RotoGraphs Ridiculously Early Mock Draft: Rounds 1-5
You’re drafting if you’re a hardcore head like me. I’m finishing up my third mock draft and have two more scheduled in the next two weeks. So we’re drafting.
RotoGraphs thought there wasn’t any time like the present, so we got going on our mock draft. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be referencing this mock — done for a standard twelve-team 5×5 roto league with one catcher — as well as some other industry mocks around the web, as we try to find early risers, fallers and sleepers. You can find these things later by using the “Mock Draft Analysis” category tag on the bottom right.
Because not everyone drafts on March 28th.
RotoGraphs Ridiculously Early Mock Draft: Rounds 1-5
| Num | # Drafter | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.1 Petriello | Mike Trout |
| 2 | 1.2 Swydan | Miguel Cabrera |
| 3 | 1.3 Cwik | Ryan Braun |
| 4 | 1.4 Wiers | Andrew McCutchen |
| 5 | 1.5 Harrison | Matt Kemp |
| 6 | 1.6 Zarzycki | Carlos Gonzalez |
| 7 | 1.7 Jeff Zim | Robinson Cano |
| 8 | 1.8 Bender | Albert Pujols |
| 9 | 1.9 Sanders | Prince Fielder |
| 10 | 1.10 Sarris | Troy Tulowitzki |
| 11 | 1.11 Wade | Joey Votto |
| 12 | 1.12 Jackie Peanuts | Buster Posey |
| 13 | 2.1 Jackie Peanuts | Giancarlo Stanton |
| 14 | 2.2 Wade | David Wright |
| 15 | 2.3 Sarris | Adrian Beltre |
| 16 | 2.4 Sanders | Evan Longoria |
| 17 | 2.5 Bender | Jose Reyes |
| 18 | 2.6 J Zim | Hanley Ramirez |
| 19 | 2.7 Zarzycki | Clayton Kershaw |
| 20 | 2.8 Harrison | Jason Heyward |
| 21 | 2.9 Wiers | Josh Hamilton |
| 22 | 2.10 Cwik | Jose Bautista |
| 23 | 2.11 Swydan | Justin Verlander |
| 24 | 2.12 Petriello | Joe Mauer |
| 25 | 3.1 Petriello | Stephen Strasburg |
| 26 | 3.2 Swydan | Edwin Encarnacion |
| 27 | 3.3 Cwik | Bryce Harper |
| 28 | 3.4 Wiers | Ryan Zimmerman |
| 29 | 3.5 Harrison | Starlin Castro |
| 30 | 3.6 Zarzycki | Dustin Pedroia |
| 31 | 3.7 Jeff Zim | Justin Upton |
| 32 | 3.8 Bender | David Price |
| 33 | 3.9 Sanders | R.A. Dickey |
| 34 | 3.10 Sarris | Adam Jones |
| 35 | 3.11 Wade | Yadier Molina |
| 36 | 3.12 Jackie Peanuts | Ian Kinsler |
| 37 | 4.1 Jackie Peanuts | Matt Holliday |
| 38 | 4.2 Wade | Yoenis Cespedes |
| 39 | 4.3 Sarris | Matt Cain |
| 40 | 4.4 Sanders | Craig Kimbrel |
| 41 | 4.5 Bender | Michael Bourn |
| 42 | 4.6 J Zim | Adrian Gonzalez |
| 43 | 4.7 Zarzycki | Billy Butler |
| 44 | 4.8 Harrison | Felix Hernandez |
| 45 | 4.9 Wiers | Curtis Granderson |
| 46 | 4.10 Cwik | Zack Greinke |
| 47 | 4.11 Swydan | Gio Gonzalez |
| 48 | 4.12 Petriello | Chase Headley |
| 49 | 5.1 Petriello | Ben Zobrist |
| 50 | 5.2 Swydan | Yu Darvish |
| 51 | 5.3 Cwik | Pablo Sandoval |
| 52 | 5.4 Wiers | Austin Jackson |
| 53 | 5.5 Harrison | Jay Bruce |
| 54 | 5.6 Zarzycki | Brett Lawrie |
| 55 | 5.7 Jeff Zim | Jacoby Ellsbury |
| 56 | 5.8 Bender | Jason Kipnis |
| 57 | 5.9 Sanders | Ian Desmond |
| 58 | 5.10 Sarris | Paul Goldschmidt |
| 59 | 5.11 Wade | Max Scherzer |
| 60 | 5.12 Jackie Peanuts | Cole Hamels |
With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Follow him on Twitter @enosarris if you can handle the sandwiches and inanity.
Even though it’s early, I learned a lot from doing this one. One thing I’d do over if I had the chance: not reach for Mauer in the 2nd round, considering we’re through 15 and Jaso is still on the board.
I agree. I thought Mauer was a bit of a reach in the 2nd round.
Ditto
what exactly was your rational behind this pick…
rationale*
5 Blue Jays in the top 60? Gee.
Gee is available as well. Do you have an outfielder with a two legs and a pulse?
Hamels at 60 looks like great value
I agree, a steal..
Definitely like him there a lot. And Jered Weaver is 60+ – yes he is risky due to his back and he outperforms his advanced metrics, but an ERA of 3.01 or less each of the last three seasons plus a stacked offense makes him a great value.
