A top 100 list is of course the backbone of prospect evaluation, but it has its deficiencies. It's sterile. It's siloed. It ranks players in the abstract, which may come into conflict with the facts on the ground.
What if your dynasty league addresses the farm system independently from the active roster, keeping prospects on ice for their own separate draft? It may help to see how others behave when the theoretical meets the practical.
That's the idea behind this mock draft, where only prospects were eligible to be drafted.
We drafted with a particular scoring format in mind, too: 5x5 categories, which would include standard Rotisserie leagues. (If you're more of the points-league persuasion, we have you covered as well.) It's the format that most devalues pitchers, especially when the current crop is as lacking as it is now. It's also the format that most rewards speed, encouraging people to take bigger swings for the most premium athletes. Examples include Hedbert Perez in Round 4, Benny Montgomery in Round 5, Joey Wiemer in Round 7, James Triantos in Round 8 and 17-year-old Roderick Arias, a recent international signee, in Round 10.
I tend to play it safer, emphasizing prospects on the verge of making their major-league debut, like Josh Jung, Jose Miranda and Dustin Harris. I enjoy an upside pick as much as the next guy, though, and particularly liked the value of Cristian Hernandez in Round 6.
Here's who all took part in this draft:
1) Chris Blessing, Baseball HQ (@C_Blessing)
2) Rhys White, Prospects Live (@RhysBWhite)
3) Jesse Roche, Baseball Prospectus (@jaroche6)
4) Nick Mimikos, Stack Attack podcast (@NMimi)
5) Chris Towers, CBS Sports (@CTowersCBS)
6) Jake Wiener, Prospects1500 (@GatorSosa)
7) Corey Pieper, The Heater Podcast (@copieps)
8) Tim Kanak, Fantasy Aceball (@fantasyaceball)
9) R.J. White, CBS Sports (@rjwhite1)
10) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)
11) Geoff Pontes, Baseball America (@GeoffPontesBA)
12) Frank Stampfl, CBS Sports (@Roto_Frank)
| Round 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 1 | Chris Blessing | B. Witt SS KC |
| 2 | Rhys White | |
| 3 | Jesse Roche | S. Torkelson 1B DET |
| 4 | Nick Mimikos | A. Rutschman C BAL |
| 5 | Chris Towers | R. Greene CF DET |
| 6 | Jake Wiener | C. Abrams SS SD |
| 7 | Corey Pieper | B. Davis CF CHC |
| 8 | Tim Kanak | C. Carroll CF ARI |
| 9 | R.J. White | N. Marte SS SEA |
| 10 | Scott White | A. Volpe SS NYY |
| 11 | Geoff Pontes | M. Luciano SS SF |
| 12 | Frank Stampfl | R. Hassell CF SD |
| Round 2 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 13 | Frank Stampfl | Z. Veen RF COL |
| 14 | Geoff Pontes | G. Rodriguez SP BAL |
| 15 | Scott White | J. Jung 3B TEX |
| 16 | R.J. White | S. Baz SP TB |
| 17 | Tim Kanak | M. Meyer SP MIA |
| 18 | Corey Pieper | T. Casas 1B BOS |
| 19 | Jake Wiener | L. Matos CF SF |
| 20 | Chris Towers | A. Thomas CF ARI |
| 21 | Nick Mimikos | O. Cruz SS PIT |
