Will pitching for Detroit help Jordan Zimmermann improve his 2015 numbers?

As we move into the 12th round of this fantasy draft, we have gone through the second tier of both catchers and relievers and each team now has at least two pitchers. Those teams that are limited in the way of pitchers or hitters are looking more for high-upside players at this point of the draft as they sift through available options. The key thing that all fantasy owners need to remember as the draft moves into the middle rounds is to adhere to the strategy that you feel like you can be successful with and do not let the draft board get in the way of your game plan.

Remember to keep track of live updates of the mock draft @thezman2010 on Twitter or at #FPMockDraft.

Read below for picks and analysis for the eighth and ninth round of the 2016 FantasyPros MLB Mock Draft.

Draft Wizard: Mock in minutes vs. the most accurate experts

• FantasyPros Mock Draft: Round 1 Recap
• FantasyPros Mock Draft: Round 2 & 3 Recap
• FantasyPros Mock Draft: Round 4 & 5 Recap
• FantasyPros Mock Draft: Round 6 & 7 Recap
• FantasyPros Mock Draft: Round 8 & 9 Recap

10.01 Rob Klein – Zach Britton (RP – BAL)

Selecting two closers may be a bit unconventional, but with Rob’s next selection 23 picks away it is a good opportunity to strengthen three categories: saves, WHIP and ERA. There is plenty of starting pitching depth and other players available and Britton has been too good in the closer role the last two seasons to pass up. He is 28 years old and entering his prime in his third season as the Orioles’ closer.

Last season he had 36 saves in only 40 opportunities and posted 37 the year before. Britton has posted WHIP ratios of 0.90 in 2014 and 0.99 in 2015. His ERA for 2014 was 1.65 and 1.95 in 2015. He also averages over a strikeout per inning with 79 strikeouts in 64 innings.

C- 1B- Cabrera 2B- SS- 3B-Machado OF- Cruz OF-Gonzalez OF-Puig UT- UT- UT- P- Hamels P-Lester P-Verlander P-Familia P-Britton P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.02 John Aubin – Garrett Richards (SP – LAA)

Richards came into last year with lofty expectations. Overall his season was disappointing as his ERA and WHIP increased dramatically over his breakout season of 2014. Part of the reason can be blamed on Richard’s recovery from a knee injury in August of 2014.

He missed Spring Training as well as the beginning of the season. He came around in the second half and finished the season with 15 wins, 3.65 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 176 strikeouts. While Richards may not equal his 2014 numbers, John feels like he can improve on last year and take on the ace role for the Angels and should be a candidate for 20 wins and 200 strikeouts.

C- 1B-Gonzalez 2B-Odor SS-Boegarts 3B-Bryant OF-McCutchen OF-Yelich OF- UT- UT- UT- P- Fernandez P-Bumgarner P-Kimbrel P-Richards P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.03 Matthew Davis – Evan Longoria (3B – TB)

With 110 players off the board, Longoria makes perfect sense with the 111th pick. Longo has quietly become “Mr. Iron Man” in the MLB over the past three seasons, missing only four games and averaging 687 at-bats per season. Usually health, age and a three-year sample can give you a decent idea of what type of season the player is going to have.

At age 30, Longoria’s three-year average (25 HR, 84 RBI and .334 wOBA) gives you a safe floor with upside. Longoria is not a shiny new toy at age 30, but a three round difference between Kyle Seager and Longoria gives you a ton of value in the 10th round. If your team is not in need of stolen bases and you are looking for a consistent hitter that provides 20+ HR, 80+ RBI with an AVG that will not kill you, Longoria is a fantastic pick outside of the top 100 in 2016.

