Angels' Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton team up for heavenly fantasy baseball offense in SN Experts' League

Fantasy Baseball Experts' Draft

Last updated March 28, 2013 12:03 PM EDT


Can we make "raw talent" and "wow factor" fantasy baseball categories?

Aroldis Chapman: For an elite closer, it's an open and shut case. (AP Photo)

I landed plenty of both in the first five rounds of our SN Experts' League draft this week.

Like, say, the game's best all-around player in Mike Trout. He makes plays like this. Or, perhaps, the game's most natural hitter in Josh Hamilton. Spectacular, as in this spectacle. I also landed the game's most intimidating closer in Aroldis Chapman. He blows 100 mph heaters by the best hitters in the game.

You better believe this team has sizzle. Is there some steak to go with it?

This draft was done for a standard 5x5 non-keeper league with the following positions: 1 C, 1 1B, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 SS, 1 CI, 1 MI, 5 OF, 2 UT, 9 P (minimum two relievers), 5 bench. To see the entire draft results, join Fantasy Source Baseball for FREE.

1. Mike Trout, OF, Angels (No. 3). I'll stick with the same one-liner used after taking Trout at No. 1 in our February mock draft. Despite putting on a few extra pounds, Trout still has 40/40 potential in a loaded Angels lineup.

2. Josh Hamilton, OF, Angels (No. 22). Trout, Hamilton and Albert Pujols could put up legendary numbers; I'm getting two-thirds of that production.

3. Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Athletics (No. 27). Buster Posey was taken the previous pick, and after a slight panic, I took Cespedes ahead of Jason Heyward and Bryce Harper. Not sure how I'll feel about that in September.

4. Cliff Lee, SP1, Phillies (No. 46). Lee is 23-17 the last two years despite a 2.76 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The wins will come.

5. Aroldis Chapman, RP1, Reds (No. 51). As a closer, there's no question Chapman belongs in the top five rounds. He has 212 Ks in 135 career innings. I'd take him ahead of Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel.

6. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers (No. 70). It's the sixth round, no better time to take that first infielder, right?

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7. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants (No. 75). I'm an admitted skeptic, but waiting this long to take a 3B leaves me with no choice. All I want is 20 homers from the Kung Fu Panda.

8. Roy Halladay, SP2, Phillies (No. 94). Halladay is coming off an injury-plagued year and has struggled all spring, but he shouldn't fall out of the top 100. That's no way to treat Doc.

9. Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox (No. 99). Colleague Matt Lutovsky suggested Konerko's power will fall in the 1B edition of our Fantasy Baseball Podcast. I've been saying the same thing -- since 2008.

10. Jeff Samardzija, SP3, Cubs (No. 118). More sizzle! I have a guy who could actually play on my fantasy football team. I'm more impressed with Samardzija's K/9 rate (9.3) at this point in his career.

11. Rafael Soriano, RP2, Nationals (No. 123). Seven of the next 10 picks are closers. Since 2009, Soriano has converted 116-of-130 saves (89.2 percent) with a 2.64 ERA. The only closer with a better save percentage and lower ERA in that stretch is Mariano Rivera.

12. Nick Swisher, CI, Yankees (No. 142). Swisher is an Ohio native with a .304 lifetime average at Progressive Field. Don't underestimate the impact of coming home will have.

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13. Dan Uggla, 2B, Braves (No. 147). I've owned Uggla enough times to know when to expect peaks and valleys. Consider him a bounce-back candidate.

14. Jake Peavy, SP4, White Sox (No. 166). It all comes down to health. Peavy made 32 starts last season, but he averaged 17 starts from 2009-11.

15. Starling Marte, OF, Pirates (No. 171). Am I the only person who likes Marte?

16. Salvador Perez, C, Royals (No. 190). A perfect spot to grab a sleeper catcher. He's hit .311 through two injury-shortened seasons. He won't be nearly this cheap in 2014.

17. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees (No. 195). Given my question marks at the corner infield spots, Teixeira is a perfect DL stash.

18. Derek Jeter, MI, Yankees (No. 214). Why not make it two Yankees on the DL?

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19. Cameron Maybin, OF, Padres (No. 219). Token Padre Alert! Maybin has never lived up to the first-round billing, but he's averaged 33 stolen bases the last two seasons.

20. Chris Tillman, SP5, Orioles (No. 238). I've latched on to Tillman as a source of late-round WHIP.

21. Carlos Marmol, RP, Cubs (No. 243). Marmol is the Cubs closer. Isn't he? At any, a third full-time closer in this league goes a long way.

22. Dee Gordon, SS, Dodgers (No. 262). Gordon provides more cheap steals, at least until Jeter returns to my team or Hanley Ramirez returns to the Dodgers. Whichever comes first.

23. Tyler Clippard, RP, Nationals (No. 267). This league is full of saves vultures. You have to handcuff everybody at all times.

24. Wade Miley, SP, Diamondbacks (No. 286). I'm a take a 16-game winner with a 3.33 ERA in this spot all day long.

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25. Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (No. 291). I always allow for at least one prospect. I'm kind of regretting not taking Cincinnati prospect Billy Hamilton here.

26. Chris Johnson, 3B, Braves (No. 310). This might be five straight years I've taken a flier on Johnson, who quietly is a .276 lifetime hitter. Just need some more power to follow.

7. Jonathan Broxton, RP, Reds (No. 315). Broxton is a valid form of Chapman insurance should the Reds change their minds and move Chapman back to the rotation.

28. Will Venable, OF, Padres (No. 334). I'll draft Venable every year until he retires. It's just who I am.



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