Welcome back to another fantasy baseball mock draft. We have seen pitchers and catchers officially report to Spring Training camps in Arizona and Florida, another step closer to the upcoming season.
In this mock, we’re doing a standard 12-team, points draft with the default settings, including runs, home runs, RBI, stolen bases and batting average for hitters and wins, saves, strikeouts and ERA for pitchers. I randomized the draft order and got the No. 11 pick.
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Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: 12-Team, Points (2024)
Results
Here is a pick-by-pick look at how this mock draft went. The full results can be viewed here.
1.11: Matt Olson (1B – ATL)
When drafting at the end of Round 1, you always have the choice of a number of different players at the turn. I was between Olson and Fernando Tatis Jr. here, and elected to go with the first baseman in Olson due to the depth in the outfield.
2.02: Jose Ramirez (3B – CLE)
I was hoping Tatis may fall to me here, but he went at the 12/13 turn. I was also intrigued by Yordan Alvarez who also went at the turn. At that point, I was between Ramirez and Shohei Ohtani. I elected to go with the third baseman who I feel will help my overall roster a little more compared to Ohtani solely being eligible as a designated hitter.
3.11: Adolis Garcia (OF – TEX)
I addressed the outfield for the first time in Round 3 with a power hitter in Garcia. The outfield position is deep, but I do generally try to grab one solid outfielder early as an anchor which is what I did here with Garcia.
4.02: Luis Castillo (SP – SEA)
I addressed the pitching position for the first time in Round 4 with Castillo, who racked up 219 strikeouts in 197 innings in 2023. He is entering his second full season in Seattle and will look to build on his success. The one issue he had this past year that’ll look to fix this season is allowing fewer home runs.
5.11: Mike Trout (OF – LAA)
I felt the injury risk of Trout was worth the risk at the end of Round 5. There is clear risk, but that is baked into him falling this far. We know he holds first-round upside, and I believe as early as the fourth-round is where his upside is worth the risk.
6.02: Kodai Senga (SP – NYM)
In his first season in the MLB this past year, Senga struck out 202 batters across 166 1/3 innings. He had his ghost fork pitch that caught hitters by surprise, and is reportedly bringing a new pitch to his arsenal this season. He is my No. 2 starting pitcher where I feel comfortable drafting him.
7.11: Nico Hoerner (2B/SS, CHC)
The contact ability paired with his speed led to an impressive campaign last season for Hoerner as he hit .283 with 43 stolen bases. He has now hit over .280 in three straight seasons and saw his usage on the bases take a huge step forward last year compared to 20 stolen bases in the 2022 season.
8.02: Grayson Rodriguez (SP – BAL)
It was a rough start when Rodriguez was first called up this past season. However, he was sent down to Triple-A and when he got called back up again, he dominated to the tune of a 2.58 ERA over his last 72 2/3 innings. He’ll look to carry that momentum into this year, and could need to be relied on even more with the announcement of Kyle Bradish opening up the season on the injured list.
9.11: Paul Sewald (RP – ARI)
I have stated before that the position I punt the most is the closer position. I did not intend to draft only one reliever, but that is how it worked out with my only closer being Sewald. He was traded to the Diamondbacks at the deadline last year, and was a huge part of the team’s run to the World Series. He figures to see a lot of save chances once again this year.
10.02: Evan Carter (OF – TEX)
The rookie burst onto the scene in 2023 to the tune of a .290 batting average with five home runs across 23 games. His success carried into the postseason as well with some big moments. It will be tough for him to carry this success into a full season this year, but his upside is high and he is well worth the investment this late.
11.11: Jorge Soler (OF – SF)
The former Marlins outfielder recently signed a three-year deal with the Giants after spending a lot of time as a free agent. He should fit right into the middle of the lineup as a power hitter which they desperately needed. His power upside remains high for fantasy managers, and his draft stock could rise as we get closer to the season.
I considered Clay Holmes here as my second closer and hoped he would fall to my next pick, but that did not happen.
12.02: Merrill Kelly (SP – ARI)
After posting another steady season in 2023 with a 3.39 ERA and 187 strikeouts across 177 2/3 innings, Kelly will look to post a third consecutive season with an ERA in the mid 3’s. He is a pitcher who holds somewhat limited upside, but a steady floor as a pitcher where you know what you’re going to get from him. He is my No. 4 starter on here.
13.11: Sean Murphy (C – ATL)
I usually always wait till the double-digit rounds to draft my catcher. Murphy is one of my top targets this late as part of one of the best lineups in the MLB. He surpassed 20 home runs this past season, and should have plenty of chances to drive in a lot of runs once again this year.
14.02: Masataka Yoshida (OF – BOS)
After an impressive rookie season where he slashed .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs. He is expected to see most of his at-bats at designated hitter this season, which could potentially help him even more at the plate. He’ll once again have plenty of talent around him in the lineup with the Red Sox and could get on base even more in his sophomore campaign.
15.11: Carlos Rodon (SP – NYY)
It was a disastrous first year with the Yankees for Rodon in 2023, making just 14 starts where he posted a 6.85 ERA. He could never get into a true rhythm, which was part of what held him back. He reportedly went to camp early and will look for a huge bounce back season on the mound this year. There is certainly risk with Rodon, but that is all baked into him falling this far.
16.02: Carlos Correa (SS – MIN)
Correa is another bounce-back candidate this season for the Twins and for fantasy managers. He hit just .230 this past year with 18 home runs after hitting .291 with 22 home runs the year prior. Correa is another player I am more than willing to take the chance on this late in drafts.
17.11: Bryce Miller (SP – SEA)
It was a bit of an up-and-down rookie campaign for Miller in 2023 as he posted a 4.32 ERA with 119 strikeouts across 25 starts. He reportedly addressed his pitch mix this offseason following his struggles against lefties last season, which should help him take a step forward as a starter. I also considered fellow sophomore Bryan Woo as well with this selection.
18.02: Kerry Carpenter (OF – DET)
Carpenter broke out this past season to the tune of hitting .278 with 20 home runs and 64 RBI. He figures to once again be a big part of the middle of the lineup for a Tigers team that has a lot of promise this year. He is my No. 5 outfielder and one of my top bench players.
19.11: Aaron Civale (SP – TB)
After being traded to Tampa Bay in the middle of 2023, Civale struggled to the tune of a 5.36 ERA across 10 starts with the Rays. He’ll remain a big part of the rotation in Tampa and he’ll look to bounce back as my lone bench pitcher.
20.02: Andrew Vaughn (1B – CWS)
Vaughn posted a strong campaign at first base with the White Sox last season, hitting .258 with 21 home runs. I am always prioritizing upside this late in drafts, and that’s what Vaughn presents here.
OVERVIEW
I received a draft grade of 94/100 following this mock. If I could change one thing, I would definitely try to draft at least one more closer. I’m fine punting the position, but I try to at least have two reliable closers entering the season.
Otherwise, I liked this mock a lot. I typically try to draft a balanced team in points leagues which is what I did here. I did draft a lot of younger players and bounce back candidates which certainly raises the risk of the overall team, but that is ultimately how the draft went. It is always important to never enter your draft with a set strategy as you don’t know how your draft is going to go ahead of time.
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