This previous weekend, Chris Towers and I traveled to Arizona for First Pitch Arizona, offered by BaseballHQ. For many who have not attended, it is a Fantasy Baseball convention that options Arizona Fall League video games, panels, dwell podcasts, and way-too-early drafts. In case you love Fantasy Baseball, this occasion was made for you! Considered one of my favourite issues to do whereas out there’s a dwell draft. I do know, it is insane for anyone to be drafting in November for a season that begins in March. I principally do it to get an early have a look at the draft board and to see what different individuals are considering. Plus, drafting dwell with everyone in attendance is at all times such a enjoyable expertise.
The draft I took half in is an NFBC Draft Champion league. It is a 15-team 5×5 Roto league with 50 rounds. That is proper, 750 draft picks! The explanation this format goes so deep is as a result of there are not any in-season waiver strikes. The crew you draft is the crew you are caught with. 23 beginning spots. 27 bench spots. Therefore the identify, ‘Draft Champion’. So, we drafted 23 rounds in individual this weekend, after which we’ll choose issues again up in Spherical 24 as a part of a sluggish draft in January. I perceive it is a fairly quirky format that goes very deep into the participant pool, however I principally simply needed to offer you a chance to see an early draft board. Under you will discover precisely that, with the picks that stood out most and a few choices I confronted with the fifteenth choose.
Draft Picks That Stood Out
Kyle Tucker – 2.01, sixteenth total
I swear I am not simply beginning with this one as a result of it was my choose. I feel Kyle Tucker’s early common draft place of 17.9 is fascinating. I get that the final two years have been irritating, however I am not apprehensive about it. Sure, he struggled mightily from July on, however we all know he was enjoying by way of a fracture in his hand. He additionally missed time in 2024 with a fracture in his shin, however the Houston Astros misdiagnosed that harm. His free company does add a little bit of uncertainty to his worth, however barring a return to the Chicago Cubs or signing with the San Francisco Giants (I do not realistically assume both of these will occur), his worth ought to be unaffected. All in all, when Tucker is wholesome, he is a Prime-10 participant in Fantasy.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto – 2.07, twenty second total
Earlier within the offseason, ‘who ought to be drafted because the SP4’ was one of many larger questions in Fantasy Baseball. It is changing into apparent that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is settling in because the SP4 in early ADP. It is no shock given his stellar common season, adopted up by a historic postseason. Much more fascinating is that Cristopher Sanchez and Hunter Brown joined Yamamoto within the second spherical of this specific draft. Do these pitchers need to go in Spherical two when names like Hunter Greene, Cole Ragans, and Blake Snell went in Spherical 4? It is a truthful query.
James Wooden – 2.09, twenty fourth total
I feel this was a contact early for James Wooden, particularly when you think about he went forward of Cal Raleigh, Pete Alonso, and Ketel Marte. We have additionally seen Wooden and Pete Crow-Armstrong linked early on within the offseason. Each are younger, dynamic bats that struggled mightily within the second half. With that stated, Wooden went twenty fourth total whereas Crow-Armstrong went forty fifth (extra on that in a bit), which is a reasonably large disparity.
Cal Raleigh – 2.11, twenty sixth total
Cal Raleigh’s draft worth is one we are going to watch all offseason. The Large Dumper is coming off the very best Fantasy season by a catcher… ever! 60 house runs, 110 runs, 125 RBI, and 14 steals for anyone is bananas, not to mention a catcher. With that stated, he is nonetheless a catcher, and that was a transparent profession yr. How a lot will he regress? Can he proceed to supply this a lot quantity whereas enjoying such a demanding place? These are among the questions it’s a must to contemplate when taking him this early in drafts.
Mason Miller – 3.02, thirty second total
Let me shortly offer you a heads-up that relievers go a lot earlier in these drafts. Once more, there is no waiver wire, and saves are a scarce class. Anyone locked into a better position or anyone who has an opportunity at saves can be pushed up on this format. With that stated, is Mason Miller even a better? As of now, we’re unsure! The Padres gave up a haul to accumulate him and have efficiently turned relievers into starters previously. For no matter that is value, I spoke to some good folks this weekend who have been satisfied Miller will nonetheless be used as a reliever. If that is the case, he is most likely the odds-on favourite to be the highest nearer in Fantasy Baseball.
