2022 Draft Priority
Official 2021 SLB Keepers
In anticipation of the 2021 Salmon League Baseball keeper deadline – Saturday, March 13th at 5:00pm Central – we’ll be tracking all of the announced keeper selections.
If you’re plotting your draft preparations around this information, please note that none of these choices are technically official or locked in place until the deadline has come and gone these choices are now 100% official, barring any major injuries over the next week.
SL Disappointments
Draft Priority: 1
Whit Merrifield (2B/OF-KC)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B/3B-TOR)
Jack Flaherty (SP-STL)
ZIMA
Draft Priority: 2
Francisco Lindor (SS-NYM)
Christian Yelich (OF-MIL)
Luis Castillo (SP-CIN)
InSaNeAuDiO
Draft Priority: 3
Bo Bichette (SS-TOR)
Eloy Jiménez (OF-CHW)
Kenta Maeda (SP/RP-MIN)
High Cheese
Draft Priority: 4
Freddie Freeman (1B-ATL)
Corey Seager (SS-LAD)
Jesús Luzardo (SP-OAK)
SeaBass v.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Draft Priority: 5
Alex Bregman (SS/3B-HOU)
Cavan Biggio (2B/3B/OF-TOR)
Max Fried (SP-ATL)
Radioactive Rush
Draft Priority: 6
Jose Ramirez (3B-CLE)
Yu Darvish (SP-SD)
Tyler Glasnow (SP-TB)
The Groundhogs
Draft Priority: 7
Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF-ATL)
Rafael Devers (3B-BOS)
Gerrit Cole (SP-NYY)
cracker jack
Draft Priority: 8
Xander Bogaerts (SS-BOS)
Luis Robert (OF-CHW)
Aaron Nola (SP-PHI)
Dome Dog
Draft Priority: 9
Cody Bellinger (1B/OF-LAD)
Lucas Giolito (SP-CHW)
Jacob deGrom (SP-NYM)
Captain Jack
Draft Priority: 10
Mike Trout (OF-LAA)
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS-SD)
Chris Paddack (SP-SD)
38 MPH Heaters
Draft Priority: 11
Brandon Lowe (1B/2B/OF-TB)
Trevor Story (SS-COL)
Shane Bieber (SP-CLE)
money grubbers
Draft Priority: 12
Adalberto Mondesi (SS-KC)
Yordan Alvarez (OF-HOU)
Trevor Bauer (SP-LAD)
Salmon Kings
Draft Priority: 13
Bryce Harper (OF-PHI)
Trea Turner (SS-WAS)
Walker Buehler (SP-LAD)
Genies in a Bottle
Draft Priority: 14
Mookie Betts (OF-LAD)
Juan Soto (OF-WAS)
Jose Berrios (SP-MIN)
2020 Bets Results
The tradition of the $1 bet in the Salmon League began many moons ago between Mike and Graves as a spin-off of their NFBC $1 bets. Over the years, more and more teams have gotten in on the tradition. It has grown in prominence to the point that a portion of the draft weekend agenda is denoted for the “paying of the bets and public shaming.”
Here are the results of the 2020 bets. Be sure to bring plenty of $1 bills to pay your debts (and/or prepare to Venmo those who won’t be in attendance).
