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billroperToday was our annual draft for our cards and dice / computer APBA league. We still have two managerial vacancies, so I was drafting for one of the two vacant teams, while the other co-commissioner was drafting for the other.
We had an unusual amount of starting pitching implode this year, which meant that there were a *lot* of quality starting pitchers available under our cap. There were so many pitchers available that the last of them went on the 11th pick of the draft, although a couple of position players went ahead of the last starting pitcher.
I was drafting last in the 8th position, having won both the first and second half sessions. I was happy to see a starting pitcher arrive at my spot, because I started the draft with two quality pitchers worth of starts spread out across four starters due to injuries. I had nursed hopes that the league might be foolish enough to let Spencer Strider slide that far, but the league was not nearly so foolish as that. I ended up grabbing Sonny Gray, who was the best combination of pitching grade and number of starts left at that point in my opinion.
None of my returning catchers were great. Only one was playable at all, Keibert Ruiz. The best catcher available in the draft had gone in the first round, but I was able to grab Gabriel Moreno at the end of round two and was happy to get him.
It was time to start rebuilding the bullpen around holdovers Ryan Helsley and Emmanuel Clase, neither of whom had great years, but both of whom were going to be serviceable. I added David Bednar in the third round, followed by Hoby Milner in the fourth, the latter giving me a lefty in the pen.
I was keeping my fingers crossed in the fifth round. I got to my slot and was able to draft the Dodgers' Bobby Miller as a pitching prospect. This year, he is outside of the quality starter group, but I'm hoping that improves in the future and he will fill in missing starts this year.
In round six, I took a deep dive and grabbed a player who is carded, but who does not have enough at bats to be allowed to play for us this year, rookie outfielder Evan Carter. There were a number of groans at this selection.
Round seven would be my final round of the draft. I studied the remaining relievers and took Adbert Alzolay to complete my bullpen.
I have a great many holdovers: the aforementioned Ruiz at catch, Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper at first, Ozzie Albies and Brandon Donovan at second, Alex Bregman and Manny Machado at third, Dansby Swanson and Carlos Correa at short, Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Jazz Chisholm, and Byron Buxton in the outfield. Returning starters are Clayton Kershaw, Max Fried, Brandon Woodruff, Shohei Ohtani (who will be DHing a lot), Yu Darvish, Luis Severino, MacKenzie Gore, Hunter Greene, and the uncarded Walker Buehler, who I hope will be pitching soon this season.
We'll see how it goes. The left side of my infield lacks the usual punch and there were not any great choices in the draft that would have improved it, so I have decided to roll the dice with what I had and plan to make corrections next year, if necessary.
But I'm pretty happy with the team. I am definitely better off than the other team that I was drafting for that went 19 rounds into the draft. But I think they are looking better now -- we'll see how I did for them this year and next.
We had an unusual amount of starting pitching implode this year, which meant that there were a *lot* of quality starting pitchers available under our cap. There were so many pitchers available that the last of them went on the 11th pick of the draft, although a couple of position players went ahead of the last starting pitcher.
I was drafting last in the 8th position, having won both the first and second half sessions. I was happy to see a starting pitcher arrive at my spot, because I started the draft with two quality pitchers worth of starts spread out across four starters due to injuries. I had nursed hopes that the league might be foolish enough to let Spencer Strider slide that far, but the league was not nearly so foolish as that. I ended up grabbing Sonny Gray, who was the best combination of pitching grade and number of starts left at that point in my opinion.
None of my returning catchers were great. Only one was playable at all, Keibert Ruiz. The best catcher available in the draft had gone in the first round, but I was able to grab Gabriel Moreno at the end of round two and was happy to get him.
It was time to start rebuilding the bullpen around holdovers Ryan Helsley and Emmanuel Clase, neither of whom had great years, but both of whom were going to be serviceable. I added David Bednar in the third round, followed by Hoby Milner in the fourth, the latter giving me a lefty in the pen.
I was keeping my fingers crossed in the fifth round. I got to my slot and was able to draft the Dodgers' Bobby Miller as a pitching prospect. This year, he is outside of the quality starter group, but I'm hoping that improves in the future and he will fill in missing starts this year.
In round six, I took a deep dive and grabbed a player who is carded, but who does not have enough at bats to be allowed to play for us this year, rookie outfielder Evan Carter. There were a number of groans at this selection.
Round seven would be my final round of the draft. I studied the remaining relievers and took Adbert Alzolay to complete my bullpen.
I have a great many holdovers: the aforementioned Ruiz at catch, Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper at first, Ozzie Albies and Brandon Donovan at second, Alex Bregman and Manny Machado at third, Dansby Swanson and Carlos Correa at short, Ronald Acuna Jr., Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, Jazz Chisholm, and Byron Buxton in the outfield. Returning starters are Clayton Kershaw, Max Fried, Brandon Woodruff, Shohei Ohtani (who will be DHing a lot), Yu Darvish, Luis Severino, MacKenzie Gore, Hunter Greene, and the uncarded Walker Buehler, who I hope will be pitching soon this season.
We'll see how it goes. The left side of my infield lacks the usual punch and there were not any great choices in the draft that would have improved it, so I have decided to roll the dice with what I had and plan to make corrections next year, if necessary.
But I'm pretty happy with the team. I am definitely better off than the other team that I was drafting for that went 19 rounds into the draft. But I think they are looking better now -- we'll see how I did for them this year and next.