Observations on 2013 Set

I just have a couple of quick observations on the new set.

Have you ever seen so many 1s at SS? I think this season features more 1s at SS than the entire decade of the 1960s and 1970s. Fielding in general is better than ever.

There are so many good (and cheap) relief pitchers!

I really like this return to 1980s baseball. The steroid era was bunk.

What general or specific observations have you fellas made?

I was surprised by how high the salaries were for some pitchers and hitters. I'm in a keeper league with a low salary cap ($70 million). It's a great concept and lots of fun. But my heart sank when I saw the pricing on the players. Just seemed larger than what I thought it would be compared to similar players in prior years. Just my impression.

There seems to be more "stud" starting pitchers than in some recent years - i.e. pitchers with salaries of $7 million or more.

Again, just an early impression.

I was surprised by how high the salaries were for some pitchers and hitters. I'm in a keeper league with a low salary cap ($70 million). It's a great concept and lots of fun. But my heart sank when I saw the pricing on the players. Just seemed larger than what I thought it would be compared to similar players in prior years. Just my impression.

There seems to be more "stud" starting pitchers than in some recent years - i.e. pitchers with salaries of $7 million or more.

Again, just an early impression.

See I thought the opposite. Pitching seems rather cheap. Hitting is overpriced, though. Josh Reddick, who is about useless in the OF is worth more than David Price, who should be a good SP.

I was surprised by how high the salaries were for some pitchers and hitters. I'm in a keeper league with a low salary cap ($70 million). It's a great concept and lots of fun. But my heart sank when I saw the pricing on the players. Just seemed larger than what I thought it would be compared to similar players in prior years. Just my impression.

There seems to be more "stud" starting pitchers than in some recent years - i.e. pitchers with salaries of $7 million or more.

Again, just an early impression.

See I thought the opposite. Pitching seems rather cheap. Hitting is overpriced, though. Josh Reddick, who is about useless in the OF is worth more than David Price, who should be a good SP.

In a sense, perception is the reality, in the sense that we're each making observations that are right as far as they go.

As someone once said, "if you torture numbers long enough, they'll admit to anything." (I'm a public accountant by the way - that statement makes me laugh).

But here's the actual stats (based on some random criteria) - unleashed sets:

2013u - 10 starting pitchers with salaries over $7 million; 2012u just 7 starting pitchers with salaries over $7 million.
2013u - 25 starting pitchers with salaries over $5 million; 2012 just 20 starting pitchers with salaries over $5 million.
2013u - 10 batters with salaries over $9 million; 2012u has 11 batters with salaries over $9 million.

Maybe not as much difference as I thought, but maybe some on pitchers. I was trying to keep a stable of stud starters (I had 4 of those 10 pitchers > $7 million, before my cuts!).

Interesting stuff!

I just have a couple of quick observations on the new set.

Have you ever seen so many 1s at SS? I think this season features more 1s at SS than the entire decade of the 1960s and 1970s. Fielding in general is better than ever.

There are so many good (and cheap) relief pitchers!

I really like this return to 1980s baseball. The steroid era was bunk.

What general or specific observations have you fellas made?

I haven't seen anyone take Simmons at SS yet. He is a double play machine on offense.

You haven't seen anybody take Andrelton Simmons yet? Geez, Scumby, how many 2013 leagues have you entered so far?...I think I need to join a league or two and catch up with everybody... .

But you're dead right about Simmons, his card is just loaded with those GBA's

You haven't seen anybody take Andrelton Simmons yet? Geez, Scumby, how many 2013 leagues have you entered so far?...I think I need to join a league or two and catch up with everybody... .

But you're dead right about Simmons, his card is just loaded with those GBA's

Well, only 3 leagues, but no one has even touched him. Which surprises me. I should note he is also negative clutch.

You haven't seen anybody take Andrelton Simmons yet? Geez, Scumby, how many 2013 leagues have you entered so far?...I think I need to join a league or two and catch up with everybody... .

But you're dead right about Simmons, his card is just loaded with those GBA's

Well, only 3 leagues, but no one has even touched him. Which surprises me. I should note he is also negative clutch.

And zero on base. He's officially on my "avoid" list

That's funny about A. Simmons at SS, he does seem overpriced. No one took him in my first 2013 League and the league has a cap of 90 million so most of the expensive players are taken.

G.Brookes, you must know how to pick the pitchers for keeper leagues, but I can imagine your disappointment when you saw their 2014 salaries. That is kind of like real baseball, the Indians had Ubaldo Jimenez for a couple of really bad years, then he had one decent year and they could no longer afford him. Doh!

What do you guys think of Stephen Drew's card and price tag?

I know Jose Reyes was hurt and Jimmy Rollins is getting older but I can't believe they only had two triples between them last year. I think Rollins hit two and Reyes didn't hit any. I currently have Ian Desmond in my only 2013 league so far and my team plays at Fenway.

With the bumper crop of SS, it's hard to justify taking Drew in an $80K league even in Progressive or other Lefty biased BP.