Standard Bets
Bet #1 – Double or Nothing from 2019
John will make the playoffs in 2020
Jay = Yes | John = No
Bet: $1 ($2 to John w/ a win or $0 to Jay w/ a win)
Result: John did NOT make the playoffs
Winner: John
Bet #2
Graves will win the SLB Championship in 2020
Graves = Yes | John = No
Bet: $1
Result: Graves won the 2020 SLB Championship
Winner: Graves
Bet #3
Better end of the season ranking: Chris Paddack vs Mike Soroka
Justin = Paddack| Levi= Soroka
Bet: $1
Result: Paddack = 648 | Soroka = 602
Winner: Levi
Bet #4
Better average end of the season ranking: Kershaw/Greinke/Bieber vs Scherzer/Nola/Paddack
Morgan = K/G/B| Justin = S/N/P
Bet: $1
Result: Kershaw/Greinke/Bieber = 118 | Scherzer/Nola/Paddack = 357
Winner: Morgan
Bet #5
Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton will combine for 140.5 games played
Collin = Over | Travis = Under
Bet: $1
Result: CANCELLED DUE TO SHORTENED SEASON
Winner: NO ONE
Bet #6
Adalberto Mondesi will post an on-base percentage over .300
Adam = Under| Mike = Over
Bet: $1
*Injury Exemption: Void if Mondesi doesn’t get 400 at-bats
Result: VOID DUE TO EXEMPTION
Winner: NO ONE
Bet #7
Better end of the season standings (playoffs/consolation round included)
Craig = Craig | G-Doggy = G-Doggy
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished 3rd and Craiggers finished 5th in the consolation bracket
Winner: G-Doggy
Bet #8
Better end of the regular season finish: Justin vs Steven
Justin = Justin | Steven = Steven
Bet: $2
Result: Justin by .5 a game over Steven
Winner: Justin
Bet #9
Better end of the regular season finish: Travis vs Grant
Travis = Travis | Grant = Grant
Bet: $2
Result: Travis by 6.5 games over Grant
Winner: Travis
Bet #10
G-Doggy will *NOT* finish last and repeat as the Horse’s Ass (aka: Rob Manfred)
G-Doggy = Hell to the No | Graves = *extreme “Stone Cold” voice* “oh hell yeah”
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished in last again, but w/ rule changes made during the postseason, the 2020 Horse’s Ass went to the loser of the consolation bracket and will go to the loser of the 3 week playoff between the 13/14 seeds going forward
Winner: NO ONE
Bet #11
Better finish in the NL East: Braves vs Phillies
John = Phillies | Levi = Braves
Bet: $1
Result: Braves finished in 1st and the Phillies finished in 3rd place
Winner: Levi
Bet #12
Better regular season record: Twins vs Braves
Adam = Twins | Levi = Braves
Bet: Bag of Gardetto’s
Result: Twins 36-24 | Braves 35-25
Winner: Adam
Bet #13
Better finish in the NL Central: Reds vs Cardinals
Justin = Reds | John = Cardinals
Bet: $1
Result: They tied with matching winning percentages for second place
Winner: NO ONE
Bet #14
Better ranking in Cy Young voting: Jack Flaherty vs Jacob deGrom
John = Flaherty | Adam = deGrom
Bet: $1
Result: Flaherty = No Votes | deGrom = 3rd place
Winner: Adam
Bet #15
Better end of the season ranking: Mike Trout vs Bryce Harper
Travis = Trout | Steven = Harper
Bet: $5
Result: Trout = 14 | Harper = 9
Winner: Steven
Bet #16a
Better end of the season raking: Lance McCullers vs Andrew Benintendi
Justin = McCullers | Steven = Benintendi
Bet: $1
Result: Benintendi = 1130 | McCullers = 340
Winner: Justin
Bet #16b
Better end of the season raking: Lance McCullers vs Andrew Benintendi
Justin = McCullers | Jay = Benintendi
Bet: $1
Result: Benintendi = 1130 | McCullers = 340
Winner: Justin
Bet #17
Levi will win the pennant in 2020
Levi = Yes | Travis = No
Bet: $1
Result: Morgan won the pennant in 2020
Winner: Travis
Bet #18
Steven misses the 2020 playoffs
Levi = Yes | Steven = No
Bet: $1
Result: Steven was the #3 seed and lost in the championship (again)
Winner: Steven
Bet #19
Most team home runs in 2020
Mike = Mike | Justin = Justin
Bet: $1
Result: Mike = 90 | Justin = 98
Winner: Justin
Bet #20a
G-Doggy will finish 10th or higher in the regular season
G-Doggy = Yes | Graves = No
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished in 14th place
Winner: Graves
Bet #20b
G-Doggy will finish 10th or higher in the regular season
G-Doggy = Yes | Craiggers = No
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished in 14th place
Winner: Craiggers
Bet #20c
G-Doggy will finish 10th or higher in the regular season
G-Doggy = Yes | Travis = No
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished in 14th place
Winner: Travis
Bet #20d
G-Doggy will finish 10th or higher in the regular season
G-Doggy = Yes | Justin = No
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished in 14th place
Winner: Justin
Bet #20e
G-Doggy will finish 10th or higher in the regular season
G-Doggy = Yes | Grant = No
Bet: $1
Result: G-Doggy finished in 14th place
Winner: Grant
Bet #21
Twins will win 103.5 games
Adam = Over | Travis = Under
Bet: $1
Result: CANCELLED DUE TO SHORTENED SEASON
Winner: NO ONE
Bet #22a
Ronald Acuna goes 35/35
Jay = Yes | Travis = No
Bet: $1
Result: CANCELLED DUE TO SHORTENED SEASON
Winner: NO ONE
Bet #22b
Ronald Acuna goes 35/35
Levi = Yes | Travis = No
Bet: $1
Result: CANCELLED DUE TO SHORTENED SEASON
Winner: NO ONE
Future Bets
Beginning in 2017 and continuing until 2021, every year that Travis’ official keepers are his “big three for the future” (aka: Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, and Jose Fernandez)…Jeremiah will pay Travis $1 on draft day. Every year that those three are NOT his keepers, Travis will pay Jeremiah $1 on draft day.
