Fantasy Baseball 2012: Three Simultaneous Mock Drafts

Remember the Three Mock Drafts In 75 Minutes piece from last week? As a sequel to that, I executed three more simultaneous mock drafts on Wednesday, holding the No. 12 slot in all three (12-team leagues).

Adding to the degree of difficulty, I answered a slew of reader Tweets during the blitz, while attempting to make sense of Saints coach Sean Payton getting a one-year suspension from the NFL...and the Jets trading for Tim Tebow.

Here are the results of the three mocks:

Round 1
Draft #1 - 1B Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
Draft #2 - SS Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
Draft #3 - 2B Robinson Cano, Yankees
Breakdown: The third draft prompted the never-before-seen availability of Cano (my No. 1 second baseman) at the 12 spot. He essentially got lost in the shuffle after Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw were plucked from Round 1.

Round 2
Draft #1 - SS Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
Draft #2 - 1B Prince Fielder, Tigers
Draft #3 - SS Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
Breakdown: All three Round 2 picks played off their predecessors. For Drafts No. 1 and No. 2, I wanted corner infield/middle infield balance. For the third one, I couldn't resist the notion of filling both middle-infield spots with Han-Ram and Cano.

Round 3
Draft #1 - SP Cole Hamels, Phillies
Draft #2 - OF Josh Hamilton, Rangers
Draft #3 - SP Zack Greinke, Brewers

Round 4
Draft #1 - OF Hunter Pence, Phillies
Draft #2 - SP Cole Hamels, Phillies
Draft #3 - 1B Eric Hosmer, Royals
Breakdown: I would be thrilled to grab Hamels at 37 in any draft, regardless of scoring.

Round 5
Draft #1 - SP James Shields, Rays
Draft #2 - 3B Aramis Ramirez, Brewers
Draft #3 - OF Alex Gordon, Royals
Breakdown: Shields' red-hot spring (2 wins, 0.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 11/2 K-BB ratio) prompted the pick in Draft #1.

Round 6
Draft #1 - SS Starlin Castro, Cubs
Draft #2 - SP Matt Cain, Giants
Draft #3 - SP Matt Cain, Giants
Breakdown: Cain deserves a better fate than the 61st pick...but I'm not complaining.

Round 7
Draft #1 - OF Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
Draft #2 - OF Shin-Soo Choo, Indians
Draft #3 - SP Ricky Romero, Blue Jays
Breakdown: The Ichiro selection in Draft #1 was a small reach, whereas Romero and Choo are primed for big seasons.

Round 8
Draft #1 - OF Desmond Jennings, Rays
Draft #2 - 2B Rickie Weeks, Brewers
Draft #3 - OF Brett Gardner, Yankees
Breakdown: Gardner's a solid second outfielder, but perhaps I should have waited another round to load up at the position.

Round 9
Draft #1 - OF Chris Young, Diamondbacks
Draft #2 - SP Matt Garza, Rays
Draft #3 - OF Jason Heyward, Braves

Round 10
Draft #1 - SP Josh Johnson, Marlins
Draft #2 - OF Jason Heyward, Braves
Draft #3 - SP Matt Garza, Cubs
Breakdown: I found about the Sean Payton suspension at this particular time in the draft. Without any help from the Queue List, I landed two of my favorite pitchers and No. 21 outfielder. Whew!

Round 11
Draft #1 - SP Gio Gonzalez, Nationals
Draft #2 - SP Gio Gonzalez, Nationals
Draft #3 - 2B Dustin Ackley, Mariners

Round 12
Draft #1 - OF Cameron Maybin, Padres
Draft #2 - OF Cameron Maybin, Padres
Draft #3 - SS Dee Gordon, Dodgers
Breakdown: Rounds 11-13 are a perfect time to target elite speed...although I failed to snag Maybin and and Gordon in the same draft.

Round 13
Draft #1 - 3B Mark Reynolds, Orioles
Draft #2 - OF Melky Cabrera, Giants
Draft #3 - RP Andrew Bailey, Red Sox
Breakdown: In a perfect world, I would trade Reynolds (on the high side) sometime around May 1...after Hanley Ramirez's 3B-eligibility kicks in for all scoring leagues and right before the Round 15 selection takes over the world.

Round 14
Draft #1 - SP Brandon Morrow, Blue Jays
Draft #2 - 2B Dustin Ackley, Mariners
Draft #3 - RP Carlos Marmol, Cubs

Round 15
Draft #1 - 3B Mike Moustakas, Royals
Draft #2 - RP Carlos Marmol, Cubs
Draft #3 - SP Brandon Morrow, Blue Jays
Breakdown: By trumpeting Moustakas's soon-to-be-way-too-low value in every mock draft, I run the risk of losing him early in the live ones.

Round 16
Draft #1 - SP Chris Sale, White Sox
Draft #2 - 3B Mike Moustakas, Royals
Draft #3 - 3B Mike Moustakas, Royals
Breakdown: I was in the right mood to reach for Sale, a potential four-category ace for the White Sox.

Round 17
Draft #1 - RP Chris Perez, Indians
Draft #2 - 1B Ike Davis, Mets
Draft #3 - 1B Brandon Belt, Giants

Round 18
Draft #1 - C Wilson Ramos, Nationals
Draft #2 - RP Javy Guerra, Dodgers
Draft #3 - SP Chris Sale, White Sox

Round 19
Draft #1 - RP Grant Balfour, Athletics
Draft #2 - 1B Brandon Belt, Giants
Draft #3 - SP Vance Worley, Phillies
Breakdown: As Oakland's official closer, Balfour is a sleeping giant in the fantasy realm. Fingers crossed for 45 appearances.

Round 20
Draft #1 - 1B Mark Trumbo, Angels
Draft #2 - SP Vance Worley, Phillies
Draft #3 - 3B Chase Headley, Padres
Breakdown: Trumbo and Worley simply aren't getting enough respect during Cactus and Grapefruit league play.

Round 21
Draft #1 - 2B/OF Ryan Raburn, Tigers
Draft #2 - OF Austin Jackson, Tigers
Draft #3 - C Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers

Round 22
Draft #1 - 1B Justin Smoak, Mariners
Draft #2 - C Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers
Draft #3 - 1B Justin Smoak, Mariners

Round 23
Draft #1 - OF Denard Span, Twins
Draft #2 - SP Homer Bailey, Reds
Draft #3 - SP Homer Bailey, Reds
Breakdown: Span, Bailey (and Smoak) are ideal targets for upside-loving gurus in Round 23.

Round 24
Draft #1 - SP Homer Bailey, Reds
Draft #2 - SP Francisco Liriano, Twins
Draft #3 - OF Denard Span, Twins

Round 25
Draft #1 - OF Lorenzo Cain, Royals
Draft #2 - OF Lorenzo Cain, Royals
Draft #3 - OF Lorenzo Cain, Royals
Breakdown: Cain is not only an OPS machine in the Cactus League, he's also a viable threat for 30 steals and 75 runs in his first full season.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.