As we head into the fantasy baseball season, putting together a strategic game plan is crucial for the fate of our make believe franchises. Participating in a mock draft is essential in preparing for your leagues official draft, giving you a huge edge over your peers. When your pride and money are on the line, nothing can be more beneficial to a fantasy owner than a simulated draft as preparation. Fellow writers Andrew, Mike and I have a few helpful opinions and observations regarding our latest mock draft on ESPN.com with other random fantasy owners on March 19th.

The first round is your opportunity to grab that big name piece to your roster. Taking the wrong guy here can make or break you. Taking chances is something every fantasy owner will have to do if they want to compete, but the first round isn’t the place to take chances. Going with the most consistent guy would be the best bet.

Round 1


(1) Team 19 – Miguel Cabrera 3B
 DET
(2) Max Sucks – Ryan Braun OF MIL

(3) Max – Robinson Cano 2B NYY

(4) Team klaer – Mike Trout OF ANA

(5) Team Birge – Andrew McCutchen OF PIT

(6) @ThisJustM – Clayton Kershaw SP LAD

(7) @SymphonyRecords – Matt Kemp OF LAD

(8) Team welcome – Carlos Gonzalez OF COL

(9) @AndrewEggers – Albert Pujols 1B ANA

(10) Team Raymundo – Justin Upton OF ATL

2013 fantasy baseball mock draft - Prince Fielder

Round 2

(11) Team Raymundo – Prince Fielder 1B DET

(12) @AndrewEggers – Justin Verlander SP DET

(13) Team welcome – Giancarlo Stanton OF MIA

(14) @SymphonyRecords – Joey Votto 1B CIN

(15) @ThisJustM – Troy Tulowitzki SS COL

(16) Team Birge – Buster Posey C/1B SF

(17) Team klaer – Josh Hamilton OF ANA

(18) Max – Adrian Beltre 3B TEX

(19) Max Sucks – Evan Longoria 3B TB

(20) Team 19 – Jose Reyes SS
 TOR

Picks we like…
Andrew – Mike Trout with the fourth overall pick is exceptional value for arguably the most well-rounded fantasy hitter in the big leagues. The outfielder can hit for power and average, drives in runs, steals bases and should score lots of runs atop the lineup for the Anaheim Angels.

Michael – Being able to snag Tigers’ first baseman Prince Fielder is great value in the second round and will definitely make up for Team Raymundo’s first selection of Justin Upton. Fielder has missed just one game in the last four seasons and has hit 30 or more home runs since 2007. If you don’t want to take a chance early on, Fielder is your guy.

Spencer – Numbers don’t lie. Third baseman Miguel Cabrera is obviously the best hitter on the planet. After winning the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, I don’t know if I could choose Braun or Trout over this future Hall-of-Famer? Cabrera shouldn’t let you down with the first overall pick.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – I’m not a big fan of Team welcome’s first two picks being that they were used on Carlos Gonzalez and Giancarlo Stanton. Gonzalez and Stanton warrant top draft picks, but taking two players of the same position with your first two picks is questionable to me, especially with a lot of good outfielders available later in the draft.

Michael – Justin Upton is a good player but the Justin who pitches for the Tigers would have been a better option given the depth at outfield and the limit on aces. Upton’s own family wouldn’t take him this early in the draft.

Spencer – Clayton Kershaw is an outstanding starting pitcher, but being a Giants fan gives me good reason to disagree with @ThisJustM‘s sixth overall pick. Given the amount of bats still available at this point, taking a pitcher this early seems a bit risky to me. With Justin Verlander going six picks later, Kershaw better have an astronomical season to be selected this high in the draft.

