The 2018 UPCL Draft

It's finally here. With last year's personal struggles and hindrances behind us, the UPCL takes a great step forward with the expansion of team rosters to five players. Today, the 46 players without a team, including 21 rookies, will find their teams for the upcoming year in the draft. The picks break down as such: two in the first round, none in the second round, one in the third round, twelve in the fourth round, and 31 in the fifth and final round. Once again, Random.org will be the provider of draft-related activities for us. We begin with...

The Southern Monarchs making the 1st overall pick, a compensatory pick awarded with Shannon's retirement from the league. With the #1 pick, the Monarchs selected a long-rumored arrival to the league and a celebrity presence in Avril Lavigne. The rookie is expected to be eased into the lineup due to health concerns, but the Monarchs now have some added clout on their roster.

Picking second overall, the Queens Flames use their compensatory pick awarded with Paige's retirement from the league. The Flames used the pick to select a sophomore, Hannah. This reverses the exchange last year when the Royal Crowns took Kayla from the Flames in the draft. Hannah spent her troubled rookie season with the Crowns, and will hope to find a better fit in the Southeast. A similar player to the departed Paige, Hannah will have moderate expectations with the Flames.

Moving to the third round, the Eastside Sharks have the #3 pick in the draft, acquired in their trade with the Commerce Tradewinds last night. The Eastside Sharks took Salmo with this pick, the former Lighton Prestige rookie trying out life in the east for his second season. Salmo did have promising moments last year, but the expert opinion is that the Sharks reached a bit this time as their rebuild is officially underway.

The fourth round begins with the #4 overall pick, belonging to the Stonebridge Wolves. The Wolves decided to dip into the rookie pool again after taking two last year in their inaugural season. This time, they came up with Hershey, a large player with some muscle that tracks well for cricket. The Wolves have shown no fear in grabbing rookies, as a reputation for strong development forms around the team. Hershey should thrive under the occasionally tough leadership of Juno.

Next up, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors hold the #5 pick in the draft. Their fourth round selection is Dani, the former Web City Spider. Dani is on her third team in three years, and fourth overall. The Meteors like her poised attitude, and view her as an upgrade on the departed Dominic. Dani tracks as a complementary piece in her fifth season, but a good year could give the Meteors a much-needed boost.

The North Modernistic Nighthawks are up for the #6 overall pick after Maplewood lost their selection in a trade last night. This will fill out the Nighthawks roster after they traded their fifth round pick for B. Chapman last night in a deal with the Victoria Spurs. Never ones to back away from the spotlight, the Nighthawks added their third celebrity by drafting Gal Gadot. The Wonder Woman herself joins Mushroom Kingdom residents Peach and Luigi on a star-studded team with expectations in its second season in one of the biggest media markets in the league.

The Lighton Prestige hold the #7 pick this year, looking to bounce back from their worst season as a team. The first of their two picks today is used to take Waluigi, who was released after a historically bad rookie year with the Maplewood Lumberjacks. The Prestige have a similar talent level on their roster, so the hope is that Waluigi will just be more comfortable with them after a speculative pick by the normally shrewd franchise.

The Commerce Tradewinds did most of their rebuilding last night with two players coming their way in the trade with the Eastside Sharks. They complete the job with the #8 pick now, using it to take the rookie Rosemary. The Tradewinds have had mild success with rookies before, but Rosemary is expected to be a decent contributor. She will likely split time with Niki as the fourth batter in cricket, and also should play just above league average in pool according to the scouts.

Picking in the #9 slot today are the Terrace City Knights, who have not taken a rookie in their previous two years. They'll break the trend this year, using the pick to add even more star-power to their team with Melissa Benoist. The Supergirl herself joins the Knights with little pressure for immediate performance with the likes of Kiwi and Jennifer around to help her acclimate. Her level-headed nature will also pair well with Oreo, with whom she will likely share time in cricket at the back of the roster.