*No injury exemption
Bet: $1 each year
Result: None of these people are on his team, one of them is dead, this was the worst bet that a trade obsessed dude could have ever made…but at least this is the final year he’s got to pay out.
Winner: Graves
Undetermined Long-Term Bets
Who will win the SLB Championship first?
Jay = Jay | Steven = Steven
Bet: $5
Who will win the SLB Championship first?
G-Doggy = G-Doggy | John = John
Bet: $1
Who will win the SLB Championship first?
Craiggers = Craiggers| John = John
Bet: $1
G-Doggy will get $275,000 when he sells his house in Primghar, Iowa.
G-Doggy = Yes | Graves = HAHAHAHA no way…it’s f’n Primghar, Iowa!
Bet: $1
2021 League Amendment
The votes are in and the lone amendment that reached the voting threshold for this season has been approved by a majority vote. The subsequent voting required went to a runoff and has also been approved by a majority vote.
In an attempt to curb the proliferation of streaming in the league, especially in the postseason. There will now be a weekly acquisitions limit in place. Each team will now be allowed to make four (4) player acquisitions per week for a total of 96 over the course of a full 24 week season, including the playoffs.
It is not clear at this time if these limits will impact preseason acquisitions or if all preseason acquisitions will count toward week one.
In addition to the limit on acquisitions, the bench has been permanently expanded from four (4) players to five (5) – a carry-over from the unique rules put in place for the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. All other rules put in place for 2020 have been reverted to our standard rules for 2021.
Good luck to everyone in 2021.
2021 Draft Priority
1. SL Disappointments
2. ZIMA
3. InSaNeAuDiO
4. High Cheese
5. SeaBass v.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
6. Radioactive Rush
7. The Groundhogs
8. cracker jack
9. Dome Dog
10. Captain Jack
11. 38 MPH Heaters
12. money grubbers
13. Salmon Kings
14. Genies in a Bottle
Changes for the COVID-Shortened 2020 Season
Per the commissioner’s announcement from last month, the voting members of the Salmon League Baseball executive committee voted on proposals to improve play in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
There were three questions in play involving the schedule/playoffs and roster construction.
The first question regarding the schedule/playoffs offered a number of options including:
Option 1 – No changes to current format
Regular Season: 5 weeks
Playoffs: 6 teams/3 weeks (weeks 6-8)
Option 2 – Move playoffs back a week
Regular Season: 6 weeks
Playoffs: 6 teams/3 weeks (weeks 7-9)
Option 3 – Reduce playoffs, expand regular season
Regular Season: 7 weeks
Playoffs: 4 teams/2 weeks (weeks 8-9)
Option 4 – Expand playoffs
Regular Season: 6 weeks
Playoffs: 8 teams/3 weeks (weeks 7-9)
Option 5 – No playoffs – Best Record Wins
Regular Season: 9 weeks
Playoffs: None
Option 6 – Cancel the whole thing and give the Genies the pennant and championship right now!
Owners were asked to rank the ideas from their most to least preferred. Ultimately, after the first round of voting, there was a three-way tie between Options 2-4. A second wave of ranked voting was done and a clear winner was chosen.
We will be expanding the playoff field in both the championship and consolation brackets to eight teams. This will elongate the regular season by a week over the current setup and ensures each team gets to continue participating in the postseason for at least two weeks to settle the final standings.
This is the best overall option for giving managers the most bang for their buck in terms of games played in the 2020 season. The consolation round will, as always, be played for draft priority in the 2021 SLB Draft to ensure no one tanks.
Two additional questions were on the docket regarding roster expansion.
We will be adding a second NA roster slot that is only for players who have opted out due to COVID (primarily intended for potential keepers) and/or for players who are on leave (ie: parental, bereavement, etc.). Teams are not to use the second NA for stashing prospects. Any team found in violation of this rule, will lose both players occupying NA slots. The commissioner will drop them from that club’s roster and the players will be placed on waivers.
