As we ramp up the fantasy baseball draft season, the time to mock draft is now. Most take part in mock drafts to find out the best potential plan of attack to achieve the best draft results. Of course, the results can vary based on draft spot, league competition and more.
My task in these upcoming articles is to take part in quick mock drafts using the FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator. I will draft from the front, middle and back of the draft, discussing the results and other potential picks available in that part.
In the end, remember these are just mock drafts and should be used to help build a better player pool concept. Hopefully, they also help readers realize when to target pitchers, certain hitting positions and more. Let’s look at my results for picking sixth in a 12-team mock draft.
- Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator
- 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
- Fantasy Baseball Projections
Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: Middle Pick (2024)
Results
The lineup for this 12-team draft is two C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, five OF, UTIL, eight P and four BN, conducted using the FanasyPros Mock Draft Simulator.
1.6: Kyle Tucker (OF – HOU)
Kyle Tucker is coming off of a season where he hit .284 with 29 home runs and 30 stolen bases. It was Tucker’s third straight season of hitting at least 29 home runs and his second straight season with at least 25 stolen bases and 107 RBIs. Tucker is a model of an elite fantasy constituency, and his first 30/30 season should be coming in 2024.
Others Considered: Corbin Carroll (OF – ARI)
2.7: Pete Alonso (1B – NYM)
You can never have enough power on your fantasy team, and only some players have more consistent power than Pete Alonso. Even in a down season in 2023, where Alonso battled a wrist injury and hit .217, he still had 46 home runs. Alonso is a primary target of mine if I want to lock down power early, and in a season without a wrist injury (hopefully), Alonso could hit 50 home runs.
Others Considered: Austin Riley (3B – ATL)
3.6: Michael Harris II (OF – ATL)
Michael Harris II is a great building block early in drafts, especially with Alonso. Harris has 20/20 talent, which is a plus, but he has also hit .293 and got better in his first two seasons. Harris II brings five-category skills to your fantasy team and gives the team a second outfielder when we need to start five, which is an excellent start to balancing the team.
Others Considered: Kevin Gausman (SP – TOR)
4.7: Tyler Glasnow (SP – LAD)
Tyler Glasnow is a risky pick, as he has only thrown 100 or more innings in two seasons. Last season was one of those: He threw 120 innings with a 3.53 ERA, 3.08 SIERA and a 25.8% K-BB. Glasnow can provide strong ratios and elite strikeouts. He has a CY Young-caliber profile if he can just collect 150 or more innings. We can move on if it doesn’t work out, as it’s a 12-team league. It’s a pick worth the risk in round four.
Others Considered: Zac Gallen (SP – ARI)
5.6: Devin Williams (RP – MIL)
In 2023, Devin Williams had one of the top seasons for a closer. He collected 36 saves with a 1.53 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 25.5% K-BB. Williams is a potential trade candidate with the Brewers, but for now, he is their closer. If he stays there all season, he’s an elite fantasy closer. That’s not too shabby for a fifth-round pick.
Others Considered: Nolan Jones (OF – COL)
6.7: Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL)
Freddy Peralta has had durability issues throughout his career but is coming off a season where he threw 165.2 innings. The Brewers’ starter has also thrown at least 144 innings in two of the last three seasons. Peralta had a monster second half of the season, with a 2.81 ERA and 30.6% K-BB. He is now the ace of the Brewers and should have plenty of innings available to put together another quality fantasy season. He makes for a strong SP2 on the team.
Others Considered: Josh Lowe (OF – TB)
7.6: Alex Bregman (3B – HOU)
Alex Bregman is a boring player, but sometimes boring is beautiful for fantasy. Last season, he hit .262 with 25 home runs and 201 runs + RBI. Bregman is so consistently dull that you can pencil in 20-25 home runs with a solid batting average, plus plenty of runs and RBI. It’s something that makes for a great cornerstone to any fantasy team.
Others Considered: Ian Happ (OF – CHC)
8.7: Raisel Iglesias (RP – ATL)
Continuing on the boring is a beautiful mindset; Raisel Iglesias fits that mold for closers. Last season, Iglesias collected 33 saves, the fourth time Iglesias recorded at least 30 saves over the previous five years. Iglesias also provides strong ratios and decent strikeouts. He should have plenty of save chances as the closer of the Braves, and pairing Iglesias with Williams makes for a great one-two punch on the fantasy team.
