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Just wanted to talk about some of the unforeseen breakthrough seasons in 2014. Guys who came out of nowhere, undrafted in most leagues, and became huge players for some of our teams, by the end of the season. Where do they get drafted in 2015?

Jacob deGrom - Undrafted in all leagues, I believe. Came through with a likely Rookie of the Year performance (2.69 ERA, 144Ks in 140 IP) and will be #2 in the Mets rotation next year behind Matt Harvey. Could turn out to be a fantasy stud for years to come, unless, of course, the 2nd year TJ bug hits him (God forbid).
DeGrom Predicted 2015 draft round - 7th round

Josh Harrison - Drafted in 29 (DC leagues) of 412 total leagues, and ranked #708 in the NFBC ADP, Harrison became a 5 category force and it wouldn't be a shocker if he got some MVP votes. A likely cheap FAAB pickup, he was a big part of many championship teams this year, including Joseph Reagor's Long Beach Bombers OC Championship team. The big question will be, can he repeat his 2014 performance, after 3 years as a mediocre utility player for the Pirates.
Harrison Predicted 2015 ADP - 7th round

Zach Britton - Drafted in 42 (DC leagues) of 412 total leagues, and ranked #693 in the NFBC ADP, Britton came out of nowhere to be one of the best closers in baseball. His 96 MPH sinker was nearly unhittable and he will likely be one of the elite closers drafted in 2015. Those who picked him up in FAAB were extremely satisfied with their likely low investment closer.
Britton Predicted 2015 draft round - 9th round

Matt Shoemaker - Undrafted in NFBC leagues, Shoemaker became one of the aces of the Angels' staff winning 16 games in 2014. If it wasn't for Jose Abreu, would likely be the runaway Rookie of the Year, Shoemaker is a future fantasy force, pitching on one of the best hitting teams in baseball.
Shoemaker Predicted 2015 draft round - 9th round

Collin McHugh - Undrafted in NFBC leagues, 2.7 ERA and 157 Ks in 153 innings, McHugh was an MLB journeyman who became a fantasy pitching stud in 2014. The big question will be, will the Astros win enough to make him relevant in the top 10 rounds or will he get traded to a contender?
McHugh Predicted 2015 draft round - 14th round

Steve Pearce - Undrafted in NFBC leagues, and after being a part time player for 4 different MLB teams over 7 years, became one of the Orioles big bats for 2014 with 21 HRs in 102 games. The big question will be, can he do it again and will the Orioles have a position for him? If not, don't be surprised if he is traded for a starting pitcher. Either way, he might get over-drafted in some leagues, but to me, he is a borderline CI for 2015
Pearce Predicted 2015 draft round - 17th round

Ender Inciarte - Undrafted in NFBC leagues, Ender became a valuable asset for fantasy owners, getting many final month stolen bases, for a horrible Diamondbacks team. He could be a future 30 SB leadoff hitter with some pop. Still only 24 years old, he has big upside for 2015 and beyond, especially with Goldschmidt back in the lineup. Will be undervalued and not a bad pickup in the late teens
Inciarte Predicted 2015 draft round - 18th round

Honorable mentions -
Dallas Keuchel - Good season with 5 complete games and some decent numbers for a bad team. Should be drafted in the low 20s.
Delin Betances - Almost unhittable for most of the 2014 season, he became the best setup man (along with Wade Davis) in all of baseball. If David Robertson is gone, he would be the closer for the Yankees and a 9th or 10th round pick. Otherwise, he is picked in the mid 20s

Did I miss anyone? Thoughts?

I suppose he was drafted in nearly a quarter of leagues but JD Martinez was a huge pick up for me...be interested to see what round you would have him.

mattjb wrote:I suppose he was drafted in nearly a quarter of leagues but JD Martinez was a huge pick up for me...be interested to see what round you would have him.

Good one. Forgot about him. I wasn't just going for the guys that weren't drafted at all... I know Keuchel was drafted in over 100 (DC) leagues, I believe. I just didn't expect he would be putting up those kind of stats. Same with JD. Although he showed some promise with the Astros, no one could have expected power numbers like that. I would think he would be drafted by the 10th round in 2015, if not sooner. Those are some big numbers on a very good hitting team. I am pretty sure he keeps the job.

My boy, Lucas Duda, would be another guy who put up some unexpected numbers.

I've got to give a shout out to Corey Dickerson. Batted over 300 with 20 plus home runs. Was sent to the minors in April. Where does he go next year?

lrr wrote:I've got to give a shout out to Corey Dickerson. Batted over 300 with 20 plus home runs. Was sent to the minors in April. Where does he go next year?

Yes, both Dickerson and Charlie Blackmon were huge surprises and their big numbers in that ballpark will mean very high draft slots for both guys, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round for both of them, in my opinion. Have to wonder if Dickerson can consistently hit left handed pitching, though.

Blackmon was horrible after mid-May. Amazing that someone could keep an everyday job with a .698 OPS in the 2nd half while playing half the season at Coors. He's a disaster waiting to happen.

Hells Satans wrote:Blackmon was horrible after mid-May. Amazing that someone could keep an everyday job with a .698 OPS in the 2nd half while playing half the season at Coors. He's a disaster waiting to happen.

I wasn't so concerned with his OPS, as a leadoff hitter, but the big factor there is that he doesn't walk. He wasn't awful. Just not as good as he was in the first half. I watched him a lot during the last few weeks of the season and he actually looked really good. He will be drafted very high but I am with you, I don't think I will risk it. I like Dickerson better.

Danny Santana

I'm not sure my candidate was a complete breakout or totally unworthy of being drafted at the start of the season, but let me throw in ... Phil Hughes.

In 2013, his last year with the Yankees, Hughes' stats were: 145.2 IP, 4 wins, 5.19 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a K/BB ratio of 2.88.

Although I suspected Hughes might do better away from the bright lights of New York, I had seen enough as a Yankees fan and found the idea of drafting him to be repugnant. Others may have been more optimistic, but I can't believe anyone expected Hughes to have the year he did.

To recap, in 2014, Hughes' stats were: 209.2 IP, 16 wins, 3.52 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a K/BB ratio of 11.63! He had 186 Ks and 16 BB!!! Freaking unbelievable! His BB/9 was 0.69! Kudos to anyone who drafted Hughes in a 30-round draft.

Mike

The Cubs Kyle Hendricks had a Maddux-like half season. A little more time in the majors and he could've been in the ROY discussion. The low K rate will keep his fantasy value down, but he could become a useful late-late draft pick. A very quiet 2.46/1.08 with 7 wins in 13 starts.