SOSH Real Fantasy Draft 2014: Draft Order, Rules, and Draft Thread

wibi

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,839
My three roster adds are
 
Yusmeiro Petit, RP

Samuel Deduno, RP
Brad Peacock, RP
 
My roster moves are
 
Patrick Corbin to DL
Jason Motte to DL
Heath Hembree to Reserves
 
 

Curll

Guest
Jul 13, 2005
9,205
Frank said:
I never added three players, whoops. 
I literally have no idea how that whole thing works. I thought we were drafting 27 players. We drafted 25, then, like....what?
 

Leskanic's Thread

lost underscore
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
2,774
Los Angeles
And instead of there being three more rounds to draft them, it was a first-come-first-serve free agency period.  So call dibs and those players are on your reserve list.
 

Eck'sSneakyCheese

Member
SoSH Member
May 11, 2011
10,392
NH
Nice to see Taveras get his first ML HR as his first hit. He now completes my ridiculously awesome outfield. Really like my team this year.
 

PrometheusWakefield

Member
SoSH Member
May 25, 2009
10,441
Boston, MA
My team is all over the place.
The good:
- Corey Dickerson might be the first player in MLB history to struggle for playing time despite an OPS above 1.000.
- AJ Pollock looks like he's in the middle of a major breakout year, at least until he got hurt just recently with a .237 ISO and an OPS above .900 
- Jose Bautista is one of the best bats in the league right now.
- Todd Frazier has had the nice bounce back season thus far that I had hoped for.
- Jordan Lyles has come out of nowhere to hold down the Rockies rotation - and mine.
- Drew Pomeranz somehow has a 2.20 ERA
 
The bad:
- Danny Salazar. God damn Indians defense. If they would just call up Francisco Lindor and dump Asdrubel Cabrera maybe their pitchers wouldn't be having mental problems. Although a 1.77 HR/9 is hard to blame on the defense.
- Jean Segura. I just saw what I wanted to see with this kid and not what was really there. 
- Ruggiano and Carp: non-existent this year.
- Ubaldo Jimanez has been utterly Jimanez-like, awesome for a stretch, terrible for two stretches, overall worse than I hoped.
- Brandon McCarthy has a 2.86 xFIP and a 5.20 ERA - largely thanks to a 20.8% HR/FB rate and in spite of a 54% GB rate. Very confusing player statistically. 
 
The zeros:
- Lindor and Vazquez still down in AAA, although again you figure Lindor has to be with the big club by July.
- Is anyone out there paying any attention to the season Mike Fiers is having in AAA? 12.41 K/9, 1.02 BB/9, 2.17 FIP. I know nobody cares about what a 28 year old can do in AAA, but goddamn, this guy had a 3.09 FIP as recently as 2012 at the major league level. But he throws 22 bad innings in 2013 and he's off the major league track looking for a way back in for playing time. This game is just not fair to some guys.
 
I've gotten more out of my Round 23 and 24 turn (Lyles and Eric Chavez) than out of my Round 2 and 4 (Segura and Salazar).
 
Overall, it's a much more offensive club than I anticipated but it does look like a contender to me. The current top of the order of Pollock-Dickerson-Bautista-Frazier looks fairly beast-like. The question is whether a rotation of (currently) Kershaw-Jimenez-Pomeranz-McCarthy-Lyles can keep it together, helped by the fact that the bullpen is pretty good and so is the defense.
 

Curll

Guest
Jul 13, 2005
9,205
Still happy. Bryant looks like a great pickup, all things considered. Hit it big on Blackmon and Stanton.
 
Here's my midseason update:
 
Everything was going great, and then last week Molina and Tanaka both went down for the season, and now I'm screwed.
 
But, you know, up until then, things were going pretty well:
  • My team put up a combined .268/.322/.417 in the first half (3414 AB).  That doesn't sound too great, but that OPS would currently rank #5 in the MLB.
     
  • Our team ERA is 2.99, with a 1.10 WHIP, 8.02 K/9, and 1.99 BB/9 (768 IP).  That is pretty awesome!  The ERA, WHIP, and K/BB would all lead MLB by a healthy margin.
     
  • My early round picks were solid.  Carlos Gomez (#2) leads the team with a 4.3 fWAR, and Anthony Rendon, a pick I immediately regretted, has proved me wrong/right by placing second with a 3.5 fWAR.  Tanaka/Iwakuma was an incredible 1/2 combo for the like 2 weeks they were both healthy.
     
