Fantasy baseball: Bobby Witt embodies premium placed on speed in AL LABR auction

USA Today

03-03-2025

Fantasy baseball: Bobby Witt embodies premium placed on speed in AL LABR auction
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The annual League of Alternative Baseball Reality drafts came with a twist this year. The traditional stare-downs and player jerseys at the auction table were replaced by tiny avatars and a BID+1 button.
For just the second time in LABR history, the AL and NL auctions were conducted online.
However, most traditions continued with defending AL champion James Anderson of Rotowire having the honor of tossing out Jazz Chisholm to kick things off. The Yankees aren't shy about spending and LABR managers weren't shy about spending on Yankees as Chisholm, eligible at third base and the outfield, went for $33.
Shortly afterward, Aaron Judge became the evening's most expensive player as the bidding reached $46 from CBS Sports' Chris Towers. Would that be more or less than Royals shortstop Bobby Witt? Turns out, it was exactly the same. Bidders were similarly aggressive throughout the opening rounds, especially on the hitting side: Jose Ramirez ($41), Vladimir Guerrero ($39), Gunnar Henderson ($36), Julio Rodriguez ($35), Jarren Duran ($33), Corey Seager ($29) and Brent Rooker ($27) were among the first 40 players off the board.
NL LABR RECAP: Ohtani, Skenes the top prizes in NL
AL LABR RESULTS: Complete draft grid, auction prices
Call to arms in AL
Elite pitching didn't come cheaply either. Ian Kahn, after a one-year stint in the NL, was back in the AL. He spent the most on any single pitcher by paying $33 for Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. That was followed by Logan Gilbert ($27), Garrett Crochet ($25) and Framber Valdez ($24). Yet the strength of this year's AL pitching pool offers drafters a variety of options and strategies.
Adding to the pitching depth in this draft, Boston University professor Andy Andres went heavy on hitting (as he did as an LABR rookie last year), spending $220 of his $260 budget on bats. As a result, eleven pitchers sold for between $18 and $22 as the other teams stocked their rosters with upper-tier starters.
Perhaps the most polarizing of the group is the Rangers' Jacob deGrom. The two-time NL Cy Young winner has only thrown a total of 41 innings over the past two seasons, but he's fully healthy for the first time since 2020, and is capable of being a real difference-maker.
After Skubal's nomination, seven more pitchers were thrown out consecutively. Mariners starters Luis Castillo ($19) and Gilbert went quickly before the bidding turned to deGrom. Skepticism about his ability to stay healthy prevented him from getting too expensive, with Baseball Prospectus' Jesse Roche taking the plunge at $21.
The relatively stable group of AL closers produced few surprises, with Emmanuel Clase leading the way at $25, followed by Josh Hader at $24 and Devin Williams at $22.
Among the less-settled closer situations:
Red Sox: Liam Hendriks ($8), Aroldis Chapman ($6), Justin Slaten ($1).
Liam Hendriks ($8), Aroldis Chapman ($6), Justin Slaten ($1). Angels: Kenley Jansen ($13), Ben Joyce ($4).
Kenley Jansen ($13), Ben Joyce ($4). Rays: Pete Fairbanks ($11), Edwin Uceta ($5).
Pete Fairbanks ($11), Edwin Uceta ($5). Royals: Carlos Estevez ($10), Lucas Erceg ($8).
Carlos Estevez ($10), Lucas Erceg ($8). Tigers: Jason Foley ($7), Tyler Holton ($3), Beau Brieske (reserve).
Need for speed (and versatility)
One thing that became apparent very early was the importance of securing stolen bases. Sure, the elite power/speed stars – Witt, Ramirez, Rodriguez, Duran, Chisholm – will be expensive no matter what.
However, mid-tier players who can run also drew substantial interest from AL LABR managers. Everyday shortstops Anthony Volpe and Jeremy Peña went for $23 apiece, just $6 less than Seager.
And if those speedy runners happen to play multiple positions, they're exceptionally valuable in a mono league. And the winning bids reflected it.
2B/3B Maikel Garcia: $20
2B/3B Luis Rengifo: $18
SS/OF Ceddane Rafaela: $18
2B/SS/3B/OF Willi Castro: $17
2B/SS/3B Jose Caballero: $8
Don't forget the outfield
One final note: the outfield depth in the AL beyond the top stars gets thin very quickly.
The traditional sweet spot for five-outfielder leagues usually falls between $10 and $19 – not too expensive to blow your budget, but valuable enough to be everyday contributors.
In this draft, just 15 outfielders fell in that range – an average of slightly more than one per team. That left a few teams with less-than-optimal choices to fill their outfield slots in the endgame.
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