With the start of spring training, we thought we’d do our first 2012 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft for you guys.

You may notice my picks are highlighted in Orange. This is not because I think I’m extremely special, I just couldn’t figure out the formatting to change the color. Though, I feel I deserve special recognition because I had to barter with my fiancée to get the time to do this. So this morning, I saw “The Vow” in theaters, I was one of 2 men there. Pity me and accept the orange highlights.

We have analysis of the picks below several of the early rounds with more coming.  The full team rosters are below the round results.

FYI: Draft order of writers was as follows

1. “Twinning” = @OGBILL
2.  ”richardv81″ = @RickyGangster
3.  ”Mike’s team” = @MikeBaumSays
4. “blue536″ = @jeffpasquale
5.  ”StrikeDeuce” = @Strikedeuce
6. “BBonneville” = @BBonneville
7. “Kel Varnsen” = @fantasybalk
8. “Thee not The?” = @jbgilpin
9. “Gregsauce” = @GregSauce
10. “The Maestro” = @FSMaestro
11. “D. Bienia” = @beansfakesports
12. “@fredlsteinmann” = @fredlsteinmann

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Draft Results (courtesy of MockDraftCentral):

Round 1 & 2 Analysis by @OGBILL

Best Picks 1 & 2
1) Jose Bautista- OF-Toronto Blue Jays  Round 1, Overall # 4
Love the power, love the multi positional eligbility, hitter’s friendly ball park.  Only question I have is how many Home Runs is he going to hit 40+ or 50+?

2) Carlos Gonzalez- OF- Colorado Rockies  Round 2, Overall # 15
Cargo will go 30/30 year at the bare minimum for you.  Last year I saw him go top 5. Injuries derailed the kid last year, but he still put up .295/26/92/20.

3) Curtis Granderson -OF- New York Yankees  Round 2, Overall # 23
Amazing value here at the end of round 2.  I was going to make my #1 OF a pick later.

Worst Picks aka Nit-Picking from Rounds 1 & 2

1)  Justin Verlander -SP- Round 1, Overall # 8
Last Year’s Edition was a Cy Young Award Winner. This year’s model comes with lumbering oafs at the corner infield spots.  Not so hot when last year’s .236 average on balls in play was 49 points lower than his career average.

2)  Ian Kinsler -2B- Texas Rangers Round 2, Overall # 22
30/30 seasons  are obtainable, but with huge injury risk.  If I were Mikes Team, I would have let him go this round and picked him in round 3

3) Cliff Lee -SP- Philladelphia Phillies Round 2, Overall # 24
I think I should have taken Cole Hamels instead here.  I think I would rather have Hamels in a contract year and Hamels is more likely to face average competition.

Round 5 & 6 Analysis by @MikeBaumSays

Round 5
Likes:
Ryan Zimmerman – I’ve always been a big fan of Zimmerman’s and he’s a good value in the middle of the 5th round. He was a 2nd rounder just last year, and should bounce back if he can stay healthy.
Alex Rodriguez – Like Zimmerman I think ARod is a great value in the 5th round. He probably can’t be counted on for more than 130 games played, but he could hit 25-30 HR and drive in 100 anyway.
Buster Posey – Would anyone be surprised if Posey ended up being the #1 catcher in fantasy this year? He was the 4th catcher taken, and this league requires we start 2 Cs, so I think it was a great pick.

Dislikes:
Jon Lester – I think Lester will have a bounceback season, but I think I took him a little too early. There were many comparable pitchers available in the 6th and 7th rounds and I could have used the pick on another bat.
Michael Bourn – He was more valuable last year thanks to a career high .294 batting average, but he’s a career .271 hitting, so the 5th round is early to take a speed specialist like Bourn.
Craig Kimbrel – As great as Kimbrel is, I don’t think I’ll end up owning him in any leagues this year because I can’t bear to take him in the 5th round when all of the other closers will be available 2 full rounds later. Taking him that early means you miss out on a lot of good starters and bats.