  • I had nice run in rounds 12-14, getting Melky Cabrera, Kyle Lohse, and Josh Beckett.  In particular, I'm glad I found the astrological signs explaining that 2012-2013 was a rare "Double Even Year" event rather than a sign of Beckett's demise.
     
  • My team's biggest problem in the first half was the gaping hole at 1B.  Yonder Alonso sucked and then got hurt, Ryan Lavarnway got his shot and immediately got hurt, even third-stringer Tyler Moore got hurt.  We'd be frantically trying to figure out whether Melky Cabrera or Andre Ethier could play first.
     
  • Also, you could make the argument that Stephen Drew has been abysmal, but I would say that in this magical fantasy land he didn't get a late start and hit, you know, maybe .210 or something.
But yeah, all of this is moot because I have 0 healthy catchers on the roster.  I think we could pull out a few games by trying to throw the ball real hard at the ump and playing the third baseman shallow, but I admit that does present a problem.
 

BoredViewer

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
3,092
My team looks to be in pretty good shape.
 
Structurally, it's playing out about like I figured.  Good offensive production up and down the lineup.  A dominant bullpen.  A 3rd round ace in Hamels.  A #2 and #3 that can give me innings.  A bit disappointed that Bailey isn't taking the next step... but, he's still in a pocket of prime years for SP and I think his numbers will look fine by season's end.  I rolled the dice on 3 reclamation projects for the back of my rotation.  Hammell is doing the job.  Baker stinks, but at least is pitching in MLB (for the moment), and I think Wandy retired.
 
My team has been very, very healthy.  I've had no significant injuries.  I also had a very consistent draft.  Only my 6th pick, Butler, stands out as a 'miss' in the first 15 rounds.  Benoit and McGehee have been valuable late round picks.
 

Scoops Bolling

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 19, 2007
5,874
The Good: Pretty good pitching. Scherzer is dominant, Tillman and Latos have been decent, and Stroman looks like a pretty great snag. Jackson has struggled, but his peripherals are actually pretty good, so some of that may fall on the Cubs. Losing both Nate Jones and Chris Withrow to TJ really hurts my pen, but luckily Britton has been a revelation, so at least I'd have a nice back of the pen with Herrera and Peralta setting him up.
 
The Bad: The offense. Josh Donaldson has been great again this year, Chris Iannetta is having a strong year, Austin Jackson and David DeJesus have been competent, but Quentin, Bourn, and Swisher, all veterans I chose for their immediate production, have proven varying shades of disastrous. Kolten Wong and Javier Baez have both steadily improved as the year went on, but their struggles would have made life that much harder in a world where half my veterans are having poor, injury plagued years as well.
 
Overall, the combination of injuries to my pitching and the veteran struggles in my offense really sunk this team. With a healthier bullpen, it's at least possible this team could have fought along a la the 2012 Orioles with its ability to shut the door on teams when it had a lead. Unfortunately, with a thinned out staff and weak production from over half the lineup, there's just no way this team could win.
 

Curll

Guest
Jul 13, 2005
9,205
Just checking in. Grossman is turning it around, Skaggs goes down, Porcello ripping it up, and Bradley not doing so great. Overall, still pretty happy with my team. Doing well defensively and floated offensively by Stanton and Edwin.
 
But, my pitching has failed me pretty hardcore.
 

Yelling At Clouds

Post-darwinian
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
3,405
I had sort of assumed my team was a total disaster. Instead it's only kind of a disaster.
 
Good: Felix Hernandez having perhaps his best season. Adrian Beltre is Adrian Beltre. Neil Walker is Neil Walker. Christian Yelich is adjusting well. Jordan Zimmermann has been good, Tim Hudson has been decent. Tony Watson somewhat randomly became an All-Star, and my random pick up of Brock Holt as a reserve has paid off.
 
Mixed: Peavy has been meh, Ike Davis can still get on base but has no power, Marlon Byrd is Marlon Byrd, Aaron Harang and Tommy Milone have been respectable but nothing special.
 
Bad: Jason Castro did not develop as I hoped, Michael Choice has scuffled, Everth Cabrera has been truly miserable, bullpen has been bad outside of Watson and Storen, Beltran looks done.
 

Why Not Grebeck?

New Member
Feb 29, 2008
378
The Good: George Springer developed a little earlier than expected and provided some speed and power to the middle of my line-up. Carlos Carrasco, my 9th starter, has somehow become one of the strongest pitchers in the league. My bench ranged from adequate to pretty good. Joakim Soria was a good closer until he got hurt. 
 
