Batting Order Importance

Every Fantasy League Manager needs to consider the position in the batting order that their late round draftees might be occupying. It’s clear that the closer your player bats to the top of the order, the more chances to produce stats to help win your league. Whether it is H2H, Points or Roto, batting order position over the course of the 162 game schedules can affect your hitting categories, with the biggest impact being on R and in some cases HR and RBI.

We have given you players to target and avoid, complete pitching rotations, great player profiles, strategies to drafting, and loads of other relevant advice for your fantasy team. This is just another tool for your tool box.  If you are on the fence over a couple of players to select late in your draft consider batting position as one factor.

These are the average stats per batting order position throughout the year. This is only 1^st -8^th so both leagues get representation. On average AL hitters get a few more ABs per month compared to their NL counterparts.

Order	At Bats	Average	Runs	Hits	HR	RBI
1	683	0.268	104	183	14	63
2	667	0.274	97	183	14	68
3	634	0.287	100	182	26	99
4	624	0.272	92	170	27	106
5	613	0.261	83	160	23	93
6	602	0.259	74	156	20	80
7	590	0.255	66	150	15	74
8	563	0.247	60	139	11	61

Draft Time...Power Failure

Prepared for everything except a power outage

The other night I drafted in the Rotoprofessor’s massive 16 team Trade Counsel League.  It consists of 2C,1B,2B,3B,SS,CI,MI,5OF,UT,9P,5Bench. Standard 5x5 scoring with weekly line-ups. That is 80 OF not including Utility spots, and 144 pitchers that will come off the board, plus any bench spots by either. As you can imagine that leaves scraps at best on the waiver wire.  One of the objects of this league is to trade often to bolster your roster.

Preparation for this draft was standard procedure, rank players, prepare for runs at positions and try to grab some insight on what other manager’s strategies would be. I had the 14^th pick and had my sights set on Fielder for round 1 with a backup plan to get Pedroia and Kinsler with my first couple of picks and dominate 2B/MI. My draft strategy for picks 1-10 was to have 8 hitters and 2SP with at least a couple of possible 20/20 OFs. As my initial plan started to come true I see Fielder on the board with my pick so I take him and hope Pedroia is available 5 picks later. It goes Tex, HanRam, Kershaw, and Pedroia…crap. New plan for pick #2 Kinsler or Reyes? I take the often hurt Reyes for BA/SB/R support. Now it’s going to be nearly 30 picks before I draft again. Time to predict what the other managers strategies/picks are going to be. The run was 9OF and 7SP since my last pick. I really thought I would have a chance at Lawrie or Jay Bruce for pick #3 at 46. Nope both gone. Best SPs on board still were CC, Greinke, Gallardo and Haren. Best OFs were Jennings, and Zobrist. Neither I thought were worth a 3^rd round pick.  I went NL SP, my favorite, and took Greinke.  After me went 4 straight pitchers, that included Kimbrel. Everyone wants an ace, or is afraid of not getting an ace. Still didn’t want Jennings or Zobrist to anchor my OF with pick 51 so I narrowed my choice to best player at a position or more SP. Carlos Santana, Napoli, or Gallardo. With 2 C league I could have a catcher with multi-position eligibility and over 500 ABs.  I took Santana and decided to take 2^nd C as my last drafted starter.

Now I know I need some quality OF for my next couple of picks. I am targeting Choo, Stubbs, Chris Young, power and speed guys. I also had Billy Butler in mind for CI or UT. It is about 4 picks away from my turn and then it happened. No matter how prepared you are for your draft you can never predict this….an act of God…at least that what it seemed like…the power went out in my whole neighborhood. I and my neighbors soon wander out our front doors asking each other if theirs is out too. Someone said they heard the whole south side of town is out.  I think this can’t be happening. Try and log into draft from my phone but that was useless. Only 1 thing to do…pop another beer and wait.

40 minutes and 6 picks later it comes back on. I see I still have no OF and ESPN was kind enough to draft me Aramis, Berkman, Alexei, Storen, Madson, and Carpenter. After filtering back and seeing who I could have taken I was a little upset but rolled with the punches. Instead of Berkman, Butler was available. Instead of Alexi Ramirez, Dee Gordon was available. I would not have taken the 2 closers this early though I do like to stock up on closers and that was part of my strategy going in. The Carpenter pick I would never have taken. Injury and all.

