We are officially under three weeks away from the Dodgers and Padres opening the 2024 MLB season on March 20. As we progress through the early part of Spring Training games, fantasy baseball mock draft season is officially upon us, with real drafts starting to happen right around the corner. With that comes more chances to perfect your strategies and find the values of players you like before you officially draft.
I am back here with another fantasy baseball mock draft. It’ll be based on roto scoring, where teams are ranked first to last in each category, with points being awarded to where your team finishes in each category. The team that totals the most points at the season’s end is the league’s winner.
The categories for hitters in this mock will be batting average, home runs, RBI, stolen bases and runs. The pitcher categories will be wins, saves, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. I randomized the draft order and landed on the No. 6 pick.
Let’s jump in!
- Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator
- 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
- Fantasy Baseball Projections
Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: 12-Team, Roto (2024)
1.06: Freddie Freeman (1B – LAD)
The middle of round one is a place where you can’t go wrong with several players. I considered a number of other players, including Kyle Tucker, Fernando Tatis, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Still, I elected to roll with the consistency of Freddie Freeman, who is expected to hit behind Mookie Betts and Ohtani all season in the Dodgers lineup.
2.07: Austin Riley (3B – ATL)
One of, if not the best third baseman in the MLB, Austin Riley is another player who is the definition of consistency. I elected to roll with two players whom you know what you’ll get from them in Freeman and Riley.
3.06: Luis Castillo (SP – SEA)
I addressed my top starting pitcher in round three with an ace in Luis Castillo. The lone problem he faced last year was home runs. Regardless, he will be one of the top pitchers in strikeouts this season and should be relatively safe in the ERA and wins categories, as well.
4.07: CJ Abrams (SS – WSH)
I usually punt stolen bases in roto leagues, but I couldn’t pass on the value of CJ Abrams here. He stole 47 bases last year and has the potential to reach 50+ stolen bases this season. His batting average could take a step forward this year, but I already grabbed two fairly safe hitters in Freeman and Riley for that category. The primary upside for Abrams is his speed.
5.06: Devin Williams (RP – MIL)
6.07: Christian Yelich (OF – MIL)
7.06: Emmanuel Clase (RP – CLE)
I address the saves category fairly early in this mock with two of the top closers in the MLB, Devin Williams and Emmanuel Clase. I typically punt both stolen bases and saves in comparison to other categories, but I liked the value of both of them here.
I would have considered Manny Machado in round five, but I already had Riley.
In between those two selections, I addressed the outfield position for the first time with Christian Yelich. He bounced back last year with 19 home runs, 17 stolen bases and a .278 batting average. He was an MVP candidate when he was at his best. While I’m not necessarily expecting him to reach that ceiling this year, he provides a steady balance in several categories to where I liked his value in round six.
8.07: Bobby Miller (SP – LAD)
With how this draft turned out, I didn’t draft my second starter until I took Bobby Miller here. He impressed as a rookie last season, posting a 3.76 ERA across 22 starts, and will look to take a step forward this season. He should offer plenty of upside in the strikeout category, as well as the win category, considering the offense he’ll be playing with.
9.06: Nick Castellanos (OF – PHI)
10.07: Andres Munoz (RP – SEA)
11.06: Anthony Santander (1B/OF – BAL)
12.07: TJ Friedl (OF – CIN)
I attacked the outfield position here with three of them in a four-round span after drafting just one in the first eight rounds. I like the home run and RBI upside of Nick Castellanos and Anthony Santander. Meanwhile, TJ Freidl may have exceeded expectations according to analytics last season but is still hitting in a hitters-friendly ballpark. He is a depth player on this team for me.
I also attacked the saves category again with Andres Munoz, who could take on an even bigger role in the Mariners bullpen this season with the news of Matt Brash potentially missing an extensive amount of time.
13.06: Michael King (SP – SD)
Michael King was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. He transitioned from the bullpen to the starting rotation late season, where he posted a 1.88 ERA across 38 1/3 innings over eight starts. There is risk with him, but that is baked into this value for a player who offers huge upside if he can come anywhere close to where he finished last season.
14.07: Adbert Alozlay (RP – CHC)
15.06: Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – ARI)
16.07: Zack Gelof (2B – OAK)
The one position (other than catcher) I wound up punting in this mock was second base, and I landed Zack Gelof several rounds after he was projected to be taken. Across 69 games last season, he posted a .267 average with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases. The situation clearly isn’t great in Oakland, but he possesses the upside to be one of the lone bright spots on the team this season.
17.06: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B – CIN)
18.07: Isaac Paredes (1B/2B/3B – TB)
19.06: Andrew Abbott (SP – CIN)
20.07: Mitch Garver (C – SEA)
Mitch Garver is my top catcher to target this season for those who punt the position. He is expected to be the everyday DH in Seattle this season, to go along with seeing some starts behind the plate when Cal Raleigh needs a day off. He hit .270 last season with Texas and has dealt with injury concerns throughout his career. Still, he has provided huge upside when healthy. Garver seeing more plate appearances at DH could help him stay healthy compared to starting most of his games at catcher.
More Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts
12-Team Leagues
- 12-Team, Early Pick (v2, v3)
- 12-Team, Late Pick (v2)
- 12-Team, Categories
- 12-Team, Points (v2)
- 12-Team, Salary Cap
10-Team Leagues
Overview
The mock draft wizard gave me a B (86/100) for this mock, which I can get behind. Overall, I don’t see a huge ceiling with this team, but I believe it is fairly safe.
This mock was a bit unconventional for me as I usually punt stolen bases and saves in this format, but wound up addressing both categories early in this draft. That is why entering your draft with an open mind is important. It is fine to have a general strategy; That is what mock drafts are for. But at the end of the day, you don’t know how your actual draft will go, so it’s important to keep an open mind.
Based on the projections, my team is projected to be best in runs (fourth), saves (second), ERA (first) and WHIP (second). It is projected to be worst in home runs (ninth), RBI (ninth), wins (11th) and strikeouts (11th).
In truly competitive leagues, having a great team in every category coming out of the draft is nearly impossible. You ultimately have to pick the categories you want to prioritize and punt the categories you believe you can make up the easiest between trades and the waiver wire during the season.
More Fantasy Baseball Mock Drafts
12-Team Leagues
10-Team Leagues