Power Pros Forum

(Hopefully this won't fail after two weeks like last time. We can keep the other thread for discussion, if needs be. Otherwise, we can use this one.)

On the afternoon of March 8th, 2014, 8 of 10 members of the MLBPPWorld Forums braved the bitter cold, snowy weather (or, in Skittle's and PPJ's case, sunny and nice, because, screw Florida and California for their proximity to the tropics) to log on their computers and partake in this year's selecting of players for their teams.

Because of the number of keepers people selected from last year, the drafting started in Round 4 (and surprisingly, technically, Mike Trout was NOT the first pick), with maccrash auto-picking Carlos Gonzalez. He was not available for the draft, and neither was newcomer Acemaker, whose first pick was autopicking Edwin Encarnacion in Round 5.

The draft took almost 2 hours to complete, with minimal amounts of blood, sweat, and tears (OK, maybe a little of the 2 latter) shed, and finally they were done, with Eric Sogard getting another round of "ERIC F***ING SOGARD, MOTHEREFFERS, WHAT UP" as one of the final picks in the draft. They relocated to their other websites for the time being and waited for the season to begin.

Here are the rosters of the teams in the 2014 MLBPPWorld Fantasy Baseball League, plus their keepers from the previous season (K).

Massachusetts Massacres (maccrash21)

C: Matt Weiters
1B: Kendrys Morales
2B: Dustin Pedroia (K)
3B: Kyle Seager
SS: Everth Cabrera
2B/SS: Brandon Phillips
1B/3B: Aramis Ramirez
OF: Matt Kemp (K)
OF: Carlos Gonzalez
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury
OF: Carlos Gomez
OF: Will Venable
UTIL: David Ortiz
Bench: Brian Dozier (2B)
Bench: Howie Kendrick (2B)

SP: Jon Lester (K)
SP: Homer Bailey
SP: Gerrit Cole
SP: Andrew Cashner
SP: Tony Cingrani
SP: Jake Peavy
RP: Jonathan Papelbon
RP: Addison Reed
RP: Nate Jones
Bench: Yovani Gallardo (SP)

Texas Noob Moves (Acemaker55)

C: Wilson Ramos
1B: Mike Napoli (K)
2B: Daniel Murphy
3B: Josh Donaldson
SS: Jose Reyes (K)
2B/SS: Jean Segura
1B/3B: Edwin Encarnacion
OF: Shane Victorino
OF: Josh Hamilton
OF: Coco Crisp
OF: Josh Reddick
OF: Adam Eaton
UTIL: Joey Votto
Bench: Corey Hart (1B/OF)

SP: Gio Gonzalez (K)
SP: Chris Sale (K)
SP: Matt Cain
SP: Mat Latos
SP: R.A. Dickey
SP: CC Sabathia
RP: Kenley Jansen
RP: Grant Balfour
RP: Rafael Soriano
Bench: Clay Buchholz (SP)
Bench: Lance Lynn (SP)

Brass Knuckles (Power Pros 27)

C: Yadier Molina (K)
1B: Paul Goldschmidt (K)
2B: Aaron Hill
3B: Pedro Alvarez
SS: J.J. Hardy
2B/SS: Jed Lowrie
1B/3B: Albert Pujols (K)
OF: Ryan Braun (K)
OF: Jose Bautista
OF: Matt Holliday
OF: Brandon Moss
OF: Billy Hamilton
UTIL: Norichika Aoki
Bench: Alejandro De Aza (OF)
Bench: A.J. Pierzynski (C)

SP: Felix Hernandez (K)
SP: Cliff Lee
SP: Hiroki Kuroda
SP: Dan Haren
SP: Ubaldo Jimenez
SP: Francisco Liriano
RP: Koji Uehara
RP: Jim Henderson
RP: Rex Brothers
Bench: Rick Porcello (SP)

Vancouver Mendenhals (dishnetkid)

C: Joe Mauer
1B: Prince Fielder (K)
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Manny Machado (K)
SS: Alexei Ramirez
2B/SS: Neil Walker
1B/3B: Nolan Arenado
OF: Jayson Werth (K)
OF: Desmond Jennings
OF: Jason Heyward
OF: Avisail Garcia
OF: Christian Yelich
UTIL: Victor Martinez
Bench: Nick Castellanos (OF)
Bench: Eric Sogard (2B)

