The Best And Worst Of My 2012 Fantasy Baseball Draft - Part 1

I know this post won't appeal to many people, but I got bored at work today, so I decided to at least be somewhat productive. Hence, I have picked out the best and worst pick of each round of my fantasy draft that happened a week and a half ago. I tried to avoid giving myself a best when possible. Otherwise, it would just be me patting myself on the ass nonstop. I have also changed the team names to protect their owners' identities. I gave everyone a cool name, except Cory, whose team I called Cory, because Cory is the worst.

ROUND 1
1	Miguel Cabrera, Det 1B	Latino Heat
2	Albert Pujols, LAA 1B	Team Idaho
3	Ryan Braun, Mil OF	Team Hott Joe
4	Jose Bautista, Tor 3B	Team Johnny
5	Matt Kemp, LAD OF	Team Whiskey
6	Troy Tulowitzki, Col SS	The Teach
7	Robinson Cano, NYY 2B	Cory
8	Giancarlo Stanton, Mia OF	Team Hipster
9	Justin Upton, Ari OF	AC Slater
10	Evan Longoria, TB 3B	Vice City
11	Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos OF	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
12	Joey Votto, Cin 1B	Butt Stuff

Best Pick: Justin Upton – If the top three guys were already gone, Upton was next on my list. He’s a stud, and he’s still getting better. Plus, he’s really fun to cheer for, but still AC Slater should trade him to me so I can unite the power of the Upton brothers.

Worst Pick: Jacoby Ellsbury – I cannot imagine Ellsbury ever putting up the numbers he put up last year. He’s a third round pick in my mind. Plus, cheering for any Boston team is worse than cheering for a New York team, so I hate all Red Sox (except for the one I drafted).

ROUND 2
13	Roy Halladay, Phi SP	Butt Stuff
14	Adrian Gonzalez, Bos 1B	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
15	Carlos Gonzalez, Col OF	Vice City
16	Prince Fielder, Det 1B	AC Slater
17	Mike Napoli, Tex C	Team Hipster
18	Curtis Granderson, NYY OF	Cory
19	Hanley Ramirez, Mia SS	The Teach
20	Dustin Pedroia, Bos 2B	Team Whiskey
21	Clayton Kershaw, LAD SP	Team Johnny
22	Mark Teixeira, NYY 1B	Team Hott Joe
23	Ian Kinsler, Tex 2B	Team Idaho
24	Justin Verlander, Det SP	Latino Heat

Best Pick: Hanley Ramirez – Yeah, the pick has risk, but he has top five potential, so getting him at 19 is pretty damn good value. If he would have fallen to 22, there is no doubt I would have pulled the trigger on him.

Worst Pick: Mike Napoli – So yeah, Team Hipster autopicked and only put like five guys on his list of guys that he definitely wanted, so his picks are hilariously bad for these first few rounds. I don’t see Napoli producing like he did last year, and even if he does, it’s only an okay pick in the second round.

ROUND 3
25	Adrian Beltre, Tex 3B	Latino Heat
26	Jose Reyes, Mia SS	Team Idaho
27	David Wright, NYM 3B	Team Hott Joe
28	Michael Bourn, Atl OF	Team Johnny
29	Andrew McCutchen, Pit OF	Team Whiskey
30	Cliff Lee, Phi SP	The Teach
31	Felix Hernandez, Sea SP	Cory
32	Stephen Strasburg, Wsh SP	Team Hipster
33	Tim Lincecum, SF SP	AC Slater
34	Dan Uggla, Atl 2B	Vice City
35	Jered Weaver, LAA SP	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
36	Matt Holliday, StL OF	Butt Stuff

Best Pick: Andrew McCutchen – McCutchen was already good, and he’s still getting better. This is at least second round value in the third round.

Worst Pick: Matt Holliday – He is the opposite of McCutchen. He’s getting worse, and he won’t be turning that around ever. That’s what old age does. Plus he doesn’t get to knock in Pujols anymore, who was a player that was pretty good at getting on base.

ROUND 4
37	Cole Hamels, Phi SP	Butt Stuff
38	Jay Bruce, Cin OF	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
39	Jon Lester, Bos SP	Vice City
40	Hunter Pence, Phi OF	AC Slater
41	Josh Hamilton, Tex OF	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
42	Paul Konerko, CWS 1B	Cory
43	Pablo Sandoval, SF 3B	The Teach
44	Eric Hosmer, KC 1B	Team Whiskey
45	Ryan Zimmerman, Wsh 3B	Team Johnny
46	CC Sabathia, NYY SP	Team Hott Joe
47	Nelson Cruz, Tex OF	Team Idaho
48	Dan Haren, LAA SP	Latino Heat

Best Pick: Jay Bruce – He probably isn’t the best pick, but I love Jay Bruce, so I will just be up front about my total bias and still give him credit for being the best pick in the round.

