Corners Report: A Timely Re-Rank

Updating things is often a struggle in Kelder Land. For work, I have been wearing polos and khakis now for over 20 years. My phone, no reason to get a new one unless the battery has gone bad. My truck is a 2008 Silverado.

My marriage is 20 years old, but that’s a good thing to not update!

So with time comes data, and data comes opinions and projections. The table below shows the top 50 1B and 3B combined on one giant super list. The first column is mine, which are the ones there shall be comments upon. The middle is the mathematical Razzball rest of season player rater. The third came from the Yahoo Friends and Family Draft, which I kinda maybe think I got invited to play next season. They ran this draft earlier in the week, and I thought it was interesting to see where these guys went.

The Ranks:

The Comments:

Mark Vientos: 12 overall is not what anyone expected. He’s not been what he was at the end of last year. I’m gambling here that he’s a second half player, and quite honestly, can’t get his postseason out of my head. He’s either going to make me look brilliant or foolish, with nothing in between. Blind faith is the best faith!

Luis Arraez: The industry continues to flail around with Arraez and his value. I keep coming back to this: he’s got an elite batting average in a batting average depressed economy. The current average average is .244 and Arraez as of this writing was .307. According to the Player Rater, his batting average is more valuable than Matt Olson’s HR, Bryce Harper’s RBI, and Maikel Garcia’s SB. In short, this is a very valuable category. That’s why I have him so highly rated despite his obvious power flaws.

Brendan Donovan: He’s having a great season, but he’s going to lose 50 points off that batting average. Guy hasn’t ever cleared .283 and now he’s in the .320s? Nah, not gonna stick. With middling power and speed, Donavon is best served as a great bench option.

The Top Four: It’s very, very comforting to have such a consensus across the industry. Peace and love and harmony.

Age vs. Upside: This author is always going to go for the upside over players in their 30s (Freddie Freeman excluded, he must have gotten cyborg implants in that ankle). Guys in their mid 30s just aren’t as exciting as the breakouts. So Tyler Soderstrom, who got hammered in projections, is much higher in ranks and the draft. The algorithm can be slow to buy into changes for young players. Kyle Manzardo has ten HR already? Imagine what will happen when the average comes up? You’ll never convince me it’s fun to own Carlos Santana over any of these young guns.

Brand Players:

Vlad: Always him every year.

Bryce Harper: Favorite player in baseball, second favorite to own.

Cody Bellinger: Love the steals potential and ability to get hot and carry a team

Colt Keith: I don’t know why either. It’s probably because I get interested in guys who get pre-arbitration extensions. The Tigers have become smart!

Nick Kurtz: Give me all of the bat first prospects. We need them for the corners

Return To Sender:

Christian Walker: 34, fading numbers, no bounce back indicators. His season numbers are already toast; is he?

Max Muncy: Try to never own a guy who has the potential to hit below .200 even if he’s on the best offense in baseball.

Junior Caminero: I know that he has the highest bat speed in the league right now. Can he control it? Or is this another Christopher Morel?

Maikel Garcia: There should be enough steals around that you don’t have to tank every other category.

Maybe my truck is old, and my wife 20 years older than when we dated, but fantasy sports aren’t a marriage. Give me the flashy new truck every time in my drafts.