Draft Prep - Part 1

Before you know it spring training will be here. Now is the perfect time to start getting your rankings started and prepping for your draft(s). I'll go through a few things I like to do to get ready for the season.

Know your league rules This seems like an obvious one, but you'd be surprised how many people don't realize that there are 12 teams instead of 10 or that your league starts 5 OFs instead of 3. It never hurts to run through the roster requirements as well as your scoring system. It could effect who you take in the draft or when you draft a certain position. If you've been in a league for a while, you can still check with your commissioner on any changes to the rules this year.

Start with a deep list of players at each position I like to start my draft prep by grabbing list of at least the top 30 players at each position. OF, RP and SP are obviously deeper, but it depends on what your roster requirements are. I usually just grab the list from one of the major sites (mlb.com is a good place to start). I also try and grab a list of the top prospects that have a chance to either make a roster this spring or to be called up during the year. These guys might not be draft worthy, but you'll need to familiarize yourself with the names in case you hear them later as potential call ups or if they tear up the Catcus league.

Quickly re rank players based on your gut reaction This is going to change, but I like to get my initial reaction to the rankings and adjust them by which players I'd rather draft and which I'd rather pass on. This gives you a quick run down of who you'd likely to draft if you had to.

Scan a few sleeper, bust and breakout lists Be careful when doing this that you don't get too swayed by one person's opinion. I like to get a broad range of opinions so I can form my own opinion when the draft comes around. This also gets you familiar with some of the hot names that might go earlier than they should. It could also provide a list of guys who might be bargains.

Next I'll dive into the stats and how to make sense of the numbers. It can be overwhelming, I'll try to make it a little easier. I'll be pulling for the Cardinals next Sunday as the NFL season comes to a close. That should signal that opening day isn't that far off.