Zach Neto – 3.06, thirty sixth total
Get used to seeing Zach Neto this excessive on draft boards. His early ADP is 32.9. In our first mock draft, Neto went 51st total. I feel that may wind up being an outlier. In Neto’s first full season in 2024, he put up 23 house runs with 30 steals. He adopted that up by going 26-26 in simply 128 video games this yr. On high of that, he was getting back from offseason shoulder surgical procedure final November. Neto is a protected wager for energy and pace, someone who can push 30-30 in 2026.
Yordan Alvarez – 3.10, fortieth total
Yordan Alvarez was an enormous disappointment in 2025 as he was restricted to only 48 video games as a result of harm. Truthfully, it was the Houston Astros’ medical workers that was the frustration. They misdiagnosed Alvarez’s hand harm, which turned out to be a fracture and led to a number of setbacks. He returned for a quick stint late within the season after which suffered a nasty left ankle sprain. This has led to a reasonably large low cost on Alvarez. Final draft season, his ADP was 16.8. Now it is 35.9. Whether or not or not you purchase the dip can be decided by your danger tolerance.
Roman Anthony – 3.14, forty fourth total
Roman Anthony entered 2025 as one of many high prospects in all of baseball. He was referred to as up in June and impressed, batting .292 with 8 house runs, 4 steals, and an .859 OPS. Anthony posted ridiculous exit velocities whereas displaying distinctive endurance on the plate. His greatest draw back to this point has been the launch angle, as Anthony hits too many floor balls to succeed in his energy upside. Regardless, it is at all times fascinating to trace the hype names to see how early they get drafted. If this worth stays, it is a fairly steep one for Anthony.
Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Schwarber – 3.15 and 4.01, forty fifth and forty sixth total
Properly, nicely, nicely… How the turnables. Final offseason, Scott White, Chris Towers, and I all thought-about Pete Crow-Armstrong a bust when his ADP was 133. Right here I’m drafting him forty fifth total. PCA will stay a polarizing participant. He was brutal within the closing two months, however while you have a look at his season as an entire, he offered 31 homers with 35 steals. With my different choose, I chosen Kyle Schwarber. I perceive that Schwarber is not for everyone. He can solely be used within the utility spot and is more than likely a detriment in batting common. With all of that stated, his batting common has been extra tenable two years in a row, and he is among the finest bets for counting stats. To be sincere, I needed to take pitchers with these two picks, however could not cross up the bats on this spot.
Fast Hitters
Freddie Freeman – 4.10, fifty fifth total
That is the bottom we have seen him drafted in over a decade, however he is coming into his Age-36 season.
Hunter Greene – 4.12, 57th total
Accidents have been an issue, however when you think about his expertise, it looks like Greene ought to be at the very least one spherical larger than this.
Austin Riley – 5.01, 61st total
Riley has allow us to down two years in a row, however now we’re getting a 30-pick low cost on final yr’s ADP. Is that sufficient?
Ben Rice – 5.07, 67th total
Rice was taken because the fourth catcher off the board on this draft. Scott White is not the one one who loves Rice, Rice, Child in 2026.
Byron Buxton – 5.08, 68th total
Buxton principally stayed wholesome and was a league-winner this season. Will you pay the elevated worth after his ADP was 210 final offseason?
Josh Naylor – 5.11, 71st total
That does not look like a nasty worth after Naylor has offered back-to-back Prime-40 total seasons.
Jackson Merrill – 5.14, 74th total
Merrill had an injury-riddled 2025 however completed robust. Is that this sufficient of a reduction?
Spencer Strider – 6.02, 77th total
Strider’s velocity was down getting back from elbow surgical procedure, and he wasn’t the identical pitcher. Is that this sufficient of a reduction?
Spencer Schwellenbach – 6.06, 81st total
The breakout was on for Schwellenbach, however then his season ended with a fractured elbow. Cease me in the event you’ve learn this earlier than, however is that this sufficient of a reduction?
Geraldo Perdomo – 6.09, 84th total
Perdomo was the highest league winner in 2025, however how a lot can we belief the breakout? His ADP can be enjoyable to observe.
