re: 2025 VIAC Fantasy Baseball

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Yep, got it.

Paid

Yes and yes.

Paid

sweet.

payout looks good

defending champ still get the 1st nomination?

Teams who still need to pay:

All have paid.

I will send out an email reminder as well. I would like to have all funds secured before the draft room opens one hour before.

I wish. I have been trying to take off the last week for years. Only seems to be an option for H2H leagues.

I will do my annual quest and hit up ESPN support this week lol.

quote:

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Is it possible to shorten the season by two weeks?

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Not as big a deal for rotisserie. Play out the string IMO

Team Recaps, Strategies, Bargains, Overpays, and Outlook
Vicks Kennel Club ($260 spent)
Strategy: Stars-and-scrubs, with big investments in Fernando Tatis Jr. ($48), Trea Turner ($37), and Chris Sale ($26), filling out with $1-2 depth.
Best Bargains: Adley Rutschman ($14, ~$20 value), Zach Eflin ($2, ~$6-8 value).
Biggest Overpays: Tatis ($48, ~$35 value post-injury), Turner ($37, ~$25 value).
Outlook: Strong in SB and OPS with Tatis and Turner, but pitching (Sale, Webb) may lack depth. Mid-tier finish likely.

Zeph's Outfield Saints ($260 spent)
Strategy: Heavy on stars like Mookie Betts ($50) and Garrett Crochet ($38), with scrubs at $1-2.
Best Bargains: Carlos Rodon ($5, ~$12-15 value), Alec Bohm ($6, ~$10-12 value).
Biggest Overpays: Betts ($50, ~$35 value post-injury), Crochet ($38, ~$25 value).
Outlook: Betts overpay hurts, but Crochet and Nola provide QS upside. Lower mid-tier.

Nyjer Please ($260 spent)
Strategy: Balanced stars (Lindor $41, Wheeler $42) with mid-tier depth (Rooker $28, Harris $20).
Best Bargains: Michael Harris II ($20, ~$25 value), Justin Steele ($8, ~$12-15 value).
Biggest Overpays: Lindor ($41, ~$30 value), Wheeler ($42, ~$30 value).
Outlook: Solid across categories, but overpays limit ceiling. Mid-tier contender.

Hot Stove ($260 spent)
Strategy: Stars-and-scrubs with Paul Skenes ($53) and Kyle Schwarber ($30), thin depth.
Best Bargains: Joe Ryan ($11, ~$15 value), Logan O’Hoppe ($3, ~$6-8 value).
Biggest Overpays:Skenes ($53, ~$35 value rookie hype), Schwarber ($30, ~$20 value).
Outlook: Skenes overpay and lack of depth hurt. Bottom-tier finish.

Metry Hit Men ($260 spent)
Strategy: Stars (Tucker $55, Gilbert $36) with pitching focus (Valdez $24, Diaz $23).
Best Bargains: Bryan Reynolds ($13, ~$20 value), Vinnie Pasquantino ($10, ~$15 value).
Biggest Overpays: Tucker ($55, ~$40 value), Oneil Cruz ($30, ~$20 value).
Outlook: Strong hitting and QS, competitive mid-to-upper tier.

Maf Wic ($260 spent)
Strategy: All-in on Aaron Judge ($73) and Corbin Carroll ($55), minimal depth.
Best Bargains: Matt Chapman ($8, ~$15 value), Will Smith ($9, ~$15 value).
Biggest Overpays: Judge ($73, ~$50 value), Carroll ($55, ~$40 value).
Outlook: High ceiling with Judge, but depth issues. Upper mid-tier.

The Mudhens ($260 spent)
Strategy: Balanced with Julio Rodriguez ($50), Ketel Marte ($33), and pitching (Castillo $14).
Best Bargains: Willy Adames ($11, ~$18 value), Luis Castillo ($14, ~$20 value).
Biggest Overpays: Rodriguez ($50, ~$40 value), Alonso ($39, ~$30 value).
Outlook: Well-rounded, mid-tier contender.

