It’s been quite awhile, but a return to frequent posts is around the corner as pitchers and catchers will soon report. For those that don’t know, I’m quite the fantasy baseball enthusiast in addition to being a huge Tigers fan. As such, I aim to be posting plenty regarding the game this spring. I have entered into my first mock draft that is a 5×5 mixed league with 16 teams drafting. I had the second pick and here is how I stand so far:
1.02 – OF Alfonso Soriano, CHC – I love Albert Pujols and can’t fault anyone for taking him 1st overall, but I truly believe that Soriano is most valuable fantasy performer when you consider his across the board contributions. He has pushed A.Rod down to #3 at best in a mixed league.
2.15 – 1B Justin Morneau, MIN – I didn’t really expect to get some of my huge second round targets as they are prime players. Grady Sizemore went 6th in the second round, Vernon Wells went 10th and Jason Bay went 12th. What really ticked me off was that I thought I was going to get Aramis Ramirez and then he went 14th in the second round! Can’t complain about getting the American League MVP, though.
3.02 – OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA – Not only is he a personal favorite, but he is still a solid contributor, especially in the third round. Considering that I still wasn’t ready for a pitcher, I feel comfortable with this pick as the players to go right after him on offense were:
- Rafael Furcal – I didn’t really want him.
- Paul Konerko – Already had Morneau.
- Michael Young – I like him a lot, but preferred Ichiro here.
4.15 – SP John Lackey, LAA – Lackey is easily one of my favorite players and I really wanted to get him. The 4th round in a 16-team league works perfectly for me. He did drop off his K/9 a tick last year, but also dropped his OPS against. He is 28 years old and ready to become a truly elite pitcher. He did increase walk total by one last year, but he also pitched 8.2 more innings than he did in 2005.
5.02 – 2B Brian Roberts, BAL – If this were to become a real league as opposed to a mock, I’d be looking great in stolen bases after adding Roberts. In addition to his speed, he offers significant power given his position. It is another pick I am extremely happy with as we move forward.
I should have my 6th and 7th round picks before the weekend.
Baseball By Paul 
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