Round 6:
Likes:
Brandon Phillips – It seems like Phillips is a little under-appreciated these days. There aren’t many 2B who can score 100 runs, hit 20 HR, and drive in 85. Phillips is a very solid 6th round pick.
Madison Bumgarner – I hoped to get Bumgarner with my pick in this round but he was snatched up before I could take him. Bumgarner has a solid K rate, doesn’t walk people, and plays in a great home park/division. I think he could be a fantasy ace this year.
Matt Weiters – Wieters didn’t make the instant impact that fantasy owners hoped for in 2009/2010, but his 2011 was a nice step forward. I think he’ll continue to develop and hit 25+ HR this year. In a two catcher league, it’s important to get one solid catcher you can depend on.

Dislikes:
Asdrubal Cabrera – The SS position dries up quickly, but I can’t get behind taking Cabrera this early when guys like Rollins, Hardy, Jeter, and Alexei Ramirez went several rounds later. He’ll have to hit around 25 homers again this year to justify this early pick.
Mat Latos – I like Latos, but this seems a little too early to be taking him. Many people are making light of the switch from Petco (and the NL West) to Great American Ballpark,  but I’m concerned his ERA and WHIP will see a spike, which makes a 6th round pick a risky proposition.
Mike Morse – Morse led the NL with 13 “just enough” HRs, so I’m concerned that he will have a hard time hitting 30+ HR again. He had a babip of .344, which makes me think another .300+ average in unlikely. If he regresses like I think he will, he won’t return 6th round value.

Round 11 & 12 Analysis by @BBonneville

I had a hard time with this list, I felt many grabbed value where they should be about here.

Best Picks 11 & 12

1) Nick Markakis  - I think Markakis is kind of a steal in the 12th round. Most teams will likely be drafting their second or third outfielder here and he’s a pretty solid guy to have in that slot. He’ll keep the average up and has upside in the other categories. Solid pick.

2) Carlos Beltran – He’s no longer a stud, but like Markakis above, you could do a lot worse. Beltran had a solid season in 2011 and that should continue. I would have thought he would have been taken in the two rounds prior.

3) Derek Jeter – He’s nothing special but he won’t burn you. After missing out on the studs, and playing it safe (unlike taking a shot on Alexei 2 picks later), I think the last solid SS is a good grab in round 12.

Worst Picks 11 & 12 – Have to nit-pick

1) Colby Rasmus – This is the only pick that stood out to me in these rounds. Rasmus has been disappointing and could still be on the board 5+ rounds from here. Could he play up to the potential fantasy owners have expected for the last two years? Sure. Drafting him here though eliminates any upside. He would need to have the seaon we all expected from him last year just to earn his 12th round draft slot.

2) Nick Swisher – I’m just getting picky here, I just think he could have been waited on a bit. He’s got the numbers to be a solid later round pickup. There are a few other guys on the board I’d rather take in these mid-rounds.

3) Adam Lind – He’s off then on but altogether on the decline numbers wise. I would have waited and gone for some of the other guys on the board a few rounds later: Gaby Sanchez, Ike Davis, Ryan Howard

1. Ryan Howard – After maybe the worst way to end a postseason series, a series-ending routine groundout leading to an Achilles tear, Ryan Howard is a very enigmatic selection come draft day.  But all the way to the mid-15th round is entirely too late (I was all set to take him two picks later).  News is extremely positive coming out from Philly, with Charlie Manuel saying he is ahead of schedule.  He’ll miss some time, but when he returns, he’s a huge boost to your power stats.  This late in the draft, he’s a steal.

2. Justin Morneau – Morneau is right there with Howard for late-round power fliers.  Tons of risk, tons of upside.  If he can get his health in order, he could hit 20 HRs at .300.  At this late in the draft, Morneau is easily expendable should his health fail him.  I like his potential a lot more than other players in these rounds, and that’s all you’re hoping for.

3. John Mayberry – Speaking of potential, John Mayberry reportedly has the left field position unless he gives it up.  This late in the draft, it’s tough to put your finger on anyone with 20/20 potential, but Mayberry is easily my choice.  Even though the Phillies will have some rough days on offense, Mayberry has stolen 20 bases in the minors in 2010 and flashed huge power with 15 HRs in only 267 ABs last year.