2013 fantasy baseball mock draft - Stephen Strasburg

Round 3

(21) Team 19 – Jose Bautista OF TOR

(22) Max Sucks – Stephen Strasburg SP WSH

(23) Max – Felix Hernandez SP
 SEA
(24) Team klaer – David Wright 3B NYM

(25) Team Birge – Dustin Pedroia 2B BOS

(26) @ThisJustM – Jay Bruce OF CIN

(27) @SymphonyRecords – Matt Cain SP
 SF
(28) Team welcome – Adam Jones OF BAL

(29) @AndrewEggers – David Price SP TB

(30) Team Raymundo – Hanley Ramirez SS/3B LAD

Round 4

(31) Team Raymundo – Ian Kinsler 2B TEX

(32) @AndrewEggers – Jason Heyward OF ATL

(33) Team welcome – Edwin Encarnacion 1B/DH

(34) @SymphonyRecords – Adrian Gonzalez 1B
 LAD
(35) @ThisJustM – Billy Butler 1B
/DH KC
(36) Team Birge – Bryce Harper OF WSH

(37) Team klaer – Cliff Lee SP
 PHI
(38) Max – Yadier Molina C STL

(39) Max Sucks – Starlin Castro SS CHC

(40) Team 19 – Craig Kimbrel RP
 ATL

Picks we like…
Andrew – Matt Cain is coming off a season where he threw a perfect game, had a career-low earned run average (2.79) and a career-high 16 wins. Fantasy owners should be excited to draft him in the third round.

Michael – It doesn’t get much better than starters David Price and Stephen Strasburg in the third round. Getting a possible Cy Young candidate third round after you grab your power bats is huge in determining how successful one’s team may be.

Spencer – Jose Bautista was a top five pick in last years draft, so grabbing the outfielder in the third round is a great move. Bautista is a home run machine, and although he had some trouble with injury last season, I expect him to have a bounce back year with the newly improved Blue Jays.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – It’s stating the obvious for those in tune with recent events, but Hanley Ramirez is not worth a third-round pick with the torn ligament in his thumb putting him on the shelf for the next two months. Some would argue that the Dodgers’ shortstop wouldn’t have warranted that high of a draft pick even before the injury being that his batting average and stolen base totals has significantly dropped the past two seasons.

Michael – I don’t care if Craig Kimbrel bags 50 saves this year. Drafting him in the top 40 is a wasted pick in my opinion. Make it a point to never be the first person to take a closer, as you can get more value at the position in the mid-rounds of your draft. Taking Cain over Price doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense to me either but Spencer couldn’t resist the Giants fan in him I suppose.

Spencer – Team Raymundo’s pick of second baseman Ian Kinsler (31st overall) doesn’t seem too logical after analyzing the hand full of players that were drafted immediately after him (Encarnacion, Gonzalez, Heyward etc.). A nagging ankle injury slowed Kinsler down last season, limiting him to hitting only .256 with 21 stolen bases for the Rangers in 655 at-bats.

Round 5


(41) Team 19 – Ryan Howard 1B PHI

(42) Max Sucks – Cole Hamels SP PHI

(43) Max – Yoenis Cespedes OF OAK

(44) Team klaer – Jered Weaver SP ANA

(45) Team Birge – Chase Headley 3B SD

(46) @ThisJustM – Adam Wainwright SP STL

(47) @SymphonyRecords – Matt Holliday OF STL
(48) Team welcome – Gio Gonzalez SP WSH

(49) @AndrewEggers – Brandon Phillips 2B
 CIN
(50) Team Raymundo – Jacoby Ellsbury OF BOS

Round 6

(51) Team Raymundo – B.J. Upton OF ATL
(52) @AndrewEggers – Madison Bumgarner SP SF

(53) Team welcome – Ian Desmond SS WSH

(54) @SymphonyRecords – Yu Darvish SP TEX

(55) @ ThisJustM – Matt Wieters C BAL

(56) Team Birge – Ryan Zimmerman 3B
 WSH
(57) Team klaer – Allen Craig 1B
/OF STL
(58) Max – R.A. Dickey SP TOR

(59) Max Sucks – Ben Zobrist 2/SS/OF TB

(60) 1 9 – Joe Mauer C
/IB MIN

Picks we like…
Andrew – Allen Craig struggled with injuries last season but still managed a .307, 22 home runs and 92 RBIs in 469 at-bats (119 games). If he can stay on the field more often in 2013, fantasy owners will be ecstatic they drafted him considering how late he’s typically being taken.

