The playoff field is set! Here’s why this could be the greatest MLB postseason since … well, maybe ever
The regular season is officially in the books (OK, maybe there is still a game or two trickling slowly to its finish as you read this) and the 2022 MLB playoffs are set to start Friday — and this year’s postseason could be epic.
In addition to a new format that features 12 teams and a three-game wild-card round that is guaranteed to bring drama to October from the very start, there are so many storylines to follow throughout that it has a chance to be an all-time great month of baseball.
Below, we highlight the 12 themes that will dominate the entire sport as the new 12-team format begins.
See playoff schedule & bracket | MLB playoffs preview
1. This is the best playoff format … ever
I think baseball finally nailed it. Yes, there are those who will always favor the old setups of two pennants or four division winners, but the 12-team arrangement is an improvement over 10 teams (which had been the norm for the past decade). The do-or-die wild-card game, which had been around since 2012, never felt right and, frankly, never really turned into the must-see drama that the sports world stopped everything to watch anyway.
As we saw with the temporary 16-team bracket in 2020, these quick, three-game series are fun. They’re still plenty pressure-packed, but they feel more like baseball than a winner-take-all matchup.
Crucially, this format still rewards the best teams with a first-round bye and the opportunity to rest a pitching staff and line up a rotation. My only nit with where baseball landed this year is that a seven-game division series would be better than five — maybe next year, when the start of the season won’t be delayed by a lockout.
2. There’s a 111-win superteam and nobody is sure what to make of its World Series chances
The Los Angeles Dodgers won 111 games — the most ever for a National League team in a 162-game season and a total topped only by the 2001 Seattle Mariners and 1998 New York Yankees. If they win it all, they go down alongside that Yankees team as one of the greatest of all time; if they don’t win it all, they’re relegated to the back pages of history alongside those Mariners.
Since 2017, the Dodgers have had four 104-win seasons, a remarkably long period of domination … but just one World Series title. Their sole championship came in the shortened 2020 season, with playoff games played in front of empty stadiums or at neutral sites. It counts — or as a friend of mine who is a longtime die-hard Dodgers fan told me, it counts as one-third of a title. And don’t forget that teams were allowed to play with 28-man rosters that postseason, which allowed the Dodgers to use starters as relievers and relievers as starters and do things they might not have been able to do with a 26-man roster.
Alden Gonzalez had a good breakdown of the pressure the Dodgers face this October. In a sense, they’re playing for two championships: 2022 and a validation of 2020. While manager Dave Roberts told ESPN he “absolutely” considers the Dodgers a dynasty — and four 104-win seasons certainly back that claim up — two titles would definitely secure their place in history as one of the greatest teams of all time.
3. We’ve got a real chance of a repeat
After winning the World Series in 2021, the Atlanta Braves lost Freddie Freeman to the Dodgers — and got younger and better, winning 101 games and their fifth straight division title. No team has repeated as World Series champs since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000; the Braves have the power, the pitching and the momentum — after stealing the NL East in the final week with a three-game sweep of the New York Mets — to do it.
And it’s not just a repeat, the Braves might be on their way to a dynasty here. Their turnaround from a 10½-game deficit to the division title began when they called up Michael Harris II to play center field in late May and moved Spencer Strider to the rotation. From June 1 — the first win in a 14-game winning streak — to the end of the regular season, they went 78-34. Strider’s injured oblique might keep him out of the playoffs, but they still have Max Fried, 20-game winner Kyle Wright and October hero of the past Charlie Morton, plus a lineup that led the NL in home runs.
4. Speaking of dynasties … what do we make of the Houston Astros?
You might have noticed by now, but there are a lot of good teams at the top of this year’s playoff bracket. We have four 100-win clubs in the Dodgers, Astros, Braves and Mets, with the Yankees finishing at 99 wins. The you-can’t-predict-baseball nature of the postseason doesn’t guarantee we’ll see two of these teams in the World Series, but if we do, there’s a good chance we’ll see a classic series. The last matchup of 100-win teams in the World Series was 2017, when the Astros beat the Dodgers in seven thrilling games. Before that, you have to go all the way back to 1970 to have two 100-win teams in the World Series.
The Astros also have four 100-win seasons since 2017, including 107 in 2019 and 106 this season. Sign-stealing scandal or not, if they win the World Series, perhaps they go down as the dominant franchise of this era. And an added bonus? After 25 years of managing in the big leagues and making his 12th trip to the postseason, manager Dusty Baker is hoping to finally win that final game of the season.
To make matters more interesting, the Astros appear on a collision course to meet the Yankees in the American League Championship Series for the third time since 2017. Remember the war of words in the spring between Astros owner Jim Crane and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman after Cashman cried that the only thing that had stopped the Yankees in previous seasons from reaching the World Series was “something that was so illegal and horrific.” A Yankees-Astros ALCS would be an epic battle — even if it is one Evil Empire versus another.
5. New York baseball is B-A-C-K
This is now the Yankees’ 13th season since last appearing in a World Series in 2009 — an unacceptable length of time for baseball’s richest and most historically successful franchise with 27 titles in a sport where the wealthiest teams have a decided advantage. Longtime fans will note the Yankees are closing in on the infamous World Series drought from 1982 to 1995, the reign of terror era under George Steinbrenner when he cycled through 13 managers and seven general managers.
On the other side of town: The Mets won 100 games for just the fourth time in franchise history and first time since 1988, but they enter the postseason with the bitter taste of defeat after losing that final series to the Braves. Everyone knows that Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer can carry a team through a postseason — but deGrom allowed 14 runs and six home runs in 21 innings over his final four starts, so the Mets will need him to find that groove where he posted a 1.66 ERA over his first seven starts after returning in August. Still, this is hardly a two-man team: Pete Alonso led the NL in RBIs, Francisco Lindor might finish in the top 10 of the MVP voting, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker are solid 3-4 starters and Edwin Diaz has been a lockdown closer. The Mets have had their moments since that run of success in the 1980s, including two World Series appearances, but it’s been 36 years since their iconic 1986 team won it all.