1. Juan Pierre – There are rumors Juan Pierre might not even make the opening day roster, and his age is extremely limiting his only asset: speed.  Behind John Mayberry and Domonic Brown for the left field spot, Pierre won’t be anything besides a pinch-running role player barring injury.  I don’t see any upside.

2. Trevor Cahill – Cahill got a big contract and subsequently fell apart last year, leading to his trade to the Diamondbacks.  After a tremendous 2010 and open to 2011, Cahill looked to be one of the league’s rising stars.  But some command issues and a slight dip in velocity (he lost almost 1.5 MPH on his fastball from 2010 to 2011) saw Cahill falling back to the mean.  Even with a 2.97/1.11 ERA/WHIP in 2010 vs. a 4.16/1.43 in 2011, Cahill’s xFIP was actually lower in 2011.  Cahill had a ridiculous .236 BABIP in 2010 aiding those crazy numbers, and now he moves to a very hitter-friendly park in the desert.  I think Cahill will be spending a lot of time on the waiver-wires this year.

3. Jaime Garcia – Don’t get me wrong, Jaime Garcia is a fine Major League pitcher.  But I am a Brewers fan, and hate all Cardinals.  No really, with loyalties aside, I will never draft Garcia.  I owned Jaime during his breakout last year, and rode the wave while it lasted, but I’m not a big fan of WHIP-killers that don’t give you a high K rate.  And if you’ve ever watched many of Garcia’s starts, his delivery is scary with a very violent elbow-whip.  I have a feeling he gets injured or plays through some elbow pain soon, to the detriment of his effectiveness.  Even if he stays healthy this year (he is only 25), he pretty much delivers plus stats in ERA only, with down WHIP, Ks, and wins with Pujols gone.  I like Mike Minor more, and would’ve taken several other pitchers that went later like Jair Jurrjens, Justin Masterson, or Bud Norris.
   

   R17 P1	Twinning	Motte, Jason	RP	STL
   R17 P2	richardv81	Danks, John	SP	CHW
   R17 P3	Mike’s team	Prado, Martin	OF	ATL
   R17 P4	blue536	Nathan, Joe	RP	TEX
   R17 P5	StrikeDeuce	Sanchez, Gaby	1B	MIA
   R17 P6	BBonneville	Quentin, Carlos	OF	SD
   R17 P7	Kel Varnsen	League, Brandon	RP	SEA
   R17 P8	Thee not The?	Fister, Doug	SP	DET
   R17 P9	Gregsauce	Davis, Ike	1B	NYM
   R17 P10	The Maestro	Street, Huston	RP	SD
   R17 P11	D.Bienia	Roberts, Ryan	3B	ARI
   R17 P12	@fredlsteinmann – thefakebaseball	Perez, Chris	RP	CLE
   R18 P1	@fredlsteinmann – thefakebaseball	Lewis, Colby	SP	TEX
   R18 P2	D.Bienia	Pena, Carlos	1B	TB
   R18 P3	The Maestro	Cespedes, Yoenis	OF	OAK
   R18 P4	Gregsauce	Dunn, Adam	DH	CHW
   R18 P5	Thee not The?	Belt, Brandon	OF	SF
   R18 P6	Kel Varnsen	Masterson, Justin	SP	CLE
   R18 P7	BBonneville	Norris, Bud	SP	HOU
   R18 P8	StrikeDeuce	Wells, Vernon	OF	ANA
   R18 P9	blue536	McCarthy, Brandon	SP	OAK
   R18 P10	Mike’s team	Minor, Mike	SP	ATL
   R18 P11	richardv81	Jurrjens, Jair	SP	ATL
   R18 P12	Twinning	Harper, Bryce	OF	WAS

Rounds 17 & 18 Analysis by @Gregsauce

Best Picks 17 & 18

Considering I didn’t take my first pitcher until Round 8, it should come as no surprise am jealous of the late values @rickygangster and @jeffpasquale found with Jair Jurrjens and Brandon McCarthy, respectively.  Both of these pitchers are undervalued based on the ability they’ve shown in the past.  Jurrjens had a fantastic first half last season, posting a 1.87 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, before injury slowed him down after the All-Star break.  He’s has a career ERA of 3.40 and has shown stretches of dominance when he’s been healthy.  Meanwhile, McCarthy was once a top pitching prospect who found fantasy salvation when he joined the A’s last year.  He really turned in on in the second half, recording 8 wins and 77 strikeouts over 94.1 innings with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.07.  Rick and Blue found some serious value with their 18th-rounders.