Michael – If it wasn’t for my strategy of grabbing two pitchers in the first five rounds, Spencer would have missed out on outfielder Matt Holliday. He’s a guy that doesn’t miss much time and when he does play he hits for average (around .300 every year since 2004) and has also hit over 20 home runs in that span.

Spencer – Starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez dazzled last year, winning 21 games for the Washington Nationals. When this southpaw throws his fastball in the mid-90s and then mixes in one of the best swooping curveballs in the game, fantasy owners start counting down the days until his next start.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – It might just be me, but I don’t like the thought of drafting knuckleballer R.A. Dickey this season. He was great last season, but don’t expect him to repeat that type of performance pitching in the AL East this year.

Michael – Chasing Headley seems to be a common practice in mock drafts this year. Although I do expect him to have a good season, his production last year doesn’t warrant a fifth round pick in my opinion when other third baseman like Ryan Zimmerman and Brett Lawrie are still on the board. And with the injury Headley has been dealing with there’s a good chance he could have been grabbed in the seventh or eighth round.

Spencer – Ryan Howard in the fifth round is ridiculous, especially with Cole Hamels, Jered Weaver, and Brandon Phillips being drafted shortly after him in this mock draft. The first baseman’s numbers have been digressing for the past three seasons and it didn’t help that he tore his Achilles in October 2012.

Round 7


(61) Team 19 – Mat Latos SP CIN

(62) Max Sucks – Austin Jackson OF DET

(63) Max – CC Sabathia SP NYY

(64) Team klaer – Chris Sale SP CHW

(65) Team Birge – Brett Lawrie 3B TOR

(66) @ThisJustM – Jason Motte RP
 STL
(67) @SymphonyRecords – Carlos Santana C
/1B CLE
(68) Team welcome – Aaron Hill 2B ARI

(69) @AndrewEggers – Michael Bourn OF CLE

(70) Team Raymundo – Aroldis Chapman SP/RP CIN

Round 8


(71) Team Raymundo – James Shields SP KC

(72) @AndrewEggers – Johnny Cueto SP CIN

(73) Team welcome – Aramis Ramirez 3B MIL

(74) @SymphonyRecords – Jonathan Papelbon RP PHI

(75) @ThisJustM – Shin-Soo Choo OF CIN

(76) Team Birge – Jason Kipnis 2B CLE

(77) Team klaer – Jordan Zimmermann SP WSH

(78) Max – Pablo Sandoval 3B SF

(79) Max Sucks – Paul Goldschmidt 1B
 ARI
(80) Team 19 – Matt Moore SP TB

Picks we like…
Andrew – C.C. Sabathia in the seventh round is very good value considering he’s won 15 or more games and pitched at least 200 innings the past four seasons with the Yankees. In those four years, the lefty’s highest ERA was 3.38 and that was last season.

Michael – For an eighth round pick it doesn’t get much better than Diamondbacks’ first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. He struggled in his rookie season but showed great improvement in his sophomore year. If he continues to improve, this pick in the eighth round could soon be a top five first baseman in baseball.

Spencer – Aroldis Chapman continues to send chills down opposing hitters’ spines. The Cuban Missile can pile up strikeouts with his electric stuff, making him more valuable in leagues being scored by categories. Reds Manager Dusty Baker had recently decided to keep Chapman as the teams closer, so expect quite a few saves out of this flame thrower.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – Drafting pitchers Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Zimmerman in the seventh and eighth round respectively are reaches in my opinion. Both players are up-and-coming arms with good potential, but they could have been drafted a round or two later in most drafts.

Michael – As much as I like Matt Moore as a sleeper, I would have rather had Medlen, Greinke or Kennedy before taking a chance on the sophomore pitcher that early.

Spencer – Brett Lawrie doesn’t impress me, and I wouldn’t want to be stuck with him as my primary third baseman. He hit 11 home runs and 48 RBIs in just under 500 at-bats in 2012 which just isn’t enough fantasy production at that position.

