Ok, rankings are done. I will roll them out in a couple posts because they are pretty lengthy.

It is 70 more words than last year, which included an intro paragraph, but only had 13 teams. It sits at 4,545 words.

Also, there will be a quick recap of the rankings at the end that lists your rank in overall, hitting, and pitching.

ETA: I can also put the whole thing into an editable google doc if you guys know how to do that.

This post was edited on 3/25/13 at 7:43 pm

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Posted by swamie

Where opportunity meets hard work

Member since Jan 2007

27253 posts

Posted on 3/25/13 at 7:47 pm to Vicks Kennel Club

quote:
It sits at 4,545 words.

roll them over over a couple of posts.

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Posted by Vicks Kennel Club

29-24 #BlewDat

Member since Dec 2010

31061 posts

Posted on 3/25/13 at 7:47 pm to Vicks Kennel Club

14. Tthomasjr24

Hitting (13): I think there are too many question marks in this lineup for my liking. I am not ready to trust Montero, Hosmer, or Ackley yet. I love Espinosa, but he is at risk to be platooned with Lombardozzi and the chance of Rendon coming up. Also, Adam Eaton is now hurt. I like the Chris Davis gamble because he could be worth 30+ bombs for cheap. Outside of Cabrera and Bruce, I have far too many uncertainties in this squad.

Pitching (7): It cannot hurt to have arguably the best pitcher in fantasy baseball leading your staff. Scherzer has the upside to be an ace and he is a certainly a major asset in the K department, but which Max Scherzer will we see? If Scherzer and Harvey pan out, then this could be a top group of arms. Between those three and some of Thomas’s relievers, this team is the odds on favorite to score 14 in the strikeout category.

Favorite pick: Shelby Miller $1

Least favorite pick: Danny Espinosa $15

Outlook: With all of these question marks, this team definitely has the potential to easily exceed my rankings. I think Shelby Miller will be worthwhile. Cardinals pitchers always seem to pan out. Moving a closer for an outfielder to replace Eaton might be a good idea. For me, the problem with the offense is that I do not see it scoring too highly in any category, except maybe home runs.

13. Chatagnier

Hitting (12): The headliner is clearly Robinson Cano. After that, the gap between Cano and Allen Craig will determine how good this offense will be. The upside is certainly there with Craig, but $23 is a decent amount to spend on a relatively unproven commodity. For example, his teammate went for the same price. This other $23 buy has hit at least 22 homers every year since 2006 and has hit .295 or better every season of his career outside a .290 average his rookie year. While Craig could very well be the Cardinals top fantasy option this season, I think it is a little too much to spend on a guy who is yet to play 120 games in a season (22 homers in 119 games in 2012). While I am critical of some of the upper tier bats on this squad, I love the depth. Freese, Dunn, Seager, Choo, and Werth could all exceed their price tags with their production. Wil Myers becoming an impact player would be icing on the cake.

Pitching (6): Chat went heavy on low ERA guys. Stras, Zimmermann, Vogelsong, and McCarthy could all have sub 3 ERA’s. I almost expect it from them. However, only the young phenom can make bats miss. Putz and Grilli should be solid in the ninth. In order to compete, the pitching needs to rank very high in ERA, WHIP, S, and QS. I think it will do well in at least three of those categories.

Favorite pick: Shin-Soo Choo $13

Least favorite pick: Allen Craig $23

Outlook: I do not think the hitting will get it done unless the complementary pieces play at or near career levels. A rebound from Choo and another 40 homer season from Dunn would definitely send this team in the right direction. I just do not know if there are enough of those second-tier hitters (around $25) to compete with the top offenses. On the other hand, I think this is the team with the best to have a team ERA below three. Getting at least 35 points from ERA, WHIP, and QS should keep this team competitive. I just do not like there is only guy who racks up strikeouts, but he will get a lot.

12. RollDatRoll

Hitting (14): I looked up and down the roster just in case I missed out on seeing a guy like Matt Kemp hiding in there, but nope. Unless the season plays out like the ATL Thread dreams, then this offense seems pretty weak. Heyward will be great. I think he goes 35-25 this year with a near .400 OBP. The other Brave outfielder on this team will be a bit disappointment, but maybe his play will improve with his brother (like the Webber twins on Backyard Baseball

). Kendrys has just not been the same since his crutch-off grand slam, but I think Utley regains some of his form even at his age. With guys like Yadier and Andrelton, Roll should push for defensive categories. Starting Jedd Gyorko with no other eligible third baseman is about as risky as it gets.