Worst Pick: Paul Konerko – He keeps producing, but Hosmer can definitely put up Konerko numbers, while having the upside to join the elite first basemen. I think Hosmer takes a step forward, not a leap, so I don’t have him as the best pick, but he’s a ton better than Konerko in that round.

ROUND 5
49	Carlos Santana, Cle C	Latino Heat
50	Starlin Castro, ChC SS	Team Idaho
51	Brett Lawrie, Tor 3B	Team Hott Joe
52	Shane Victorino, Phi OF	Team Johnny
53	Elvis Andrus, Tex SS	Team Whiskey
54	Zack Greinke, Mil SP	The Teach
55	David Price, TB SP	Cory
56	Carlos Zambrano, Mia SP	Team Hipster
57	Ben Zobrist, TB 2B	AC Slater
58	Jimmy Rollins, Phi SS	Vice City
59	Brandon Phillips, Cin 2B	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
60	Aramis Ramirez, Mil 3B	Butt Stuff

Best Pick: Zack Greinke – I see him as a top-5 pitcher this year, and had I already not gotten a pitcher early, I would have strongly considered him. Also, I have had a crush on Brett Lawrie since I saw him in the Midwest League. Dude is a stud, but yeah, it’s a really risky pick, so I can’t be wasting a best on that one.

Worst Pick: Carlos Zambrano – This was the highlight of the draft. Had he moved Zambrano up 10 spots from his position of a billiondy (not his actual position), he could have easily had Big Z, but give credit to Team Hipster; he really loves the Marlins.

ROUND 6
61	Alex Gordon, KC OF	Butt Stuff
62	C.J. Wilson, LAA SP	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
63	Yovani Gallardo, Mil SP	Vice City
64	Matt Moore, TB SP	AC Slater
65	Lance Berkman, StL 1B	Team Hipster
66	Matt Cain, SF SP	Cory
67	Craig Kimbrel, Atl RP	The Teach
68	Alex Rodriguez, NYY 3B	Team Whiskey
69	Adam Wainwright, StL SP	Team Johnny
70	Brian McCann, Atl C	Team Hott Joe
71	James Shields, TB SP	Team Idaho
72	Adam Jones, Bal OF	Latino Heat

Best Pick: Adam Jones – We have to have five outfielders in our league, so the outfield can get pretty thin quickly. Adam Jones will definitely be good value here, and he could be great value if he can show some improvement from last year. It’s a pretty safe pick, but one that also provides solid upside.

Worst Pick: C.J. Wilson – I have just never been impressed with how he does things. He gets strikeouts, but not by being overpowering. He is in a better park for pitchers, but I still him taking a significant step backwards this year.

ROUND 7
73	Asdrubal Cabrera, Cle SS	Latino Heat
74	Ian Kennedy, Ari SP	Team Idaho
75	B.J. Upton, TB OF	Team Hott Joe
76	David Ortiz, Bos DH	Team Johnny
77	Mariano Rivera, NYY RP	Team Whiskey
78	Carl Crawford, Bos OF	The Teach
79	Michael Morse, Wsh 1B	Cory
80	Heath Bell, Mia RP	Team Hipster
81	Kevin Youkilis, Bos 3B	AC Slater
82	Jonathan Papelbon, Phi RP	Vice City
83	Shin-Soo Choo, Cle OF	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
84	Matt Wieters, Bal C	Butt Stuff

Best Pick: Shin-Soo Choo – This was a tough one, but I think the highest likelihood of somebody really outperforming their draft slot is Choo. Youkilis was a really close second, and Wieters wasn’t far behind. Crawford could be a monster, but wrist injuries scare me, so I figured Choo was the best way to go here.

Worst Pick: Ian Kennedy – There were a lot of talented pitchers still on the board, and Kennedy is not a guy I see ever coming close to what he did last year.

ROUND 8
85	Drew Storen, Wsh RP	Butt Stuff
86	Michael Young, Tex 1B	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
87	Buster Posey, SF C	Vice City
88	Ichiro Suzuki, Sea OF	AC Slater
89	Madison Bumgarner, SF SP	Team Hipster
90	Michael Cuddyer, Col 1B	Cory
91	Ricky Romero, Tor SP	The Teach
92	John Axford, Mil RP	Team Whiskey
93	Howard Kendrick, LAA 2B	Team Johnny
94	Jason Heyward, Atl OF	Team Hott Joe
95	Jayson Werth, Wsh OF	Team Idaho
96	Mat Latos, Cin SP	Latino Heat

Best Pick: Madison Bumgarner – He’s really good. He has the ability to be the best pitcher on the Giants. So, yeah, he’s really good.