Round 9


(81) Team 19 – Max Scherzer SP DET

(82) Max Sucks – Zack Greinke SP LAD

(83) Max – Jimmy Rollins SS PHI

(84) Team klaer – Kris Medlen SP/RP ATL

(85) Team Birge – Desmond Jennings OF TB

(86) @ThisJustM – Doug Fister SP
 DET
(87) @SymphonyRecords – Yovani Gallardo SP MIL

(88) Team welcome – Alex Rios OF CHW
(89) @AndrewEggers – Victor Martinez C/DH DET

(90) Team Raymundo – Fernando Rodney RP TB

Round 10


(91) Team Raymundo – Asdrubal Cabrera SS CLE

(92) @AndrewEggers – Elvis Andrus SS TEX

(93) Team welcome – Ian Kennedy SP ARI

(94) @SymphonyRecords – Mark Trumbo 1B/OF ANA

(95) @ThisJustM – Jonathon Niese SP NYM

(96) Team Birge – Alex Gordon OF KC

(97) Team klaer – Melky Cabrera OF KC
(98) Max – Freddie Freeman 1B ATL

(99) Max Sucks – Martin Prado 3B/OF ARI

(100) Team 19 – Jose Altuve 2B HOU

Picks we like…
Andrew – Max Sucks scooped up starter Zack Greinke in the ninth round which is extremely good value for a guy who went a combined 15-5 with a 3.48 ERA between Milwaukee and Anaheim last year. He’s had elbow issues this spring, but should still make at least 30 starts in 2013.

Michael – Outfielder Melky Cabrera is one of those guys that covers a lot of ground statistically speaking and being able to take him in the 10th is going to be huge for any team that will be able to get him there. He’s money in the bank for a .300-plus season, 80 runs, 60 RBIs and double-digit steals. Don’t let last season’s suspension scare you away.

Spencer – Mark Trumbo opened quite a few eyes last season hitting 32 home runs and 95 RBIs for the Halos. Surrounded by nothing but talent, Trumbo will see plenty of pitches to hit in 2013 and his eligibility at both first base and the outfield make him a useful pick in the 10th round.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – It might just be me, but I didn’t think shortstops Jimmy Rollins and Asdrubal Cabrera going ahead of Elvis Andrus was a smart move. Andrus has a lot more upside than the aging Rollins and the inconsistent Cabrera, and should hit close to .300 and steal more than 30 bags this season.

Michael – Elvis Andrus is good but I wouldn’t take him this early. It’s hard for me to draft him when you’ve got guys like Alcides Escobar going after him. Escobar had a better average, two more home runs and 19 more stolen bases. While Andrus has two more triples and one more double than his counterpart. Those numbers speak for themselves.

Spencer@AndrewEggers took Victor Martinez in the ninth round, and although he has proven himself with the bat (.303 career hitter), can he stay healthy this year? Martinez missed the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL and is expected to mainly DH for the Tigers in 2013, so it will definitely take time for him to adjust to the speed of the game.

Round 11


(101) Team 19 – Rafael Soriano RP WSH

(102) Max Sucks – Mariano Rivera RP NYY

(103) Max – Ike Davis 1B NYM

(104) Team klaer – Roy Halladay SP PHI

(105) Team Birge – Brandon Morrow SP TOR

(106) @ThisJustM – Eric Hosmer 1B KC

(107) @SymphonyRecords – Dan Haren SP WSH

(108) Team welcome – Jake Peavy SP CHW

(109) @AndrewEggers – J.J. Putz RP ARI

(110) Team Raymundo – Curtis Granderson OF NYY

Round 12


(111) Team Raymundo – Tim Lincecum SP SF

(112) @AndrewEggers – Joe Nathan RP TEX

(113) Team welcome – Torii Hunter OF DET

(114) @SymphonyRecords – Josh Willingham OF MIN

(115) @ThisJustM – Nelson Cruz OF TEX

(116) Team Birge – Carlos Gomez OR MIL

(117) Team klaer – Josh Johnson SP TOR

(118) Max – Hunter Pence OF SF

(119) Max Sucks – Carlos Beltran OF STL

(120) Team 19 – Anthony Rizzo 1B CHC

Picks we like…
Andrew – Rafael Soriano is a solid pick in the 11th round and should pay great dividends to his fantasy owners and the Nationals as a premier closer this season.

