Fantasy baseball is notorious for providing unique leagues and formats. If there were a standard, however, a 12-team mixed league probably serves as the default.
Because of the depth of the league and the time – really, space – between picks, we need to always consider what might happen after we make our selection. Will our desired player make it back to us? Will we even get the player we want with our first pick?
The latter question is one of the main reasons why I like practicing my drafts from the ninth or tenth pick position of the first round. It allows me to intentionally miss on the top handful of players and then see how I can build around those who are left.
Here’s my latest fantasy baseball mock draft in a 12-team league from the 12th pick.
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Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: 12-Team (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 FantasyPros Mock Draft Simulator.
1.10: Juan Soto (OF – NYY)
In years past, I almost always took the game’s top pitcher with a late pick in the first round. The reasoning was simple. Instead of taking the 10th-best hitter, I could start my team with the leader at a position.
This year that doesn’t seem like a fair approach. For starters, the first round is filled with talented hitters, so the drop-off simply isn’t that extreme, as evidenced by my current decision between Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Conversely, no pitcher jumps out to me as the “must-have” where I’m willing to pay a premium. Soto ultimately got the edge because of his new home with the Yankees in preparation for free agency after this year.
Others Considered: Aaron Judge (OF, DH – NYY)
2.3: Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY)
After leading the prior blurb with an explanation as to why I don’t mind waiting on taking my first pitcher, I find myself diving right into that pool with my second-round selection. In addition, I am already breaking away from the approach I used in a prior 10-team mock draft where I insisted that talent would remain available throughout the draft, and in this same spot, took Matt Olson. With 12 teams vying for the same players, I want to jump ahead and select Gerrit Cole as the ace of my pitching staff and build around him.
Others Considered: Matt Olson (1B – ATL)
3.10: Luis Castillo (SP – SEA)
Over the last two picks, I mentioned how I wanted to handle pitchers, but I see a difficult situation arising. The draft board is filled with talented arms, and ignoring one because I already have Cole will likely mean that I cost myself a better SP2 while also taking a risk with a hitter. I’ll build upon a strength and add Luis Castillo, who would otherwise be the ace of most other fantasy teams.
Others Considered: Zac Gallen (SP – ARI), Gunnar Henderson (3B, SS – BAL)
4.3: Adolis Garcia (OF – TEX)
I don’t love the batting average, largely because replacing that later in the draft is difficult. Still, how can I argue with the power Adolis Garcia brings to my team? Pairing him with Soto should start me with a combined 60 home runs from just two players. It also begins the trend I’ll need to follow of taking the best available hitter now that I have secured two studs in my pitching rotation.
Others Considered: Manny Machado (3B – DH)
5.10: Paul Goldschmidt (1B – STL)
I mentioned “best available hitter,” but I will take a risk here by also passing on the “best available closer” or two. This is because I will draft again after four more picks come off the board, and I would love to see either Devin Williams or Edwin Diaz make it back to me. For now, I will take another boost in power from veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Others Considered: Devin Williams (RP – MIL), Edwin Diaz (RP – NYM)
6.3: Emmanuel Clase (RP – CLE)
I lost. The same team drafted both Diaz and Williams, so now I need to pivot. Thankfully, Emmanuel Clase is a completely reasonable option if I cannot draft one of the two aforementioned closers.
Others Considered: Jhoan Duran (RP – MIN)
7.10: Gleyber Torres (2B – NYY)
I’m not in love with the options available to me in the seventh round, and I can see that my team is sorely lacking speed. I could continue to stack starting pitchers, but I also have a second selection shortly after this one. I strongly considered taking Jhoan Duran to bolster my bullpen even more, but I highly doubt he will get drafted by one of the two teams that sit between this pick and the next. If it happens, I won’t lose sleep since he isn’t my top closer. Instead, I’ll fall back into the “best available hitter” approach and take Gleyber Torres.
Others Considered: Jhoan Duran (RP – MIN)
8.3: Xander Bogaerts (SS – SD)
This time, my risk was worth it, as Duran remained available for this pick. However, I am opting to go in a different direction and try to build up my batting average. Xander Bogaerts had his lowest average since 2017 last year, but he also turned his season around and ended on a hot streak. I’ll take the boost in one of my weakest areas as Bogaerts looks to rebound in 2024.
Others Considered: Nolan Arenado (3B – STL)
9.10: Raisel Iglesias (RP – ATL)
I am still looking for the best way to improve my weaknesses, but I see another opportunity to go with the state of the draft. I had passed on adding a second closer earlier in the draft, so I will take Raisel Iglesias now and not feel the need to target another closer for quite some time. If not for him, I might have built out my rotation a bit more.
Others Considered: Josh Jung (3B – TEX), Dylan Cease (SP – CWS)
10.3: Dylan Cease (SP – CWS)
I didn’t have a need to think about a starting pitcher for a long stretch of time, but I don’t want to have any holes in my rotation after starting with two solid foundational pieces. Dylan Cease saw his ERA double last year compared to 2022, and that is obviously impacting his fantasy value. The reality is that he was likely to regress, and we can now target him for a move back to his mean. His strikeout rate is always outstanding, and he has made at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.
Others Considered: Spencer Torkelson (1B – DET)
11.10: Josh Naylor (1B – CLE)
It’s starting to become a struggle of value. There are certainly players worth targeting, but they either wouldn’t help my team enough or be a reach at this point. Instead, I’ll take the discount on Josh Naylor, even though it moves him into my utility slot. He will be worth the investment if he can maintain a high batting average.