Pitching (5): The staff is deep and loaded. Cain, Bumgarner, Yu, and Medlen form a strong rotation. Morrow will give you 100-150 awesome innings, so that will probably be worth $13. However, I think Yu will continue to walk too many bats to be a top end starter. Medlen is definitely a smart gamble, but I predict he will turn into Ian Kennedy (one great season before being merely good). Erasmo Ramirez was a sexy sleeper, but it looks like he may be a bullpen guy. I love the depth of the starters, but my personal reservations prevent it from the top couple of spots. Three closers will be nice when Motte comes back.

Favorite pick: Michael Cuddyer $3 and Jason Heyward $32

Least favorite pick: Yu Darvish $22

Outlook: I think the bats are a little too weak to overcome. Also, it seems pretty rare that people like to trade for arms, so a couple of the guys will have to perform above their expectations to get this up to par. However, Roll should do well in all five of the pitching categories. Whether the points come from arms or bats do not matter, and in a way, this is like a reverse version of Papz. However, even with all the strong arms, Cain is the only tried and true ace. I am excited to see how this squad stacks up.

11. Hot Stove

Hitting (9): While Honkus won last year with a lot of guys that were in the $20-$30 range (McCutchen, Holliday, etc.) and some terrific drafting/management, he went hard on Carlos Gonzalez and Jose Bautista. These two guys are two of my favorite stud players, but I think the price was a little too high for Cargo. However, Cargo is one of the safest studs in the game, which I love. After the big two, Honkus definitely sat on his hands a little. I am not sure that Rizzo and Jennings will be enough to be his third and fourth best players (especially Jennings), but the Cubs fan in me hopes Rizzo is.

Pitching (11): I absolutely love Matt Moore this season. He will be worth the price even though the price could have had him any pitcher outside the top 10 or so starters. I think Samardzija should be good as well, but this was a little too much of a reach for me. I have to wonder if Alex Cobb and Wade Miley will be enough to supplement the top two arms. Honkus is well off in the closer department.

Favorite pick: Rickie Weeks $12

Least favorite pick: Jeff Samardzija $18 (saying Brandon League would not be fair because he was just draining his extra bucks)

Outlook: The title defense looks to be a little tougher than winning it all last year. I think Honkus will need a player or two to make a big jump get in the money though. I am sure he is hoping that Oscar Taveras is the next Mike Trout, but I think Napoli is the one who could make a difference and be a top catcher like he did in 2011.

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Posted by Vicks Kennel Club

29-24 #BlewDat

Member since Dec 2010

31061 posts

Posted on 3/25/13 at 7:52 pm to Vicks Kennel Club

10. Droz Hoez

Hitting (6): No team went more top heavy than Dro, and it is not even that close. The two “Princes,” Albert and Fielder, are the headliners with Reyes, Kipnis, and Beltran helping out as well. Pujols was a pretty solid value at $38, and I was highly tempted to go for him at $39. I think he will prove he is still a $40+ player in 2013. Otherwise, I would have not dropped that much for Jose Reyes. He is just one of those guys I avoid. Stud ballplayer, but I think he is overrated in fantasy. He could prove me wrong with a power uptick from hitting in the Rogers Centre. The outfield is pretty weak, but it is speedy. The bats are a piece or two short, but Pujols and Fielder will make up the difference.

Pitching (10): Verlander and Kimbrel give Dro the best SP-RP combo possible. Halladay was a nice buy at $17. His career track record and the fact that this is a non-keeper make this a very worthwhile gamble. Unless we see a Gio Gonzalez type breakthrough (who already had great stuff), you are not going to cheaper potential ace than the aging Doc. However, the third starter is probably Andy Pettitte. That is a little scary, but what really worries are the couple guys behind him. Also, he is only has one closer as of now. I think the loading up on studs hurt Dro pretty bad here.

Favorite pick: Roy Halladay $17

Least favorite pick: Jason Kipnis $19 and Jose Reyes $30

Outlook: I think this team would fare a little better in a head to head. The studs could carry him over certain weeks. I also think Kipnis would end up being a moderately expensive investment to steal bases and not hit enough bombs (his power dropped hard in the second half). This squad has as many as six superstars, but the ten $1 players makes this tough to rank this team any higher than midtable. I also think one of those catchers should be moved for a SP.

