Prospect Draft Help (1 Viewer)

[Mike]

Okay... so I joined a keeper league this year which includes a 4 round prospect draft at the all-star break (now). The only players eligible for the prospect draft cannot have any MLB experience, ever. Teams are required to activate or release any prior prospects if they have any MLB experience since last year, and teams can choose to protect or release any prior prospects who are still prospect eligible.

Since I'm a new team, I have no old prospects, so I have 4 picks including 2nd overall and 7th overall after we maneuver through the protected prospects. Here is the draft order:

Round 1

Monkeys - Carlos Carrasco

Tuna - Madison Bumgarner

Disastros -

Strippers - Brian Matusz

Thunder Chix - Wade Davis

CyClones: Jason Heyward

OOML -

Mysery Hill -

Mudslingers - Pedro Alvarez

Q-berries -

Round 2

Q-berries -

Mudslingers - Buster Posey

Mystery Hill -

OOML -

Clones -

Thunder Chix -

Strippers - Tim Beckham

Disastros -

Tuna - Adam Miller

Monkeys - Luke Hughes

Round 3

Monkeys - Hector Rondon

Tuna -

Disastros -

Strippers -

Thunder Chix -

CyClones -

OOML -

Mysery Hill -

Mudslingers -

Q-berries -

Round 4

Q-berries

Mudslingers -

Mystery Hill -

OOML -

Clones -

Thunder Chix -

Strippers -

Disastros -

Tuna -

Monkeys -

In addition, Stephen Strasburg and Yu Darvish are already on active rosters since they were picked up on waivers a few weeks ago (Strasburg) or drafted in the '09 regular draft (Darvish), so these guys are not available.

This is a starting pitcher heavy league. I bought Baseball America's Prospect Handbook for the first time ever. Nice book, but really small print and will take way more time than I have to get the most out of it.

Right now I'm looking at the following options for my first pick:

1. Netfali Feliz, TEX

2. Chris Tillman, BAL

3. Aroldis Chapman, FA recently defected from Cuba

There wasn't much scientific in picking these guys. Feliz and Tillman are the top available pitchers per BA Top 100 from back in April, and I read an article on MLB.com about Chapman from when he defected.

Questions:

Like these guys? How do you rank them? Am I missing the boat on anyone by having these guys top 3? Assuming you like the top 3, who is most likely to be available at that 7th pick?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Captain Hook]

This is a starting pitcher heavy league.

Tell me WHAT in the rules or scoring or salary structure makes this the case?Also is this really a 10 team mixed league? Categories?

How can a player be picked up on waivers when he is not in any MLB organization?

 

[SoCalBroncoFan]

Mat Latos

He actually should be called up later this week.

 

[Mike]

This is a starting pitcher heavy league.

Tell me WHAT in the rules or scoring or salary structure makes this the case?Also is this really a 10 team mixed league? Categories?

How can a player be picked up on waivers when he is not in any MLB organization?

Hey Perry. I'll give a quick overview of the rules.It is a points league, not a roto league.

Field Positions:

Hit = 2 points

Run = 2 points

RBI = 2 points

HR = 2 points

SB = 2 points

BB or HBP = 1 point

K = -1 point

Pitchers:

Win = 25 points (unless it follows a blown save)

Loss = -10 points

Save = 15 points

Strikeout = 1 point

Innings Pitched = 1 point

Complete Game = 10 point bonus

Shutout = 10 point bonus

No-hitter = 10 point bonus

Start 1 C, 1 1B, 1 2B, 1 SS, 1 3B, 3 OF, 1 DH/UT, 5 SP, 1 RP. 30 man rosters, no separate DL. Set the starting lineup weekly.

It is a keeper league, and the keeper rules are each team can keep up to 5 players from their prior year roster at a cost of a draft pick at the original draft round the player was drafted at minus the number of years that player has been frozen. Example: drafted Player A in round 12 back in 2007 would have cost a round 11 draft pick to freeze him for '08 and a round 10 pick for '09. No limit how long a player can be kept, until the year after he's frozen for a 1st rounder, I suppose.

The prospect draft and reserve list (prospects) described in the first post are in addition to the 30 man roster and keeper rules.

Waivers are only done monthly, one pick per team. Players picked on waivers are eligible to be kept the following year at the cost of a 30th round pick.

Any players are eligible for waiver draft and regular draft, even with no MLB experience. I was the one who drafted Darvish back in the regular draft, figuring I'll give up a late 20th round pick and current year roster spot for him on the chance he plays next year. The guy who drafted Strasburg figured the same. That will cost him a 30th round pick next year.

