Fox's Best and Worst, Round by Round, CZ Baseball Draft 2010 This is guesswork at best. We all know you can never tell how any of these picks are going to turn out. And if you take offense at something I've written here .. well, sorry, but no I am not going to bet on whatever it was I wrote. Get over it! This was just for fun. All in all I think this was a great, well balanced, draft. Congrats to all. Let's have your pre-season impressions! Here we go ... Round 1 Best: Mazins, Hanley Ramirez - Giving Andy some props for not taking the obvious choice with Pujols. Fills a tougher position and possibly stays away from Pujols' injury problems .. if they exist. Worst: Nuts, Joe Mauer - I know he is the best catcher but he's not worth using a 1st round pick with so many studs available (talking about available players, not owners). Plus catchers are prone to injury. Round 2 Best: Cutters, Troy Tulowitski - Hans called him a marginal pick but Terry would have taken him next, me after that, and Sobo after that. Stud SS at a good age on a good offensive team and I think he's batting cleanup. Worst: Bombers, Jacob Ellsbury - Sure he steals .. just don't like single digit HR guys so early, pick 11! Round 3 Best: Mazins, Felix Hernandez - Hard to believe he is only 24. Coming into his own and is primed for a lights out year. Worst: Mazins, Felix Hernandez - Taking two SPs back to back with picks 20 and 21? This is why you get such an ugly outfield. And don't give me crap about the same player being best pick and worst pick. Makes perfect sense to me. Just depends on your metrics and I use different metrics for best/worst. Round 4 Best: Busters, Grady Sizemore - Was a 4 category monster and I think its a good gamble that he is healthy again and in his prime with a round 4 pick. Worst: Bombers, Elvis Andrus - Too early for too young and too one dimensional and not needed on this team cause they already have Ellsbury ... Heartbreak Hotel. Round 5 Best: Jackers, Jonathin Broxton - First reliever off the board and for my money the surest thing at that position. Its always best to be at the start of a run, and sure enough, a half dozen relievers go in next two rounds. Timing ... that is what it is all about in a snake draft. Honorable Mention: Foxes, Justin Verlander - Not so much because he's a very good pitcher but more because only one P taken in previous 21 picks and starting with Verlander 16 Ps taken in next 24 picks. See previous comment. Worst: Panzas, Nick Markakis - Hard to choose a "worst" pick here, the boys are doing a great job overall. But hard to justify picking Markakis when Lind is still available. Round 6 Best: Bombers, Adam Lind - See previous comment. Good age, great numbers. Worst: Nuts, Francisco Rodriguez - Are his numbers trending in the wrong direction? Round 7 Best: Foxes, Wandy Rodriguez - Pitching is always a crap shoot but Wandy has improved for 3 straight years and last year was pretty damn good. [Hmmm .. wrote that last night .. today in last spring start he gave up 9 tuns in 2 innings ... ouch!] Worst: Busters, B.J Upton - How long can they keep saying "great potential"? Gabes' comments that he had him last year, hated him, but doesn't want someone else to own him when he explodes. Psssstttt .. Ernie Els says its all about timing! hahahhahahah. Round 8 Best: Tie between Bombers with Ubaldo Jimenez and Tamales with Ricky Nolasco. Considering there were 18 pitchers taken in the last 3 rounds you gotta wonder why Jimenez and Nolasco are still available. Worst: Nuts, Shin-Soo Choo - Shin-Soo Who? Nuts couldn't even get his name close to correct spelling. Sorry Nuts, don't mean to be picking on you. Then again, its fun picking my nuts. Round 9 Best: Tamales, Carlos Lee - Nothing really to suggest that Carlos is declining is there .. at pick 82 a bargain. Worst: Mazins, Michael Bourne - Hit .229 in 2008; if he hits like in 2009 then he should provide the SBs again; but more reliable, more productive OFs still available and several of them have som espeed to offer .. ergo, too soon. Round 10 Best: Busters, Hunter Pence - Have to confess that i kept pence in my keeper league and so have looked at him carefully .. very real possibility he takes another step up this year and even if not, has established solid numbers. Love the pick for the player and for the fact that it started a dizzying 7 pick OF run. Worst: Expectorators, Raul Ibanez - 38 years old and coming off a horrible 2nd half. 38 years old. And coming off a horrible 2nd half. Round 11 Best: Expectorators, Andrew Bailey - Probably as good a shot as any reliever to have an outstanding season ... Worst: Bombers, Brian Roberts - an aging speedster for a team that already has Elvis and Ellsbury? Isn't the point of taking Elvis and Ellsbury so that you do not have to take a player like Roberts? Round 12 Best: Mazins, Stephen Drew - Nice pick up at a position getting thin, especially right after Yunel goes off the board. Worst: Foxes, Alfonso Soriano - Not sure but just guessing that this was an alcohal induced brain fart that followed the reading of some propoganda put out by a Cubs office interested in selling tickets. In decline for several years, not getting younger, and coming off knee surgery. Duh! Round 13 Best: Nuts, Francisco Liriano - If he is "baaaack" he's a steal here. Worst: Jackers, James Shields - Just because Jurrjens and Liriano both SPs taken in this round and both tons better then Shields in my humber opinion (plus in my magazine). Round 14 Best: Busters, Jose Valverde - Closers is getting