Earlier in the 18th round, @FSMaestro spent his pick on the freshly signed Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes.  While I’m not sold on Cespedes at this point, he seems to have one of the Oakland outfield spots locked down for now (they’re paying him more than any other player on the roster) and I’m always on board with a gamble on upside in the later rounds.

Worst Picks 17 & 18

On the flip side of that coin, I just can’t get behind @OGBILL’s selection of Bryce Harper at the end of Round 18.  At age 19, it’s highly unlikely that Harper makes the opening day roster for the Nationals.  If he was eligible behind the plate, I’d be more inclined to endorse drafting Harper in a two-catcher league.  Lacking C-eligibility and a guaranteed spot on the roster, taking Harper seems like a wasted pick to me, despite the potential upside.  If Harper makes the roster and plays enough games at backstop, I will eat my words.

At the end of the previous round, @fredlsteinmann drafted Chris Perez. With Craig Kimbrel and Drew Storen already on his roster, that pick could have been better used on another position.  If I had been in his place, I would have taken a catcher like Geovany Soto or another starter like the aforementioned Jurrjens or McCarthy.

Finally, let’s just say I was very happy when @StrikeDeuce chose Gaby Sanchez with the 5th pick in Round 17, leaving Ike Davis on the board for me to take four picks later.  Sanchez had a fine season last year, but his ceiling is in the 20-25 HR and 75-85 RBI range.  With the Mets moving the outfield fences in at Citi Field and Ike Davis slated to bat clean-up, his upside over Sanchez is significant.

3. R19 P1	Twinning	Cain, Lorenzo	OF	KC
   R19 P2	richardv81	Smith, Seth	OF	OAK
   R19 P3	Mike’s team	Duda, Lucas	OF	NYM
   R19 P4	blue536	Ogando, Alexi	SP	TEX
   R19 P5	StrikeDeuce	Vazquez, Javier	SP	FA
   R19 P6	BBonneville	Vogelsong, Ryan	SP	SF
   R19 P7	Kel Varnsen	Johnson, Kelly	2B	TOR
   R19 P8	Thee not The?	Escobar, Yunel	SS	TOR
   R19 P9	Gregsauce	Guerra, Javy	RP	LA
   R19 P10	The Maestro	Buchholz, Clay	SP	BOS
   R19 P11	D.Bienia	Nova, Ivan	SP	NYY
   R19 P12	@fredlsteinmann – thefakebaseball	Baker, Scott	SP	MIN
   R20 P1	@fredlsteinmann – thefakebaseball	Headley, Chase	3B	SD
   R20 P2	D.Bienia	Boesch, Brennan	OF	DET
   R20 P3	The Maestro	Rodriguez, Francisco	RP	MIL
   R20 P4	Gregsauce	Fowler, Dexter	OF	COL
   R20 P5	Thee not The?	Moustakas, Mike	3B	KC
   R20 P6	Kel Varnsen	Viciedo, Dayan	OF	CHW
   R20 P7	BBonneville	Santana, Johan	SP	NYM
   R20 P8	StrikeDeuce	Brantley, Michael	OF	CLE
   R20 P9	blue536	Rios, Alex	OF	CHW
   R20 P10	Mike’s team	Farnsworth, Kyle	RP	TB
   R20 P11	richardv81	Bourgeois, Jason	OF	HOU
   R20 P12	Twinning	Francisco, Frank	RP	NYM

Rounds 19 & 20 Analysis (By the Maestro)

BEST THREE

Final Team Rosters

Twinning

richardv81

Mike’s team

blue536

StrikeDeuce

BBonneville

Kel Varnsen

Thee not The?

Gregsauce

The Maestro

D.Bienia

@fredlsteinmann – thefakebaseball

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Round 5 & 6 Analysis by @MikeBaumSays