| 22 | Jesse Roche | J. Walker 3B STL |
| 23 | Rhys White | F. Alvarez C NYM |
| 24 | Chris Blessing | M. Mayer SS BOS |
| Round 3 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 25 | Chris Blessing | G. Kirby SP SEA |
| 26 | Rhys White | N. Gorman 2B STL |
| 27 | Jesse Roche | N. Gonzales 2B PIT |
| 28 | Nick Mimikos | J. Leiter SP TEX |
| 29 | Chris Towers | V. Brujan 2B TB |
| 30 | Jake Wiener | D. Espino SP CLE |
| 31 | Corey Pieper | C. Cavalli SP WAS |
| 32 | Tim Kanak | G. Moreno C TOR |
| 33 | R.J. White | J. Lawlar SS ARI |
| 34 | Scott White | N. Yorke 2B BOS |
| 35 | Geoff Pontes | K. Watson SS MIA |
| 36 | Frank Stampfl | T. Soderstrom C OAK |
| Round 4 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 37 | Frank Stampfl | H. Perez CF MIL |
| 38 | Geoff Pontes | J. Dominguez CF NYY |
| 39 | Scott White | H. Greene SP CIN |
| 40 | R.J. White | O. Peraza SS NYY |
| 41 | Tim Kanak | O. Martinez SS TOR |
| 42 | Corey Pieper | A. Martin CF MIN |
| 43 | Jake Wiener | J. Lowe RF TB |
| 44 | Chris Towers | G. Valera RF CLE |
| 45 | Nick Mimikos | N. Pratto 1B KC |
| 46 | Jesse Roche | B. Baty 3B NYM |
| 47 | Rhys White | C. Mayo 3B BAL |
| 48 | Chris Blessing | M. Harris CF ATL |
| Round 5 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 49 | Chris Blessing | B. Rocchio SS CLE |
| 50 | Rhys White | C. Cowser CF BAL |
| 51 | Jesse Roche | A. Ashby RP MIL |
| 52 | Nick Mimikos | R. Detmers SP LAA |
| 53 | Chris Towers | M. Vargas 3B LAD |
| 54 | Jake Wiener | B. House SS WAS |
| 55 | Corey Pieper | B. Stott SS PHI |
| 56 | Tim Kanak | B. Montgomery CF COL |
| 57 | R.J. White | H. Davis C PIT |
| 58 | Scott White | J. Miranda 3B MIN |
| 59 | Geoff Pontes | A. Pages RF LAD |
| 60 | Frank Stampfl | J. Noel 3B CLE |
| Round 6 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 61 | Frank Stampfl | N. Lodolo SP CIN |
| 62 | Geoff Pontes | M. Melendez C KC |
| 63 | Scott White | C. Hernandez SS CHC |
| 64 | R.J. White | S. Sanchez SP MIA |
| 65 | Tim Kanak | R. Lewis SS MIN |
| 66 | Corey Pieper | R. Preciado SS CHC |
| 67 | Jake Wiener | E. Perez SP MIA |
| 68 | Chris Towers | J. Groshans SS TOR |
| 69 | Nick Mimikos | G. Mitchell CF MIL |
| 70 | Jesse Roche | G. Henderson SS BAL |
| 71 | Rhys White | P. Crow-Armstrong CF CHC |
| 72 | Chris Blessing | R. Contreras SP PIT |
| Round 7 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 73 | Chris Blessing | J. Duran CF BOS |
| 74 | Rhys White | K. Ruiz C WAS |
| 75 | Jesse Roche | L. Peguero SS PIT |
| 76 | Nick Mimikos | M. Busch 2B LAD |
| 77 | Chris Towers | E. Cabrera SP MIA |
| 78 | Jake Wiener | J. Wiemer RF MIL |
| 79 | Corey Pieper | E. Hancock SP SEA |
| 80 | Tim Kanak | M. Brash SP SEA |
| 81 | R.J. White | M. Abel SP PHI |
| 82 | Scott White | D. Harris 1B TEX |
| 83 | Geoff Pontes | J. Pena SS HOU |
| 84 | Frank Stampfl | T. Sweeney SS NYY |
| Round 8 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 85 | Frank Stampfl | J. Jobe SP DET |
