Offense:
The way I picked (through 20 picks I had just 6 pitchers), one would think my offense would be pretty good. I certainly hope that is the case. Something that I noticed that I did this year, and I don't know that it
was by design, was that I picked guys that I thought would be good in the long haul. Six of my offensive starters play 150 games or more, and Hart and ARod are not far behind that, so it is just the three-headed
monster at catcher that does not play regularly. Cabrera should be amongst the top offensive players in the league, and I have already heard him referred to as MVP and offensive player of the year. Both good signs.
I just think the rest of my lineup, while all pretty good, is not outstanding. Nobody jumps out at you as a great offensive player, and this may come back to haunt me. Suzuki and Upton are speed guys; Hanigan, Barton
and Drew are walk guys; Hart is power guy; and Uggla and ARod are power and walk guys. Bench is limited to catchers, pinch runners and defensive replacements. No hitters on bench, which will hurt. I should still
make top 1/3 in runs.
Defense:
Best outfield arms I have probably ever had, featuring a 37 and a 38. Other than that, only Barton at 1b is worth mentioning. Middle of the pack fielding team I am guessing, but I have no idea what everyone else has.
Pitching:
Buchholz as a 17, is probably my highest graded starter in seven years. Other than that, there are some 12s. Relieving, I feel as though I have a nice mix of many innings, a few Zs and a bunch of home run control
guys. Middle of the pack for ERA is quite possible, as I feel I usually am able to get a lot out of my bullpen, and it is one of my strengths this year, without necessarily being one of the tops in the league (on
paper).
Best Pick:
Too many to mention. Just kidding. I think Marmol and Hart were low risk, potential high reward guys. Cabrera was most obvious pick. ARod , Upton and Montero were other guys that were taken at the right time also I
think.
Worst Pick:
Uggla, Drew and Barton may have all been early. I liked Danks, but got Lewis, who is mostly similar, many rounds later.
Prediction:
Contender. Or as my favorite Beatle might say, "The Toppermost of the Poppermost". Should have a pretty steady offense that gets on base. Of the 18 MLB players that hit 30+ homers, I have four, so I should get some
pop from those guys. Suzuki, Upton, Jackson and Pennington combine for about 250 steals attempts, so I have some speed out there. I like my bullpen and have enough innings in there so they could mask any deficiencies
in my rotation. Consistency should be a key to winning, and this is something I feel this team should bring me. Of course every year it becomes more and more difficult to win in this league...