Yet again the intelligent folks over at MLB.com, led by Zach Steinhorn, have held their 12 team, mixed league slow draft with a plethora of industry experts. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been asked for a few years now, and they once again extended an invite that I happily accepted. What follows is the write up of the team I put together over weeks (it’s so strange to do a slow draft that takes forever to complete. I miss the “juice” of being on the clock. Guess it’s the adrenaline junky in me). So let’s get to it.

THE PARTICIPANTS

The participants (in draft order):

1. Lawr Michaels – Mastersball
2. David Gonos – SoCalledFantasyExperts.com
3. Ray Flowers – SiriusXM/Fantasy Alarm
4. Fred Zinkie – MLB.com
5. Jeff Erickson – Rotowire
6. Todd Zola – Mastersball
7. Paul Sporer – Fangraphs
8. Cory Schwartz – MLB.com
9. Derek Van Riper – Rotowire
10. Tim Heaney – USA Today
11. Zach Steinhorn – MLB.com/Mastersball
12. Nando DiFino – FNTSY Sports Network

THE RULES

12 teams, mixed league

5x5 scoring

Hitting: AVG, HR, RBI, RUNS, SB

Pitching: W, ERA, WHIP, K, SV

Make sure to pick up your copy of the 2016 MLB Draft Guide which includes more than 600 Players Ranked, auction values, rookie reports, hitting and pitching targets as well as all the info you need if you’re ready to start playing DFS.

MY SQUAD

*NOTE: To see the commentary of all those folks who participated in the draft, besides me (see below for that), click on the link to the writers comments section.

*Round in parenthesis.

C: Matt Wieters (14), Nick Hundley (21)

1B: Joey Votto (2), Mark Trumbo (15), Chris Carter (22)

2B: Brian Dozier (5)

3B: Anthony Rendon (6)

SS: Brad Miller (17), Asdrubal Cabrera (23)

OF: Bryce Harper (1), Ryan Braun (3), Christian Yelich (8), Adam Eaton (9), Ben Revere (11)

SP: David Price (4), Johnny Cueto (7), Jordan Zimmermann (12), James Shields (13), Shelby Miller (18)

RP: Francisco Rodriguez (10), Dellin Betances (16), Andrew Miller (19), Drew Storen (20)

 

