In the last article, i wrote about some general guidelines for draft day.
Today, I want to continue the theme of draft research, and the importance of preparation prior to draft day.
Be careful about putting your draft on “auto pilot.” They computer will include injured players, and you’ll be stuck with them.
It is good practice to put your desired players in the Que.. In that way, even if you are on “auto pilot” you will be protected.
It is important to look at the composition of the home team when evaluating the number of home runs hit in a particular park.
Here are the parks home run totals in 2023:
Globe Life Field-Arlington, Texas…..256 homers
Truist Park-Atlanta-Braves….250 homers
Great American Ball Park-Cincinnati….243 homers
Dodger Stadium-Los Angeles….238 homers
Yankee Stadium-New York….231 homers
Angel Stadium-Los Angeles….228 homers
Citizens Bank Park-Philadelphia….217 homers
Target Field-Minneapolis…..212 homers
Coors Field-Colorado….208 homers
Citi Field-New York Mets….205 homers
Tropicana Field-Tampa Bay….202 homers
American Family Field-Milwaukee….196 homers
Wrigley Field-Chicago….195 homers
Minute Maid Park-Houston….194 homers
Nationals Park-Washington….192 homers
Guaranteed Rate Field-Chicago….191 homers
Busch Stadium-St. Louis….190 homers
Fenway Park-Boston….188 homers
Kauffman Stadium-Kansas City….186 homers
T-Mobile Park-Seattle….185 homers
Rogers Centre-Toronto….184 homers
Oakland Coliseum-Oakland….175 homers
Comerica Park-Detroit….174
Oriole Park at Camden Yards-Baltimore….172
Petco Park-San Diego….170 homers
Marlins Park-Miami….167 homers
Oracle Park-San Francisco-162 homers
Chase Field-Phoenix….159 homers
PNC Park-Pittsburgh….143 homers
Progressive Field-Cleveland….128 homers
Park Factor Facts:
1- The short porch at Yankee Stadium is very, very favorable to left-handed hitters, and not as favorable to right-handed hitters.
2- Baltimore has raised the left field wall considerably at Camden Yards, making hitting home runs to left field extremely difficult. It favors all pitchers, but especially lefties facing right-handed hitters.
3- Some teams just don’t hit home runs. In order, Cleveland, Washington, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Kansas City, Detroit, Milwaukee, Arizona, Miami were the 10 clubs hitting the fewest homers last season. That impacts their park factor for home runs.
4- Some teams do, indeed, hit home runs. In order, Atlanta, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota, Texas, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay, Houston, Philadelphia, New York Yankees, and New York Mets hit the most homers in the major leagues last year.
FIRST BASE FANTASY RANKINGS:
First base is one of the important positions for home runs and power.
FIRST BASE SLEEPER: TRISTON CASAS-BOSTON RED SOX
1- FREDDIE FREEMAN-DODGERS
2- MATT OLSON-BRAVES
3- PETE ALONSO-METS
4- BRYCE HARPER-PHILLIES
5- PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT-CARDINALS
6- VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.- BLUE JAYS
7- TRISTON CASAS-RED SOX
8- SPENCER STEER-REDS
9- CHRISTIAN WALKER-DIAMONDBACKS
10- RHYS HOSKINS-BREWERS
11- KRIS BRYANT-ROCKIES
12- SPENCER TORKELSON-TIGERS
13- JOSH NAYLOR-GUARDIANS
14- NATHANIEL LOWE-RANGERS
15- VINNIE PASQUANTINO-ROYALS
16- RYAN MOUNTCASTLE-ORIOLES
17- ANTHONY RIZZO-YANKEES
18- YANDY DIAZ-RAYS
19- RYAN NODA-ATHLETICS
20- JOSE ABREU-ASTROS
21- JOSH BELL-MARLINS
22- ANDREW VAUGHN-WHITE SOX
23- JAMIER CANDELARIO-REDS
24- ROWDY TELLEZ-PIRATES
25- RYAN O’HEARN-ORIOLES
26- JAKE CRONENWORTH-PADRES
27- LAMONTE WADE JR.-GIANTS
28- TY FRANCE-MARINERS
29- JOEY MANESES-NATIONALS
30- MICHAEL BUSCH-CUBS
31- CARLOS SANTANA-
32- NOLAN SCHANUEL-ANGELS
————
SECOND BASE RANKINGS:
NOTE: This list includes only those second baseman projected to start the season in the opening day lineup, according to Fangraphs.com.
SECOND BASE SLEEPER: EDOUARD JULIEN-TWINS
1- MOOKIE BETTS-DODGERS
2- OZZIE ALBIES-BRAVES
3- JOSE ALTUVE-ASTROS
4- MARCUS SEMIEN-RANGERS
5- EDOUARD JULIEN-TWINS
6- KETLE MARTE-DIAMONDBACKS
7- GLEYBER TORRES-YANKEES
8- NICO HOERNER-CUBS
9- MATT MCLAIN-REDS
10-JORGE POLANCO-MARINERS
11- BRYSON STOTT-PHILLIES
12- LUIS ARRAEZ-TWINS
13- XANDER BOGAERTS-PADRES
14- NOLAN GORMAN-CARDINALS
15- ZACK GELOF-ATHLETICS
16- THAIRO ESTRADA-GIANTS
17- JACKSON HOLLIDAY-ORIOLES
18- BRANDON LOWE (INJURY CONCERNS)
19- JEFF MCNEIL-METS
20- ANDRES GIMENEZ-GUARDIANS
21- COLT KEITH-TIGERS
22- LUIS RENGIFO-ANGELS
23- BRENDAN RODGERS-ROCKIES
24- BRICE TURANG-BREWERS
25- MICHAEL MASSEY-ROYALS
26- LUIS GARCIA- NATIONALS
27- CAVIN BIGGIO-BLUE JAYS
28- VAUGHN GRISSOM-RED SOX
29- NICKY LOPEZ-WHITE SOX
30- LIOVER PEGUERO-PIRATES
I will be including a category of utility players that may help in fantasy laster in this series.
