On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, RotoCommunity.com participated in a fantasy baseball mock draft (on Mock Draft Central) with the other industry experts listed below. Player position eligibility was provided by Mock Draft Central. We assumed standard 5x5 category roto scoring with 23 starters and no reserves (for the purposes of the mock). Here's how the draft went down round-by-round, with analysis following each round.

You can go here to read about Buck Davidson's analysis of the same draft. This was my first mock of the season.

First off before I do any draft I look over each position to see if any are deep or weak for draft options. Here is what I found:

• CI - After the elite 1B and 3B go, it gets thin fast, so I'm going to look to fill two of those spots early. The bottom end is full of injury risks and guys who won't help you in more than two categories, so I want all three spots filled by the middle of the draft.
• MI - Most years MI is thin, but this year it looks deep for both 2B and SS. I still won't pass up the elite players, but I know I can fill my MI slots with speed later in the draft.
• OF - Outfield looks top-heavy, but it looks like it will drop off mid-draft. I'll make sure to get 3-4 spots filled before the second half of the draft.
• C - The catcher position looks to be thin this year. A total of 24 catchers have to be drafted, and I don't like any past my Top 15. Also, a lot of the high-end catchers have had good and bad seasons within the last two years. The list of reliable catchers is very thin. I'm moving those guys up a tick on my cheat sheet.
• SP - Pitching is very deep this year! I'm not going to stress picking pitching early but focus on it in the middle of the draft with an ace or two there.
• CL - Closers have been so up and down, it's the biggest gamble of the draft every year it seems. In this set-up, I want to walk away with two closers, but a league can be won by drafting one and working the waiver wire to pick up saves in-season. I like to draft one elite closer and then draft a sleeper later or not draft a second closer at all. 

I had the 8th pick... let's see how the draft unfolded!

ROUND 1

I'm sticking my neck out by taking Joe Mauer this early. Most will say he is a late first-round pick, but I like him right where I got him. I say that because back in the 90's, Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez were first-round locks, while others in the league were putting up 50+ HR, .350+ BA, 300+ K, and sub-2.50 ERA. Gone are those days, but Joe Mauer has been able to win three batting titles and has started to hit for power, making him the total package -- leaps and bounds ahead of any other catcher. Mauer ranked first in R, HR, and BA for catchers and second in RBI, third in AB (523), and tied for 9th in SB. Did I forget to mention that he missed the first month of the season too. Only a handful of catchers will give you good fantasy numbers, so locking up Mauer, who is just hitting his prime at the age of 26, is a must.

Team Report: Mauer gives me an early jump in batting average and should post solid stats in R, HR, and RBI. 

ROUND 2

It looks like the top of the 2nd round will be rich, as Cabrera, Crawford, and Lincecum all went before me. Getting a late pick this year might not be all that bad. I was very happy getting David Wright in the second round. Wright had a bad season in 2009, but he still hit for average and stole 27 bases. With a healthy line-up around him this year and the addition of Jason Bay, Wright will see his R-HR-RBI ghead back up towards his norms. Wright is also hitting his prime at age 27, so a 25/25 season or more may not be out of his reach.

Team Report: I now have two thin positions filled with elite players. Batting average is still looking very strong, but HR and RBI are on the weak side.

ROUND 3

A few big names in Jose Reyes and Grady Sizemore fell into the third round. Both have been first-rounders and could be again. The only pick I was not really happy about, looking back at the draft, was Ichiro Suzuki herein the 3rd round. The Mariners have improved their offense this off-season, so Ichiro will hopefully see his runs rebound. With Figgins in Seattle, Ichiro could move down in the order, too, giving him more RBI. His SB have gone down, but if you can get 25-30 SB out of Ichiro and a .310+ BA, Ichiro in the third will look like a solid pick. One would hope.

Team Report: Again going after a high-average hitter, my team can now take on some low batting average guys, with Mauer and Ichiro in tow. My team is running away with average but hurting badly now in HR and RBI. 