So now I am 10 picks in. No OF yet…ouch. No 2B yet, not worried. Once the power came back on its about 8 picks before I resume picking. Quickly glance through OF and P. I see many decent closers available but no outstanding OF or SP. I snag up both Bailey and Street. I now dominate Saves and have a great trade chip available.

From here on out it is OF and SP exclusively. The power is gone from the OF pool so I look for lead-off hitter with some speed. Hopefully to cash in on SB/R and not kill my BA. The next 5 picks went chalk with OF. De Aza, Pagan, both lead-off hitters. Next Martinez in Houston, he should bat in the 3 hole and give some modest power and RBI. A good pick at 238 I feel. Next was the Cubs LaHair. He will also get many RBI chances hitting 3^rd or 4^th. He will also qualify at 1B in April. Final starting OF was Bay. I feel he will have a better year with fences coming in and he is in much better shape. A great pick at 270 from an old top 10 OF just a few years back.

Starting Pitching and someone for my UT spot was my next task. I was able to get Floyd and Stauffer as SPs and slotted Loney into my UT spot. Happy with all three.  Next two SP were the other Japanese import up in Seattle, Iwakuma,   a risky pick but he is having a great Spring. Next was Buehrle, not a guy that flashes big Roto numbers but an innings eater on a good offensive team who will be pitching in a pitchers park.

That left me with 2B and 2^nd C. No one at 2B worth taking so I took the best available starter who is not in jeopardy of losing playing time in a platoon situation and bats high in the order. I took Ellis from the Dodgers. My 2^nd Catcher I feel is a steal.  Now that Perez is hurt in KC Pena is the man and should get Abs in 4-5 games a week.

My bench I wanted multi-positional players like Andino or Nunez but they were long gone. I took some speed in Schaffer from Houston, Crain who could end up winning the closer’s role for the White Sox and if he does another valuable trade chip for me. Then I took Collmenter as a good early year SP who I will plug in on 2 start weeks. My last pick was a compete reach. Looking for lightning in a bottle. Sogard has had a great spring and could open as Oakland’s 3B and he has SS eligibility too.

Over all I like aspects of my team. Wish list would include better OF and not having ESPN taken Carpenter for me. I guess that’s what an unexpected power outage gets ya. Hope it never gets you in a draft. Here is my team and draft selection. Let me know where I need help and you can help me propose trade scenarios with the others in this league.
14 PRINCE FILEDER
19 JOSE REYES
46 ZACK GREINKE
51 CARLOS SANTANA
78 ARAMIS RAMIREZ
83 LANCE BERKMAN
110 ALEXEI RAMIREZ
115 DREW STOREN
142 RYAN MADSON
147 CHRIS CARPENTER
174 ANDREW BAILEY
179 HUSTON STREET
206 ALEJANDRO DE AZA
211 ANGEL PAGAN\
238 JD MARTINEZ
243 BRYAN LAHAIR
270 JASON BAY
275 GAVIN FLOYD
302 LAMES LONEY
302 TIM STAUFFER
334 HISASHI IWAHUMA
339 MARK BUEHRLE
398 JORDAN SCHAFER
403 JESSE CRAIN
430 JOSH COLLMENTER
435 ERIC SOGARD

Starting Rotations AL East

The AL East, probably the toughest division in baseball to pitch in every year.  Many pitchers avoid going to this division as they did years ago in Colorado before the humidifiers. The failures in this division far outnumber the successes throughout the last decade. With artificial turfs in two stadiums, short porches in another two and the green monster in Fenway. Where can a pitcher catch a break?  The average runs per game in the AL East parks is nearly .5 runs greater than the AL average overall. That there says it all.

ORIOLES

1. RHP Tommy Hunter

2. RHP Jason Hammel

3. LHP Wei-Yin Chen

4. RHP Jake Arrieta

5. LHP Dana Eveland

Both Hammel (Colorado) and Eveland (Albuquerque of the PCL) have pitched in unfriendly pitcher environments in the past and have done better than league average. Will that translate into success in this division? Probably not for fantasy purposes. No one in this rotation is worth owning unless you are in a very deep AL only league. I just completed a 16 team pert draft last night and only Wei-Yin Chen was drafted.

