2009 Cafe Mock Draft Results

[markj11]

11.3 JJ Putz
Did he get traded again?

[rookies and cream]

11.3 JJ Putz
Did he get traded again?

That pick was made right before the trade.

[J35J]

Catcher - no real issues

Firstbase - I don't like Morneau in the 3rd and probably not AGon in the 3rd either.

Konerko and Conor J are solid values in the 12th and 14th rounds. I actually would rather go with either of them instead of Delgado and Thome who were taken in the 10th.

Secondbase - Not a fan of Utley so soon. If the draft was held closer to the season and we had a better idea of what his status looks like it would be fine but I still think there is too much of an unknown there to waste a top 15 pick.

I'm not down on Pedroia like most seem to be but there is no way I take him with Philips and Roberts still on the board. Instead I'd wait for one of those guys to go and see if I can fall on the back end of the run of those 3 and grab who was left....if I was interested in grabbing one of those top guys. Pedroia just isn't proven/good enough yet to go out and grab him high with other nice options still available. IMHO, he's one of those guys, even if you like him, that you shouldn't really reach for him when there are equal talents at the same position still available...kinda just let things unfold and grab who's still standing.

Figgins is awesome in the 10th round...it all depends on what you need with him but in overall value he can be right there with Uggla and Ramirez who went in the 6th round.

Aviles was taken too soon, IMHO. Too many equal to better options available who were still available 5+ rounds later.

Thirdbase - I'd still feel much more comfortable with Longoria in the 4th. I just wouldn't grab him early 3rd round like that...but I realize that's more just personal preference than anything.

Chipper is an absolute monster...with that said I'd rather be a year early predicting a falling off than a year late when he falls off on my team. To many good options still available at 3rd to have to worry about having this old man on my team.

There are a group of 3rd baseman from Atkins(5th) to Beltre(13th) that all should be very close in overall value. No way I start a run on any of those 3rd basemen when I can wait 5 rounds and get the "same guy" at that point.

Shortstop - I'm a broken record here but why take Drew so early when he's in the same tier as the next 6-7 SS. I love how Young is still there 2 rounds later and Jeter is there 4 rounds later.

****In all the players and positions I am saying I would wait to grab a player since they are available in other rounds...you might be saying, well, you have to draft someone...and your right. I've done a couple mocks already and what I do is go ahead and load up on all the good OFers here and maybe grab a second 1B and then scoop up the value guys at 2nd, 3rd and SS who are all virtually the same guys, in value, as those who went a few rounds earlier. I did one mock where I ended up with Beltran, Soriano, Markakis and Milledge as my top 4 OFers and still had Jose Lopez, David Wright and Michael Young as my 2B, 3B, SS. This was an "expert" mock I went with as well. Too me, having 3 top 15 OFers like that is a huge upgrade over having to rely on McClouth, Pence or Ludwick types as your number 2 OFer since you reach soon on your infielders. And if the OFers aren't there to gobble up maybe you take 1 or 2 of those picks you are saving by grabbing infielders late and go ahead and grab your 2nd SP or first or second closer earlier than you normally do just so you have proven guys there, instead of gambling a little in the draft like most people tend to do.

Outfield - I love the fact that Beltran and Soriano are usually still available in the early to mid second round. I think those guys are virtually in the same tier as the Braun, Sizemore, Hamilton and Holliday types so being able to grab a Braun and a Beltran both makes me . This is why I like the 5-9th picks more than the 1-3rd picks like most seem to like.

I think I might own Markakis in every league I am in this year. There aren't many guys you can give you 100/100 and he certainly can and likely will. Add in he'll give you .300avg and 25hr and 15sb and he's not far at all from the first tier of guys. I'll take him every day in the 4th round and maybe the 3rd depending on who all is available.

I've never owned Crawford before because I never liked him as a first or second rounder but in the 4th he's a steal, IMO.



Ahhh crap, the wife and kids are ready for me to make some hamburgers. I may finish up my thoughts about the rest of the OFers and the SP and RP positions as well, later.

