Rank these guys

by roaddog on Nov 11, 2005 2:22 AM EST

Looking for insight. Keeper league, if a guy's not listed he's probably not available.

Pitcher's need to have ace potential with No.2 being the low end (not counting injury risk). ERA and IP are the keys.

Position scarcity is ok, but mostly lookng for pure high end talent 30 HR, .300 ave being a bullseye at any position. HR or/and high average are keys in this league, everything else ends up following that pretty much.

Would be looking for guys that will be producing in 2007. My team's pretty set up for young talent for 3 years or so, so high end ceiling upside is what I want to add even if they are a little risky. Catcher is probably weakest spot, so a 20 hr, 290 ave career catcher would be nice (for anyone).

A guy should be starting and making an impact by 2007.

No particular order

Matt Kemp
Howie Kendrick
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Lastings Milledge
George Kottaras
Russ Martin
Brandon Wood
Jame Loney
Alex Gordon
Billy Butler
Jeff Clement
Kurt Suzuki
Michael Bourn
Nick Markakis
Andre Ethier
Mitch Einertson
Eric Duncan
Chris Young (the White Sox)

18 hitters

Fausto Carmona
Jerad Weaver
Anibal Sanchez
Chuck James
Chuck Tiffany
Thomas Diamond
John Danks
Hayden Penn
Jon Lester
Gio Gonzalez
Gaby Hernandez
Ray Liota
Glen Perkins

13 pitchers

Pretty much all the guys with much high end upside that are available. I'm sorta set pitching wise, but flyers on potential sub 3 ERA would fit.

Thanks for any input.

Poll

Who's more likely to start begining April 06

Delmon Young

36 votes

Stephen Drew

18 votes

Billy Butler

4 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

i'll take a stab

alex gordon
brandon wood
jon lester
billy butler
howie kendrick
jered weaver

most of the other guys i see as not being full-timers by 2007, or just not high-ceiling guys (ethier, kemp, kottaras, einertson, most of the pitchers).

by jpahk on Nov 11, 2005 3:19 AM EST reply actions

Thoughts

The best pitchers you can grab IMO in order would be Weaver, Lester, Danks. The other guys are lacking the ceiling you are looking for and/or are too far away from the majors to project as a potential ace type guy with any strong degree of accuracy. Weaver probably won't be an ace, but is the safest guy and should be a solid starter for years to come.

Your hitting choices are generally very good. Guys who you should target, in order:

Brandon Wood
Alex Gordon (interchangable at 1 really, but you want upside and Wood offers that at a premium position)
Howie Kendrick
Salty (the offensive ceiling you're looking for at C)
Billy Butler
Jeff Clement
Chris Young

by mrkupe on Nov 11, 2005 11:23 AM EST reply actions

Almost the same

Wood
Gordon
Kendrick
Satlamachawhatever
Clement
Milledge
Butler

"Second guessers are guys that could have never gotten it right the first time." - Tommy Lasorda (for guys that have no other defense for their actions.)

by slurve on Nov 11, 2005 1:30 PM EST up reply actions

Response

I think Butler and Clement are the two toughest guys to rank on this list. Butler is difficult because even with the glowing scouting reports that say he should rake compared even to other first basemen, that's saying an awful lot. Clement is difficult because we just haven't seen enough of him yet against proper competition.

Biggest problems with Milledge for me is that I'm not sure how many home runs he'll hit and his SB success rate is not especially good. I think his fantasy impact will be something similar to a Torii Hunter with a better average, maybe a little less power. I like him a lot more as a prospect than as a fantasy player for now, I think.

