PHOENIX — Even with longstanding traditions, it’s not a bad idea to change things up a little every so often.
This year’s League of Alternative Baseball Reality drafts were unique in that they were held in conjunction with the annual Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Analytics Conference at Arizona State University.
So for the first time in its 33-year history, LABR paired with SABR. Pretty cool.
That could also describe the auction room, where – outside of Shohei Ohtani at $47 and Ronald Acuña Jr. at $40 – the bidders seemed intent on conserving their cash.
In contrast to the LABR AL auction the day before, the top NL players at several positions went for what felt like slight bargains.
Through early drafts this season, either the Braves’ Matt Olson or the Phillies’ Bryce Harper lead the way at first base. However, Rafael Devers of the Giants was the most expensive in this one, going for $30, which was $3 more than Harper, $4 more than the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman and $5 more than Olson.
On the other corner, third basemen Manny Machado, Eugenio Suarez and Austin Riley barely cleared the $20 mark.
Bidders were a little more willing to spend on outfielders, but after a power trio of Juan Soto ($39), Kyle Tucker ($32) and Fernando Tatis Jr. ($31), just seven other flychasers made it into the $20s.
That reluctance to spend early on the most talented performers had serious repercussions later when demand outpaced supply on middle- and lower-tier players.
FULL DRAFT GRID: NL LABR dollar values, team rosters
Strength up the middle
One of the first things any fantasy manager should do in preparing for a draft is take a good look at the player pool. When breaking down the NL, one thing that stands out is the exceptional depth in the middle infield.
Coming off an outstanding 2025, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (22 HR, 107 runs, 37 SB) was the first infielder nominated. Predictably, the talented 24-year-old set the bar at $33, but those who missed out were still able to find capable alternatives.
Eight other shortstop-eligible players fell in the $20 range, with eight more between $11 and $19. Similar depth exists on the other side of the keystone.
As a result, 10 of the 12 LABR NL teams paid double-digit prices for both their primary second baseman and shortstop.
DHs invade the NL
Another wrinkle in the NL player pool is an unusually large number of hitters who are eligible only at the utility spot.
Certainly, Shohei Ohtani is in a class by himself and also able to slot in on the pitching side (but not both at the same time). But managers who drafted Kyle Schwarber ($27), Ivan Herrera ($17), Christian Yelich ($16), Marcell Ozuna ($9) or promising Cubs rookie Moises Ballesteros ($7) had to tie up that utility spot for the rest of the draft.
As a result, those players seemed to come at a decent discount – especially Schwarber, who was the NL’s third-most valuable fantasy hitter last season.
Precarious pitching prices
Defending NL champion Matt Cederholm, Baseball HQ’s injury expert, had the honor of kicking off the auction with the first nomination, calling out the name of … Brandon Woodruff.
The oft-injured Brewers ace, who was part of the title-winning squad last year, returned to his old (Cedar?) home for $17, even though he might not be ready for opening day.
From there, prices on the top starting pitchers – with the exception of $35 for reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes of the Pirates – didn’t really set the auction room ablaze. The Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez was the second-most expensive pitcher at $30, but only six others even went in the 20s.
The bidders’ reluctance to spend on the elite arms had serious consequences in the middle and later stages, with prices getting pushed up on far less-talented pitchers. A total of 28 starters (2.3 per team) fell into the $10-19 range. That made it almost impossible for teams to find late bargains to round out their pitching staffs.
With closers, there’s a distinct tier of four elite ones in the NL And you’ll have to pay up to get them.
Jhoan Duran, Edwin Diaz and Mason Miller (nominated in that order) all went for the exact same price of $24. New Mets closer Devin Williams joined them at a slightly discounted $20.
After that quartet, it’s anyone’s guess how the rest will shake out. On this day, the Reds’ Emilio Pagan was next at $16, with Raisel Iglesias of the Braves and Daniel Palencia of the Cubs just a dollar less. Perhaps the most interesting bullpen situation is in Milwaukee, where Trevor Megill cost $14 and Abner Uribe $10.
NL prospect watch
Finally, one of the most exciting things about the NL this season is the wealth of top prospects expected to see big-league action.
Here’s how optimistic LABR managers were about this year’s crop:
- Reds 1B Sal Stewart: $15
- Pirates SS Konnor Griffin: $13
- Cardinals SS J.J. Weatherholt: $13
- Phillies OF Justin Crawford: $10
- Diamondbacks 3B Jordan Lawlar: $9
- Mets OF Carson Benge: $7
- Marlins OF Owen Caissie: $6
- Phillies SP Andrew Painter: $4
- Diamondbacks OF Ryan Waldschmidt: $3
- Marlins SP Robby Snelling: $3
- Marlins SP Thomas White: $1
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy baseball NL-only auction results: LABR bidders frugal
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