Michael – Anthony Rizzo was consistently productive after his call-up last season in which he hit .291, had 80 runs, 88 RBIs and 27 jacks. I’d expect the up-and-coming first baseman to hit over 30 home runs this year and add to the great scoring numbers that he had as a rookie.

Spencer – Many experts are predicting that Eric Hosmer will have a breakout season. As he matures at the plate, 20+ home runs should be the norm for the Royals first baseman. This is a solid pick in the 11th round if you decide to wait this long to swoop up your first baseman.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – I don’t see Carlos Gomez as good value being drafted in the 12th round even though he hit 19 home runs last year and stole 37 bases. The speedy outfielder won’t hit nearly as many long balls this season while being right around his career average of .247. Gomez’s value will come in the form of stolen bases in 2013, just like it has his entire career.

Michael – Torri Hunter hasn’t retired yet?

Spencer – Josh Johnson hasn’t been the same since the Marlins lost him to season-ending shoulder injury back in 2011. Now with the Blue Jays, he has altered his pitching style to throw more sinkers/sliders to left handed batters. The AL East is not somewhere to learn how to pitch, so it could be a long season for not only Johnson, but his owners as well.

Round 13


(121) Team 19 – Joel Hanrahan RP BOS

(122) Max Sucks – Angel Pagan OF SF

(123) Max – Erick Aybar SS ANA

(124) Team klaer – David Freese 3B STL

(125) Team Birge – Hiroki Kuroda SP NYY

(126) @ThisJustM – Jim Johnson RP BOS

(127) @SymphonyRecords – John Axford RP MIL

(128) Team welcome – Lance Lynn SP
 STL
(129) @AndrewEggers – Alejandro De Aza OF CHW

(130) Team Raymundo – Jon Lester SP

 BOS

Round 14


(131) Team Raymundo – Shane Victorino OF BOS

(132) @AndrewEggers – Paul Konerko 1B
/DH CHW
(133) Team welcome – Adam LaRoche 1B WSH

(134) @SymphonyRecords – Howard Kendrick 2B ANA

(135) @ThisJustM – Kyle Seager 3B SEA
(136) Team Birge – Anibal Sanchez SP DET

(137) Team klaer – David Ortiz DH BOS

(138) Max – Brett Anderson SP
 OAK
(139) Max Sucks – Neil Walker 2B PIT

(140) Team 19 – Mark Teixeira 1B
 NYY

Picks we like…
Andrew – I was bummed to miss out on third baseman David Freese in the 13th round because he’s going to hit right around .300, with 20 or more home runs and close to, if not more than, 100 RBIs this year as long as he’s healthy.

Spencer – Konerko is a steal, going in the early 14th round (132nd pick). Although he is aging, his 2012 campaign was still solid as he hit .298, with 26 bombs and 75 RBIs. The first baseman’s career numbers are far too consistent to expect anything different in 2013.

Michael – Brett Anderson is the ace on the best team in the AL West last year and showed that the injury wouldn’t affect him as he won four of the six games he started while yielding a 2.57 ERA.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – It may be obvious to most, but Mark Teixeria in the 14th round is a horrible pick and I think Team 19 may have abandoned the mock draft at this point making it an auto pick. The Yankees’ first baseman will at least be out two months and possibly the whole season with a partially torn tendon in his wrist.

Michael – Anibal Sanchez hasn’t had what I would consider a good season since 2006 when he went 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA. Since then the hurler hasn’t been unable to garner an ERA under 3.50.

Spencer – Shortstop Erick Aybar stole 20 bases last season, which was 10 less than the season before. His 8 home runs and 45 RBIs in 2012 aren’t exactly eye-popping numbers either.

