After the initial drafts in dynasty leagues, the annual First-Year Player Draft (FYPD), is a great way to add talent to your squad. In my FYPD, I usually go heavy with bats, especially hitters with excellent contact skills and quick bat speed.
Coming into the draft, I was going to stick to that same plan not only because of the safety factor but because there aren’t many great fantasy pitchers in this year’s draft. If for some lucky reason Noah Song or Seth Johnson made it to my last pick I might have picked them. I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision as they went much earlier.
You can view the draft board here. Mock Draft Analysis will run from July 1-5 and July 8-12, with one release per day.
| Brennen Gorman’s Analysis | Adam Lawler’s Analysis |
| Travis Sherer’s Analysis | Jamie Sayer’s Analysis |
| Paul Ghiglieri’s Analysis | Shelly Verougstraete’s Analysis |
| Andy Patton’s Analysis | Scott Chu’s Analysis |
| Daniel Port’s Analysis | Hunter Denison’s Analysis |
Pick #2: Andrew Vaughn, 1B, (Chicago White Sox)
When I saw the draft order, I was excited to see I got one of the first two picks in the draft. I was hoping Andrew Vaughn would not go first and I lucked out! I love Vaughn. I feel like he is the best hitter in the draft class. So what if he is an undersized, right-handed first baseman. He should move through the minors fast and with Jose Abreu’s time in Chicago almost done, he should be playing first when the White Sox are ready to compete.
Pick #19: Kameron Misner, OF, (Miami Marlins)
I took a gamble with my second pick, hoping the guy I wanted in the third round would still be available, going with outfielder Kameron Misner. Misner is a 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound left-handed hitter. He played center field in college and most scouts think he will be able to stick at the position. He could also move to right field and has the arm to play there. He has a great eye at the plate with plus plus raw power. He has an all-around good skillset but nothing that is super sexy. I am fine with that here. Give me the guy who will just flat-out perform.
Pick #22: Tyler Calihan, 2B, (Cincinnati Reds)
With my third pick, I selected Tyler Calihan, a prep player from Florida. I’m a huge sucker for anyone with a great hit tool, especially players who play up the middle, and was stoked when Daniel Port didn’t select him with picks 20 and 21. Calihan is a 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound infielder and is pretty mature physically. He has amazingly quick hands and can stay inside the ball to hit to all fields. He has played on the tournament circuit and has always performed against great pitching. He is also a pretty quick runner for his size. He has the tools for third base but I can see him manning the keystone in Cincinnati.
Pick #39: Rece Hinds, SS, (Cinncinati Reds)
I went safe in the first three rounds so I decided to go a bit high-risk with my next pick, another Reds’ draftee in Rece Hinds. Hinds is a 6-foot-4-inch prep shortstop with probably the most raw power in the draft class. He plays short and third currently but will probably end up at third professionally. He has been compared to Joey Gallo, but that is the best-case scenario. The swing can get long at times but he has plus bat speed and great extension throughout his swing path. Even though this pick is high-risk, there is potentially a high reward and worth taking a flyer on in the fourth round of the draft.
Pick #42: Trejyn Fletcher, OF (St. Louis Cardinals)
For my final pick I chose Trejyn Fletcher. I was hoping Gunner Henderson would have made it back to me but Port picked him right after my Hinds pick. Fletcher is another prep outfielder from, of all places, Maine. He’s a 6-feet-2-inch, 190-pound cold-weather kid with loads of athleticism. Fletcher has plus bat speed to go along with his plus power. He currently plays center field and should be able to stick at the position due to his speed. He is either a star in the making, with his plus power, plus speed, and plus arm or a dud who cannot make enough contact to play in the majors.
Graphic by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)