9. TheBoozeCruise

Hitting (11): I am not too in love with the bats. The outfield is a big question mark. Brett Lawrie is amongst my overrated players in fantasy baseball. He is always hurt and too pricy because of his age, upside, and general badass playing style. I love the bounce back picks in Dan Uggla and Ryan Howard. At their peaks, they are elite fantasy players, but are their windows officially closed? These guys have sufficient pop, but I am not sure enough of them perform up to Boo’s standards.

Pitching (4): Like last year, Boo cornered the closer market. There are only five starters, but most of them are quality. Greinke, Haren, and CJ form a strong trio if they all rebound. Brett Anderson could even be the best of all. I love the upside of this staff. CJ Wilson was one of the steals of the draft. I think he returns to being an all-star assuming he is fully recovered from last year’s injury.

Favorite pick: Brett Anderson $8 and CJ Wilson $10

Least favorite pick: Brett Lawrie $15

Outlook: Leaving $13 at the end was a mistake, and Boo even spent $6 on Doumit, his last pick. A little better budgeting could have turned Goldschmidt into a Prince. This team could make a little bit of a jump if a closer is moved for an outfield bat. I am curious if this experiment of a $10-$15 lineup pans out ($23 Goldschmidt was the most expensive player).

8. Tchamp2

Hitting (3): What a strong core up top. Votto, McCutchen, A-Gone, Pedroia, and Cespedes make up a ferocious band of hitters. I do not think there is much else to be said about these guys. They can flat out play. I am little concerned about McCutchen though because he was a tale of two halves and trended in the direction (just like the Pirates). After that, I am nervous about the rest of the offense. Drew Stubbs is an OPS cancer, despite getting homers and steals. Scutaro will be battling Father Time. Arencibia has great pop for a catcher, but he is a roller coaster to own with his streaks. Kelly Johnson and Cody Ross are sitting pretty on the bench. I like them both.

Pitching (13): Cueto has proven himself as a top starter, and if he struck out 200 batters, then he would have gone for $30. Peavy will continue to scare me for the rest of his career, but his bounce back season was phenomenal. Beachy is very interesting. Will the stash be worth it? I think so, unless Champ faces a rash of injuries. Good group of closers, but Balfour was a bad buy. He struggled for most of last season and even lost the job at one point. There were far safer options for the same price (and that does not even include the early drafted stud closers that went for a relative bargain). The downside of the staff is that it literally only goes two deep. McDonald faded hard, Capuano may not make the rotation, and Beachy is hurt, but maybe Hanson may come back. Champ will need him to get quality innings.

Favorite pick: JJ Hardy $1

Least favorite pick: Grant Balfour $10

Outlook: If it was not for Papz trying to spend 98% of his budget on bats, this would be the worst ranked pitchers. The top two are more than sufficient for a 14-team league, but the waiver wire needs to be played after that. Most of the lineup is pretty filthy, so that the points will come from the offensive categories. If it were not guys like Hardy and Stubbs, then this team could run with away with OPS. Overall, the five stud hitters will make or break this team, and I would feel pretty decent with the league’s namesake and likely OPS leader anchoring the bats.

7. MrWiseGuy

Hitting (10): This has to be one of the fastest teams in the league. Phillips, Castro, Bourn, Victorino, and Gardner are worth at least 150 steals and maybe even 200. However, there are no power bats. In fact, there may not be anyone who exceeds 25 home runs in this lineup. Of course, Bryce may be able to crush that with a full season and being a year older. Remember, Trout was not very good in the Majors in his age 19 season. This squad could fall a little in HR and RBI, but should fare better in the other three categories.

Pitching (3): Having the aces of three teams is pretty awesome, but there are some concerns about all three of them. Is CC healthy? What do you make of Weaver’s rapidly declining K rate? Will Shields reverse his unusual fortune outside of the AL East? Nonetheless, he got good value on two top end closers compared to how pricy they went for later on. Rivera cost the same as Bruce Rondon and Grant Balfour.

Favorite pick: Mariano Rivera $10

Least favorite pick: Starlin Castro $24

Outlook: This probably looks to be a midtable squad, but it could rise up if Bryce becomes a first round fantasy player. I think one of the problems is that there are a couple who are better players in real than in fantasy, such as David Wright, Starlin Castro, and Joe Mauer.

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