Trevor Story – 6.13, 88th total
Story stayed wholesome and offered 25 homers with 31 steals. However he additionally has an intensive harm historical past.
Zack Wheeler – 7.05, ninety fifth total
Wheeler is the most important Wild Card in Fantasy Baseball heading into 2026. He underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgical procedure in late September. We’ve got no clue when he’ll return subsequent season and the way efficient he’ll be.
George Springer – 7.13, 103rd total
Springer turned again the clocks and offered among the finest seasons in his profession… after which he did it within the playoffs, too! Like Perdomo, Springer’s ADP can be enjoyable to observe.
My Workforce and Observations
Truthfully, I am not in love with this crew, however that was at all times a chance when drafting this early within the course of. Plus, you are at all times going to have weaknesses in a 15-team league. The very first thing that stands out is the infield, significantly first and third base. One of many issues I realized is that nook infield actually dries up, particularly when Derek VanRiper saved taking all of the gamers I needed! That is additionally a product of drafting final in a 15-team league. There have been so many instances once I thought a primary or third baseman would make it again to me, and so they simply did not. I did attempt to deal with my weak point at nook infield by drafting strong backup choices in Miguel Vargas and Kazuma Okamoto. We have not talked a lot about Okamoto but, however he is an intriguing bat who ought to be posted by the Yomiuri Giants this offseason.
Together with the nook infielders, my pitching appears underwhelming. I went into this draft with the plan to take any of Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, or Garrett Crochet at my choose. I figured they would not make it that far, and I used to be proper. Plan B was to take at the very least one, possibly two, beginning pitchers on the Spherical 3-4 flip, however I could not cross up Crow-Armstrong and Schwarber. On to Plan C. On the Spherical 5-6 flip, I grabbed my first two pitchers with Framber Valdez and David Bednar. I strongly thought-about pairing Schwellenbach with Valdez, however like I discussed earlier, you actually need at the very least one lockdown nearer on this format. I anticipate Bednar to be that with the Yankees, plus I used to be a little bit nervous about Schwellenbach getting back from that fractured elbow.
From there, I attempted to essentially hammer the center rounds with beginning pitching depth, taking a bunch of bites on the apple, and hope a few of them hit. On the Spherical 7-8 flip, I used to be actually hoping someone like Nick Pivetta or Kyle Bradish would fall to me, however that wasn’t within the playing cards. So as a substitute, I went the upside route with the Mets‘ stud rookie Nolan McLean. Let me be very clear. I like McLean so much, however ideally, he is your SP3 in a 15-team league and your SP4 in a 12-team league, not your SP2 in both. With my subsequent couple of picks, I needed to draft some veteran arms who ought to present a powerful WHIP since Valdez and McLean may be on the upper aspect. I efficiently drafted Brandon Woodruff, Nathan Eovaldi, and Emmet Sheehan. Woodruff and Eovaldi ought to carry out nicely after they pitch, however each include harm danger. Sheehan is not a veteran pitcher, however he is my SP5 and I really like the expertise. In a while, I grabbed Ryne Nelson and Bailey Ober as my SP6 and SP7, respectively.
It’d grow to be an honest pitching workers, however that is the chance you tackle when you’ve only one beginning pitcher within the first seven rounds of a league this deep. As for the aid pitchers, I discussed that I drafted Bednar as my RP1. He completed actually robust with the Yankees, and I anticipate him to have an honest leash as their nearer in 2026. I waited too lengthy to seize a second reliever and wound up with Edwin Uceta. The Rays considerably surprisingly declined Pete Fairbanks‘ $11 million possibility, making him a free agent. As of now, my guess is the Rays will use a closer-by-committee, and Uceta can be in that blend. I even have a little bit cheat code in relation to relievers on this draft. Since I used to be drafting fifteenth and we have been solely doing 23 rounds, I’ve the primary choose in Spherical 24 once we begin again up in January. Which means I am going to have two months of knowledge by then and hopefully some late-round nearer has emerged by way of signing or commerce.
General, I feel it is a fairly flawed crew, however I figured that will be the case entering into. I principally get pleasure from doing this particular draft this early in order that I can get a have a look at the draft board and begin to get the wheels turning. I hope that it is accomplished the identical for you!