ROUND 4

Going into the 4th round, I was looking for best power hitter all the way and was happy to see Justin Morneau fall to me. He was the last of the elite first basemen on my list. I was happy to be able to lock up a top 3B and 1B early in the draft as anchors. Morneau won't hit 40 HR, but he is a league leader every year in RBI and can give you 30 HR and a respectable batting average.

Team Report: Morneau gives me a big boost in RBI, which was an area of need for my team. I'm still sitting with ++ BA, good R totals and in the middle of the pack HR, RBI, SB.

ROUND 5

In the fifth round, I was all set to take my first early-round sleeper in Curtis Granderson, but he was taken a few picks before my pick. He could be a monster in NY, and I'll have to note that I need to take him earlier if I want him next time. I ended up filling my CI by selecting Kendry Morales. I was looking at OF, but the list of CI was looking thin, so I snatched up Morales, who had a big season last year and should be able to produce similar numbers again this year.

Team Report: Morales fills my CI, and I'm loaded with Power, BA, and some Speed at CI. My team now needs some work on SB, and I'm starting to look at pitching, too.

ROUND 6

In the sixth round, I took a guy whom I have had bad luck with, in Derek Jeter. I have drafted Jeter only twice for money leagues and in those two years... in one he was injured, and in 2008 he barely hit .300 and only had 11 HR and 11 SB. The nice thing is a bad season by Jeter is a top-five season bat the SS position. You have to love a guy that does not miss time and puts up solid numbers year in and year out. Jeter is getting older, but he can still hit. I'm not counting on a lot of power or speed, but the R will be solid, and he should be able to produce a fair amout of RBI. Jeter has only stolen over 30 bases four times in his career and averages just over 20 in a full season, so make sure you don't write him down for 30 when drafting.

Team Report: I filled another thin position -- Jeter at SS. My team can really take on a few low batting average guys now. I'm still weak in SB, but Jeter helps. A few SP aces are on the board -- it's about time to go get one.

ROUND 7

Seventh round I was starting to look for a staff ace or closer. Top closers Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera were off the board, along with Jon Lester. A nice list of SP were still available in Javier Vazquez, Matt Cain, and Josh Beckett, so I decided to take another bat. I took Billy Butler to fill my Utility spot, and I feel he can put together a big year. Last year, Butler had 52 doubles and 21 HR to go with a .300 average. He had a big second half and looks like a younger Joey Votto to me. I now have three first basemen -- other teams will be hurting later in the draft.

Team Report: I nabbed another big stick to add to my HR and RBI totals. It was very early to fill up the Utility position, but I now have a solid core of HR-RBI players. It's time to focus my next few picks on pitching. 

ROUND 8

After my Butler pick all of the aces I was looking at (Vazquez, Cain, Beckett) were dropping like flies. It was down to Clayton Kershaw or take one of the last elite closers in Joakim Soria. I took Soria to lock up a sure-thing closer. I also thought I could get Kershaw with my next pick. The pick right after me was Kershaw so I was kind of mad I took Soria, but one thing to remember is that pitching is deep this year.

Team Report: I drafted a pitcher! Soria is a top-end closer and will make your season less stressful, knowing you have a full-time closer locked up. Looking over my notes, I see that I need to start building my SP rotation and add another OF or two before they get thin.

ROUND 9

In the ninth round, I was looking to add another young sleeper in Andrew McCutchen. He was picked at the end of the 8th round, so I started looking to pitching again, because I still need my ace. ERA stud Jair Jurrjens was still on the board, so I scooped him up. Jurrjens won't help me with the K, but he is on a good team and should be able to reach 14 wins. That's not bad for a guy who will be among the league leaders again in ERA.

Team Report: I now have an ace on my staff. I need to find some high-K guys. Jurrjens should help offset a higher-ERA pitcher with K later. The draft is now entering the tenth round, and teams will start filling in needs. It's time to do the same myself and find some sleepers.

