Writing this as I watch the WBC Championship game I might be drafting Marcus Stroman on a few teams. The World Baseball Classic is pretty darn entertaining with so many good lineups and watching the US pull off the win has been awesome. I like that over the past couple weeks I can have it on in the background because it’s competitive baseball, but there’s no fantasy implications so I can just enjoy it. These are all-stars playing for their country (for the most part, we all know that “team” Italy, Israel and the Netherlands are stretches) and so so so much better than watching spring training games.
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So with with a sense of world unity let’s finish off the rankings. We’re deep in the middle of draft season and that’s why my OPS top 200 came out last week; the last position to rank OPS-style is first base. In the top 200 comments (thanks all) two first basemen were mentioned by multiple Razzballers as being underrated: Joey Votto and Brandon Belt. Admittingly (Admit tingly? Don Mattingly? ) I underrated Votto (my bad), so he moves up.
Belt, upon a second look, I feel even better about leaving him off the top 200. If 80/17/80/3/.840 (that’s R/HR/RBI/ST/OPS) does things for ya, have at him. I said in the comments last week: you can’t have him as your starting first baseman, not when the other guys in your league are having one of the top ten getting 100/30/100/.850 minimum. Better to take a chance on a guy like Tommy Joseph or Josh Bell than Belt. Alrighty then, let’s get to some rankings.
Tier 1: Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto
All these guys give you everything you could ask for out of a fantasy baseball cornerstone: 100/30/100/.900 OPS seems like the floor, with Goldy stealing bases and the others except Miggy can/will chip in around ten or so. Votto and Cabrera may come a little cheaper, but none of them should go past pick 12. Not much else to say except if I had a choice I’d go Bryant simply for the multi-position eligibility.
Tier 2: Freddie Freeman, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Abreu, Wil Myers, Chris Davis
Freeman could make the jump to tier one, but I think he settles in right here for the next few seasons. Edwin and Freeman will have best OPS, while Myers should steal 20+ bases. Abreu is in danger of falling out of this tier with some low counting stats on a bad team. Davis swings and misses a lot and had a sub .800 OPS last season (.792), but he also hits a bunch of home runs and let’s say he has an OPS more in between his 2015 and 2016 (.923) and that makes him a fine starter in OPS.
Tier These guys qualify at other positions so start them there: Matt Carpenter, Daniel Murphy, Buster Posey
Start the first two at second, let someone else draft Posey.
Tier 3: Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Santana, Todd Frazier, Ian Desmond, Eric Hosmer
Last chance to get a first baseman who won’t hurt your team. Draft Desmond and the cheapest guy left to fill-in while he’s out. I drafted him on one Razzball team so far (before the injury), and so I’m starting Josh Bell for the first month (lucky me). These guys all have warts but should have an OPS around .800, go 90/25-30/90 or so.
Hosmer and Frazier should have a few more steals, and all-in-all-in (I like that better than the correct all-in-all cause it makes me think of poker) these guys are the definition of solid, yet unspectacular at first base. If you went for other positions in the early rounds you’re more than likely left with one of these guys in the middle ones.
Tier Older/DH: Albert Pujols, Kendrys Morales, Victor Martinez
Obviously health is the issue with these guys. All three should get around 25 homers, have an .800 OPS, but they don’t play every day, so if you know when they’re going to play, then draft them. But if you can’t check in every day to see if they’re starting, or are worried about injured older first baseman, you should pass. Side question: Do you think in the future when they look back and see that Pujols and Trout were on the same team for years and never got close to a title they’ll shake their heads? I think so.
Tier Upside: Greg Bird, Josh Bell, Tommy Joseph
I like all these guys as upside choices, just hope you don’t have to start them. Joseph has the highest upside and could get 25+ homers. Last season I think I mentioned the need for him to go by Tom or Thomas, but baseball has had a lot of Tommy’s (and I’m not talking about the pinball wizard). Lasorda, John, Hanson, and Hunter, all baseball Tommy’s. So you keep rocking it Joseph.
Josh Bell could be Brandon Belt, but he could be more. And that chance is worth taking as a late round flier. Bird I like for the same reason; he has some real upside in a good park in an improving lineup. Lastly keep an eye on Mitch Moreland early on, cause Boston could really improve his numbers.
So that’s it for rankings. Let’s all celebrate how good the USA is at baseball and how excellent it is to see competitive baseball (that I won’t remember; does anyone remember the previous WBCs?) in March. I’m going to miss it but the season’s only a couple weeks away! So good luck drafting Razzballers and Razzballettes, and make sure to draft the team YOU want, you know what I’m saying?
