2019 MLB Draft Guide: The Fantasy Alarm Mock Draft

So on Wednesday, February 27^th, a dozen of us here at Fantasy Alarm got together for the annual mock draft for the Fantasy Alarm MLB Draft Guide. It’s always a great time no matter how late into the evening they stretch and it’s always difficult finding a time slot in everyone’s schedule so I appreciate the efforts by everyone involved. You won’t see too many surprises in this year’s draft (Sorry folks, Tim Tebow was not selected), but hopefully you can use this mock draft as a way to see where the stocks and values of certain players are at right now. As we get closer to the start of the 2019 season be sure to check out the new weekly content that Fantasy Alarm is rolling out to help you as well as every other MLB Draft Guide article that has either already been published or is about to be published. Now here’s a look at the final teams from the 2019 Fantasy Alarm Mock Draft in order of selection! And if you’d like a link to the full draft board then just Click Here!

Colby Conway (@colbyrconway)

Conway: I really like the power output of this team, especially grabbing Gallo, Olsen and Moustakas in Rounds 8-10. Pitching is far from safe, however, as Zack Wheeler is my No. 2 and the next two guys (Darvish and Heaney) have had or are currently dealing with arm problems. Believe it or not, I'm fine with the bullpen, as I believe Felipe Vázquez could end up being the top closer in fantasy baseball this season, and the other guys in the pen should help pad those save numbers as well. Overall, I thought the team turned out well, and it could end up being electric if Byron Buxton and Michael Conforto -- and maybe even Lewis Brinson -- excel in 2019.

Malin: You can never really go wrong drafting first overall in fantasy baseball. Even if you choose not to take Mike Trout you can still go with Mookie Betts or José Ramírez . But Trout is just the safest option available and Colby made the right call. Don’t overthink it, Trout’s a consensus top pick even if he isn’t the reigning MVP. Colby let the draft fall to him at the front turn by selecting Gerrit Cole and Trevor Story with his next two picks and he locked up arguably the best catcher on the board with J.T. Realmuto . Saves will be difficult for Colby to come by. He took Felipe Vázquez in Round 7 and he does have other bullpen arms, but none that are immediately in line for save opportunities. Jose Alvarado could get save opportunities with Tampa Bay after getting eight last season and Trevor May could find himself in the closer’s role in Minnesota. Colby’s starting pitching staff is concerning outside of Cole and Wheeler. Yu Darvish struggled with injuries last year while Andrew Heaney and Michael Wacha don’t jump off the board (although Heaney did make 30 starts and average a strikeout per inning) so Colby could still struggle in the pitching categories, but there’s no denying he drafted one of the best offensive groups in the whole draft.

Michael Stein (@FantasyJudgment)

Stein: Coming into this season, my goal was to draft fantasy baseball teams that had balance.  Typically I draft rosters that end up being heavily weighted towards one specific area such as power or starting pitching.  My decision on who to take with the second overall pick was quite easy and would certainly help set me in the right direction towards achieving balance because either Mike Trout or Mookie Betts provide elite production in all five Roto categories.  I also targeted at least one pitcher with my 2^nd or 3^rd round pick because every GM needs at least one ace starting pitcher to count on.  However, there are a lot of question marks with some of my starting pitchers so that could be the biggest weakness on my roster.   I did take some risks with veterans like Miguel Cabrera and Josh Donaldson who are coming off injury-shortened seasons, but the payoff could be huge if they rebound and stay healthy.  Speed is always at a premium so I made sure to focus on that category with guys like Jean Segura and Ender Inciarte .  It is always important to have a strategy in place heading into drafts, but it is even more important to pivot that strategy and adjust on the fly during the draft.  It is a guarantee you will get sniped at one point or another, and you have to be able to sense when a run is starting at a certain position.  Be flexible with you’re thinking while staying true to your goals.

Dan Servodidio (@dan_servodidio)

Malin: I was really hoping Dan was going to pass on José Ramírez . Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be. I actually love the start he got off to with this draft. Ramirez and Stanton are top notch players. The only knock on Stanton is the rate at which he strikes out. However, that will happen with big time power hitters. Luckily the plate discipline of Ramirez will counter the strikeouts from Stanton. Aaron Nola and Patrick Corbin are two elite pitching options and Vlad Guerrero Jr. is an absolute superstar in the making. Dan also set himself up nicely with relief pitchers by grabbing Kenley Jansen , Roberto Osuna , and David Robertson so saves shouldn’t be a problem. The only unfortunate pick with hindsight was the Salvador Pérez selection since he’s done for the year. However, this draft was done before the news broke of Perez’s injury so there’s some clarity as to why Perez was taken in the tenth round. I do like the late-round selections of Tyler Glasnow , Hunter Renfroe , Jeremy Jeffress and to an extent, Álex Reyes . I think there’s some upside with each of those players this season especially if Jeffress can solidify the closer job in Milwaukee.

