2016 RotoGraphs Staff Picks by Alex Chamberlain April 1, 2016 Below, you’ll find the RotoGraphs staffs’ picks for the 2016 season. We, here at RotoGraphs — we like to pick things. Make lists. All that. If you have some heavy-duty drafting to wrap up this weekend, maybe these picks will come in handy. If not, perhaps they can come in handy as guidance for some thrifty, shifty mid-season moves. And if not that, then simply appreciate these for what they are: literally the best preseason picks you’ll see anywhere. Period! OK, maybe that won’t end up being true. Who knows! None of us are clairvoyant, and that’s a damn shame. But we do our best to pretend like we are. Anyway, enough of this rambling. Here’s what you came here for, split into two tables — 2016 staff picks for hitters, and more for pitchers. Also, for further clarity, please refer to the category definitions that follow each table. 2016 RG Picks: Hitters ROTOGRAPHER Shallow Sleeper Deep Sleeper UDFA Rookie Sophomore Comeback Bust TANNER BELL Gerardo Parra Marcell Ozuna Jonathan Villar Corey Seager Kris Bryant Victor Martinez Francisco Lindor BIRCHWOOD BROS. Delino DeShields Domingo Santana John Jaso Trea Turner Miguel Sano Jonathan Lucroy Troy Tulowitzki ALEX CHAMBERLAIN Delino DeShields Denard Span Jake Lamb Byung-ho Park Stephen Piscotty Leonys Martin Xander Bogaerts RYLAN EDWARDS Christian Yelich Wil Myers Aaron Hicks Corey Seager Carlos Correa Wil Myers Yoenis Cespedes BRAD JOHNSON Maikel Franco Eugenio Suarez Socrates Brito Nomar Mazara Kris Bryant Victor Martinez Joey Votto PAUL KASTAVA Joc Pederson Brad Miller Chris Carter Corey Seager Michael Conforto Carlos Gomez Kyle Schwarber JUSTIN MASON Joc Pederson Jonathan Schoop Chris Carter Bradley Zimmer Carlos Correa Leonys Martin Matt Kemp BLAKE MURPHY Stephen Piscotty Marcus Semien Tyler Goeddel Corey Seager Kris Bryant Wil Myers Ryan Braun ZACH SANDERS Gerardo Parra Domingo Santana Pedro Alvarez Corey Seager Carlos Correa Jonathan Lucroy Carlos Gonzalez ENO SARRIS Yasiel Puig Brett Lawrie Jake Lamb Byung-ho Park Carlos Correa Marcell Ozuna Carlos Gonzalez JOSH SHEPARDSON Michael Conforto A.J. Reed Chris Carter Corey Seager Carlos Correa Jonathan Lucroy Carlos Gomez SCOTT SPRATT Christian Yelich Victor Martinez Keon Broxton Tyler White Carlos Correa Victor Martinez Miguel Sano SCOTT STRANDBERG Kevin Pillar Nick Hundley Eduardo Escobar Corey Seager Miguel Sano Victor Martinez Francisco Lindor BRANDON WARNE Miguel Sano Dee Gordon CHAD YOUNG Michael Conforto Justin Turner Michael Taylor Corey Seager Carlos Correa Chris Carter Billy Hamilton JEFF ZIMMERMAN Yasiel Puig Wil Myers Chris Carter Trevor Story Carlos Correa Jean Segura Carlos Correa HITTER CRITERIA: Shallow Sleeper: Inside top 200, per NFBC ADP Deep Sleeper: Roughly 201-300 Undrafted/Free Agent (UDFA): Outside top 300 Rookie: Best rookie hitter (< 130 PA) Sophomore: Best sophomore hitter (> 130 PA) Comeback: Someone who was injured or woefully bad last year Bust: Limited to top 100 2016 RG Picks: Pitchers ROTOGRAPHER Shallow Sleeper Deep Sleeper UDFA Rookie Sophomore Comeback Pitcher SP Bust RP Bust TANNER BELL Patrick Corbin Wei-Yin Chen Vincent Velasquez Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Jeff Samardzija Carlos Martinez Hector Rondon BIRCHWOOD BROS. Jake Odorizzi Mike Fiers Nathan Eovaldi Brian Johnson Tyler Duffey T.J. House Sonny Gray Shawn Tolleson ALEX CHAMBERLAIN Patrick Corbin Clay Buchholz Rubby de la Rosa Jose Berrios Raisel Iglesias Adam Wainwright Steven Matz Brad Boxberger RYLAN EDWARDS Scott Kazmir Kyle Hendricks SP: Chris Bassitt, RP: Hunter Strickland Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Jeff Samardzija James Shields Sean Doolittle BRAD JOHNSON Luis Severino Clay Buchholz Juan Nicasio Jose De Leon Noah Syndergaard Yu Darvish Jordan Zimmermann Mark Melancon PAUL KASTAVA Mike Fiers Taijuan Walker Nathan Eovaldi Steven Matz Noah Syndergaard Jeff Samardzija Cole Hamels Trevor Rosenthal JUSTIN MASON Taijuan Walker Kevin Gausman Kyle Gibson Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Trevor Bauer Yu Darvish Sean Doolittle BLAKE MURPHY Raisel Iglesias Kevin Gausman Blake Snell Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Trevor Bauer Luis Severino Mark Melancon ZACH SANDERS Taijuan Walker Wei-Yin Chen Jerad Eickhoff Steven Matz Noah Syndergaard Johnny Cueto Jordan Zimmermann Steve Cishek ENO SARRIS Luis Severino Anthony DeSclafani Chris Bassitt Lucas Giolito Raisel Iglesias Matt Moore Jeff Samardzija Brad Ziegler JOSH SHEPARDSON Raisel Iglesias Ian Kennedy Kyle Gibson Steven Matz Noah Syndergaard Matt Moore Sonny Gray Trevor Rosenthal PAUL SPORER Patrick Corbin Matt Moore Adam Conley Sean Manaea Noah Syndergaard Adam Wainwright Steven Matz Mark Melancon SCOTT SPRATT Julio Teheran Clay Buchholz Hunter Strickland Blake Snell Joe Ross Adam Wainwright Jose Quintana Santiago Casilla SCOTT STRANDBERG Yordano Ventura Kevin Gausman Rubby de la Rosa Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Jeff Samardzija James Shields Huston Street BRANDON WARNE Raisel Iglesias Jeremy Jeffress Robbie Ray Jose Berrios Jeff Samardzija CHAD YOUNG Drew Smyly Clay Buchholz Jerad Eickhoff Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Matt Moore Jordan Zimmermann Santiago Casilla JEFF ZIMMERMAN Raisel Iglesias Robbie Ray Rubby de la Rosa Jose Berrios Noah Syndergaard Adam Wainwright Jacob deGrom Wade Davis PITCHER CRITERIA: Shallow Sleeper: Inside top 200, per NFBC ADP Deep Sleeper: Roughly 201-300 Undrafted/Free Agent (UDFA): Outside top 300 Rookie: Best rookie pitcher (< 50 IP) Sophomore: Best sophomore pitcher (> 50 IP) Comeback: Someone who was injured or woefully bad last year Bust: Limited to top 150