We will be adding an extra bench slot for similar purposes. This bench slot is intended to be a sixth IL slot, to account for Yahoo’s limitation of five IL slots in the system. Only players listed on the IL are allowed in this roster slot. Once a player is removed from the IL a team has 24 hours to make a corresponding roster move. Any team found in violation of this rule, will lose the player occupying the IL bench slot. The commissioner will drop them from that club’s roster and the player will be placed on waivers. Unfortunately, Yahoo is a punk-bitch and this has imploded rather quickly. Due to additional loopholes, we opted to dump the extra bench slot altogether and go back to four total bench slots, but Yahoo will not allow us to lower the bench slots once they’re set to five because…reasons?! As such, we are doing a mini-one round supplemental draft from the FA pool to fill the final roster spot. The purpose of the draft and mini-freeze on roster changes is to give every team an equitable chance to add players and not give a competitive advantage to the folks who are online at the moment.
These changes are official for the 2020 season. The league will revert back to traditional rules — and any changes brought about via the traditional amendment process — in 2021.
SLB Plan for 2020
On the heels of Tuesday’s agreement between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Player’s Association, we know that baseball is scheduled to resume in 2020. As such, the Commissioner is laying out a roadmap for restarting the 2020 Salmon League Baseball season amid the COVID-19 crisis.
At the moment, players are preparing to report to “spring” training to prepare for an abbreviated 60-game season that is slated to start in late July.
The season will have a very different look and feel to it when/if the games begin. A thorough rundown of the changes can be found here. While the various rule changes will have some impact on our game, the bigger obstacle to a full season is going to be the health and welfare of the players themselves.
In order to adapt to the new environment, SLB will monitor the progress of both spring training and Yahoo’s response to the altered season.
Ideally, Yahoo will build in a new player status that maps to MLB’s COVID-19 Injury List and allows teams to keep an unlimited number of players who test positive for COVID or opt-out due to other risk factors without burning any of the traditional IL or NA roster slots.
If they do not, we will reconvene the league on July 15 (aka: SLB Decision Day) when the Commissioner will layout scenarios for an equitable resumption of league play the following week. The league will then vote to determine any 2020-only alterations to the league setup.
Options in that scenario could include:
- Expanding bench spots and conducting a small online draft of players in the current FA pool.
- Expanding bench spots that must remain empty with the exception of players on the COVID IL.
- Awarding the trophy directly to the Genies and skipping all of this madness.
- Expanding the number of NA slots available (if Yahoo designates COVID-related absences as NA).
These are hypotheticals and our path will be informed by the progress made at spring training and Yahoo headquarters in the coming weeks.
We appreciate everyone’s patience throughout this situation and look forward to playing ball very soon.
Stay safe and wash your hands.
Jeremiah Graves
SLB Commissioner
2019 Bets Results
The tradition of the $1 bet in the Salmon League began many moons ago between Mike and Graves as a spin-off of their NFBC $1 bets. Over the years, more and more teams have gotten in on the tradition. It has grown in prominence to the point that a portion of the draft weekend agenda is denoted for the “paying of the bets and public shaming.”
Here are the results of the 2019 bets. Be sure to bring plenty of $1 bills to pay your debts.
Standard 2019 Bets
Bet #1
Graves will win the SLB Championship in 2019.
Graves = Yes | John = No
Bet: $1
Result: Graves did not win the Championship
Winner: John
Bet #2
The Twins will make the playoffs in 2019.
Justinger = Yes | Graves = No
Bet: $1
Result: The Twins won the AL Central
Winner: Justinger
Bet #3
John will make the playoffs in 2019.