SP: Max Scherzer (K)
SP: Clayton Kershaw (K)
SP: Masahiro Tanaka
SP: Hisashi Iwakuma
SP: Patrick Corbin
SP: A.J. Burnett
RP: Joe Nathan
RP: Sergio Romo
RP: Drew Smyly
Bench: Jesse Crain (RP)

NJ Eagles (philliesfan134)

C: Brian McCann
1B: Chris Davis (K)
2B: Martin Prado
3B: Evan Longoria (K)
SS: Starlin Castro
2B/SS: Asdrubal Cabrera
1B/3B: Pablo Sandoval
OF: Shin-Soo Choo
OF: Yoenis Cespedes
OF: Carlos Beltran
OF: Nelson Cruz
OF: Curtis Granderson
UTIL: Anthony Rendon
Bench: Nick Markakis (OF)
Bench: Evan Gattis (C/OF)
Bench: Ryan Howard (1B)

SP: Justin Verlander (K)
SP: Stephen Strasburg
SP: Shelby Miller
SP: Johnny Cueto
SP: Sonny Gray
SP: Dan Straily
RP: Craig Kimbrel (K)
RP: Aroldis Chapman (K)
RP: Ernesto Frieri

Atomic Pickles (AgentP)

C: Buster Posey
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Chase Ultey
3B: Adrian Beltre (K)
SS: Jimmy Rollins
2B/SS: Andrelton Simmons
1B/3B: Chris Johnson
OF: Andrew McCutchen (K)
OF: Hunter Pence (K)
OF: Ben Revere
OF: Michael Brantley
OF: Austin Jackson
UTIL: Jason Castro
Bench: Zack Cozart (SS)
Bench: Brandon Snyder (3B)

SP: Yu Darvish (K)
SP: Anibal Sanchez
SP: Doug Fister
SP: Cole Hamels
SP: Justin Masterson
SP: Brandon McCarthy
RP: Greg Holland (K)
RP: Huston Street
RP: Steve Cishek
Bench: Ervin Santana (SP)

Rampant Rhinoceroses (Prediction)

C: Carlos Santana
1B: Eric Hosmer (K)
2B: Jurickson Profar
3B: Ryan Zimmerman (K)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki (K)
2B/SS: Ian Desmond (K)
1B/3B: Freddie Freeman
OF: Allen Craig
OF: Starling Marte
OF: Alex Gordon
OF: Alfonso Soriano
OF: Michael Bourn
UTIL: Anthony Rizzo
Bench: Billy Butler (DH)
Bench: Adam Lind (1B/DH)
Bench: Jonathan Villar (SS)

SP: David Price (K)
SP: Kris Medlen
SP: Jeff Samardzija
SP: Matt Garza
SP: Jarrod Parker
SP: Chris Tillman
RP: Jason Grilli
RP: Tommy Hunter
RP: Joaquin Benoit

Humongous Melonheads (detroittigers15)

C: Wilin Rosario
1B: Matt Adams
2B: Matt Carpenter
3B: David Wright (K)
SS: Ben Zobrist
2B/SS: Jhonny Peralta
1B/3B: Xander Bogaerts
OF: Mike Trout (K)
OF: Alex Rios
OF: Michael Cuddyer
OF: Domonic Brown
OF: Torii Hunter
UTIL: B.J. Upton
Bench: Mark Teixeira (1B)
Bench: Alexander Guerrero (2B)

SP: Jered Weaver (K)
SP: Mike Minor (K)
SP: Hyun-Jin Ryu (K)
SP: Jordan Zimmermann
SP: Julio Teheran
SP: Michael Wacha
RP: Jim Johnson
RP: Casey Janssen
RP: John Axford
Bench: Ivan Nova (SP)

Liberty City Swingers (PowerPro Jr)

C: Jonathan Lucroy
1B: Jose Abreu
2B: Robinson Cano (K)
3B: Brett Lawrie
SS: Hanley Ramirez (K)
2B/SS: Jason Kipnis (K)
1B/3B: Will Middlebrooks
OF: Justin Upton (K)
OF: Yasiel Puig (K)
OF: Wil Myers
OF: Leonys Martin
OF: Brett Gardner
UTIL: Khris Davis
Bench: Nick Swisher (1B/OF)
Bench: Colby Rasmus (OF)
Bench: Miguel Montero (C)

