Fantasy Baseball: CttP Fantasy Rosters Through 15 Rounds

The Call to the Pen fantasy baseball league has completed the first 15 rounds of its draft. Here is how each team stacks up so far.

As the calendar turned to February, the action in the Call to the Pen fantasy baseball league has picked up as we have completed 15 full rounds. On Monday Jason Reed walked through the first 10 rounds on a round-by-round basis. Now we will take a team-by-team journey to see how each squad is stacking up as we start to approach the halfway point of the draft.

To recap, there are 16 teams in the league, with each team owned by a Call to the Pen writer. We are using players from both leagues and employing the standard 5×5 rotisserie format: batting average, home runs, RBI, runs and stolen bases for hitters; wins, saves, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP for pitchers. The active roster consists of 13 hitters (C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, corner infielder, middle infielder, five OF, utility) and nine pitchers (either starters or relievers), while the reserve roster includes eight major leaguers with two DL spots and 10 minor leaguers.

Because we at CttP take up residence all across the country, and because there are 16 of us in the league, we have been conducting our draft in a slow live format. We started in early January and should be wrapping up round 40 around late March. Each owner has eight hours to make a selection, with the clock not running from 11 PM-7 AM ET. The draft snakes, so the team with the first pick in odd-numbered rounds has the last pick in even-numbered rounds, and the team with the last pick in odd-numbered rounds has the first pick in even-numbered rounds.

This works best for our purposes, but if you’re conducting your own fantasy draft, I would highly recommend a faster live draft format where each team has 60-120 seconds to make a selection. Beyond that, having the draft in person does an even better job in building league camaraderie. Finally, if you can set aside a larger block of time, try out an auction format instead of the turn-by-turn draft settings that we’re using. I participated in my first auction draft in 2002 and find it to be a vastly superior format.

As you will see, the strategies each team has employed thus far vary wildly. Some have focused on pitching, while some have focused on hitting. Some have selected the best player available, while some have tried to focus on creating more well-rounded teams. Some have made youth a priority, as we intend this to be a dynasty league with rosters carrying over from season to season without limitation. I have seen these tried to varying degrees of success, so hopefully we at Call to the Pen will be able to keep this going for years to come.

Full disclosure: I took over for an abandoned team that had been autopicked for the first 11 rounds. Every other owner has been at the helm for the duration. My strategy wouldn’t have varied too much from that of the selections made by our league host at Fantrax, so my earlier presence would not have varied others’ strategies too much.

I have heard it said that there is nothing more interesting than your own fantasy team, and nothing less interesting than someone else’s fantasy team. With that being said, join us on a tour of the first half of 16 someone else’s fantasy teams. Squads are presented in first-round draft order.

Reedies – Jason Reed

1. Mike Trout – OF
2. Brian Dozier – 2B
3. Jake Arrieta – P
4. Justin Turner – 3B
5. Julio Teheran – P
6. Michael Fulmer – P
7. Jose Ramirez – OF
8. Felix Hernandez – P
9. Lorenzo Cain – OF
10. Tony Watson – P
11. Josh Bell – 1B
12. J.A. Happ – P
13. Brandon Crawford – SS
14. Yadier Molina – C
15. Adam Ottavino – P

Active roster spots still open: CI, MI, OF, OF, UT, P, P

Overview: Jason predictably kicked off the draft with Mike Trout. His squad is fairly balanced in terms of hitter/pitcher breakdown at this point. The starting rotation is solid if not world-beating, and batting average should be a strength in the offensive categories. Of concern is the power potential. The six batters outside of Trout and Dozier have combined for two career 20-homer seasons.

Best value: None of these picks represents a truly great value. Saves are the most unpredictable category in fantasy, both in terms of who holds the job for each team on a yearly basis and in terms of which teams get the most save opportunities. Sometimes a closer on a bad team gets as many or more opportunities as a closer on a great team since the great team may have more decisive victories than the bad team. Because of this, Ottavino could be a great value with the 225^th overall pick if he is able to hold off new addition Greg Holland in Colorado.

