There is nothing quite like telling your wife that you can’t do a chore because you need to mock draft a few million times. She will look at you in frustration, and you will smile and say, “I have to! It’s research for my job!”
The chore will remain undone, though. And the second you stop staring intently at your computer, she will remind you it is undone and that you are no longer doing “research.” She will use air quotes. It just is what it is.
I’ve been doing mock drafts alone and hosting live ones in our Discord chat, and I have now arrived at my list of must-have players. I also reserve the right to add to this list when I fall in love with a new guy later this week.
But I’ll only be able to do that if I keep doing my research. My relationship will be okay. Someday, we’ll own a dishwasher that can unload itself, right?
Kelly Kirby’s Must-Have Players
The definition of a “must-have” player varies depending on my mood and draft strategy, but here is the list of guys I keep coming back to time and again during mock drafts.
There is nothing quite like telling your wife that you can’t do a chore because you need to mock draft a few million times. She will look at you in frustration, and you will smile and say, “I have to! It’s research for my job!”
The chore will remain undone, though. And the second you stop staring intently at your computer, she will remind you it is undone and that you are no longer doing “research.” She will use air quotes. It just is what it is.
I’ve been doing mock drafts alone and hosting live ones in our Discord chat, and I have now arrived at my list of must-have players. I also reserve the right to add to this list when I fall in love with a new guy later this week.
But I’ll only be able to do that if I keep doing my research. My relationship will be okay. Someday, we’ll own a dishwasher that can unload itself, right?
Kelly Kirby’s Must-Have Players
The definition of a “must-have” player varies depending on my mood and draft strategy, but here is the list of guys I keep coming back to time and again during mock drafts.
Seager has landed at the top of many lists this offseason, so you probably already know the refrain. Defenses shifted the ninth-most against him in 2022, and a career-low BABIP decimated his batting average. His 33 home runs were a career-high, but most projections have him hovering around 30 again this year. At the beginning of the draft season, I was so excited to get him in the 7th round, but now, you’re lucky to see him in the fifth in a 12-team league. Do it anyway. He is the shortstop to roster in 2023.
Yes, there are concerns that Mr. Balk will continue to balk now that MLB has decided that the fans DEFINITELY want to see more balk calls. Beyond that, though, Gausman is the steady pitcher who will take the ball, give you a good number of strikeouts, and you’ll never hate having him on your team. The balanced schedule should have a positive effect for AL East pitchers, and I’ve had no problem making Gausman one of the first pitchers I select in drafts.
Projections have Carroll in the 15 HR, 20 SB range, but I think this is underestimating his ability to run. I think the fastest player in baseball, with new baserunning rules, who had an 88 percent success rate in the minors, will be on the run a lot. The Diamondbacks have turned into an intriguing team, and while the concerns about the sophomore slump/adjustment exist, I continue to pick him as my “let’s see how high this ceiling can go” guy.
I get it – Willy Adames is a batting-average killer, and the shortstop position is so deep that you have to take that special Titanic-viewing vehicle to get to the bottom of it. But over the past two years, Adames is fifth in HR among shortstops and sixth in RBI. The Brewers have a much better lineup this year than last, which should boost his counting stats. But mostly, I keep drafting him because the top five shortstops in projected homers are: Fernando Tatis Jr. (ADP 19.8), Corey Seager (ADP 51), Adames, Marcus Semien (ADP 28), and Bo Bichette (ADP 17.8). One of these guys is not like the others when it comes to draft value for power.
My arms are so tired from beating the Christian Walker drum that I think I can hardly type this paragraph. His Statcast page is bright red, landing in the 92nd percentile in xSLG and xwOBA. He raised his HR total from 10 to 36 and ended his 160-game campaign with 94 RBI and 84 runs scored. An improved offense around him should only boost his numbers in 2023. First base gets a lot deeper if you recognize how good Walker actually is.
Lynn had a terrible 2022 right up until August, at which point he carried a 2.43 ERA for the rest of the year. He dealt with a knee injury for a couple of months, and he dealt with the disaster that was the White Sox as well. But he’s healthy and has looked solid in Spring Training thus far. I’ve been willing to gamble a Round 10 pick that he returns to his workhorse ways in pretty much every draft I’ve been in.
I’m a Cubs fan, and our beloved Willson Contreras now plays for our mortal enemy, so there’s a chance I am doing some sort of warped “Fine. I’ll just love your brother instead” thing here. I also hate drafting catchers because playing time can be hard to predict, but his competition in Milwaukee is Victor Caratini. The pop in Contreras’s bat will keep him in the lineup most days, and he is in or above the 90th percentile in maxEV, Barrel%, and xSLG. I have a steadfast rule to never draft a catcher in the first 100 picks, but I’m willing to take a chance on the younger brother in 2023.
Ryan Mountcastle is an underrated power hitter who fell prey to a narrative that isn’t exactly true. Yes, they moved the fences back at Camden Yards, but he actually improved his EV and added length to his average fly ball distance. The 13.3% HR/FB ratio should correct, and if he maintains an improved K% and HardHit%, he will be an absolute steal at this price point. Just make sure your league mates remember those fences and capitalize on them.
Wild horses will not stop me from drafting Andres Munoz.
A “closer committee” will not stop me from drafting Andres Munoz.
At this point, I’m willing to make his Statcast page (see above) my desktop photo and order it as artwork for my office.
He is my must-have must have.
Go forth and find your must-haves, my friends. And, as always, good luck!
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Kelly Kirby is a featured writer and the lead copyeditor at FantasyPros. You can check out her archive here and follow her on Twitter at @thewonkypenguin.