When planning a draft strategy there are many different things that you need to look at. In recent articles I have talked about why it is necessary to draft the top pitchers before drafting hitters. However, what do you do if you are drafting right in the middle and aren’t really interested in drafting pitchers? I would suggest to you to go after the best infield you can possibly have.
Looking at the top 50 draft picks (based on average draft position), I counted 23 out of the top 50 draft picks come out of the infield. The outfielders only take 15 out of the top 50. What this should obviously tell you is that it is important to draft some of the top infielders and have an average outfield than the other way around.
I have been doing some practice drafts on various websites before my biggest draft of the season on Saturday. Experimenting different strategies I came to the conclusion that the infield is where I decided to focus the most attention on. As strong as first and third base are this season, and as, many prospects that there are at short and second, it is a good idea to draft the premiere guys at this position.
Here is a look at two teams that I drafted during this time. Each features a basic 3 man outfield and a four man infield. Team 1: Chase Utley, Mark Teixeira, Garret Atkins, Freddy Sanchez, Hideki Matsui, Juan Pierre, and Jeff Francoeur. Team 2: Derek Lee, Robinson Cano, Scott Rolen, Jose Reyes, Carl Crawford, Carlos Lee, and Ichiro Suzuki.
Breaking down the first team is easy. Chase Utley is by far the best second baseman of all the players at the position in the league. Garret Atkins was a top 3 fantasy third baseman statistically speaking in 2006. Mark Teixeira struggled during the first half and was one of the best players in the second half of the season in 2006. Besides we know he is a top 5 first basemen this season anyway. Freddy Sanchez won the batting title in the National League in 2006. The outfield of Matsui, Pierre and Francoeur can be looked at as mediocre or above average at best. The strength at infield is unmatched in the league that this team is in. This is hard to argue with a top 5 guy at every position in the infield with the exception of shortstop. The outfield obviously isn’t great; however it is good enough to compete with other outfields in the league.
The second team features an average infield, and an outfield that is very good. Carl Crawford, Carlos Lee, and Ichiro Suzuki are guys that combined together are gone by the fourth or fifth round. Crawford and Lee have been drafted in the first two rounds in every league this year. Jose Reyes is the only guy that sticks out in the infield because he is a top 5 overall fantasy pick this season. Robinson Cano as you know is ranked as my second best second basemen, and has potential to do great things. Scott Rolen and Derek Lee are the other two guys that round out the infield. Lee went down with an injury last season that made him miss most of the season. This put a lot of question marks as to whether or not he will be the same guy he was two years ago which was a triple crown contender for a while in the National league. Scott Rolen has fallen from being an elite player at his position. His numbers are still above average and he will produce for your team, just not on the level he did five years ago.
The bottom line is that you have a better chance at succeeding in a league with an infield that features some of the best guys at their positions and an outfield that will be competitive. With the right pick on draft day (Team one was the 8th pick, team two was the third), there is no reason to believe that you can’t grab these guys and show that your infield is one of the best in your league. If your strategy on draft day is to go after the top hitters in the game and get average pitching, then you should look to the infield before the outfield.
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