Biggest reach: There are several reaches here, but that often happens when you pick at the beginning or end. With 30 players selected between your two picks, you might have to take players ahead of their expected draft position if you really want them. That being said, Josh Bell went off the board way too early. You generally want to have an abundance of power and guaranteed playing time in your first base slot, and Bell doesn’t really provide either at this point.

Pitch Slap – Brendan Dlubala

1. Mookie Betts – OF
2. Francisco Lindor – SS
3. Buster Posey – C
4. Jose Abreu – 1B
5. J.D. Martinez – OF
6. Todd Frazier – 3B
7. Gerrit Cole – P
8. Vince Velasquez – P
9. Sonny Gray – P
10. Evan Gattis – UT
11. Matt Harvey – P
12. Blake Snell – P
13. Logan Forsythe – 2B
14. Randal Grichuk – OF
15. Arodys Vizcaino – P

Active roster spots still open: CI, MI, OF, OF, P, P, P

Overview: The offensive potential here is legit. Betts is a fantastic consolation prize to anyone failing to land Mike Trout at the top of the draft. Gattis has great value as a catcher, but not as much in the utility slot. Expect him to be a trade chip for Brendan. The pitching staff is full of names you know, but with question marks throughout. Not having a closer could be problematic in a 16-team league, where finishing with one point out of 16 could hurt a lot more than one point out of 10 or 12.

Best value: J.D. Martinez with the 66^th pick is a steal. Don’t be concerned about time lost to injury in 2016 – Martinez has very real .300/35/100 potential as he heads into his walk year.

Biggest reach: While not a bad pick for a team without a catcher, Evan Gattis in the 10^th round as a second catcher doesn’t do Pitch Slap any favors. Brendan knows this and has already said that he would love to get rid of him.

Bum Dingers – Jason Burke

1. Manny Machado – 3B
2. George Springer – OF
3. Gary Sanchez – C
4. Andrew Benintendi – OF
5. Julio Urias – P
6. Alex Reyes – P
7. Lance McCullers – P
8. Ken Giles – P
9. Keon Broxton – OF
10. Greg Holland – P
11. Jon Gray – P
12. Sean Manaea – P
13. Hernan Perez – 2B
14. Greg Bird – 1B
15. Manuel Margot – OF

Active roster spots still open: SS, CI, MI, OF, UT, P, P

Overview: Jason is betting the farm on the future, loading up on very young talent. While that may pay dividends a few years down the line, this season may include some growing pains. Machado and Springer are able to provide elite production now, but the best years are some time away for most of this squad.

Best value: The emphasis on youth above all else left little room for value as far as the 2017 season is concerned. Gary Sanchez will not be able to replicate his 40% HR/FB rate from two months in 2016, but a .275 average with 30 home runs and 85 RBI from the catcher position is still worth paying a premium.

Biggest reach: Pretty much anyone after the third round, if you believe that playing for now should take precedence over future potential and the uncertainty that comes with that. Andrew Benintendi is a nice young player with lots of room to grow, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find many experts who believe he is a top-100 player today.

Team Mayer – Josh Mayer

1. Kris Bryant – OF
2. Trevor Story – SS
3. Giancarlo Stanton – OF
4. David Dahl – OF
5. Jason Kipnis – 2B
6. Ian Desmond – OF
7. Maikel Franco – 3B
8. Jose Peraza – OF
9. Zack Greinke – P
10. Carlos Santana – 1B
11. Rich Hill – P
12. Ender Inciarte – UT
13. Robbie Ray – P
14. Matt Shoemaker – P
15. Mike Moustakas – CI

Active roster spots still open: C, MI, P, P, P, P, P

Overview: Josh is certainly buying into Coors Field, with three of the first six picks going to Colorado hitters. There is plenty to like about the offense, with many power/speed threats that fantasy players love. Considering the first eight picks were all hitters, the rotation could certainly be worse, though Team Mayer is another unit without a closer.

