[Fantasy Advice] #1 MiLB draftpick.

by MikePrz on Oct 30, 2025 2:08 PM EDT

Hey guys, I would really appreciate some feedback of what direction to go in with my #1 overall pick for the MiLB draft. 30 team league. I'm so torn on who to take I was actually considering trading down a few spots if it was possible. My team is total crap obviously thats how I got the first pick. I'll list some key components to my team to give you an idea.

Starters: Britton, Matusz, James McDonald, Jameson Taillon, Jarrod Parker, Tyler Skaggs, Chad James(FLA), Dan Klein

RP's: Elbert, Fautino De Los Santos, Fernando Abad, Phillipe Aumont, Wynn Pelzer

Hitters: Posey, Chris Carter(Oak), Viciedo, James Darnell, Leonys Martin, Wilin Rosario, Manny Machado, Nick Franklin, Starling Marte, Christian Yelich, Bobby Borchering, LJ Hoes, Alex Liddi

I feel like my bats are a lot further behind my arms, but I dont think there is a #1 upside guy here besides Taillon and hes so far away. My team is so far away from competing I should probably just take whatever the best pick is. For some reason I am not the biggest Cole fan, I am not sure why either. Is he my clear pick here? Rendon? Bundy?

I appreciate any feedback you guys can give on who you think you would take in my situation.

Thanks

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Read More: James McDonald (P - PIT), Jarrod Parker (P - OAK), Tyler Skaggs (P - ARI), Chad James (P - FLA), Alex Liddi (3B - SEA), Fernando Abad (P - HOU)

Comments

RP's

Also who are some good RP prospects from this draft? I have 5 picks in the first 90. If you could share some sleeper RP specs that are near MLB ready. Thanks again.

by MikePrz on Oct 30, 2025 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

Cole

He was hitting 100 late in starts in the AFL….also pretty close to the majors…

by even meek on Oct 30, 2025 2:49 PM EDT reply actions

As far as Relievers,

Chris Reed jumps out in mmind

by even meek on Oct 30, 2025 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

BTW

Taillon isnt as far away as you think. He should be up sometime in 2013. Also, Machado is a very good prospect and is probably considered a #1 upside guy

by even meek on Oct 30, 2025 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

I'd take Rendon

Won’t take that long to get to the majors, will play some premium position (2B, 3B), and you said it yourself - your hitters are lagging behind your pitchers as far as talent goes, though I don’t think the gap is that huge - you need talent, period.

RPs are so hard to predict, other than closers who are pulled out of college (a la Storen), but a few names to check on: Adam Conley (FLA), Madison Boer (MIN), Jeff Soptic (CHW).

by dbreer23 on Oct 30, 2025 3:17 PM EDT reply actions

+1

by PrincetonCubs on Oct 30, 2025 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions

i disagree

Rendon is ahuge medical risk which is a big red flag….the fact that five teams passed over him and he hasnt played at all as a pro is a good indication that he is not healthy.

by even meek on Oct 30, 2025 3:34 PM EDT reply actions

agree to disagree, I suppose

The injury issue got completely overblown leading up to the draft. Serious, perhaps - but injuries that involve the need for Tommy John surgery are serious too, and nowadays, most folks assume that in most cases, the player will be back to ‘normal’ (whatever that was for them) in 12-18 months. The shoulder issue was a strain, not a tear, much less of a concern. Ankle issues aren’t usually a big deal except for sapping some speed long-term, which was never Rendon’s calling card.

FYI, he has been in Florida at instructs rehabbing (yes, I know, not in the lineup), though the Nats had discussed sending him to the AFL.

I’m not saying that Rendon is a blow-me-away favorite over any of the other top-5 to 8 candidates from the 2011 draft, but if I’m asked to choose just one, it’s Rendon.

by dbreer23 on Oct 30, 2025 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions

let's be fair

Shoulder issues can impair arm strength and/or flexibility. Ankle issues can affect a player’s range.

