After a second place finish in 2024, I’m back to try once again to tame the LABR Mixed League. So here is my draft day diary, written as the draft was actually taking place, taking you threw all my selections in a field of outright elite fantasy minds.
RULES
5 x 5 Rotisserie style scoring.
Hitting Categories – BA, HR, RBI, Runs, SB
Pitching Categories – W, ERA, WHIP, K, SV
ROSTER: 2-C, 1-1B, 1-3B, 1-CI, 1-2B, 1-SS, 1-MI, 5-OF, 1-UT, 9-P, 6 reserves
Every team must have a minimum of 3,500 at-bats and 900 innings pitched.
New to LABR this year (at my behest)… we will set our lineups Monday for the entire week for pitchers. For hitters, there are two time periods (1) Monday and (2) Friday. This setup allows you to swap out injured players or to change based on matchups for your hitters.
POSITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
This league is staying old school saying that you need to have participated at a position 20 times last season in order to qualify at the spot this year.
FREE AGENT ACQUISITION BUDGET
This league will indeed be using FAAB. Each team will have $100 to spend over the course of the year. You must have $1 to big on a player (no zero bids).
INJURED LIST
There is no limit to the number of players that can be placed on the Injured List. Players must be activated by the scoring period after they are activated.
2024 DRAFT PARTICIPANTS
1. Prospect 361 – Wilson
2. Dr. Roto
3. RotoWire – Erickson
4. Fred Zinkie
5. The Athletic – DVR
6. @TheFantasyFix
7. Razzball – Gamble
8. Fangraphs – Podhorzer
9. Ryan Bloomfield – Bloomfield
10. Fantasy Guru – Ray Flowers
11. Yahoo Sports – Pianowski
12. Zach Steinhorn
13. Baseball Prospectus – Ginella
14. FTN Fantasy – Butler
15. Sleeper & the Bust – Sporer
MY ROSTER
*Round taken in parenthesis.
Catcher: Gabriel Moreno (12), Elias Diaz (20)
First Base: Yandy Diaz (7)
Second Base: Brendan Rodgers (26)
Third Base: Max Muncy (13)
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (2)
Middle Infielder: Corey Seager (3)
Corner Infielder: Luis Rengifo* (15)
Outfield: Juan Soto (1), Mike Trout (5), Cedric Mullins (9), Riley Greene (10), Jake Fraley (21)
Utility: Brandon Marsh (24)
Pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4), Eury Perez (6), Craig Kimbrel (8), Jose Berrios (11), Nick Lodolo (14), Reid Detmers (16), Lucas Giolito (17), Mason Miller (18), Kyle Harrison (19)
BENCH: Jason Adam (22), Will Smith (23), Yennier Cano (25), Jordan Lawlar (27), Cavan Biggio (28), Nolan Schanuel (29)
DRAFT WRITE UP
***THIS IS WRITTEN IN REAL-TIME, DURING THE DRAFT.
ROUND 1: Don’t want to take a pitcher here, just too early for my liking, so that leaves me with an ideal option of Soto/Freeman/Ohtani/Turner. Here we go. Strider went 5th, securing me one of the guys I wanted. I went Juan Soto over Ohtani for the flexibility since Ohtani is just UT eligible. We will see if that ends up being the right call or not since Ohtani seems to still be the upside play if healthy – especially in the steals column. Just didn’t want to lock in UT in first round, but it was extremely difficult to pass on Ohtani.
ROUND 2: Not going with a pitcher here. Not hunting steals here, but it would be nice to grab some since Soto should be looked at as a 10-steal option. Could go stability at the corner with a Matt Olson or up the middle with Francisco Lindor, or go for power speed with a guy like Luis Robert. Could also go for broke and grab Elly De La Cruz. Olson just went, then Devers. Do I go the Ray way and choose Lindor, or go for broke with EDLC? I took the multi-time All-Star who went 30/30 last season in Francisco Lindor.
ROUND 3: Shortstop and outfield with the first two picks. Hopefully 60 homers and 30 steals as a base, with the potential for a lot more from my duo. That really opens things up for me at this spot. Thinking I will pass on pitching again. CJ Abrams was gonna be my pick, but he just went. Dreaming on Bo Bichette… and he just went. Always how it goes. I’m going up the middle with… Corey Seager. He has an elite bat, we all know that, but it is about health. Soto/Lindor always play, so I’ll take on the risk with Seager who may or may not be ready for opening day.