The Neutral: Daniel Murphy had a better season that most people think. Stephen Strasburg continued his usual thing of mixing together some real stinkers and some amazing stretches of total dominance. Andrelton Simmons didn't make the leap I was hoping, but he's still combined adequacy at the plate with killer defense. Heaney and Owens look like they will be good at some point. 
 
The Bad: Where to even begin? Shin-Soo Choo got hurt, then sucked, then got hurt. AJ Ellis got hurt for half the season. Chase Headley? Hurt, then thoroughly mediocre. Morales? Sat out half the year and looked like crap when he came back. Ross? Pretty much the same as Morales. Smoak? Also alternated between hurt and suck. Taylor Jordan and Franklin Morales were not adequate major league starters, though they only had to step in because Beachy and Medlen both had Tommy John.
 
I didn't think my team was all that old, but they sure LOOKED old this year...  
 

Just a bit outside

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 6, 2011
7,929
Monument, CO
The Good: McCutchen still a superstar.  Sandoval has been very good after a terrible start.  Kole Calhoun has been consistently good other than time with missed injuries.  Adam Lind and Gaby Sanchez make a great platoon.  Jon Jay has been a surprise. Top two of Bumgarner and Ryu have been excellent.
 
The Neutral: Wade Miley gives innings and has a decent FIP.  Prado is about league average at second base(hoping he was better). Jose Ramirez looks like he is getting better as year has gone along at SS. Capuano, Hale, Walden, Dunn have been what I expected.
 
The Bad:  Losing Perez to TJ surgery after a great start.  Completely whiffed on Erik Johnson, 6+ era in AAA.  Platoon members E. Young and N. McClouth were awful.  Webster still looks like he has no command.  Biggest miss, Brian McCann has been terrible offensively.  I thought he would do well in NYC, not so much.
 
I think this is probably about a five hundred team with 2 top starters and 5 decent spots in lineup.
 

MakMan44

stole corsi's dream
SoSH Member
Aug 22, 2009
19,363
I'm obviously in if we're doing it again. I promise to be more level headed this time around, I know I was a dick last time. 
 

Hendu for Kutch

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 7, 2006
6,920
Nashua, NH
I'd comment in the original 2009 Real Fantasy thread, but it's been locked for a long time.  So it's going here.  In my first 5 picks were Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, James Shields, and Max Scherzer.  My fake team just got decimated by free agency.
 

The Best Catch in 100 Years

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
791
Kyrgyzstan
Thought I'd check in about this now that we're a couple years in and my team is (sort of?) kicking ass.
 
Lineup would be something like:
 
LF Seth Smith/Matt Kemp platoon
1B John Jaso/Danny Valencia platoon
RF Bryce Harper
DH Stephen Vogt
3B Maikel Franco
C Matt Wieters
2B Brett Lawrie
CF Gerardo Parra
SS Ian Desmond
 
BENCH:
Wilmer Flores, Drew Stubbs (blargh)
 
Rotation:
Carlos Martinez
Scott Kazmir
Tyson Ross
Nate Karns
Drew Hutchison
 
Bullpen:
Fernando Rodney
Charlie Morton
Robbie Ross
Eddie Butler
Joba Chamberlain
Mike Wright
 
DL/reserve list: Jose Dominguez, Erisbel Arruebuena, Brian Flynn
 
Pretty awful bullpen, but some hitters having great years and I'm very happy with the rotation.
 

BoredViewer

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
3,092
Eck'sSneakyCheese said:
 
No one? Really?
 
Terrible pick.
 
 
Why Not Grebeck? said:
A-Rod pick is awful. He won't even play this year, and in the future all he'll do is make people mad. And if he does play well, do you think he'll be okay with a bench role on your team, or will there now be a needless line-up controversy? 
 
 
Frank said:
 
This isn't funny. Please try to take this somewhat seriously. 
 
 
MakMan44 said:
Why, I thought we agreed that once ARod was drafted this thing was over.
 
 
Frank said:
 
Next year? 
 
He's never playing again. 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
BoredViewer said:
 
I'm not expecting big things from him.  But - he's dickishly defiant enough that I could see him being pretty effective part-time 3B/DH/PH, next year and maybe the one after.  It's the 100th round.  
 
 
I win the 22nd round!
 

