Here are the results from my latest mock draft (Sunday), holding the No. 12 slot in a 12-team, 25-round mock draft.
Among the notable quirks, each club starts five outfielders and must account for three ancillary spots among the starters — 1B/3B, 2B/SS and offensive "Utility" spot.
Today's experimental assignment: Grab at least six hitters in the first eight picks ... and preferably wait on the outfielders (gauging the market depth):
Round 1, Pick 12 overall — Best overall player
First option: 1B Joey Votto, Reds
Second option: 1B Prince Fielder, Tigers
Third option: 3B David Wright, Mets
Round 2, Pick 13 overall — Best overall player
First option: 1B Prince Fielder, Tigers
Second option: SP Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Third option: 3B David Wright, Mets
Round 3, Pick 36 overall — Best pitcher or corner infielder
First option: SP Jered Weaver, Angels
Second option: SP Cole Hamels, Phillies
Third option: 3B Chase Headley, Padres
Round 4, Pick 37 overall — Best middle infielder or pitcher
First option: SS Starlin Castro, Cubs
Second option: SP Cole Hamels, Phillies
Third option: 3B Chase Headley, Padres
Round 5, Pick 60 overall — Best second baseman or outfielder
First option: 2B Jason Kipnis, Indians
Second option: 2B Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks
Third option: OF Austin Jackson, Tigers
Round 6, Pick 61 overall — Best starting pitcher
First option: SP Chris Sale, White Sox
Second option: SP CC Sabathia, Yankees
Third option: SP Mat Latos, Reds
Round 7, Pick 84 overall — Best starting pitcher
First option: SP Max Scherzer, Tigers
Second option: SP Yovani Gallardo, Brewers
Third option: SP Matt Moore, Rays
Round 8, Pick 85 overall — Best outfielder/infielder with power
First option: 1B/OF Mark Trumbo, Angels
Second option: 3B Pablo Sandoval, Giants
Third option: SS Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
Round 9, Pick 108 overall — Best corner infielder or outfielder
First option: 1B Anthony Rizzo, Cubs
Second option: OF Carlos Gomez, Brewers
Third option: OF Curtis Granderson, Yankees
Round 10, Pick 109 overall — Best outfielder available
First option: OF Carlos Gomez, Brewers
Second option: OF Hunter Pence, Giants
Third option: OF Curtis Granderson, Yankees
Round 11, Pick 132 overall — Best player available
First option: SP Jeff Samardzija, Cubs
Second option: 3B Mike Moustakas, Royals
Third option: SS Alcides Escobar, Royals
Round 12, Pick 133 overall — Best infielder or starting pitcher
First option: 3B Mike Moustakas, Royals
Second option: SS Alcides Escobar, Royals
Third option: SP Homer Bailey, Reds
Round 13, Pick 156 overall — Best player available
First option: SP Homer Bailey, Reds
Second option: OF Jason Kubel, Diamondbacks
Third option: RP Greg Holland, Royals
Round 14, Pick 157 overall — Best player available
First option: 3B Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox
Second option: OF Jason Kubel, Diamondbacks
Third option: RP Greg Holland, Royals
Round 15, Pick 180 overall — Best outfielder or catcher
First option: OF Dexter Fowler, Rockies
Second option: C Wilin Rosario, Rockies
Third option: C Salvador Perez, Royals
Round 16, Pick 181 overall — Best catcher available
First option: C Wilin Rosario, Rockies
Second option: C Salvador Perez, Royals
Third option: OF Norichika Aoki, Brewers
Round 17 — RP Glen Perkins, Twins
Round 18 — RP Casey Janssen, Blue Jays
Round 19 — SP Matt Garza, Cubs
Round 20 — OF Jayson Werth, Nationals
Round 21 — RP Jose Veras, Astros
Round 22 — OF Drew Stubbs, Indians
Round 23 — 1B/3B Jordan Pacheco, Rockies
Round 24 — SS Jean Segura, Brewers
Round 25 — SP Trevor Bauer, Indians
Quick Hitters
1. For his injury-plagued 2012, Joey Votto had few peers in the revealing categories of K/BB ratio (84-95), OBP (.474), slugging (.567) and OPS (1.041). He also posted two months of .355-or-higher batting, two months of six-plus homers and four on-base percentage months at .439 or higher.
2. I was thrilled to land three dynamic first basemen for three starting slots — 1B, 1B/3B and Utility. Votto and Fielder are elite-level assets ... and Anthony Rizzo (38 homers/110 RBI in the minors/majors last year) had the following MLB tallies last July: Seven homers, 17 RBI, 14 runs and .330 batting average.
3. Of his 30 starts last season, Jered Weaver (20-5, 2.81 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 142/45 K-BB) posted nine full outings of zero runs allowed ... and five others of one run. He also won nine straight appearances from June 20 to Aug. 6, yielding three runs or less eight times. Weaver's July numbers: 6-0, 2.23 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 26/9 K-BB ratio.
4. This time next year, there will be no shot of landing Jeff Samardzija after the 130th pick. Last season, he tallied a sub-2.50 ERA for three months (May, July, September) and three months of 36 or more strikeouts.
5. There's little motivation for reaching at catcher after Buster Posey, Yadier Molina and Joe Mauer fly off the draft board ... when Wilin Rosario, Miguel Montero and Salvador Perez can be had anytime after Round 15.
6. I graduated from the fantasy school of never investing high-round picks on closers. As a result, Glen Perkins (2.56 ERA, 16 saves, 78/16 K-BB last year), Casey Janssen (2.54 ERA, 22 saves, 0.87 WHIP) and Jose Veras (Houston's best closing option) are no worse off than the relievers going seven, eight or nine rounds earlier.
7. Trevor Bauer was a freak at UCLA and as a prospect with the Diamondbacks last season (12-2, 2.42 ERA, 157/61 K-BB). As soon as he earns a permanent promotion to the majors (opening day, Memorial Day, early September), the 22-year-old Bauer could quickly become a front-line asset for the Indians.
Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @FOX_JayClemons.