ROUND 10

I only had one OF in a five-OF league, so I started looking for OF and found Alex Rios. Last year, Rios was ugly. I, like many, thought his move to Chicago would turn his season around, but it didn't. Rios has a 20/20 season in him, and if he can get his average back up in the .280s like in the past, he should hit those marks easily. Rios offers good value at this point of the draft.

Team Report: I filled my second outfield spot and added some much-needed speed. I also gain some power, and if Rios fails to hit for average, my team can handle it. I still like a lot of OF and SP in the draft at this juncture.

ROUND 11

I selected Chad Billingsley, who had a down year in 2009, with my 11th-round pick. I feel that Billingsley should be able to get his ERA under 4 again, and I should be able to get 175+ K out of him. He still has a lot of upside and can still post ace-like numbers.

Team Report: Billingsley will help my team out with K and should put up solid numbers across the board. I'm now up to 3 of my 9 pitchers, but from my notes, I should draft more with my upcoming picks. I'm also still looking at OF.

ROUND 12

In the 12th round, the middle tier of closers was getting thin. I took Carlos Marmol, who could be a really good pick or a very bad pick. Marmol had no control last season, but still took over the closer role. If he has the same control problems this year, he could lose his job and hurt your team with a high WHIP. But if he doesn't, he could be a top-five closer with the number of K he can pile up.

Team Report: That makes four pitchers on my team, and I have my closers locked up. Soria and Marmol with give me a good number of K from my closers, and both should be able to hold their job. We have hit the middle of the draft, and it looks like more OF and SP for me in the next few rounds.

ROUND 13

A few drop-offs were coming up, with MI and C. Geovany Soto was taken right before me, and other upper-tier catchers in Suzuki and Martin were taken in the 12th round. I had to jump on Miguel Montero before it was too late and I was left drafting a low-end catcher at the end of the draft. Montero had a great season last year and will be the full-time catcher this year. Montero was 6th in R, 9th in HR and RBI, and 4th in BA for catchers. I'm not sure if the average will be around .294 again, but he should add to his other totals playing full-time this season. With Montero, I had my two catchers and was happy that I would be getting great production from that position. Also note that not many good catchers will be on the board after the middle of the draft, so if you like getting production from your catchers, make sure to grab them by the middle of the draft.

Team Report: My team is starting to fill out, as I have CI and C filled. My team still needs some speed, and not many speed guys are left. It's time to look for MI or OF that can help me there and keep an eye on SP.

ROUND 14

Outfield was getting thin, and not many sure things were left. Davis was drafted, and he would have been a big help for my team in SB. On the top of my list after him was Corey Hart. Hart battled with some injuries last year and missed some time. Hart has the joy of hitting behind both Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Hart should be able to go 20/20 again, with a fair amount of RBI. If his average is around .260 again, my team can take it. In the 14th round, a 20/20 season from Hart is gold.

Team Report: Hart is a plus for my HR, RBI, and SB totals. Like I said, I can take a low average from him, with all my previously drafted high-average hitters. I still need to draft two more outfielders, and I can see the list getting thin, but I also need to draft a lot of pitchers.

ROUND 15

I was all ready to draft Marco Scutaro, but he was selected right before me, and I ended up making a foolish pick by taking Neftali Feliz. The word is that he will get a shot in the rotation, and he has a ton of potential. My team needs good strikeout pitchers, and Feliz can come up big in that category. I think I could have waited a round or two on Feliz and taken a vetren starter here, where I know what I'm getting. Feliz will be a big draft day sleeper, who could be moving up a lot by draft day if he looks good in spring training. At this point, though, this could be too early for him.

Team Report: I now have 5 of my 9 pitchers and look like I will be doing well in pitching, but I need a few more solid starters. I'm looking at another SP or OF next. I also have a few MI on my list, but it looks like I can wait on them for now.

ROUND 16

Pitchers were flying off the board. Five pitchers drafted in eight picks made my pick of Scott Kazmir easy. Kazmir looked good at the end of the season, after being traded to the Angels. Kazmir is a injury risk, but he could get you 200+ K in a full season.

