Fantasy Baseball 2013: Which Division Won the Fantasy Battle?
Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday, we’re going to start our Team Previews (more on those at the bottom), which for us is when the 2014 season really begins. But how can we put a bow on the 2013 season? Well, since we break up those previews week-by-week by division, why don’t we just see which division was the best in 2013? Sounds good to me.
Rosters were comprised of 1 Catcher, 1 First Baseman, 1 Second Baseman, 1 Shortstop, 1 Third Baseman, 5 Outfielders, 2 Utility Guys, 5 Starting Pitchers, and 2 Closers. I used standard roto scoring. So, since there are six divisions, the best division in each category received 6 points, while the worst received 1. Also, the standard categories of Runs, HR, RBI, SB, and Batting Average were used for offense, while Strikeouts, Wins, Saves, ERA, and WHIP were used for pitching.
Players were chosen based on the team/division they played for in 2013. So, for the sake of this discussion, Robinson Cano is still a member of the New York Yankees and in the American League East. If a player split his time between teams in different divisions (ie: Alex Rios), he wasn’t eligible. It didn’t come up, but a player like Edinson Volquez who played on two different teams in the same division (San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers), would have been fine. Since 2013 teams and divisions were used, I also used 2013’s position eligibility.
Enough hearing about the labor pains, let’s see this baby!
[table id=210 /] So, in 2013, here’s how the six divisions ranked in a fantasy battle.
[table id=214 /]
Okay, now, how did I arrive at these numbers?
— OFFENSE —
[table id=196 /]Notes: This division will likely have a very different look in 2014. Mike Napoli won’t have catcher eligibility to start the year and probably won’t pick it up, while the same is true for Edwin Encarnacion. The loss of Robinson Cano will hurt, but Dustin Pedroia isn’t exactly a slouch at 2B, Evan Longoria would have been the next up for the 3B position, and Brian McCann will be catching. Definitely a hitter’s division, and I wouldn’t look for that to change.
[table id=197 /]Notes: Pretty strong in RBI production and while Miguel Cabrera helps that, it’s not as dramatic as you’d probably think. Overall, though, a little light on the power for an AL division, although they measure up just fine in most other offensive categories. Victor Martinez will lose eligibility at catcher, but with Carlos Santana and Salvador Perez waiting and Joe Mauer playing a full season’s worth of games with catcher eligibility without having to actually catch, I’m not expecting a big drop.
[table id=198 /]Notes: Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols stepping their games up wouldn’t exactly hurt this division’s cause in 2014, neither will the acquisition of Prince Fielder by the Texas Rangers.
[table id=199 /]Notes: This division is clearly based in pitching, as they didn’t rank in the top half of a single offensive category. Still, there’s a lot of youth in this group in guys like Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Dominic Brown, and even Justin Upton. They’ll have a void to fill at catcher with McCann moving to the AL East.
[table id=202 /]Notes: Stacked division. How stacked? When I was checking the rankings and putting the team together, I missed Andrew McCutchen the first time, and the outfield was still loaded. Of course, I double-checked and as you can see, Cutch is there (Allen Craig got the boot, in case anyone was wondering). The likely loss of Shin-Soo Choo and definite loss of Carlos Beltran may do some damage but remember, Ryan Braun will be back for a full year in 2014, and we’re expecting good things.
[table id=203 /]Notes: Kind of the opposite as the AL Central. A division with a good batting average, as well as strong HR and RBI totals should score more runs. Unfortunately, you notice a lot of guys like Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, and Michael Cuddyer that put up great numbers, but missed substantial time. These guys getting a full year, plus stars like Buster Posey and Matt Kemp doing what they’re capable of in 2014 will help this division’s standing.
— PITCHING —
[table id=204 /]Notes: It’s such a tough division for pitchers, it’s not a huge surprise that the best seasons came from the guys who were either relievers, or missed significant time like Alex Cobb and Clay Buchholz. Lastly, farewell Sandman. You will be missed.
[table id=205 /]Notes: Some may expect some regression in 2014 from guys like Max Scherzer and Chris Sale. I’m not sure I completely buy that, but even if it happens, I’m expecting a resurgent season from Justin Verlander. This isn’t a great division top-to-bottom, but it’s very strong at the top, especially with the Detroit Tigers pitchers.
[table id=206 /]Notes: The closers will be different next year, with Joe Nathan and Grant Balfour both out of the division. Still, you’d have to figure that the acquisition of Jim Johnson by the Oakland Athletics will help matters. Also, the division’s pitching would look a little better if some of the Los Angeles Angels begin pitching like their contacts say they should.
[table id=207 /]Notes: No Stephen Strasburg? No Gio Gonzalez? No Cole Hamels? No Kris Medlen? No problem, no problem, and no problem. This division is absolutely loaded with pitching and while the loss of Matt Harvey will hinder that in 2014, there are plenty of guys in reserve to keep the pitching in this division as strong as ever.
[table id=208 /]Notes: Big winners from this division. It helps that nobody came from either of the bottom-two finishing teams. It’s not a huge surprise that ERA and WHIP took a hit, as this is a tough division to pitch in. The names to watch here are Shelby Miller and Homer Bailey, along with youngsters like Gerrit Cole.
[table id=209 /]Notes: Clearly the pitching of this division put them over the top. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in the game and doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. If Patrick Corbin continues to develop of guys like Matt Cain get back to their old selves, this division is only going to get better.
How did I come to these players?
The highest ranked player on ESPN’s 2013 Player Rater at each position got the nod. If someone qualified at multiple positions, I put him at the position with the weaker second option. For example, Matt Carpenter would have been the NL Central’s 1B, 2B, and 3B. Carpenter was more valuable keeping Pedro Alvarez off the team at third base, as Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips had a higher score.
Last Note:
Just a few quick notes to preview the previews before we’re done:
- The projections you see in the previews belong to the writer. They’re not a group effort, and they may not be even close to what you see in the Draft Kit in February, which is collaborative.
- We start in the American League, doing one division per week, moving East to West. Once the AL is done, we do the same thing in the National League.
- Each division will be posted in reverse finishing order from 2013’s final standings. So, the team from Monday will be the last place team, while the Friday team will be the division champs.
- If you’ve been paying attention, you know that we’re leading off tomorrow with the Toronto Blue Jays. Tuesday will be the Baltimore Orioles, followed by the New York Yankees Wednesday (the O’s and Yanks for 3rd/4th place, we flipped a coin), the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, and the Boston Red Sox on Monday.