6. Did you really think we forgot about Aaron Judge?
Yes, both teams have made New York baseball interesting all season, but nobody has been more at the center of that than the man who just finished up a 62-home run campaign — and has fans of both New York teams envisioning his free agency will end with him signing with their club.
Now, we have Judge trying to cap off what might be arguably the greatest season of any player in history — by that, I mean a historic regular season, a great postseason and a World Series title. Ted Williams in 1941? Didn’t even win the pennant. Carl Yastrzemski in 1967? The highest single-season WAR for a position player other than Babe Ruth, but the Red Sox lost the World Series. Bob Gibson in 1968? A 1.12 ERA and a record 17 strikeouts in one World Series game, but he lost Game 7. Dwight Gooden in 1985? The Mets missed the playoffs. Pedro Martinez in 1999? The Red Sox lost in the ALCS. Barry Bonds in 2001? The Giants didn’t make the playoffs. Bonds in 2002? He had a great postseason, but the Giants lost Game 7 of the Fall Classic. Mookie Betts in 2018? A 10.7-WAR season that matches Judge and the Red Sox won the World Series, but Betts had a lackluster postseason (.210/.300/.323).
7. Can the GOAT go out on top?
Let’s not forget the other slugger who made home run history this season — Albert Pujols. Every player would love to go out on top, either still playing well or with a dogpile on the field. Almost none of them do. Pujols and Yadier Molina have a chance to do that — and maybe Adam Wainwright joins them in retirement as well (he’s yet to officially announce his status for 2023).
The three St. Louis Cardinals legends reunited this season when Pujols returned after a 10-year exile, and all three will play a key role in what happens to the club in October. As will Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, two of the greatest players of their generation who will likely finish 1-2 in the MVP voting in the NL — and who both seek their first trip to the World Series.
8. The playoff drought-busters
While the Cardinals come into this postseason with loads of October experience, there are two franchises about to get their first taste of the playoffs in a long, long time. The Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies ended the sport’s two longest playoff droughts in securing wild-card spots, although both teams will be on the road for the first round — Seattle at Toronto, Philadelphia at St. Louis.
When Cal Raleigh hit his pinch-hit walk-off home run to clinch a wild-card spot, the Mariners celebrated like they had won the World Series. Can you blame them? Twenty-one years is a long time between playoff appearances. Sure, they had plenty of terrible teams along the way, but also several near misses: 93 wins in 2002 and 2003, 88 wins in 2007, one win short in 2014, three short in 2016, alive until the final day last season. They aren’t even guaranteed a home playoff game if they don’t beat the Blue Jays, although you can bet the watch party at T-Mobile Park will have a playoff-like atmosphere.
The good news is Julio Rodriguez returned from his back problem to play a couple of games at the end of the regular season (and homered in the season finale). The bad news is second-half spark plug Sam Haggerty and outfielder/DH Jesse Winker both just landed on the injured list. The rotation and bullpen are healthy, however — Luis Castillo looks like a legitimate ace when he’s on, while Logan Gilbert had a 2.00 ERA in September, allowing one run or less in five of his six starts. If you like a good underdog story, believe in the Mariners.
Meanwhile, the Phillies had the majors’ second-longest playoff drought, making it for the first time since 2011. They have Bryce Harper, back in the postseason for the first time since 2017, and power-hitting Kyle Schwarber, who led the NL in home runs. Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez (2.95 ERA since July 16) are a strong rotation trio. I wouldn’t bet on them in the tough NL, but there are similarities here in roster construction to the 2019 Nationals, who went from the wild card to World Series champs.
9. The World Series curses we don’t talk about enough
The Cleveland Guardians are trying to win their first World Series since 1948. The San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are trying to win their first one, while the aforementioned Mariners remain the only franchise never to play in a World Series.
The Guardians’ World Series drought has never received as much attention as the ones for the Red Sox and Cubs did, but it’s now been 74 years since the Cleveland franchise won it all — longer than the 1986 Red Sox had gone (68 years) when they lost to the Mets. How about winning it all in the first season with the new nickname? They might make a movie out of that given this list of Cleveland’s postseason heartbreaks:
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1995: The best team in baseball that year, but they lost the World Series to the Braves.
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1997: Blew a ninth-inning lead in Game 7 of the World Series to the Marlins and lost in extra innings.
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2007: Lost the ALCS to the Red Sox after being up 3-1.
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2016: Were up 3-1 on the Cubs in the World Series and lost Game 7, again, in extra innings.
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2017: Lost the division series to the Yankees after being up 2-0.
And then there’s the team that’s been around since 1969 — and never won it all. The Padres made World Series appearances in 1984 and 1998, but this is just the seventh postseason trip in franchise history.
But these aren’t your older brother’s Padres. This is a team that has spent the past three seasons acquiring an All-Star squad of talent while playing with a brash style that could make it very popular this postseason — if the Padres can stick around long enough for national fans to get familiar with their stars. They’ve gone all-in to dethrone the Dodgers in recent seasons — only to fall well short. But they squeaked in, and anything can happen in the playoffs, right? Especially with Manny Machado and Juan Soto and Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish and a suddenly rejuvenated Blake Snell (1.76 ERA over his final seven starts). The Mets-Padres wild-card series is the one to watch — with the winner facing the Dodgers in a colossal division series showdown.
10. The redemption stories
Let’s see here. We’ve got Justin Verlander, who after missing 2021 with Tommy John surgery, came back and went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA while leading the American League in wins, ERA, WHIP and lowest batting average allowed. His status as future Hall of Famer is secure, but with a big October and another World Series championship for the Astros, his legacy becomes that of an inner-circle Hall of Famer. DeGrom and Scherzer missed some time, and deGrom sputtered at the end of the season, but that dynamic pair could carry the Mets to their first title since 1986. And then of course, there is Clayton Kershaw. Yes, he got his ring a couple of years ago, but he was injured last October, and he hasn’t won a ring in a full season with a normal postseason. How will he perform?
