I went into this 30 round NL-only snake draft thinking I would be getting home around 1:00 AM, but was very surprised with how quick the draft went. We started around 7:00 and finished right around 11:00. I have participated in 23 round drafts that took longer....much longer. And my NL-only auction draft on Sunday, where most owners had 10 keeps, took almost 6 hours.
Fantasy Baseball: Ray’s 30-Round NL-Only Draft Results
Here is my team, by round:
5-Chd Billingsely
10-Jonathan Sanchez
11-Casey Blake
12-Derek Lowe
16-Ryan Madson
17-Mat Latos
18-Blake Dewitt
19-Drew Storen
20-Seth Smith
Reserve Rounds
24-Edison Volquez
25-Brian Bruney
26-Mike Leake
27-Jason Castro
28-Mike Adams
29-Geoff Blum
30-Tony Abreu
I was not planning on taking a starting pitcher in the 5th round, but there were 11 starting pitchers taken by the time my 5th round pick came, and I wanted at least one 200-strikeout pitcher. Roy Halladay was the 8th pick and Tim Lincecum was the 9th pick of the first round. With that said, that pushed Justin Upton to me with the 5th pick in the second round.
I took Manny with my 3rd round pick, but seriously pondered taking Andrew McCutchen or Jayson Werth there.
Once all the speed went off the board early, I was forced to take Everth Cabrera a few rounds earlier than I normally would have. With that said, I focused on power and my offense for most of the draft. I figured I could take a few pitchers in the reserve rounds that could help me, so that is why I took Mike Leake, who I think will be the Reds 5th starter to open the season, and Edison Volquez, who could come back by July/August.
There were some really crazy picks in the draft, among them:
-Shane Victorino in the 3rd round before Brandon Phillips, Jayson Werth, Manny Ramirez, and McCutchen.
-Jayson Heyward in the 5th round
-Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman taken back to back by the same owner at the end of the 12th and first pick on the 13th rounds.
-Yovani Gallardo off the board before Johan Santana and Josh Johnson
-First round went-Pujols, Hanley, Braun, Kemp, Utley, Howard, Fielder, Halladay, Lincecum, Tulo
-Second round-Wright, Reynolds, Rollins, Holliday, Upton, Reyes, Haren, Bay, Sandoval and Zimmerman
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