2010 Fantasy Baseball - Mock Draft

As the 2010 Major League Baseball season will be here before we know it I've decided to help those who will be drafting with their leagues in the coming months by providing them with the results of the mock draft I've been partaking in as well as some of my insights after each round with the picks. This will be updated frequently as the draft progresses. Keep in mind that this draft began the first day of December and will probably go on until Spring Training begins. FYI - My team is the Reno Aces. Last updated 03/08/10

Round-Pick Team Name - Player (Team-Pos)
01-01 Durham Bulls - Albert Pujols (StL-1B)
01-02 New Orleans Zephyrs - Álex Rodríguez (NYY-3B)
01-03 Fresno Grizzlies - Hanley Ramírez (Fla-SS)
01-04 Cleveland Indians - Ryan Braun (Mil-LF)
01-05 Reno Aces - Chase Utley (Phi-2B)
01-06 Louisville Bats - Miguel Cabrera (Det-1B,3B)
01-07 Portland Beavers - Prince Fielder (Mil-1B)
01-08 Norfolk Tides - Ryan Howard (Phi-1B)
01-09 Chicago White Sox - Mark Teixeira (NYY-1B)
01-10 Columbus Clippers - Joe Mauer (Min-C)
01-11 Arizona Diamondbacks - Pablo Sandoval (SF-C,1B,3B)
01-12 Gwinnett Braves - Evan Longoria (TB-3B)

Round 1 Recap: I was quite surprised to see AROD go 2nd over Hanley Ramirez. Not only did he recently break up with his blonde bombshell Kate Hudson, but he is on the decline in his career and is more injury prone now than he ever has been. In addition the 3B position is a lot deeper than SS is. I have to admit the Joe Mauer and Pablo Sandoval picks are quite premature as well (especially Sandoval). Mauer may be the best Catcher in the game hands down, but I truly believe there were a lot better options available on the board to choose at the ten spot. I'd expect Mauer to go somewhere at the end of the 2nd round (around pick 20 or so). Sandoval had to be a desperation pick once the Diamondbacks saw Mauer was off the board. They must have wanted to target a top catcher to start their team off from the top. I see Sandoval as a great pick in the late 3rd round or 4th round, but the first round is absolutely ludicrous.

02-01 Gwinnett Braves - Matt Kemp (LAD-CF,RF)
02-02 Arizona Diamondbacks - Tim Lincecum (SF-SP)
02-03 Columbus Clippers - David Wright (NYM-3B)
02-04 Chicago White Sox - Carl Crawford (TB-LF)
02-05 Norfolk Tides - Ian Kinsler (Tex-2B)
02-06 Portland Beavers - Roy Halladay (Phi-SP)
02-07 Louisville Bats - José Reyes (NYM-SS)
02-08 Reno Aces - Matt Holliday (StL-LF)
02-09 Cleveland Indians - Grady Sizemore (Cle-CF)
02-10 Fresno Grizzlies - Félix Hernández (Sea-SP)
02-11 New Orleans Zephyrs - Víctor Martínez (Bos-C,1B)
02-12 Durham Bulls - Jimmy Rollins (Phi-SS)

Round 2 Recap: I think the first 10 picks of this round were spot on by the owners. To get Kemp, Lincecum or Crawford in the 2nd round is a great deal in itself. I was personally targeting Reyes but he was taken the pick before me so I settled with Holliday. Sizemore should also bounce back from his injury plagued 2009 campaign and be a fine value in the late 2nd round. We get to the Zephyrs pick of VMART at 23rd overall and I think he's overvaluing him by a couple of rounds. I have Victor Martinez right outside my top 40 in player rankings for 2010 and he would've definitely been around for the Zephyrs 3rd round pick, maybe not 4th round pick. Sometimes if you really want a player you need to pay the price and VMART does have the nice C/1B eligibility going for him. The Bulls choice of Jimmy Rollins I can make the same case for. He would probably be a late 3rd round/early 4th round choice for me, but being the Bulls had the 1st pick of the 3rd and last in the 4th they wanted to lock up a SS now.

