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Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: 10-Team AL-Only Rotisserie League

David Richard / Reuters

Here are the results of theScore's 10-team AL-only rotisserie mock draft, using standard 5x5 categories (AVG, R, HR, RBI, SB, W, K, SV, ERA, WHIP); eligibility minimum 10 games played in 2015 for all non-pitchers (NOTE: draft took place prior to Dexter Fowler signing with the Chicago Cubs):

Participants

David Chernish - Fantasy Sports Editor
Josh Ghatak - Fantasy Sports Editor
Jason Wilson - Fantasy Sports Editor
Darren Kritzer - Managing Editor, Editorial
James Bisson - Managing Editor, Fantasy Sports
Josh Wegman - Fantasy Sports Editor
Dan Toman - Supervising Editor, MLB
Andrew Potter - Fantasy Sports Editor
Kenneth Conrad - Fantasy Sports Editor
Esten McLaren - Fantasy Sports Editor

Round 1

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
1 Chernish OF Mike Trout LAA
2 Ghatak 3B Josh Donaldson TOR
3 Wilson SS Carlos Correa HOU
4 Kritzer 1B Miguel Cabrera DET
5 Bisson 3B Manny Machado BAL
6 Wegman 2B Jose Altuve HOU
7 Toman OF Jose Bautista TOR
8 Potter OF Mookie Betts BOS
9 Conrad OF George Springer HOU
10 McLaren 1B/OF Chris Davis BAL

Conrad on Springer: Springer contributes in all five categories, making him a well-rounded first pick. While still a concern, his strikeout rate decreased from 2014 to 2015, and should again improve during his third MLB season. 25 home runs and 25 steals are certainly possible, along with solid rate stats. He's poised to hit near the top of Houston's promising young lineup.

Round 2

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
11 McLaren OF Justin Upton DET
12 Conrad 1B Jose Abreu CHW
13 Potter SP Chris Sale CHW
14 Toman SS Troy Tulowitzki TOR
15 Wegman SP David Price BOS
16 Bisson 1B Edwin Encarnacion TOR
17 Kritzer SP Chris Archer TB
18 Wilson OF J.D. Martinez DET
19 Ghatak SP Dallas Keuchel HOU
20 Chernish OF Nelson Cruz SEA

Kritzer on Archer: Archer's availability in the second round was music to my ears, as many would have projected him as a no-doubt first rounder. The Rays may not score much this year, but that won't prevent Archer from producing 13-15 wins, and 250-plus strikeouts. He's one of the safest picks among American League starting pitchers.

Round 3

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
21 Chernish SP Felix Hernandez SEA
22 Ghatak OF Lorenzo Cain KC
23 Wilson SP Corey Kluber CLE
24 Kritzer 3B Todd Frazier CHW
25 Bisson SP Carlos Carrasco CLE
26 Wegman SS Xander Bogaerts BOS
27 Toman 2B Jason Kipnis CLE
28 Potter 1B Prince Fielder TEX
29 Conrad 2B Brian Dozier MIN
30 McLaren SP Cole Hamels TEX

Toman on Kipnis: Picking Kipnis here was the result of a specific set of circumstances: I already had a pair of sluggers, and there weren't many stolen-base-friendly infielders left. If Kipnis replicates his 9-homer, 12-steal season from last year, this pick is a reach. If he comes close to his 17-30 campaign from 2014, it's a steal. I'm drafting him to split the difference.

Round 4

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
31 McLaren SP Marcus Stroman TOR
32 Conrad SS Francisco Lindor CLE
33 Potter UTIL Miguel Sano MIN
34 Toman OF Adam Jones BAL
35 Wegman SP Sonny Gray OAK
36 Bisson SP Danny Salazar CLE
37 Kritzer 2B Ian Kinsler DET
38 Wilson 2B Robinson Cano SEA
39 Ghatak 1B Eric Hosmer KC
40 Chernish 3B Adrian Beltre TEX

McLaren on Stroman: He's the de facto ace of the Blue Jays' rotation following the departure of David Price. While pitcher wins are unpredictable, it's fairly safe to expect a very lofty total from Stroman in 2016. He'll receive tremendous run support from the dangerous Toronto batting order. His strikeout rate is far from elite, but he also limits baserunners.

Round 5

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
41 Chernish SP Jordan Zimmermann DET
42 Ghatak SP Garrett Richards LAA
43 Wilson OF Carlos Gomez HOU
44 Kritzer SP Masahiro Tanaka NYY
45 Bisson OF Jacoby Ellsbury NYY
46 Wegman 3B Kyle Seager SEA
47 Toman 3B Evan Longoria TB
48 Potter OF Michael Brantley CLE
49 Conrad OF Adam Eaton CHW
50 McLaren SP Yu Darvish TEX

Chernish on Zimmermann: You will see Zimmermann drop in drafts due to his move from the NL to the AL, which usually scares fantasy owners. He's proven himself worthy of Cy Young consideration twice in his career and is capable of registering an ERA somewhere south of 3.00. With no injury concerns from last season, he's worth drafting in the fifth round.

