Bryce Harper leads off Mock Draft Round 2
Oct 7, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper hits a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the 7th inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Round 1 of the early fantasy baseball mock draft can be found here. Round 2 of the mock draft offered much lower floors in the players drafted than I expected. Almost half of the players are pretty serious injury risks.
The most interesting I noticed in this round was that a pair of teammates was selected back-to-back three times in a row. This unusual occurrence happened when two Mariners were drafted at 15 and 16, two Rockies at 17 and 18, and two Nationals at 19 and 20. My favorite picks were probably the two players named Anthony, while I did not care much for the Carlos Gonzalez or Evan Longoria draft picks.
The numbers listed to the left of each name represent the round and the overall pick they were drafted.
2.13 OF Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals
Someone had to do it. As great as Bryce Harper will probably be, I am not going to be the person who drafts him in the top 15 of a non-keeper league. There is no doubt that Bryce Harper has the makings of a fantasy stud, but this is paying superstar price for someone who has had his last two seasons derailed by injuries.
2.14 1B Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs
I specifically chose the 10th spot of the draft in order to get the last super elite fantasy option and pair him with Anthony Rizzo. I was very disappointed to be sniped in the second round with a player that I expected to go closer to pick 20. In fact, a considerable number of the other people in the mock draft were also targeting Rizzo in the second round.
More thoughts on Rizzo can be found in this article. Regardless, Rizzo getting swept from under my feet forced me to install a backup plan that I had not prepared for because I was sure I was getting him with the 15th pick.
SP. Seattle Mariners. Felix Hernandez. 2.15. player. 62. In a normal draft, I would have needed backup plans because your time to pick is limited. I went with what I felt was the safest option. King Felix just gets better and better regardless of how many innings he has thrown. I preferred a bat here, but I think the Rockies’ hitters are too injury prone, Cano is not worth his price, and the Nationals’ infielders are more like late second round players. I do not love the pick, but I think it was safe.
2.16 2B Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners
In the first year of his megadeal in Seattle, Robinson Cano hit 14 home runs. That is just not enough for me with the 16th overall pick as I have previously written. I think his HR ceiling is now closer to 20 since he is now 32 and plays at Safeco instead of Yankee Stadium with the short porch in right field.
2.17 SS Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies
Go big or go home. Tulo will be the top shortstop in the game by far when he is healthy, but his health is the million dollar question. If Troy Tulowitzki plays even 120 games, then this pick may be worth it. Here is more about his production and injury history.
2.18 OF Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies
I can understand taking the leap of faith on Troy Tulowitzki, but I am not sure I would do the same for Carlos Gonzalez. He is also a walking injury, but he does not offer unparalleled production at his position. While Cargo is a great outfielder, there are other options that will spend less time on the DL. In fact, Carlos Gonzalez is now the second best Cargo in baseball (see Carlos Gomez).
2.19 2B/3B Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals
Rendon is a popular pick for a large number of reasons. His production, age, 2B/3B eligibility, five category contributions, and tremendous upside are some of the many reasons that baseball fans are drooling over the 24 year-old. In a loaded Nationals lineup, he scored 111 runs, hit 21 homers, and stole 17 bases in 2014. He could and probably will be even better next year. I almost took Anthony Rendon with the 15th pick of the draft.
2.20 SS Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals
Rendon’s infield teammate is one of the premier shortstops in baseball. His 20 homer and 20 steal baseline established over the past three seasons is nothing short of incredible. Ian Desmond is a stud contributor when it comes to the counting stats at a thin position, but his slash line is not where I want it to be. In 2014, Desmond slashed .255/.313/.430, which is weak for the 20th draft pick. I am mixed on this selection.
2.21 SP Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants
The hero of October transcended into folklore after his mythical World Series performance, but I think Bumgarner was a slight overdraft. He is a virtual lock to be a top 10 starting pitcher once again, but I would have gone Chris Sale if you are looking for an ace with Kershaw and Hernandez off the board.
2.22 3B Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers
Adrian Beltre continues to be nothing short of amazing, but I do have to wonder if age will hamper him. My thoughts on the matter can be found here. I just need to remind myself that in a disaster of a season for the Texas Rangers that 35 year-old Adrian Beltre hit .324/.388/.492 and had a BB/K of .77. I think this potential Hall of Famer still has plenty of juice.
2.23 3B Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays
Longoria tricked me this past season with his big name, but his numbers were not what I hoped for when I traded for him. I just wrote a bit about why I am not drafting Evan Longoria in this piece.
2.24 OF Jacoby Ellsbury of the New York Yankees
Jacoby Ellsbury’s main attraction is speed. I am not going to pay for speed this early in the draft. While there is nothing wrong with getting a big time base stealer, Ellsbury only scored 71 runs in a poor New York offense. I would usually want 90+ runs if I drafted a speedy guy this high. While I am impressed by his 16 homers, his fantasy output is not enough for me with the 24th pick.