Libra 2021 Batters
Last time I finished my first of 12 in-depth looks into the 2021 Fantasy Astrology Baseball League signs. I started with Virgo, since their “starting lineup” had the most total points, and now I’m moving on to second place Libra. The Scales also represented the Positive Polarity in the weekly fantasy league I ran for 2021, although they fell in the finals to Taurus – the 11th place team in terms of total points. But rather than expand on the discrepancies between these two methods of FABL research, here’s a position-by-position look at the relevant batters who contributed to Libra in 2021.
It’s fun to note that the top two Libra catchers were both developed by the Oakland A’s – although they were drafted 12 years apart. Sean Murphy still wears the green and gold, while Kurt Suzuki bounced around the league quite a bit before landing with the in-state rival Angels this year. Their minor league depth is headlined by Tigers backup Grayson Greiner, Twins rookie Ben Rortvedt, and Mets pinch-hitting specialist Patrick Mazeika. They also have well-traveled veteran Jose Lobaton and Padres #2 prospect Luis Campusano waiting in the wings.
Libra’s top scoring first baseman Jonathan Schoop has actually played second base for the majority of his career, including for large portions of 2021. But before slotting him in at his primary position, consider that the next best option at first base is Phillies bench bat Brad Miller. Colin Moran might actually be a better bet for a lefty platoon partner, considering he started at first for Pittsburgh. That would leave Miller for utility duties, and Nationals legend Ryan Zimmerman as a pinch hitter, supposing he would come out of retirement for a hypothetical offseason tournament. Jake Bauers has eligibility at both corner outfield spots, although he’ll be relegated to minor league depth.
Kolten Wong has top-tier defensive skills, which is how I justified moving him to third base in my “official” starting lineup, with Schoop handling second, and a to-be-revealed outfielder at first. After Wong, the only other primary second baseman in the Libra player pool is White Sox utility player Danny Mendick. Although since my list only includes players who reached the majors in 2021, it leaves out one of the most famous Libra second basemen of all time Robinson Cano, who missed the season while serving the second PED suspension of his career.
Injuries hurt the full-season fantasy point totals of Libra’s third basemen, hence the positional shenanigans I outlined above. If we’re going by track record, Evan Longoria would get the nod at the hot corner – if he’s good enough for the 107-win Giants, he’s good enough for the Libra Scales. Gio Urshela would definitely make the roster as well, since he gained shortstop eligibility for the Yankees last year. The starter in Astrology Triple-A (is that Quadruple-A?) would likely be Jack Mayfield, who went from the Angels to the Mariners and then back in 2021. Hanser Alberto also qualified at second base for the Royals, while Willians Astudillo could also serve as an emergency catcher.
Xander Bogaerts is not just the top Libra shortstop, but the top Libra infielder overall, taking the mantle from former Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki. Urshela’s new shortstop eligibility is important, because the next best backup option is Ha-seong Kim, who struggled in his transition from KBO star to utility infielder for the Padres. It’s also worth mentioning that big time prospect Oneil Cruz and less-big prospect Geraldo Perdomo are on the horizon for the Pirates and D-Backs, respectively.
I’ve often talked about how Libra’s outfield is their strength, but that might not be immediately clear when starting with left field. Andrew McCutchen is still a good player, but he’s far removed from winning MVP’s while deftly handling center field. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. didn’t get the requisite 20 games to officially qualify at first base, but he did have more than 10, which was enough for me to slot him in there in my obsessive quest to maximize fantasy points. Eddie Rosario missed a lot of 2021 due to injury, but he did get healthy and hot at the right time, winning NLCS MVP with his monster performance for Atlanta.
Cedric Mullins had a breakout year for Baltimore, and easily picks up the Libra starting center field job. However, based on his points-per-game average, Starling Marte would have likely eclipsed Mullins in overall points if he had stayed healthy all year. Myles Straw has the speed and defense profile that makes him ideally suited for an astrology bench bat. Ketel Marte is an interesting case: the Diamondbacks are trying to transition him from second base to center field, but he fits much better on the Libra roster as an infielder. Garrett Hampson has the same defensive profile as K. Marte, but he’s most likely minor leagues-bound for our purposes.
Right field is where the Libra outfield really shines. Bryce Harper had the most fantasy points of any Positive Polarity batter, which coincides with his Players Choice Award for the NL’s Outstanding Player. Teoscar Hernandez qualified at both corner outfield spots while putting up great power numbers on a Blue Jays team that hit home runs up and down the lineup. So that makes at least four All-Star caliber outfielders before we even get to Mookie Betts, whose injury-shortened year excluded him from consideration for the full-season starting lineup. I don’t envy the Libra manager who would have to tell so many great players that they’re being relegated to bench duty…
There are so many depth options in the Libra outfield that they deserve a couple of extra paragraphs. Manuel Margot played excellent defense all over the outfield for the Rays. Anthony Santander couldn’t replicate the rate of production that he showed in the short 2020 season, but he’s a solid option for the real-life rebuilding Orioles. 2021 rookie Jesus Sanchez has a bright future ahead of him, whether on the Marlins or somewhere else, depending on if there’s another fire sale in Miami.
Right fielder Jordan Luplow mostly played center field (?) for Cleveland, before being acquired by Tampa Bay as a lefty mashing first baseman (??) for the playoffs. Phil Gosselin got a lot of playing time in left field and at both corner infield spots for an injury-ravaged Angels team. Aaron Hicks and Kole Calhoun both have good track records (and contracts to match), but had their 2021’s all but wiped out by injuries.
While Libra outfielders were the cream of the sign’s crop, they also had some top-notch pitchers… tune in next time to find out all about them!