Round 6

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
51 McLaren 1B Albert Pujols LAA
52 Conrad OF Corey Dickerson TB
53 Potter 2B Rougned Odor TEX
54 Toman SP Jose Quintana CHW
55 Wegman SP Lance McCullers HOU
56 Bisson OF Kole Calhoun LAA
57 Kritzer SP Jake Odorizzi TB
58 Wilson 3B Mike Moustakas KC
59 Ghatak OF Hanley Ramirez BOS
60 Chernish 1B Mark Teixeira NYY

Wilson on Moustakas: You can put off a position for only so long, especially a thin one like third base. After the big boppers went in the first few rounds, I was happy snagging Moustakas in the sixth. His production was not dissimilar to Kyle Seager, who went a round earlier. He has modest power, looks like he fixed his batting average and will have plenty of RBI chances.

Round 7

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
61 Chernish OF Alex Gordon KC
62 Ghatak SP Justin Verlander DET
63 Wilson RP Aroldis Chapman NYY
64 Kritzer RP Craig Kimbrel BOS
65 Bisson RP Wade Davis KC
66 Wegman SP Luis Severino NYY
67 Toman SP Yordano Ventura KC
68 Potter RP Ken Giles HOU
69 Conrad C Brian McCann NYY
70 McLaren OF Brett Gardner NYY

Wegman on Severino: Anyone who watched the Yankees youngster pitch last season can justify the slight reach. He has a free and easy delivery, leading to consistent command on his mid-90s fastball, devastating slider and plus changeup. He only had one start last season where he allowed more than three runs. Leads should be held often thanks to New York's bullpen.

Round 8

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
71 McLaren 1B Carlos Santana CLE
72 Conrad OF Shin-Soo Choo TEX
73 Potter C Russell Martin TOR
74 Toman C Salvador Perez KC
75 Wegman RP David Robertson CHW
76 Bisson RP Cody Allen CLE
77 Kritzer 2B/SS Starlin Castro NYY
78 Wilson UTIL David Ortiz BOS
79 Ghatak RP Zach Britton BAL
80 Chernish SS Elvis Andrus TEX

Potter on Martin: The run on catchers began four picks earlier with Brian McCann, and Martin was available with the 73rd pick, nearly a full round after his ADP of 65. His high HR/flyball rate of 20.7% is well above his career average (12.4%), so his power should regress - though in the Jays' powerhouse lineup, he'll have a shot at surpassing last year's 77 RBIs.

Round 9

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
81 Chernish 1B/OF Mark Trumbo BAL
82 Ghatak 2B Dustin Pedroia BOS
83 Wilson SP Collin McHugh HOU
84 Kritzer SP Drew Smyly TB
85 Bisson C Matt Wieters BAL
86 Wegman 1B Byung-ho Park MIN
87 Toman RP Francisco Rodriguez DET
88 Potter SP Michael Pineda NYY
89 Conrad SP Taijuan Walker SEA
90 McLaren 1B/2B Logan Forsythe TB

Bisson on Wieters: The catcher position in AL-only formats is lamentably thin - and Wieters has as good a shot as any of being the best of the bunch. When healthy, Wieters is a virtual lock for 20 home runs and 75+ RBIs hitting in the middle of a stacked Baltimore lineup. He's also playing for a long-term deal, so expect something close to a career year from him.

Round 10

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
91 McLaren 2B/3B Brett Lawrie CHW
92 Conrad RP Huston Street LAA
93 Potter SP Mike Fiers HOU
94 Toman OF Delino DeShields TEX
95 Wegman RP Roberto Osuna TOR
96 Bisson SP Carlos Rodon CHW
97 Kritzer RP Andrew Miller NYY
98 Wilson SP Hisashi Iwakuma SEA
99 Ghatak RP Shawn Tolleson TEX
100 Chernish 2B Jonathan Schoop BAL

Ghatak on Tolleson: After going with Verlander very early and seeing the relievers start to fly off the board, I wanted to shore up the position and move on. At the time, Tolleson was one of the better relivers available and was coming off a career 2015. He posted highs in K/9 (9.46) and groundball rate (42.4) on his way to 35 saves.