C- 1B-Rizzo 2B- SS-Seager 3B-Longoria OF- Pollock OF-Upton OF-Gomez UT-Cespedes UT- UT- P-Ross P-Martinez P- P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.04 Chris Zolli – Brett Gardner (OF – NYY)

As I said with my pick of Polanco last round, stockpiling players with both power and speed is my key goal for my offense. Considering that Gardner was one of 13 players with 20 or more stolen bases and isolated power over .125 in 2015, he would absolutely fit the mold of my team’s foundation. Gardner was more disciplined in 2015, seeing his walk rate jump to 10.4% after posting back-to-back seasons with sub-10% marks, and he also scored 94 runs for the league’s second-best offense in 2015.

He did put the ball on the ground far too much in 2015, and has seen his ground ball % rise in each of the last four seasons, but he was able to go successfully to centerfield and the opposite way more in 2015. Fantasy owners may fear that Gardner has seen his OPS drop in four consecutive years, but a late-season spiral led to Gardner’s .742 OPS, and he had an OPS in the .800s as late as mid-August before a wrist injury and an .861 OPS at the All-Star break. Look for a season closer to his first-half slash of .302/.377/.483 than his final slash of .259/.343/.399 while Gardner steals 20 or more bases.

C-Schwarber 1B-Fielder 2B-Kipnis SS- 3B-Arenado OF- Marte OF-Martinez OF-Cain UT-Polanco UT- Gardner UT- P- Darvish P- P- P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.05 David Marcillo – Ian Desmond (SS – FA)

The mystery remains regarding where Desmond will play his ball in 2016. He was reportedly a “finalist” for the Padres before they signed Alexi Ramirez and now the Rays are said to have interest as well. With his market not developing nearly the way he expected, Desmond may take a one-year “prove it” type of deal to re-establish his value.

He had a bit of a down year in 2015 but should be able to put up his usual .260-.280, 20 home runs and 80 RBI. That’s great value in Round 10 at a top-heavy position.

C-Posey 1B-Votto 2B-Zobrist SS-Desmond 3B-Carpenter OF- Stanton OF-Calhoun OF- UT-Hosmer UT- UT- P- Harvey P-Gray P- P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.06 Jamie Mellor – Adam Eaton (OF – CWS)

Eaton is a good average hitter with great potential for runs at the top of an improved White Sox lineup, and he will provide some value in both steals and, to some degree, RBI. It is not a pick that is likely to be amazing, but Jamie has high hopes for him to be a solid factor for the better.

C- 1B-Freeman 2B-Rendon SS-Correa 3B- OF- Betts OF-Braun OF-Eaton UT- UT- UT- P- Price P-Hernandez P-Wainwright P-Davis P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.07 Matt Terelle – Michael Wacha (SP – STL)

Wacha is a solid addition at this point of the draft as he piled up 17 wins and 153 strikeouts over 181.1 innings last season. He did tail off some last September, giving up 21 earned runs over 24 innings pitched in the final month of the season.

There is a good chance that Wacha simply hit the wall after missing a good portion of 2014 with a shoulder injury. Wacha does not strike out as many batters as the elite fantasy starters, but he has good stuff and should contribute in the other categories as the season goes on.

C- 1B- 2B-Dozier SS- 3B-Donaldson OF- Bautista OF-Blackmon OF-Heyward UT-Sano UT-Ellsbury UT- P- Grienke P-Liriano P-Wacha P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.08 Eric Townsend – Mike Moustakas (3B – KC)

Moustakas finally emerged in 2015 as the strong hitter who everyone thought he would be after tearing up the minors. Posting a slash line of .284/22 HR/82 RBI, Moustakas showed that a 2014 minor league stint was exactly what he needed to correct his swing, as it resulted in him no longer being stopped by the shift that has become such a staple in MLB.

The 3B is entering his prime, at age 27, and will likely continue to improve at the plate in a strong Royals lineup. A .280/25+ HR/90+ RBI season is well within reach, with potential for even more, making Moose a great value late in the 10th round.

