Look, this isn’t going to be one of those hesitant, self-indulgent, inquisitive looks at a fantasy industry project. I’m not looking for your approval my Tout Wars squad; I already know that it was a triumph of game theory and modern drafting principles. In fact, many say that this is the greatest collection of human talent ever collected for virtual purposes (in 5X5 OBP format).
If this team ends up failing, it will be because the real MLB players conspired against me. My process was flawless.
I started with the classic Schendler Gambit – Julio Rodriguez, Pete Alonso, Jose Altuve, Corey Seeger— before moving on to the modified Erickson-Zol defense — Gunnar Henderson, Yu Darvish, Christian Xavier, Max Munsey — at this point, the room simply could not recover. It was over. Several participants respectfully yielded. The project became a coronation.
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But again, I didn’t come here for positive reinforcement. No need. Obviously, I created a cool fantasy team. Desired list, indeed.
Let’s not over-analyze every team when there is nothing in the roster that can be justifiably criticized. Instead, we are here to focus on the endgame, not the top 250 or so. I’d like to highlight five end-of-round Tout picks (all mine, naturally) that are noteworthy in deep mixed leagues…
Yoan Moncada, 3B, Chicago White Sox
Moncada, for a number of reasons, is one of the most obvious candidates for a return to the game. For beginners, he played due to injury at the start of last season after straining oblique at the end of spring training, an issue that contributed in no small part to his disappointing performances. Last year, the forward was completely brutal on the left side (.204/.257/.325) – unusual by career standards – and he was especially ineffective when switching against (.233 wOBA), as he did 78.3 percent of the time. his appearance on the left plate. So he is a clear beneficiary of the new rules regarding defensive shifting. Moncada is also a 27-year-old player who already has 25 homers, .915 OPS in his account.
Just two years ago, he hit base with a .375 clip. This is not yet the guy we should write off.
Eric Lauer, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
I will admit the possibility that last season I happened to broadcast Lauer at the right time, inflating his true level of talent in my mind. He has exceeded his expected ERA in each of the last two years, which is reason enough for people who panic about regression to throw his name on the non-draft list. Let’s just remember that when Lauer rolls, he’s outstanding:
He finished 2022 in a row with scoreless starts, in which he allowed just one hit in 11.0 innings, striking out 16. Back in April, he had a 13,000-strong effort against the Phillies, followed by an 11,000-strong effort against the Phillies. Cubs. Lauer’s K/9 over the last two seasons is 8.9, which is exactly what you should be looking for if you’re playing in a league with maximum innings (which the Tout doesn’t, but any Sportzshala public league does).
CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals
It sounds like Abrams may just be a member of the Best Shape of His Life Club. He had a mostly (but not entirely) disappointing debut season this spring at age 21. He mostly lived on base among the minors (career .331/.385/.511) and he went 42 of 54 on stolen base attempts in 114 lower-level games. Abrams definitely going to work in a much friendlier base stealing environment this year. If he leads the Nationals this season (which seems likely), he could become an elite player in one category as well as a reputable source of runs.
Charlie Blackmon, OF, Colorado Rockies
You may never pick a non-sexual draft like Blackmon in 2023 when he turns 37. No one will fight you for an ancient outfielder with modest strength. Just note that Blackmon was one of the most robbed hitters last season. according to Sports Info Solutions. Blackmon’s punching and batting averages could rise next year. Also, we still like players who hit home hits in Coors, at or near the top of the lineup.
Brett Baty, 3B, New York Mets
Baty completely wore down pitchers in his junior year last season, hitting .315/.410/.533 with 19 bombs in 95 games. This spring, he also started brilliantly, bursting into conversation about the roster for the opening day. At 23, he’s one of the top prospects in baseball and has nothing more to prove in his junior year. Even Edward Escobar starts the season third for the Mets, he can only hold the rookie back for so long.
At the time of this writing, Baty has +1500 to win the NL Rookie of the Year at BetMGM, just for the record. He is a very worthy promising player with significant growth potential.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