11. The October introduction of some legit young stars
As my colleague Kiley McDaniel pointed out recently, this is the best rookie class since Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki debuted in 2001 — and most of the biggest names will be playing in the postseason (sorry, Adley Rutschman). We’ve got Rodriguez leading the Mariners and Harris and Strider on the Braves.
But it’s not just the rookies who will remind us how bright the future of baseball is this postseason …
While we often think of the Rays as a parade of bullpen arms, they also have two budding young superstars in Wander Franco and Shane McClanahan who could power another small-market success story this postseason. And across the AL East, Alek Manoah, Alejandro Kirk, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. form a young core that makes the Blue Jays a team nobody wants to face this postseason. Of course, the question we’ll all be waiting to see answered is how these young stars will handle the bright lights of October … or should we say November.
12. It’s an October so great — it could take part of November to finish it
That’s right, thanks to the combination of the new format and the MLB lockout pushing back the start of the season, Game 7 of the 2022 World Series would take place on Nov. 5, the latest date of a playoff game in MLB history.
If every series goes the distance, we’ll get 53 postseason games with all of these incredible storylines fueling the possibility that any given night can become a must-see moment for baseball fans. Of course, in the end we need great games to have a great postseason.
That’s what still makes 1986 the gold standard for all postseasons. There were just 20 playoff games that October — the seven-game ALCS between the Red Sox and Angels, the six-game NLCS between the Mets and Astros, then the seven-game World Series when the Mets beat the Red Sox. Five of the 20 games went extra innings. Eight were decided by one run. Several are all-time classics, including Game 5 of the ALCS; Games 3, 5 and 6 of the NLCS; and Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.
The stage is set. I’m going with the Dodgers over the Astros. I’ll take Kershaw versus Verlander in Game 7 of the World Series, thank you very much.
No matter your fantasy baseball strategy, in these days of declining pitching workloads, piecing your pitching staff together is a practically mandatory practice.
The 2024 season was as representative of this as any. It saw the fewest pitchers (21) working at least 180 innings in any non-shortened season in history. Additionally, among the generally undrafted players in ESPN leagues who scored at least 350 fantasy points, 10 of the 14 such players were pitchers.
How might fantasy managers unearth some of this gold on the pitching side? My favorite method is to identify pitchers with potentially elite skill sets, but whose surface statistics — “back of the baseball card” measures like wins and ERA — belie their true talent. They are my annual “Kings of Command,” pitchers who meet a specific set of statistical benchmarks reflecting excellence in the command department.
Kings of Command baseline numbers
Pitchers who qualify for inclusion exceeded the MLB averages listed below in all of the following categories during the 2024 season. Starting pitchers must have faced at least 200 batters and relief pitchers must have faced at least 100 batters, while serving in those specific roles.
Starting pitchers:
Swinging-strike rate (SwStrk%): 11.8% or more
First-pitch strike rate (1stPStrk%): 62.9% or more
Command rate (K’s per walk, or K/BB): 2.89 or more
Relief pitchers:
Swinging-strike rate (SwStrk%): 12.7% or more
First-pitch strike rate (1stPStrk%): 61.6% of more
Command rate (K’s per walk, or K/BB): 2.61 or more
Put-away rate (K’s per 2-strike count): 19.8% or more
Using those thresholds, 98 pitchers (40 starters and 58 relievers) met all of those criteria in either role. Among them were both Cy Young Award winners (Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal), both Reliever of the Year Award winners, (Emmanuel Clase, Ryan Helsley), each of the top four starting pitchers in terms of both fantasy points scored and Player Rater finish, and all four relief pitchers who earned a Cy Young vote.
The following nine names, however — none of whom were anywhere near as ballyhooed as Skubal, Zack Wheeler or Corbin Burnes or their ilk — also qualified. That’s not to place any of them on an equal (or even a nearby) pedestal as those three fantasy stalwarts, but each possesses underappreciated skills that had them perform statistically beneath our radar in 2024.
Each is a potential bargain in fantasy drafts, and each might be only a minor tweak or adjustment to a specific pitch or his pitch usage, the pitcher’s stance on the pitching rubber, greater fortune on batted balls, or an increased opportunity on his team away from breaking through.
Let’s examine what it might take for each to emerge. My “Kings of Command” are listed in alphabetical order, along with their 2024 Player Rater finishes and fantasy point totals using ESPN’s standard scoring.
David Festa, Minnesota Twins
2024 Player Rater: SP172/745th overall
2024 fantasy point total: 107 (SP166)
His strengths: Between his 95-mph fastball and his slider and changeup, Festa has legitimate swing-and-miss stuff, generating the third-best swinging strike rate (16.4%) among Triple-A pitchers last season in addition to meeting this column’s qualifications. Across his final 10 starts with the Twins, he held opposing hitters to a .228 batting average and struck out 29.2%.
How he could break out: Festa introduced a new sinker to his repertoire, which could help him improve against right-handers (.332 wOBA allowed in the majors, 17 points higher than he had in Triple-A), and is pitching entirely out of the stretch this spring. Merely cracking the Twins rotation might fuel a breakthrough, but progress with either the new sinker or his slider (29% whiff rate, 6% beneath the league’s average) would ultimately fuel his biggest step forward.
Robert Garcia, Texas Rangers
2024 Player Rater: RP123/398th overall
2024 fantasy point total: 147 (RP126)
His strengths: A sneaky pickup in December’s Nathaniel Lowe trade, Garcia had a 2.39 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching score) last season as a member of the Washington Nationals bullpen, 11th-best among 160 relief pitchers with at least 50 innings. Thanks to an electric changeup, he held right-handed hitters to a .272 wOBA (league average for lefties was .314) with a 31.1% strikeout rate, alleviating any worry about platoon splits or a situational role.
