“Is everyone still a rookie?” That’s a good question, Left Side of My Brain. “What is a rookie?” Shut up, Right Side of My Brain. Ya know, sometimes I’m very left side of my brain, sometimes I’m very right side of my Brian. This brings me to today’s rookie, Nick Madrigal, who is yet another guy who I swore lost his rookie eligibility, and, honestly, he might’ve in real baseball, but he only had 103 ABs this year, and that’s well under the 130 ABs to lose rookie eligibility, according to me, so here we are again. This does give me a few less guys to go over when I do my 2021 fantasy baseball rankings, so that’s a nice bonus for me. “Why wait until later for what you can do today,” is what I scribble over and over again in a notepad as I procrastinate. Madrigal would’ve lost his rookie eligibility if he didn’t get hurt early on this past season, and he would’ve competed for a batting title, one of many competitions for said title for Madrigal in his career. Honestly, I can’t figure out a way to project him for anything less than “potential batting title champion.” Been a while since I’ve said that about anyone. Maybe dating back to the great Tony Gwynn. What will really make Madrigal sing? Less of that terrible Gregorian chant singing garbage. Wait, I think I googled ‘Madrigal singing’ and that returned faulty results. So, what can we expect from Nick Madrigal for 2021 fantasy baseball?
Psyche! Before we get to the post, just wanted to announce we’re gonna do a way-too-early NFBC draft. It’s 15 teams, no waivers, slow draft, 2 hours between picks, $150 to sign up, and $1,000 to winner, $350 to 2nd place and 3rd gets their money back. There’s also overall prizes of $30,000, and more. Why draft so early? Right now, we’re getting a chance to form ADP vs. being slaves to it. Also, what the hey. If you prefer to play against Donkey Teeth, his league will be signing up when mine fills. To signup, click this rather long link I’m writing right now. Anyway, Nick Madrigal 2021 fantasy:
A .330 average. How’s that for starters? Amazing, but starters no longer hit in the American League. For Nick Madrigal that feels like the floor, but I just can’t believe it. Last year in 103 ABs, he went 8/0/11/.340/2. His ISO was .029, and I cackled. I mean, yes, it’s a small sample, but he’s not far off from what we saw this past season. His Launch Angle is 4.1. Homeboy’s about to hit 125-foot singles for 162 games, isn’t he? His Launch Angle is similar to the best comp to him: David Fletcher. That makes Madrigal, Fletch 2: Fletch Lives. Oddly enough, they both have 84-ish MPH exit velocity last year and one averaged 128 feet on his drives (not joking) and one averaged 127 feet. Yoenis Cespedes has nearly as many feet on his legs. Is there any way to be even more floored about how yawnstipating and comparative the underlying numbers are? Let’s try! Fletcher had 0.4% barrels per plate appearance and Madrigal had 0.0%, i.e., Madrigal had zero, and Fletcher had one. Anyhoo! Both can hit .300, because they’re Slap and Pickle hitters, but, unlike Fletcher, Madrigal has no power whatsoever but should be much faster. Also, both should be hitting leadoff. Should is key word in both of those instances. Madrigal has legit competition for the leadoff spot, and hasn’t shown the ability to steal bases with his speed. I mean, he’s done it. Four steals in about a month of Triple-A, but caught three times. Not a great percentage. In all, Madrigal feels like he’s a lock for a great average and no power, and a strong maybe on runs and steals. It’s not a terrible late one category filler flyer (say that fast 117 times!). For 2021, I’ll give Nick Madrigal projections of 66/2/46/.318/16 in 517 ABs with a chance for more on speed and runs. By the by, I saw Steamer projected Madrigal for seven homers and I let out another strong, guttural cackle.
Combining Madrigal with say a Joey Gallo type might be the ticket. That batting avg paired with a .225 slugger could make a good Frankenstein.
Yeah, that’s not a bad idea in theory, if they do what they’re supposed to do
Madrigal looks to be much more valuable in points leagues than Roto leagues.
He will be even more valuable in points leagues that count walks.