Best value: Carlos Santana would be better in leagues that use OBP instead of batting average, but he won’t absolutely sink you there while putting up close to 30 home runs and 90 runs and/or RBI, depending on where he hits in the lineup. That’s value out of the 157^th pick.

Biggest reach: None of these selections jumps out as anything egregious, though if Dahl loses any playing time to the likes of Gerardo Parra, the fourth round may look a bit too aggressive for this season.

The Freak Show – Adam Tabakin

1. Jose Altuve – 2B
2. Miguel Cabrera – 1B
3. Robinson Cano – MI
4. Johnny Cueto – P
5. Ryan Braun – OF
6. Ian Kinsler – UT
7. Adrian Beltre – 3B
8. Justin Upton – OF
9. Evan Longoria – CI
10. Matt Kemp – OF
11. Ben Zobrist – OF
12. Joc Pederson – OF
13. Francisco Rodriguez – P
14. Brandon Maurer – P
15. Orlando Arcia – SS

Active roster spots still open: C, P, P, P, P, P, P

Overview: This is my team, but as I mentioned before, the first 11 picks were not my picks. I agree with the general principal of hitting over pitching, since hitting tends to be more predictable on a year-to-year basis and over the course of several seasons. Take the value where you can get it over the course of a draft. This team is stacked with well-rounded offensive players who may be a little long in the tooth as a whole. Three of the first six picks were second basemen, which could lead to some trades later on. One starting pitcher through 15 rounds could certainly become problematic as the season progresses, as a couple dice rolls in the later rounds will have to hit in order to become competitive.

Best value: Justin Upton got off to a horrific start in 2016, and that start overshadowed the fact that the 29-year-old still managed to match his career high with 31 home runs. 13 of those came after September 1, a stretch of 27 games during which he slugged a robust .750. Expect a bounceback season with an average back around .265 to go with another 30+ homers and 90+ RBI with double-digit steals a possibility. I would target Upton around the 60^th pick; to get him twice as deep into the draft is larceny.

Biggest reach: Ben Zobrist is more valuable to the Cubs than he will be to any fantasy team. He won’t hurt you anywhere and is a good source of runs, but the ceiling is pretty low here. As he enters his age-36 season, Zobrist is one to avoid in dynasty formats such as this one.

Elysian Fields – Benjamin Chase

1. Clayton Kershaw – P
2. Starling Marte – OF
3. Jon Lester – P
4. Alex Bregman – 3B
5. Byron Buxton – OF
6. Matt Carpenter – 2B
7. Edwin Diaz – P
8. Danny Duffy – P
9. Adam Jones – OF
10. Matt Moore – P
11. Nomar Mazara – OF
12. Cam Bedrosian – P
13. Brandon Belt – 1B
14. Ozzie Albies – SS
15. Garrett Richards – P

Active roster spots still open: C, SS, CI, OF, UT, P, P

Overview: With Kershaw, Lester, Duffy and Moore, Benjamin certainly has quite a stable of left-handed starters. That pitching staff will have to do the heavy lifting while the young hitters take time to mature. Players like Bregman, Buxton and Mazara are more than capable of providing value now, but it will take a few seasons for their potential to be fully realized.

Best value: All Adam Jones does is hit. He doesn’t run much anymore, but he is a safe bet for 25-30 home runs and 85 runs and RBI with a .265-.275 average. Players like Jones aren’t exciting, but they’re valuable when they drop to the ninth round of a 16-team draft.

Biggest reach: Take one part prospect fanatic and one part Braves fan, throw in a dash of dynasty league and you have one of the biggest head-scratchers of the draft thus far. Albies will eventually steal enough bases to be mighty useful in fantasy leagues, but he’s never going to hit for much power. Granted, you don’t need much power in the middle infield for fantasy purposes, but Albies is probably a couple seasons away from justifying a selection like this.