Round 11

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
101 Chernish RP Glen Perkins MIN
102 Ghatak OF Josh Reddick OAK
103 Wilson RP Sean Doolittle OAK
104 Kritzer SP Kevin Gausman BAL
105 Bisson 2B Devon Travis TOR
106 Wegman OF Melky Cabrera CHW
107 Toman RP Drew Storen TOR
108 Potter OF Byron Buxton MIN
109 Conrad UTIL Alex Rodriguez NYY
110 McLaren SS Ketel Marte SEA

Bisson on Travis: When you have an opportunity to secure the possible future leadoff man for a lineup as potent as Toronto's, you have to take it. Travis will miss the first several weeks of the season, but has the hit tool to earn the No. 1 spot in the order. And if he does, he'll be a steal as a player at a thin position taken in the middle rounds of the draft.

Round 12

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
111 McLaren 3B Nick Castellanos DET
112 Conrad 3B Pablo Sandoval BOS
113 Potter RP Dellin Betances NYY
114 Toman 1B Joe Mauer MIN
115 Wegman OF Evan Gattis HOU
116 Bisson SS Alcides Escobar KC
117 Kritzer SP James Paxton SEA
118 Wilson 1B Mitch Moreland TEX
119 Ghatak SP Marco Estrada TOR
120 Chernish SP Anibal Sanchez DET

Toman on Mauer: Desperate times call for desperate measures. That's where I found myself here, without a slugging first baseman. Fortunately, I had already drafted power at shortstop and catcher, so my justification in picking Mauer came down to playing time, batting average, and a new sunglasses approach that the ex-catcher hopes will help him regain his elite hitting tool.

Round 13

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
121 Chernish SP Clay Buchholz BOS
122 Ghatak SP Edinson Volquez KC
123 Wilson OF Kevin Kiermaier TB
124 Kritzer RP Steve Cishek SEA
125 Bisson UTIL Kendrys Morales KC
126 Wegman SP R.A. Dickey TOR
127 Toman OF Rusney Castillo BOS
128 Potter SS Marcus Semien OAK
129 Conrad SP Matt Moore TB
130 McLaren SP Eduardo Rodriguez BOS

Wegman on Dickey: The knuckleballer has started 33 games and logged at least 214 innings in his three years in Toronto. Dickey's 3.07 ERA in the month of September since becoming a full-time starter in 2010 is the stuff that wins fantasy titles. His durability and second-half dominance give him outstanding value for a 13th round pick in AL only leagues.

Round 14

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
131 McLaren SP Andrew Heaney LAA
132 Conrad 3B Trevor Plouffe MIN
133 Potter SP Wade Miley SEA
134 Toman SP Ervin Santana MIN
135 Wegman OF Chris Colabello TOR
136 Bisson OF Steven Souza TB
137 Kritzer SP Yovani Gallardo BAL
138 Wilson SP Trevor Bauer CLE
139 Ghatak OF Danny Valencia OAK
140 Chernish 1B Adam Lind SEA

Kritzer on Gallardo: Gallardo choosing the Orioles so late into the offseason was a gamble worth taking since he was around in the 14th round. Baltimore had issues with his physical, which seemed to affect his fantasy value as well. His strikeouts continue to dip, but his 180+ innings and 13-15 win potential gives stability to my rotation.

Round 15

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
141 Chernish SP Ian Kennedy KC
142 Ghatak C Yan Gomes CLE
143 Wilson OF Carlos Beltran NYY
144 Kritzer OF Billy Burns OAK
145 Bisson SP Kyle Gibson MIN
146 Wegman C Stephen Vogt OAK
147 Toman OF Dexter Fowler --
148 Potter SP Nathan Karns TB
149 Conrad SP Derek Holland TEX
150 McLaren SP Jesse Hahn OAK

Potter on Karns: Karns was dealt from Tampa Bay to Seattle, a slight upgrade in terms of park factor - and he won't have to suffer through quite as many away starts in the brutal AL East. His FIP tabs Karns as more of an innings-eater, which is fine as a late-round SP in a shallow AL-only pool. He should build on his K/9 rate and Safeco Field should help lower his HR/9.

Round 16

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
151 McLaren SP/RP Aaron Sanchez TOR
152 Conrad SP Nathan Eovaldi NYY
153 Potter SP Jose Berrios MIN
154 Toman SS Ian Desmond TEX
155 Wegman SP Kris Medlen KC
156 Bisson 1B Victor Martinez DET
157 Kritzer 1B/OF Joey Gallo TEX
158 Wilson SP JA Happ TOR
159 Ghatak SS/2B/OF Brad Miller TB
160 Chernish 3B Chase Headley NYY

McLaren on Sanchez: He doesn't have an official spot in the Blue Jays' rotation entering Spring Training, but he'll have the opportunity to win a job. Walks were his major issue last season, but he's able to strand the majority of baserunners. He has above-average strikeout abilities, and he'll pick up some easy wins with the Blue Jays' potent offense providing plenty of run support.

