{"id":1133,"date":"2018-03-19T20:07:09","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T03:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/?p=1133"},"modified":"2018-03-19T20:22:35","modified_gmt":"2018-03-20T03:22:35","slug":"komodos-nab-bellinger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/?p=1133","title":{"rendered":"Komodos Nab Bellinger"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a id='vY25SWtUTcVECKXMz9J3WA' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/867983090' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'vY25SWtUTcVECKXMz9J3WA',sig:'dWL_0XH4BVccaQoHYGSZf3QLoe39BlzE8O9eZEpwjRY=',w:'594px',h:'399px',items:'867983090',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><br \/>\nThe 2018 DTBL Draft kicked off Thursday, March 8.\u00a0 The first pick belonged to the league&#8217;s newest member, Kat&#8217;s Komodos.\u00a0 Inheriting a Gators roster that was well stocked with hitters but very much lacking in pitching, the biggest question going into the draft was if they would select a player based on need or take the best player available.\u00a0 The Komodos did the latter, picking the consensus top player in the draft pool, Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger.\u00a0 As usual, the first round as a whole skewed young with nine DTBL rookies selected, four of whom didn&#8217;t make their MLB debuts until after the All-Star break last season.\u00a0 The first round was light on pitching this year as eight of the top ten were hitters.<\/p>\n<p>In retrospect, the decision to take Bellinger with the first pick was probably pretty easy for the Komodos.\u00a0 The reigning National League Rookie of the Year will give them a huge power boost and may even position them as one of the deepest offensive teams in the league.\u00a0 Bellinger made his presence known right from the start.\u00a0 He was a NL All-Star as a rookie.\u00a0 He hit 39 home runs with 97 RBI and 87 runs despite not making his debut until late April.\u00a0 His .267 average was quite respectable for a slugging rookie and he even stole 10 bases.\u00a0 Bellinger should be a star for the Komodos for a long time to come.<\/p>\n<p>In many ways, the Kings faced a similar predicament to the Komodos with the second pick and made the same decision, taking the player they believed to be the best available despite it not being a position of great need.\u00a0 With that pick, the Kings selected first baseman turned outfielder Rhys Hoskins.\u00a0 The Phillies young slugger came up through the minors as a modestly rated prospect who did nothing but mash at every level of the minors.\u00a0 That continued in the majors, despite also having to learn a new position at the big league level.\u00a0 Hoskins slugged 18 homers in just 50 major league games, pumping out a ridiculous 1.014 OPS.\u00a0 With the Phillies signing Carlos Santana this winter, it appears they will continue to deploy Hoskins to the outfield.\u00a0 Even if that goes poorly, Hoskins&#8217; bat will force its way into the lineup on a daily basis.<\/p>\n<p>With the third pick, the Jackalope were able to do both of the things mentioned above:\u00a0 pick the best player available and fill a glaring hole in the roster.\u00a0 They selected Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino.\u00a0 Severino is\u00a0technically a DTBL rookie, having never appeared on an active roster before.\u00a0 But this is the second time he has been drafted.\u00a0 The Naturals picked him in the 5th round in 2016, but he started the season in the minors and was released in May.\u00a0 After that disappointing &#8217;16 campaign, he was removed from the league last year, causing us to miss out on his breakout season.\u00a0 In 2017, he became one of the most dominant pitchers in the league, posting a 2.98 ERA, 1.04 WHIP with 14 wins and 230 strikeouts.\u00a0 The Jackalope pitching staff really struggled a year ago, making Severino a perfect fit.\u00a0 They are also quite heavy on Yankees now, employing Severino, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, Sonny Gray and Dellin Betances.\u00a0 Not a bad group.<\/p>\n<p>The top three of the draft seemed pretty clear cut.\u00a0 Predicting who would go fourth and beyond was a bit more challenging.\u00a0 The Choppers had the fourth pick and used it on second baseman Whit Merrifield who went from relative obscurity to fantasy monster during the course of the 2017 season.\u00a0 The Royals infielder hit .288 with 19 home runs, 34 stolen bases, 80 runs and 78 RBI.\u00a0 He was a plus contributor to all five categories, but especially stolen bases.\u00a0 The Choppers had the worst offense in the league last year (in terms of batting points), so adding a do-it-all infielder makes plenty of sense.\u00a0 It remains to be seen if the power was real, but in today&#8217;s home run climate, it seems quite possible it was.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, the Moonshiners somewhat regretted passing on a young Red Sox up-and-comer in the first round in Andrew Benintendi.\u00a0 They ensured that the same mistake wouldn&#8217;t be made again this year, grabbing third baseman Rafael Devers with the fifth pick.\u00a0 Devers was just 20 years old when he made his MLB debut last summer.\u00a0 But he earned his promotion by demolishing every level of the minors on his way up.\u00a0 And the hitting continued when he reached the big leagues.\u00a0 He hit .284 with 10 homers in 58 major league games.\u00a0 Considering his age, the sky is the limit with this guy.\u00a0 Early signs are that he is going to be a great hitter with above average power.\u00a0 That should make him a fixture at hot corner for the Moonshiners for a very long time.<\/p>\n<p>While hitters took most of the spotlight of the first round, there were a couple very intriguing pitchers selected as well.\u00a0 The second of those was Twins starter Jose Berrios, picked sixth by the Darkhorses.\u00a0 Berrios earned elite prospect status on his ascension up the minor league ladder, but a rocky MLB debut season in 2016 dampened expectations a bit.\u00a0 But in 2017, he regained his status as an exciting young hurler.\u00a0 He posted a solid 3.89 ERA and 1.229 WHIP with 14 wins and 139 strikeouts in 145 innings, helping lead the Twins to a surprising Wild Card berth.\u00a0 He should immediately boost a Darkhorses pitching staff that finished last in ERA, WHIP and wins last season.