MoneyBallz – Ehsan Kassim

1. Bryce Harper – OF
2. Jonathan Villar – SS
3. Rougned Odor – 2B
4. Kyle Seager – 3B
5. Hanley Ramirez – 1B
6. Addison Russell – MI
7. Javier Baez – CI
8. J.T. Realmuto – C
9. Marcell Ozuna – OF
10. Aaron Nola – P
11. Jameson Taillon – P
12. Yasiel Puig – OF
13. Carlos Rodon – P
14. Jorge Soler – OF
15. Jason Heyward – OF

Active roster spots still open: UT, P, P, P, P, P, P

Overview: Ehsan has assembled a solid offense here, yet isn’t completely lost when it comes to pitching despite taking hitters in the first nine rounds. Batting average could be a struggle, but the other four offensive categories are decently represented. Finding good pitching value in the later rounds will determine whether or not MoneyBallz can turn this team into a true contender.

Best value: There are a bunch of solid picks, but no true steals on this roster. I do like Kyle Seager, though, whose stock seems to suffer from not being his brother Corey. Kyle will still get you close to .275/30/90 while hitting in a potent lineup and is coming off of career highs in four of the five rotisserie categories.

Biggest reach: Just like there haven’t been many steals, there haven’t been many mistakes. Addison Russell doesn’t provide speed or a good batting average in the middle infield, which can be a detriment, and is unlikely to approach 95 RBI again without moving up in the batting order. He’s a good young player with room to grow, but the sixth round may be a little early.

Team Haswell – Kevin Haswell

1. Nolan Arenado – 3B
2. Edwin Encarnacion – 1B
3. A.J. Pollock – OF
4. Nelson Cruz – OF
5. Dee Gordon – 2B
6. Carlos Gonzalez – OF
7. Rick Porcello – P
8. Mark Trumbo – OF
9. Khris Davis – OF
10. Eduardo Nunez – SS
11. Albert Pujols – CI
12. Yasmany Tomas – UT
13. John Lackey – P
14. Jerad Eickhoff – P
15. Jeff Samardzija – P

Active roster spots still open: C, MI, P, P, P, P, P

Overview: I really, really like this team. The offense should dominate in four categories, with batting average being the lone exception. There is tons of power balanced with a few speedsters without a weak spot in the bunch. The four starting pitchers aren’t anything particularly special, but considering only one pitcher was taken in the first 12 rounds, there is a definite path to respectability. The way Kevin rounds out the remaining pitching slots will determine just how far this team can go.

Best value: The concern with Carlos Gonzalez will be what happens to his production in the event he gets traded away from Colorado. This concern will ramp up as the trade deadline approaches if the Rockies do not sign him to an extension, as Gonzalez will be playing for a new contract this season. Until that happens, Cargo is a safe bet to hit for a strong average with more than enough power to justify a top-50 selection.

Biggest reach: I’m hard-pressed to call any of these selections a reach. The closest is probably Eduardo Nunez, who will have a difficult time replicating his breakout 2016 season, especially considering he hit .244 with a .654 OPS after the all-star break. The stolen base threat will still be there, but drop-offs across the board should be expected.

Parch Players – Mike Parchinsky

1. Max Scherzer – P
2. Zach Britton – P
3. Daniel Murphy – 2B
4. Jonathan Lucroy – C
5. Yoenis Cespedes – OF
6. Kyle Hendricks – P
7. Chris Davis – 1B
8. Jackie Bradley, Jr. – OF
9. Yangervis Solarte – 3B
10. Alex Colome – P
11. Kendrys Morales – CI
12. Carlos Gomez – OF
13. Eric Thames – OF
14. Marco Estrada – P
15. Ketel Marte – SS

Active roster spots still open: MI, OF, UT, P, P, P, P

Overview: Mike has put together the makings of a pretty well-balanced team. Sure, you’d like to see more speed and maybe another power hitter on offense, and there may be some work to round out a promising pitching staff, but it’s hard to fault this team too much as it stands right now. It’s not going to be a very exciting team, but sometimes it’s the steady, boring teams that have the most success in fantasy baseball.