Dan Malin (@RealDANlanta)

Malin: If you’ve read any of my content previously you’ll know I typically sit and wait on pitching because I normally draft for points league or head-to-head categories leagues. I took a different approach with this mock draft and wanted to go for a well-rounded group for a rotisserie league. I still went power bats early with three of my first four picks. Martinez, Freeman, and Hoskins together could get me 100-110 home runs with plenty of runs and RBI to boot. So I won’t complain there. I’m also not upset about drafting the 2018 AL Cy Young Winner and potentially a dark horse for the 2019 AL Cy Young Award with Blake Snell and James Paxton . I would just need Paxton to stay healthy for a whole year, which is a tall order for him. I think ultimately what will kill me will be steals and saves. I’m fine with Iglesias and Yates, but save opportunities for their teams could be few and far between. Sure, I also have Ottavino, Boxberger, Hirano, and Buttrey but it’s not a guarantee either of them land a closer’s role. But I’m overall pleased with the starting pitching and think I could survive with the arms that I have or make an in-season trade of one of my power bats that I drafted to acquire more pitching.

Matt Selz (@theselzman)

Malin: My NASCAR podcast counterpart took a unique approach to this mock draft: first four picks were for offense, the following four picks were spent on arms. And I think it actually worked out. Zach Greinke isn’t an awful first pitcher to take. He has over 400 strikeouts his last two seasons and 45 wins in three years with Arizona. He’s usually pretty durable so even at the age of 35 he should still be fine in 2019. Selz managed to draft a pretty well-rounded group of hitters. He grabbed the 2018 NL MVP, Christian Yelich . Is regression likely for Yelich? Probably, but he should still produce in numerous categories and he’ll get variations of home runs, runs, RBI, and steals from Paul Goldschmidt , Whit Merrifield , and Cody Bellinger . The next three members of his starting rotation shaped up just fine with Jack Flaherty , German Marquez , and David Price . There are concerns with each whether it’s age or the ballpark they play in, but all are still fine options for fantasy. It’s hard to argue that anyone came away with a better well-rounded team through eight rounds of the draft than Selz.

Ivar Anderson (@johnwhorfin)

Malin: This lineup certainly does scream “balance” as from top-to-bottom, Ivar went out and drafted a well-rounded team. By taking an ace pitcher with his first pick in Max Scherzer he invested his next seven picks in offensive weapons and he got some great options. He then grabbed Charlie Morton as his number-two pitcher and even looking at his relievers, he did okay. Is he likely going to struggle to accumulate saves? Sure. But in fantasy baseball closer jobs are never concrete, save for a few of the elite guys so if he’s aggressive on waivers he could find guys that fall into the closer’s role during the season. He even managed to grab two of the best rookie options out there. Nick Senzel in a Top Five prospect in all of baseball, the only concern for him is playing time in that crowded Cincinnati outfield. But at some point, the Reds have to give him a shot and it could come this season. Garrett Hampson is another player who Ivar could slot at the Middle Infield spot on his roster. Hampson could easily break camp with the Colorado Rockies and in that lineup, especially in that ballpark, he could provide plenty of runs. As mentioned before the bats are loaded and the starting pitching could keep pace while saves would be the only concern as of right now.

Michael Alexander (@Roto_Wan)

Malin: Our resident MMA expert, Mike Alexander, took part in the MLB Mock Draft and took some risks, I won’t deny that. First and foremost, Craig Kimbrel in Round 7 is a little risky. Kimbrel’s agent has noted that his client is prepared to sit out this season if a deal isn’t met to his client’s liking. Kimbrel sitting out likely won’t happen and he should get signed within the next few weeks. A return to Atlanta wouldn’t be terrible as it’s where he got his start, but it’s pretty clear he will not be returning to Boston as the Red Sox try to save money for all their free agents next year. Another reason the Kimbrel selection is so risky is because he doesn’t have another solidified closer yet. It would be great if the Diamondbacks committed to Archie Bradley as their closer, but Greg Holland is also competing for that job and how many times will the Diamondbacks, with their offense, find themselves in save situations? Saves could be a struggle for this team. George Springer was another risky player in Round 6 based on the drop off he experienced in 2018. Was the regression horrendous by any means? No, not really. But he played in 140 games in both seasons and in 2018 his batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage all dipped as did the home runs. If he repeats his 2018 numbers then he’s justifiable as a sixth-round selection, but I’m not particularly fond of Springer in 2019.

James Grande (@The_Real_Grande)

Malin: I’ll give credit to Grande because he grabbed some of my favorite pitching options with this draft. If you ask me, I’d rather grab Noah Syndergaard a round or two after Jacob deGrom and I think Grande got a solid value late in Round Three with Thor. Do I dislike deGrom? No, but Grande is still getting a damn good pitcher who can do what deGrom did last season (with hopefully more run support) so if you can get him a bit later then do that. Don’t forget that Syndergaard is still just 26 years old. Walker Buehler could also make massive strides this year and become the Dodgers ace, a throne that Clayton Kershaw has sat on for years now. Then he grabbed additional arms like Blake Treinen , Josh Hader who is a strikeout machine and helps immensely in any league that utilizes K/9 or K:BB in some aspect. Nick Pivetta is a great mid-round option who is still young and just needs to limit the home runs he gives up. Brandon Morrow in Round 23 is another steal as he could easily be the closer for the Cubs once he returns in late-April or early-May. So I’m very high on the pitching options and a bit lukewarm on the hitters. I obviously have no quandary with Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman with his first two picks especially considering Bregman could be the American League MVP this year. But I wasn’t blown away by any of the later round bats he took, but fantasy baseball is a marathon and if this league actually played itself out then I’m sure he could find options via free agency. After all Grande has covered the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column the past few seasons so be sure to check that bi-weekly piece out because Grande is a Triple-W (Waiver Wire Wizard).

