first HDID of the season

[mjl]

It has been many years since I did a draft, and I was not real prepared.

15-team 5x5, no trading allowed, no DL, 7 bench. Picking 7th.

C: Astudillo (round 21/pick 307), Gomes (22/324)
1B: Rizzo (3/37)
2B: Cesar Hernandez (12/174)
SS: Hampson (14/204)
3B: Turner (9/127)
CI: Belt (24/354)
MI: Semien (15/217)
OF: JD Martinez (1/7), Gallo (6/84), Robles (7/97), Laureano (13/187), DeShields (19/277)
UT: GPolanco (16/234)

Bench: McMahon (25/367), Kang (26/384), Harrison (27/397), Thames (28/414), Hernan Perez (29/427)

SP: Kluber (2/24), Taillon (4/54), Clevinger (5/67), Morton (8/114), Wood (17/247), Strahm (18/264), DHolland (20/294)
RP: WDavis (10/144), Giles (11/157)

Bench: VVelasquez (23/337), Erlin (30/444)

notes: I am very, very bad at the not-taking-Joey-Gallo game. I didn't use a tracking tool and probably overshot on SB after I started with JD/Rizzo/Gallo, but it's not exactly likely that all of Hampson/Robles/Laureano/DeShields actually pay off. I don't particularly like handcuffing people, especially in a format with a short bench like this, but I figured that if either Hampson or McMahon actually won the full-time job I'd be happy to have them.

[Ken]

I liked mjl's draft a lot, he was grabbing a bunch of the same players I was after.

Same league, here's my team for comparison:

C: Grandal (round 11 pick 161), Cervelli (20.290)
1B: Gurriel (16.230) - 1B/3B
2B: Odor (9.131)
SS: Peraza (8.110)
3B: Baez (2.20) - 2B/3B/SS
CI: E. Escobar (14.200) - SS/3B
MI: Polanco (13.191)
OF: Bellinger (3.41) - 1B/OF, Cain (4.50), Rosario (7.101), Mullins (18.260), Martin (22.320)
UT: Zimmerman (21.311) - 1B4

Bench: O'Hearn (23.341), Duggar (28.410), Heyward (29.431)

SP: deGrom (1.11), Kershaw(5.71), Eovaldi (11.161), Freeland (12.170), Lucchesi (15.221), Skaggs (17.251), Anibal Sanchez (24.350)
RP: Treinen (6.80), Boxberger (19.281)

Bench: Boyd (25.371), Roark (26.380), Dereck Rodriguez (27.401), Lynn (30.440)

My notes:

1) I don't love my OF - that's an area I need to improve. The top end (Bellinger/Cain/Rosario) feels solid, but Mullins and Martin don't belong. Bellinger was originally going to be my 1B, but as the draft went along, CI types that I liked were falling and OFers I liked were getting snagged early. I was actually surprised by the lack of depth in OF. I do think OF is a place I can fill in FAAB though with short benches.
2) If you can't tell from above, a big focus was on multi position eligiblity - Baez, Bellinger, Escobar, Gurriel can all move around and with short benches and no trades I needed some flexibility. This gives me 4 1B, 2 2B, 4 SS, and 3 3B out of 8 infielders. Being able to move those guys around is going to help.
3) DeGrom/Kershaw. Well DeGrom was planned, Kershaw was not. I did not want him, but at the end of the 5th round, reward outweighed risk for me. I used one more bench slot on a starter than I had planned simply due to expecting some IL time for Kershaw. If I can get even ~2/3 of a season of good Kershaw, this is an easy win in the late 5th round.
4) I took one of the first closers in Treinen (Diaz picked a couple rounds earlier) and also one of the last "closers" in Boxberger (using that term loosely on Boxberger). After Treinen I didn't want to spend much more draft capital on RP. Saves is a weakness, but it was somewhat of a planned weakness as I expect to pick up a few saves through FAAB.
5) I focused on speed early with picks like Cain and Peraza, but I felt like I spread it out decently as well. Even some of my bigger bats, like Bellinger, Rosario, and Odor pitch in on the bases as well. I did not find as much power at the end of the draft as I had hoped. I planned on Cron but missed out on him. Again though I think there will be more decent power available in free agency than there will be speed.
6) I really like my bench depth other than Heyward who I took due to my lack of OFers. He will very likely be replaced soon. O'Hearn has a lot of power potential and I was targetting him.
7) I tried to stay pretty neutral on reaching for my guys vs grabbing players who fell from their adp. I did not expect to get Baez at 20 with an ADP of 15, so I was pretty happy of that. Obviously Kershaw fell ~30 spots, Trienen fell ~20, Rosario 25. Grandal fell 14 picks, Freeland 22, Escobar 30, Lucchesi 25, Skaggs 27, Cervelli 28, Boyd 65, Anibal 80, D-Rod 89. I reached some for Cain (14 picks earlier than adp, focusing on speed), Polanco (14), Mullins ( 36 with very few viable OFers left), Boxberger (50, last "closer").

Steamer likes both my team and mjl, for whatever it's worth. Had a great time doing this one.

MJL, Redbirds Fan, and Byron Cox were all in on this draft FYI (I'm sure Redbirds will post his too, I honestly haven't even looked at his team yet).
The auction for this league is Thursday (2 leagues which pay out individually and combined standings between the two leagues as well)

[harmon]

Liking Lucchesi this year.

