Baseball fans, help me settle a debate...

[Da Bomb 0]

So my friend and I did our own little fantasy draft the other day. You had to build a baseball team with any players you wanted, and build that team to be the best you could make it for the next 5 years -- not for fantasy stats, but to produce real life wins. There was one catch though -- you had to have exactly one player from every MLB team. Yes, that did leave us with 30 man rosters, but it was the best way to handle it.

 

Minor league players were available if you knew them, though the 5 years starts now for the whole team. Injury status is basically the players as they are right now... so with someone like Pujols, no long term effects... but with someone like Prior, had to take that into account. Defense, team chemistry, etc also supposed to be important. Salary was pretty much the only thing that didnt matter at all.

 

So the question is... WHICH TEAM would be the better team over the next 5 years? Here are the teams.

 

TEAM ONE

 

C - Joe Mauer, Pudge Rodriguez

1B - Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira

2B - Chase Utley

SS - Miguel Tejada, Derek Jeter (either of those two as 2B as well), Justin Upton

3B - David Wright, Billy Butler

LF - Jason Bay, Carlos Lee

CF - Vernon Wells, Grady Sizemore, Freddy Guzman

RF - Vladimir Guerrero, Adam Dunn

P - Felix Hernandez, Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano, Scott Kazmir, Dontrelle Willis, Mark Buerhle, Matt Cain, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Papelbon, Brian Fuentes, Brad Lidge, Tim Hudson, Chad Cordero

 

Lineup

1 - Jeter SS

2 - Bay LF

3 - Pujols DH/1B

4 - Guerrero RF

5 - Teixeira 1B / Dunn DH (depending on matchup)

6 - Tejada 2B

7 - Wells CF

8 - Wright 3B

9 - Mauer C

 

Rotation

1 - Zambrano RHP

2 - Willis LHP

3 - Harden RHP

4 - Hudson RHP

5 - Kazmir LHP

 

Long relief - Buerhle LHP, F Hernandez RHP, Cain RHP

Middle relief - Fuentes LHP, Billingsley RHP, Cordero RHP

Set-Up - Lidge RHP

Closer - Papelbon RHP

 

===

 

TEAM TWO

 

C - Victor Martinez

1B - Derrek Lee, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder

2B - Alfonso Soriano, Michael Young, Felipe Lopez

SS - Alex Rodriguez, Jose Reyes

3B - Miguel Cabrera, Scott Rolen, Alex Gordon

LF - Carl Crawford, Matt Holliday, Manny Ramirez

CF - Andruw Jones

RF - Ichiro Suzuki

P - Jake Peavy, Brandon Webb, Johann Santana, Jason Schmidt, Roy Halladay, Justin Verlander, Roy Oswalt, Bobby Jenks, Huston Street, Francisco Rodriguez, Chris Ray, Mike Gonzalez, Eric Gagne

 

Lineup

1 - Ichiro RF

2 - Crawford LF

3 - ARod SS

4 - M Ramirez / Howard DH

5 - D Lee 1B

6 - Cabrera 3B

7 - A Jones CF

8 - Soriano 2B

9 - Martinez C

 

Rotation

1 - Santana LHP

2 - Peavy RHP

3 - Webb RHP

4 - Halladay RHP

5 - Oswalt RHP

 

Long relief - Jason Schmidt RHP, Justin Verlander LHP

Middle relief - Mike Gonzalez LHP

Set-Up - Francisco Rodriguez RHP, Bobby Jenks RHP, Huston Street RHP, Chris Ray RHP

Closer - Eric Gagne RHP

 

TIA.

[hoytdwow 202]

Team 2. Pitching and Defense.

[Dick Cheney 1]

Team 2- easily

[edjr 5,567]

Long relief - Jason Schmidt RHP Bwahahaha.. He's the best starter of everyone listed.

Maybe Santana is better.. but over the last 5 years, he's the best in the majors.

 

HTH

[hoytdwow 202]

Long relief - Jason Schmidt RHP Bwahahaha.. He's the best starter of everyone listed.

Maybe Santana is better.. but over the last 5 years, he's the best in the majors.

 

HTH

I'd take Santana, Peavy, Oswalt, or Harden over Schmidt any day. Especially on a team that's supposed to win in the next 5 years, not the last 5.

[Blitzen 0]

Papelbon is an x-ghey name.