Best value: There’s no guarantee that Eric Thames’s success in Korea will translate back to MLB. He’s not going to hit .346 and average 41 homers like he did overseas. An average in the .260-.270 range with 25-30 home runs, 80-90 RBI and 8-12 steals as the new Brewers first baseman seems to be a likely scenario, which would make us all wonder why he slipped outside of the top 200 picks in this inaugural draft.

Biggest reach: Zach Britton is a fantastic closer, and certainly should be one of the first few relievers off the board. However, under no circumstances should a closer be taken anywhere close to the first 25 picks of a draft! There’s only so much help Britton’s great ERA and WHIP can provide in 65-70 innings, and end-of-season save totals are nearly impossible to predict. Britton might match his 47 saves from 2016, but so might a closer selected eight rounds later. This is the equivalent of drafting the first kicker in the seventh round of a fantasy football league: sure, you’re getting the best one, but the dropoff to the next tier several rounds later is pretty slight.

Team Koonce – Justin Koonce

1. Corey Seager – SS
2. Wil Myers – OF
3. Joey Votto – 1B
4. Kenley Jansen – P
5. Roberto Osuna – P
6. Andrew Miller – P
7. Cole Hamels – P
8. DJ LeMahieu – 2B
9. Kenta Maeda – P
10. Jake Lamb – 3B
11. Kevin Gausman – P
12. Hunter Renfroe – OF
13. Drew Smyly – P
14. Daniel Norris – P
15. Jedd Gyorko – MI

Active roster spots still open: C, CI, OF, OF, OF, UT, P

Overview: Just look at that bullpen combination of Jansen-Osuna-Miller. Probably the best in the league, but at quite a high price, as using picks 4-6 on relievers has left some holes elsewhere on the roster. The infield looks pretty strong, but the outfield is going to end up being a bit of an adventure with some later round fillers and/or fliers rounding things out. The rotation is solid with the potential to become well above average. The ability to find late round offensive value, especially in the stolen base department, will determine if Justin can ride that strong bullpen to title contention.

Best value: Batting average and runs aren’t the sexiest fantasy baseball categories, but they count just as much as home runs and RBI. Maybe it’s not reasonable to expect DJ LeMahieu to flirt with .350 again, but hitting .310 near the top of the dangerous Rockies lineup will again lead to plenty of runs scored and flirtation with double-digit homers and steals. LeMahieu isn’t the most exciting fantasy pick, but he provides the type of great value that title contenders always seem to find.

Biggest reach: I like Wil Myers, just not in the second round. Petco Park will lower his ceiling when it comes to home runs, and a questionable lineup caps his ability to score and drive in runs. Myers’s batting average isn’t great, either, so quite a bit of regression from his 2016 value is to be expected. Myers has a high floor thanks to his ability to provide a respectable stolen base total, but the ceiling is no higher than where he finished last season.

New Team 3 – Jason Evans

1. Carlos Correa – SS
2. Freddie Freeman – 1B
3. Yu Darvish – P
4. Kyle Schwarber – OF
5. Jacob deGrom – P
6. Willson Contreras – C
7. Stephen Piscotty – OF
8. Jeurys Familia – P
9. Kelvin Herrera – P
10. A.J. Ramos – P
11. Adam Duvall – OF
12. Jonathan Schoop – 2B
13. Tyler Glasnow – P
14. Nick Castellanos – 3B
15. Joe Ross – P

Active roster spots still open: CI, MI, OF, OF, UT, P, P

Overview: Jason’s first line of business is to change his team name from the default assignment. Then maybe look for a stolen base threat. Aside from that, this is a rather well-rounded squad. Whereas Team Koonce used picks 4-6 to draft relievers, New Team 3 used picks 8-10 and probably won’t be any worse off with his trio. Each of the eight hitters thus far has the potential to reach the twenties in home runs, and the rotation has the potential to be quite formidable.