03-01 Durham Bulls - CC Sabathia (NYY-SP)
03-02 New Orleans Zephyrs - Chris Carpenter (StL-SP)
03-03 Fresno Grizzlies - Zack Greinke (KC-SP)
03-04 Cleveland Indians - Josh Hamilton (Tex-CF,RF)
03-05 Reno Aces - Troy Tulowitzki (Col-SS)
03-06 Louisville Bats - Johan Santana (NYM-SP)
03-07 Portland Beavers - Ryan Zimmerman (Was-3B)
03-08 Norfolk Tides - Josh Beckett (Bos-SP)
03-09 Chicago White Sox - Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos-LF,CF,RF)
03-10 Columbus Clippers - Derek Jeter (NYY-SS)
03-11 Arizona Diamondbacks - Ichiro Suzuki (Sea-CF,RF)
03-12 Gwinnett Braves - Brian McCann (Atl-C)

Round 3 recap: Five starting pitchers were selected in this round which isn't too surprising to me as the recent trend in fantasy baseball has been to draft hitters first and leave the top flight pitchers to the later rounds. As you may have noticed, no pitchers were selected in round 1. Overall I thought this round was pretty solid although I do think Josh Hamilton could've been grabbed a round or two later given his injury plagued 2009 season. I think Ellsbury is a steal at 33 overall given he was the 6th best player overall in fantasy baseball last season. If he's available in round 3 of your draft snag him up (Not sure why I didn't).

04-01 Gwinnett Braves - Justin Upton (Ari-RF)
04-02 Arizona Diamondbacks - Dustin Pedroia (Bos-2B)
04-03 Columbus Clippers - Aaron Hill (Tor-2B)
04-04 Chicago White Sox - Robinson Canó (NYY-2B)
04-05 Norfolk Tides - Curtis Granderson (NYY-CF)
04-06 Portland Beavers - Dan Haren (Ari-SP)
04-07 Louisville Bats - Jason Bay (Bos-LF)
04-08 Reno Aces - Mark Reynolds (Ari-1B,3B)
04-09 Cleveland Indians - Justin Morneau (Min-1B)
04-10 Fresno Grizzlies - Matt Wieters (Bal-C)
04-11 New Orleans Zephyrs - Adrián González (SD-1B)
04-12 Durham Bulls - Russell Martin (LAD-C,3B)

Round 4 recap: As the rounds go on things get interesting. Certain players slip and owners score a bargain, and other owners play the reaching game while their opponents snicker at their amateur move. Justin Upton, Aaron Hill, Robinson Cano, Dan Haren, Justin Morneau and Adrian Gonzalez (6 of the 12 picks) would be considered great value picks (maybe a bargain) in the 4th round. I originally questioned the pick of Curtis Granderson albeit was the day the Yankees traded for him and his value has since certainly been inflated. In my opinion Pedroia, Bay and Reynolds were drafted where they should be. I have seen Reynolds drafted much earlier in mock drafts for 2010, but I think we need to see a consistent performance of his power and speed to really let him be considered a 1st or 2nd round guy. Matt Wieters in the 4th round is way too early for a player that disappointed critics in 2009. Sure he is young and has a high ceiling, but right now I think he's an early 8th round pick at best. Russell Martin as the last pick of the 4th round (48 overall) says something to me. The Bulls are taking a chance on a guy who would've been picked here last season but struggled greatly in 2009. He is also probably one of the next best catchers on the board along with Jorge Posada (who has yet to be picked at this point). I expect to see Martin going in the 10th round in most drafts this season, but given the early drafting of Catchers in this draft most people are making those desperation picks in fear that there will be nobody good available on the board at Catcher in the later rounds. This my friends is why you read my sleeper columns.

