jackson-jobe.jpg

If a prospects-only mock draft for 5x5 Rotisserie scoring exists somewhere out there on the interwebs, then by golly, so should one for Head-to-Head points scoring. And that's what this is.

The goal is to create a contrast for my top 100 prospects by asking people to put their money where their mouth is, particularly when league specifics are in play. And the results are, I dare say, compelling.

Here's whose sensibilities were put to the test:

1) Doc Eisenhauer, Scout the Statline (@DocHollidayDyna)
2) Zac Morain, Driveline Baseball (@makeitmorain)
3) Lucas Staggs, The Upside Prospect (@UpsideProspect)
4) Jeremy Heist, Pitcher List (@heistjm)
5) Brian Labude, The Dynasty Guru (@Polar_Bear_Ball)
6) Chris Towers, CBS Sports (@CTowersCBS)
7) Michael Polidoro, The Can-Am Super Show (@CanAmSuperShow)
8) Matt Morris, Scout the Statline (@Matt_E_Morris)
9) Jeffrey Paternostro, Baseball Prospectus
10) Tim Kanak, Fantasy Aceball (@fantasyaceball)
11) Daniel Labude, The Dynasty Guru (@OrcaBaseball)
12) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)

Points scoring is considered more forgiving for pitchers than 5x5 scoring, so it wasn't surprising to see more pitchers drafted in this prospects-only mock than the other. But how many more may be a surprise. The final tally was 43 to 29, and the change was evident from the first pick in the draft, Andrew Painter. It probably had more to do with a huge Painter backer picking first than Painter actually deserving to go first (ahead of the consensus top pitcher, Roki Sasaki), but Painter is a surefire first-rounder in this format.

Other high-end pitching prospects Bubba Chandler, Chase Dollander, Quinn Mathews, Noah Schultz, and Kumar Rocker went in quick succession in Round 2, and naturally, the emphasis on pitching led to some interesting choices later on, like Brody Hopkins in Round 6, Logan Henderson in Round 7, K.C. Hunt in Round 8, Moises Chace in Round 8, Jackson Baumeister in Round 8, and basically every pitcher drafted in Rounds 9 and 10. I'm specifically highlighting ones left out of my own top 100, with Chace and Baumeister being the nearest misses.

The scoring format also makes a difference for the hitters selected, with Head-to-Head points increasing the emphasis on plate discipline while reducing the emphasis on stolen bases. Both may have contributed to Walker Jenkins going ahead of Roman Anthony in Round 1 (not that I agree with the move) and might explain why JJ Wetherholt went 13 picks earlier in this one than the other (29 vs. 16). The scoring differences certainly impacted my own picks, most notably Josue De Paula and Kevin McGonigle at the Round 3-4 turn, two players with stellar strikeout-to-walk ratios in the minors last year (and plenty of upside otherwise).