Now the commentary…

RoundPOSCOMMENTARY        
1ofBryce Harper Very chalk I know, but the 23 year old outfielder is likely to be a top-3 pick in every draft this season. The question may not be how much will he regress in 2016 as it is can he still improve in 2016? An elite talent who found his grove last season - he now has to prove he can stay healthy over the course of an entire season. 
21bJoey VottoHe will never be a big time homer bat, but his batting average is as stable as they come, and his ability to get on base is unmatched. I'll roster that stability so that I can take some risks moving forward. 
3ofRyan BraunThis is a risky selection. Braun's continued to have issues with his thumb, and surgery on his back is also scary. At the same time, he was one steal from going 25/25 last season and there are only a handful of men in baseball with the talent to do that. I'll take the risk in the third round and keep my fingers, and toes, crossed. 
4pitDavid PriceI just don't see a standout offensive player at this point. There are only four more players taken before my next selection, and I can easily count five offensive players I wouldn't mind selecting with my 4th round selection, so I will take the best starting pitcher available in Price, and get that offensive fella in the next round. One Price note.Each of the last four seasons his WHIP has been between 1.08 and 1.10. That's pretty damn impressive.  
52bBrian DozierDozier isn't sexy, but sometimes going after sexy isn't always what you should do (hello STD). Dozier has batting average concerns, but over the last three years he leads second sackers in homers (69), is second in runs (285) and is 5th in RBI (214). He also happens to be the only second baseman in baseball who has hit 20 homers with 70 RBI, 100 runs and 10 steals each of the last two seasons. 
63bAnthony RendonIt was just a year ago that Rendon was a top-20 player according to most pundits. Injuries ruined his campaign but he returns with the same skill set he owned 12 months ago and he still qualifies at two spots (2B and 3B). His 2014 fantasy output is asking a lot, but Rendon is not yet 26 years old and a run to a 15/15 season with a .300 batting average cannot be dismissed as fiction. 
7pitJohnny CuetoCueto struggled in the second half last season. He's still been one of the best hurlers in baseball the last five years. It must be nice to "struggle" and still post a 1.13 WHIP and the best walk rate (1.95 per nine) and K/BB ratio (3.83) of your career. An impressive second option as a starting pitcher.
8ofChristian YelichYelich had back issues last season, but since I already have Braun rostered why not double up (that's just smart. Maybe not). Yelich was limited last season but also hit .300 and stole 16 bases. For the third striaght season he also posted an OBP of at least .362. He doesn't drive the ball deep, but if health a .300 average, 20 steals and 90 runs is doable. Not many players can you say that about.
9ofAdam EatonA very similar player to Yelich, not much power and some speed, but more batting average stability. Eaton isn't likely to improve upon last season's work, but if he comes close to repeating, as my 4th outfielder, there is no way I will be complaining about my my 4th OF ripping off a top-30 season for an outfielder. 
10pitFrancisco RodriguezHe's saved at least 38 games the last two seasons with more than a strikeout an inning and the best walk rate of his career at half his career mark (it was 1.74 last season and 3.60 for his career). He should have another solid season in Detroit. 
11ofBen RevereThis is my third outfielder who is more speed based than power but he's a .300 hitter who can steal 30 bases, and at this point of the draft there's nothing wrong with rostering that type of talent. This club now has the baseline to take shots late on power bats with poor batting averages and no speed. Setting up the future is this one.
12pitJordan ZimmermannPrice, Cueto now Zimmermann. Folks may not be impressed with that trio, but all three should throw 200-innings with strong WHIP's and certainly an ERA that won't hurt me at all. Zimmermann slumped a bit last season and now heads to the AL which won't help, but he's a solid innings eater that will allow me a chance to take some bigger arms, with more risk, in the coming rounds. 
13pitJames ShieldsWas hoping Stroman would fall to this round. Damn you Lawr Michaels. I'll take the much less exciting Shields instead. Coming off a career best 9.61 K/9 rate, Shields also walked a career worst 3.60 batters to offset the goodness. The K/9 rate will plummet, but I'm hoping the walk rate will too. His GB/FB ratio last season was the same as the previous two years and he has thrown 200-innings 9-straight seasons. I'll take the shot as my fourth starter.
14cMatt WietersWieters has three seasons of 450 at-bats. In those three years he's hit at least 22 homers with 68 RBI and 59 runs scored. Only two catchers in baseball - Brian McCann and Russell Martin - matched all three of those numbers last season. Only 30 years old, coming off two partial seasons which haven't done anything to harm his legs, I have no issue with Wieters being my first catcher and neither should anyone else. 
15ciMark Trumbo Trumbo qualifies at outfield and first base, and I like that flexibility. In need of power - I rostered Yelich, Eaton and Revere in the outfield - Trumbo is the perfect addition at this point. I can handle the batting average drain that he will be, and there's a very reasonable expectation of 30 homers and 90 runs batted in hitting next to Chris Davis and Adam Jones in Baltimore.
16pitDellin BetancesShields and Zimmermann both have some uncertainty with their ratios heading into the '16 season. Betenaces should help with that (1.78 ERA, 0.95 WHIP career). Also, the dude is a monster in strikeouts. Amongst pitchers with at least 100 appearances the last two seasons Betances leads all hurlers with 266 strikeouts. The next closest is Aroldis Chapman with 222. I mean, Betances has one more K than Hisashi Iwakuma, six more than Andrew Cashner and 19 more than Michael Wacha the last two years. Seriously. 
17ssBrad MillerPer 550 at-bats, Miller has averaged 15 homers, 64 RBI and 66 runs scored. Boring numbers? Sure. But only four shortstops in baseball reached all of those marks last season: Tulowitzki, Brandon Crawford, Ian Desmond and Jhonny Peralta. That’s it. Add in the 11 steals that Miller has averaged and the list would shrink to just Ian Desmond.
18pitShelby MillerI thought I was going to get the steal of the draft in Dexter Fowler, but Fred Zinke (damn you) grabbed him right before my selection (I kept holding off since I already had a full outfield). Shoot. I will double up on the Miller love by selecting Shelby after taking Brad last round. Miller struck out 171 batters, posted a 3.02 ERA and had a 47.7 percent ground ball rate. I'll take all that again at this point of the draft.
19pitAndrew MillerI really wanted to be cute and go with Andrew Miller which would give me 3-straight Miller's which would force me to drink Miller until the start of the season. I already have Betances and he's a setup man, so adding Miller would be a risk (especially since they are teammates at the moment). My only other closer is K-Rod, so I was tempted to go with Drew Storen who I think has a better chance to close than Miller (in fact, I expect Storen to gain the 9th inning role in Toronto). Ultimately I went with Miller. I can find saves later, and there is no debate that Andrew Miller is a top-10 reliever in terms of skill set. Miller/Betances give me massive upside in Ks, ERA and WHIP to augment my less than stellar starters.
20pitDrew StorenI anticipate that Storen will end up the closer for the Jays. Since I was tempted to take him last round, I'm obviously more than happy to find him still available. Storen had a 1.11 WHIP last season, 67 punchouts in 55 innings, and racked up 29 saves despite being deposed late in the year for Jonathan Papelbon. Storen should crest 30 saves for the Jays in 2016.
21cNick Hundley He's not great, never racks up 400 at-bats, but he hit .355 at Coors last season and his home park helps to make him an ideal, late round, second catcher. 
22utChris CarterI love my outfield, but Yelich/Revere/Eaton might hit a combined 20 homers. I need power. He's not the best player left by any means, but Chris Carter is 8th in baseball in homers the past three seasons, so he's the selection here to help round out my club. It's not always about selecting the "best" player. Sometimes it's about finding the correct fit. 
23miAsdrubal CabreraNeeding a middle infielder, I was tempted to take a shot on Javier Baez, but he doesn't have a role with that crowded Cubs team. Instead, I'm going with a boring selection in Cabrera. But is he as boring as you think? His average effort the last five years includes the following numbers: .259-17-69-73-10. Do you know how  many shortstops matched those 5x5 numbers in the 2015 season? The answer is zero. He's boring but stable, and solid. 

So there it is. A pretty darn solid team if you ask this scribe. A dynamic outfield, a potent infield and a massive group of bullpen arms highlight a squad that I would take into battle in any league this season.

To see the draft board to view everyone’s selections all you need to do is to click on the 411 MLB Blog link.  

For more on their rankings check out our Draft Guide Rankings page.