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Mar 1 2021 Chat
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Brent Hershey
12:01
Hey all! What a whooper of a week incoming ... spring games, online drafts in full swing; and what will be an awesome online event this weekend -- check out the sessions and activities we have planned for a fun 2 1/2 days at First Pitch Florida Online. On to the questions ...
HarrytheK
12:06
In a saves+holds league, which closer-in-waiting do you prefer: Jordan Romano or Emmanuel Clase? The projections point to Romano, but he seemed to enjoy the perfect season last year with a 100% strand rate and low hit rate.
Brent Hershey
12:06
Two great options for Sv+Hd leagues. I'd slightly lean Romano b/c of more success more recently. But if Clase is out of favor b/c he didn't pitch in 2020 he could be cheaper to acquire. Love that stuff and arm. Romano if I have to choose; but either could be become a full-season force out of the pen.
NB
12:10
Hey Brent - Can't wait for FPFL next week and hopefully FPAZ in person in the fall.  Getting ready for NL only dynasty draft, minor league portion.  I'm always interested in analysis of the Cubans since info tends to be spotty.  Dodgers have Vargas and Pages.  You guys seem lower on Vargas than others and I don't see anything in the MLPA about Pages.  Just curious about your thoughts on these guys.  thx!
Brent Hershey
12:10
Thanks for props; holding out hopes for FPAZ in the fall as well. Such a tough year for evaluating prospects in general, even moreso with the young international guys. Because of how we chose to do our 2021 ranks/reports (updating 2020 lists, basically), guys like Vargas and Pages prob got less bump than they otherwise might have. I know Pages was on the just missed LA list. In a deep NL dynasty, would welcome either of these. And having the LA prospect factory behind each is a big plus. Prob Pages slightly over Vargas for me.
Bob
12:13
How would you rank this mid-draft cluster of starting pitchers in a roto league: S. Sanchez, Corbin, Urias, Price, McCullers, Valdez, Alcantara. Are any worth grabbing?
Brent Hershey
12:13
"Worth grabbing" depends on a lot of things, but in a vacuum, I'm something like Alcantara, Sixto, Corbin, Urias <gap> McCullers/Valdez/Price. Will take those last three at some point, but not at their current ADP level. Like the early quartet better. Good luck!
Glenn
12:16
I've been hesitant to own Rhys Hoskins in the past, but my league is moving from BA to OBP this spring. Should I give him a shot?
Brent Hershey
12:16
Def gets a bump in that format w/ VG mid-teens walk rates. Depending how your league is treating that crossover, he could be a sneaky value later on for 1B. But be aware of streakiness and elbow injury (tho supposedly all systems go on that end). In short, can let go of hesitancy, I think. OK later option.
Peter
12:18
Is Lance McCullers someone on your radar for 2021? Does he have the tools to take a step up this year?
Brent Hershey
12:18
As stated above, not really at his current price. And that's more b/c of the injury history + the shortened season than a skills deficiency. I'm just finding other pitchers I feel are safer ones in general in the area that he's going. If all of your other starters to this point are rotation locks w/ healthy histories? Then maybe roll the dice. But if you have some risk already up top, then I'm waiting for McCullers to drop.
Also to your question -- yes, has the raw tools. But does 2021 provide opportunity for the next step up? I'm dubious.
Parker
12:22
I participated in one of Todd Zola's mock laboratories last week, and it felt as if guys like J.D. Martinez, Yordan Alvarez, Lourdes Gurriel, Jared Walsh and Mike Soroka lasted well after their ADP. Is there a reason why these guys are being pushed down, at least in this 5x5 standard mock?
Brent Hershey
12:22
General note to be careful to treat ADP as a guide, not a rule. Sometimes the games/rules we use can skew ADP. Likely JDM and Yordan were pushed down due to DH only concerns and some recency bias; I think JDM has a great chance to rebound. Walsh likely fell b/c of lack of track record and he's an older prospect; Soroka b/c he's a bit underrated in general and coming off Achilles injury. Guirrel not sure of. But finding those value differences and being ready to act on them can be part of building a solid foundation. Good luck!
stan
12:30
Fast forward to February 2022, where does Henry Davis rank among catchers? Thanks!
Brent Hershey
12:30
Henry Davis is a catcher currently at Louisville; that's about what I know. We ran a quickie college baseball preview on our site at the start of the season a few weeks ago, and he was not on our list of Top 20 or so NCAA names to watch. BUT ... these players certainly can raise their profile during the season. But in general, catching prospects for fantasy are a tough bunch, as they tend to develop slowly for the pro game. Major college pedigree helps. Might be in the top 20 catcher prospects for fantasy in a year? Sorry I don't have more info. Thanks!
Cliff Barkman
12:33
Benitendi a keeper in 12 team 9 player keeper? Please answer
Brent Hershey
12:33
Would tend to lean no with what you list here. Part of the reason is that he's had such a rough couple of years that he ought to be cheaply acquired in your draft, and especially if you have other options, you may find someone better for the last keeper. I still have some hope for Benintendi as a moderate power/speed corner outfielder given his youth and pedigree, but am not going out of my way to roster him this year.
Brent Hershey
12:33
General call ... queue is running thin — if you've got a question, don't hesitate!
Matt virginia
12:38
I have 3 SS and nobody wants to trade. Which one do I throw back? Boegarts, Seager, Gleyber. Thank you kind sir
Brent Hershey
12:38
That's unfortunate that you can't find a trading partner. Gleyber is third on the list for me, mostly b/c of inconsistency and he lacks the BA potential that Bogaerts and Seager have. Certainly seems to be keeper worthy, but X + CS is a huge MIF base from which to start. Love that duo. Good luck!
Guest
12:43
quick thoughts on Kepler, C. Santana and Y. Gurriel
Brent Hershey
12:43
Kepler: 2019 an outlier; 25-, not 30-HR guy; BA a concern despite making good contact. Mid-level OFer
Santana: Obv best in an OBP league; not enough pop to run with big boys at 1B but can be a valuable "boring" filler player late in drafts. Has job security for sure.
Y Gurriel: Best BA + power guy here; also underrated somewhat. But that combination of BA + mid-level pop makes him most valuable of the three. Again 2019 outlier as far as HR.
Ranks: Gurriel / Santana / Kepler
Guest
12:49
5x5 AL only 11 team  $260 Keeper league...who do you keep for the last two spots?  Fraizer $7, Teoscar $10, Ohtani $16.
Brent Hershey
12:49
I go Frazier (assuming Clint) and Teoscar. I'm just wary of Ohtani b/c of health and the two-way thing. Your opinion may differ, but I am skeptical from what we've seen so far that he's a fantasy asset to count on. Fun to watch and the highlights ... but I have a tough time evaluating him on knowing what to expect. And at $16, I don't feel like he's as valuable as the prices for the other two. Would be awesome for baseball, though, if Ohtani proved me wrong.
Guest
12:51
Al only, minor league draft, who do you prefer Vaughn, Tork, Martin, J. Rodriguez?
Brent Hershey
12:51
Torkelson. Best combination of BA and power here; but yeah, some VG choices. I was more in on JRod at one point; want to see him handle upper-level pitching first. Martin very good, but likely 4th here b/c doesn't have the loud tools of the other trio.
Brent Hershey
12:52
Wiped the queue clean, and tons of other stuff to do here, including last minute details for First Pitch this weekend. If you're free, do check out the link at the top ... going to be fun! Will be back here same time next week. Happy drafting!
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