You didn’t ask, but here are the top 24 players selected in the 35th annual Sun Baseball League draft.
Probably not much different than your league’s results, but we fantasy ballers like to compare and contrast.
And No. 1 …
Mike Trout of the Angels. Well, of course. The best player in the game, as well as in fantasy, and he is wasting his career with the Angels.
2. Nolan Arenado. Colorado’s third baseman had a huge year in 2016 — 41 homers, 116 runs, 133 batted in, a .362 OBP, and at 26 is in his prime.
3. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs. Getting better year over year, and he was really good a year ago.
4. Mookie Betts, OF, Boston. Did something good nearly every day, a year ago and we see no reason why he shouldn’t do a lot more of it in 2017.
5. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona. His power stats slipped a little, but he responded by being more well-rounded. Thirty-two steals by a 1B?
6. Bryce Harper, OF, Washington. A mystery man. Will he be the MVP of 2015 or the flop of 2016? One of my colleagues’ may turn on the answer to that one. Oh, and the Nationals’, too.
7. Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston. I pegged him No. 3 in the draft, so the little guy was a bargain down here.
8. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers. Most of the 12 owners seem convinced he will bounce back from his injury-marred 2016 season, but our league is titled toward offense, not pitching.
9. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta. He seemed like a quality player but not a star — till last year, when he popped a 34-homer, 102-BI, 91-runs, .400-OBP season.
10. Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto. An hitting machine for several years now. Probably taken too low.
11. Mario Machada, 3B, Baltimore. Another of the numerous 3Bs who pile up huge stats.
12. Miggy Cabrera, 1B, Detroit. The slow fade continues, down from the Nos. 1 or 2 spots he much of the previous decade.
13. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston. Coming into his own, and figures to get a lift in those 81 games in Fenway and in the middle of that Red Sox offense.
14. Starling Marte, OF, Pittsburgh. Supposed to be one of the elite speed-and-power guys, but the power shriveled in 2016, from 19 homers to 9. Maybe a bit of a reach.
15. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs. A bit late for a guy who was fourth in MVP voting, after 32 homers, 94 runs, 109 BI …
16. Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, Cleveland. In his age 33 season he hit 42 home runs with 127 batted in. Looks likely to put up a few more seasons like that one.
17. Trea Turner, SS, Washington. Was last year’s astonishing half season (13 homers, 40 BI, 53 runs, 33 steals) just a sign of more to come? One owner thinks so.
18. Charlie Blackmon, OF, Colorado. Had a huge season leading off for the Rockies. If he remains healthy, could have another big year.
19. Noah Syndergaard, SP, NY Mets. I had him third among pitchers but, again, this is high in a league in which six of 11 stat categories are about hitting, and one of the five pitching stats is saves.
20. Carlos Correa, SS, Houston. Good last year, in his first full season, but perhaps not as good as his partial 2015 season suggested. (Do the Astros have a great double-play combo, or what?)
21. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland. Another of the fine young shortstops (four now taken) appearing in baseball. Will be in the middle of a good-looking Cleveland offense.
22. Trevor Story, SS, Colorado. See above. Gets the added bonus of half his games in thin Denver air.
23. Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers. See above and above that. This is six shortstops among the first 23 picks and all of them are in their mid-20s or younger.
24. Brian Dozier, 2B, Minnesota. Hit 42 homers and scored 104 times. If he comes back with 80 percent of that he’s still one of the top two or three 2Bs, with the stick.
Twelve more picks …
25. Joey Votto; 26. Robinson Cano; 27. Max Scherzer; 28. Matt Carpenter; 29. Chris Sale; 30. Rougned Odor; 31. Madison Bumgarner; 32. Kenley Janson; 33. Nelson Cruz; 34. Giancarlo Stanton; 35. Daniel Murphy; 36. Wil Myers.
Now we play the games to see how this works out. See you in six months.
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