Fantasy MLB: 10-round mock draft

There is no better sign that spring is around the corner than Major League players reporting to their team’s spring training sites in Florida and Arizona.

A lot has changed since the Rangers and Cardinals offered us one of the greatest World Series in baseball history. The game’s best player Albert Pujols has left St. Louis to join the American League with the Angels. Pujols is now a teammate of CJ Wilson, the very ace that opposed him in the World Series.

The Rangers ace is now a middle rotation hurler for an Angels team many consider to be a favorite for a championship. Of course, the franchises of the American League East and the Detroit Tigers are among the many teams that will make an argument to the contrary.

The fantasy baseball world will have the difficult task of measuring what the off-season movement of stars and the rise of top prospects will translate to statistically.

To open the fantasy season, here’s the first 10 rounds of a 12-team mock draft with the assumption of the following key statistics involving a player pool of all Major League Players:

Statistics of Relevance:

Hitters: Batting Average, HR, RBI, SB, Runs

Pitchers: Wins, Saves, ERA, Strikeouts, Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP)

Round 1

1. Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies): I may be the only expert declaring him as a top pick, but he plays in Colorado and mans shortstop, the equivalent of beachfront location in fantasy baseball. Tulo has 35-homer potential and can steal 20 bases all while batting .320. He’s also in his prime, which is too much to pass on in my mind.

2. Albert Pujols (Angels): He’s Miguel Cabrera but with speed, also known as the best player on the planet. There is some concern about his slowdown last season, and also changing places carries some risk (ask Adam Dunn and Jayson Werth!) However, Pujols can’t fall that much, after all, even a down year for him is better than just about any other player.

3. Miguel Cabrera (Tigers): He’s remarkably consistent and now gets third base eligibility back. He’ll dominate in everything but steals and should be great next to Prince Fielder in the Tigers lineup.

4. Matt Kemp (Dodgers): He has 40-40 potential and is fresh off one of the finest fantasy seasons of all-time.

5. Jose Bautista (Blue Jays): He struggled a bit down the stretch, which is a concern, but his power has been unrivaled over the last two seasons.

6. Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox): He’s got all five tools and has the ability to rack up 50 steals.

7. Joey Votto (Reds): A steady star who can bounce back in the home run category.

8. Justin Upton (Diamonbacks): Just 24-years old, Upton reminds me a bit of Alex Rodriguez just entering his prime.

9. Ryan Braun (Brewers): He lost his protection in Fielder and his reputation due to a controversial failed drug test. The good news is that he will play, but to expect another MVP caliber season may be ignoring too many issues.

10. Adrian Gonzalez (Red Sox): There is not much distance between Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Gonzalez. They have a similar skill-set and I expect Gonzalez to hit for greater power this season.

11. Robinson Cano (Yankees): The best hitter on the Yankees right now, Cano even filled in his lone weakness last season as he racked up eight stolen bases.

12. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers): I chose Kershaw over Justin Verlander because of his younger age, better ballpark, and the fact that he opposes pitchers as hitters in the National League.

Round 2

1. Justin Verlander (Tigers): The best pitcher in baseball last season now gets more offense in the lineup, but worse defense behind him.

2. Prince Fielder (Tigers): Only issue here is that he has a new league to familiarize himself with.

3. Roy Halladay (Phillies): Steady as a rock. The best pitcher of his era.

4. Evan Longoria (Rays): An MVP in waiting, Longoria just needs to stay healthy.

5. Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies): He dipped across the board, but still offered enough to keep fantasy managers happy.

6. Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox): A steady star, one of the best all-around players in baseball.

7. Ian Kinsler (Rangers): He’s got serious power and speed, but his average has been volatile.

8. Curtis Granderson (Yankees): Combine serious power with great speed and you get a fantasy star. It’s been a few years since he offered a high batting clip.

9. Josh Hamilton (Rangers): Injury-prone and no stranger to controversy, this is a great pick for the risk tolerant.

10. Giancario Stanton (Marlins): He changed his name, but not his game. One of the elite sluggers in baseball, Stanton will now have some more ducks in the pond with Jose Reyes on board.

11. Jose Reyes (Marlins): If he could just stay healthy… he’d be a top-five pick.

12. Mark Teixeira (Yankees): He’s got some great power, but no speed and the average has been in major decline.

Round 3

1. Hanley Ramirez (Marlins): He will still have shortstop eligibility in fantasy leagues, but expect his stolen bases to be around 20 as he becomes more of a power-hitter.

2. Cliff Lee (Phillies): Not much separates him from Halladay.

3. Adrian Beltre (Rangers): Plenty of power, some speed, and a high average.

4. Tim Lincecum (Giants): Buster Posey’s return should lead to some more wins.

5. Andrew McCutchen (Pirates): A rising star with plenty of power and speed. Good for Pittsburgh to lock him up to a long-term deal.