SP: Jose Fernandez
SP: Zack Greinke
SP: James Shields
SP: Alex Cobb
SP: C.J. Wilson
SP: Chris Archer
RP: Trevor Rosenthal
RP: David Robertson
RP: Bobby Parnell

Syracuse Spartans (SkittleMonster)

C: Salvador Perez
1B: Mark Trumbo
2B: Jose Altuve
3B: Miguel Cabrera (K)
SS: Elvis Andrus
2B/SS: Jedd Gyorko
1B/3B: Brandon Belt
OF: Giancarlo Stanton (K)
OF: Adam Jones (K)
OF: Jay Bruce (K)
OF: Bryce Harper
OF: Carl Crawford
UTIL: Chase Headley
Bench: Erick Aybar (SS)
Bench: Nate Schierholtz (OF)

SP: Adam Wainwright
SP: Madison Bumgarner
SP: Matt Moore
SP: Danny Salazar
SP: Zack Wheeler
SP: Marco Estrada
RP: Glen Perkins
RP: Fernando Rodney
RP: Neftali Feliz
Bench: John Lackey (SP)

Soon to come, there will be analysis of these rosters. Enjoy!

RAMPANT RHINOCEROSES FIRST

But I don't live in cold weather either, dish.

It was really nice here today, finally the end of winter.

it's 45° right now which I do not consider "cold"

Those autopicked teams don't look so good.

Excited for the season to start.

Go Brass Knuckles, I left you some good keepers.

You won't be disappointed.

Here we are for round 2! Last year we learned that I know absolutely nothing, but hey, at least I picked the winner right! This year's analysis will be similar, but there's a statistic I'd like to throw out there first. It's called WERTH, and it's the approximate amount of roto points one player would raise (or drop) your team in the roto standings in comparison to an average fantasy starter. To determine your approximate total of roto points, you take 60 and add your WERTH. The average team will have a combined WERTH value of -5, which actually works out perfectly. Now, on to the good stuff!

Syracuse Spartans (SkittleMonster) WERTH Total: 14.14

Last years champions are back, and are the early favorites to repeat. Obviously, having the best hitter in Miguel Cabrera and his league leading 11.80 WERTH is a huge help, but this team is very talented everywhere else too. They boast four top-15 outfielders, who combined are projected for 353 R, 130 HR, 374 RBI, and 10.02 WERTH. To counter-act the power heavy outfield, the teams starting middle infielders are projected to reach 70 steals between the two of them, with a pretty solid average to boot. A little bit more depth overall would be nice though.

The pitching isn't quite as pretty as the offense, but it's certainly nothing to scoff at. The staff is anchored by Wainwright and Bumgarner, two top-10 studs who are looking at over 400 K's, nearly 35 W's, and a 9+ WERTH. After than however, it gets a bit sketchy. Moore was very lucky last season at 17 wins, and would be hard pressed to even come close to repeating it. Salazar, Wheeler, and Estrada are all young and unproven starters despite thier enormous upside. Then again, all it takes is one Harvey-esqu breakout, and you're looking at a team with three aces.

Bottom Line: With a such talented team and owner, anything less than a second straight title will likely be a disappointment.

NJ Eagles (philliesfan134) WERTH Total: 8.99

The Spartans however are not the only elite team in the league. The Eagles had a surprising draft and shot up near the top. Their offense is headlined by corner infielders Davis and Longoria, who are a virtual lock for 75 home runs and 200 RBI, and have great value with the 6.5 WERTH. In fact, homers as a whole shouldn't be a problem, as every single batter on the roster is projected for double digits. As a result, that limits the steal potential, as only Choo is looking at 20+ in the category.

In addition to the hitters, the pitchers are pretty great too. Verlander and Strasburg provide a heavy 1-2 punch at the top, with solid role players down the line, like Cueto, Miller, and Gray. They also broke the mold on closers, but I sorta agree with this move. Usually I'm completely against picking relievers early. But if you're gonna do it, these are the two to do it with. Kimbrel and Chapman are elite and belong in a category of their own. They rack up saves, hit 100+ strikeouts, and have godly ratios. They are also head and shoulders better than their peers, holding WERTH values of about 4 and 3 respectively, compared to -1 of the average closer.

Bottom Line: After sneaking up to 3rd from 8th last year, this team has as good a chance as any to sneak up and knock off the Spartans.