GRPhilipp

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 30, 2007
87
I watched this exercise with great interest when it was happening, in the 2013-14 offseason. Although different participants viewed the exercise differently, a typical goal was to build a team to last five years. Since five full seasons have now elapsed, I thought it would be fun to tally up the results. There are many possible ways to do so. I chose total fWAR over the full five years, based solely on the 25 players drafted by each team (i.e, ignoring reserves).

  1. curll 182 fWAR
  2. Prometheus Wakefield 167
  3. Leskanics_Thread 158
  4. Galway Sox Fan 154
  5. MakMan44 150
  6. Why Not Grebeck 142
  7. Logglobo Vlandignorf 138
  8. BigMike 136
  9. Kramerica Industries 134
  10. Rich Garces Belly 130
  11. Scoops Bolling 129
  12. The Best Catch in 100 Years 124
  13. Just a bit outside 124
  14. keninten 121
  15. wibi 118
  16. BoredViewer 118
  17. NJ_Sox_Fan 115
  18. The Tax Man 112
  19. Kenny Fing Powers 111
  20. StabMastaArson 108
  21. dylanmarsh 107
  22. Danny_Darwin 107
  23. StuckOnYouk 102
  24. Frank Fenway 100
  25. Toe Nash 93
  26. SoxFan58 92
  27. terrisus 87
  28. EcksSneakyCheese 85
  29. Jaylach 83
  30. FarvinMoosey 80
 

keninten

New Member
Nov 24, 2005
588
Tennessee
I watched this exercise with great interest when it was happening, in the 2013-14 offseason. Although different participants viewed the exercise differently, a typical goal was to build a team to last five years. Since five full seasons have now elapsed, I thought it would be fun to tally up the results. There are many possible ways to do so. I chose total fWAR over the full five years, based solely on the 25 players drafted by each team (i.e, ignoring reserves).

  1. curll 182 fWAR
  2. Prometheus Wakefield 167
  3. Leskanics_Thread 158
  4. Galway Sox Fan 154
  5. MakMan44 150
  6. Why Not Grebeck 142
  7. Logglobo Vlandignorf 138
  8. BigMike 136
  9. Kramerica Industries 134
  10. Rich Garces Belly 130
  11. Scoops Bolling 129
  12. The Best Catch in 100 Years 124
  13. Just a bit outside 124
  14. keninten 121
  15. wibi 118
  16. BoredViewer 118
  17. NJ_Sox_Fan 115
  18. The Tax Man 112
  19. Kenny Fing Powers 111
  20. StabMastaArson 108
  21. dylanmarsh 107
  22. Danny_Darwin 107
  23. StuckOnYouk 102
  24. Frank Fenway 100
  25. Toe Nash 93
  26. SoxFan58 92
  27. terrisus 87
  28. EcksSneakyCheese 85
  29. Jaylach 83
  30. FarvinMoosey 80
Where do we find the team results?
 

GRPhilipp

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 30, 2007
87
The draft results are at the "Chart" link in the first post of the thread. I pulled 2014-2018 stats from FanGraphs and did Excel stuff to get the totals I listed.

Your highlight was taking Lorenzo Cain in the 12th round. Average players there returned 4 WAR. LoCain gave you 23! That ranks 18th among all players over that time.
 

Jed Zeppelin

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2008
51,291
Anyone know if the original draft is still alive somewhere on the board? The farthest back I could find was the 2nd one we did in 2013.

I drafted no fewer than three Red Sox World Series heroes in Koji, Moreland, and Joe Kelly. I also grabbed someone from the exclusive club of people who are already dead.
 

GRPhilipp

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 30, 2007
87
Thanks this is cool to look over. My pitching really sucked.
Your pitching was basically average. You got 44 WAR from pitchers. The mean was 48. Prometheus Wakefield was tops at 76. Toe Nash was last with 23.

Interestingly, no one had enough pitching. An MLB team needed 7,290 innings pitched over this span. The average among teams drafted in this exercise was 4,005 IP. The max (!) was 5,538, by MakMan44. The hitters fell short too, but by much smaller margins.
 

keninten

New Member
Nov 24, 2005
588
Tennessee
Your pitching was basically average. You got 44 WAR from pitchers. The mean was 48. Prometheus Wakefield was tops at 76. Toe Nash was last with 23.

Interestingly, no one had enough pitching. An MLB team needed 7,290 innings pitched over this span. The average among teams drafted in this exercise was 4,005 IP. The max (!) was 5,538, by MakMan44. The hitters fell short too, but by much smaller margins.
I just saw guys like Ranaudo, Stephenson, and Josh Johnson really doing nothing for me and others not much either.