Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Draft Franchise (MLB 17)

[NDAlum]

Thanks for checking out my MLB The Show '17 Baltimore Orioles fantasy draft franchise. The premise of this franchise is to get away from real life expectations which are often restricting in the virtual world. If you take over the Twins and you win the World Series in year #1 you're going to get some slack, and rightfully so as they realistically don't have the pieces to truly compete this year.

Fantasy draft rules
- I will make 6 selections + 2 players who are predetermined
- The 6 selections have to be divided into 3 position players and 3 pitchers
- I can select a total of 3 A potential players in those 6 picks
- The 2 players who I'm picking in round 7/8 are SP Michael Kopech who is an A potential pitcher and 1B Trey Mancini. Kopech is the guy I truly have my eye on for the future and really want him part of my franchise. Mancini went to Notre Dame and he's not a guy who is rated super high or with really high potential. I just want a guy from ND and he's a guy I'm a fan of.
- The rest of the draft is simmed and I'm at the mercy of the "Draft Gods"

Franchise setup
I will be utilizing a play 1 sim 5 schedule. I will pitch with the #1 pitcher then go through the rotation and then pitch with the #2. So I will play 1/6 of the games. It will be a heavily simmed schedule so I'm able to progress through the franchise at a fast pace.
*If I make the playoffs they will be played in their entirity

Up next...the draft results...

[NDAlum]

Round 1, Pick #7 overall - RF Bryce Harper (24 yrs old, 94 OVR A POT)

The pick was made without hesitation as Harper is one of the best players in the game and will be the focal point of the team moving forward with this fantasy draft organzation. Kris Bryant and Mookie Betts were also available...but we just couldn't take them over Harper.

Round 2, Pick #54 overall - SP Lance McCullers (23 yrs old, 84 OVR B POT)

We just felt like McCullers could be an ace in Baltimore. He has a great fastball and an electric curve ball. We're hoping he becomes a league leader in strikeouts as he has the stuff to generate many, many strikeouts. We passed up a couple veterans like Gerrit Cole here. We want to win immediately but we feel McCullers is both a quality NOW pitcher and a great future guy.

Round 3, Pick #67 overall - SS Carlos Correa (22 yrs old, 85 OVR A POT)

This is straight robbery and the pick was made immediately once I saw his name. No way should Correa fall to the third round. Correa is a stud and will be the starting SS for many, many years.

Round 4, Pick #104 overall - RF Aaron Judge (24 yrs old, 81 OVR A POT)

Wanted to snag a starting pitcher here but the allure of Aaron Judge and a short porch in LF at home was just too much. We now have a Correa/Harper/Judge core which is probably the best young trio in the MLB. The trio should hit 100 HR as a group year in year out.

Round 5, Pick #127 overall - SP Carlos Martinez (25 yrs old, 82 OVR B POT)

Martinez has really pitched well the past two seasons and established himself as a top of the rotation type of arm. He's won 30 games over the past two seasons and has an electric fastball which leads to about 9 K/9. Really excited to snag this young stud in the 5th round.

Round 6, Pick #174 overall - SP Drew Pomeranz (28 yrs old, 80 OVR B POT)

Went with a southpaw who had a great year in 2016. He's really only pitched one complete season so the track record isn't solid but he's performed well when he's been on the mound. A career 3.80 ERA will peg Pomeranz as the #3 going into the season.

Pick #7 - 1B Trey Mancini (25 yrs old, 68 OVR B POT)
Pick #8 - SP Michael Kopech (20 yrs old, 66 OVR A POT)

These were our lock picks. Mancini will be the starting 1B and Kopech will be in AAA.

_______________________________

Baltimore Orioles Depth Chart - 2017

• Catcher
• Blake Swihart (75)
• A.J. Jimenez (73)

• First Base
• Trey Mancini (68)
• David Freese (70)

• Second Base
• Brandon Phillips (81)

• Third Base
• Martin Prado (77)
• Travis Shaw (72)

• Shortstop
• Carlos Correa (85)

• Left Field
• Aaron Judge (84)

• Center Field
• Jeremy Hazelbaker (74)

• Right Field
• Bryce Harper (94)

• Starting Pitcher
• Lance McCullers (84)
• Carlos Martinez (82)
• Drew Pomeranz (80)
• Justin Masterson (75)
• Jordan Montgomery (71)

• Relief Pitcher
• Jose Leclerc (70)
• Brad Boxberger (74)
• J.J. Hoover (71)
• Shawn Tolleson (71)
• Bryan Shaw (75)
• John Axford (68)

• Closer
• Hector Rondon (84)

• Designated Hitter
• Joc Pederson (77)
• Franklin Gutierrez (75)

Farm System Report

#1 prospect - SP Michael Kopech (20 yrs old - 66 OVR A POT)
- Kopech has an electric arm and we can't wait to see him in the big leagues. He's a Top 50 prospect (#15) and if he progresses quickly he'll get his shot.

#2 prospect - SP Anderson Espinoza (19 yrs old - 64 OVR A POT)
- The Orioles 2nd Top 50 overall prospect (#22) and he's looking like he could be the typical dominant Dominican arm to enter the league. Four pitch repertoire and he'll start the season in AAA

#3 prospect - SP Lucas Giolito (22 yrs old - 66 OVR A POT)
- I know he fell a bit out of favor in Washington and was sent to the White Sox in real life, but he actually just threw a no-no in the past couple weeks in real life. Hey maybe he'll flash that type of potential for me in this franchise. Giolito is yet another Top 50 prospect (#24).

#4 prospect - 1B Dan Vogelbach (24 yrs old - 59 OVR A POT)
- Well this guy can swing it...and nothing else. Hopefully his hitting progresses and he can be a DH in the next couple years at the big league level. At this point we're pretty set with our bats in our MLB system but a few injuries could create an opportunity at some point.

#5 prospect - CF Boog Powell (24 yrs old - 64 OVR B POT)
- Honestly he's a long shot to really make an impact. He's a slap hitter is above average speed but doesn't steal bases to go along with average defense. Yea there's an issue if he's our #5 prospect.

#6 prospect - 1B Bobby Bradley (20 yrs old - 59 OVR B POT)
- He has a chance to be a very quality MLB hitter. The 59 OVR starting point hurts as that just further prolongs his potential impact.

#7 prospect - C Zack Collins (22 yrs old - 61 OVR B POT)
- Unlike our current MLB hitters Collins projects as a power hitter. The negative is that he sucks defensively and will struggle to hit .200. Hey at least he might progress to be a bottom of the order guy who might hit 15-20 HR.

The rest of the prospects aren't worth mentioning at this point. They MIGHT make an impact at some point but the OVR's are so low to start that it's not very likely.