| 86 | Geoff Pontes | C. Mead 3B TB |
| 87 | Scott White | B. Miller SP LAD |
| 88 | R.J. White | J. Bart C SF |
| 89 | Tim Kanak | J. Ryan SP MIN |
| 90 | Corey Pieper | V. Pasquantino 1B KC |
| 91 | Jake Wiener | H. Ford C SEA |
| 92 | Chris Towers | N. Pearson RP TOR |
| 93 | Nick Mimikos | S. Beer 1B ARI |
| 94 | Jesse Roche | P. Leon SS HOU |
| 95 | Rhys White | J. Foscue 2B TEX |
| 96 | Chris Blessing | J. Triantos 2B CHC |
| Round 9 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 97 | Chris Blessing | R. Mauricio SS NYM |
| 98 | Rhys White | M. Gore SP SD |
| 99 | Jesse Roche | O. Caissie RF CHC |
| 100 | Nick Mimikos | M. Vientos 3B NYM |
| 101 | Chris Towers | Q. Priester SP PIT |
| 102 | Jake Wiener | E. De La Cruz 3B CIN |
| 103 | Corey Pieper | B. Jordan 3B BOS |
| 104 | Tim Kanak | K. Robinson CF ARI |
| 105 | R.J. White | H. Ramos CF SF |
| 106 | Scott White | D. Cartaya C LAD |
| 107 | Geoff Pontes | C. Winn SP TEX |
| 108 | Frank Stampfl | E. Pereira CF NYY |
| Round 10 | ||
| Pos | Team | Player |
| 109 | Frank Stampfl | J. Bleday RF MIA |
| 110 | Geoff Pontes | S. Frelick CF MIL |
| 111 | Scott White | T. Bradley SP TB |
| 112 | R.J. White | M. Liberatore SP STL |
| 113 | Tim Kanak | D. Hall SP BAL |
| 114 | Corey Pieper | Roderick Arias SS NYY |
| 115 | Jake Wiener | G. Williams SP CLE |
| 116 | Chris Towers | D. Jameson SP ARI |
| 117 | Nick Mimikos | S. Strider RP ATL |
| 118 | Jesse Roche | M. McLain SS CIN |
| 119 | Rhys White | L. Campusano C SD |
| 120 | Chris Blessing | K. Harrison SP SF |
| Chris Blessing | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 1 | B. Witt SS KC |
| 2 | 24 | M. Mayer SS BOS |
| 3 | 25 | G. Kirby SP SEA |
| 4 | 48 | M. Harris CF ATL |
| 5 | 49 | B. Rocchio SS CLE |
| 6 | 72 | R. Contreras SP PIT |
| 7 | 73 | J. Duran CF BOS |
| 8 | 96 | J. Triantos 2B CHC |
| 9 | 97 | R. Mauricio SS NYM |
| 10 | 120 | K. Harrison SP SF |
| Rhys White | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 2 | |
| 2 | 23 | F. Alvarez C NYM |
| 3 | 26 | N. Gorman 2B STL |
| 4 | 47 | C. Mayo 3B BAL |
| 5 | 50 | C. Cowser CF BAL |
| 6 | 71 | P. Crow-Armstrong CF CHC |
| 7 | 74 | K. Ruiz C WAS |
| 8 | 95 | J. Foscue 2B TEX |
| 9 | 98 | M. Gore SP SD |
| 10 | 119 | L. Campusano C SD |
| Jesse Roche | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 3 | S. Torkelson 1B DET |
| 2 | 22 | J. Walker 3B STL |
| 3 | 27 | N. Gonzales 2B PIT |
| 4 | 46 | B. Baty 3B NYM |
| 5 | 51 | A. Ashby RP MIL |
| 6 | 70 | G. Henderson SS BAL |
| 7 | 75 | L. Peguero SS PIT |
| 8 | 94 | P. Leon SS HOU |
| 9 | 99 | O. Caissie RF CHC |
| 10 | 118 | M. McLain SS CIN |
| Nick Mimikos | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 4 | A. Rutschman C BAL |
| 2 | 21 | O. Cruz SS PIT |
| 3 | 28 | J. Leiter SP TEX |
| 4 | 45 | N. Pratto 1B KC |
| 5 | 52 | R. Detmers SP LAA |
| 6 | 69 | G. Mitchell CF MIL |
| 7 | 76 | M. Busch 2B LAD |
| 8 | 93 | S. Beer 1B ARI |
