I had a feel good moment drafting in the 28th round of The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational. I drafted Liam Hendriks. My nickname is Doubting Thomas, but I believe that Hendricks is going to beat cancer and return as the the Chicgo White Sox this season. Typically, I wouldn’t stash a player on my bench in a league where there are no IL spots, but this is an exception.
Since his initial diagnosis back in January, Hendriks has been undergoing treatments for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With Hendriks undergoing cancer treatments in Arizona, it was unclear if he would be around the White Sox practice facility during spring training. As it turns out, he’s had more than an occasional presence. He even threw a bullpen session, according to reports.
I can’t say that this is just what the doctor ordered because I don’t know Hendriks’ doctor. But it’s a positive sign that Hendriks is staying connected with his team and even working out with them. Only God knows the future, but this bodes well for Hendriks because it shows his frame of mind. There is a verse in Proverbs that states, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol seems to share my optimism because he announced the White Sox will not have a set closer until Hendriks returns. What Grifol seems to be saying is that Hendriks will return this season and step back into into his role as closer. So, I took the All-Star relief pitcher near the end of my TGFBI draft, which finally ended after almost two weeks.
ROUND ONE – JUAN SOTO, OF, SAN DIEGO
I had been assigned the 9th pick in the draft. I wanted to be close to the middle in draft order but also wanted the 22nd pick in the second round. So, I was fine taking Juan Soto when my turn came. I had planned on taking Yordan Alvarez but was spooked by news that he wasn’t even swinging a bat on draft day. If you draft Alvarez, you have a higher risk tolerance than me.
ROUND TWO – AUSTIN RILEY, 3B, ATLANTA
Part of my draft strategy was getting an elite third baseman here. This is why I wanted the 9th pick in the draft. My belief was that either Rafael Devers or Austin Riley would still be on the board when the draft snaked back to me in the second round. Sure enough, Riley was still there and I took him. With two solid seasons under his belt, I feel confident he’ll deliver the goods.
ROUND THREE – JOSH HADER, RP, SAN DIEGO
Hating the idea of finishing dead last in saves, I took Josh Hader with the 39th overall pick. To wait another round might mean missing out on drafting one of the few closers that could deliver 30-plus saves. Surprisingly, the closer run started late in this draft, with Emmanuel Clase not being selected until early in the this round and Edwin Diaz going right before my turn came up.
ROUND 4 – JULIO URIAS, SP, LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Julio Urias was on a short list of starting pitchers I was targeting in the fourth. I had intentionally waited until the 52nd pick to take my SP1. Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber were already gone (although I would have taken Urias ahead of Bieber). Urias has been very good the past two seasons and gets additional points for durability, reliability and team context.
ROUND 5 – ADOLIS GARCIA, OF, TEXAS
Haters have to hate, and analysts and pundits seem to line up to hate on Adolis Garcia. That was true even after he repeated his breakout 2021 campaign, adding a few more steals. Most 20/20 hitters have been gobbled up by the 69th pick of the draft, but not Garcia. His strikeout rate improved from 31.2 percent to 27.9 percent, while his walk rate rose to 6.1 percent. I’m a buyer.
ROUND 6 – JOE MUSGROVE, SP, SAN DIEGO
No one is perfect, and this is where I made a careless mistake. Before I finalize a pick, I always check to be sure that said player didn’t sustain an injury in the last day. For some reason, I didn’t check Joe Musgrove’s status until after I had drafted him. What are the odds that he would have broken his toe just hours earlier in the weight room? My SP2 will start the season on the IL.
ROUND 7 – JOSE ABREU, 1B, HOUSTON
Am I worried that Abreu managed a mere four home runs after the All-Star break last year and only one in the the final 55 games? Yes. But there are too many positives for me to fade him. A lifetime .292, hitter, Abreu still had great season-long marks in exit velocity and hard-hit rate last year in spite of hitting only 15 home runs. Again, I love his track record and the team context.
ROUND 8 – SEAN MURPHY, C, ATLANTA
There was a run on catchers in the previous three rounds, and I knew it would be unwise to leave this round without securing a C1. In two-catcher leagues, you can’t afford to ignore the position until late in the draft, so I took Sean Murphy with the 112th pick. Murphy, who was with Oakland last year, was the fifth-best fantasy backstop. And that was before he was traded to the Braves.
ROUND 9 – NICO HOERNER, SS, CHICAGO CUBS
Still without a shortstop as I neared a cliff, I took Nico Hoerner in the ninth. Hoerner was not on the top of my list after having come out of nowhere to take the starting shortstop job in Chicago. He finished the year with a .281/.327/.410 slash line, 10 home runs, 55 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 2022. Cubs manager David Ross said Hoerner will be the primary leadoff man to begin 2023.
ROUND 10 – CHRIS SALE, SP, BOSTON
Drafting a fantasy team is a balancing act, and I was in danger of losing my balance if I finished the first third of this draft with only two starting pitcher – especially since one wouldn’t be active on opening day. So, I took Chris Sale in the 10th. Sale has dealt with injuries, but when healthy, he’s still a very good pitcher. He has a lifetime 3.03 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and can miss bats.