The #10 pick belongs to the Pearl Surfers this time, who were reluctant to make two cuts. They hold out hope to get one of their former players back, but it won't be with this selection. Instead, they take Beth, who has spent the last four years in foreign leagues. The former Whitewater Shore played in Tournaments prior to the formation of the league itself, but has no experience in cricket, and will likely be eased into that sport. Beth is a unique addition to a team with a strong core and plenty of leadership.

Outside the top 10, the Harrison Specters are up for the #11 pick, selecting Rudolph, a rookie. Rudolph is not a young player by any means, but this is his first year in the league. He is cautious and heady, but also determined, a good trait to balance out the many personalities on a Specters team facing a pivotal year in their second era.

Right after them, the Specters' biggest rivals, the Web City Spiders, hold the #12 pick this year. The Spiders are looking to get another rookie this year, and preferably one with high expectations to lift them out of their years-long struggles. Instead, they pick up the former Pacific Volcano Jack, who fits into the big and strong identity the Spiders are aiming for. Jack and Ted should combine well in the middle of their lineup, playing a similar style to each other.

Picking 13th this year, the Todavía Stills hope to avoid resigning a player like they did last year. They'll do just that with their first of two picks today, taking the former Stonebridge Wolf, Prism. After a decent rookie year, Prism found herself as a close-call cut by the Wolves, and she will look to prove them wrong with the Stills, who routinely challenge as a top team in both sports.

Finishing off the fourth round, the Capital City Sharpshooters will make the #14 overall pick, their first of two today. The Sharpshooters used this pick to take Pauline, a Mushroom Kingdom celebrity and the Mayor of New Donk City in the upcoming Super Mario Odyssey game. The Sharpshooters have long wanted a celebrity player, and Pauline tracks similarly to the overwhelmingly successful introduction of her peers last season. The rookie is a welcome addition to the Sharpshooters.

The fifth and final round will get underway with the #15 pick to be taken by the Stonebridge Wolves, who want another tough-minded player. They think they have a hit by drafting the slight-built but aggressive Russian, Vladimir Vasilyev. A rookie, Vladimir should fit into the Wolves roster perfectly, as the second-year team successfully scouts and drafts to their identity again.

The #16 pick belongs to the Viewpoint Sound Meteors, who use it to select Vincent Sullivan, just one pick after his close friend was selected. The Meteors have a mishmash of personalities and skills on their team now, with the hopes that some of them will spark the team to success despite an apparent lack of chemistry.

After their franchise-altering trade of Fluffina to the Torpedoes last night, the Maplewood Lumberjacks still have the #17 pick to add to Whiskers and the returning Gabe to fill out the roster. This pick turned into the rookie Summer, who represents a fresh start for the team with the departure of their captain. Summer is considered a more sensitive player who focuses on finesse, but she will have to find her spot quickly to avoid a repeat of last year for the Lumberjacks.

The rebuilding process for the Eastside Sharks continues with their first of two picks in this round. This #18 pick is their natural selection, which will be used on Cubby, the former Maplewood Lumberjack returning as a Legacy player. Cubby had a middling pair of years with the Lumberjacks, but a reunion with his close friend Graham could unlock the best of him for the Sharks, who are not being critically acclaimed for their selections.

The Victoria Spurs use the pick acquired from the North Modernistic Nighthawks in their trade that sent B. Chapman the other way. The #19 selection results in Sage, a highly-hyped rookie by name only. Sage is a very old rookie, finally making her first appearance in the league, and the Spurs are considered highly for taking her as a more poised complement to Spice. While lacking in strength and force, the Spurs are certainly one of the most thoughtful and analytical teams in the league now.

Trying to counter their rivals' big acquisition, the Lighton Prestige are on the clock for the #20 overall pick. Instead, the Prestige appear to be this year's home for second chances with the addition of former Capital City Sharpshooter Nicole, who joins her fourth team in six years. The Prestige can't expect many accolades for reaching on both of their picks after letting a solid veteran in Twinkie I walk away for nothing.

The Victoria Spurs are back to fill out their roster with their natural selection, the #21 overall pick. This time, they didn't get as much praise, taking Strawberry right ahead of her former team's pick. Strawberry may benefit from the stronger leadership from Spice, who plays more effectively in a similar style to the one-time Union player and long-time Trident.

The Modernistic Union will avoid any reunions now, using the #22 pick to take the rookie Kodiak. The rookie tracks as a fairly average player, providing solid depth behind Ms. Puppy and Daisy as the Union hope to get at least a small bump up the standings. Minor praise for making a safe choice greets the Union this time.

The Eastside Sharks use the second pick acquired from the Tradewinds in a trade last night, drafting 23rd overall here. They prefer a rookie in this situation, but they'll get Gizmo, whose entire career had been with the Central Warriors up to this point. Gizmo has long toed the line of acceptability in his play, but now that his Warriors career is truly over, the change of scenery and a fresh start may do the veteran good.

The Southern Monarchs hope to lead off the second half of the draft with as much of a surprise as they did at the start. They want a solid veteran with the #24 pick, but surprisingly get Dominic, who was part of their initial team in 2012 under the Reyes Del Sur name. This is the second time Dominic has spent non-consecutive years with the same team, previously doing so with the Atlantic Pirates in 2014 and 2016. His career has also seen him in Web City and Viewpoint Sound.

Another Coastal team goes next, as the Oceanside Waves use the #25 pick they acquired from the Southridge Defenders last night after trading Caitlin. The Waves take a positively-reviewed rookie in Josie, who may have some trouble adjusting to the climate of Oceanside but should address their need for a more powerful presence in the offense in cricket particularly.

The Terrace City Knights have the #26 pick, and are hoping for one rookie in particular at this point after passing on her earlier. They won't get what they want, but the rookie Quincy is a solid pick at this stage in the draft. He is expected to be slightly above average in pool with a highly cerebral style, and should fit well in the competitive environment the Knights have created in just over two years.

The Pearl Surfers get one more chance for a reunion with the #27 pick. Their selection is an interesting one, failing to reunite with Wings but selecting his brother Bright instead. Bright most recently played for the Nighthawks, and also spent time with the Torpedoes and Hummingbirds previously, and now will provide the muscle for a Surfers team best known for placement more than power.

The Surfers' rivals are back for their natural selection at #28, as the Oceanside Waves select Jason V. The gentle giant rookie may also have to adjust a bit to Oceanside's climate, but he is similar in strength to Josie as the Waves have successfully bulked up with two rookies in two picks.

The Halloween Derby teams are back, beginning with the Harrison Specters with the #29 pick. With the pick, the Specters selected Mitchell, clearly throwing caution to the wind with attitude concerns. With both Lexi and Mitchell on the team, and a feisty Twinkie II as the captain, the Specters will have to take a loose approach to management as the players figure things out themselves.

Their rivals, the Web City Spiders are up next with the #30 pick. The Spiders are hoping for another big and strong player, since leadership is lacking in the remaining available picks. Instead, the Spiders reunited with Sugar, who spent 2015 and 2016 with the team after departing the Eastside Sharks. Sugar spent 2017 with the rival Specters, but has returned to where she had her greatest success.

The Queens Flames have the chance for a reunion as well with the #31 pick. The Flames chose not to follow that route, instead taking the last hyped rookie on the board in Briana Livilotti. The youngest sister of the Livilotti family, Briana will have high expectations immediately as she looks to fill the void left by Paige's departure. The Flames have a very young team this year, with three of their five players holding less than two years of service.

The first of eleven teams returning only their roster from 2017 is up with the #32 pick, which belongs to the Tysini Hummingbirds. This time, they take Paps, as they show no fear in reclamation projects, having succeeded in those for the last three years. Paps' one-year tenure with the Sharks did not go well, but he historically played solidly for the Tridents for four years. Tysini is a great landing spot for such a player looking to return to past glory.

The Midland Predators thought about a cut earlier, but backed off, making the #33 pick their only selection today. With it, they take the former Atlantic Pirate Americus, who spent a good couple of years with that team. Americus joins a successful Predators team where she should split time with Leonardo and Fuchsia at the back of the lineup.

The Freedom Cascades were one of three teams to be forced to save all of their players, making the #34 overall pick their only selection. They used the pick on the former Terrace City Knight, Stripes, who has also spent time in Web City and Viewpoint Sound. Stripes matches the Cascades' aggressive style, although maybe to a more extreme level than the rest of the roster, but the pick is generally praiseworthy.

The Whitewater Shores go next with the #35 pick, looking for a player a bit more aggressive than Shaggy to pair up at the back of the roster. They selected Katharine McPhee, a rookie, who doesn't quite fit the bill for what they wanted, but who is expected to be league average at a minimum, making this a good pick for the Shores.

The Todavía Stills are the last team with a chance to make a reunion happen, as they ponder their choice at the #36 spot. They went with Anton, a rookie who does not seem to be on course for a successful league career. The Stills have managed to get the best out of players before, but this is a curious direction for the franchise to take in the now-official post-Sparkles era.

The Atlantic Pirates look to replace Americus with the #37 pick in the draft. They would be happy with about half of the players left on the board. They feel pretty good about getting Max this deep, as the former Flame and Lumberjack spent multiple years in both locations. Max should at least match production from what Americus provides as he splits time with the returning Steven early in the year.

The Capital City Sharpshooters hold the #38 pick, and have plenty of options after going big in the fourth round. They elected to make a similar pick this time, adding the former Commerce Tradewind Lorde, who had a decent rookie season before a sophomore slump last year. Lorde seems poised for a career renaissance, and Capital City has enough depth to help her ease into it.

The Archtown Arrows retained their entire roster for a third consecutive year, but will add a player this time in the hopes of breaking out of mediocrity. They used the #39 pick on Wild Thing, a journeyman Legacy player most recently with the Whitewater Shores in 2016. Wild Thing is best at pool, and will likely start on the bench in cricket, playing sparingly until he proves himself.

The Golden Pilots are another team forced to save their whole roster, and they hope to added one of the veterans remaining on the board with the #40 pick. They did just that, grabbing the former Todavía Still, Sparkles. She spent her entire career with the Stills, returning to them in the draft last year before leaving for good this year. Sparkles has a bit of pop, and will split time with A. Charlton at first in cricket.

The Westside Rockers are next in line, looking to add a competitive player to their roster with the #41 pick. They picked up the last Legacy player with the pick, taking the former Pearl Surfer Cowzart. His one year with the Surfers did not go well due to high expectations, but he will have it easier with a Rockers team that has a very established top-four.

The Swordpoint Blades get the next pick, and they don't have much differentiation on their list for the remaining players. They used the #42 selection on the rookie Jason N., after having success on the rookie market last year with Bandit. Jason N. will challenge Bandit and Stealth for playing time in cricket, and could be a sleeper Rookie of the Year pick in pool.

The Pronger Tridents get the next look, and are interested in the last remaining rookie on the board with the #43 pick. They followed up that interest with action, drafting the last remaining rookie in Lize, who will not play much cricket early in the year due to a shoulder injury. When she gets going about a month into the season, she is expected to be another good choice for the Tridents after succeeding on both rookie selections last year.

The Boston Swifts have an interesting choice to make at the #44 pick, with a very intriguing option left on the board for them. The chance didn't come to pass, as the Swifts went with the former Commerce Tradewind, Ice Cream, who had spent her whole career with that team. Ice Cream joins a tight group in Boston, as the Swifts look to return to title competition with her in the fold.

The Central Warriors get to make the last decision in this draft, choosing between two veterans left on the board. The Warriors elected to go with the career Pearl Surfer Wings, giving the big veteran a chance to fill Gizmo's spot on the team and compete with Noelle and Mario for playing time in cricket at the Premier level.

The final player went to the Pacific Volcanoes at the #46 slot. That player was the career Lighton Prestige member Twinkie I, who now unites with a Starlight-led squad up the coast a bit. The two feisty veterans should keep the Volcanoes in a competitive form for 2018, as the Volcanoes look for a big follow-up to an excellent 2017.

That's all for the 2018 UPCL Draft. Over the weekend, I will be working on aligning all of my documents and creating the jerseys for the players who have switched teams. With any luck, the Heart of the Game Cutthroat Tournament will begin on Monday.