Fantasy: 12-team MLB mock draft with analysis

Get ready for your season with theScore's 2019 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit.

Welcome to theScore's 12-team MLB mock draft. We went 23 rounds in a snake format, building teams with the following positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, UTIL, UTIL, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN.

We followed a standard 5x5 format (R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG, W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP). It won't be the perfect representation of every draft - none are - but it does provide a reminder that chaos reigns, and you can never rely on average draft position as a guide because someone will always reach for your guy three rounds early.

Draft participants: Karan Gill, Dan Wilkins, Michael Bradburn, Tom Ruminski, Dan Levine, Dustin Saracini, Bryan Mcwilliam, Andrew Brennan, Jason Wilson, Josh Wegman, Brandon Wile, Andrew Potter

ADP courtesy FantasyPros (as of March 3).

Round 1

This is a fairly standard opening round with a couple notable exceptions. As you'll see, the selection of pitchers starts slowly and then over-corrects. As such, Scherzer drops a tad, and Altuve and Acuna leap into the first round. It turns out Team Saracini isn't concerned with Lindor's calf injury, so you may not be able to get him at a discount after all.

Round 2

Team Potter snags the offseason's two big free agents on the turn, reaching slightly to grab Harper. With 22 picks before his next selection, it would be impossible for him to get Harper, otherwise. Trea Turner drops out of the first round, which is something that won't happen often thanks to his elite speed and stolen base potential while hitting near the top of a stacked Nationals lineup.

Expect Sale and deGrom to go a little higher than this in most drafts.

Round 3

Kluber is generally going in the middle of the second round, so Team Gill gets him slightly off draft slot. Davis, Correa, and Rendon are all going a bit earlier than expected here, but it's hard to wait and simply commit to the projections. One of the most helpful aspects of doing a mock draft is using it as a reminder that people go off the board all the time.

If you rely too stringently on ADP, you will lose out on players you want. It's okay to reach, within reason. So far, none of the selections are egregiously out of line, even if I'd personally prefer Blackmon, Marte, or Benintendi over Davis.

Round 4

News flash: you will not be able to wait on Vladdy. If you want the powerful teenager, you will need to splurge in the fourth round. Waiting any longer is tempting fate.

Team Brennan is very high on Mondesi. The Royals speedster could certainly return fourth-round value, especially after hitting 14 home runs and stealing 32 bases in 75 games last season. But it's a small sample size no matter how highly touted he was coming through the minors. Maybe it works out, but there's a chance he'd have been available at his next pick if not even later. That said, his overall average may be skewed as he's being drafted in the fourth round on some sites. Perhaps he's ahead of the curve.

Mondesi's speedy teammate, Merrifield, surprisingly goes three picks later. The logic here is that Mondesi has more upside, and carries a higher ceiling, though Merrifield has established a high floor in fantasy over the last two seasons.

As indicated in Round 2, pitchers are still being selected below expectation, as most teams are looking to shore up offense in the early going. This is a good opportunity to take advantage of the market correction by getting someone like Carrasco or Syndergaard at a discount.

Round 5

Trepidation around Seager stems from last season's Tommy John surgery plus back issues that flared up the year prior. If he delivers production even remotely close to his 2016 and 2017 campaigns, this pick will look savvy. It's worth noting that nine shortstops had already gone off the board by this point, contributing to the selection.

Team Brennan follows his Mondesi exuberance with another out-of-slot pick, trusting that Coors Field will be kind to Murphy. While that may work out, there's a distinct chance Murphy would have still been on the board eight picks later.

Round 6

Three of the biggest reaches in the draft come in Round 6 as Turner, Puig, and Gallo are taken. Of those, Turner has the highest floor. He's consistently hitting around .300 and should drive in a ton of runs in the heart of the Dodgers' order, even if his power stroke is somewhat limited. The enigmatic Puig has the tools, and a change of scenery may be to his benefit, but that's a significant roll of the dice. Gallo will kill you in batting average, but he'll also obliterate 40 homers. With Mike Trout and Anthony Rizzo already on his roster, Team Gill can afford to take the losses in average, and there was no guarantee Gallo would remain when the draft looped back around. Sometimes, you just need to get your guy.

The first two closers off the board, Diaz and Jansen, signify the beginning of that run. Be wary, because it happens all the time. Once a couple relievers are taken, people get desperate and they start to go in a hurry.