Team Report: Kazmir gives me another good K pitcher, and my staff is starting to look strong. ERA and WHIP could be a weak spot right now. Wins are always hard to gauge, but all my starters are on winning teams. I still need 7 more players (3 P, 2 OF, 2B, MI). At this point, I'll take the best player available, but OF is getting very thin. I'm going to look at OF next.

ROUND 17

The top five players on my list at the time were Vernon Wells, Rich Harden, Joba Chamberlain, Ryan Ludwick and Everth Cabrera. I ended up taking Wells, as it seems he does well every other year, and this year would be the good year in the pattern. Wells is not the player he used to be, but he can still get 15-20 HR and 10+ SB. Outfield is getting ugly, but I only have one more to draft.

Team Report: Wells is not a strong outfielder, but he will fill the roll. He has done well in the past, and I hope he can stay healthy. My team needs speed, and MI has a few speedsters and is still deep. There was a big 1B run to start the 17th round. I'm glad I had that spot all locked up long ago.

ROUND 18

Rich Harden was taken a few picks before mine, so I took the top pitcher on my list in Joba Chamberlain. It's a gamble pick, as he still needs to win a spot in the rotation. I think Joba can have a big season if the Yankee's don't mess with him and just keep him in the rotation. Joba was doing alright last year until they started skipping him in the rotation and holding his pitch count down.

Team Report: If Joba is in the rotation, it's a great pick,but if he isn't, I'll be kicking myself. ERA and WHIP are still weak, but Joba is a plus for W and K. 

ROUND 19

After Joba, the top two guys on my list went back to back, sending me looking for OF and MI. I was happy to see Clint Barmes still around when it got back to my pick. Barmes might not be a everyday player, but with the numbers he put up last year, it's hard to not consider taking him. Prospect Eric Young Jr. is waiting in the wings, but Barmes can provide power and speed -- something you can't find at MI this late in the draft.

Team Report: Barmes comes with a low average, but my team should be able to handle it easily. The power has me sitting well, but I could still use some more speed. I'm down to four picks and need MI, OF, and 2 P.

ROUND 20

Nothing was standing out at this point, other than Alcides Escobar. I still needed to add some speed, and Escobar should reach 20+ SB. Only two other middle infielders were drafted after Escobar. He will hit in front of two big RBI guys and has the speed to reach 30+ SB if they let him run.

Team Report: I was very happy to get Escobar here, as he will help me in SB and R. I'm very happy with my team at this point. Offense has gone according to plan, with a good deal of balance. I still need one OF and two SP -- targeting SP next. 

ROUND 21

In the 21st round, I took Stephen Strasburg. I was kind of shocked he was still on the board, as some have been ranking him very high. He's another guy to watch this spring, to see if he breaks camp with the Nats. He could be the ROY if he does.

Team Report: I should have gone with a sure thing in Buehrle, as Strasburg could start in the minors. My team cannot take that hit, with Feliz and Joba fighting for a spot on their teams too. Overall, this was another make-or-break pick.

ROUND 22

Pitching was starting to get thin, so I pick my last pitcher, Derek Lowe. Lowe was another pitcher who had a down year, but this late in the draft, he is worth taking a shot on. I was also looking at Happ and Pettitte, who were taken later in the round.

Team Report: Pitching is filled, and my staff looks middle-of-the-road with upside. I need a lot of things to work out, but it does have the potential to be a great staff. Down to OF for my last pick, let's see if I can find a gem.

ROUND 23

My last pick of the draft was Nick Swisher. Swisher had a big year with the Yankees, posting good power numbers, alon,g with a good batting average. Swisher will have RF all to himself this year, so another good year can certainly occur.

Team Report: Overall, I was happy with my team. Pitching was my weakest area by far. I took a lot of chances on pitching and one cannot leave a draft with that many make-or-break pitchers. I could end up with two set-up men in Joba and Feliz, and a player in the minors in Strasburg. I think I did better with my hitters. I have a lot of high BA hitters, along with just enough speed and power to be in the upper half of those categories.

ALSO

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