Round 15


(141) Team 19- Brett Gardner OF NYY

(142) Max Sucks – Ben Revere OF PHI

143) Max – Andre Ethier OF LAD

(144) Team klaer – Carl Crawford OF LAD

145) Team Birge – Danny Espinosa 2B WSH

(146) @ThisJustM – Alcides Escobar SS
 MIL
(147) @SymphonyRecords – Mike Moustakas 3B KC

(148) Team welcome – Addison Reed RP CHW

(149) Team Eggers – Rickie Weeks 2B MIL

(150) Team Raymundo – C.J. Wilson SP ANA

Round 16

(151) Team Raymundo – Chase Utley 2B PHI

(152) @AndrewEggers – Pedro Alvarez 3B PIT

(153) Team welcome – Tim Hudson SP ATL

(154) @SymphonyRecords – Huston Street RP SD

(155) @ThisJustM – Michael Morse OF SEA

(156) Team Birge – Jeff Samardzija SP CHC

(157) Team klaer – Mike Napoli C
/1B/DH BOX
158) Max – Jason Kubel OF ARI

(159) Max Sucks – Sergio Romo RP
 SF
(160) Team 19 – Greg Holland RP KC

Picks we like…
Andrew – Call me crazy, but Carl Crawford with the 144th overall pick doesn’t sound like a bad deal to me even though he had reconstructive elbow surgery last August. He could be the ‘steal of the draft’ if he stays healthy in left field and gets back into the form he showed in Tampa Bay.

Michael – Huston Street is a prime example of why you can wait on relief pitching. In 40 games last season the Padres’ closer allowed just 17 hits and yielded a 1.85 ERA to get him his 23 saves. Expect more from a full clip of appearances.

Spencer – Andre Ethier in the 15th round?! This guy has a knack for getting big hits, and with the recent injury to Hanley Ramirez, Manager Don Mattingly will move the left-handed outfielder up in the order to the five-spot which boosts his fantasy value by giving him more RBI chances hitting directly behind Kemp and Gonzalez.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – Mike Napoli’s hip issue is an injury-risk worth avoiding and you can find a better option as your starting catcher, deeper in the draft. His value will depend on how many at-bats he gets playing first base and designated hitter as well. Drafting a guy like Wilin Rosario (who went in the 18th round in this mock draft) is a wiser move.


Spencer – The Yankees have an infestation of injury bugs, but for once it has nothing to do with Brett Gardner. After missing the majority of 2012, are you ready to put up with this possible letdown? The outfielder does have a nice set of wheels, stealing 49 bags back in 2011, but that required him staying healthy. As far as I’m concerned, Gardner is just another speedy overrated player in pinstripes.

Round 17


(161) Team 19 – Wade Miley SP ARI

(162) Max Sucks – Nick Swisher 1B/OF CLE

(163) Max – Jarrod Parker SP OAK

(164) Team klaer – J.J. Hardy SS BAL

(165) Team Birge – Homer Bailey SP
 CIN
(166) @ThisJustM – Chris Davis 1B/3B/OF BAL

(167) @SymphonyRecords – Dan Uggla 2B ATL

(168) Team welcome – Jeremy Hellickson SP TB

(169) @AndrewEggers – Matt Harvey SP NYM

(170) Team Raymundo – Miguel Montero C ARI

Round 18

(171) Team Raymundo – Ryan Vogelsong SP SF

(172) @AndrewEggers – Jonathan Broxton RP CIN

(173) Team welcome – Salvador Perez C KC

(174) @SymphonyRecords – Derek Holland SP TEX

(175) @ThisJustM – Josh Reddick RF OAK

(176) Team Birge – Rafael Betancourt RP COL

(177) Team klaer – Dexter Fowler OF COL
(178) Max – Matt Harrison SP TEX
(179) Max Sucks – Wilin Rosario C COL
(180) Team 19 – Ryan Madson RP ANA

Round 19

(181) Team 19 – Coco Crisp OF OAK
(182) Max Sucks – Mike Minor SP ATL
(183) Max – Grant Balfour RP OAK
(184) Team klaer – Derek Jeter SS NYY
(185) Team Birge – Todd Frazier 1B/3B/OF CIN
(186) @ThisJustM – Kenley Jansen RP LAD
(187) @SymphonyRecords – Marco Scutaro 2B SF
(188) Team welcome – Andrelton Simmons SS ATL
(189) @AndrewEggers – Ichiro Suzuki OF NYY
(190) Team Raymundo – Chris Perez RP CLE

Picks we like…
Andrew – Being able to get Nick Swisher with the 162nd overall pick should work out well considering he will be batting in the heart of the order in Cleveland. The outfielder has been consistently good the past eight seasons with 20 or more home runs and at least 500 at-bats in that time.