Round 7

Team Bradburn continues the closer run by taking his second reliever in a row with Treinen, solidifying his own back end. It's the most erratic position in fantasy, so he's getting insurance by locking up two elite relievers who are near locks to tally a bunch of saves. If one goes down with injury, he still has the other. If neither gets hurt, it could win him the category. If both do, it could derail his season since he skipped over some solid bats to make it happen.

Taillon and Greinke stuck around longer than expected. If you can nab either at this portion of your draft, it's found money.

Round 8

Doolittle as the fourth reliever taken is a curious choice made more questionable when Chapman goes a pick later. Craig Kimbrel is still available, and could even wind up in Washington, which would likely displace Doolittle as the closer. The lefty will still put up excellent rate stats, provided he stays healthy, but he's still a stretch this early.

Clevinger falls into Team Wegman's lap. Maybe no one believes in his 2018 breakout, but this is a low-risk spot to take him even if he doesn't perform to that level.

Devers is a possible post-hype player despite being only 22, but this is a bit early to take him. Team Bradburn could have waited four picks to grab him in Round 9 if he was desperate to get him, though there's a distinct likelihood that the third baseman would have lasted until the 10th.

Round 9

There's Kimbrel. Even without a contract in hand, this is outstanding value. At his best, he's the top reliever in fantasy. With his pedigree, he's guaranteed to slot in as a closer wherever he signs. Barring injury, the only way this backfires is if he sits out the season.

He appears to kick-start the true run on closers, too, with three more relievers taken before the end of the round. I grabbed my first baseman in Olson allowing me to use Rhys Hoskins in the outfield if necessary.

Foltynewicz could be an ace in waiting provided his arm soreness doesn't evolve into something major. He's questionable for Opening Day.

Round 10

Ohtani is the type of player who will go early in several drafts just based on the excitement factor around his name. He's a risk since he may not be ready to start the season, there are questions surrounding how often he'll be in the lineup, and he can only be used in the utility slot. Still, as a part-time hitter in 2018, he hit .285 with 22 home runs and 10 stolen bases.

Gordon has lost his shine, somewhat, after a down season. While he's moving back to second base in a more permanent fashion this season, he maintains outfield eligibility from 2018, giving him extra flexibility. That could make up for his lack of power, but Team Saracini will need to supplement that elsewhere.

Round 11

Hader is the best non-closer reliever thanks to multi-inning potential and an absurd strikeout rate. Teammate Knebel was maybe the best bullpen arm down the stretch last season, not allowing a single run in September.

Several picks in this round are about on par with expectation. Team Mcwilliam locks down his second catcher in Posey, but with first base eligibility he won't need to choose between him and Gary Sanchez often. This may seem like a bit of a head-scratcher at first, but Posey offers a steady floor that can offset Sanchez's erratic nature, especially if the latter plays more like his 2018 self than his 2017.

Round 12

Note: We conducted this draft before reports of Salvador Perez's injury broke. He's expected to miss the season, so he shouldn't be taken in any drafts.

Perez's injury makes the Grandal selection all the better. Catcher is generally a dumpster fire in fantasy, and it's advisable to just wait until the end of the draft if you don't land one of the top options. That draft capital is best spent elsewhere.

Hicks falls out of slot a bit, and it's hard to see why. Admittedly, I elected to take Andrew McCutchen the round before with Hicks on the board, which may prove to be a costly error. He has yet to have an explosive season, but he offers a nice speed/power combo and should threaten 100 runs scored if he sticks as the Yankees leadoff hitter.

Round 13

Team Bradburn just couldn't hold off on Kikuchi any longer. Despite his ADP suggesting he can be had in the 17th or 18th round, he carries enough hype that someone could get antsy. Darvish is great value for Team Ruminski. Yes, he's coming off an injury-plagued season but he has an ace ceiling, and the Cubs should provide enough run support to get him plenty of wins as long as he makes his starts.

With Martinez's status in limbo, his ADP could drop severely in the coming weeks. If he's healthy, this is a bargain. If he's relegated to bullpen duties, it's still okay, but he's becoming more of a question mark than I feel comfortable with.