How he could break out: Better luck would go a long way toward vaulting Garcia up the fantasy leaderboard, as he had a ghastly .331 BABIP (.290 league average for relievers) and second-worst-among-relievers 57.2% left-on-base (LOB) rate. A crack at the late innings, in what’s largely a wide-open Rangers bullpen, would also help.
Chris Martin, Texas Rangers
2024 Player Rater: RP91/331st overall
2024 fantasy point total: 143 (RP133)
His strengths: He has long been one of the better relievers in baseball, as his 2.66 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 66 holds are all top-10 numbers among relievers with at least 200 IP over the past five seasons combined. Martin possesses exceptional control, as his 2.9% walk rate during that same time span leads all relievers. Plus, he has never issued more than eight walks in a single MLB season.
How he could break out: Martin is the most logical choice to close for the Rangers, but better luck in the health department is imperative if he’s to retain the job. He has made seven trips to the IL during the past five seasons — including multiple stints in three of them — and only once made as many as 60 appearances (2022). That health history opens the door for Garcia to potentially emerge.
Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers
2024 Player Rater: SP98/405th overall
2024 fantasy point total: 209 (SP104)
His strengths: He has two potentially elite strikeout pitches in his slider and changeup, both of which generated at least a 43% whiff rate in 2024 (MLB rates on each were 34% and 31%). Through two months, he appeared to be on the verge of a major breakthrough, posting a 1.92 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over his first 10 starts. However, shoulder issues cost him nearly two months during the second half, interrupting his momentum.
How he could break out: Olson’s command of his four-seam fastball and changeup waned after his hot start and will need correction if he’s to recapture the promise he showed early last year. The fastball in particular needs improvement, as it generated the sixth-worst whiff rate (13%) among pitchers who threw at least as many as he did the past two seasons, which is why it’s encouraging to see him throwing it a full mph faster (95.4) in his two Statcast-measured spring starts thus far.
Chris Paddack, Minnesota Twins
2024 Player Rater: SP174/751st overall
2024 fantasy point total: 127 (SP151)
His strengths: He’s a master of control, as among 113 pitchers with at least as many as his 82 career starts over the past six seasons, his 5.0% walk rate ranks sixth, his 66.4% first-pitch strike rate ranks 11th and his 52.6% in-zone rate ranks 12th. Paddack’s changeup has also shown an ability to be top shelf when he’s healthy and possesses full command of it, including 2020, when Statcast graded it as the league’s fourth-best-performing changeup.
How he could break out: Health, health, health. Paddack has had only one professional season with as many as 120 innings pitched, while averaging just 58 IP over the last four. The Twins seem confident enough in him to likely hand him a season-opening rotation spot, but he’ll first need to stay on the mound long enough to make it worth discussing his next breakout ingredient (better luck on batted balls).
Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 Player Rater: SP78/317th overall
2024 fantasy point total: 317 (SP49)
His strengths: A “pepper the strike zone” control artist — his 68.4% first-pitch strike and 53.2% in-zone rates since the date of his MLB debut rank fourth and 14th — Pfaadt has a 5.5% walk rate between the majors and minors over the past four seasons combined. He also has a four-seamer/sweeper/sinker combination that is flat-out nasty against right-handed hitters (26.6% K rate, versus 20.5% against lefties).
How he could break out: Better luck is the easy answer, as Pfaadt’s 64.5% strand rate and .315 BABIP last season were second- and fifth-worst among ERA qualifiers, but the true path to greatness is a stronger pitch mix against left-handed hitters. Corrections to those rates could vault him into the position’s top 40. Reaching the top 20 requires tweaks to his four-seamer or curveball to counter lefties, who have a wOBA 47 points higher against him through two seasons.
A.J. Puk, Arizona Diamondbacks
2024 Player Rater: RP58/210th overall
2024 fantasy point total: 206 (RP59)
His strengths: Puk’s miserable four-start stint with the Miami Marlins to begin last season, coupled with the shoulder injury that cost him three-plus weeks immediately thereafter, masked how truly brilliant his finish to 2024 was. Over the final three months, he had an 0.99 ERA, a 43.6% strikeout rate, a .128 BAA, a 1.35 FIP to back the performance up, and a 5.3% walk rate to match the marked improvement he showed in terms of control the season before.
How he could break out: His path to fantasy greatness lies in his bullpen role, as he needs to be in place to pile up saves, or at least holds. Puk’s 95-96 mph fastball and slider generate excellent whiff rates, fueling a hefty number of strikeouts, and it’s an easy case to make that he and Justin Martinez should form a formidable, underrated one-two punch at the back end of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen.
Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies
2024 Player Rater: SP46/191st overall
2024 fantasy point total: 342 (SP39)
His strengths: Improvements he made to his changeup in 2023 have quickly transformed him into one of the game’s more underrated pitchers. Statcast graded Sanchez with the league’s best changeup last season and his 91 strikeouts with them were the most by any pitcher. His control has improved markedly during that same time (13th-ranked 5.2% walk rate from 2023-24), and his heavy ground ball lean (58.3% rate last year) minimizes his risk of damaging innings.
How he could break out: He’s kind of doing it already, having fanned 12 out of 30 hitters through his three spring starts. Sanchez, a pitcher constantly refining his pitch repertoire, has most notably seen his sinker go from a 92.1 mph average velocity in 2023, to 94.5 in 2024, to 96.9 in the two of those starts measured by Statcast. He’ll take a big leap forward if that fuels even a hint of a higher whiff rate with the pitch.
Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves
2024 Player Rater: SP47/195th overall
2024 fantasy point total: 279 (SP67)
His strengths: Schwellenbach, a high school and college shortstop (plus Nebraska’s 2021 closer) who didn’t even make his first pitching start until 21 months after being drafted due to Tommy John surgery, sure looked like a future fantasy ace in his 2024 rookie year. He flashed five-plus pitches, two of which had at least a 40% whiff rate (curveball and splitter), sported a 4.6% walk rate in the majors, and posted a 2.73 ERA and 27.5% K rate across his 13 second-half starts.
How he could break out: Most every question Schwellenbach faces as he enters his sophomore season relates to how a pitcher with 65 total professional innings across his first 2½ years fares after a 168⅔ inning campaign like he had last year. Fortunately, he’s showing no ill effects of the workload spike during spring training. More cutter or curveball reliance against lefties, to narrow what was a 66-point wOBA split, would be a nice added touch.
Opening Day is quickly approaching and the Tokyo Series is just one week away. If you haven’t yet held your league’s draft, the clock is ticking. Fear not, though, as the ESPN fantasy baseball crew is ready to show you the results of its final fantasy baseball mock draft of the season, using ESPN standard head-to-head points league scoring and roster settings.
Default rosters include 16 starters: seven pitchers of any kind along with a C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, three outfielders and a utility player (can be any position, and is also the only slot to allow a DH-only player). There are also three bench spots.
Hitters score one point for every base reached via hits (total bases), as well as each walk, run, RBI and stolen base, and lose one point when they strike out. Pitchers earn a point for every out they record (three per inning) and an extra point for a strikeout, as well as two points for a win or a hold. Saves are worth five points each. Pitchers lose two points per run allowed, one point per baserunner (hit or walk) and two points for a loss.
This draft was held on Monday, March 10 and included fantasy writers Eric Karabell, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Todd Zola and Derek Carty, MLB writer David Schoenfield, and fantasy editors fantasy editors Pierre Becquey, Joe Kaiser, AJ Mass, James Best and Sachin Chandan.
If you’d like to conduct your own mock drafts, check out the Mock Draft Lobby, select one of several league types and sizes available, and you’ll be mock-drafting in minutes. Ready for the real thing? Create or join a fantasy baseball league for free.
(Note: At the time this draft took place, while it was known that Gerrit Cole was likely to miss a significant portion of the 2025 season, it had not yet been announced that he was indeed going to sit out the entire year due to Tommy John surgery.)
Round 1
1. Shohei Ohtani DH1 (SP) — Best
2. Juan Soto OF1 — Karabell
3. Bobby Witt Jr. SS1 — Carty
4. Aaron Judge OF2 — Kaiser
5. Jose Ramirez 3B1 — Zola
6. Paul Skenes SP1 — Schoenfield
7. Tarik Skubal SP2 — Mass
8. Mookie Betts SS2 (OF) — Chandan
9. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B1 — Becquey
10. Kyle Tucker OF3 — Cockcroft
Round 2
11. Zack Wheeler SP3 — Cockcroft
12. Gunnar Henderson SS3 — Becquey
13. Logan Gilbert SP4 — Chandan
14. Francisco Lindor SS4 — Mass
15. Yordan Alvarez OF4 — Schoenfield
16. Corbin Carroll OF5 — Zola
17. Ketel Marte 2B1 — Kaiser
18. Fernando Tatis Jr. OF6 — Carty
19. Dylan Cease SP5 — Karabell
20. Freddie Freeman 1B2 — Best
Round 3
21. Corbin Burnes SP6 — Best
22. Rafael Devers 3B2 — Karabell
23. Garrett Crochet SP7 — Carty
24. Anthony Santander OF7 — Kaiser
25. William Contreras C1 — Zola
26. Bryce Harper 1B3 — Schoenfield
27. Cole Ragans SP8 — Mass
28. Adley Rutschman C2 — Chandan
29. Jackson Chourio OF8 — Becquey
30. Emmanuel Clase RP1 — Cockcroft
Round 4
31. Manny Machado 3B3 — Cockcroft
32. Alex Bregman 3B4 — Becquey
33. Chris Sale SP9 — Chandan
34. Jackson Merrill OF9 — Mass
35. Devin Williams RP2 — Schoenfield
36. Blake Snell SP10 — Zola
37. Framber Valdez SP11 — Kaiser
38. Edwin Diaz RP3 — Carty
39. Marcus Semien 2B2 — Karabell
40. Elly De La Cruz SS5 — Best
Round 5
41. Steven Kwan OF10 — Best
42. Corey Seager SS6 — Karabell
43. Ronald Acuna Jr. OF11 — Carty
44. Matt Olson 1B4 — Kaiser
45. Pablo Lopez SP12 — Zola
46. Mason Miller RP4 — Schoenfield
47. Josh Hader RP5 — Mass
48. Aaron Nola SP13 — Chandan
49. Jose Altuve 2B3 — Becquey
50. Trea Turner SS7 — Cockcroft
Round 6
51. Michael King SP14 — Cockcroft
52. Max Fried SP15 — Becquey
53. Pete Alonso 1B5 — Chandan
54. Ryan Walker RP6 — Mass
55. Julio Rodriguez OF12 — Schoenfield