Others Considered: Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL), Zack Gelof (2B – OAK)
12.3: Jackson Chourio (OF – MIL)
I continue to add hitters and emphasize stolen bases, so I’ll swing for the metaphorical fences with rookie Jackson Chourio. He has immense hype both in fantasy baseball circles and for the Brewers, but this is the right time of the draft to lean into said hype and see if we can’t benefit from a surprise star.
Others Considered: Teoscar Hernandez (OF, DH – LAD)
13.10: Cedric Mullins (OF – BAL)
I am admittedly worried about drafting a player for stolen bases who is currently dealing with a hamstring injury. Still, I also see the value in targeting Cedric Mullins, as his health status makes him a player many others will avoid. Mullins’ numbers were frighteningly low last year compared to the benchmarks he set between 2021 and 2022. Still, his potential remains excellent, and he will contribute in most categories if he can stay on the field.
Others Considered: Cal Raleigh (C – SEA)
14.3: Salvador Perez (C – KC)
I will often wait to draft a catcher, but I have noticed an interesting trend this year. Instead of the typical top-heavy catching options with a massive drop-off until the end, there appears to be a nice balance throughout the bulk of the rounds. Want a catcher? Take one! Want to wait? There will be more! In this case, Salvador Perez has too much power upside for me to ignore in the 14th round and with no other clear targets for me to add otherwise.
Others Considered: Sean Murphy (C – ATL)
15.10: Shota Imanaga (SP – CHC)
Even though I drafted a catcher in the prior round because it was an open roster spot, I don’t want to force myself to take a third baseman here and fill in the last open starting position for a hitter. With another pick following nearby and a few options available, I will wait until the returning pick to decide. For now, I’ll add to my starting rotation and take an intentional risk with Shota Imanaga from the Cubs. A 15th-round pick for an unproven player is well within reason.
Others Considered: Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX), Alec Bohm (1B, 3B – PHI)
16.3: Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B – PIT)
There’s a chance Ke’Bryan Hayes makes it back to me in the 17th round, but in deciding between him and Jake Burger, I can’t overlook the potential of stolen bases Hayes brings to the table. If he can deliver on speed and batting average, then he’s the right choice to add here, especially because I have more power targets looming.
Others Considered: Jake Burger (3B, DH – MIA)
17.10: Eloy Jimenez (OF – CHW)
To my surprise, Burger actually did last until this pick. He’s a fine option, as I could have offset Hayes’ lack of power with Burger’s contributions in that category. However, I have my sights set on Eloy Jimenez. We shouldn’t forget about the hype surrounding Jimenez since his rookie year, and it’s entirely possible that he needed some time before he could get healthy and deliver a big season. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to catch the rise in value.
Others Considered: Jake Burger (3B, DH – MIA)
18.3: Robert Suarez (RP – SD)
My two bench players are both hitters, so I need to start prioritizing pitchers, especially with two open spots in my starting roster for them. The problem is in balancing “best available” with value. There are still plenty of solid hitters looking for a team, but I need to ignore them in the 18th round and draft based on need. To that point, I would like another relief pitcher to round out my attack on saves. Robert Suarez fits that role as of now, and even if it changes, he would be replaced by the next best option.
Others Considered: Taj Bradley (SP – TAM)
19.10: Nestor Cortes Jr. (SP – NYY)
Plenty of possible starting pitcher targets are still available, but I’d like to prioritize wins and opportunities if possible. The Yankees need Nestor Cortes, Jr. to stay healthy and build on his 2022 breakout season. They will likely give him as many opportunities as possible to reach that point. If he can return to his prior form, Cortes is an easy pick to make this late in the draft.
Others Considered: Yusei Kikuchi (SP – TOR)
20.3: Byron Buxton (UTIL – MIN)
Are we really going to let Byron Buxton go undrafted? Not on my watch! If I’m building out my bench, then I want nothing but upside. Buxton has obviously proven that he can’t stay healthy – he has played more than 100 games just once in his nine-year career – but I’m willing to give him yet another chance as a bench player in the 20th round.
Others Considered: Carlos Correa (SS – MIN)
21.10: Reid Detmers (SP – LAA)
With two picks left before I finalize my team and no pitchers on my bench, the targets are obvious here. I will add to my rotation and try to pick as much upside as possible, with the downside already being virtually nothing at this stage. The first of my two picks will be Reid Detmers. At just 24 years old, Detmers has seen his innings pitched increase nicely, and his strikeout rate has remained high. That’s an excellent combination for a potential breakout if he can continue along that path.
Others Considered: Kyle Harrison (SP – SF), Max Scherzer (SP – TEX)
22.3: Max Scherzer (SP – TEX)
Once again, I want to take a chance on a player who could give me nothing or outperform wildly. I never mind adding someone who will immediately slot into the Injured List position on a roster and allow me to find a replacement. Max Scherzer is that player, and if he can return to form when he comes back to the Rangers later this year, he will provide a big boost to my rotation.
Others Considered: Kyle Harrison (SP – SF)
Summary
I started to sense this draft turning against me midway through, but I felt like I recovered by continually adding calculated risks to my later starters and bench. The system agreed, giving me an “A” grade and a score of 93 out of 100. It also ranked me second, so I’m expecting a silver medal to be delivered promptly.
One of the more surprising outcomes of this mock draft was how I constantly felt a need to try to improve my team’s batting average, only to have a projected rank of fourth-best in the league in that category. The other fantasy managers must have prioritized other categories, allowing me to pass them. This truly speaks to how important it is to keep bumping up potential weak spots on a roster throughout the draft.
Click here for the full results!
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Mario Mergola is a featured writer at FantasyPros and BettingPros and the creator and content editor of Sporfolio. For more from Mario, check out his archive and follow him @MarioMergola.