ROUND 4: Feeling now might be a time to grab an arm… as the first RP goes off the board in Devin Williams. Ideally, Logan Webb or Zac Gallen or Yoshinobu Yamamoto would make it back to me here. Another RP in Edwin Diaz. So early to grab guys in the pen given the inconsistency the position brings year to year. There goes Josh Hader too. CLOSER RUN! Emmanuel Clase and Johan Durna just went too. This is pure insanity. Shoot, there goes Webb. Two more picks to me. Went with Yoshi Yamamoto. Certainly a bit more risk than Gallen having never seen YY, but why the heck not? The first three picks were all certainties, so I’m OK taking a guy we’ve yet to see on the big league diamond.
ROUND 5: Doval goes at the end of the 4th round… clearly I’m going to end up slow playing closers in this one. This is real-time closer insanity folks. Could go with another SP here. Looking at Manny Machado and Alex Bregman for some more stability with the bat, though neither is a stolen base threat. Mike Trout isn’t a threat either, but at some point you gotta be thinking about him. Logan Gilbert just came off the board, and he was one of those starting pitcher targets I was looking at. There went Framber Valdez too. That may take me out of SP until next round. Machado or Trout? Shoot there went Machado. I said yesterday I wouldn’t take Mike Trout unless the situation was right, but he fell past his ADP in this one, we start five outfielders and I’m comfortable with him at this point since I have only one outfielder. Didn’t see a must have SP here, so I went with the hitter leaving Alex Bregman on the board.
ROUND 6: Thinking starting pitcher here with three targets – Miller/Perez/Snell. Snell and Joe Ryan just went. I’m going Eury Perez. He was straight up dominant last season at like 13 years of age. He should go 140 innings this season and they will be damn exciting. A young hurler for Ray, after a 25 year old first hurler. Going young in the hill.
ROUND 7: Thinking corner infielders are a solid place to look here. Alex Bregman won’t make it back, but he would be a strong pick here. Only four picks to me, and he is still there, which means… AMAZING. Literally went as I was typing the sentence. LOL Yandy Diaz ended up as the pick. I’m looking for 90 percent of last season in the expectations game. I would be happy with that.
ROUND 8: Craig Kimbrel is the choice. Partly for Phil Backert. Partly because he looks like the man for the Orioles. Partly because he was the last RP on his tier. Gotta think he gets 25 saves with the potential for more. He was really good at times last season for the Phillies. Don’t love taking a closer here, but the position is starting to get picked through at an insane rate.
ROUND 9: Open here to go with a pitcher or a hitter. I might hunt some speed here, with an eye on Cedric Mullins. There’s also up and comer Riley Greene who seems primed to breakout this season. On the hill, Bassitt/Berrios types are lurking – stable vets to give me some innings wouldn’t be a bad direction to pivot to. I went with Cedric Mullins as more of a need pick – the speed. Trout/Seager don’t run, so getting a guy with 30-steal potential here works for me.
ROUND 10: There went Bassitt/Montgomery, two targets in this round for me. A. Alzolay was an option here, but he was just grabbed. Jose Berrios is still sitting there but so is Riley Greene. I went with the Tigers’ outfielder. There’s an All-Star effort lurking in that body, and I loved the adjustments he made last season, around the injuries of course.
ROUND 11: Luis Arraez is appealing, but he’s only second base eligible at this point. Berrios would be a nice get if still available. Ditto Merril Kelly. I could go the catcher route to shore up my offense that way. We will have to see how the round plays out. Kelly was just taken. Catchers are starting to go. Arraez is no longer an option. One pick to Berrios. My man. Jose Berrios, who seemingly has been “my guy” for five years… returns to another squad. His ability to consistently thrown 180 innings, missed just once in five full season (172 in 2022), is a nice addition with Eury Perez certainly not looking at a ton o’ innings. That stability was a good get at this point with my build.
ROUND 12: Muncy would be nice for power. Plus, I don’t have a third baseman. Could grab a catcher here as there are still multiple guys I like a lot. Could go back to the hill, though if I do it will likely be a starter not reliever. Gabriel Moreno can hit. A lot. In a 15-team league, he’s an ideal catcher #1. Barely 24 years old, he hit .284 last season, and I think that is who he is. I like a catcher who not only won’t hurt my team average but who could actually help it.