56. Marcell Ozuna DH2 — Zola
57. Austin Riley 3B5 — Kaiser
58. Luis Arraez 1B6 (2B) — Carty
59. Jarren Duran OF13 — Karabell
60. Kyle Schwarber DH3 — Best
Round 7
61. Ozzie Albies 2B4 — Best
62. Logan Webb SP16 — Karabell
63. Freddy Peralta SP17 — Carty
64. Luis Castillo SP18 — Kaiser
65. Bailey Ober SP19 — Zola
66. Yoshinobu Yamamoto SP20 — Schoenfield
67. Vinnie Pasquantino 1B7 — Mass
68. Joe Ryan SP21 — Chandan
69. Christian Walker 1B8 — Becquey
70. Yainer Diaz C3 — Cockcroft
Round 8
71. Ryan Helsley RP7 — Cockcroft
72. Shota Imanaga SP22 — Becquey
73. Wyatt Langford OF14 — Chandan
74. Brent Rooker DH4 — Mass
75. Gerrit Cole SP23 — Schoenfield
76. Josh Naylor 1B9 — Zola
77. Andres Munoz RP8 — Kaiser
78. Raisel Iglesias RP9 — Carty
79. Robert Suarez RP10 — Karabell
80. Nolan Arenado 3B6 — Best
Round 9
81. Brendan Donovan OF15 (2B) — Best
82. Felix Bautista RP11 — Karabell
83. Tyler Glasnow SP24 — Carty
84. Bryce Miller SP25 — Kaiser
85. Jhoan Duran RP12 — Zola
86. Will Smith C4 — Schoenfield
87. Brandon Pfaadt SP26 — Mass
88. Alec Bohm 3B7 — Chandan
89. Salvador Perez C5 (1B) — Becquey
90. Michael Harris II OF16 — Cockcroft
Round 10
91. Tanner Bibee SP27 — Cockcroft
92. Sonny Gray SP28 — Becquey
93. Zac Gallen SP29 — Chandan
94. Jared Jones SP30 — Mass
95. Hunter Greene SP31 — Schoenfield
96. Tanner Scott RP13 — Zola
97. Cal Raleigh C6 — Kaiser
98. Jacob deGrom SP32 — Carty
99. George Kirby SP33 — Karabell
100. Ian Happ OF17 — Best
Round 11
101. Justin Steele SP34 — Best
102. Hunter Brown SP35 — Karabell
103. Yandy Diaz 1B10 — Carty
104. CJ Abrams SS8 — Kaiser
105. Willy Adames SS9 — Zola
106. Oneil Cruz SS10 (OF) — Schoenfield
107. Nico Hoerner 2B5 — Mass
108. Cody Bellinger OF18 (1B) — Chandan
109. Kevin Gausman SP36 — Becquey
110. Bryan Reynolds OF19 — Cockcroft
Round 12
111. Spencer Schwellenbach SP37 — Cockcroft
112. Cristopher Sanchez SP38 — Becquey
113. Carlos Rodon SP39 — Chandan
114. Sandy Alcantara SP40 — Mass
115. Junior Caminero 3B8 — Schoenfield
116. Alec Burleson OF20 — Zola
117. Jack Flaherty SP41 — Kaiser
118. Matt Chapman 3B9 — Carty
119. Alexis Diaz RP14 — Karabell
120. Jeff Hoffman RP15 — Best
Round 13
121. Yusei Kikuchi SP42 — Best
122. Christian Yelich OF21 — Karabell
123. Zach Eflin SP43 — Carty
124. Isaac Paredes 3B10 — Kaiser
125. Kodai Senga SP44 — Zola
126. Riley Greene OF22 — Schoenfield
127. James Wood OF23 — Mass
128. Randy Arozarena OF24 — Chandan
129. Spencer Steer OF25 (1B) — Becquey
130. Gleyber Torres 2B6 — Cockcroft
Round 14
131. Roki Sasaki SP45 — Cockcroft
132. Jurickson Profar OF26 — Becquey
133. David Bednar RP16 — Chandan
134. Trevor Megill RP17 — Mass
135. Spencer Strider SP46 — Schoenfield
136. Mike Trout OF27 — Zola
137. Mitch Keller SP47 — Kaiser
138. Willson Contreras C7 — Carty
139. Carlos Santana 1B11 — Karabell
140. Mitch Garver C8 — Best
Round 15
141. Bo Bichette SS11 — Best
142. Nick Pivetta SP48 — Karabell
143. Jazz Chisholm Jr. OF28 (3B) — Carty
144. Lawrence Butler OF29 — Kaiser
145. Jordan Westburg 3B11 (2B) — Zola
146. Jung Hoo Lee OF30 — Schoenfield
147. Shea Langeliers C9 — Mass
148. Adolis Garcia OF31 — Chandan
149. Seiya Suzuki OF32 — Becquey
150. Triston Casas 1B12 — Cockcroft
Round 16
151. Brandon Nimmo OF33 — Cockcroft
152. Xander Bogaerts 2B7 (SS) — Becquey
153. Tanner Houck SP49 — Chandan
154. Brenton Doyle OF34 — Mass
155. Bryan Woo SP50 — Schoenfield
156. Griffin Jax RP18 — Zola
157. Taj Bradley SP51 — Kaiser
158. Taylor Ward OF35 — Carty
159. Seth Lugo SP52 — Karabell
160. Keibert Ruiz C10 — Best
Round 17
161. Bowden Francis RP19 (SP) — Best
162. JJ Bleday OF36 — Karabell
163. Teoscar Hernandez OF37 — Carty
164. Ronel Blanco SP53 — Kaiser
165. Kirby Yates RP20 — Zola
166. Jackson Holliday 2B8 — Schoenfield
167. A.J. Puk RP21 — Mass
168. Jake Cronenworth 1B13 (2B) — Chandan
169. Ryan Pressly RP22 — Becquey
170. Carlos Correa SS12 — Cockcroft
Round 18
171. Justin Martinez RP23 — Cockcroft
172. Jose Berrios SP54 — Becquey
173. Masyn Winn SS13 — Chandan
174. Matthew Shaw 3B12 (2B/SS) — Mass
175. Luke Weaver RP24 — Schoenfield
176. Tomoyuki Sugano SP55 — Zola
177. Nick Castellanos OF38 — Kaiser
178. Pete Fairbanks RP25 — Carty
179. Cade Smith RP26 — Karabell
180. Bryson Stott 2B9 — Best
Round 19
181. Chris Bassitt SP56 — Best
182. Austin Wells C11 — Karabell
183. Maikel Garcia 3B13 (2B) — Carty
184. Jeremy Pena SS14 — Kaiser
185. Nathaniel Lowe 1B14 — Zola
186. Matt McLain SS15 (2B) — Schoenfield
187. Jake Burger 1B15 (3B) — Mass
188. Tommy Edman OF39 (SS) — Chandan
189. Lucas Erceg RP27 — Becquey
190. Brandon Woodruff SP57 — Cockcroft
Team rosters are presented in first-round pick order. Primary position is used. If a player qualifies at more than one position, all positions are included in parentheses. Pick is displayed as “Round.Pick”.
