Inaugural Draft - Best Strategy?

[sloanrobe]

I'm in a fictional online league and we are getting ready to start out inaugural draft. I have never done one before.

Do you have any advice, tips, or strategies that may be helpful?

(1) Which positions to target early
(2) General positional strategy
(3) What to avoid
(4) Anything else that may be useful

How did you build your teams in an inaugural draft?

[Curve Ball Dave]

Ideally, you want the best young players you can get. They don't cost nearly as much as veterans and you can keep them under contract control longer. Trouble is, the AI does the same thing and I would imagine if you are in an on line league other players are also doing that.

That said, I take the best available starting pitcher with my first pick. My second pick is the best available position player regardless of position. I alternate starting pitchers and position players until I have three good starting pitchers and a core of position players. Then I take the best reliever available so if nothing else I have 3/5s of a good rotation and at least one excellent reliever. Really good catchers can be scarce so I make sure I grab the best one at that point if I haven't already. From that point on it's take the best guy available while I make sure the rotation is filled out, the bullpen is set, I have some good top prospects in the minors, and I have a good enough set of bench guys.

As to what constitutes the "best" player, that depends on your philosophy. Do you want speed, power, defense? No one can tell you who the best guy is, that's up to you.

There's no magic formula to success. If there was we'd all be doing it.

[sloanrobe]

Thanks for the feedback.

What's your opinion on drafting prospects early? I was told that my first 26 picks will automatically be placed on my MLB roster, so I should wait until round 27 to draft prospects. I'm sure it has to do with service time or minor league options but I don't understand all of that stuff.

Any advice on that?

[texasmame]

Pitching, pitching and more pitching.

[Curve Ball Dave]

Originally Posted by sloanrobe

Thanks for the feedback.

What's your opinion on drafting prospects early? I was told that my first 26 picks will automatically be placed on my MLB roster, so I should wait until round 27 to draft prospects. I'm sure it has to do with service time or minor league options but I don't understand all of that stuff.

Any advice on that?

Do you want to win now or later?

Each prospect you draft early is one less good major league player on your roster. And the first 26 don't necessarily have to be on your MLB roster. If you draft a minor league prospect yeah, he'll show up on the MLB roster at first but you can simply send him to the minors

I don't start drafting prospects until I have my starting 8 and at least half my pitching staff set.

[Pelican]

I agree with the approach suggested above. As to prospects, in an Expansion draft, I look for college guys who are closer to MLB-ready than prep guys who are still teenagers. My theory is that I need the talent sooner rather than later, as my initial draft choices will be a bit thin (due to established teams protecting their best players). But, in your scenario, if everybody is drafting at once, you should have a competitive bunch after a dozen rounds or so, so why not do a deep dive and choose some low floor but high ceiling high school guys? The only argument I can see for the more mature college guys is that your team could be better sooner. Not sure that incremental and temporary benefit would be worth passing up blue chips.

[edapes]

My first three rounds are best starting pitchers with the least service time. Next two rounds I try to find a CF and someone with power. Then go from there. I try to have 5 starting pitchers in the 1st 10 rounds. Usually will take two top potential prospects who have started developing in rounds 11-20.

[sloanrobe]

I really don’t plan on winning now. I’d rather sacrifice the first year or two so I can win all of the rest.

That being said, I will probably jump on some prospects a bit early to build a stronger minor league foundation. How does that affect option years if I immediately send them down to the minors? Or is there a way I can have an early draft pick start in the minors without losing an option year?

[jksander]

Originally Posted by sloanrobe

I really don’t plan on winning now. I’d rather sacrifice the first year or two so I can win all of the rest.

That being said, I will probably jump on some prospects a bit early to build a stronger minor league foundation. How does that affect option years if I immediately send them down to the minors? Or is there a way I can have an early draft pick start in the minors without losing an option year?

The first 26 picks end up on your 40 man roster, which means the clock starts ticking on options if you put them in the minors. So if you want a young guy and plan to stash him in the minors for years, he might be worth waiting on, if you don't want to blow his options.

You have me curious if you're in the same league I am that's doing this draft ... if so I'm the Texas Copperheads lol

[jpeters1734]

Depends if you draft without a fixed budget, I'd say draft players that would get a high starting salary such as good early 30's players. That way you'd end up with one of the higher budgets

[jksander]

If he is in my league it is def "non-fixed budget"

[Highlander]

I did a draft with current players recently....the "Fantasy Draft" option and was surprised at how many great young players I was able to get. I focused on getting young guys who were ready....or at least seemed ready to play, along with a few older guys to fill in the gaps. My team ended up with the following prospects (listed as they are ranked in the league).....a few of whom are on my current roster-

#1- Jackson Holliday
#2- Jackson Chourio
#3- Wyatt Langford
#8- Paul Skenes
#33- Jeferson Quero
#40- Chase Petty
#48- Yovany Rodriguez
#51- Ryan Clifford
#56- Moises Ballesteros
#67- Carson Whisenhut
#77- Orion Kerkering

This is in addition to more "veteran guys" like Elly De La Cruz, Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson, Pablo Lopez, Grayson Rodriguez and Mason Miller who are all on my roster. I only drafted myself for about the first 20 rounds or so....then did "auto" for the rest. Maybe I am rushing guys too much or maybe I'll have the greatest team ever! Hard to tell yet....we are 12-13 so far in the first season.

So.....to the OP, there are lots of strategies and trying different ones is the best way to find out. I'm looking forward to seeing what this team ends up doing.