2022 Asset Group Analysis – (p,AV)
(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)
by Curt Brooks
Asset groups are a key component of the BABS system. They are our means to assemble players with comparable skills profiles and then review how the marketplace ranks them. The philosophy is that, if several players are comparable, they should be valued at about the same level. As described in Chapter 2 of The BABS Project 3.1, that’s not always the case. Here is where we can uncover opportunities to build profit into our rosters.
(p,AV)
| ADP | R$ | BATTER | Pos | Tm | PT | Pw | Sp | Av | * | Pk | Rg | Sk- | Inj | Ex | Nw | Ag | Pk | Rg | RISK | |
| 23 | $27 | Machado,Manny | 3 | SDP | F | p | AV | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 45 | $20 | Bogaerts,Xander | S | BOS | F | p | AV | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 83 | $14 | Polanco,Jorge | 2S | MIN | F | p | AV | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 95 | $13 | Reynolds,Bryan | O | PIT | F | p | AV | * | 0 | |||||||||||
| 109 | $12 | Rendon,Anthony | 3 | LAA | F | p | AV | * | INJ | 3.00 | ||||||||||
| 143 | $9 | Gurriel,Lourdes | O | TOR | F | p | AV | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 394 | $0 | Flores,Wilmer | 312 | SFG | M | p | AV | inj- | 1.00 |
Looking back at BABS 2021 pre-season listings for this group, one would have seen such names as Freddie Freeman, Rafael Devers, and Juan Soto – and we all know what these guys did last year! In a similar vein, this year’s class includes some familiar names as well – and most of them are free of liabilities, making them even more valuable. Just as critical, the group also projects to meaningful playing time, with all but one of them looking at 500+ PAs. And these players range in age from 28-31 with anywhere from 4-10 years of MLB experience? Basically, this is a stable, experienced group.
Given the above, one could make an argument that this group should serve as the core of your hitter roster. You can cover multiple infield and outfield positions and even add an extremely versatile, and valuable, bench position.
Two early picks in this year’s group are third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts (pictured). Each player comes with no liabilities and is a middle-of-the-order bat. A few rounds later, you can nab skills metric clones in Jorge Polanco at 2B/SS and Anthony Rendon at 3B. Note that Rendon still has injury concerns which add a small amount to your risk cost, but it’s reflected in his ADP. The former first-rounder has the skills upside that make this pick nearly pure profit.
After his breakout season, Bryan Reynolds lands in this group. And while the rest of the world seems to be catching on, a pick in 7th-8th rounds could still return profit. Or you could wait another 4-5 rounds and grab Lourdes Gurriel, who is hitting in a stacked Toronto lineup. Both have clean slates on the liability side.
Finally, there is also one mid-timer (350-499 PAs) who merits serious consideration – Wilmer Flores, even though he does carry the (|inj-) tag. But he also has the added advantage of multi-position eligibility, covering three of the four infield positions. And bear in mind that Flores is listed as the primary backup at two positions, one of which is manned by a 33-year-old recovering from Achilles’ surgery and the other player is 36 with a projection of (p,a|INJ,Ag). Flores is only one muscle tweak away from full-time ABs, and that’s not even considering the availability of playing time at DH.
Drafting multiple players from this group could be a very good strategy. Given the low-risk profiles of these players, you would have a lot of flexibility to strategically take on risks at other key points in the draft.