Worst Pick: Michael Young – He’s old, and he is going to decline. Last year was a surprisingly good year, but he is about as unexciting and unappealing as a first baseman can get.

ROUND 9
97	Drew Stubbs, Cin OF	Latino Heat
98	Chris Young, Ari OF	Team Idaho
99	Jeremy Hellickson, TB SP	Team Hott Joe
100	Mark Reynolds, Bal 3B	Team Johnny
101	Miguel Montero, Ari C	Team Whiskey
102	Rickie Weeks, Mil 2B	The Teach
103	Desmond Jennings, TB OF	Cory
104	J.J. Hardy, Bal SS	Team Hott Joe
105	Brett Gardner, NYY OF	AC Slater
106	Brian Wilson, SF RP	Vice City
107	Joe Mauer, Min C	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
108	Matt Garza, ChC SP	Butt Stuff

Best Pick: Joe Mauer – Mauer got signed to a really big extension, and nobody knows him better than the Twins do. They clearly felt it was a good investment. Early returns are bad, but Mauer should bounce back. Even if he only hits 10-15 home runs, he’ll still be a top-5 catcher this year.

Worst Pick: Desmond Jennings – He got off to an explosive start, but pitchers quickly caught up to him. I see this as a transition year where he’s going to struggle more than succeed, and I just did not see him as worthy of this high of a pick.

ROUND 10
109	Alexei Ramirez, CWS SS	Butt Stuff
110	Jordan Zimmermann, Wsh SP	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
111	Ubaldo Jimenez, Cle SP	Vice City
112	Daniel Hudson, Ari SP	AC Slater
113	Corey Hart, Mil OF	Team Hipster
114	Carlos Beltran, StL OF	Cory
115	Billy Butler, KC DH	The Teach
116	Freddie Freeman, Atl 1B	Team Whiskey
117	Dee Gordon, LAD SS	Team Johnny
118	Yu Darvish, Tex SP	Team Hott Joe
119	Michael Pineda*, NYY SP	Team Idaho
120	Josh Johnson, Mia SP	Latino Heat

Best Pick: Josh Johnson – Josh’s ERA was 1.64 last year. Yeah, he only pitched in nine games, but still, that’s really, really good. Obviously, he’s a huge health risk, but if he’s healthy, he has the potential to be the best pitcher in the major leagues.

Worst Pick: Dee Gordon – Yes, this is somehow worse than Pineda, because Dee Gordon has never been that impressive. I doubt he’s going to go against the best competition in the world and become some superstar. He’ll get you steals, and probably nothing else.

ROUND 11
121	Josh Beckett, Bos SP	Latino Heat
122	Alex Avila, Det C	Team Idaho
123	Tommy Hanson, Atl SP	Team Hott Joe
124	Yadier Molina, StL C	Team Johnny
125	Joel Hanrahan, Pit RP	Team Whiskey
126	Rafael Betancourt, Col RP	The Teach
127	Brandon Beachy, Atl SP	Cory
128	Derek Jeter, NYY SS	Team Hipster
129	Gio Gonzalez, Wsh SP	AC Slater
130	Chase Utley, Phi 2B	Vice City
131	Andre Ethier, LAD OF	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
132	Shaun Marcum, Mil SP	Butt Stuff

Best Pick: Tommy Hanson – None of the other options excite me, so I’ll give myself some props. If the shoulder is healthy, he’s a stud, and a monster pick at this point in the draft. Stay healthy, and make me look like a genius, Tommy.

Worst Pick: Chase Utley – This pains me to put out there, because I love Chase Utley, but he was never able to get in a groove last year, and he’s already got a serious injury this year. Chase, I know I can’t throw as fast as you, but I think you’ll be impressed with my speed. Also, you have great hair.

ROUND 12
133	Jose Valverde, Det RP	Butt Stuff
134	Cory Luebke, SD SP	Team Gauch-OH YEAH!
135	Carlos Lee, Hou 1B	Vice City
136	Adam Lind, Tor 1B	AC Slater
137	Jhonny Peralta, Det SS	Team Hipster
138	Cameron Maybin, SD OF	Cory
139	Max Scherzer, Det SP	The Teach
140	Nick Swisher, NYY OF	Team Whiskey
141	Andrew Bailey, Bos RP	Team Johnny
142	Jason Motte, StL RP	Team Hott Joe
143	Melky Cabrera, SF OF	Team Idaho
144	Coco Crisp, Oak OF	Latino Heat

Best Pick: Max Scherzer – Good pitcher in a later round kind of tops anything else in this round.

Worst Pick: Melky Cabrera – Going from a neutral park to a pitcher’s park, and I have never been impressed with his skill set.

I'll be back tomorrow with part two of the excitement.