Dom Murtha (@Nostra_Dom_Us)

Murtha: Team NostraDomUs went with a pretty clear approach – multi-category contributors.

This mostly pertained to the 14 starting position players, 10 of which fit the bill. By that I mainly mean that not only can 10 of my 14 starting position players hit for average and power, but they also can run the bases. More than half of the non-pitchers on my roster have legitimate 20-20 potential or better. Highlighted by Javier Báez , Francisco Lindor , and many others fitting their archetype, Team NostraDomUs is unlikely to ever lose in the steals category, while the rest of the offensive scorecard should maintain plenty of balance.

The clear weakness on the roster is in the pitching staff, where the starting pitching is thin and guaranteed saves are scarce. This is a sacrifice I had to make when going after so many young five-tool position players early on. With that being said though, Carlos Carrasco has proven to be a legitimate fantasy ace over the last few years, while Jameson Taillon proved last year to be a quality number two with number one upside. Veterans Madison Bumgarner , Cole Hamels , and Hyun-Jin Ryu do a nice job rounding out the rotation with some consistency and stability.

The bullpen clearly needs some work, however considering I got all three of my relief pitchers past the 10th round, I find it pretty impressive that each one of them is currently slated to be their team's primary closer. I could have done a lot worse.

Al Williams

Malin: Al tried to downplay his drafting prowess before we even got started and he came away with a pretty stout team all things considered. He went with two stud pitchers to start his draft, which isn’t an awful route to take in a roto league and he followed it up with Andrew Benintendi as his first position player who is poised for a breakout year. While he may not have a Mike Trout , Mookie Betts , or a José Ramírez kind of player on his roster that can contribute in numerous categories, he does have some nice pieces that can contribute. Billy Hamilton is a liability offensively and saw his steals total drop off last season. However, he’s now with the Royals in 2019 with the likes of Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesí so it’s becoming quite clear the Royals will be aggressive on the base path. Hamilton in the 15^th round is a nice value considering how scarce steals are later in the draft. Shohei Ohtani in the 14^th round is another good value. Last season’s American League Rookie of the Year is recovering from offseason Tommy John surgery, so while he won’t pitch this season he can still DH. He’s expected to return sometime in May and if his power is still there, then a 14^th round selection could pay dividends.

Edward Raus (@EdwardRaus)

Malin: Edward managed to find value throughout the entire draft. I mostly admire what he did later on by grabbing players like Álex Colomé , Peter Alonso, and Jackie Bradley Jr. Colome should get the closer’s job with the White Sox so that’s a fantastic value to find in Round 26, Alonso should eventually get the starting first base job for the Mets and he has a ton of power potential, and Jackie Bradley Jr. , pending playing time, can help in numerous categories. I was a little worried about him waiting until Round Five to draft a starting pitcher, especially one with a history of injuries. But he did well getting arms in the mid-to-late rounds. I think he has great relievers with starting pitchers you can get by with to start. Worst case scenario he could trade one of his top four position player selections for a top notch arm as they season progressed.

Greg Jewett (@gjewett9)

Jewett: “When seeing I drew the 12th pick out of 12, it seemed daunting. However, in this 12-team format, it allowed for hitting upside while rounding out the team. Selecting Chris Sale and Aaron Judge at the turn represents risk, but also an opportunity to get the most strikeouts along with the potential for the home run champion in the year ahead. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's part of the process. 

Getting Starling Marte and Trevor Bauer as compliments in the third and fourth round provides more upside along with an anchor in stolen bases. Chasing steals last in drafts will be difficult, so target a player who can provide them when possible. 

Taking a catcher rarely happens when I draft, but again, Gary Sánchez cratered last year, hits in one of the best lineups and ballparks in baseball for fantasy, thus, he's worth the risk here. Nelson Cruz gets treated differently than Khris Davis every year, not sure why. As the team came together, it could be too heavy in stolen bases and light in RBI. Of course, the projection system used to evaluate the roster forecasts Willians Astudillo for 118 at-bats. He will exceed this. Plus, if necessary, Ryan Zimmerman can play over Yuli Gurriel at the corner infield spot to boost production while healthy. Here's a look at how the team projects:

Offense: 7,024 AB, 1,039 runs, 301 home runs, 986 RBI, 157 stolen bases and a .267 average. 

Pitching: 1,288 IP, 1,437 K's, 3.51 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 84 wins, 80 saves

Wins also prove a bit low, but it's a fluky statistic and if José Quintana or Joe Musgrove outperform their projections, an increase in wins will ensue. Having Carlos Martínez on the bench along with Steven Matz allows for playing match-ups. Hit your marks, let the values fall and stay the course. I enjoyed this mock and thank everyone who participated.”