05-01 Durham Bulls (R.Carroll) - Francisco Rodríguez (NYM-RP)
05-02 New Orleans Zephyrs - Cliff Lee (Sea-SP)
05-03 Fresno Grizzlies - Adam Wainwright (StL-SP)
05-04 Cleveland Indians - Brian Roberts (Bal-2B)
05-05 Reno Aces - Javier Vázquez (Atl-SP)
05-06 Louisville Bats - Kevin Youkilis (Bos-1B,3B)
05-07 Portland Beavers - Justin Verlander (Det-SP)
05-08 Norfolk Tides - Michael Young (Tex-3B,SS)
05-09 Chicago White Sox - Aramis Ramírez (ChC-3B)
05-10 Columbus Clippers - Adam Dunn (Was-1B,LF,RF)
05-11 Arizona Diamondbacks - Stephen Drew (Ari-SS)
05-12 Gwinnett Braves - Tommy Hanson (Atl-SP)

Round 5 recap: In the fifth round we saw an even split on hitters and pitchers drafted. With Cliff Lee in Seattle it will be interesting to see how his numbers change with a less potent offense backing him up. Brian Roberts is always a great value pick around this time and Adam Dunn is a steal in the 5^th round with the power he supplies. I expect Tommy Hanson to build upon his dynamo rookie campaign and Verlander and Vazquez are both going to be pretty solid once again. Wainright almost won the Cy Young in 2009 and if the Cardinals can resign Matt Holiday I think his win totals can improve. I gotta say I'm not too big a fan of the Michael Young and Stephen Drew picks as I thought Young would be a 9^th rounder and Drew an 11^th rounder at best.

06-01 Gwinnett Braves - Kendry Morales (LAA-1B,RF)
06-02 Arizona Diamondbacks - Shane Victorino (Phi-CF)
06-03 Columbus Clippers - Joey Votto (Cin-1B)
06-04 Chicago White Sox - Derrek Lee (ChC-1B)
06-05 Norfolk Tides - Alexei Ramírez (CWS-2B,SS,CF)
06-06 Portland Beavers - Carlos Beltrán (NYM-CF)
06-07 Louisville Bats - Jake Peavy (CWS-SP)
06-08 Reno Aces - Nick Markakis (Bal-RF)
06-09 Cleveland Indians - Jonathan Papelbon (Bos-RP)
06-10 Fresno Grizzlies - Joe Nathan (Min-RP)
06-11 New Orleans Zephyrs - Manny Ramírez (LAD-LF)
06-12 Durham Bulls - Chone Figgins (SEA-2B,3B)

Round 6 recap: Only one starting pitcher was taken in the 6^th round of the draft and much to my surprise it was Jake "The Pet" Peavy. Maybe he flourished with the White Sox as the 2009 season came to a close winning each of the 3 games he started while pitching shutout baseball in 2 of the contests, but how can you pass up guys like Markakis, Papelbon, Nathan, Manny and Figgins for a guy who's now been through his fair share of injuries and is no longer pitching in the National League and the most pitcher friendly park in baseball (PETCO Field). Jake Peavy will not replicate his surprising finish to 2009 this season. If anything I think he merits value in the 8^th round or later. A man who was once a first rounder in fantasy baseball, Jake's stock has fallen a bit. I'd be happy if he proved me wrong, but I'm pretty confident that this season will change the fantasy community's price tag on the former Cy Young winner. As for the rest of the round I think that Joe Nathan being the most consistent closer in baseball over the past 5 years is a safe pick here and Papelbon is a great option due to his youth and consistently green team. Beltran in the 6^th round is going to be hit or miss. He is due to miss the first month of the season, is not the player he once was and may not rebound the way Alex Rodriguez did last year. The jury is still out on him. I think the 2^nd worst pick in this round was Alexei Ramirez. The kid does not impress me and I think he could've been taken a couple of rounds later than the 6^th.