[mjl]

yeah, I don't have a ton of positional flexibility unless things break right. It's only 5 games in-season so I'm assuming Rizzo becomes 1B/2B by the All-Star Break. Hampson will be 2B/SS, McMahon should be 1B/2B, Gallo is 1B/OF, but I don't have a backup 3B unless Kang gets the job (which I think he will). And I knew I needed a replacement for Polanco for a couple months anyway. If Kang doesn't pay off I guess I can just go pick up Moran.

[Gregg]

yeah, I don't have a ton of positional flexibility unless things break right. It's only 5 games in-season so I'm assuming Rizzo becomes 1B/2B by the All-Star Break. Hampson will be 2B/SS, McMahon should be 1B/2B, Gallo is 1B/OF, but I don't have a backup 3B unless Kang gets the job (which I think he will). And I knew I needed a replacement for Polanco for a couple months anyway. If Kang doesn't pay off I guess I can just go pick up Moran.

You have a good team.

[Gregg]

I liked mjl's draft a lot, he was grabbing a bunch of the same players I was after.

Same league, here's my team for comparison:

C: Grandal (round 11 pick 161), Cervelli (20.290)
1B: Gurriel (16.230) - 1B/3B
2B: Odor (9.131)
SS: Peraza (8.110)
3B: Baez (2.20) - 2B/3B/SS
CI: E. Escobar (14.200) - SS/3B
MI: Polanco (13.191)
OF: Bellinger (3.41) - 1B/OF, Cain (4.50), Rosario (7.101), Mullins (18.260), Martin (22.320)
UT: Zimmerman (21.311) - 1B4

Bench: O'Hearn (23.341), Duggar (28.410), Heyward (29.431)

SP: deGrom (1.11), Kershaw(5.71), Eovaldi (11.161), Freeland (12.170), Lucchesi (15.221), Skaggs (17.251), Anibal Sanchez (24.350)
RP: Treinen (6.80), Boxberger (19.281)

Bench: Boyd (25.371), Roark (26.380), Dereck Rodriguez (27.401), Lynn (30.440)

My notes:

1) I don't love my OF - that's an area I need to improve. The top end (Bellinger/Cain/Rosario) feels solid, but Mullins and Martin don't belong. Bellinger was originally going to be my 1B, but as the draft went along, CI types that I liked were falling and OFers I liked were getting snagged early. I was actually surprised by the lack of depth in OF. I do think OF is a place I can fill in FAAB though with short benches.
2) If you can't tell from above, a big focus was on multi position eligiblity - Baez, Bellinger, Escobar, Gurriel can all move around and with short benches and no trades I needed some flexibility. This gives me 4 1B, 2 2B, 4 SS, and 3 3B out of 8 infielders. Being able to move those guys around is going to help.
3) DeGrom/Kershaw. Well DeGrom was planned, Kershaw was not. I did not want him, but at the end of the 5th round, reward outweighed risk for me. I used one more bench slot on a starter than I had planned simply due to expecting some IL time for Kershaw. If I can get even ~2/3 of a season of good Kershaw, this is an easy win in the late 5th round.
4) I took one of the first closers in Treinen (Diaz picked a couple rounds earlier) and also one of the last "closers" in Boxberger (using that term loosely on Boxberger). After Treinen I didn't want to spend much more draft capital on RP. Saves is a weakness, but it was somewhat of a planned weakness as I expect to pick up a few saves through FAAB.
5) I focused on speed early with picks like Cain and Peraza, but I felt like I spread it out decently as well. Even some of my bigger bats, like Bellinger, Rosario, and Odor pitch in on the bases as well. I did not find as much power at the end of the draft as I had hoped. I planned on Cron but missed out on him. Again though I think there will be more decent power available in free agency than there will be speed.
6) I really like my bench depth other than Heyward who I took due to my lack of OFers. He will very likely be replaced soon. O'Hearn has a lot of power potential and I was targetting him.
7) I tried to stay pretty neutral on reaching for my guys vs grabbing players who fell from their adp. I did not expect to get Baez at 20 with an ADP of 15, so I was pretty happy of that. Obviously Kershaw fell ~30 spots, Trienen fell ~20, Rosario 25. Grandal fell 14 picks, Freeland 22, Escobar 30, Lucchesi 25, Skaggs 27, Cervelli 28, Boyd 65, Anibal 80, D-Rod 89. I reached some for Cain (14 picks earlier than adp, focusing on speed), Polanco (14), Mullins ( 36 with very few viable OFers left), Boxberger (50, last "closer").

Steamer likes both my team and mjl, for whatever it's worth. Had a great time doing this one.

MJL, Redbirds Fan, and Byron Cox were all in on this draft FYI (I'm sure Redbirds will post his too, I honestly haven't even looked at his team yet).
The auction for this league is Thursday (2 leagues which pay out individually and combined standings between the two leagues as well)

Nice team.

I think you will like Martin if he stays healthy. High teens for hrs and 15-20 sbs.

I agree you couldn't pass on Kershaw falling to you. Very high reward.

I like to have a good to top closer. I think you did well there.