Buckle up Razzbaelites, this week we have a heavyweight clash of mustachioed fantasy machismo. In the red corner, a fellow from this upstart website called Razzball: Grey Albright. In the blue corner, another known antagonizer of Twitter nonsense, Kev Mahserejian, the RotoSurgeon. Kev pretends to be a doctor because his last name sounds like “surgeon” whereas Grey does that to cut to the front of the line at his local coffee shop. We’re using ADP 76-150 this week from our friends at the NFC: . nfc.shgn.com/adp/baseball
Q. We all want the next big thing. Pick an OF to succeed and graduate from the range in 2024: Taylor Ward or Jake McCarthy.
Grey: I’ve written sleeper posts for both (Ward/McCarthy) so this is truly a Sophie’s Choice for me, so I called the first person named Sophie in my address book and my aunt says McCarthy.
Kev: Taylor Ward. Not only a significantly more talented hitter than McCarthy but a virtual lock to hit atop a top offense (at full strength). McCarthy’s steals can only carry so much value if he’s platooned, hitting poorly, and low in the order
My take: This one really is a matter of preference and most likely build. I find McCarthy getting the highlighter on my sheets in-draft pretty often if my first two hitters aren’t packing big speed. If you have speed in hand, Ward is a bit more complete.
Q. There are a few new faces in new places in this range. Who succeeds in their new digs: Xander Bogaerts, Jose Abreu, or Dansby Swanson?
Grey: Dansby Swanson and Abreu will succeed so asking an either/or is unfair. Why make me choose one? In fairness to Dansby, he was a top hitter last year on the Player Rater and shouldn’t even be in this range. People look at ADP like it’s not just random noise from last October that makes any kind of sense. Anyway, Dansby, clearly.
Kev: Jose Abreu is the best bat of the bunch and his park downgrade is not as severe as Bogaerts’. Abreu also lands in a lineup that is a clear upgrade over his recent setting that already helped him produce league-leading RBI totals.
My take: Grey is correct about Dansby on the numbers. Take away the somewhat polarizing name and his stats shouldn’t fall in this range. I’d imagine people want to see a 25/10 repeat. Should that happen he should slide into the top 50 next year. Abreu should keep chugging along as a super dependable piece but I do think his days of elite production are behind him.
Q. Draft a catcher and a closer at the 7/8 turn to signal to the rest of the draft room you’re being held hostage.
Grey: Kenley Jansen. Wouldn’t draft a closer in this range as your question alludes, but, if I did, drafting Kenley that high is just name-brand retail shopping so you can show your friends, “Hey look at how cool I am with a closer you’ve heard of.” For catcher, MJ Melendez. I actually like Michael Jordan Melendez but people are paying for future profits that are not guaranteed.
Kev: Jhoan Duran and William Contreras. Duran might be one of the best relievers in baseball but the reason Minnesota is having him share closing duties with Jorge Lopez is due to the fact that they want to preserve his health and not pitch him back-to-back. This severely caps his upside. Meanwhile, Contreras is talented but he overperformed his peripherals in Atlanta last season and heads to a mediocre Brewers’ lineup that may end up selling any competent veteran pieces by the deadline
My take: It’s been hard to click on Kenley’s name this draft season. He’s still piling up the saves but it feels like everyone thinks the other shoe is about to drop on his long and storied career. Duran’s cost is also insanity. He’s not the closer and may not become the closer. There are multiple options to leapfrog him in that pen if they value his leverage role. The young catchers are being pushed up a bit farther than feels value attainable, as well.
Let’s add up the scores. I have it at one apiece for Grey, Kev, and Aunt Sophie. When we adjust for experience, Auntie comes out the victor! Grey and Kev only get to choose from the lintiest hard candy at the bottom of her purse.