07-01 Durham Bulls - Álex Ríos (CWS-CF,RF)
07-02 New Orleans Zephyrs - Jayson Werth (Phi-LF,CF,RF)
07-03 Fresno Grizzlies - Adam Lind (Tor-LF)
07-04 Cleveland Indians - Jonathan Broxton (LAD-RP)
07-05 Reno Aces - Matt Cain (SF-SP)
07-06 Louisville Bats - Brandon Phillips (Cin-2B)
07-07 Portland Beavers - Andre Ethier (LAD-LF,RF)
07-08 Norfolk Tides - Chad Billingsley (LAD-SP)
07-09 Chicago White Sox - Jason Bartlett (TB-SS)
07-10 Columbus Clippers - B.J. Upton (TB-CF)
07-11 Arizona Diamondbacks - Carlos Lee (Hou-LF)
07-12 Gwinnett Braves - Ben Zobrist (TB-2B,SS,LF,CF,RF)

Round 7 recap: Overall I think that this round was pretty solid for each team that picked. A lot of these players could've gone in previous rounds so that's saying a lot for their value. I am very high on Jonathan Broxton. I think he is a top 5 closer for the foreseeable future as long as he stays healthy and the Dodgers keep spending the money to put a winning club on the diamond. Barlett/Zobrist were phenomenal picks here. Both in the top 50 fantasy players in 2009 I don't see any reason why they can't replicate or build upon their numbers in 2010. Werth is only going to put up better numbers now that the Phillies have beefed up their lineup yet again and Adam Lind is quietly becoming a fantasy dynamo with an otherwise quiet Toronto offense. Alex Rios is an interesting matter. This guy was a keeper player the previous two seasons, but his bat went cold in 2009 and people are wondering if he will ever live up to his potential. I think this pick could either bring significant value or be a head kicker when the owner knows he could've played it safe for a sure thing like Jayson Werth or Carlos Lee. B.J. Upton is another interesting pick. Thus far I'm not too keen on him and I think he has some maturing to do at the plate. For leagues where AVG. is a category, I'd think twice about snagging him here unless you are in dire need of speed.

08-01 Gwinnett Braves - Jon Lester (Bos-SP)
08-02 Arizona Diamondbacks - Mariano Rivera (NYY-RP)
08-03 Columbus Clippers - Brian Fuentes (LAA-RP)
08-04 Chicago White Sox - Andrew Bailey (Oak-RP)
08-05 Norfolk Tides - Nelson Cruz (Tex-RF)
08-06 Portland Beavers - Josh Johnson (Fla-SP)
08-07 Louisville Bats - Nate McLouth (Atl-CF)
08-08 Reno Aces - Clayton Kershaw (LAD-SP)
08-09 Cleveland Indians - Yovani Gallardo (Mil-SP)
08-10 Fresno Grizzlies - David Aardsma (Sea-RP)
08-11 New Orleans Zephyrs - Trevor Hoffman (Mil-RP)
08-12 Durham Bulls - Mike Aviles (KC-2B,SS)

Round 8 recap: 9 out of the 12 players drafted in the 8^th round were pitchers. I'm pretty high on all 9 of them as well so I thought this was an excellent round on all counts. Jon Lester in the 8^th round is remarkable value. He is a top 12 starting pitcher and I've seen him go even earlier in other drafts. Gallardo, Kershaw and Johnson will all bring back tremendous value in 2010 as well. Five closers were taken in round 8. Most of these guys fall in the 2^nd tier of closers (aside from Mariano Rivera). I think this is the right time to start taking them off the board as they have a pretty secure hold on their job and have proven to be consistent in the saves department. I think Nelson Cruz is a great value in the 8^th round. He did miss a little bit of time in 2009 with an injury and his 2^nd half of the season was a bit slower than the 1^st, but I think he can put up even better numbers in 2010 if he stays healthy. McLouth and Aviles went a little too early in my opinion. I don't value these players in the first 10 rounds of a 12 teams draft. There were plenty of better players on the board at this point and I would've waited to pull the trigger on these guys. Regardless I think the rest of the round was quite good.