6. Felix Hernandez (Red Sox): Wins will remain hard to come by, but he does everything else.

7. Mike Napoli (Rangers): The batting average will be tough to repeat, but the power is real at a position where you rarely see it.

8. David Wright (Mets): There will be some trade fodder, but Wright has the fences coming in and he’s falling under the radar.

9. Nelson Cruz (Rangers): Injury-prone, but 40-homer potential with 20-steals.

10. Cole Hammels (Phillies): He’s still improving!

11. Hunter Pence (Phillies): He fit in well with the Phillies and the homer-friendly ballpark.

12. Carlos Santana (Indians): He’s a star on the rise with great power and surprising speed from a backstop.

Round 4

1. Jay Bruce (Reds): He has 40-homer potential and should first enter his prime.

2. Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals): A model of consistency at the hot corner with everything but speed.

3. Desmond Jennings (Rays): A five-tool talent with lots of speed.

4. CC Sabathia (Yankees): A safe bet for 20 wins and 200 K’s.

5. Stephen Strasburg (Nationals): You are doubling down on talent, but don’t expect more than 160 innings.

6. Jered Weaver (Angels): Not much separates him from Justin Verlander when he’s rolling.

7. Dan Haren (Angels): Enjoy a dominant first half then trade him at the All-Star break before he tails off.

8. Dan Uggla (Braves): Had a strong second half and will offer you 20 more home runs than most other second basemen.

9. David Price (Rays): Don’t let the lack of run support from last season allow you to ignore him.

10. Eric Hosmer (Royals): One of the brightest young stars in baseball, Hosmer could be better than Teixeira this season.

11. Zack Greinke (Brewers): Dealt with some bad luck last season, but is one of the best hurlers in baseball.

12. Brandon Phillips (Reds): He’s been on the decline the last few seasons but remains one of the best at his position.

Round 5

1. Starlin Castro (Cubs): If he takes as big a step as he did last season he will be a superstar.

2. Brian McCann (Braves): A model of consistency behind the plate with everything but speed.

3. Aramis Ramirez (Brewers): Returned to prominence last season once he regained his health.

4. Matt Holliday (Cardinals): No longer a 20-20 option, Holliday is a solid hitter who will feel the absence of Pujols.

5. Alex Rodriguez (Yankees): He seems to be in fine shape after injuries marred much of his 2011 season. Keep your expectations in check though, 25 home runs with a .280 average may be all you can ask for at this point.

6. Brett Lawrie (Blue Jays): Toronto’s golden child has all the tools and looked great in his debut.

7. Ben Zobrist (Rays): A jack-of-all-trades with power and speed.

8. Michael Morse (Nationals): He burst onto the fantasy scene with a whole lot of power and a high average, but is it repeatable?

9. B.J. Upton (Rays): He has the tools, but has yet to tap his potential. We’re starting to think he may never put it all together.

10. Buster Posey (Giants): A rising star before the collision at the plate ended his 2011 season, Posey should be solid and will likely get some time at first base.

11. Rickie Weeks (Brewers): The power and speed potential is great for a middle infielder.

12. Carl Crawford (Red Sox): Don’t let one bad season cloud your thinking; he was on the fast track to the Hall of Fame before last year’s downer.

Round 6

1. Elvis Andrus (Rangers): Just 23 years old, the power could still develop, but for now you take the speed and runs scored.

2. Paul Konerko (White Sox): If not for his advanced age, we would call him a sure-fire second rounder.

3. Ian Kennedy (Diamondbacks): One of the more underrated aces in the game, Kennedy hits on everything.

4. Michael Bourn (Braves): You no longer have to worry about steals for your fantasy club when you make this pick.

5. Michael Young (Rangers): Age limits his value a bit, but Young continues to rake.

6. Asdrubal Cabrera (Indians): Surprising power combined with speed.

7. Jimmy Rollins (Phillies): He’s not what he once was, but is still better than most.

8. Craig Kimbrel (Braves): Enjoyed one of the most dominant seasons ever from the bullpen despite his late season collapse.

9. Alex Gordon (Royals): It took a while, but he finally reached his potential last season.

10. Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox): Injury-prone, but he did have 80 RBI despite missing a quarter of the season.

11. Yovani Gallardo (Brewers): A power arm with improved control.

12. Adam Jones (Orioles): It’s taking some time for him to develop, but Jones is a legitimate 20-20 threat.

Round 7

1. Matt Cain (Giants): The lack of wins unfairly tarnishes his value.

2. Jon Lester (Red Sox): Boston’s ace has 20-win potential.

3. Madison Bumgarner (Giants): He was one of the best hurlers down the stretch last season.

4. Shane Victorino (Phillies): A nice blend of speed and pop.

5. Michael Cuddyer (Rockies): A major sleeper, Cuddyer can explode in Colorado’s thin air.

6. Joe Mauer (Twins): The power and speed may be gone forever, but he will offer a high average and some solid run production.