<\/p>\n<p>The Demigods selected the lone non-DTBL rookie of the first round with pick number seven.\u00a0 Outfielder Ender Inciarte continues to be one of the more underrated all-around players in baseball.\u00a0 With a weak Braves team around him last year, he managed to hit .304 with 11 homers, 93 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.\u00a0 What a difference a year can make to a player&#8217;s stock.\u00a0 The Darkhorses drafted Inciarte for the second time last year, in the 12th round.\u00a0 Now he&#8217;s a first rounder.\u00a0 For the record, the Darkhorses also drafted him in the fourth round in 2016.\u00a0 With the investment of a first round pick, I have a feeling he will stick around for a while this time with the Demigods.<\/p>\n<p>Following that selection of a DTBL &#8220;veteran&#8221;, the Cougars picked an outfielder who will be a rookie in this league, but is actually almost three years older than Inciarte.\u00a0 Now 30 years old, Tommy Pham broke out big time for the Cardinals in &#8217;17.\u00a0 He hit .306 with 23 home runs and 25 stolen bases, becoming a legitimate five category force, seemingly out of nowhere.\u00a0 This has become a consistent trend in the Cardinals organization:\u00a0 late blooming non-prospects becoming excellent major league contributors.\u00a0 There are plenty of reasons to believe Pham&#8217;s breakout is sustainable, most notably that he has been able to harness his degenerative vision problems.<\/p>\n<p>For the second straight year, the Naturals used their first round pick on one of the top prospects in baseball who probably will spend a bulk of the upcoming season in the minors.\u00a0 With the ninth pick, they selected young Nationals outfielder Victor Robles.\u00a0 Considered the possible heir apparent to Bryce Harper in the Nats outfield, should Harper decide to take his talents elsewhere next winter, Robles has elite hitting, fielding and running skills.\u00a0 Though not a big time slugger to this point of his career, scouts believe that will come as well.\u00a0 MLB.com has him ranked as the #6 prospect in baseball and #1 among those who have already made their MLB debuts.\u00a0 Robles is just 20 years old, so this is a long-term play for the Naturals.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the defending champion Mavericks closed out the first round by selecting another young hitter who splashed onto the scene late in the 2017 season, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies.\u00a0 Albies hit .286 with six home runs and eight stolen bases in 57 big league games, basically replicating the numbers he posted in AAA as a 20 year old.\u00a0 So for those of you scoring at home, that&#8217;s three first round picks on guys who will enter the &#8217;18 season at age 21 or younger (Albies, Devers, Robles).\u00a0 The Mavericks don&#8217;t really have any holes, but Albies will slot in nicely at 2B.<\/p>\n<p>The first round didn&#8217;t feature any trades this year, but there have been three separate deals since the first round ended, involving six different teams.\u00a0 First, the Mavericks continued a revamp of their bullpen, dealing Aroldis Chapman to the Komodos for their second round pick (11th overall).\u00a0 That pick was used on a very interesting pitcher, Alex Reyes.\u00a0 Reyes should return from Tommy John surgery in May.\u00a0 While his exact role remains a mystery, there are a few intriguing possibilities including closer or spot starter.\u00a0 The fact that he will be designated as a reliever for this season could make him extremely valuable once he is healthy.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Chapman gives the Komodos a reliable anchor in their bullpen which had no such commodities on the returning roster.<\/p>\n<p>The next trade saw the Choppers flip their second round pick (14th overall) to the Naturals for outfielder Andrew McCutchen.\u00a0 Once one of the best players in the league, McCutchen quietly put up pretty strong numbers across the board last year and will now be applying his craft in San Francisco.\u00a0 As mentioned above, the Choppers needed a boost to their offense, so McCutchen should help to that end.\u00a0 The Naturals used the acquired pick on the top closer in this draft, Pirates lefty Felipe Rivero, a former teammate of McCutchen&#8217;s.\u00a0 Rivero had a dominant debut as a closer in &#8217;17, saving 21 games with a 1.67 ERA and 0.889 WHIP.<\/p>\n<p>The third deal was a swap of power hitters, in an attempt to clear position log jams on both ends.\u00a0 The Kings dealt their longtime slugging outfielder Jay Bruce to the Cougars for first baseman Justin Bour.\u00a0 On the Kings side, this was mostly a move to clear an overcrowded outfield, but also to get younger.\u00a0 Trading away Bruce allowed them to select rookie outfielder Willie Calhoun with their subsequent pick, in the fifth round.\u00a0 Of course, hours after they drafted Calhoun, he got sent to the minors.\u00a0 But this was a future value play anyway.\u00a0 Meanwhile, the Cougars didn&#8217;t have much use for Bour after drafting Justin Smoak and Bruce fills a need for a power hitting outfielder.<\/p>\n<p>With four rounds remaining in the draft, we should easily finish up with time to spare before Opening Day.\u00a0 Thanks to everyone for keeping things moving.\u00a0 I hope to start my season preview articles this upcoming weekend.\u00a0 Until then, keep up the good work!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images The 2018 DTBL Draft kicked off Thursday, March 8.\u00a0 The first pick belonged to the league&#8217;s newest member, Kat&#8217;s Komodos.\u00a0 Inheriting a Gators roster that was well stocked with hitters but very much lacking in pitching, the biggest question going into the draft was if they would select a player based [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,11,12,13,6,9,31,3,10,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-choppers","category-cougars","category-darkhorses","category-demigods","category-draft","category-jackalope","category-kings","category-komodos","category-mavericks","category-moonshiners","category-naturals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1133"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1136,"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133\/revisions\/1136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}