ROUND 11 – CHRIS BASSITT, SP, TORONTO
I came right back with another starting pitcher, Chris Bassitt, in the 11th. I had Jeffrey Springs at the top of my queue, but he was sniped by Ariel Cohen right before me. Like Springs, Bassitt is not the type of pitcher that wows you with his stuff, but he does a good job of keeping hitters off balance and limiting hard contact with a diverse pitch mix. Again, I like the team context.
ROUND 12 – JONATHAN INDIA, 2B, CINCINNATI
I knew second base was a shallow position before I started drafting, and yet I found myself in the 12th round without one. The choice was between Jonathan India and Brandon Lowe. What a contrast. Lowe’s power was alluring, but he has had health issues and is a batting average risk. India is projected to lead off for Cincinnati and rack up double-digit steals and home runs.
ROUND 13 – JOSH BELL, 1B, CLEVELAND
I was surprised to find Josh Bell still on the board in the 13th. Bell was having a terrific season in 2022 until he was dealt to the Padres at the trade deadline. His performance cratered out west, but I’m cautiously optimistic he can return to his pre-trade production with Cleveland. Bell brings power to the middle of a good lineup, and I’m happy to have him as my corner infielder.
ROUND 14 – BRANDON LOWE, 2B, TAMPA BAY
If I was surprised to find Bell undrafted in the 13th, I was shocked to find Lowe still on the board in the 14th. I had almost taken him two rounds ago, and this was Christmas in March. Lowe was outstanding in 2021, with 39 homers and an .863 OPS. Last year, he was limited to only 65 games. If he stays healthy in 2023, he can bounce back and deliver value as my middle infielder.
ROUND 15 – MASATAKA YOSHIDA, OF, BOSTON
Masataka Yoshida was my final selection in the first half of the draft. Yoshida was one of the best hitters in Japan since he debuted in 2016. How he will fare in the major leagues remains to be seen, but Fenway Park is a good venue. Even if he can’t replicate his 20 plus homers in the United States, I expect him to be a .300 hitter. I always have my eye on my team batting average.
ROUND 16 – JACK FLAHERTY, SP, ST. LOUIS
I started the second half of the draft by selecting Jack Flaherty. This was not an easy pick for me to make because of the risk, but I took him because he’s fallen so far in drafts. Four years ago, Flaherty was one of the top pitchers in baseball. Since then, he’s been hurt. Flaherty has only logged 190.2 innings over the past three years, but all of that injury risk is baked into his ADP.
ROUND 17 – MERILL KELLY, SP, ARIZONA
Having already drafted an injured pitcher and one who is injury prone, I needed one who was healthy and could eat innings. Merrill Kelly fits the bill. He’s averaged more than 180 innings in his last three full seasons. Kelly keeps hitters guessing with a diverse repertoire of pitchers. He doesn’t miss bats, but he limits walks, induces weak contact and his team context has improved.
ROUND 18 – JOC PEDERSON, OF, SAN FRANCISCO
After having built a foundation of good contact hitters expected to hit for average, I decided to make a power play. I took Joc Pederson in the 18th. Coming off a career year with the Giants, the lefty-hitting outfielder slashed .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and three steals in 134 games in 2022. On the strong side of the Giants platoon, he should still see enough plate appearances.
ROUND 19 – JORGE MATEO, SS, BALTIMORE
My projections showed me falling behind in the stolen-base category, so I drafted the 2022 AL steals champion. Jorge Mateo had 35 last year, and he should be able to swipe 30 plus bases this year unless he loses playing time. He had a 27.6% strikeout rate and a .286 BABIP last year, which resulted from a 41 percent fly-ball rate, with below-average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
ROUND 20 – JUSTIN STEELE, SP, CHICAGO CUBS
TGFBI champion Michael Richards had advised me to take a take a starting pitcher if no hitter was jumping off my draft board. So, I took Justin Steele in the 20th. The southpaw took a big step forward in 2022, emerging as a staple of the Cubs rotation. He made 24 starts and posted a 3.18 ERA, with 126 strikeouts across 119 innings. Steele can miss bats and could be a real sleeper.
The final one-third of the draft saw me select three more outfielders, three more catchers, two more relief pitchers, one more starting pitcher and one more third baseman. As it stands, my current TGFBI roster includes four catchers, two first basemen, two second basemen, two shortstops, two third basemen, seven outfielders, eight starting pitchers and three relief pitchers.
As previously stated, a balanced team is critical to your success, and I attempted to achieve that balance. Here’s my final 10 draft picks to round it out: Shea Langeliers (21st), Charlie Blackmon (22nd), Aroldis Chapman (23rd), Joey Bart (24th), Taijuan Walker (25th), Marcell Ozuna (26th), Myles Straw (27th), Hendriks (28th), Josh Donaldson (29th) and Endy Rodriguez (30th).
This team is the culmination of more than a hundred hours of research and 13 difficult days fighting with 14 other talented fantasy managers for the best players at the best prices. The folks at NFBC gave me a score of 90 and grade of A-. My draft effort was ranked as the fourth best in my league. What lies ahead is six months of hard work managing this team. And it’ll be a blast.
Thomas L. Seltzer, AKA Doubting Thomas, writes about football and baseball for CreativeSports. Be sure to follow Thomas on Twitter@ThomasLSeltzer1.