| 9 | 100 | M. Vientos 3B NYM |
| 10 | 117 | S. Strider RP ATL |
| Chris Towers | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 5 | R. Greene CF DET |
| 2 | 20 | A. Thomas CF ARI |
| 3 | 29 | V. Brujan 2B TB |
| 4 | 44 | G. Valera RF CLE |
| 5 | 53 | M. Vargas 3B LAD |
| 6 | 68 | J. Groshans SS TOR |
| 7 | 77 | E. Cabrera SP MIA |
| 8 | 92 | N. Pearson RP TOR |
| 9 | 101 | Q. Priester SP PIT |
| 10 | 116 | D. Jameson SP ARI |
| Jake Wiener | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 6 | C. Abrams SS SD |
| 2 | 19 | L. Matos CF SF |
| 3 | 30 | D. Espino SP CLE |
| 4 | 43 | J. Lowe RF TB |
| 5 | 54 | B. House SS WAS |
| 6 | 67 | E. Perez SP MIA |
| 7 | 78 | J. Wiemer RF MIL |
| 8 | 91 | H. Ford C SEA |
| 9 | 102 | E. De La Cruz 3B CIN |
| 10 | 115 | G. Williams SP CLE |
| Corey Pieper | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 7 | B. Davis CF CHC |
| 2 | 18 | T. Casas 1B BOS |
| 3 | 31 | C. Cavalli SP WAS |
| 4 | 42 | A. Martin CF MIN |
| 5 | 55 | B. Stott SS PHI |
| 6 | 66 | R. Preciado SS CHC |
| 7 | 79 | E. Hancock SP SEA |
| 8 | 90 | V. Pasquantino 1B KC |
| 9 | 103 | B. Jordan 3B BOS |
| 10 | 114 | Roderick Arias SS NYY |
| Tim Kanak | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 8 | C. Carroll CF ARI |
| 2 | 17 | M. Meyer SP MIA |
| 3 | 32 | G. Moreno C TOR |
| 4 | 41 | O. Martinez SS TOR |
| 5 | 56 | B. Montgomery CF COL |
| 6 | 65 | R. Lewis SS MIN |
| 7 | 80 | M. Brash SP SEA |
| 8 | 89 | J. Ryan SP MIN |
| 9 | 104 | K. Robinson CF ARI |
| 10 | 113 | D. Hall SP BAL |
| R.J. White | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 9 | N. Marte SS SEA |
| 2 | 16 | S. Baz SP TB |
| 3 | 33 | J. Lawlar SS ARI |
| 4 | 40 | O. Peraza SS NYY |
| 5 | 57 | H. Davis C PIT |
| 6 | 64 | S. Sanchez SP MIA |
| 7 | 81 | M. Abel SP PHI |
| 8 | 88 | J. Bart C SF |
| 9 | 105 | H. Ramos CF SF |
| 10 | 112 | M. Liberatore SP STL |
| Scott White | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 10 | A. Volpe SS NYY |
| 2 | 15 | J. Jung 3B TEX |
| 3 | 34 | N. Yorke 2B BOS |
| 4 | 39 | H. Greene SP CIN |
| 5 | 58 | J. Miranda 3B MIN |
| 6 | 63 | C. Hernandez SS CHC |
| 7 | 82 | D. Harris 1B TEX |
| 8 | 87 | B. Miller SP LAD |
| 9 | 106 | D. Cartaya C LAD |
| 10 | 111 | T. Bradley SP TB |
| Geoff Pontes | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 11 | M. Luciano SS SF |
| 2 | 14 | G. Rodriguez SP BAL |
| 3 | 35 | K. Watson SS MIA |
| 4 | 38 | J. Dominguez CF NYY |
| 5 | 59 | A. Pages RF LAD |
| 6 | 62 | M. Melendez C KC |
| 7 | 83 | J. Pena SS HOU |
| 8 | 86 | C. Mead 3B TB |
| 9 | 107 | C. Winn SP TEX |
| 10 | 110 | S. Frelick CF MIL |
| Frank Stampfl | ||
| Rd | Pk | Player |
| 1 | 12 | R. Hassell CF SD |
| 2 | 13 | Z. Veen RF COL |
| 3 | 36 | T. Soderstrom C OAK |
| 4 | 37 | H. Perez CF MIL |
| 5 | 60 | J. Noel 3B CLE |
| 6 | 61 | N. Lodolo SP CIN |
| 7 | 84 | T. Sweeney SS NYY |
| 8 | 85 | J. Jobe SP DET |
| 9 | 108 | E. Pereira CF NYY |
| 10 | 109 | J. Bleday RF MIA |