Yeah, I could see that, for sure
Can’t wait to take Nick Madrigal in the 5th round of the NFBC. I’m signed up per usual and look forward to taking (donating?) some money. It’s so much more fun when there is money in the bank already to pay with thanks to those Bestballs.
Try and release the sleepers – AFTER they are drafted if possible!
Ha, nice! Glad you’re aboard! Sleepers will be starting that Monday we start, I believe
Signed up – says draft starts on 11/30. Guess I’m in unless I need to change something.
Madrigal will be decent source of bags, but LaRussa loves veterans which diminishes his value some. Prolly 9 hole for Mad Dog
Glad you’re in! Starts on Monday after Thanksgiving — I hope you’re right on the steals, Steamer is definitely projecting him for more SBs than me
11/30 is 2 Mondays after Thanksgiving – am I in for the correct date? Gonna be a lot of fun
It’s 1st Monday after Thanksgiving, the 26th
Crap mine shows 11/30 with no 11/26 option on the drop down. There are options that say “when league fills” but no 11/26. Where are you Knoche
Nah, I’m saying Thanksgiving is the 26th, the draft starts on 11/30, the Monday after
OK cool, thanks man
No problem
Good luck, Smitty, I promise to make beating me more difficult in 2021.
Same to ya DD! Total blast competing against such a tough bunch. I know you’ll show up
Looks like Stanton, JD Mart, Franmil, and Encarnacion are UT only this year. Looking forward to your sleeperzzz posts!
That sucks on Franmil, the other three I’m pretty off of
Nice! I just joined. Looks like I’m 7th to join, and I see Smitty and Knoche already. That’s good company along with our fearless defending champ. It should be a blast yet again!!
Nice! Glad you’re in!
Thanks for having me! I’m looking foward to it. I expect an even tougher crowd of Razzmaniacs this year!!!
Hope so! Tough competition is fun!
Lol, I joined through link, how do I know I’m in??, signed for the right league, can’t see the other teams..
It’s 1:30 PM EST on 11/30, only league then — are you in that one?
I see you in there Hernan.
You can see who’s in there? How?
The electric eye…
Go under “Contests” then “sign-ups”
Ah, nice, thanks!
Thanks Dave
Welcome Hernan, one tough hombre
Thanks Smitty!!!, super though group…, and Donkey Teeth…., lol
Donkey’s gonna try and sneak into our group so he can grab Ohtani in the 1st 10 rounds
Too bad the Clevinger news came out, maybe he would have grabbed him too…. I wish they could have delayed notifying people until much later, like we didn’t see that coming at all…
I know, I went back and looked at the comments on my Patino post and I said something like, “Clevinger’s not making thru spring training”
Yeah, I would not have considered drafting him anywhere in top 400 picks. The crazy thing is I had two guys who were in both my DC drafts and the same guy drafted him in BOTH leagues around pick #80. I’m imagining he’ll have a hard time overcoming that but not impossible. No thanks, thanks.
I had same reaction to you, I only wish the news came out in April, so everyone would’ve drafted him
I just drafted Clevinger and Ohtani in rounds 2 and 3. Good, right?
You’re doing it, man! That’s all that matters!
Donkey dodged us last year, hope he grows a pair and signs up
Hey, Donkey, you all teeth and no bite?
Hurry! There are only three spots left. I see two guys from my most recent DC draft in there. Almost filled!!!
Wow, that filled up fast — might get a Donkey Teeth league to fill by the same time then, which would be good
Its down to one final spot left!!!
Nice! Hopefully it fills by today so I can push Donkey’s league in my next post
It’ll fill within an hour for sure.
Hope so!
Its filled.
Sweet! If anyone’s reading this, here’s Donkey’s league link:
https://nfc.shgn.com/signup/baseball?for=0;712,82,7370,7200,0
That’s basically like the NIT compared to the NCAA tourney. Consolation bracket clearly.
Haha, but ya gotta ask yourself, do you want to lose to Duke in the 1st round or take on Jersey City Technical Institute and win the whole thing
They’re dentures…
Good point! Maybe Donkey will avoid making an a$$ out of himself and win the overall championship from
the consolation bracket.