Round 17

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
161 Chernish RP Luke Gregerson HOU
162 Ghatak SP Chris Tillman BAL
163 Wilson RP Brad Boxberger TB
164 Kritzer OF Aaron Hicks NYY
165 Bisson SP Josh Tomlin CLE
166 Wegman SP Rich Hill OAK
167 Toman OF Khris Davis OAK
168 Potter 2B/3B/SS/OF Brock Holt BOS
169 Conrad SP Erasmo Ramirez TB
170 McLaren SP Blake Snell TB

Ghatak on Tillman: Tillman is only one season removed from two strong years in 2013 and 2014 where he combined to go 29-13. He posted an ERA under 4.00 from 2012-14 while pitching over 200 innings in the two seasons prior to 2015. Tillman's record of 11-11 last season isn't all that terrible considering he started the season 2-7.

Round 18

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
171 McLaren OF Avisail Garcia CHW
172 Conrad 1B/DH Mike Napoli CLE
173 Potter SP Hector Santiago LAA
174 Toman SP Doug Fister HOU
175 Wegman SP Danny Duffy KC
176 Bisson OF Nori Aoki SEA
177 Kritzer OF Kevin Pillar TOR
178 Wilson 1B/OF Hyun-soo Kim BAL
179 Ghatak SP Rick Porcello BOS
180 Chernish OF Cameron Maybin DET

Wilson on Kim: I got a little lucky with the Fowler signing falling apart, but I needed a player with first base eligibility other than Mitch Moreland. Kim hit .318 over nine seasons and 1,131 games in Korea. He has decent power and is slated to hit lead-off. Considering Oriole Park surrendered more home runs than any other in 2015, he could be the steal of the draft.

Round 19

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
181 Chernish SP Daniel Norris DET
182 Ghatak OF Eddie Rosario MIN
183 Wilson SS/3B Jed Lowrie OAK
184 Kritzer SP Joe Kelly BOS
185 Bisson OF Rajai Davis CLE
186 Wegman SP Jered Weaver LAA
187 Toman OF Josh Hamilton TEX
188 Potter RP Keone Kela TEX
189 Conrad RP Joaquin Benoit SEA
190 McLaren SS J.J. Hardy BAL

Chernish on Norris: His projection forecasts an ERA over 4.00 and a 1.39 WHIP for 2016. During eight starts with the Tigers last season, he struck out 45 batters in 60 innings, which is somewhat lower than his 2014 minor-league season where he struck out 163 batters in 124 innings. He's worth a late-round pick when the pitching pool becomes extremely thin.

Round 20

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
191 McLaren 1B/DH C.J. Cron LAA
192 Conrad RP Joakim Soria KC
193 Potter OF Jackie Bradley Jr. BOS
194 Toman SP Drew Hutchison TOR
195 Wegman UTIL Billy Butler OAK
196 Bisson 1B A.J. Reed HOU
197 Kritzer SP Ubaldo Jimenez BAL
198 Wilson SP Phil Hughes MIN
199 Ghatak 1B/3B Luis Valbuena HOU
200 Chernish OF Michael Saunders TOR

Conrad on Soria: Having registered at least 17 saves in all but one of his eight seasons, Soria will likely be the first choice to close should Wade Davis falter in his first full season in the role. Even if he remains a setup man, Soria's rate stats should make him a useful fantasy option, particularly if he pitches at least 60 innings. He's worth the late-round flier.

Round 21

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
201 Chernish 2B/SS Ryan Goins TOR
202 Ghatak SS Jimmy Rollins CHW
203 Wilson SP Martin Perez TEX
204 Kritzer OF Jake Marisnick HOU
205 Bisson INF/OF Marwin Gonzalez HOU
206 Wegman OF Dalton Pompey TOR
207 Toman 1B Adam LaRoche CHW
208 Potter 3B Yunel Escobar LAA
209 Conrad SP C.J. Wilson LAA
210 McLaren C Blake Swihart BOS

Round 22

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
211 McLaren SP Henry Owens BOS
212 Conrad 1B Logan Morrison TB
213 Potter RP Darren O'Day BAL
214 Toman SP Ivan Nova NYY
215 Wegman SP Mike Minor KC
216 Bisson OF Jarrod Dyson KC
217 Kritzer C Dioner Navarro CWS
218 Wilson SP Matt Shoemaker LAA
219 Ghatak OF Colby Rasmus HOU
220 Chernish RP Trevor May MIN

Round 23

PICK NAME PLAYER TEAM
221 Chernish C Jason Castro HOU
222 Ghatak SP Mat Latos CWS
223 Wilson OF Preston Tucker HOU
224 Kritzer RP Ryan Madson OAK
225 Bisson SP Jesse Chavez TOR
226 Wegman OF Aaron Judge NYY
227 Toman 1B Jon Singleton HOU
228 Potter 1B Justin Smoak TOR
229 Conrad OF Chris Coghlan OAK
230 McLaren SP Alex Cobb TB

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