[RocketsDWM]

Dustin isnt proven yet? He just won the MVP award. What more does he have to do?

I would agree with you on the fact that he is going way too early....But I think the same way about Phillips. I wouldnt go near Dustin in the second or early third. Might be tempting at the end of the third rd.

[rookies and cream]

Anybody want to comment on which teams they like the best?

[J35J]

Dustin isnt proven yet? He just won the MVP award. What more does he have to do?

Just proven in the terms of being a 17hr 20SB guy. Don't get me wrong though, I love Pedroia the baseball player and he very well could put up the same line he did last year but I'm not completely conviced he won't "just" go .305/12/12 as well.

With that said I've got him down for somewhere inbetween...
620 ab
.313/.372/.468
14 hr
78 rbi
110 runs
13 sb



I'll have to finish my thoughts on the rest of the draft another day...I'll be out the rest of the night.

[KCollins1304]

Anybody want to comment on which teams they like the best?

I know that Team 5 sucks, but that's all I got.

[AquaMan2342]

My turn (I am team #1):

I was pretty satisfied with what I ended up with. My major problem was probably taking a few too many younger, hyped up players (Davis in the 8th) instead of a more sure thing. I think for the most part I hedged my risks fairly well though. I love my starting pitching staff and feel my top 3 were arguably the strongest outside of oddman, but he spent three of his first seven picks on SPs.

My favorite picks were probably Grienke in the 11th and Beltre in the 13th. Grienke is almost certainly going to outperform that slot, and could potentially be a top-10 pitcher this season IMO. Also, along the lines of what J said, Beltre IMO was nearly the same value as the six or seven third baseman taken in front of him, with the potential to outperform all of them. It doesn't hurt that he's actually still pretty young and will be playing for a contract again (we all know how that turned out last time). I also really liked getting Ted Lilly. I still can't figure out why this guy gets slept on.....his last two seasons have been better than teammate Zambrano, who was chosen five rounds ahead of him. I'll take an almost automatic 4 ERA, 1.2 WHIP, 180 Ks and 15 Ws in the 15th round any day.

Something I noticed and mentioned in the Mock thread was my satisfaction in locking up my middle infield slots early. I don't feel like I reached for any of them, which makes it even better. I look at some of the middle infielders taken late and am glad I didn't have to worry about drafting them (Stewart, Barmes, Polanco, Aaron Hill....guys like that). Instead I was able to take a couple high risk/high reward pitchers in Sanchez and Smoltz. I like being able to do that late in a draft. None of the aforementioned MIs (outside of maybe Stewart) is going to do anything spectacular this year.

Picks I especially liked:

Kinsler (best pick of the draft IMO; no reason for him to fall as far as he did)
Markakis
Ortiz (totally worth the risk here)
Soria
Bedard (why not take a chance on him there....I really loved that pick)
Dukes
Doumit (2nd best pick of the draft)
The Twins pitchers (Baker and Slowey)
Cueto
Saunders (yes he's going to regress....but that's a bargain in the 19th round)

Randy Wynn....every year we read some article in the latter half of the season talking about how he is a quiet producer for fantasy teams....a great last round pick


Picks I especially didn't like (don't be offended anybody just my two cents....I'm sure Longoria/Davis will get bashed)

Utley (he is a quick healer though.....I just thought Kinsler was a better option if second base was Giants' desire)
Pedroia
Hart (my worst pick, although I didn't think it was horrible given what I am about to write below this)
Almost the entire fifth round: Atkins, Martin, Lee (especially this one), Drew, Abreu
Zambrano (the most overrated pitcher in fantasy baseball)

Chamberlain was taken way too early given his uncertain role....I would have taken Grienke, Volquez, Nolasco, Wang, Danks, Gallardo, Wainwright, Cain, Kershaw and me ahead of him

Y. Escobar (this guy does nothing for me....O. Cabrera is old, yes, but is a better fantasy player)
Blalock (he'll be hurt soon enough....Butler would have been a better pick)
Carrasco....wtf was I thinking?