7. Michael Pineda (Yankees): A move to the Bronx should translate into 15-plus wins, though he came into camp out of shape.

8. Howie Kendrick (Angels): A fine line drive machine, Kendrick added some pop and speed to his repertoire.

9. Matt Wieters (Orioles): Wieters is finally developing into the fine slugger that everyone projected a few seasons ago.

10. Mariano Rivera (Yankees): The age is a concern, but like a fine wine he seems to only get better over the years.

11. Gio Gonzalez (Nationals): The Nationals treasure, Gonzalez can rack up 200 K’s and will have better run support now that he leaves Oakland.

12. CJ Wilson (Angels): He’ll have a better ballpark and with Pujols on-board, run-support should not be an issue.

Round 8

1. Drew Stubbs (Reds): Last season he offered everything but a respectable average.

2. Jonathan Papelbon (Phillies): Still pitching for a winner, Papelbon will rack up saves.

3. Mark Reynolds (Orioles): If you can tolerate the low average you’ll get a lot of home runs and even some steals.

4. Jesus Montero (Mariners): The mega-prospect enjoys catcher eligibility and should have enough power to flourish in cavernous Safeco.

5. Jason Heyward (Braves): He’s coming off a down year, but we know he has the potential.

6. Brett Gardner (Yankees): A fine option for steals and runs.

7. Chase Utley (Phillies): He should still offer an above average season for his position.

8. Shin-Soo Choo (Indians): He hopes to erase memories of last year’s clunker.

9. Yu Darvish (Rangers): We’ve heard a lot about him, but there is a lot of risk.

10. Miguel Montero (Diamondbacks): One of the best hitting catchers in baseball.

11. Chris Carpenter (Cardinals): He remains a safer bet than teammate Adam Wainwright.

12. Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners): He’ll enjoy some more run production with a move back in the lineup, but you’re banking on 25 steals and an average back to .300, a tall order for a player not far from 40 years old.

Round 9

1. Lance Berkman (Cardinals): We’ll find out how much Pujols had to do with Berkman’s career renaissance.

2. Carlos Beltran (Cardinals): The killer B’s once again includes Beltran and Berkman, sounds like a turn back the clock situation.

3. Paul Goldschmidt (Diamondbacks): One of the most promising young sluggers in baseball, Goldschmidt can hit 30 home runs with some stolen bases.

4. Freddie Freeman (Braves): After a fine rookie season, Freeman is expected to improve in the power categories.

5. Pablo Sandoval (Giants): He’s a bit one-dimensional with a high average but not enough power production.

6. Dee Gordon (Dodgers): A speedster who can also score plenty of runs, Gordon had a strong 2011 finish.

7. Drew Storen (Nationals): The Nationals improvement should lead to more saves from Storen, already one of the best closers in baseball.

8. James Shields (Rays): After his finest season yet, Shields hopes to have a bit more run support.

9. Brandon Beachy (Braves): A rising strikeout artist who is also a major sleeper.

10. Josh Johnson (Marlins): The Marlins ace, only his injury-prone past scares away fantasy managers.

11. J.J. Hardy (Orioles): A non-traditional shortstop, Hardy has loads of power but no speed and his average leaves plenty to be desired.

12. John Axford (Brewers): Plenty of strikeouts and dominant over long stretches, Axford is an elite closer.

Round 10

1. Adam Wainwright (Cardinals): This is a very risky pick, but we know what he can do when healthy. Don’t expect more than 170 innings.

2. Jose Valverde (Tigers): Not the best closer, but there are a lot of saves to be had in Detroit.

3. Alex Avila (Tigers): A fine bat with pop in an improved lineup.

4. Corey Hart (Brewers): He likely opens the season on the DL, but he’s got power and speed when healthy.

5. Daniel Hudson (Diamondbacks): He is 23-13 in 44 career starts with the Diamondbacks.

6. Brian Wilson (Giants): When healthy he’s an elite closer.

7. Ryan Madson (Reds): He has incredible control and keeps the ball in the park.

8. Alexei Ramirez (White Sox): A nice combination of power and speed at shortstop.

9. Derek Jeter (Yankees): Little power, but still scores runs with some speed, and offers a high average.

10. Chris Young (Diamondbacks): The average will be low, but it comes with 20-20 potential.

11. Yadier Molina (Cardinals): He does not excel in anything offensively, but he is solid across the board.

12. Andrew Bailey (Red Sox): There will be a lot of pressure, but also a lot of save opportunities in Boston.