The fact that the same person could have gotten Braun and Bautista…
I think Bautista is going to disappoint owners in 2013 coming off the wrist injury. Power could be slow to return, so he comes with risk.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Andrew McCutchen. He is my starting CF in my long-term 16-keeper league and he will stay that way, but he is going to disappoint a lot of people in 2013 with that draft position. I hope I am wrong, but I highly doubt it.
McCutcheon is predictable and doesn’t get injured. That’s part of his value IMO..
Career .290 hitter with power and speed? I was happy to get him there.
Yadier Molina at 35 overall? Hanley at 18?
Jose Bautista could be a nice steal at that slot if he stays healthy.
Felix at 44?…sorry, but that’s just ridiculous. No way I would EVER take a closer over Felix Hernandez.
Now that Dickey’s in TOR, I would have taken Felix instead of the knuckleballer.
Dickey’s value went down? That surprises me
As great as he is, having him in the AL East in a tiny ballpark is scary.
i’ve only done one mock so far, guess i better catch up…
though in that draft, i managed to get posey at 42 as the first catcher off the board, standard yahoo 5×5
I would be very happy with Bruce w 53rd pick!
Agreed, was very happy he was available for me that late.
Stanton is a steal at 13. And how many more years can we consider Two Month Tulo a top ten pick and get disappointed?
I think I hate the turn this year. A little too early for middle infielders, corner infielders can be had later in the second, and I don’t take pitchers there. Still felt early for a guy like Stanton, who’s all power, if you don’t buy a .290 average this year.
Aside from the sports hernia last year, the only time he’s missed in the last four years is from a busted wrist after getting hit by a pitch. He’s only 28 this coming year. Yeah you’d like him better without the DL stints, but it’s not like we’re dealing with Franklin Gutierrez here.
A. Gonzalez at 42 and J. Bruce at 52? Bad mock draft.
Molina in the 3rd round is a horrible pick. AGon, Granderson, Felix, Cain, Kinsler, Bruce all still on the board should have made Molina less than an afterthought there.
He could have easily been taken 3-4 rds later.
I would love to hear the rationale for that pick.
Is Cliff Lee dead or something? Or is Yadier Molina a typo?
In the entire draft I’ve had so far, I consider my biggest risk to be Harper in the third. In retrospect, the third round was not fun. Not a lot of great players out there. I probably would have taken either Upton or Harper with the pick after thinking more about it, but I’m still happy with it. Playing for upside there.
It looked like the biggest non-posey risk to me. I could see the “fun factor” giving him a boost, but that’s awfully aggressive.
Fun is fun though
I love your first 3 picks. Harper could be the MVP this year. Braun, Bautista, and Harper. Wow what an outfield.
Harper could put up a 25-25 season in 2013…..he is worthy of a 3rd round pick.
Had never considered A. Jackson as a Top 60 player
Poor man’s Carlos Gonzalez?
That’s exactly how I view him. Assuming his BB% holds and he starts to run again, Jackson could be a huge player this year.
Austin really is a poor man’s cargo. He has 20-30 upside with great peripheral trends. Look at his 2012 and he missed some time. Should be a lock for 105-18-65-25-.285+ with health. Upside of 110-22-70-30-.290+
Wait, Aaron Hill isn’t a top 60 fantasy player…in 5×5?
2012: .302 AVG / 26 HR / 93 R / 85 RBI / 14 SB …as a second baseman?
I’m not gonna bother with fantasy slashes but he had a 77 wRC+ the previous two seasons. That’s probably why.
he’s not the most consistent player…
Even though I don’t think he’ll be quite as good, felt I still got great value in Hill.
Which isn’t published yet, but I did take him later.
Zim bought in quite a bit on down seasons 2-5.
Any reason Votto went so late in the 1st? Also, Scherzer over Hamels? Seems a bit ridiculous to me.
Yu is gonna beast mode it this year. Top 3 SP.
So that means you’re taking him to be better than 3 of Strasburg, Price, Verlander, Kershaw, and Felix?
i would take darvish over all of those but verlander and kershaw
@Jim
I wouldn’t.
I want to be in leagues with Steve and Jim! Especially money leagues!
KLaw said in a recent chat that Yu could lead MLB in fWAR this season.
Lame that I will apparently not be snagging Price, Hamels, and Cain as my top 3 SP again next year
jason heyward before JV?
No, read again. Joey Votto went 9 picks before Heyward.
Yea, I generally don’t select a starter before the fourth/fifth round.
I may have reached a little on JHey, but think he’s going to be a monster this year.
Despite passing on Verlander in the 2nd round, I was able to snag my ace in the fourth with King Felix at 4.8 — which I’m pretty happy about.
Any interest among rotograph readers in doing a standard MDC 12 team draft at some point?
I would be interested in that MDC mock draft.
i’m down…
So in my keeper league I should keep Cespedes over Sale?
Depends on the round/dollar values? Are both rookies? If it’s close, I’d take Cespedes pretty easily.
Agree with Wiers, here. I like Cespedes, depending on the other variables obviously (round/$$).
Tulo – way too high @ #10 – he can’t stay on the field. Same is true of Longoria at #16 – can’t stay healthy. And you have to bet against these guys being aggressive on the bases considering that Longoria got hurt on a SB attempt, so they will both probably top out at 5 SBs.
The Mauer and Yadi picks jump out at being way too high as well.
Still would take Castro over Reyes. I think his value in the mock is a steal at 29 compared to a 17 pick.
Will there be any mock auctions done by rotographs this year?
I would very much like to see this.
ditto