OK I am done.

[KCollins1304]

My turn (I am team #1):

I was pretty satisfied with what I ended up with. My major problem was probably taking a few too many younger, hyped up players (Davis in the 8th) instead of a more sure thing. I think for the most part I hedged my risks fairly well though. I love my starting pitching staff and feel my top 3 were arguably the strongest outside of oddman, but he spent three of his first seven picks on SPs.

My favorite picks were probably Grienke in the 11th and Beltre in the 13th. Grienke is almost certainly going to outperform that slot, and could potentially be a top-10 pitcher this season IMO. Also, along the lines of what J said, Beltre IMO was nearly the same value as the six or seven third baseman taken in front of him, with the potential to outperform all of them. It doesn't hurt that he's actually still pretty young and will be playing for a contract again (we all know how that turned out last time). I also really liked getting Ted Lilly. I still can't figure out why this guy gets slept on.....his last two seasons have been better than teammate Zambrano, who was chosen five rounds ahead of him. I'll take an almost automatic 4 ERA, 1.2 WHIP, 180 Ks and 15 Ws in the 15th round any day.

Something I noticed and mentioned in the Mock thread was my satisfaction in locking up my middle infield slots early. I don't feel like I reached for any of them, which makes it even better. I look at some of the middle infielders taken late and am glad I didn't have to worry about drafting them (Stewart, Barmes, Polanco, Aaron Hill....guys like that). Instead I was able to take a couple high risk/high reward pitchers in Sanchez and Smoltz. I like being able to do that late in a draft. None of the aforementioned MIs (outside of maybe Stewart) is going to do anything spectacular this year.

Picks I especially liked:

Kinsler (best pick of the draft IMO; no reason for him to fall as far as he did)
Markakis
Ortiz (totally worth the risk here)
Soria
Bedard (why not take a chance on him there....I really loved that pick)
Dukes
Doumit (2nd best pick of the draft)
The Twins pitchers (Baker and Slowey)
Cueto
Saunders (yes he's going to regress....but that's a bargain in the 19th round)

Randy Wynn....every year we read some article in the latter half of the season talking about how he is a quiet producer for fantasy teams....a great last round pick


Picks I especially didn't like (don't be offended anybody just my two cents....I'm sure Longoria/Davis will get bashed)

Utley (he is a quick healer though.....I just thought Kinsler was a better option if second base was Giants' desire)
Pedroia
Hart (my worst pick, although I didn't think it was horrible given what I am about to write below this)
Almost the entire fifth round: Atkins, Martin, Lee (especially this one), Drew, Abreu
Zambrano (the most overrated pitcher in fantasy baseball)

Chamberlain was taken way too early given his uncertain role....I would have taken Grienke, Volquez, Nolasco, Wang, Danks, Gallardo, Wainwright, Cain, Kershaw and me ahead of him

Y. Escobar (this guy does nothing for me....O. Cabrera is old, yes, but is a better fantasy player)
Blalock (he'll be hurt soon enough....Butler would have been a better pick)
Carrasco....wtf was I thinking?


OK I am done.

I'm not fan of Zambrano, but I don't think he's overrated as the 24th SP taken. I don't think that I've ever owned him because he is typically overrated and goes rounds 6-8, but I thought he was decent for where I drafted him.

[AquaMan2342]

I just don't see what he offers. His stats have gone downhill each of the last three years. To say he was the 24th SP taken sounds nice, but there were guys taken after him that would have been better, regardless of draft position. He has had injury problems, control issues and a deteriorating K rate. If he didn't play for the Cubs he would be drafted in the last five rounds. I am almost certain of this.

Edit: just for s&g's I looked up Paul Maholm because I hypothesized that his statistics would be superior to Zambrano's. I was correct. The only difference was in wins....a byproduct of pitching for the NL's best offense compared to arguably its worst. Otherwise Maholm outdid him in the other three 5X5 categories. Would I take Maholm over Zambrano? No. I just think it says something about the perceptions that Z has. Edit #2: Maholm wasn't even drafted either.