thin and Valverde is awesome. Perfect timing. Which is what it's all about. That and luck. And having fun! Worst: Tamales, Miguel Montero - Just doesn't look that much different than catchers taken in much later rounds. As things get thin everywhere it is getting harder and harder to pick bests and worsts. Just in case you were wondering. Round 15 Best: Panzas, Jered Weaver - Nothing jumps out at me from this round but at least Weaver is a good solid starter in his prime. Worst: Cutters, Garrett Jones - Shouldn't be reading those Pittsburgh papers Hans! Round 16 Best: Jackers, Howard Kendrick - Very solid 2b at pick 155, a diamond in the rough. Worst: Tamales, Chris Davis - Couldn't help striking out last year. Not sure why this year should be different. Round 17 Best: Foxes, Martin Prado - nice consolation prize at 2B especially since he also qualifies at 1st and 3rd. Worst: Cutters, AJ Pierzynski - I know, a pick from the local nine .. but could have waited and gotten him several rounds later. Round 18 Best: Nuts, Roy Oswalt - Just cause I've always been an Oswalt fan Worst: Panzas, David Price - Mazins had him last year whcih was two years too early. Hmmm? That means that this year is .... Round 19 Best: Mazins, Brian Matusz - Best because it is a fun pick. Andy has fun speculating on rookies. Worst: Mazins, Brian Matusz - Worst because Andy can't pick rookies well even when he's not not jarring. Round 20 Best: Foxes, Tim Hudson - Has had plenty of time to heal from his operation. Meanwhile, this Tommy John guy must be one of the greatest surgeons ever. Worst: Expectorators, Corey Hart - Is it cheating to look at spring stats when making these valuations? Hart has declined the past two seasons and looks awful in the spring. Yesterday the Brewers had 15 hits .. Hart had another 0-fer. Round 21 Best: Jackers, Placido Polanco - 2B and qualifies at 3B. Man, the Phillies are just loaded aren't they! Should score a tomn of runs and contribute elsewhere as well. Worst: Busters, Jorge Cantu - Replacement level corner. Identical players will still be available in Round 24. Or later even. Round 22 Best: Tamales, Kevin Slowey - Well timed gamble. Very high return possible. Risk low. Worst: Busters, Johnny Cueto - "Cueto Blows" will be a refrain we all hear soon. Round 23 Best: Foxes, Stephen Strasburg - After realizing that no RPs would be on this squad it made perfect sense to spend a slot waiting for this stud to put in his 2 months in the minors. Worst: Foxes, Stephen Strasburg - Have to slap myself for never pulling the trigger on a RP when I coulda. Round 24 Best: Cutters, Todd Helton - I've always liked Helton. And he is still hitting 3rd in a potent lineup. Worst: Mazins, Jesus Flores - It'll take a miracle for this pick to provide any value. There you have it. Completely unbiased. What are the final totals for each team? Team (Best Picks, Worst Picks) Mazins (4.0, 4.0) Tamales (2.5, 2.0) Foxes (4.0, 2.0) Expectrs (1.0, 2.0) Cutters (2.0, 2.0) Jackers (3.0, 1.0) Busters (3.0, 3.0) Panzas (1.0, 2.0) Nuts (2.0, 3.0) Bombers (1.5, 3.0) What does it all mean? Nothing. But there it is! Fox **************************************** Very nice, Fox. I agree with you on one player, Corey Hart. I owned the bleeper the last three years and hated him more each year. He was one player that I was never going to draft this year. The Brewers brought Edmonds to camp for one reason, as a possible platoon player with Hart. The local papers have now gone so far as to say that Hart is not even guaranteed regular playing time. He's been absolutely horrible this spring. Best case might be that he hits against lefties, and Edmonds gets the righties. Hart blows! Gabes **************************************** Fox- Based on your analysis, here's how we should finish: 1. +2 Foxes (4.0, 2.0) Jackers (3.0, 1.0) 3. +.5 Tamales (2.5, 2.0) 4. 0 Mazins (4.0, 4.0) Cutters (2.0, 2.0) Busters (3.0, 3.0) 7. -1 Panzas (1.0, 2.0) Nuts (2.0, 3.0) Expectrs (1.0, 2.0) 10.-1.5Bombers (1.5, 3.0) Looks about right. It's time for Jack to challenge all year for the top spot. I liked getting Braun and Holliday with the first two picks, and Young was a bargain in the 12th. You snaked me big time with McCann, Hamels, and Prado, but gave me a gift picking Theriot instead of Slowey. I got caught in the closer run when Al and Mags took Soriano and Francisco off the board. And you're right about Troy T- definitely would have taken him had he been there. The Mazins never got over being snaked for McCutcheon and the Busters didn't care after their BJ. The Panzas will have a power outage by May, while the Expectorators forgot there are 6 offensive categories and only 4 for pitching. The Nuts fall back to their familiar surroundings and Bombers are submarining in deep waters. Play Ball! Sobo CEP Tamales **************************************** Yeah. Looks about right, f'sure. Opinions are like a-holes. And all men are created equal. --T,Ex **************************************** Fox: Thoroughly entertaining, and pretty close to the mark. But I noticed that Jermaine Dye was not listed as a "best pick." What's up with that? Prep **************************************** Jermaine Dye and Elvis were two of the worst picks of the draft, primarily because they were made too early in the draft. Mags **************************************** Interesting. All I know is that those three worst picks of mine will likely get me 10 pts in SBs and a bunch of points in the R category as well. So, there. Jimmy ****************************************