Mar 13, 2015; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts (50) doubles during the third inning against the New York Yankees at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
These articles now feature five rounds of picks in my mock draft. While there are a lot of notable players, it will be near impossible to write about every single one. I’ll talk about about my picks and one or two other players in each round. Speaking of these rounds, there were a lot of great pitchers drafted, which is why I always say to wait on starting pitching. There were plently of pitchers I wish I drafted. Regardless, I filled two positions with nice players and added depth to others.
Round 11
11.101 OF Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
11.102 SP Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
11.103 2B/OF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
When Betts first appeared in the majors, he went unnoticed. He came back up about two months later as the new center fielder and made a big difference. In 39 games, Betts batted .304, compiled a .391 on-base percentage and hit four home runs and stole six bases. Heading into 2015, he will have to compete for a starting job, but there is confidence he could win the job. He his a well-rounded hitter, can produce a high average with double-digit home runs and stolen bases. He is a great mid-round pick.
11.105 SP Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates
11.106 OF Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
My 2015 projections for Gardner can be found here.
11.107 SP Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres
After making 37 starts in his first four seasons, Ross’ first full season boded well for fantasy owners. Despite the lack of run support from the Padres’ lineup, he won 13 games with a 2.81 ERA, 1.211 WHIP and 195 strikeouts. He was shut down in mid-September with a slight flexor strain in his lower right forearm, but is ready for the spring. If there are no lingering affects, Ross should finish as a top-30 starter in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
11.108 SP Carlos Carrasco, Indians
11.109 RP Trevor Rosenthal, St. Louis Cardinals
Even though he finished with a 3.20 ERA, he recorded 45 saves in 72 games. He is a top-10 closer.
11.110 3B Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
Round 12
12.111 SP Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
The 2014 season was Verlander’s worst since 2008. He posted a 15-12 recod, 4.54 ERA, 1.398 WHIP and struck out just 159 batters. Despite the struggles, he will enter the season as the Tigers’ No. 1 pitcher, but the gap is closing between him and his teammates. While the velocity may not be there anymore, he was able to plow through batters with better control. Verlander is no longer an elite pitcher after two poor seasons. If he slides down to Round 11 or 12, I would take a flyer on him as my No. 3 starter.
12.112 SS Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox
12.113 RP Cody Allen, Indians
12.114 SP Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals
12.115 OF Denard Span, Nationals
12.116 1B/OF Mark Trumbo, Arizona Diamondbacks
12.118 C Yadier Molina, Cardinals
12.119 3B Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals
12.120 1B/DH Chris Carter, Houston Astros
Power is Carter’s only contribution to a fantasy team. If you draft him, make sure you have players to help raise your batting average.
Round 13
13.121 3B Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
13.122 SP Phil Hughes, Minnesota Twins
13.123 Anibal Sanchez, Tigers
13.125 C Brian McCann, Yankees
13.126 SP Garrett Richards, Los Angeles Angels
Check out my 2015 projections for Richards here.
13.127 C Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
13.128 SP Lance Lynn, Cardinals
13.129 OF Jorge Soler, Chicago Cubs
Soler made a huge impact for the short amount of time he was in the majors. Despite dealing with injuries and spending little time in the minors, Soler was one example of the Cubs’ bright future. In 24 games, he hit five home runs and 20 RBI for a .292 batting average. Of the three outfield positions, Soler’s spot in right field seems to be locked up. While he has little speed, Soler has power potential paired with a low strikeout rate. He should be the first of the Cubs’ young players to be drafted.
13.130 OF Jayson Werth, Nationals
Round 14
14.131 RP Huston Street, Angels
14.132 RP Koji Uehara, Red Sox
14.133 SS Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
14.134 2B/SS/OF Ben Zobrist, Oakland Athletics
14.135 2B Howie Kendrick, Dodgers
14.136 RP Steve Cishek, Miami Marlins
14.138 2B Kolten Wong, Cardinals
Check out my 2015 projections for Wong here.
14.139 OF Rusney Castillo, Red Sox
Along with the Cubs, the Red Sox have a lot of young players ready to help fantasy owners. Castillo’s 2014 season lasted about as long as a cup of coffee. In 10 games, he hit two home runs, six RBI and stole three bases. With a lot of question marks surrounding Castillo’s production over a full season, taking a flyer on him in the middle rounds is fine. After looking at other Cuban defectors, like Jose Abreu and Yasiel Puig, it could be a promising 2015 season.
14.140 SP Doug Fister, Nationals
Round 15
15.141 SP Homer Bailey, Reds
15.142 OF Melky Cabrera, White Sox
I have no idea why Cabrera fell this far. Check out my 2015 projections for him here.
15.143 RP Drew Storen, Nationals
15.145 OF Ben Revere, Philadelphia Phillies
15.146 SP Andrew Cashner, Padres
Cashner showed signs of becoming an ace in 2013. He went 10-9 with a 3.09 ERA. Things took a turn for the worst after spending close to half the season on the disabled list. In his 19 starts, he went 5-7 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.127 WHIP and 93 strikeouts. Even as a hard thrower, the low K/9 rates are disappointing. The string of injuries should raise some antennaes for fantasy owners. He can still keep a low ERA and WHIP, making him a better option in head-to-head leagues over Roto leagues. Regardless, he is a top-45 pitcher.
15.147 2B Jedd Gyorko, Padres
15.148 SS Jimmy Rollins, Dodgers
After spending 15 seasons with the Phillies, Rollins may end his career with the Dodgers. Batting in a much better lineup, Rollins could see an uptick in his production from a fantasy level.
15.149 RP Zach Britton, Orioles
15.150 Jered Weaver, Angels