I am in as well. I was awful in the early DC last year, so I need some redemption!!!
Haha, nice! Glad you’re in!
Yeah, I am just about always in. I am in the middle of DC draft now (Round 29-ish?). Been working from home since March and these slow drafts keep me from going insane. I have a feeling that I am going to be in a few DC’s.
When I’m done with this one, I might just keep jumping in them…Which is what I say, until I’m five rounds into one and I’m staring at the draft clock for 2 hours while someone doesn’t pick
The 2-hour drafts are better than the 4-hour drafts that I have done in the past. There is nothing worse than watching the draft clock for just under 4 hours and a guy logs in to pick with 5 minutes left. That is when violence is justified.
Haha, totally
Yeah, totally, HC, have you tried any quicker ones like the 30-min or 1-hour?
No. I haven’t tried the shorter one. At this time of year, I kind of want it to drag on for a while. 2 hour is a good middle ground. The 4 hour ones can be tough when you pick one in 24 hours.
Makes sense. Ive now tried all 4 in last two years, and it seems like it works pretty predictably, four hour drafts last 4 weeks, 3 hours are two weeks, 1 hour one week, and 1/2 hour is half a week. Each are enioyable in their own ways. I like having so many options. I even tried the DC Express a couple years back which was 50 rounds in one four hour bonanza. Grueling but awesome too.
2 hours=two weeks
You’ve got some catching up to do with your “late start”, Albright!!!
I know! I need to have multiple going at once to catch up!
I’m irrationally excited for Nick Madrigal. That batting average and no power is like a dead-ball era hitter named Chappy or Socks.
Haha, Chappy Madrigal was his father
Don’t know if you have checked your mail, but I sent you a couple links with position eligibility stuff.
Oh crap! I had an email issue recently, and prolly in my spam folder…Checking now
See the emails now, you’re the best, Vin!
Who do you like among Scherzer,Kershaw and Flaherty? Thanks!
Flaherty
Thoughts on Mike Soroka for 2021
Currently going in top 150 overall, won’t be on my teams
Would you trade Ty France for him?
For sure
Cool. Thanks for getting back to me
Would you trade Lourdes for Soroka
Who you like best from Albies,Tucker,Robert or Arenado? Thanks!
Arenado
Well, Gimenez just found his playing time. Cano suspended.
Man, he just threw away any chance for the Hall
And $24 million
Yeah, true
Are you back in on Matt Olson this year?
Who do you like among J Urias, Berrios and Luzardo?
Thank you.
Yeah, I still like Olson — Urias
Would you pick Montas over guys like Alcantara,Lopez,Musgrove or May? Thanks much! Bounce back. If not,who is your pick?
Not over all of them, no
Who do you like of them? Thanks.
Lopez and May
I blasted Madrigal to you and several others on here two years ago about his crappy power. I got laughed at by quite a few, although I don’t recall you dogging me.
Anyone who didn’t see this coming didn’t even bother to look at Madrigal’s college statistics. Every year of college he was nothing from a power perspective. I was floored the people had him so high and loved him so much. At the time, I needed a second basemen and was looking hard at him and Keston Hiura for my first round draft pick that year. I took Hiura. I think Madrigal entered the draft the next season. I’ve got Hiura now (along with his shitty strikeout rate and on-base pct.) and I wouldn’t dare go back in time and do anything differently.
Madrigal is singles hitting joke. It is nice to be right occasionally. Now if I could just get Alex Reyes to pitch worth a damn, I could make up for the six seasons I’ve lost waiting on his sorry ass! In the meantime, hope all you idiots that fell in love with Madrigal have the same experience I’ve had with Reyes!
Is there room in the Grey league still? I went to link but seems like I’m joining random league not razzball. Thanks
Sorry, my league is full…donkey’s league is available, it’s in my newest post
Thanks Grey! I’ll think about it. Can’t wait to tell my Cougs I’m spending $150 to play fantasy baseball with dude named Donkey Teeth. She’ll be thrilled!
Haha, tell her he’s easier to beat!