Others Considered: Kyle Bradish (SP – BAL)
9.6: Justin Steele (SP – CHC)
After a strong 2022, Justin Steele continued his success in 2023. He produced a 3.06 ERA over 173.1 innings with a 19.6% K-BB. Steele also had a solid 1.17 WHIP. He provides plenty of innings with nice ratios, which is excellent for an SP3 on the fantasy team.
Others Considered: James Outman (OF – LAD)
10.7: Dansby Swanson (SS – CHC)
After locking in a strong pitching squad, it was time to return to attacking bats. The shortstop position was drying up, making Dansby Swanson a target at this point in the draft. In Swanson’s first season with the Cubs, he underperformed but still hit .244 with 22 home runs. The run production was a bit down, and only nine steals were a letdown, but a bounce-back could be in place, and I am buying that in round 10 of drafts.
Others Considered: Yanier Diaz (C – HOU)
11.6: Lane Thomas (OF – WAS)
With the need to start five outfielders, it was time to get back to drafting an outfielder, and Lane Thomas fit the spot. He is coming off a career year where he hit 28 home runs while stealing 20 bases with 187 runs + RBI and a .268 batting average. Thomas may regress some in 2024, but a solid five-categories season should still be in store as a team’s third outfielder.
Others Considered: Tanner Bibee (SP – CLE)
12.7: Thairo Estrada (2B, SS – SF)
With second base options shrinking, Thairo Estrada again found his way onto one of my teams. Estrada has a 20/20 upside with potentially 20/30 production. He’ll hit near the top of the Giants’ batting order, and the addition of Jorge Soler could lead to plenty of runs scored.
Others Considered: Marcell Ozuna (OF – ATL)
13.6: Rhys Hoskins (1B – MIL)
Rhys Hoskins lost his 2023 season due to an ACL injury but is back with his new team in Milwaukee. Hoskins is one of the more consistent players in the game, as he’ll hit 25-30 home runs with a .245 batting average and plenty of runs and RBI. If you wait on first base, Hoskins is a great choice, but I like it even more as our corner infielder.
Others Considered: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B – CIN)
14.7: Logan O’Hoppe (C – LAA)
Being a two-catcher league, it was time to address the catching position before it completely evaporated. It’s a deeper position than ever, but rostering two quality options eventually becomes more challenging the longer the draft goes on. Logan O’Hoppe is one of my top catching targets this year, as he has elite power at the position and can provide a decent batting average for a catcher. He could finish the season as a top-five fantasy catcher, and we snagged him in round 14.
Others Considered: Gavin Williams (SP – CLE)
15.6: Chas McCormick (OF – HOU)
Chas McCormick nearly went 20/20 last time as a platoon outfielder for the Astros. He enters 2024 as an everyday outfielder, bringing a massive 20/20 upside. Runs should also be plenty, playing for the Astros, to go with a decent batting average. Drafting McCormick and his 20/20 skill set as our OF4 is outstanding and a priority for me on draft day.
Others Considered: Daulton Varsho (OF – TOR)
16.7: Jordan Montgomery (SP – FA)
After taking a risk on Glasnow early in the draft, taking the safe and boring Jordan Montgomery is a draft focus. Montgomery has thrown at least 178 innings in back-to-back seasons with a low 3’s ERA. Montgomery will not get a ton of strikeouts, but he will provide excellent ratios. If he signs with a good team, he can also be a nice source of wins.
Others Considered: Bryan Woo (SP – SEA)
17.6: Nolan Gorman (2B, 3B – STL)
Nolan Gorman played in 119 games last season as he battled a back injury in his first full season in the Bigs. He hit 27 home runs and stole seven bases, even through the injuries. He strikes out a lot, affecting his .236 batting average. He will only be 24 this season and could improve at the plate, potentially leading to more power and a better batting average. Gorman may also throw in double-digit stolen bases, making for an excellent middle infielder later in drafts.
