Fantasy Baseball 2018: Top-5 Rule 5 picks of all-time
By Bill Pivetz
The 2017 Rule 5 Draft has come and gone. While many of the players selected may not be fantasy relevant, let’s look at the ones that became All-Stars.
This offseason started off pretty quiet but it eventually picked up. Shohei Ohtani picked his team and the Marlins traded three of their top hitters. Now, the rest will follow suit. Though, the one event that seems to go unnoticed or without fanfare and that’s the Rule 5 Draft.
For those unfamiliar with the draft, here’s the definition from MLB.com.
"“The Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs…Players who signed with their current club at age 18 or younger and have played professionally for at least five years are eligible to be selected, as are those who signed at 19 or older and have at least four years of professional experience.”"
Not every club will make a selection. The teams that do must pay the player’s former team $100,000 per player. Teams may also make selections from a team’s minor league system as well at a cheaper rate.
This allows teams who need help and don’t have the talent in their farm system to add a player being blocked from the majors in their current system. The Rule 5 draft, or at least the idea of it, has been around since 1892. There have been a lot of big names to come out of the draft that we probably wouldn’t have seen at the big-league level if it weren’t for the draft.
Before I get into the top-5 Rule 5 draft picks, here are some players that deserve at least a mention.
For better or for worse, Bobby Bonilla is still talked about among baseball enthusiasts. From 1992 to 1994, Bonilla was the highest-paid player in the league, earning more than $6 million per year. He is still being paid $1.19 million by the New York Mets and will be paid until 2035.
Bonilla did hit .279 with 287 home runs, 1,173 RBI and 2,010 hits in 7,213 at-bats over 16 seasons. he had a few seasons with good power and contact, but by the time he reached his mid-30s, Bonilla wasn’t putting up the same numbers.
Hector Rondon (CHC), Delino DeShields Jr (TEX) and Russell Wilson, yes the Seattle Seahawks quarterback, are some other big names.
Now, it’s time for the top-5 Rule 5 Draft picks of all time.
While the last couple of seasons haven’t been what fantasy owners want, Jose Bautista put up some amazing numbers over his 14-year career.
He bounced around a few teams before finding his groove with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2010, he hit 53 home runs with a .260 average. Bautista hit 43 home runs and .302 the following season.
Bautista made the All-Star game in six straight seasons from 2010 to 2015. In his 9+ seasons in Toronto, he hit a total of 288 home runs, 766 RBI and .253/.372/.506.
But, as I hinted, the last couple of seasons haven’t been kind to Bautista. He hit .203 with 23 home runs in 157 games last season, the most games played since 2010.
Bautista enters the 2018 fantasy season as a 22nd-round pick as the No. 60 outfielder. His time has gone but those home runs will last forever.
The current Minnesota Twins pitching staff leaves a lot to be desired to current fans. One name that will live in Twins infamy is Johan Santana.
Santana was originally selected by the Florida Marlins in the 1999 Rule 5 Draft. He was then traded to the Twins on the same day.
In eight seasons with Minnesota, Santana averaged a 3.22 ERA, 1.094 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 12-6 record. Oh yeah, he also won two Cy Young awards in 2004 and 2006.
In the first Cy Young season, Santana posted a 2.61 ERA, 0.921 WHIP and 20-6 record. Two years later, he had a 2.77 ERA, 0.997 WHIP and 19-6 record.
His time with the New York Mets wasn’t as prolific but he threw a couple of good seasons. In four seasons, he missed the 2011 season, Santana averaged a 3.18 ERA, 1.201 WHIP and a 12-8 record. His strikeout rate went down almost two full strikeouts but was still a fantasy star.
Santana was a great pitcher for the Twins and pretty good for the Mets. Overall, he was one of the best for almost a decade.
We all know the story of Josh Hamilton. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays in 1999 but his demons cost him almost seven years. The Chicago Cubs selected him in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft and would bounce around to a couple of teams before finding himself with the Texas Rangers.
In those five seasons, Hamilton hit .305 with 142 home runs, 506 RBI and 419 runs scored. He made the All-Star game in all five seasons and won the MVP in 2010.
In that season, Hamilton hit 32 home runs, 100 RBI, 95 runs scored and a .359/.411/.633 slash line. He hit 43 homers, 128 RBI and .285 just two seasons later.
His two years with the Los Angeles Angels were not what we expected, 31 HR/123 RBI/.255 in 240 games. He did get his homecoming back to Texas in 2015 but it lasted just 50 games.
Hamilton was crushing the ball long before Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. One of the best power/contact hitters in the league.
Jason Grilli‘s career is truly a tale of two halves. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox in the 2003 Rule 5 Draft. In his first six seasons Grilli averaged a 4.62 ERA, 1.463 WHIP, 6.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9. Nothing like the reliever he would become.
After missing the 2010 season, Grilli joined the Pittsburgh Pirates. He slowly move into the closer role and succeeded in 2013 when he posted 33 saves in 50 innings. He recorded 24 more saves with the Atlanta Braves in 2015.
In the last seven seasons, Grilli had a 3.65 ERA, 1.247 ERA, 11.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB.9. While his age-40 season wasn’t good, 6.30 ERA, he was still throwing hard and striking out batters, 10.8 K./9.
I’m not a fan of drafting closers early but if you owned Grilli between 2013 and 2015, he was one of the best in the league. Let’s see if he can find a home in 2018 and help out a bullpen as a middle reliever or set-up man.
Let’s go back 60 years. Jackie Robinson made his last MLB appearance in 1956 but his presence opened the doors for many other black athletes to join MLB and make a living. One of the best in the game, regardless of color, was outfielder Roberto Clemente.
Clemente was was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 but at the end of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, and the rest is history.
While I don’t think they played fantasy baseball back then, his stats would make him a top-20 hitter in today’s game. He played in 2,433 games over 18 seasons. Clemente averaged a .317 average with a total of 240 home runs, 1,305 RBI and 1,416 runs. He also racked up 83 steals in 129 attempts.
Clemente made 12 All-Star appearances and won the National League MVP in 1966. He hit 29 homers, 119 RBI and .317 in that MVP season.
With a glove that could catch almost anything, his pitchers were very lucky to have him in right field. Clemente was a great hitter and the fact that he’s in the Hall of Fame puts him at the top of this list.
There are plenty of other names worthy of being on this list. However, with the numbers these players put up over their career, they stand out over the rest.
Looking at some of the selections from this year’s Rule 5 Draft, could we see them on this list in 10 or 15 years?
Let me know what you think in the comments. Did I forget anyone?