C- 1B-Abreu 2B-Altuve SS-Tulowitzki 3B-Moustakas OF-Ramirez OF- OF- UT-Ortiz UT-Pujols UT- P- Cole P-deGrom P-Jansen P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.09 Kerry Kauffman – Jordan Zimmermann (SP – DET)

As we continue through the middle rounds, Kerry is looking to solidify the starting rotation and pick up his starting shortstop and catcher. Looking through the available pitchers, he was pleased to see Zimmermann still on the board. After being an All-Star in 2013 and 2014, Zimmermann had a down year for him, but he still managed 13 wins, a solid 3.66 ERA, 201 2/3 innings pitched and 164 strikeouts against just 39 walks.

Zimmermann’s biggest issue was being hurt by the long ball, surrendering 24 compared to 13 in 2014. A change of scenery is likely to do Zimmermann some good and fantasy owners should expect improved numbers from Zimmermann over a year ago.

While he may not approach the 2.66 ERA in 2014 or the 19 wins in 2013, a 15-win season with an ERA between 3.20 and 3.40, along with nearly 200 innings and 150 to 170 strikeouts is very reasonable. Those are very solid numbers for an SP3.

C- 1B-Encarnacion 2B- SS- 3B-Frazier OF-Kemp OF-Choo OF- UT- UT- UT- P-Kershaw P-Keuchel P-Giles P-Zimmermann P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.10 Daniel Marcus – Cody Allen (RP – CLE)

It is time to grab a top-end closer and after a slow start last season, Allen fit the bill nicely. His strikeout rate per nine innings is above 10 each of the past two seasons, and his ERA and WHIP should improve this season with an improved defense behind him. With a good pitching staff, Cleveland should win a lot of close games creating save opportunities for Allen to cash in on.

C-Lucroy 1B-Goldschmidt 2B- SS- 3B-Franco OF- Springer OF-Jones OF-Hamilton UT-Dickerson UT- UT- P- Sale P-Carrasco P-Allen P- P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.11 Roy Widrig – Marcus Stroman (SP – TOR)

This pick is made in an attempt to solidify a pitching staff of No. 1 starters, including Jake Arrieta and Noah Syndergaard. Fangraphs has Stroman at 13-10 with a 3.69 ERA and 201 IP, but these projections seem conservative. In 2015 (short stint) stats, he went 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA (in which all of his starts came against tough AL East rivals), but the projections do see his K/9 rise from 6.00 to 7.49, which would give around 175 strikeouts for the No. 4 SP on this team.

C- 1B-Davis 2B- SS-Crawford 3B-Seager OF-Harper OF-Pence OF- UT- UT- UT- P-Arrieta P-Syndergaard P-Archer P-Melancon P- Stroman P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

10.12 Gavin Tramps – Michael Brantley (OF – CLE)

Brantley is recovering from shoulder surgery so he will likely miss the start of the season. Whether it is one week, one month or three months will determine the value of this pick. Assuming that Brantley returns to his pre-injury form, he will offer an excellent batting average with double-digit home runs and steals.

Over the last two years, the 28-year-old has hit 35 home runs, 90 doubles, 162 runs, 181 RBI with 38 stolen bases and a robust .319 AVG. The Indians’ left fielder displayed a 90.9% contact rate and 3.4% swinging strike rate over the last two years, making him one of the most consistently reliable hitters in the game.

C- 1B- 2B-Gordon SS-Lindor 3B-Beltre OF-Trout OF-Brantley OF- UT- UT- UT- P-Scherzer P-Kluber P-Strasburg P-Cueto P- Chapman P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.01 Gavin Tramps – Ian Kinsler (2B – DET)

The days of 30/30 production have been consigned to the memory, and 10/10 production looks to be a more appropriate target. In 2015, he batted .296 (his highest average for seven years), helped in part by a .325 BABIP, some 35-50 points higher than any of his last three seasons. The acquisition of Justin Upton will probably shift Kinsler into the leadoff role, so the potential for 100 runs is high with Upton, Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez batting behind him. In truth, Ian Kinsler looks like a bust candidate this year but with the 121st pick of the draft, Gavin found it too tempting to pass up a player with a 79 ADP and 77 ECR.