Round 14

Round 14 is early for Simmons, but he's a proven himself as a reliable - if ultimately boring - hand in fantasy. Andrus, who isn't a superior player in reality, projects better in fantasy assuming he's on the field thanks to his 20-homer, 25-steal potential. However, the power may be a mirage as he's only reached double digit bombs on one occasion.

Expect Buxton to keep climbing in ADP as he rakes throughout the spring. With his disappointing track record, he's too risky to take much earlier than this.

Round 15

These middle rounds see a lot of teams rounding out pitching staffs, and more starters have now gone off the board than outfielders.

Will Smith's ADP is bizarre. Maybe the 15th is a touch early, but he entered spring camp as the favorite to close games with the Giants even with Mark Melancon's contract on the books.

Round 16

No one wanted Mazara. He hovered atop the queue for several rounds until he was finally snagged by Team Levine 30 slots after his ADP. It's understandable because he just doesn't move the needle. He's hit exactly 20 home runs in each of his three major-league seasons with a .258 batting average. Round 16 seems like the right spot.

We conducted the draft just before a quad injury sidelined Josh James, bringing his spot in the Astros rotation into question. He was primed to be a breakout candidate, but unless he gets a clean bill of health he's probably a late-round stash option at best.

Round 17

Freeland falls due to speculation about his ability to sustain success while pitching half the time at Coors Field. As a ground-ball pitcher, he may be able to quell the long ball but he's also a candidate to get BABIP'd to death. His 7.70 K/9 doesn't inspire a ton of confidence.

Round 18

Team Potter goes on an interesting - and what is bound to be polarizing - run here. By going back-to-back with Ryan Yarbrough and Collin McHugh, he gets a pair of relief-eligible pitchers who stand to get high volume innings. McHugh may slide into the Astros' rotation, and Yarbrough is basically shouldering a starter's workload piggy-backing off "opener" Ryne Stanek. Where the strategy seems to stretch thin is when he picks Chad Green and Ryan Pressly with his 19th and 20th picks, bringing his RP total to six. Maybe it'll work. Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

Breakout candidates galore with Reyes, Lucchesi, Gurriel, and Senzel getting selected. Senzel will gain outfield eligibility assuming the Reds follow through with converting him to start the season.

Round 19

Team Wilkins is going young again by stashing Luzardo. The A's southpaw should make the team at some point if not on Opening Day. He's better suited for keeper leagues, but this is the part of the draft where it's wise to start taking shots. If it doesn't pan out, play the waiver wire.

Speaking of the A's, Piscotty might be the bargain of the entire draft. The former top prospect hit 27 homers last season, and his .267 batting average wasn't a killer.

Round 20

I waited on relievers to grab Jose Alvarado, Mychal Givens, and Drew Steckenrider in three of the last five rounds. All three could be first in line for save opportunities. Still, given the nature of this mock I'm reaching beyond ADP for all of them. If it doesn't work out, I'll punt the category midseason or try to scramble for saves on the wire.

If Stephen Piscotty isn't the steal of the mock, Hamilton might be for Team Saracini. Hamilton's inability to get on base with even a modicum of consistency has been his Achilles' heel, but getting a 60-steals flier in the 20th round is insane value. Chances are he'll go earlier in most drafts, though.

Round 21

Team Gill and Team Bradburn reach for a pair of Cardinals sluggers who don't have clear paths to playing time, but both have strong upside as long as they find their way into the lineup.

McMahon is similarly blocked in Colorado, though his position flexibility gives hope that he'll become something of a super-utility player and come into his own as a hitter.

Round 22

Desmond had the biggest drop from ADP to his selection and Rosario wasn't far behind. Desmond was famously terrible last season to start, but it was more real-life value that suffered than fantasy. All told, he put together a 22-homer, 20-stolen base campaign. If he replicates that, it more than returns 22nd-round value.

Rosario should have been taken already, but teams appeared mostly content with their options at short. After the start of August, Rosario hit .284 with five home runs and 15 stolen bases. He may be a better option than Jose Peraza for Team Levine at shortstop before the end of April.

Round 23

The end. Team Gill, Team Brennan, and I each scooped up our catcher. So, too, did Team Levine after Salvador Perez's injury. Otherwise, these picks - except Hernandez, who was remarkably still available - are fliers in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle. Most of these names will probably end up on the wire at some point.

Thanks for reading, and remember not to follow ADP too closely on draft day or it will bite you hard.