Team Best
C1 Mitch Garver [Pick: 14.10]
C2 Keibert Ruiz [Pick: 16.10]
1B1 Freddie Freeman [Pick: 2.10]
3B1 Nolan Arenado [Pick: 8.10]
2B1 Ozzie Albies [Pick: 7.1]
2B2 Bryson Stott [Pick: 18.10]
SS1 Elly De La Cruz [Pick: 4.10]
SS2 Bo Bichette [Pick: 15.1]
OF1 Steven Kwan [Pick: 5.1]
OF2 Brendan Donovan (2B) [Pick: 9.1]
OF3 Ian Happ [Pick: 10.10]
DH1 Shohei Ohtani (SP) [Pick: 1.1]
DH2 Kyle Schwarber [Pick: 6.10]
SP1 Corbin Burnes [Pick: 3.1]
SP2 Justin Steele [Pick: 11.1]
SP3 Yusei Kikuchi [Pick: 13.1]
SP4 Chris Bassitt [Pick: 19.1]
RP1 Jeff Hoffman [Pick: 12.10]
RP2 Bowden Francis (SP) [Pick: 17.1]
Team Karabell
C1 Austin Wells [Pick: 19.2]
1B1 Carlos Santana [Pick: 14.9]
3B1 Rafael Devers [Pick: 3.2]
2B1 Marcus Semien [Pick: 4.9]
SS1 Corey Seager [Pick: 5.2]
OF1 Juan Soto [Pick: 1.2]
OF2 Jarren Duran [Pick: 6.9]
OF3 Christian Yelich [Pick: 13.2]
OF4 JJ Bleday [Pick: 17.2]
SP1 Dylan Cease [Pick: 2.9]
SP2 Logan Webb [Pick: 7.2]
SP3 George Kirby [Pick: 10.9]
SP4 Hunter Brown [Pick: 11.2]
SP5 Nick Pivetta [Pick: 15.2]
SP6 Seth Lugo [Pick: 16.9]
RP1 Robert Suarez [Pick: 8.9]
RP2 Felix Bautista [Pick: 9.2]
RP3 Alexis Diaz [Pick: 12.9]
RP4 Cade Smith [Pick: 18.9]
Team Carty
C1 Willson Contreras [Pick: 14.8]
1B1 Luis Arraez (2B) [Pick: 6.8]
1B2 Yandy Diaz [Pick: 11.3]
3B1 Matt Chapman [Pick: 12.8]
3B2 Maikel Garcia (2B) [Pick: 19.3]
SS1 Bobby Witt Jr. [Pick: 1.3]
OF1 Fernando Tatis Jr. [Pick: 2.8]
OF2 Ronald Acuna Jr. [Pick: 5.3]
OF3 Jazz Chisholm Jr. (3B) [Pick: 15.3]
OF4 Taylor Ward [Pick: 16.8]
OF5 Teoscar Hernandez [Pick: 17.3]
SP1 Garrett Crochet [Pick: 3.3]
SP2 Freddy Peralta [Pick: 7.3]
SP3 Tyler Glasnow [Pick: 9.3]
SP4 Jacob deGrom [Pick: 10.8]
SP5 Zach Eflin [Pick: 13.3]
RP1 Edwin Diaz [Pick: 4.8]
RP2 Raisel Iglesias [Pick: 8.8]
RP3 Pete Fairbanks [Pick: 18.8]
Team Kaiser
C1 Cal Raleigh [Pick: 10.7]
1B1 Matt Olson [Pick: 5.4]
3B1 Austin Riley [Pick: 6.7]
3B2 Isaac Paredes [Pick: 13.4]
2B1 Ketel Marte [Pick: 2.7]
SS1 CJ Abrams [Pick: 11.4]
SS2 Jeremy Pena [Pick: 19.4]
OF1 Aaron Judge [Pick: 1.4]
OF2 Anthony Santander [Pick: 3.4]
OF3 Lawrence Butler [Pick: 15.4]
OF4 Nick Castellanos [Pick: 18.7]
SP1 Framber Valdez [Pick: 4.7]
SP2 Luis Castillo [Pick: 7.4]
SP3 Bryce Miller [Pick: 9.4]
SP4 Jack Flaherty [Pick: 12.7]
SP5 Mitch Keller [Pick: 14.7]
SP6 Taj Bradley [Pick: 16.7]
SP7 Ronel Blanco [Pick: 17.4]
RP1 Andres Munoz [Pick: 8.7]
Team Zola
C1 William Contreras [Pick: 3.5]
1B1 Josh Naylor [Pick: 8.6]
1B2 Nathaniel Lowe [Pick: 19.5]
3B1 Jose Ramirez [Pick: 1.5]
3B2 Jordan Westburg [Pick: 15.5]
SS1 Willy Adames [Pick: 11.5]
OF1 Corbin Carroll [Pick: 2.6]
OF2 Alec Burleson [Pick: 12.6]
OF3 Mike Trout [Pick: 14.6]
DH1 Marcell Ozuna [Pick: 6.6]
SP1 Blake Snell [Pick: 4.6]
SP2 Pablo Lopez [Pick: 5.5]
SP3 Bailey Ober [Pick: 7.5]
SP4 Kodai Senga [Pick: 13.5]
SP5 Tomoyuki Sugano [Pick: 18.6]
RP1 Jhoan Duran [Pick: 9.5]
RP2 Tanner Scott [Pick: 10.6]
RP3 Griffin Jax [Pick: 16.6]
RP4 Kirby Yates [Pick: 17.5]
Team Schoenfield
C1 Will Smith [Pick: 9.6]
1B1 Bryce Harper [Pick: 3.6]