Best value: I’m a believer in Joe Ross. He gets lost amongst the bigger arms in the Nationals rotation, but entering his age-24 season, Ross is already quite polished. He’s healthy following a shoulder injury that limited him in the second half last season. He’s had about a full season’s worth of workload the last two years (35 appearances, 32 starts), and in that time he’s accumulated a 12-10 record with a 3.52 ERA and 1.22 WHIP to go with 162 strikeouts across 181.2 innings. There’s plenty of room for growth in those numbers, providing a potential bargain with pick 236.

Biggest reach: Schwarber no longer qualifies at catcher and probably never will again. As a full-time outfielder, he’ll provide a .260 average with 25-30 homers and 80 runs/RBI. There’s nothing wrong with those numbers, but unless it’s coming from the catcher position it’s not going to be much value near the top 50.

Backdoor Sliders – Matt Weyrich

1. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B
2. Charlie Blackmon – OF
3. Jean Segura – 2B
4. Justin Verlander – P
5. Billy Hamilton – OF
6. Jose Quintana – P
7. Mark Melancon – P
8. Troy Tulowitzki – SS
9. Tanner Roark – P
10. Adrian Gonzalez – CI
11. Steven Matz – P
12. Dexter Fowler – OF
13. Russell Martin – C
14. Jung Ho Kang – 3B
15. Yulieski Gurriel – UT

Active roster spots still open: MI, OF, OF, P, P, P, P

Overview: Matt has put together the beginnings of a roster that could be able to make some noise. There’s plenty of speed and a rotation that could fly under the radar and become very good. There’s not an overabundance of power in the lineup, but there could be enough to remain competitive. I’ll be paying close attention to this team for the rest of the draft to see if Backdoor Sliders becomes a backdoor contender.

Best value: Adrian Gonzalez is no longer a plug and play option at first base. He’ll turn 35 soon and is on a clear downward trajectory with his production. With that said, he has another couple years of solid if not spectacular numbers left in him. He can provide a good average with 20 homers and 85 RBI out of the corner infield slot, and there’s value in his durability here at pick 148 as long as you aren’t expecting a fifth-round return on your investment.

Biggest reach: This team is full of slot-appropriate picks. I don’t think there are any reaches, but Segura is the player who seems most likely to fall short of his draft slot. His batting average will likely slip back below .300 due to regression from his .353 BABIP in 2016, and a repeat of 20 home runs will be asking a lot. The runs and steals will still be there, but it will be difficult for Segura to return top-50 value.

Team Schmid – Andrew Schmid

1. Anthony Rizzo – 1B
2. Corey Kluber – P
3. Carlos Carrasco – P
4. Aroldis Chapman – P
5. Odubel Herrera – OF
6. Gregory Polanco – OF
7. Cody Allen – P
8. Danny Salazar – P
9. Salvador Perez – C
10. Brad Miller – SS
11. Elvis Andrus – MI
12. Kole Calhoun – OF
13. James Paxton – P
14. Kevin Kiermaier – OF
15. Michael Pineda – P

Active roster spots still open: 2B, 3B, CI, OF, UT, P, P

Overview: It’s the Cleveland Indians rotation! Andrew has put together a pitching staff that should be one of the league’s best. The offense lags behind that staff quite a bit, but there is still quite a bit of potential here. There’s a good amount of speed to go along with some sneaky pop from potentially unexpected sources, and I could easily see this team shaping up as a contender as the season plays itself out.

Best value: I really like the power-speed combo Gregory Polanco provides. He’ll play a major role in a solid Pittsburgh lineup, which will lead to ample opportunities to score and drive in runs. At only 25, Polanco should be receiving more attention than he is, but Team Schmid is happy to have him slide all the way down to pick 83.

Biggest reach: This is another squad that doesn’t really have anyone I would classify as a reach. Cody Allen in his current role complements the Kluber-Carrasco-Salazar triumvirate very well on this roster. Be wary of another early-season funk from Allen, though. In 2015 he turned in an 11.57 ERA in April followed by a 6.97 April ERA last season. Terry Francona hasn’t been swayed by small sample sizes thus far, but there is always the potential for another slow start to cost Allen the closer role with Andrew Miller waiting in the wings.