09-01 Durham Bulls - Ryan Ludwick (StL-LF,CF,RF)
09-02 New Orleans Zephyrs - Dan Uggla (Fla-2B)
09-03 Fresno Grizzlies - Martín Prado (Atl-1B,2B,3B)
09-04 Cleveland Indians - Ricky Nolasco (Fla-SP)
09-05 Reno Aces - Joakim Soria (KC-RP)
09-06 Louisville Bats - Bobby Jenks (CWS-RP)
09-07 Portland Beavers - Heath Bell (SD-RP)
09-08 Norfolk Tides - Cole Hamels (Phi-SP)
09-09 Chicago White Sox - Brian Wilson (SF-RP)
09-10 Columbus Clippers - Roy Oswalt (Hou-SP)
09-11 Arizona Diamondbacks - Jered Weaver (LAA-SP)
09-12 Gwinnett Braves - Shin-Soo Choo (Cle-LF,RF)

Round 9 recap: 8 Pitchers were taken in the 9^th round, so the trend continues. Four of the pitchers were closers and the Joakim Soria and Brian Wilson picks were quite the value adds in my opinion. I think Ricky Nolasco is set for a bounce back season and Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Jered Weaver are all going to be top 25 starting pitchers in 2010 so I think they're all great picks in the 9^th round. Shin-Soo Choo was an excellent play here and I'm surprised he wasn't taken earlier. Uggla may have fallen to the 10^th round, but given his position he is a safe bet in this spot. Uggla is also a much better play in OBP leagues as his AVG suffers. I think selecting Prado at this stage of the game was a bit premature, but his eligibility gives him a little more value than his season statistics will provide.

10-01 Gwinnett Braves - Carlos Quentin (CWS-LF)
10-02 Arizona Diamondbacks - Jhonny Peralta (Cle-3B,SS)
10-03 Columbus Clippers - Raúl Ibañez (Phi-LF)
10-04 Chicago White Sox - Ubaldo Jiménez (Col-SP)
10-05 Norfolk Tides - Francisco Cordero (Cin-RP)
10-06 Portland Beavers - Gordon Beckham (CWS-3B,SS)
10-07 Louisville Bats - Lance Berkman (Hou-1B)
10-08 Reno Aces - Billy Butler (KC-1B)
10-09 Cleveland Indians - Jorge Posada (NYY-C)
10-10 Fresno Grizzlies - Jorge Cantú (Fla-1B,3B)
10-11 New Orleans Zephyrs - John Lackey (BOS-SP)
10-12 Durham Bulls - Brad Lidge (Phi-RP)

Round 10 recap: 7 position players were taken in the 10^th round so the cycle has been broken. Posada is getting old but for whatever reason his statistics have been steady and if he can avoid injury this is a decent pick. Lidge is a huge question mark after last seasons performance. Philly has plenty of other guys that can fill the void if he can't get the job done. Quentin has the ability to be a top OF if he can bounce back to 2008 form. Ibanez is on the decline of his career but still flourished in a power packed Philly lineup in 2009. I think Raul can put up similar numbers in 2010, but his performance after that is anybody's guess. Billy Butler and Lance Berkman are phenomenal pickups in the 10^th round. I think both have the ability to be great 1B at a fraction of the price. Jiminez was spectacular in 2009 and there's no reason he can't repeat this in 2010. Cantu and Peralta were drafted way too early in my opinion. They at least would've fell another 4-6 rounds in most drafts. John Lackey can be a top 10 pitcher if he stays healthy and racks up the wins in Boston. Beckham is a great buy here too as the former 1^st overall pick is ready to prove his worth and breakout in Chicago.

Round 11 and its corresponding recap will be posted sometime next week. I'm interested to see what the 11th round holds. Closers anyone?