Yoenis Cespedes is the Mock Draft Round 4 Reach
Jul 14, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; American League outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) of the Oakland Athletics at bat in the first round during the 2014 Home Run Derby the day before the MLB All Star Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Round 3 of the early fantasy baseball mock draft can be found here. The fourth round saw a mixture of past fantasy superstars, a 2014 breakout stud, and a couple of players who present both great present and future value.
Buster Posey may have been my favorite pick of the fourth round while Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Reyes were the two worst selections.
The numbers listed to the left of each name represent the round and the overall pick they were drafted.
4.37 SP Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals
I really like Stephen Strasburg next season. That is an obvious statement because everyone loves the phenom, but I am encouraged by his 2.56 xFIP and 2.64 SIERA. Strasburg has been prone to the long ball his entire career, but I think we see slight improvements in ERA and WHIP while maintaining his elite career K% of 28.5%.
4.38 1B Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
It feels weird to not have Pujols as the top pick in fantasy baseball anymore, but he is still a productive player. Pujols still managed to hit 28 homers, score 89 runs, and drive in 105 RBI’s. I think he should be able to replicate those numbers, but long gone are the days of his dominance that we saw from 2001 to 2011.
4.40 C Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants
After I drafted Brantley, I felt like I should have gone with Buster Posey. He is undoubtedly the top catcher and will hit for power and average. The only reason I do not like this pick is because there are a lot of catchers I like in 2015, but Posey was still a great choice in the fourth.
4.41 OF Yoenis Cespedes of the Detroit Tigers
Even though Yoenis Cespedes was in Boston at the time of this fantasy draft, this was a reach of a pick probably based on the cozy dimensions of Fenway Park. Yoenis Cespedes was far more effective as a rookie in Oakland and has really not been all that great the past two years. However, he still offers a decent fantasy profile with an expected 20-25 HR total, but not enough to draft him in round 4.
4.42 3B Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies
Nolan Arenado was a very popular pick among the people in the mock draft. Arenado dealt with injuries that limited him to 111 games, but he still managed to slash .287/.328/.500 with 18 homers. There is no doubt that Nolan Arenado offers a ton of value in a keeper league because he is only 23 right now, but I think this pick could be a little aggressive in a non-keeper league even playing in Coors Field.
4.43 1B Victor Martinez of the Detroit Tigers
Victor Martinez was a top five fantasy baseball player in 2014 at 36 years of age. He produced a career high in almost every category across the board. While age and regression are major question marks for Martinez, I really like this pick because even 70% of last year’s numbers would make this a savvy pick.
4.44 OF Corey Dickerson of the Colorado Rockies
It seems like there have been quite a few reaches on outfielders, and I am sure that having 5 OF in this mock draft format is a major contributing factor. However, Dickerson has an incredible career LD% of 26.5%, plays his home games in Coors Field, and his average fly ball distance traveled just over 298 feet, which was good for 20th in MLB. Maybe Corey Dickerson could repeat 2014 after all.
4.45 SS Hanley Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox
I usually do not want Hanley Ramirez on my fantasy team, but I think he could have a strong year in Boston. It seems like Hanley will be in LF for the Red Sox, but he will still have SS eligibility. He is coming off a season with a .67 BB/K, but his .165 ISO is alarming. Maybe Fenway will alleviate some of those concerns, and I am relatively positive about Ramirez in a hitter’s ballpark in this article.
4.46 SS Jose Reyes of the Toronto Blue Jays
Yuck. I drafted Jose Reyes in a mock draft last year in the third round, and I hated my team almost solely because of him. Jose Reyes is not a top 50 player in my mind. As he continues to age, there is a real chance that his stolen base numbers could fall off the cliff. You should avoid him at all costs as you can see in this article.
4.47 1B Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers
I love this pick, and I am surprised that Gonzalez lasted outside of the top 40. He is a four category contributor and an RBI specialist. Yes, I am aware that RBI’s are very dependent on opportunities, but he will still be in a talented lineup even without Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp.
In fact, Adrian Gonzalez has never had fewer than 82 RBI’s, which was in his first full season with the San Diego Padres in 2006. From 2006 to 2014, Gonzalez’s RBI totals have been 82, 100, 119, 99, 101, 117, 108, 100, and 116. While I cannot offer much statistical justification for a repeat performance in RBI’s, Gonzalez is consistently excellent in a fantasy category. At this point, I just have to believe.
4.48 1B Prince Fielder of the Texas Rangers
This pick is a huge roll of the dice, but I cannot fault someone for going this route. Heavier players tend to age very poorly in their 30’s and Prince Fielder’s neck injury terrifies me. However, Fielder offers top 20 potential that is almost impossible to find at this point in the draft. Go for it if you believe you can still succeed even if Prince Fielder bombs.