ROUND 13: Shoot. That hurt. Was targeting Hunter Brown or Mitch Keller here. Both were just drafted in the 12th round. So goes it in a room with a bunch of pros. Might target a third sacker given that I don’t have one yet. Max Muncy is there for the power – with the average drain – while Alec Bohm is more about average and less about pop. Their NFBC ADP is about 10 spots apart, as most are seemingly making the call based on how their team is constructed. Bohm does have 1B/3B eligibility too. Could also grab my second catcher. Bohm was just grabbed. There went Keibert Ruiz. Kinda hoping on Muncy at this point as the corners are starting to thin out. There went Mitch Garver. No catcher for me. Max Muncy is gonna go the pick before me, right? Actually he didn’t, so I grabbed him. His average drain gets balanced out, a little bit at least, by the guy on the other corner – Yandy.
ROUND 14: I’m going Nick Lodolo as I’ve decided to lean into young arms in this one moving forward to see how that turns out since I know so many of you reading this will enact the same plan yourself (there is no doubt it is risky, but this is also a deeper 15-team league which opens up that option a bit more). He absolutely could be one of the breakout stars on the hill this season. Has dominant stuff and figures to punch out a huge amount of guys. If he throws 130-innings, he could still strike out 175 batters. Love this arm.
ROUND 15: This would be a good spot to get some flexibility since I grabbed two shortstops early in the first three rounds. Luis Rengifo may not be a star, but he literally qualifies at four spots and I like his offensive game (see his Player Profile). I’m thinking that direction since there are a bushel of SPs and RPs that are fairly similar. It was the move I made – over Vaughn Grissom – since I already have two shortstops.
ROUND 16: Double-tap relievers on the same team? Back-to-back get both Nationals’ guys Finnegan and Harvey? That’s an option here, but if I don’t get the other one, kinda less than ideal. Would be great if I was on the turn to pull that move. Starting pitcher is probably the better direction. Reid Detmers – come on down.
ROUND 17: I’ve gone really young on the hill, so I would love to get Lucas Giolito here. He’s coming off a horrible second half, but he still threw 184.1 innings with 204 punchouts, a fourth straight full season of 175 punchouts and he identified a mechanical tweak that he needs to makr. Could also go Bryan Bello or Klye Harrison or Bradley, as all three would fit the evolving young hurler plan – and there is a lot to like with both. So, do I go stability and ratio concerns, or go young and talented like majority of the staff? Bradley just came off the board. Bello just went. Down to Giolito/Harrison. ADP suggest I could go Giolito then Harrison… There went Finnegan killing my double-Nat reliever strategy option. I could also go Mason Miller and hope he stays healthy for Oakland. I’m going Lucas Giolito – he’s just the safe play. You can have a plan – go young talent – but you need to stabilize that with innings at some point – hence the Giolito selection.
ROUND 18: Kyle Harrison or Mason Miller would be ideal here. Danny Jansen is an attractive second catching option at this point as well – and his teammate A. Kirk just went off the board. I only have one reliever – Kimbrel – so the team fit might be better with MM as the choice here. Mason Miller is super young too – as we head back to the theme. He is slated to get a shot to close for the Athletics.
ROUND 19: As soon as I started to type the name Matt Chapman as a target here, he was taken. Shoot. Danny Jansen just went too. Those were my two targets on offense here. That means Kyle Harrison is about to be taken, right? Shea Langeliers is the Max Muncy of catchers, and I already have him rostered. Shea is a legit 20+ homer bat, he hit 22 in his first full season last year, but his average is gonna hurt (.205). The catcher spot is starting to get rough though. Dang it. There went Shea two picks before me. Kyle Harrison it is. Back-to-back Bay Area kids.
ROUND 20: Some options here: C E. Diaz, 2B B. Lowe, OF J. Fraley, 1B J. Bell. All boring. I need a corner infielder at this point, though I could shift Rengifo there and use Lowe at second base which would solve that issue. J. India is another option. Oh well on India. How many times can I type a guys name, and literally be writing the sentence about the player when he ends up being drafted? Wild. Come on down Elias Diaz. He’s not a growth stock, but he’s serviceable as a second catcher in a 15-teamer for sure. Catcher is about to get pretty dank.
ROUND 21: Now we’re getting to the down and dirty zone of people taking players they like, regardless of ADP. The outfield is crowded in Cincy, and Jake Fraley won’t play against lefties, but there is still a 15/15 season lurking here. Took him over Brandon Lowe, though not feeling super confident about that decision.