by mrkupe on Nov 11, 2005 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

when to mix in a pitcher and Kendrick

I'd go at least 4 deep and maybe 5 or 6 before even considering one of the pitchers on your list (I assume that Verlander and Zumaya aren't listed because they are unavailable). I have the #2 pick in my league's draft next spring and with a similar list of players available (but not Butler) I'd have a hard time imaging straying from one of Gordon, Wood or Kendrick. Sure Wood has unlimited power potential and Gordon may hit for power and average, but I still might take Kendrick over whichever of those 2 is left. Kendrick could be the next Kirby Puckett, or at least the next Bill Madlock or Al Oliver, which isn't bad either. Depending on league rules, top of the order guys who don't walk and hit for high average can be VERY valuable because they get so many at bats with which to help your team average. One other comment is that Danks may have a high ceiling, but its still very much of a flyer as to whether he gets there. At some point, of course you have to take him, but I's be wanting the vast majority of your available offensive choices before getting around to him.

by BERSMR on Nov 11, 2005 12:14 PM EST reply actions

I'll second jpahk

That's almost exactly the way I'd rank 'em, so I'll just add

Clement
James
Penn

by marc w @ Minor League Ball on Nov 11, 2005 1:27 PM EST reply actions

another take on the hitters

I'd go:

Gordon
Wood
Markakis
Saltalamacchia
Butler
Ethier
Kemp
Kenrick

by bolton on Nov 11, 2005 9:10 PM EST reply actions

Fails to make the routine plays

I can spell Salty's name (I think), but I drop a letter in Kendrick. Story of my life, really.

by bolton on Nov 11, 2005 9:15 PM EST up reply actions

Hitters

01 Alex Gordon
02 Brandon Wood
03 Billy Butler
04 Howie Kendrick
05 Jarrod Saltalamacchia
06 Lastings Milledge
07 Nick Markakis
[small gap]
08 Chris Young (CWS)
09 Jeff Clement
10 Russ Martin
11 Matt Kemp
[gap]
12 Andre Ethier
13 Eric Duncan
14 George Kottaras
15 James Loney
16 Michael Bourn
17 Kurt Suzuki
18 Mitch Einertson

"If you don't like Torey Lovullo, then you don't like baseball." Sparky Anderson

by natsfan2005 @ Minor League Ball on Nov 11, 2005 9:24 PM EST reply actions

thanks for the input

Helps a lot. Right along the lines I was thinking, so nice to have conformation for 1-3. I'd go Gordon,Wood,Butler at this point, but Wood has just about moved past.

After that, I had been struggling over Kendrick, Kemp, Salty, Milledge, Markakis, so having confirmation of Kendrick gives me a push for 4.

I agree that almost all of those pitchers are on the same plane and it is sorta a dart board shot so picking up two of whoever is left in later rounds seems like a decent plan.

Only pause on Salty is the block by McCann+Estrada, but I believe his bat is real so he's gonna play somewhere if not in Atlanta.

Thanks again guys, I really hadn't had Kendrick that high, but after looking closer at his stats and scouting reports after your comments, real good case to put him there.

I am actually not sure why that many seemingly premium O guys are out there, but its probably that most owners are hoping to tie em up long term via our draft rules.

I agree with the poll on Delmon having the edge, though, man, is Drew making a case in the AFL or what.

Cool. Thanks again.

by roaddog on Nov 11, 2005 11:14 PM EST reply actions

My list

I, too, favor hitters as fantasy prospects:

1 - B. Wood
2 - B. Butler
3 - H. Kendrick
4 - A. Gordon
5 - L. Milledge
6 - C. Young
7 - N. Markakis
8 - J. Salty
9 - E. Duncan
10 - M. Kemp

Dont know why people are listing Weaver as the #1 pitcher. He projects to be more of a middle-of-the rotation guy, w a strong likelihood of reaching it. If you're looking for upside, I'd rather have Lester, Sanchez or Penn. For that matter, I'd also rather have T. Patton or S. Elbert, who werent listed.

Also, I'd be more interested in Adam Jones, T. Tulowitski, Carlos Gonzales than in any of the other hitters listed. I would think they'd be available.

by rhd on Nov 11, 2005 11:29 PM EST reply actions

market

You've got to look at what other people are grabbing too. Polished college pitchers? Risky HS pitchers? Position prospects? If the rest of your league is going strong after position players, you could clean up in pitchers, and vice versa.

by CrimsonLiederhosen on Nov 12, 2005 12:22 PM EST up reply actions