No matter how a drafter wants to square up this 2019 preseason, five stud hitters exist at the top of the Expert Consensus Rankings. Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Jose Ramirez, Nolan Arenado, and J.D. Martinez seem to stand out above the rest. Max Scherzer sits at number six in the ECR, and a group of other stars rests comfortably behind. Still, though, no matter how many mock drafts I complete, someone always takes Scherzer or another hitter above one of the top-six bats.
If you could dream of a perfect draft slot this season, fifth or sixth is it.
Sure, Arenado might not be the flashiest pick, and Martinez may be a bit of an injury risk, but their upside and stability far surpass any other batters behind them in the ECR. Give me one of those stars, and I like my chances.
If you find yourself in one of the middle picks of a 12-team draft, rejoice. To make matters even better, here’s a draft guide to help lead you along the way. Look no further, 2019 draft perfection is here.
My results are based on a 5×5 standard 12-team league with the following positional requirements: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, UTIL, UTIL, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, B, B, B, B.
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Final Roster
1.6 – J.D. Martinez (BOS – OF)
2.7 – Trevor Story (COL – SS)
3.6 – Gerrit Cole (HOU – SP)
4.7 – Eugenio Suarez (CIN – 3B)
5.6 – Adalberto Mondesi (KC – 2B, SS)
6.7 – Daniel Murphy (COL – 2B)
7.6 – Justin Upton (LAA – OF)
8.7 – Aroldis Chapman (NYY – RP)
9.6 – Roberto Osuna (HOU – RP)
10.7 – Miles Mikolas (STL – SP)
11.6 – Robinson Cano (NYM – 2B)
12.7 – Yasmani Grandal (MIL – C)
13.6 – Corey Knebel (MIL – RP)
14.7 – Rafael Devers (BOS – 3B)
15.6 – Tyler Glasnow (TB – SP)
16.7 – Harrison Bader (STL – OF)
17.6 – Ross Stripling (LAD – SP, RP)
18.7 – Matt Barnes (BOS – RP)
19.6 – Jake Arrieta (PHI – SP)
20.7 – Jimmy Nelson (MIL – SP)
21.6 – Domingo Santana (SEA – OF)
22.7 – Brad Peacock (HOU – RP)
Strengths
Balance
At the risk of sounding obvious since I picked from the sixth spot, my team is incredibly balanced. The nice thing about a middle pick in any draft is that you don’t have to watch a run of players pass by between selections. This season, that is a beautiful thing. With how shallow a few positions are, drafting in the middle helped me avoid completely whiffing on any spot. In fact, from catcher to relief pitchers, there is not one area where I feel my team will struggle. To back that up, the FantasyPros’ Draft Simulator projects me to finish in the top-six teams in seven out of the 10 potential categories. Wins and Ks are the only two areas I lack, which I would plan to make up for by plugging and playing pitchers throughout the season. The middle of the draft offers an incredible chance to construct a balanced team in 2019.
Hitting
All of my potential lineups look strong in batting categories this season. There is consistently enough pitching depth available late to wait and stockpile quality hitters early. The fact that I was able to acquire Aroldis Chapman, Miles Mikolas, Roberto Osuna, and Corey Knebel all after the 90th overall pick should prove that.
The FantasyPros’ draft analysis projects this team to finish fourth overall in hitting points. While that’s nothing to cry over, I would argue that eight of my 11 drafted batters have the upside to smash their current ADPs. The only hitters I think couldn’t outproduce their ADPs? Martinez, Trevor Story, and Justin Upton. The first two because of their high costs, and Upton because of his age. With all that upside comes risk, but taking batters with six of my first seven picks should help mitigate that. This team should absolutely finish fourth or higher in batting.
Weakness
Starting Pitching
The FantasyPros’ analysis tells me I would finish ninth in wins and Ks. Again, however, I could fix that by plugging and playing pitchers throughout the year. Ross Stripling, Jimmy Nelson, and Brad Peacock are three players I stole at the end of the draft to help as well.
Everyone should look at Peacock at the end of drafts, as he’s reportedly winning the battle for the Astros’ fifth starting rotation spot. If he wins the job, expect him to take it and run. Fifteen-20 wins might be in play for Peacock, so snag him while you can.
Notable Picks
Eugenio Suarez (CIN – 3B)
I’ve been talking this guy up all year. Check out my last article on an early-pick mock draft to see the comparison between Suarez and Paul Goldschmidt. The resemblance is impressive, and Suarez is only 27. For a fourth-round pick, this guy seems like a steal in Cincinnati.
Adalberto Mondesi (KC – 2B, SS)
Projections show Mondesi having a 20-HR, 40-SB type of season. Yeesh. Mondesi is riskier than drinking milk on a hot summer day, but as a fifth-round pick, I’m willing to take that chance. The potential for 20 HR and 40 SB is just worth it, plain and simple. He could easily be like his teammate Whit Merrifield, only better.
Daniel Murphy (COL – 2B)
Not much to say about this one, just that Murphy is a career .331 hitter at Coors Field, his new home. His knee injuries have scared his ADP all the way down into the sixth round, but there shouldn’t be much reason to worry. He produced when he came back last season, and he will produce again in 2019.
Yasmani Grandal (MIL – C)
Look at some of the notable players who have switched to Miller Park recently: Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Travis Shaw. All of those players have received huge upticks in their stats. Miller Park ranks, in many metrics, as the second-best place to hit. Not only did I want to grab a good catcher before they were all gone, but I also believe Grandal could be the next player in line to boost his stats on the Brewers.
Matt Barnes (BOS – RP)
If you find yourself looking for an upside closing option late like me, look no further than Barnes. Ryan Brasier had a slow start to camp, the Red Sox haven’t signed anyone else, and Barnes is just plain good. As a result, he might walk right into the closing job on the reigning World Series champs. That’s a pretty good value for an end-of-draft pick.
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Alex Altmix is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Alex, check out his archive or follow him @Altmix_23.
