Mock Draft 2: Mock Harder

Just getting ready to start my second mock draft of the year. Even though I’ll be drafting out of the 10th spot, I figured let the system randomly choose my draft position, just so I can get another perspective. I ended up with the 6th pick out of 10. I’m still not a big fan of ESPN’s mock drafts, but I’ll take what I can get. Just like my last one, I’ll post my thoughts as I go…

Round 1: Chase Utley
Round 2: Justin Upton

Having Utley fall to me at #6 was about the best I could hope for. Drafting Upton at #15 overall may have been a bit early, but I didn’t like any of the other guys that were available. Somehow, Kemp and Crawford went 13-14, I was hoping one of them would fall to me here.

Round 3: Grady Sizemore
Round 4: Ryan Zimmerman

Sizemore may not get me the greatest average, but he’s a legit 30/30 guy who can put up first round numbers at a discount this year. I wasn’t about to let him out of the third. Zimmerman gives me a lot of quality at third base, which again seems to be extremely shallow this season, especially when compared to past years.

Round 5: Justin Verlander
Round 6: Kendry Morales

There is a lot of quality starting pitching available late, but there weren’t all that many players I liked here more than Verlander, so I got my ace. I also got my first baseman in Kendry Morales. He’s been projected to pop another 30 bombs, along with close to 100 RBIs and a .300 AVG. If he can live up to those projections, that doesn’t put him too far behind Miguel Cabrera’s production, and he came 5 rounds later.

Round 7: Jonathan Broxton
Round 8: Chone Figgins

I was thinking about passing on Broxton here, even though I consider him the #1 reliever coming into the 2010 season. But the player before me took Mariano Rivera, and if I can start some kind of a run on closers here, that just means there’s more value to find in the later rounds. I thought about grabbing Josh Johnson here, but I can find a similar pitcher to him later on. Grabbing Figgins fills my corner IF spot, gives me some more SB, and more importantly, means there’s one less third baseman available for everyone else.

Round 9: Aaron Hill
Round 10: Elvis Andrus

I’ll take Hill here in the 9th to fill my MI spot. I usually like to have my infield filled by the 10th round, and Andrus should be a quality SS this season. I thought about taking Webb in the 9th, but I’ve never liked taking pitching all that early, especially pitchers that may not be ready to start the season.

Round 11: Jay Bruce
Round 12: John Lackey

Got me another 30-homer guy in Bruce, but I really need to stop neglecting my pitching. I love Bruce here, but I’m wondering if I should’ve taken Wandy Rodriguez here in the 11th. I’m not a big fan of Lackey this year, since his career ERA in Fenway is over 5. Then again, whenever he pitched in Fenway, it’s been against Boston. Maybe he’ll do better if he pitches against some teams with less offense.

Round 13: Brian Wilson
Round 14: Matt Garza

I guess I’m hoping San Francisco’s pitching is as good as everyone says this year, which should give Wilson plenty of save opps. I’d thought about taking Miguel Montero here, but he went the pick right before me, so I opted for Garza, who’s looking like he’ll be in for a great season. There are still a few quality catchers available somewhat late.

Round 15: Jered Weaver
Round 16: Dexter Fowler

Weaver’s not a terrible play here. I might be catching up in pitching, but I have to remember that I have two more outfield spots to fill. Fowler works fine for me, especially because there are outfielders that I have ranked a lot lower than him flying off the board.

Round 17: Clay Buchholz
Round 18: Lastings Milledge

There’s still a lot of quality starting pitching available even this late, and I can’t complain with Buchholz here in the 17th. I thought it was more important to fill my last OF spot than it was to grab my 6th starter, so I opted for Milledge over Jorge De La Rosa. Besides, Milledge wouldn’t make it back to me, but there’s at last a chance De La Rosa might.

Round 19: Bobby Jenks
Round 20: Geovany Soto

Eh, nuts. De La Rosa went right before me, so I opted for my third closer, and at least these three guys seem to have a decent grip on the closer role. I finally got my catcher filled here, by a guy who was going very early in a lot of drafts last year. I’ll take the gamble that Soto can get back to his 2008 form.

Round 21: Cody Ross
Round 22: Ben Sheets

I was really hoping Sanchez would fall to me here in the 21st, but he went one pick before me. That’s been happening a lot this draft, I’m missing out on everyone I’m targeting by one pick. Now that my team is filled (with the exception of a single pitcher’s spot), it’s time to take some gambles. And no one epitomizes gamble as much as Ben Sheets. Except Erik Bedard. And Rich Harden. Ok, ok, a lot of guys epitomize gamble. That doesn’t make it any worse of a pick.

Round 23: Kyle Blanks
Round 24: Erik Bedard

I really wanted Travis Snider with my 23rd pick. No, he didn’t go the pick before me. He went two picks before me. But Blanks has a ton of raw power, and could have about the same kind of season Snider’s going to have. And since I love cheap, high-reward pitching, a 24th round pick was certainly worth Bedard. Kurt Suzuki just went off the board; if I wasn’t able to grab Soto where I did, I would’ve targeted him to be my catcher.

Round 25: Francisco Liriano

Like I said, I love cheap, high-reward pitching. I’ve got no problem cutting these guys loose if they don’t produce, but if they do I just hit gold.