Louis Thorns.
Um, I realize he might not be getting the thing mont Beth and I
thought he would one, and I drafted him. Now after the trade acquisitions
the Mariners have grabbed, but um, he'll be splitting time between catcher and
Dhu, maybe even leaning more towards the DH rotation. Um, he's got
thump in that stick for sure. Um he had fifteen last year. UM
ex of velocity, of pax of velocity is in the top. Um,
he's if he's going to be able to get a full season of at bats,
he'll twenty plus home runs. You know, we talked about playing time.
He might not have that playing time with the depth that the Mariners have
acquired, but he's still going to be a league average bat in my opinion,
and at catcher, especially this late in the draft. Your second catcher
getting the league average bat or better. Very valid. Oh absolutely, I
like him a lot. I like Louis Torrens, right, I think I
think you're right too. I think you should get more plate appearances than somebody,
like who do they have, like Tom Murphy somebody. Yeah he's there,
he's slated as their starter. Yeah. I don't think Torrens is as
good at calling a game, managing the game right back there, So that's
where that fallout happens. Well, that's a consideration. So we don't take
those stats, you know, down on paper, but it's consideration for getting
guys out of the field. Heck, yeah, close out our draft.
How many picks is that one, two, three, four, US six.
I don't know thirty something picks in there. I could count that up
later and I may even tweet this out. Are you guys okay if I
tweet this board out? Yeah, everybody can see. Definitely get some conversation
going and get after the pod though, yeah, oh yeah after you got
to tune into the pod first. And you never see who is drafted third
see never guess I should say you will see. I'm a bad I'm a
bad click mate writer. Hey, there are worse things. There are worse
things, all right, excellent work everybody. We have two listener questions from
my wife and my aunt. Who we have and we have a draft next
Saturday, seven days from now, and my wife Jordan chimes in here.
But the first question, who are you taking? If you have the third
pick in an eight team head to head league as the league I mentioned earlier
to our home league, and I am doing everything I can to win this
league. I know she is as well, so give her give her all
the good advice. You have a third pick, who are you taking?
Oh? If it depends, I guess if you know, if lad Junior
is available, take him if wants to pretty much like if you have the
third pick, it's like, what Glad, Junior One, Soto and Shoho
Tani, whoever is available out of those three, Um, presumably those guys
would go in the top three. Um, I'm not sure you know who
else would go, you know, instead of them. If somebody else doesn't,
then you gotta take your picks from the bunch. My preference is like
probably Sodo Otani and then Flad. Um but Otani and Lad really just comes
in a personal preference. But I definitely think some of those number one.
I like those three as well, and I agree with you on Soto if
if he's there, Yeah, I was gonna say, do you think who
do you think's going to then? Oh yeah, Trey, I forgot about
him. Oh yeah, But this is a this is so this is a
head to head points league, right, So I think i'd still go.
I would still go Soto and Lad maybe Garrett cole I love great, I
like I like cole In in these leagues and like the Ace pictures get sucked
up quick. So it's between those four for me. Ol Otani and I
don't I mean, I have the eighth pick in this draft or no,
wait, a second, I think I have the first pick. Jeez,
I don't know. I don't know a lot I'm gonna turn. I gotta
figure out where. Yeah, I probably will go. I'll probably go Sodo,
and and I know that if I went Otani, then I have a
much higher ceiling there right because of hitting it pitching. I just why am
I thinking it's such a chicken when it comes to well, yeah, I
think that's what I'm gonna do. Yeah. Now for for Bobby, I
would say, um, if Garrett Cole is available, that's a great pick
there at six at six, Yeah, yeah, I love Coal like I
love taking Cole earlier on in the first round. Um, I haven't gotten
the chance to really do that. Actually I did it in the league that
I'm just starting it up. But um, I really like the idea of
being able to take cold first round. A lot of my projections have him
just far and away better than the rest of the pictures that you could be
taking in the first or second round. Um, which I think is you
know, really great. Whereas with the position players, a lot of them
are kind of like grouped up together, like we're just talking with like the
Otani's them, the sodostive lads and traders of the world, and even Bobischett
maybe you can add it to that conversation, right, what about you,
Chris, I'm actually my own question is I'm curious to see how far like
Fernando Tatis drafts oh in one in a league I'm in right now that we're
drafting. It's a redraft league. Um, he's like, it's like pick
and eighty and he's still available. Really, yeah, it's just the injury
concerned. It's just it's just we don't know what it's gonna happen, what's
gonna happen here. It's just you can't be wasting one of your top like
picks in a redraft league on a speculative pick like that. If it works
out, then like great, good for you, But like, personally,
I'm just not taking that risk so early on, I'm probably gonna in most
of my redraft leagues, I'm probably not taking Tatis since early if we haven't
already drafted, well, yeah, I wouldn't think this are I'm just yeah,
I'll be honest. I this year was the first time I've done a
redraft in probably ten years. I've been all dynasty or a keeper league.
