Is first base … scarce? Avon Barksdale thinks so
Regardless of subject, we should all take direction from "The Wire." (Warning: The kids don't need to watch just yet.)
Bunk said a man must have a code. I'll take a page from Avon Barksdale's.
I want my corners.
Hence my focus on grabbing mixed eliteness at 1B and 3B this season, even with consideration of positional scarcity elsewhere.
He frequently clashes philosophically with his Yang, the more cerebral Stringer, but at the root, at least Avon feeds his most primal desire: power.
Butler a good fallback, but not a sure thing
That's what you need from a first sacker. Selling yourself short at the best source for pop in the majors will put your team behind.
Avon got one over on Bell before eventually meeting his own demise, but man, did he live it up.
I see many deep-league drafters ignore first base and get burned in the end. "I can wait on one." "There are so many!" "Wow, look at who I grabbed in Round 10. I'm set!"
You think Barksdale would congratulate you on a mediocre power grab?
Shortstop is getting most of the positional scarcity pub, but do you really consider first base the outfield of the infield? Maybe in quantity, but not in reliability. If you don't procure one after the first two - and even four - rounds of a mixed snake, you'll be losing the war.
Tier 1
Yes, Miggy still belongs here, sauce and all.
Tier 2
Three with top-level, well-rounded foundations. Tex's biggest drawback is a clip that might fall short of .290. Votto's runs are in jeopardy since his castmates aren't solid, but everything he can control is top-level. A-Gon is tenuous because of his shoulder, but he's on track for Opening Day so far and remains still a notch above:
Tier 3
- Prince Fielder
- Ryan Howard (typically somewhere rounding out the top 30)
- Adam Dunn
- Paul Konerko
- *Kevin Youkilis
*Has better overall value than Dunn and Konerko but optimally used as a 3B. Adjust your draft strategy for that since he probably won't be eligible as a 5 for a while.
Not a clear-headed pick
Each has a flaw (Prince, Howard and Dunn, BA, though Prince's less so; Youk, health; Konerko, age), but each remains a foundation in all the things you need from the 3.
You really can't go wrong with this Prime 9 (10 including Youk). My goal in all of my drafts this year is to grab one of them. They'll go quickly. Heck, I've taken Dunn as a CI. That's how worried I am about this drop-off.
Tier 4
(aka After Konerko, you're KO'ed....)
Even in 10-team leagues, your collar will tighten if you have to consider one of these. Hard to be comfortable with one of the first two. Butler ... yeah, the power has to come ... right? The promise outweighs the product at this point, though. Hoping for 20 homers could've been avoided by grabbing a strong option earlier.
At this point, pitching is becoming more abundant. Consistent first base HR output is already starting to dwindle.
Tier 5
CI territory. Won't even bother with the Ike Davis through James Loney crowd.
Don't be cute and settle for one of these as a 1B. Pena is your best power source here, but you'll have to stomach a .220 BA, most likely. Lind still has platoon issues and isn't eligible at 1B yet. Huff? Read. The streaky LaRoche is a mini Teixeira in every way. Lee's power is not stable, even with his move to Avon's territory.
In mixed, I'm more comfortable going into battle with one of the 10. The security drop-off between its members and one of the Tier 4 and 5 1B is not much smaller - if not bigger altogether - than that after the top handful of shortstops and third basemen leave the board. Those groups are vast and similar. Second is deep and more evenly distributed for the most part.
The mono leagues also have similar distribution of first base talent, so adjust there accordingly.
Throw your money at the most secure sources of production. It's better than spending inflated bills and selections on a midrange shortstop.
Even if you're in an auction, remember Avon's words. Don't buy corners. Take corners.
Call it The Barksdale.
And if you ignore first base, you'll sound something like this.
***
Rotowire and Mock Draft Central graciously let me behind the velvet rope for their spring industry mock. Results here.
Note the corner infielders in the first two rounds. Load up, even for your CI. Don't let yourself fall behind. The rest of your draft will be easier once you nab those top options.
Some quickie shots:
- My Alexei Ramirez pick: He went in the fifth round of our K-BAD, and I was fine with him here, especially since Derek Van Riper needed a shorty with his two picks after mine. Wasn't taking that chance. Power-speed with a reliable BA. Didn't want to be one of six guys clamoring over Stephen Drew in the next few rounds.
- There are a bunch of potential No. 1 SPs that normally go as No. 3s or so in Rounds 8-12 and auction equivalent. Remember that before taking one of the Big Three.
- Closers remain bargains.
- Midrange and low-tier outfielders still have pluckable speed.
KFFL Baseball
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