[edjr 5,567]

I'd take Santana, Peavy, Oswalt, or Harden over Schmidt any day. Especially on a team that's supposed to win in the next 5 years, not the last 5.

 

you're clueless. HTH

 

Know of another pitcher that has 3 complete games this year?

Tied for the major league lead in strikeouts

2nd in the majors in innings pitched, with one less start than everyone else.

3rd best WHIP in the majors

his team is averaging 4.32 runs per game and he's 6 and 2.

Leads the majors with a 64.2 AGS. what is AGS you might ask? Check ESPN stats or look in code.

 

What more do you need to know?

 

 

Average Game Score. Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded, (3 points per inning). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk

[hoytdwow 202]

you're clueless. HTH

 

Know of another pitcher that has 3 complete games this year?

Tied for the major league lead in strikeouts

2nd in the majors in innings pitched, with one less start than everyone else.

3rd best WHIP in the majors

his team is averaging 4.32 runs per game and he's 6 and 2.

Leads the majors with a 64.2 AGS. what is AGS you might ask? Check ESPN stats or look in code.

 

What more do you need to know?

Average Game Score. Start with 50 points. Add 1 point for each out recorded, (3 points per inning). Add 2 points for each inning completed after the 4th. Add 1 point for each strikeout. Subtract 2 points for each hit allowed. Subtract 4 points for each earned run allowed. Subtract 2 points for each unearned run allowed. Subtract 1 point for each walk

He's having a great season, no doubt.

But, the poster is concerned with the next 5 years, not just the present. I'd say Santana or Peavy are better bets long term.

[torridjoe 0]

you're clueless. HTH

 

Know of another pitcher that has 3 complete games this year?

Tied for the major league lead in strikeouts

2nd in the majors in innings pitched, with one less start than everyone else.

3rd best WHIP in the majors

his team is averaging 4.32 runs per game and he's 6 and 2.

Leads the majors with a 64.2 AGS. what is AGS you might ask? Check ESPN stats or look in code.

 

What more do you need to know?

 

His age.

[Da Bomb 0]

jason schmidt is a stud right now. he was my preseason pick for NL cy young winner, and hes quietly building himself a quality case. however hes already 35, and hes already shown some signs of age, so over a 5 year league he is not someone particularly valuable. thats why youre missing a lot of stars in this draft, because within 2-3 years, they just wont be that good.

[SmartassBoiler 0]

Team 2. Pitching and Defense.

 

The team with VMart at catcher and Soriano at 2B gets the vote for defense?

 

I'd take team 1, although over the next 5 years I'd much rather have Felix Hernandez starting than Tim Hudson.

[BMoney 0]

His age.

 

 

exactly...Schmidt is a stud but to ask him to do that at 40 is asking a lot...

 

wow..no love for rickie weeks ot tony gwynn jr?

 

I would take team 1...I love team 2s hitters..but if you are asking your closer for 5 years to be Gagne, ouch..he wont make it 5 more games without more pain. He'll be out of baseball by then, as will Schmidt and Halladay.

[Da Bomb 0]

The team with VMart at catcher and Soriano at 2B gets the vote for defense?

 

I'd take team 1, although over the next 5 years I'd much rather have Felix Hernandez starting than Tim Hudson.

 

yeah sorry, i shouldve specified, the starting lineups / rotations were only for this first year. you can tell both teams have a certain amount of youth that will be worked in over the next couple of years.

[kilroy69 994]

yeah sorry, i shouldve specified, the starting lineups / rotations were only for this first year. you can tell both teams have a certain amount of youth that will be worked in over the next couple of years.

Are you playing in a 5 team league?

[hoytdwow 202]

The team with VMart at catcher and Soriano at 2B gets the vote for defense?

 

I'd take team 1, although over the next 5 years I'd much rather have Felix Hernandez starting than Tim Hudson.

Well, they've also got Andruw, Ichiro, Rolen, and Arod. Ok, Arod sux this year, but it's because he's out of position

[SmartassBoiler 0]

Well, they've also got Andruw, Ichiro, Rolen, and Arod. Ok, Arod sux this year, but it's because he's out of position

 

Yeah, Andruw, Ichiro, and Rolen are studs. Mauer seems to be a stud in the making at catcher, even defensively since he's throwing out runners at a pretty high rate. Vernon Wells is also awesome in center, and Guerrero has a cannon in right. Throw in Utley who's all effort, all the time at 2B and Wright who should be a great defensive 3B, and I think both teams are pretty even.