Brass Knuckles (Power Pros 27) WERTH Total: 2.63

This offense is certainly talented, but not without it's flaws. Starting with the positive: Goldschmidt. He's a five category player, which is especially rare for a 1B. 30+ HR, 15+ SB, 100+ R/RBI, and a pretty .300 average, all of which explains his 7.02 WERTH. However, this team has position scarcity problems, and a lot of risk. This team has some of the weakest starters are the weakest positions. The starting 2B, 3B, and SS are all the 10th best players at their position. Another problem is all the risky players, such as Braun, Pujols, and Hamilton. Should they put together the solid seasons we know they can, they'll be looked at as steals. If their issues hold them back, they're completely wasted picks.

The staff however is as consistent as they come. You know what you're getting from top-5 pitchers Hernandez and Lee, assuming mileage doesn't slow any of them down. If so, then the two of them should provide a solid backbone for the team with their whopping 11.60 combined WERTH. Their back end-starters are about average, and their relievers are nothing too special. One flaw may be a lack of any sort of wild-card. A pitcher taken late in the draft with tons of upside. If he works out, you have a steal. If not, you've lost nothing important. Oh, and Brothers isn't even the closer.

Bottom Line: Assuming they get their necessary breaks, this team has loads of talent needed to compete for the crown.

Rampant Rhinoceroses (Prediction) WERTH Total: 0.42

This is the first thing I thought looking at the roster. Does one need that many 1B? The Rhinos have Santana, Hosmer, Freeman, Craig, Rizzo, Butler (not really, but sorta), and Lind. I mean 1B is deep, but not that deep! As such, some other positions are lacking. They only have one 2B and 3B, and good luck trading a deep position for a shallow one unless you're willing lesser talent. But maybe I'm being too harsh. Tulo and Desmond are both great SS, and Gordon and Marte are both under-appreciated OF. Just try and trade for weaknesses and this team might be fine.

The starters are good, headlined by Price and supported by Medlen and Samardzija. I'm actually pretty high on Garza and Parker, and I believe they'll also put together nice seasons. The relievers kinda scare me though. Grilli is solid, but he's old and fragile. Hunter seems talented, but is inexperienced and has terrible splits. And Benoit doesn't even have the job! I'd suggest checking the waiver wire once the season starts to try and find that next Uehara.

Bottom Line: There are too many quality 1B and not enough quality RP. I'd suggest changing that to try and compete.

Atomic Pickles (AgentP) WERTH Total: -0.11

Despite having arguably the nicest set of keepers, I really felt like the Pickles dropped the ball during the draft. My least favorite picks had to have been the pair of Phillies infielders. Both Utley and Rollins possess declining skill sets due to their age. Rollins was especially bad, being picked nearly 100 spots too high for what is essentially a one-category player at this point. Likewise, the pick of Snyder baffles me. I understand in the last round, it essentially means nothing. But why not at least pick someone who's projected to at least receive a single AB?

Pitching is a bit better. A lot better even. With the exception of McCarthy (who is another pointless pick), this is probably the best rotation in the league, yet a bit shallow. Darvish and Sanchez both have the potential to end 2014 as the number one pitcher, while Fister and Masterson are both heavily underrated. After that remains question marks. Obviously, there is McCarthy, who is expected to do nothing. Hamels is talented, but will start the season injured. And Santana still doesn't have a team.

Bottom Line: Hope that the pitching plays like they can, and pray that the hitting plays better than they should.

PHEW! First half done! Does everybody understand what WERTH is? It's sorta like WAR, except it compares the player to an average option, rather than a replacement level one. Also, does everybody like how this is going? Anything I should change?

It's looking great so far. WERTH is certainly an interesting metric you have there. So far so good, and can't wait for the second half! Take your time on it though.

Yeah, I really like this, it would be cool if we could do this the whole season.

I agree, pretty cool. Have to say I'm surprised at my spot, considering I was not confident at all at how the chips fell for me during the draft. Feeling better about the team now.

Honestly, some of my picks were just autopicked for me because of my shit connection. I wouldn't have chosen Benoit, Lind, or Butler. While I picked Craig because he qualifies for right field.

Go Rhinoceroses! I'm rooting for you Prediction!

Reasons for picking Snyder:

- He's one of my favorite players
- Middlebrooks was extremely inconsistent last year
- Cecchini has 7 SO in 13 AB
- Snyder is now 4 for 13 with no errors, and can play at least 1B and 3B well, as well as having experience in left field, right field, and at catcher.