Spencer – Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy has tremendous pop for his position. Not many middle infielders have clubbed over 130 home runs in under a decade. I love this pick in the 17th round, and if your team appears to be lacking power, Hardy should work out for you.

Michael – Catcher Salvador Perez is a guy I’ve been pushing as a major sleeper early on in Spring Training and being able to grab him in the 17th round can be nothing but a good decision by Team Welcome.

Yankees’ outfielder Ichiro Suzuki may be as old as the sun but he’s still got what it takes to compete. In 67 games for New York last season Ichiro hit .322, with 28 runs, 13 doubles, 27 RBI’s and a .340 OBP. The last time he had an OBP close to that was 2010, the last time he was an All-Star

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – Ryan Madson will likely miss the first couple weeks of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery he had in April of last year and figures to be the club’s closer at some point. It’s not an ideal situation though for an owner to invest an 18th round pick when Madson is likely going to be available a couple rounds later in most drafts.

Spencer – Winning an impressive 16 games for the D-backs last year, Wade Miley appears to be getting very comfortable pitching in the major leagues. Even though Miley has a promising future, I don’t find it likely that the Arizona offense will allow him to duplicate his win total in 2013.

Round 20

(191) Team Raymundo – Ryan Dempster SP BOS
(192) @AndrewEggers – Will Middlebrooks 3B BOS
(193) Team welcome – Norichika Aoki OF MIL
(194) @SymphonyRecords – Kendrys Morales 1B/DH SEA
(195) @ThisJustM – Josh Rutledge SS COL
(196) Team Birge – Tommy Milone SP OAK
(197) Team klaer – Kevin Youkilis 1B/3B NYY
(198) Max – Alfonso Soriano OF CHC
(199) Max Sucks – Jason Grilli RP PIT
(200) Team 19 – Colby Rasmus OF TOR

Round 21

(201) Team 19 – Alexei Ramirez SS CHW
(202) Max Sucks – Jaime Garcia SP STL
(203) Max – A.J. Burnett SP PIT
(204) Team klaer – Ernesto Frieri RP ANA
(205) Team Birge – Alexi Ogando SP TEX
(206) @ThisJustM – Phil Hughes SP NYY
(207) @SymphonyRecords – Michael Cuddyer OF MIN
(208) Team welcome – Edwin Jackson SP CHC
(209) @AndrewEggers – Dayan Viciedo OF CHI
(210) Team Raymundo – Lance Berkman 1B TEX

Round 22

(211) Team Raymundo – Michael Young 1B/3B PHI
(212) @AndrewEggers – Jesus Montero C/DH SEA
(213) Team welcome – Tommy Hanson SP ANA
(214) @SymphonyRecords – Trevor Cahill SP ARI
(215) @ThisJustM – Omar Infante 2B DET
(216) Team Birge – Manny Machado 3B BAL
(217) Team klaer – Daniel Murphy 1B/2B NYM
(218) Max – Nick Markakis OF BAL
(219) Max Sucks – Brian McCann C ATL
(220) Team 19 – Corey Hart 1B/OF MIL

Picks we like…
Andrew – In this case, I really like my own pick in the 22nd round with Mariners’ catcher/designated hitter Jesus Montero. He’s a power source who will get more adjusted to Major League pitching this season and will hit over 20 home runs if healthy.

Michael – Pirates’ closer Jason Grilli is a guy you may not know now but will by the end of the season. He’s another example of why you can wait on saves.

Spencer – Outfielder Alfonso Soriano had an impressive 2012, clubbing 32 home runs and driving in 108 runs. If that isn’t solid production for a player being drafted in the 20th round (198th pick), then what is?

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – Lance Berkman is too much of an injury concern for me to feel comfortable taking him in the 21st round even if his is primarily Texas’ designated hitter this year. He can be a great hitter when healthy, but he’s in the twilight of his career and won’t likely be valuable enough to fantasy owners to be worth anything but a last-round flier pick.