3B1 Junior Caminero [Pick: 12.5]
2B1 Jackson Holliday [Pick: 17.6]
SS1 Oneil Cruz (OF) [Pick: 11.6]
SS2 Matt McLain (2B) [Pick: 19.6]
OF1 Yordan Alvarez [Pick: 2.5]
OF2 Julio Rodriguez [Pick: 6.5]
OF3 Riley Greene [Pick: 13.6]
OF4 Jung Hoo Lee [Pick: 15.6]
SP1 Paul Skenes [Pick: 1.6]
SP2 Yoshinobu Yamamoto [Pick: 7.6]
SP3 Gerrit Cole [Pick: 8.5]
SP4 Hunter Greene [Pick: 10.5]
SP5 Spencer Strider [Pick: 14.5]
SP6 Bryan Woo [Pick: 16.5]
RP1 Devin Williams [Pick: 4.5]
RP2 Mason Miller [Pick: 5.6]
RP3 Luke Weaver [Pick: 18.5]
Team Mass
C1 Shea Langeliers [Pick: 15.7]
1B1 Vinnie Pasquantino [Pick: 7.7]
1B2 Jake Burger (3B) [Pick: 19.7]
3B1 Matthew Shaw (2B/SS) [Pick: 18.4]
2B1 Nico Hoerner [Pick: 11.7]
SS1 Francisco Lindor [Pick: 2.4]
OF1 Jackson Merrill [Pick: 4.4]
OF2 James Wood [Pick: 13.7]
OF3 Brenton Doyle [Pick: 16.4]
DH1 Brent Rooker [Pick: 8.4]
SP1 Tarik Skubal [Pick: 1.7]
SP2 Cole Ragans [Pick: 3.7]
SP3 Brandon Pfaadt [Pick: 9.7]
SP4 Jared Jones [Pick: 10.4]
SP5 Sandy Alcantara [Pick: 12.4]
RP1 Josh Hader [Pick: 5.7]
RP2 Ryan Walker [Pick: 6.4]
RP3 Trevor Megill [Pick: 14.4]
RP4 A.J. Puk [Pick: 17.7]
Team Chandan
C1 Adley Rutschman [Pick: 3.8]
1B1 Pete Alonso [Pick: 6.3]
1B2 Jake Cronenworth (2B) [Pick: 17.8]
3B1 Alec Bohm [Pick: 9.8]
SS1 Mookie Betts (OF) [Pick: 1.8]
SS2 Masyn Winn [Pick: 18.3]
OF1 Wyatt Langford [Pick: 8.3]
OF2 Cody Bellinger (1B) [Pick: 11.8]
OF3 Randy Arozarena [Pick: 13.8]
OF4 Adolis Garcia [Pick: 15.8]
OF5 Tommy Edman (SS) [Pick: 19.8]
SP1 Logan Gilbert [Pick: 2.3]
SP2 Chris Sale [Pick: 4.3]
SP3 Aaron Nola [Pick: 5.8]
SP4 Joe Ryan [Pick: 7.8]
SP5 Zac Gallen [Pick: 10.3]
SP6 Carlos Rodon [Pick: 12.3]
SP7 Tanner Houck [Pick: 16.3]
RP1 David Bednar [Pick: 14.3]
Team Becquey
C1 Salvador Perez (1B) [Pick: 9.9]
1B1 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. [Pick: 1.9]
1B2 Christian Walker [Pick: 7.9]
3B1 Alex Bregman [Pick: 4.2]
2B1 Jose Altuve [Pick: 5.9]
2B2 Xander Bogaerts (SS) [Pick: 16.2]
SS1 Gunnar Henderson [Pick: 2.2]
OF1 Jackson Chourio [Pick: 3.9]
OF2 Spencer Steer (1B) [Pick: 13.9]
OF3 Jurickson Profar [Pick: 14.2]
OF4 Seiya Suzuki [Pick: 15.9]
SP1 Max Fried [Pick: 6.2]
SP2 Shota Imanaga [Pick: 8.2]
SP3 Sonny Gray [Pick: 10.2]
SP4 Kevin Gausman [Pick: 11.9]
SP5 Cristopher Sanchez [Pick: 12.2]
SP6 Jose Berrios [Pick: 18.2]
RP1 Ryan Pressly [Pick: 17.9]
RP2 Lucas Erceg [Pick: 19.9]
Team Cockcroft
C1 Yainer Diaz [Pick: 7.10]
1B1 Triston Casas [Pick: 15.10]
3B1 Manny Machado [Pick: 4.1]
2B1 Gleyber Torres [Pick: 13.10]
SS1 Trea Turner [Pick: 5.10]
SS2 Carlos Correa [Pick: 17.10]
OF1 Kyle Tucker [Pick: 1.10]
OF2 Michael Harris II [Pick: 9.10]
OF3 Bryan Reynolds [Pick: 11.10]
OF4 Brandon Nimmo [Pick: 16.1]
SP1 Zack Wheeler [Pick: 2.1]
SP2 Michael King [Pick: 6.1]
SP3 Tanner Bibee [Pick: 10.1]
SP4 Spencer Schwellenbach [Pick: 12.1]
SP5 Roki Sasaki [Pick: 14.1]
SP6 Brandon Woodruff [Pick: 19.10]
RP1 Emmanuel Clase [Pick: 3.10]
RP2 Ryan Helsley [Pick: 8.1]
RP3 Justin Martinez [Pick: 18.1]
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