So this is like a whole new world when I can discuss. I don't
know what to do with him. He's there's almost an argument to be made
to draft him fairly early and then to dash him on your il in this
kind of small league, right, because then you can do that and then
still go out and maybe like get a good shortstop to take you know,
take his place, right, because there's only like in a small league like
this was only two hundred players drafted, so there's still guys, you know,
post ADP, post two hundred ADP, like good players to fit in
in your lineup. I don't know, though, I that being said,
you ought to be really confident and who you're picking later on, you know
that you can still get somebody that's anywhere close to him and then hope he
comes back stronger than ever, which he's proven to be able to do quite
a few times. After getting hurt with his shoulder and whatever, you know,
whatever else that was what he struggled with last year. He just comes
back and starts mashingdingers again. But I don't know, it's risky, It's
pretty risky, and at any point, you know, they could announce that
he's getting surgery and he could be out for even more of a year or
or actually I should say additional surgery, right because he didn't I believe he
had surgery on his wrist. So yeah, that's a that's a tough one.
I'll keep you guys posted, though, I'll let you know where I'm
tea time too. Heck yeah, all right, thank you guys again,
Thank you for being here. Chris awesome. I hope everything is still going
well over there. I hope everybody's still you know, happy in the background.
Kiddos are doing okay, Joe. I hope your cats are doing okay.
What's everybody's what's what's everybody working on right now? They're working? And
where can they Where can everybody finds you on Twitter? Chris? We'll start
with you them. My Twitter handle is not not c knock that. Uh.
I don't know why I came up with it, and I was a
I was I was not active on Twitter for many years. I've had it
for a while, and until I got this gig of writing, you know,
I wasn't ever really using it. Now I'm out there trying to flaunt
it as much as I can. So that's where you can find me.
UM. I'm doing a somewhat consistent piece. It just dropped today on the
on Dynasty Grew dot com UH with Colin from our team, and we're looking
at some contact UH prospects, contact oriented oriented season in prospects and potential power
breakouts. Kind of the ny PE method of trying to identify vinyps before they
start popping UM and like the NIP method. That's awesome. That's Colin.
He's got he's coming up with, trying to come up with catchy name,
and we want to make sure that it's that Vinnie continues to pop U to
make sure that there before we name it. I hope I didn't. You
know. We gotta get we gotta get calling on and we can have a
CPM and a VPM episode. We just we can just combine it all into
one. See a little. It'll be a combo what is that? A
combo machine and a BP method. We'll just we'll do it all in one
go. I dig it. Excellent? All right, check out Chris and
stuff. He's actually man. You were posting your rankings all throughout the off
season. I love that you got a lot of great it seems like you
got a lot of great interaction and some good conversation. There's so worth checking
him out on Twitter. Absolutely. What about you, Joe, Are you
working on anything? Yeah, the d Gramm Reports coming out soon. Just
working out the last settle kinks of it, so that'll be coming out and
trying to get through I'm trying to get through most of my drafts u these
like the first little bits where these guys are available before doing that last year
that it came out a little bit early, and I think and I'm also
learning the repercussions of being a public facing figure, of being in drafts and
talking about guys she'll like, so like, it's getting to my head a
little bit, so lost to see where that goes. It is very weird
attempting to give out advice but then also like people listening and then taking that
advice and then ye're pissing me off because they're doing that. I mean,
it's like weirdly rewarding, you know, especially when that advice, especially when
it's a good advice, which is you know, hit or miss, where
we all like you're speculating in a lot of this stuff, right, It's
it's kind of rewarding. It's also like I want to punch a wall.
You know sometimes as well, especially it's in a slow draft and you're like
waiting for hours and then you get sniped after you've been waiting to pick this
guy. But you know you recommended him on a podcast the other day.
It's like you've you've you've got you literally you have to be kidding me anyway.
Yeah, good stuff, good stuff. Check out Joe. That's that
Joe g a R. I n know if you didn't know, that is
on Twitter. That's where he's out on Twitter. Guys, thank you long
pod. I appreciate you being here today. If you have the time,
it means everybody, thank you for sticking around. If you have the time,
it means subscribe to the show. Give us a five star rating.
You love those at Join the Ranks TDG, I follow me at T cases
Loaded, I follow the other shows a little Dinasy Child, Dynasty, Divorces
coming back online, and you can Dynasty Baseball. Keep your head up,
everybody. As as I always say, struggling, we know that you matter.
It's all about getting you to know that you matter. You need to
chat anytime, shoot us a message and if you need it to, the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is one eight hundred two seven three eight two five five.
In the meantime, be nice to yourself, good to each other.
You'll get yourself