C- 1B- 2B-Gordon SS-Lindor 3B-Beltre OF-Trout OF-Brantley OF- UT-Kinsler UT- UT- P-Scherzer P-Kluber P-Strasburg P-Cueto P- Chapman P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.02 Roy Widrig – Russell Martin (C – TOR)

It seems high to draft a catcher in the 11th round, but after the TWO elite catchers named Buster Posey and Kyle Schwarber, there is a very thin second tier of catchers to choose from before the slog of back-end backstops that we will see taken in the later rounds in desperation. Martin had a huge year in 2015 but was overshadowed by the maniacal pace of teammates Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion. Martin himself had 23 home runs (second among catchers), 77 RBI (third), 76 runs scored (first) and four stolen bases (first).

He walked more than any other catcher besides Stephen Vogt (even your darling Posey) and did it with a meager .262 BABIP. He has shown that he can play through injuries as all catchers must without missing significant time (played 129 games) or showing a massive offensive drop off late in the season. He strikes out a fair amount (welcome to Toronto) as well, but in a league where this does not count against a player, Martin feels like a steal in the 11th round.

C-Martin 1B-Davis 2B- SS-Crawford 3B-Seager OF-Harper OF-Pence OF- UT- UT- UT- P-Arrieta P-Syndergaard P-Archer P-Melancon P- Stroman P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.03 Daniel Marcus – David Robertson (RP – CWS)

Dan now has two top closers in a pool where definite closers are rapidly thinning. Robertson hit bumps in the road last year but was effective overall and maintained a very good strikeout rate. It would take a large implosion to unseat Robertson from the closer role, so Dan feels this a safe pick.

C-Lucroy 1B-Goldschmidt 2B- SS- 3B-Franco OF- Springer OF-Jones OF-Hamilton UT-Dickerson UT- UT- P- Sale P-Carrasco P-Allen P-Robertson P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.04 Kerry Kauffman – Evan Gattis (C – HOU)

Looking to fill his starting eight, Kerry went for a catcher, having seen many of the top tier catchers selected. The decision came down to Salvador Perez, Brian McCann and Gattis. He choose Gattis, seeing tremendous upside.

Having hit 21 and 22 home runs in 2013 and 2014 with the Braves, Gattis reached 27 home runs and 88 RBI last season. While his on-base percentage is a low .285, that was not much different than that of Perez or McCann.

His 11 triples were likely an aberration, but Gattis should be good for 25 to 30 home runs, 90 RBI and a .250 average. Those are excellent numbers for a catcher or any player chosen in the middle rounds.

C-Gattis 1B-Encarnacion 2B- SS- 3B-Frazier OF-Kemp OF-Choo OF- UT- UT- UT- P-Kershaw P-Keuchel P-Giles P-Zimmermann P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.05 Eric Townsend – Josh Reddick (OF – OAK)

Reddick is one of the few dual threats left in the middle rounds. In his first nearly full season (149 GP) since 2012, Reddick reaffirmed how valuable of a fantasy asset he can be, hitting 20 homers and swiping 10 bags, while not killing your average (.272 in 2015).

With a full bill of health going into 2016, it is reasonable to assume a repeat campaign is likely, with the potential for a few more homers if he can stick it out for 155+, in addition to an average bump given his focus on contact over pure power. The lineup for the Athletics is the biggest concern as there isn’t much protection for Reddick, but that risk is well worth it in the 11th round.

C- 1B-Abreu 2B-Altuve SS-Tulowitzki 3B-Moustakas OF-Ramirez OF-Reddick OF- UT-Ortiz UT-Pujols UT- P- Cole P-deGrom P-Jansen P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.06 Matt Terelle – Trevor Rosenthal (RP – STL)

Rosenthal is the league-leader in saves over the past two years, logging 93 between 2014 and 2015. His 48 saves last season were a franchise record for the Cardinals, and he failed to convert just three chances. It makes sense to target the Cardinals’ closer because St. Louis is perennially in contention, so save opportunities should be frequent.