American Dreams ($260 spent)
Strategy: Stars (Henderson $45, Olson $40) with pitching depth (Ragans $34, Strider $22).
Best Bargains: George Kirby ($16, ~$20-25 value), Kerry Carpenter ($10, ~$15 value).
Biggest Overpays: Henderson ($45, ~$35 value), Olson ($40, ~$30 value).
Outlook: Strong pitching, upper mid-tier potential.

CarbonzaHammers ($260 spent)
Strategy: Power hitters (Ramirez $66, Alvarez $51) with pitching upside (Gallen $15).
Best Bargains: Ozzie Albies ($18, ~$25 value), Shane McClanahan ($4, ~$10 value).
Biggest Overpays: Ramirez ($66, ~$50 value), Alvarez ($51, ~$40 value).
Outlook: OPS and HR strength, upper-tier contender.

Team Pizzaman ($260 spent)
Strategy: Anchor with Shohei Ohtani ($75), balanced pitching (Snell $26, Yamamoto $26).
Best Bargains: Andres Munoz ($15, ~$20 value), Hunter Brown ($12, ~$15-18 value).
Biggest Overpays: Ohtani ($75, ~$60 value), Santander ($30, ~$20 value).
Outlook: Ohtani drives elite stats, top-tier contender.

Team Sttdb ($260 spent)
Strategy: High-risk stars (De La Cruz $60, Riley $38) with relief pitching (Helsley $18).
Best Bargains: Riley Greene ($9, ~$15 value), Felix Bautista ($16, ~$20 value).
Biggest Overpays: De La Cruz ($60, ~$40 value), Chisholm ($29, ~$20 value).
Outlook: Boom-or-bust, likely bottom-tier.

Team Rick ($260 spent)
Strategy: Stars (Soto $59, Harper $42) with mid-tier depth (Acuna $25).
Best Bargains: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($25, ~$35 value), Steven Kwan ($4, ~$10 value).
Biggest Overpays: Soto ($59, ~$45 value), Chourio ($35, ~$25 value).
Outlook: High upside, upper-tier potential.

Buncho Bums ($260 spent)
Strategy: Elite stars (Witt $67, Skubal $46) with depth (Cease $28).
Best Bargains: Dylan Cease ($28, ~$35 value), William Contreras ($19, ~$25 value).
Biggest Overpays: Witt ($67, ~$50 value), Skubal ($46, ~$35 value).
Outlook: Best roster, top-tier favorite.

Bronx Bombers ($260 spent)
Strategy: Balanced stars (Freeman $35, Burnes $27) with depth (Clase $27).
Best Bargains: Emmanuel Clase ($27, ~$35 value), Jordan Westburg ($15, ~$20 value).
Biggest Overpays: Freeman ($35, ~$30 value), Bellinger ($21, ~$15 value).
Outlook: Solid but not elite, mid-tier.

Overall Outlook and Winners/Losers
Winners: Buncho Bums (Witt, Skubal, Cease), Team Pizzaman (Ohtani’s unique value), and Team Rick (Soto, Harper, Acuna) have the strongest rosters.

Losers: Hot Stove (Skenes overpay), Zeph’s (Betts overpay), and Team Sttdb (high-risk flops) lag due to inefficiencies.

League Trends: Heavy spending on top hitters (Ohtani $75, Judge $73, Witt $67) suggests a premium on OPS and SB, with pitching relatively undervalued (e.g., Burnes $27).

Comparison to Previous Years’ Tendencies
Without specific past data, I’ll infer from general trends. This year’s draft shows:

Higher Top-End Spending: Players like Ohtani ($75), Judge ($73), and Witt ($67) exceed typical $50-60 caps, suggesting inflation in a 14-team league vs. 12-team norms.

Pitching Discount: Elite SPs like Burnes ($27) and Cease ($28) are lower than past years’ $30-40 range, possibly due to QS focus over wins.
Stars-and-Scrubs Dominance: More teams leaned into this strategy than balanced approaches, a shift from past years’ tendencies toward even distribution.

Conclusion
Buncho Bums and Team Pizzaman lead with elite anchors and balance, while overpays hurt teams like Hot Stove and Zeph’s. The draft reflects a 14-team league’s scarcity-driven inflation on hitters, offering lessons for future auctions. Let me know if you’d like deeper dives into specific teams or categories!