ROUND 22: Lowe was just nabbed ending that dream. Waited a round too long. Jason Adam was the selection here as my bullpen is thin. Not man lockdown closers have more health risk than Pete Fairbanks, so Adam should get at least 10 saves (if not more).
ROUND 23: You might have waited too long to get your corner infielder when Josh Bell going to another team hurts. LOL. What about tag teaming Royals’ relievers? Risky, but thinking about it. Don’t love it, but going Will Smith here and hoping for 15-20 saves.
ROUND 24: Do I take James McArthur here to get both Royals’ pen arms? If I do, I’m passing on a hitter that will be in my lineup every day, so there is risk here. I do love my offense at the top of this draft, so maybe I can float it. Looking around, names like Brandon Marsh, Lance Lynn and Jack Flaherty hold some appeal. I’m like Marsh here as the batted ball data took a nice uptick last season. He had a knee procedure, but he’s still expected to be ready for Opening Day. He’s the guy.
ROUND 25: James McArthur or Yennier Cano? Lock down the KC or BAL bullpen by grabbing the top two guys looking at 9th inning duty? Let’s go BAL PEN. Y. Cano it is (better team and stronger skills on Kimbrel/Cano).
ROUND 26: Brendan Rodgers has been on my teams as a bench option, in 15-teamers, for years now. Literally. This is the year he stays healthy, right? Amazingly he is still just 27 years old. The hype is totally gone, but I think the bat is still usable at this point. I can’t believe I’m rooting for him to fall to me. It’s late, we’re in the reserve rounds, and I have a need in the infield – signifying that you don’t want to be waiting this long to round out that infield. I’m gonna be pissed if he goes in the next three picks. Honestly, I actually would be. Two picks. I got Brendan Rodgers.
ROUND 27: Who has the most talent on the board right now? You can certainly argue Jordan Lawlar. Nearly certain to start the year in the minors, but he’s got NL ROY award winning talent – no doubt. For more, check out where he ranks in the top-50 fantasy rookies for 2024.
ROUND 28: Could go an SP here, but I’m thinking I might go offense with the last two selections based on the roster. Cavan Biggio qualifies at taking second, the outfield and first base. His role is in question, as is his average, but the positional flexibility is legit. I’ll take a shot he plays most days at second or third base for the Jays.
ROUND 29: A final shot as positional eligibility? Lamonte Wade… of course. It happened again. Just as I started to write about him, he was taken. Kyle Manzardo… HA! Not funny (happened again). How? Nolan Schanuel could be a solid batting average booster though he lacks the power to hit more than 15 homers in a best case scenario. I could use a corner infield option, and batting average won’t hurt given the way my team is constructed. No way he gets nabbed, right? Can’t go Joey Gallo or Anthony Rendon… so Nolan Schanuel it is.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The FA Draft Evaluator has me in 3rd place.
The FP Draft Evaluator has me in 8th place.
We talked about the LABR draft in this episode of Fantasy Sports Daily. The show is M-F at 11 AM EST and is free to watch/listen to.
This draft was for you folks.
I went way younger on pitching than I ever do. I see roster builds like this one all the time, and my refrain is often – boy, that’s a lot of youth. I completely leaned into it here, so we will see how it plays out. I certainly have a group of dynamic arms, but the risk is undeniably substantial.
Closers went bananas early in this one, leaving me out on the elite arms. I’m ok with that. Kimbrel/Smith should give me 40 saves as a floor. Adam should save at least 10 games. Miller could be anywhere from 0-25 saves, but his arm is supremely talented and I have Cano as a cuff for Kimbrel.
On the hitting side, my counting category production should be substantial. I took on more health risk than is ideal the first five rounds with Seager/Trout, but the appeal is obvious there. Lindor and Mullins should be 25-steal types, though it would be really nice if Fraley went 15/15 late as I’m a little thin with the thefts (though I have multiple guys who should steal 10). The infield is on the week side other than my bangers at short, but as we talked about on Fantasy Sports Daily linked to above, it’s tough to have a complete team in a 15-team league with the massive brain power of the drafters in this room.
Do I love the team?
No. I do like the squad though.
I could see the pitching staff being superb or could have it blow up in my face.
There’s way more risk/reward than is normal for me, but what the heck for the first expert draft of the season.
Fingers crossed.
Here is a link to the draftboard.