C- 1B- 2B-Dozier SS- 3B-Donaldson OF- Bautista OF-Blackmon OF-Heyward UT-Sano UT-Ellsbury UT- P- Grienke P-Liriano P-Wacha P-Rosenthal P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.07 Jamie Mellor – Kolten Wong (2B – STL)

Jamie was hoping Gattis would drop but at this point, Wong has become a value as he will offer solid contributions for second base at all five categories.

C- 1B-Freeman 2B-Wong SS-Correa 3B-Rendon OF- Betts OF-Braun OF-Eaton UT- UT- UT- P- Price P-Hernandez P-Wainwright P-Davis P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.08 David Marcillo – Kendrys Morales (DH – KC)

Round 11 and the pickings are starting to get slim. Morales exploded last year to the tune of .290/.362/.485 with 22 homers and 106 RBI. While he may slip a bit in every category and will not provide any stolen bases, Morales is still set for a solid year in a solid lineup, not much more you can ask for in Round 11.

C-Posey 1B-Votto 2B-Zobrist SS-Desmond 3B-Carpenter OF- Stanton OF-Calhoun OF- UT-Hosmer UT-Morales UT- P- Harvey P-Gray P- P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.09 Chris Zolli – Lance McCullers (SP – HOU)

McCullers was 6-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 2015 and walked 3.1 batters per nine in 125 2/3 innings in 2015, but also struck out 129 batters and held hitters to a .225 batting average in his first MLB season. He pumped fastballs in at an average velocity of 94.5 miles per hour in 2015, and his curveball was one of the best in baseball, showing potential for a 200-strikeout pitcher if given 30 starts. The Astros were a playoff team last season and are looking to build on that in 2016, giving McCullers potential for 13-16 wins.

In fact, McCullers and Syndergaard had very similar seasons in 2015, with Syndergaard showing better control and McCullers having worse luck with batted balls with similar batted ball profiles. Considering Syndergaard was picked in the fourth round and McCullers seven rounds later, consider me pleased.

C-Schwarber 1B-Fielder 2B-Kipnis SS- 3B-Arenado OF- Marte OF-Martinez OF-Cain UT-Polanco UT-Gardner UT- P- Darvish P-McCullers P- P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.10 Matthew Davis – Jorge Soler (OF – CHC)

Soler has yet to show us what he can do with a 600-plus at-bat season, and some people might be down on Soler after only hitting 10 HR with 47 RBI in 2015. However, the young Cuban is only 24 years old and will continue to mature as a hitter. In 501 career at-bats, Soler has a solid .327 wOBA and will be in a prime position to drive in a massive amount of runs in the Cubs’ lineup. Matt is looking forward to viewing the gigantic upside that Soler provides and will be sure to have plenty of exposure.

C- 1B-Rizzo 2B- SS-Seager 3B-Longoria OF- Pollock OF-Upton OF-Gomez UT-Cespedes UT-Soler UT- P-Ross P-Salazar P-Martinez P- P- P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.11 John Aubin – Steven Matz (SP – NYM)

John is definitely going upside with this young starting pitcher from a stacked New York Mets’ rotation. Matz’s rookie season was interrupted by a torn lat muscle, but he managed to win four games while posting a 2.27 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.

Matz should get a full season workload in 2016, and while there is the shutdown concern, the Mets are planning on conserving Matz in Spring Training in hopes he can go 190 innings. If Matz can continue the success he had last season and in the playoffs this could end up being a value pick at the end of round eleven.

C- 1B-Gonzalez 2B-Odor SS-Boegarts 3B-Bryant OF-McCutchen OF-Yelich OF- UT- UT- UT- P- Fernandez P-Bumgarner P-Kimbrel P-Richards P-Matz P- P- P- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE- BE-

11.12 Rob Klein – Brian McCann (C – NYY)