BABS Baseball 2018 (BABL)

Okay, let’s get started. The goal is to create a league format that:

1. Captures the skill and risk categories of BABS
2. Offers the best end-of-season report card on how well we did at assessing and projecting performance.

Here are the basics:

• 4×4 Rotisserie draft & hold
• Standard snake draft
• 10 teams, both leagues
• 50-player roster: 23 active, standard positional configuration, 27 reserves
• Weekly transactions – active-reserve-active moves only
• No free agent access
• Even player-for-player trades allowed

The 4×4 categories were chosen with two goals in mind. First, they had to support BABS’ primary Asset and Liability categories. Second, they had to be easily accessible by sticking to familiar boxscore statistics.

Batters

Home runs: Pure measure of power skill

Stolen bases: Best measure of speed output

Batting average: Easiest proxy for core batting skill (and only ratio category)

Plate appearances:  A non-standard category, yet this captures playing time risk as well as anything. If you want to accumulate PAs, you have to avoid players who get hurt, or whose inexperience might cost them playing time.

Pitchers

Strikeouts: Pure measure of strikeout dominance

Saves+Holds: Provides value for nearly all relief pitchers

Earned Run Avg: Easiest proxy for core pitching skill (and only ratio category)

Innings pitched: Similar to PA above, this captures playing time risk. It also requires that owners stock up on starting pitchers without forcing a minimum innings requirement.

Some important points:

Fewer teams means

• It’s easier to get a private league together.
• You get to roster at least a few more good players that you like.
• You will likely have tighter standings races (or at least the perception of it).

Deeper rosters means

• You’ll have more roster flexibility to keep the best players active.
• There will be less scrounging for injury replacements.
• You’ll have more and better players with which to construct equitable trades.

No free agent access means

• The league will be a truer test of your forecasting and roster construction ability.
• It will be far less likely that someone will to win your league by backing into a lucky FAAB bid for this year’s Aaron Judge.
• In-season management is more manageable, allowing easier participation in many leagues.

Some might consider a 10-team league as a “superstar league” but that’s tough to justify when rosters are 50 players deep. That 500-player pool penetration is comparable to a 15-team mixed league with 10-player reserve. And while the 10-teamer will have better players on reserve lists, attrition over six months will make roster management challenging enough.

However, there is one BABS-related downside to this format. With a solid cache of decent performers on reserve, there will be a temptation to play fast and loose with the Liabilities. Why not take a risky Trea Turner in the first round since I can backfill with decent support speedsters later on? This is true. Regardless, I would still stick to the risk budget and see what you can assemble. At worst, perhaps you’d take more chances with higher value players. I’m willing to bet it won’t make a difference in the end.

While this format provides great intra-roster flexibility, the restriction of free agent access puts 100 percent focus on the draft. Initial roster construction has to be a carefully planned exercise that considers a full season of possibilities and contingencies.

Perhaps the most challenging part is figuring out how to construct your reserve list. There needs to be a balance between positional replacements, upwardly mobile prospects and a few wild cards, but the proportion of each will depend on the risk profile of your active roster. Riskier front-liners would likely require more conservative reserve options; conversely, a conservative active roster would allow for more wild cards on reserve.

Here is one potential plan:

• 4 infield backups
• 3 outfield backups
• 2 catcher backups
• 7 starting pitcher backups
• 4 reliever backups
• 7 prospects and wild cards

Another alternative is to draft your reserves with the thought, “If all of my primary 23 players got hurt or demoted, what 27 players would provide me with the best chance to still field a competitive team?” Since trades are allowed, you can then just draft the 27 best reserves regardless of position, and then hope to trade to fill needs.

BABL Laboratory 2018

I am going to set up a BABL exhibition league this season to test out the concept. I will participate. We’ll conduct the draft online, beginning early next month. (A template for the format will be set up at OnRoto.com so anyone else can create or join a BABL league too, and at a huge discount. Details soon.)

First order of business is to find the nine other BABL owners. I am looking for folks who would be willing to share their insights and ideas about the format over the course of the season. I will likely poll the group from time to time on certain issues and write about them on the site, so I need folks who will be engaged for all six months. There will be no cost to be a part of this laboratory.

If you are interested in participating in the lab league, email me at baseball@ronshandler.com and write ONE BRIEF PARAGRAPH about why you’d be a good fit for this league. Deadline is February 2.

I’ll announce the winners shortly after the Super Bowl, and we’ll get started shortly after that.

Should be fun.

If not, you’ll let me know.