Team Fustor – Nick Fustor

1. Josh Donaldson – 3B
2. Trea Turner – 2B
3. David Price – P
4. Christian Yelich – OF
5. Andrew McCutchen – OF
6. Eric Hosmer – 1B
7. Miguel Sano – OF
8. Aledmys Diaz – SS
9. Dallas Keuchel – P
10. Dustin Pedroia – MI
11. Yasmani Grandal – C
12. Hunter Pence – OF
13. David Robertson – P
14. Jake Odorizzi – P
15. Taijuan Walker – P

Active roster spots still open: CI, OF, UT, P, P, P, P

Overview: Here is another solid team put together in the back end of the draft order. Nick went heavy on hitting to start the draft but has put together some respectable pitching in the last few rounds. The offense is what will carry this roster, though. There are players who can offer elite power, one who can offer elite speed, and several who can provide numbers across the board. If the pitching is able to round itself out well, watch out for Team Fustor.

Best value: Dustin Pedroia isn’t getting any younger as he enters his age-33 season, but he certainly experienced a career resurgence in 2016. He’s not much of a stolen base threat anymore, and he’s not likely to surpass his 15 home runs from last season. However, he did collect more than 200 hits in 2016, and his lofty position in the potent Red Sox lineup will provide an excellent source of runs and a high batting average. This team is full of picks that will provide a great return, and the selection of Pedroia might fly under the radar a little bit.

Biggest reach: Taijuan Walker may do fine in Arizona, but I have been burned by his injuries and homer-happy tendencies too frequently in my AL-Only league the past few years to trust him. Last season Walker served up 27 home runs in just 134.1 innings, and a move to Chase Field won’t help matters. He’s still only 24 and the 15^th round may be an appropriate time to roll the dice in hopes that offseason foot surgery and a change of scenery will help Walker realize his potential. I just won’t be the one rolling the dice.

San Mateo Padres – Simon Rose

1. Noah Syndergaard – P
2. Chris Sale – P
3. Aaron Sanchez – P
4. Dansby Swanson – SS
5. Yoan Moncada – 3B
6. Carlos Martinez – P
7. Seung Hwan Oh – P
8. Adam Eaton – OF
9. Sam Dyson – P
10. Jose Bautista – OF
11. Marcus Stroman – P
12. Tim Anderson – MI
13. Brian McCann – C
14. Jharel Cotton – P
15. J.P. Crawford – UT

Active roster spots still open: 1B, 2B, CI, OF, OF, OF, P

Overview: Another owner focusing on pitching and prospects, Simon will have to rely on his arms to carry his team for a while as the bats just are not ready to be competitive. It is a great collection of arms, but that’s the risk you run when you don’t take an established major league hitter until the eighth round. Bautista represents essentially the only power on the roster. Moncada and especially Crawford aren’t guaranteed to see ample major league playing time in 2017. The San Mateo Padres will compete with Marty Bergen’s Axe for domination in the pitching categories while trying to stay out of the cellar on offense.

Best value: I love Tim Anderson in the 12^th round. His inability to take a walk doesn’t hurt him in fantasy, and there is definite potential to hit double-digit home runs to go with 25-30 steals and a .275 average. That’s valuable from your middle infield slot, especially if it falls outside the top 175 picks.

Biggest reach: I know this is a dynasty league, but I just don’t understand a selection like Moncada at number 80 overall. He’ll almost certainly be starting off in AAA and is no guarantee to set the world on fire when he gets called up to Chicago. In leagues like this you want to be sure you have the chance to succeed in the future, but not at the expense of being competitive in the first season of a new league.

Next: Best Uniforms in Baseball

There you have it: all 16 teams through 15 rounds of the CttP fantasy baseball league. Let us know which teams you think look strongest and weakest so far, who you think have been the best and worst picks, and who you’re surprised to see still on the board after 240 players have been selected!