Jay = Yes | John = No
Bet: $1
Result: John did not make the playoffs
Winner: John
Bet #4
Better end of the season ranking: Trea Turner vs Bryce Harper
Justin = Turner | Travis = Harper
Bet: Baseball DVD (TBD)
*Injury Exemption: Void if both players don’t get 150 at-bats
Result: Bryce Harper = 21 | Trea Turner = 40
Winner: Travis
Bet #5
Better end of the season ranking: Trea Turner vs Christian Yelich
Justin = Turner | Mike = Yelich
Bet: $1
*Injury Exemption: Void if both players don’t get 450 at-bats
Result: Christian Yelich = 6 | Trea Turner = 40
Winner: Mike
Bet #6
Better end of the season ranking: Justin Upton vs Michael Conforto vs Yasiel Puig
Steven = Upton | Collin = Conforto | Graves = Puig
Bet: $1 each ($2 to winner)
Result: Upton = 1038 | Conforto = 70 | Puig = 120
Winner: Collin
Bet #7
Adalberto Mondesi will post an on-base percentage over .300
Adam = Over | Justin = Under
Bet: $1
*Injury Exemption: Void if Mondesi doesn’t get 400 at-bats
Result: Mondesi posted a .291 OBP
Winner: Justin
Bet #8
Jose Berrios will win the AL Cy Young in 2019
Graves = Yes | Travis = No
Bet: $1
Result: Jose Berrios did not win the AL Cy young in 2019
Winner: Travis
Bet #9
Higher end of the season finish: Mike vs Steven
Mike = Mike | Steven = Steven
Bet: $1
Result: Steven > Mike
Winner: Steven
Bet #10
Better end of the season ranking: Jose Abreu vs Yasiel Puig
Justin = Abreu | Graves = Puig
Bet: $1
Result: Abreu = 65 | Puig = 120
Winner: Justin
Long-Term Bets
Future Bet 2017-2021
Beginning in 2017 and continuing until 2021, every year that Travis’ official keepers are his “big three for the future” (aka: Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, and Jose Fernandez)…Jeremiah will pay Travis $1 on draft day. Every year that those three are NOT his keepers, Travis will pay Jeremiah $1 on draft day.
*No injury exemption
Result: Travis will continue to lose this bet, because Jose Fernandez is – as he has been for a while now – not eligible to be on a roster and he has long-since moved on from Stanton and Harper.
Winner: Graves (again)
Undetermined Long-Term Bets
Who will win the SLB Championship first?
Jay = Jay | Steven = Steven
Bet: $5
Who will win the SLB Championship first?
G-Doggy = G-Doggy | John = John
Bet: $1
Who will win the SLB Championship first?
Craiggers = Craiggers| John = John
Bet: $1
Non-SLB Bet
G-Doggy will get $275,000 when he sells his house in Primghar, Iowa.
G-Doggy = Yes | Graves = HAHAHAHA no way…it’s f’n Primghar, Iowa!
Bet: $1
Official 2020 SLB Keepers
In anticipation of the 2020 Salmon League Baseball keeper deadline – Saturday, February 29th at 5:00pm Central – we’ll be tracking all of the announced keeper selections.
If you’re plotting your draft preparations around this information, please note that none of these choices are technically official or locked in place until the deadline has come and gone.
Radioactive Rush
Draft Priority: 1
J.D. Martinez (OF-BOS)
Jose Ramirez (3B-CLE)
Mike Clevinger (SP-CLE)
Captain Jack
Draft Priority: 2
Mike Trout (OF-LAA)
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS-SD)
Patrick Corbin (SP-WAS)
The Groundhogs
Draft Priority: 3
Rafael Devers (3B-BOS)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF-ATL)
Gerrit Cole (SP-NYY)
SeaBass v.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Draft Priority: 4
Alex Bregman (3B/SS-HOU)
Kris Bryant (3B/OF-CHC)
Noah Syndergaard (SP-NYM)
38 MPH Heaters
Draft Priority: 5
Jose Altuve (2B-HOU)
Carlos Correa (SS-HOU)
Shane Bieber (SP-CLE)
money grubbers
Draft Priority: 6
Nolan Arenado (3B-COL)
George Springer (OF-HOU)
InSaNeAuDiO
Draft Priority: 7
J.T. Realmuto (C-PHI)
Ozzie Albies (2B-ATL)
Charlie Morton (SP-TB)
SL Disappointments
Draft Priority: 8
Javy Baez (SS-CHC)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B-TOR)
Jack Flaherty (SP-STL)
Dome Dog
Draft Priority: 9
Cody Bellinger (LAD-1B/OF)
Jacob deGrom (NYM-SP)
Blake Snell (TB-SP)
High Cheese
Draft Priority: 10
Freddie Freeman (1B-ATL)
Anthony Rendon (3B-LAA)
Mike Soroka (SP-ATL)
ZIMA
Draft Priority: 11
Francisco Lindor (SS-CLE)
Christian Yelich (OF-MIL)
Luis Castillo (SP-CIN)
Genies in a Bottle
Draft Priority: 12
Mookie Betts (OF-LAD)
Juan Soto (OF-WAS)
Justin Verlander (SP-HOU)
Salmon Kings
Draft Priority: 13
Bryce Harper (OF-PHI)
Trea Turner (SS-WAS)
Walker Buehler (SP-LAD)
cracker jack
Draft Priority: 14
Trevor Story (SS-COL)
Pete Alonso (1B-NYM)
Max Scherzer (SP-WAS)
2020 Draft Priority
Salmon League Baseball 