I don’t think there is a reason at present to believe that Rendon won’t be capable of playing 3B, but that could change very quickly. That he evidently wasn’t ready to play in Arizona is a little surprising.

by mrkupe on Oct 30, 2025 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

"Shoulder issues can impair arm strength and/or flexibility. Ankle issues can affect a player’s range."

I agree with both of those statements, but…

Rendon’s shoulder issue is a strain, not a tear or even an impingement. Strains are the least of these evils, and given that he’s a position player (as opposed to a pitcher) a minor shoulder issue won’t be nearly as noticeable…and even so, he could switch to 2B (or 1B?). If it were a degenerative case (a la Bagwell), that is certainly a different issue, due to long-term concerns of sapping his power, but that’s not the indication to date.

Ankle injuries do affect range, especially if they recur or don’t heal properly. I’ve gotten the impression that even if Rendon had to move to 1B, he’d still be an impact bat.

by dbreer23 on Oct 30, 2025 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions

on the way to AFL

@Jaypers413 (IL): Any recent word on whether or not Rendon will get to see any action in the AFL?

John Manuel: Sounds like the Nationals expect to assign Rendon to the AFL sooner rather than later but wanted to make sure he was 100 percent.

by Wheelhouse on Oct 30, 2025 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

so we're sure he's ready to play now?

by mrkupe on Oct 30, 2025 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions

No known concerns w Rendon

I’ve yet to hear anyone say that Rendon wont be fine long term. The fact that he hasnt played yet probably means nothing. If there was anything seriously a concern, the Nats wouldnt have selected him #6. I’m wishing my O’s would have taken him at #4 instead of another HS pitcher (but I do think that Bundy will be good).

Rendon would be my choice w the first pick.

I probably would not select any RPs in the first 90 picks. But some potential future closers that might be available depending on how deep your league is: Addison Reed, Shawn Tolleson, Tanner Scheppers (if they really do put Feliz in the rotation), Brad Boxberger (if Chapman ends up in the rotation), Philippe Aumont, Rex Brothers. Some of these guys have MLB experience, but they all have less than 50 MLB IP, so depending on your rules they might be rookie-eligible.

Good luck!

by rhd on Oct 30, 2025 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Great call

On Boxberger. He’s a guy I really like and Chapman seems pretty likely to end up starting at this point. Whether the move to the rotation is permanent remains to be seen, but Box had an excellent season last year, is quite young and has flown under the radar some compared to the other guys you mentioned. He’s definitely someone I’d keep my eye on if I was in the OP’s situation.

by kyuss94 on Oct 31, 2025 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Sorry, I thought he was talking about RPs from the 2011 draft only...

by dbreer23 on Oct 31, 2025 2:20 AM EDT up reply actions

It sounds like...

he has a deep league, so the guys I listed might not be available anyway. He needs to give us a better idea of who’s not already taken in his league.

by rhd on Oct 31, 2025 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Im not saying Rendon will not be good...

but injuries are more of a concern than patience, fastall command, defense, etc, etc……

And his hitters and pitchers both lack talent so i dont know how you could say he should go after a guy because he is a pitcher/hitter.

If I were gonna get ahitter, I would get Bubba Starling

by even meek on Oct 30, 2025 8:52 PM EDT reply actions

I took Rendon 1st overall in my draft (though I do have 8 1sts)

but my 2nd choice was probably Hultzen, who is going to be in the majors sometime next year, and his stuff is a bit underrated

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by mathisrocks5 on Oct 30, 2025 8:58 PM EDT reply actions

Agree with your assessment that your bats are farther away but...

no guarantee Rendon plays 2B so I would play it safe and take Bauer or Cole to pair up with your young Bucks and DBacks. If you somehow trade down you could target Bundy (having those teammates is a bonus in H2H and increases your odds of having the ace) but I wouldn’t want to go beyond the first 6 picks who have been mentioned here.