RED SOX

1. LHP Jon Lester

2. RHP Josh Beckett

3. RHP Clay Buchholz

4. RHP Daniel Bard

5. RHP Alfredo Aceves

Though Bard and Aceves are being converted from the bullpen to the starting rotation I am not sure both will land a starting gig. Aceves will probably be the one out. If that happens the Red Sox have both RHP Vicente Padilla and RHP Aaron Cook to fill in at the 5^th rotation spot. Do not be surprised if Oswalt finds himself pitching in Boston come mid-April if the Red Sox come out of the gate slow. I have such a hard time endorsing anyone who has to play the Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays 18x a year. If I had to draft a pitcher at their current ADP from the Red Sox it would be Bard. He has dual eligibility and will get the other team’s 4^th or 5^th starter for the months of April and May.

YANKEES

1. LHP CC Sabathia

2. RHP Michael Pineda

3. RHP Hiroki Kuroda

4. RHP Ivan Nova

5. RHP Phil Hughes

When you look at the Yankees rotation 2-5 does anyone look like a #2 starter for a big league club, not to mention your fantasy team. Outside of Sabathia I wouldn’t draft anyone. Pineda is not a #2 and finished the year 1-4 with a 5.14 ERA.  Kuroda is a below career .500 pitcher. Hughes has not been the same since his injury.

RAYS

1. RHP James Shields

2. LHP David Price

3. RHP Jeremy Hellickson

4. RHP Wade Davis

5. LHP Matt Moore

Outside of the Phillies this may be the best rotation in baseball. Real or fantasy wise. I like everyone, especially Moore in the 5^th spot. He is clearly better than any 5^th spot starter in all of baseball and that should help him gain a few more wins. Big game James will not duplicate the innings or CG that he did last year but will still be solid. Just  look for some regression in all fantasy counting stats across the board. Like the other rotations in this division in pains me to draft anyone who pitches on these teams. I just see much better value and weaker competition elsewhere.

BLUE JAYS

1. LHP Ricky Romero

2. RHP Brandon Morrow

3. LHP Brett Cecil

4. RHP Henderson Alvarez

5. RHP Dustin McGowan

I may be sounding like a broken record but I just cannot justify drafting from these teams in this division. I could see having them on my bench and streaming them in on 2 start weeks or when they are facing the Royals, Indians, and Twins. I do think Morrow is solid late rounds pick to add to your K category. He should be the last SP off the board with 200 K potential.

Starting Rotations AL Central

The AL Central has worked in cycles over the past few years. White Sox had a World Series win, the Indians had a moment, and the Twins had a couple of divisional titles and the Tigers seem poised to dominate the division for the next few years. When each team shined in a particular year it was due to their pitching. Those days are gone. Excluding Verlander this division boasts no #1 starters that can put fear into opposing teams.  For fantasy purposes I would not draft anyone other than Verlander to be the anchor of my staff. There are some interesting stories to watch like former Cy Young winner Peavy, Ubaldo putting all together like he did in Colorado, can former 1^st round selection Hochevar guide the Royals to over a .500 record, will anyone on the Twins post double digit wins? From the group as a whole I like Masterson at his current ADP which is directly behind Fister and Danks.  At best this particular division gives you no more than a 3^rd tier SP for your fantasy team. Useable, needed but not going to WOW you in any category.

WHITE SOX

1. LHP John Danks

2. RHP Jake Peavy

3. RHP Gavin Floyd

4. LHP Chris Sale

5. RHP Phil Humber

INDIANS

1. RHP Justin Masterson

2. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez

3. RHP Josh Tomlin

4. RHP Derek Lowe

5. RHP Kevin Slowey

TIGERS

1. RHP Justin Verlander

2. RHP Doug Fister

3. RHP Max Scherzer

4. RHP Rick Porcello

5. RHP Jacob Turner

ROYALS

1. RHP Luke Hochevar

2. LHP Jonathan Sanchez

3. LHP Bruce Chen

4. RHP Felipe Paulino

5. LHP Danny Duffy

TWINS

1. RHP Carl Pavano

2. RHP Scott Baker

3. LHP Francisco Liriano

4. RHP Jason Marquis

5. RHP Nick Blackburn