Others Considered: Bo Naylor (C – CLE)
18.7: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (OF – ARI)
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is another boring player for the team but a great option as the team’s OF5. He hit 24 home runs last season with 82 RBI and a .261 batting average. That gives Gurriel 20+ home runs in two of the previous three seasons while continuing to hit for average. Gurriel returns to the DBacks for 2024, and he should be in store for another lovely season.
Others Considered: Tyler O’Neil (OF – BOS)
19.6: Luis Campusano (C – SD)
The catching pool was drying up, so it was time to jump on Luis Campusano as our C2. Campusano has 15-20 home run power with an outstanding batting average at the catcher position. Last year, he hit .319 over 49 games and has showcased a strong batting average throughout the Minors. Similar to O’Hoppe, Campusano could end the season high up on the end-of-season catcher rankings for 2024.
Others Considered: Braxton Garrett (SP – MIA)
20.7: Bryce Miller (SP – SEA)
Bryce Miller had a lovely rookie season with the Mariners, producing a 4.32 ERA over 131 innings with a 17.3% K-BB. Those aren’t elite numbers but are still serviceable late in drafts. Miller is a fun pick here as he may improve even more this season with the addition of a splitter and just more experience in the Majors.
Others Considered: Luis Rengifo (2B, SS, 3B, OF – LAA)
21.6: Brandon Pfaadt (SP – ARI)
Like Miller, we look forward to more improvements from Brandon Pfaadt in 2024. He struggled early in 2023 but finished like an ace. Over Pfaadt’s final month of the season, he had a 3.70 xFIP and a 23.6% K-BB. This is a marked improvement from the earlier months of the season. Those improved skills continued into the postseason. I would not be shocked if Pfaadt is a top-25 starting pitcher by the end of the season.
Others Considered: Mason Miller (SP – OAK)
22.7: Byron Buxton (UTIL – MIN)
Yes, we all know that Byron Buxton has not proven its ability to stay healthy, but for once, we do not have to pay a premium to draft him. He’s supposedly healthy to start the season and is expected to play CF again. Buxton brings a ton of power to any fantasy team with excellent counting stats if healthy. He will not steal many bases, but that is not a deal breaker in round 22. If Buxton gets hurt again, he is an easy drop at this draft cost.
Others Considered: Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN)
23.6: Kyle Finnegan (RP – WAS)
With Williams and Iglesias locking up 60+ saves, we may not have needed a third closer, but it’s nice to have a little extra help to get over 80 saves and dominate the category. Kyle Finnegan fits that build as he will close for the Nationals if he is not traded and can provide 20-25 saves. I do not like Finnegan as a team’s second closer, but he makes for a superb third closer.
Others Considered: Anthony Rizzo (1B – NYY)
24.7: Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI)
Cristopher Sanchez is a popular “sleeper” starting pitcher going late in drafts. Sanchez showed some serious potential last season, thanks to a great changeup. Sanchez was getting ground balls and whiffs with the changeup, providing a building block for even more success in 2024.
Others Considered: Yusei Kikuchi (SP – TOR)
25.6: Wilmer Flores (1B, 3B – SF)
Wilmer Flores provided 23 home runs in 2023, his first season with 20+ home runs. He has always been able to hit for average, but the added playing time with the Giants allowed his power to flourish. Flores should again play regularly at 3B, DH and other infield spots that could make him provide plenty of fantasy goodness again in 2024.
Others Considered: Kris Bryant (OF – COL)
26.7: Reid Detmers (SP – LAA)
Reid Detmers is one of my primary end-game starting pitching targets. It was a roller coaster in 2023 that saw a rough finish for Detmers, but there were also some substantial strong periods. When he returned from the Minors and showcased a pitch mix change, he showcased much-improved strikeout skills. Detmers is fantastic as your last pick if he can improve on that. He can quickly return to the waiver wire if he continues struggling, making for a tremendous final pick.
Others Considered: Griffin Canning (SP – LAA)
Summary
The middle pick was a fun draft. It allowed the team to attack plenty of upside while finding boring players to balance the roster. It was nice not having to force picks at one of the ends to try and avoid missing out on positional runs. The draft received a B grade of 86/100, down from the early pick A-, but I like this team more. It shows there are many places to draft from and still succeed.
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