 

[Mike]

For some reason there is a run on catchers. I took the Cuban, Chapman. So far the picks are, in order:

C Bryce Harper

P Aroldis Chapman

C Angel Salome

C Jesus Montero

OF Mike Stanton

...

...

... me

I said 7th overall at the top. It is actually 8th overall now as there was an error with the original draft order.

 

[KenM746003]

I'd go Feliz, maybe Brett Wallace. I'm in NL only league, so not as familiar with AL prospects.

Alderson on Giants has also been doing well. I don't know why the guy kept Carrasco with top pick. Phils are apparently real high on Kyle Drabek too.

I'm assuming you would want guys that will be up soon. Otherwise I would also consider Logan Morrison or Josh Vitters.

 

[Mike]

Guys, thanks for the suggestions so far. This gives me some direction to my research. I'm surprised Feliz hasn't gone yet, actually, but I'm not the most up to date on current circumstances of each player.

KenM - I agree on Carrasco. I think it is no coincidence that team is picking 1st (reverse order of standings).

SoCal - What is the name of that guy in your avatar? We're talking years ago I saw him but the name escapes me.

 

[JaxBill]

Not really first round material but here's a couple guys to think about:

Phils have a SS prospect in Jason Donald who is supposed to be almost ready but is blocked by Rollins. He seems to be a leading candidate to be among the package that COULD be sent to Toronto if Amaro pulls the trigger. TOR has a need next year at SS if Scutaro leaves.

Mike Stanton's teammate here in Jax is Logan Morrison. He's a 1B who is just starting to hit well again after missing 8 weeks with an injury. Since he's in the Marlins org, he could get called up any time.

 

[Bogart]

Feliz or Justin Smoak is the choice here. Both could be in the Majors before the end of the season. Both will be special.

 

[Mike]

A couple votes for Feliz, and a couple for Smoak (one came by PM). Had some good fortune and was able to get them both. Updated draft:

Round 1

Monkeys - Carlos Carrasco

Disastros - Bryce Harper, C, Las Vegas H.S.

Strippers - Brian Matusz

Tuna - Madison Bumgarner

Thunder Chix - Wade Davis

OOML - Aroldis Chapman, P, Defectors

Mystery Hill - Angel Salome, C, MIL

Mudslingers - Pedro Alvarez

CyClones - Jason Heyward

Qberries - Jesus Montero, C, NYY

Round 2

Qberries - Mike Stanton, OF, FLA

CyClones - Mike Minor, P, ATL

Mudslingers - Buster Posey

Mystery Hill - Chris Tillman, SP, BAL

OOML - Netfali Feliz, P, TEX

Thunder Chix - Brett Wallace, 3B, STL

Tuna - Adam Miller

Strippers - Tim Beckham

Disastros - Carlos Santana, C, CLE

Monkeys - Luke Hughes

Round 3

Monkeys - Hector Rondon

Disastros - Kyle Drabek, P, PHI

Strippers - Starlin Castro, SS, CHC

Tuna - Mat Latos, sp, SD

Thunder Chix - Eric Young JR, 2B, COL

OOML - Justin Smoak, 1B, TEX

Mystery Hill -

Mudslingers -

CyClones -

Qberries -

 

[Daywalker]

Is Adam Miller the same Adam Miller that may never pitch again?

 

[guru_007]

Based on your scoring rules:

Field Positions:

Hit = 2 points

Run = 2 points

RBI = 2 points

HR = 2 points

SB = 2 points

BB or HBP = 1 point

K = -1 point

Pitchers:

Win = 25 points (unless it follows a blown save)

Loss = -10 points

Save = 15 points

Strikeout = 1 point

Innings Pitched = 1 point

Complete Game = 10 point bonus

Shutout = 10 point bonus

No-hitter = 10 point bonus

Here are my thoughts:

First off, no way would I be picking so many young pitchers in prospect draft. Very, very, very, very, very rarely do they pan out as speculated. Look at Johan Santana. Hell, he was a rule 5 pickup when the Astros never thought much of him.

Furthermore, since the pitching scoring is so heavily weighted on wins and innings - you have to bear in mind that prized pitching prospects often take years before pitching deep into games, unless Dusty Baker is your manager. If I were going prospecting on pitching, I'd need to look at the big money ball clubs (Dodgers/Yankees/Red Sox/Mets) and find their top pitchers, as they will be more apt to get wins. Surely they are all gone, but that's how I would attack it.

Lastly, I would never grab a Rangers starting pitcher. Ever. Just a personal rule of thumb.

Of course, I'm a bit late to the party here I do like the Smoak pickup. I can't believe Harper went 2nd, dude may not play in the majors for years. GB the power of SI.