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USA Today
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Fantasy baseball: Bobby Witt embodies premium placed on speed in AL LABR auction
Fantasy baseball: Bobby Witt embodies premium placed on speed in AL LABR auction Show Caption Hide Caption The New York Yankees have officially changed their facial hair policy Sports Seriously's Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the change in facial hair policy from the Yankees and the impact it may have on Major League Baseball. Sports Seriously 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. For more in-depth fantasy baseball stats and analysis, subscribe to
USA Today
03-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Fantasy baseball: Shohei Ohtani the top prize in NL LABR auction
Fantasy baseball: Shohei Ohtani the top prize in NL LABR auction Show Caption Hide Caption Juan Soto snubs Yankees, signs historic $765 million contract with the Mets The wait is over! Juan Soto agreed to a massive 15-year $765 million contract with the Mets and our experts are here to break it down. Sports Pulse There was little doubt which hitter and which pitcher would be the most expensive in the NL LABR auction. The question was merely how high the bidding would go. As the RT Sports website clock counted down, defending champ Doug Dennis of Baseball HQ had the honor of the first nomination. Would it be reigning league MVP Shohei Ohtani? Or would it be rookie of the year Paul Skenes? But Dennis, as veteran LABR observers know, has quite the contrarian streak – which he displayed once again by tossing out … Mark Vientos! The suspense didn't last very long, however, with Skenes coming out fourth overall. Fantasy Alarm's Howard Bender persevered to win him at $33. And right after that, came Ohtani. Shohei ... the money Coming off an epic 54-homer, 59-steal season – and returning to the mound in 2025 – Ohtani is the ultimate weapon in fantasy baseball. He can slot in as a pitcher or hitter (but not both) each week, giving his team tremendous flexibility. The bidding on Ohtani blew past Skenes, then topped the $38 Elly De La Cruz fetched as the second player nominated. In the end, I went back and forth with Baseball HQ's injury expert, Matt Cederholm in the final battle. When he reached $46, I tapped out and Dr. HQ had his franchise cornerstone. Cederholm didn't stop there, adding Zack Wheeler, Ryan Helsley, Mookie Betts, James Wood, Michael Toglia, Spencer Schwellenbach and Matthew Boyd within the first six rounds – and in the process, spending $199 of his $260 budget. In stark contrast, CBS Sports' Frank Stampfl didn't win a single player through the first three rounds of nominations (and only two of the first 65 players), as he opted for a classic spread-the-wealth strategy. Third baseman Austin Riley and pitcher Dylan Cease were his top buys at $25 each. Different strokes for different folks. NL LABR RESULTS: Complete draft grid, auction prices NL auction dynamics Despite the spirited bidding to start, prices for those top players turned out to be a bit lower than perhaps they should have, leading to some in-draft inflation. After De La Cruz, outfielders Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker went for $37 apiece and Corbin Carroll $35. Only one other pitcher topped the $30 mark: Zack Wheeler of the Phillies ($31). While the general consensus among NL first basemen has either Bryce Harper or Freddie Freeman atop the position, Pete Alonso ($32) was LABR's most expensive. Freeman was nominated first and only made it to $27, a nice buy for Creative Sports' Brian Walton. Harper went for $30 and Olson for $29. Also, the closer options were tossed out in a truly random order, which created a fair amount of chaos. The Giants' Ryan Walker was nominated first, setting the bar at $18 and driving prices up for the higher-rated closers who came afterward: Ryan Helsley at $23, Edwin Diaz at $23, Robert Suarez at $19 and finally, Raisel Iglesias at $24. With the top relief arms off the board, things cooled considerably, as LABR managers became reluctant to chase saves or opted to invest in closers-in-waiting. Some bullpens to watch: Dodgers: Tanner Scott ($16), Kirby Yates ($8), Blake Treinen ($2), Michael Kopech ($2). Tanner Scott ($16), Kirby Yates ($8), Blake Treinen ($2), Michael Kopech ($2). Phillies: Jordan Romano ($11), Orion Kerkering ($5), Matt Strahm ($5). Jordan Romano ($11), Orion Kerkering ($5), Matt Strahm ($5). Cubs: Ryan Pressly ($12), Porter Hodge ($5). Ryan Pressly ($12), Porter Hodge ($5). Diamondbacks: Justin Martinez ($10), A.J. Puk ($7). NL prospects abound It's always interesting to see how LABR values young players who don't have much of a track record in the majors. A year ago, Skenes, Jackson Chourio and Michael Busch turned out to be exceptional values. Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews had some success late last season, especially in stealing bases. He was this year's top rookie at $20 to ESPN's Eric Karabell, who also picked up Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw for $13. On the pitching side, Roki Sasaki of the Dodgers was a surprisingly tame $14 pickup for Brian Walton of The Cardinal Nation. Karabell also got the Phillies' Andrew Painter for $3. Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin ($6), Marlins 1B Deyvison De Los Santos ($5) and Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar ($2) were also taken in the auction – as were catchers Dalton Rushing ($3) and Augustin Ramirez ($2) and pitchers Quinn Mathews ($4), Bubba Chandler ($2), Brandon Sproat ($1) and Rhett Lowder ($1). For more in-depth fantasy baseball stats and analysis, subscribe to