Michael – Starting pitcher Edwin Jackson is one guy I don’t even think is worth drafting because of his inconsistency. It shows you something when a player has played for seven different teams in 10 years. I’d much rather have Tommy Hanson or Trevor Cahill than Mr. Jackson at this point in the draft.

Spencer – Outfielder Nick Markakis never seemed to live up to the hype of his $66 million contract with Baltimore. He does hit for average (.295 career), but I think Orioles fans expected more long balls out of him at Camden Yards. Coming into the 2013 season after dealing with minor neck and wrist issues, Markakis seems like a liability to me.

Round 23

(221) Team 19 – Cameron Maybin OF SD
(222) Max Sucks – Matt Garza SP CHC
(223) Max – Glen Perkins RP MIN
(224) Team klaer – Justin Morneau 1B MIN
(225) Team Birge – Casey Janssen RP TOR
(226) @ThisJustM – Paul Maholm SP CHC
(227) @SymphonyRecords – Jonathan Lucroy C MIL
(228) Team welcome – Jayson Werth OF WSH
(229) @AndrewEggers – Brandon McCarthy SP ARI
(230) Team Raymundo – Steve Cishek RP MIA

Round 24

(231) Team Raymundo – Clay Buchholz SP BOS
(232) @AndrewEggers – Adam Eaton OF ARI
(233) Team welcome – Tom Wilhelmsen RP SEA
(234) @SymphonyRecords – Brandon Moss 1B/OF OAK
(235) @ThisJustM – Wil Myers OF TB
(236) Team Birge – Jason Vargas SP SEA
(237) Team klaer – Marco Estrada SP MIL
(238) Max – Josh Beckett SP LAD
(239) Max Sucks – Everth Cabrera SS SD
(240) Team 19 – Garrett Jones 1B/OF PIT

Round 25

(241) Team 19 – Trevor Plouffe 3B MIN
(242) Max Sucks – A.J. Pierzynski C TEX
(243) Max – Adam Dunn 1B CHW
(244) Team klaer – Sean Marshall RP CIN
(245) Team Birge – Alex Cobb SP TB
(246) @ThisJustM – Gerrit Cole SP PIT
(247) @SymphonyRecords – Brandon League RP LAD
(248) Team welcome – Brandon Belt 1B SF
(249) @AndrewEggers – Shelby Miller RP STL
(250) Team Raymundo – Wandy Rodriguez SP HOU

Picks we like…
Andrew – Adam Dunn makes for a great last-round pick because he will likely hit at least 30 home runs and get on base with walks mostly as a designated hitter.

Michael – Paul Maholm has been in the league since 2005 but like some ugly girls you may have known in high school, is blooming late. In each of Maholm’s last two seasons he has had his best ERA as a pitcher (minus his first season in 2005 when he started just three games). Last year was also the first time he won more than he lost since his rookie season as he went 13-10 for Chicago and Atlanta.

Spencer – Coming out of nowhere last year, A’s first baseman Brandon Moss helped his team dramatically win the AL West. Moss hit .291 with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs, making Billy Beane look like a genius once again. There isn’t much risk involved taking a player in the 24th round, especially with the year that Moss is coming off of, so this pick could easily end up becoming an everyday player for your fantasy squad.

Picks we don’t like…
Andrew – I’m not sure why reliever Sean Marshall was even drafted since Broxton is sure to see the majority of save chances barring a significant decrease in production or injury. A guy like Marshall should be left on the waiver wire until needed.

Michael – Matt Garza has had just one season in the last four in which he’s compiled an ERA less than 3.90. With that said, I would wait to pick up Garza on waivers after he’s shown production a few weeks in a row. Even with the late pick there are better options left on the board. Rookies Shelby Miller and Gerrit Cole are two great options as late-round fliers.

Spencer – After years of hearing how excited the fans in San Francisco should be about first baseman Brandon Belt, it began to go into one of my ears and out the other. Unless you own Buster Posey or Pablo Sandoval, hitting in AT&T Park doesn’t seem to help out your typical fantasy owner.

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