"I didn't really say everything I said."-Yogi ism

by chewbalka on Oct 31, 2025 2:11 AM EDT reply actions

I don't see Cole as "safe"

Pitcher attrition rate makes almost no pitcher a “safe” pick, and Cole just strikes me as more likely to bust than most. Just a gut feeling, though.

Who knows where Rendon will end up - maybe they even try him in CF. If they’re willing to consider Werth in center, why not? Regardless, even if he’s a 1B (which I doubt - he’s 6’0 tall), he still seems safer to me than any of the pitchers. If I were going to take a pitcher, though, I’d probably rank them Bauer, Hultzen, Cole, Bundy.

How late is your second pick? Is it 31, or do you have another one sooner? As many holes as you have to fill on your team, it would be good if you could pull off another useful guy with your second pick. If you could pull off one of the guys above, or Archie Bradley, of course, that would be perfect. Josh Bell, Francisco Lindor, Sonny Gray has looked good, George Springer, Nimmo, even Kolten Wong. CJ Cron’s the kind of guy who might fall, then hit enough to be fantasy relevant.

by Brownson on Oct 31, 2025 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Pick 29

I had pick #9 but I traded it away in a deal for Buster Posey.

I have pick #’s 1,29,31,40,55,63

by MikePrz on Oct 31, 2025 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions

darvish

will darvish be in this thing if he comes over? worth thinking about.

i keep on wanting to hate cole and then reminding myself that he throws 100 with two plus secondaries and forcing myself to like him again. but drafting pitchers will kill you.

hitters are so much safer. the only annoying thing about rendon is the chance that the nats will move him off 3B because of zimmerman, pass on 2B because of rendon’s ankles or just the fact that the conversion is a pain in the ass, and he’ll wind up in the OF. he’ll still hit of course but that kind of kills a lot of the joy on a fantasy level.

i like bauer a lot but i can’t tell how much of that is just leftover lincecum.

people seem to love bundy in a pretty extreme way but i don’t know if you can take him over these guys who are so much closer.

by wily mo on Oct 31, 2025 11:51 AM EDT reply actions

Darvish would be interesting, for sure

I think If he announces he’s coming before this fella’s draft comes up that he’’d be a neat way to get a big league ready, and really good, pitcher with the top pick. That said, I’d probably take Trevor Bauer with the top choice. I think his combination of talent, dedication to conditioning, and nearness to big leagues make him a great top pick.

I have a feeling that Rendon will end up as the Nats first-basman when all is said and done. Like you said, not exciting but, at lest he will be an asset there with the glove for sure. 2b is no place to put a guy with injury issues.

In the later rounds I’d take a long look at Oscar Tavares if nobody has drafted him. Lindor would be great too but, I doubt he’d last ’til round 2.

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by casejud on Oct 31, 2025 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Rendon

we do CI, so if he winds up at 3rd or 1st it doesnt really matter for me. I would love to see him at 2nd though.

by MikePrz on Oct 31, 2025 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

wily mo!

http://bullpenbanter.com

RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage

by gatling on Nov 1, 2025 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions

hehe

elijah dukes

by wily mo on Nov 2, 2025 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions

still needs a real chance.

by PissedMick on Nov 2, 2025 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

If Darvish were eligible....

I might take him before Rendon. The poster really should tell us more about who’s eligible, who’s available, when his draft is, how deep his league is, when his picks are.

by rhd on Oct 31, 2025 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

30 team league, international signings are separate from the draft. draft date is not set but it will be sometime within the next few weeks.

pick #’s 1,29,31,40,55,63

by MikePrz on Oct 31, 2025 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Too bad on Darvish, can you position yourself to get him as int'l?

recap…..good arguments for Hultzen, Bundy and Starling, but for reasons pointed out by casejud and wily mo, pick should be one of Bauer, Cole or Rendon.

"I didn't really say everything I said."-Yogi ism

by chewbalka on Oct 31, 2025 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions