Here is a review of the first round of the amateur draft. Please keep in mind that my advanced scouting budget is 18 mil. Also this is just for fun and should not be looked at as an attack on anyone for their choices. Please discuss!
1. Jack Nicholas - Quite simply one of the best prospects I've ever seen come across in a draft. The Bearcats had mentioned early on they were targeting a pitcher, but they could not pass up this once in a lifetime talent. He should be a perennial all star and mvp candidate if developed correctly.
2. Michael Shumpert - Shumpert would have gone #1 in nearly any other draft. A legitimate top of the rotation starter. The Mustangs are pleased to grab him at #2.
3. Harry Guillen - He still hasn't signed and I bet his demands are going to be very high. The Bulls definitely have the money to sign him so hopefully he comes around soon and decided on the pro's instead of college baseball. He should be a great pitcher for a long time.
4. Flip Carter - Power, speed, and fielding. What more could you ask for out of a Center Fielder? Notoriously one of the tougher positions to find a good mixture of glove and bat, The Owls are happy that Carter will be roaming CF for years to come.
5. Les Butler - Pro's and Con's with Butler. You have to like his two plus pitches and great control. However, a mediocre righty split makes this a questionable top 5 selection. Could the Bronco's have done a little better here?
6. Eswalin Sierra - Really nice pitcher. Will be an absolute workhorse with projected 99 stamina and 33 durability...250 innings isn't out of the question. That's not to overshadow the nice splits and pitches. Nice pick and a guy some scouts believe is better than Butler who went a spot ahead of him.
7. Andrea Davis - Some good ratings here, but what scares some scouts is Davis only has 3 pitches and one of which is mediocre. Looking forward to see if Davis can overcome this to live up to such a high choice.
8. Cy Saturria - The Trojans must have been ectatic that probably the best "pure" hitter fell to them at #8. Cy should hit for high average, tons of homeruns, and not to mention steal some bases. He should be a 30-30 guy....could he approach 40-40?
9. Miguel Concepcion - The Buckeyes couldn't pass up this enticing CFer prospect. Rarely do you see a amateur draft that has one Cfer of this talent and we now have seen two. Hopefully his health won't become an issue.
10. Gene Schneider - Another great pitching prospect to add to the stable for Salem. The Beavers are reported to be happy to have grabbed Schnieder, but they were hoping one of the top position players would fall to them. Once they were off the board, they drafted by talent and not need. They grabbed a good on in Schnieder. Maybe in future seasons they can parlay him into a top positional prospect?
11. Andrea Nelson - A poor man's Cy Saturria. He should be a very good hitter for a long time. A nice, safe pick at #11.
12. Scooter Thomas - A risky, risky pick as Scooter let all the teams know he wants to play quarterback for Florida State. They rolled the dice anyways to see if a lot of greenbacks could sway him. Stay tuned...
13. Bingo Speier - Solid selection here. If he stays at 2B, that glove could make him a gold glover easily. He also could be moved to CF if needed although he doesn't have a ton of range. Always nice to have a good bat at either of those positions.
14. David Moreno - Moreno should be a lights out closer when he develops. With that durability rating he should be able to pitch in a ton of games as well. 50 saves isn't out of the question if he is limited to the 9th inning only.
15. Rafael Ordonez - Ordonez will be interesting to watch develop. He has all the tools to be a successful big leaguer, he just needs to work on his control. If he starts walking too many guys, its going to be hard to keep that WHIP from rising over 1.50.
16. Joaquin Colon - A good bat at SS with a nice glove is a great combination. This is a great slot for Colon to go and easily could have gone a bit higher in the teens. This draft is jsut really really deep and the Sun Devils benefit from it.
17. Daryn Easley - Very quesitonable selection. Most scouts don't believe his splits or pitches are good enough to make a big mark in the majors. he looks slated to be a back of the rotation\long reliever\mop up guy. Maybe the tiger scouts see something different?
18. Clyde Jodie - Jodie should be a solid, middle of the rotation pitcher. A very respectable grab as we reach the late teens.
19. James Hernandez - Another solid selection. Good glove, decent bat, will play many years in the bigs if he develops. Nothing too crazy here.
20. Tyson Seaver - Scouts believe the only reason Seaver fell this far is he tends to get hurt a lot. This has already played itself out once as he currently has a strained oblique. He is arguably more talented than other 2B that have been taken before him, but will injuries derail his career before it gets started?
21. Kurt Rolls - If he develops fully defensively, he can be a decent ML SS. But if he doesn't he'll probably have to be moved. Hopefully he can stick at SS because then you'll have a decent bat at SS. That will diminish if he has to be moved to 3B or somewhere else.
22. Moises Guerrero - A bit of a risky selection here because some scouts just aren't sold his control will develop enough to be reliable. It will be interesting to see if his other ratings can overcome the lack of control.
23. Allie Plesac - He still hasn't signed yet. If he does, he'll be a great selection this late in the draft. He easily could have gone in the teens. he could be a gold glove 3B with a lot of pop in his bat. (The Heels were hoping he'd fall to them)
24. Clayton Brunette - Good control and 3 good pitches. Can they overcome average splits? Should be good enough to be counted on as a back of the rotation pitcher.
25. Brian Yang - Yang would have gone much higher if he had a bit more stamina. Those splits are unbelievable though and he has two great pitches. Not sure how many innings you'll be able to get out of him though.
26. Merv Witt - Should be a decent closer if he develops correctly. As mentioned above, the Heels were hoping a couple other guys would fall to them.
27. Dewey King - Not too much to get excited about here. king has an average bat and defensive skills. He got hurt a ton in college so we'll see if he can keep his body together.
28. Darren Capra - At this point in the draft, any pick is going to have warts, but Capra has a big one. Sub 50 projected control. Very few pitchers have succeeded in the majors with that type of ratings. Can Capra be the next?
29. Billy Rivers - Great, great pick. The Herd had to have been ecstatic that Rivers fell to them. Not sure he has the glove to play 2B full time, but thats a nice bat.
30. Ray King - Very interesting selection. Great ratings, but unfortunately will probably only be able to play in 80-100 games a season due to his durability.
31. Jose Sierra - Nice pickup this late in the draft. Should be a solid reliever in the bigs.
32. Jaret House - the Gators were very happy house fell to them. Only question mark seems to be his batting eye which will lead to a lot of K's. But again, any pick this late usually will have warts.
33. Jonathan Rauch - Great pick. Could easily have gone 10 spots higher. Catcher is another position where it is very hard to find a decent fielding backstop with a good bat. Rauch definitely fits that mold.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Season 3 - Amateur Draft - First Round Review
Here is a review of the first round of the amateur draft. Please keep in mind that my advanced scouting budget is 18 mil. Also this is just for fun and should not be looked at as an attack on anyone for their choices. Please discuss!
1. Montgomery - Mitchell Spencer - Hasn't signed but he will. The only question is if he will raise his demands. He is a very solid #1 pick. Great hitter, speed. The only question is if he is truly a SS. The Crimson Tide can get away with him playing there due to his bat, but he will only be average at best as a SS. I bet every time there is a new cycle, mikesons eagerly looks to see if Spencer signed.
2. Los Angeles - Jake Randolph - Very nice pitching prospect. Scouts can't really find anything wrong with him as he is solid to very good across the board. The only question be raised is his mediocre health rating which is kind of scary in a #2 pick.
3. Salem - Bill Morton - I should just copy and paste what I wrote for Randolph. Morton is a fantastic prospect. The Beavers are hoping they can get away with the ~40 rated glove in right field. Also, his health probably scares jarazix every once in awhile.
4. Seattle - Larry Miller - Miller is a guy that probably should have gone a bit later in the first round. He is definitely first round material, but I'm not sure those splits make for a top 4 pick.
5. Arizona - Buddy Buckley - Beast of a hitter, but that glove probably makes him more of a corner OFer or 1B. Higher splits would have been nice as well, but he should do very well.
6. Syracuse - Frank Jenkins - Probably the steal of the draft so far. I'm sure the Orange were ecstatic that Jenkins dropped to him. He projects to be an absolute terror of a hitter and paired with former #1 pick Michael Seay they will make a dynamic duo in the middle of the lineup.
7. Philadelphia - Miller Kotsay - Wow, another fantastic pick. this draft is shaping up to be loaded. Another great hitter, that may possibly be playing out of position as a second basemen right now.
8. Buffalo - Cyrus Connelly - A bit of a reach as a topp eight pick due to such a lack of power. He should end up being a decent leadoff hitter, but the Bulls were probably hoping to get something more out of this pick.
9. Austin - Terry Clayton - Overall rating is inflated due to that stamina. Clayton will probably be a middle of the rotation type player due to his splits.
10. Jacksonville - Jeff Donovan - Pretty much the exact same player as Clayton. Projects to middle of the rotation. Better players were chosen later in the first round.
11. Columbus - Joshua Hall - Hall dropped due to not being able to hit lefties very well, but he should do well enough for the Buckeyes. This is another hitter that has some speed as well. there have been a few so far.
12. Detroit - Artie Hinch - The big question on Hinch is whether or not he can hit those split projections since he is already 22. If he does, then he is a steal, but worst case he'll be a nice starter for the Wolverines.
13. Texas - Matthew Davis - Well Davis signed ten days ago but is still unassigned. "Put me in coach, I wannnna play, today." Not sure where he fits in. His defense isn't good enough to play regular SS and his bat doesn't look strong enough for a corner OF or IF slot. Question Mark pick.
14. Cincinnati - Shane O'Brien - Hasn't signed and doesn't look like he will. Always risky to select a guy like this in the first round.
15. Memphis - Nate Forster - Another example of a stamina rating boosting the overall number much higher than it should be. Probably won't be more than a back of the rotation type do to average control and splits.
16. Kansas City - Clay Hausmann - Fantastic selection and a guy the Heels were hoping would somehow drop to them. Those are some fantastic splits, not to mention the stellar control and a few nice pitches. Always nice to see such a great health rating as well. Steal of the draft other than Syracuse's choice.
17. Iowa City - Haywood Young - Another great selection and a lot like Hausmann who was chosen right before. The Hawkeyes must be happy to have gotten Young here.
18. Charleston - Patrick Lamb - Lockdown closer of the future? Looks like Lamb could throw 150 innings in relief. if his control was a little bit higher this would be even better.
19. Louisville - Al Flores - Can't go wrong with a solid starting pitching selection as we get into the latter half of the first round. Solid selection for the Cardinals.
20. Atlanta - Micah Whitehall - See #14 Shane O'Brien
21. New York - Hector Guerrero - Standard if not spectacular selection. Guerrero should be a nice everyday piece in the ML lineup eventually. Not sure he is a 2B though considering that glove rating.
22. Charlotte - Travis Hermansen - I should let someone else analyze this pick. For the most part the Heels are ecstatic that Hermansen fell to them. They love the splits, however the health rating is a little scary. At this point in the draft, i think its okay to take chances on that for players you really like.
23. Fargo - Phil Nomura - Will be interesting to see how he does with those batting ratings. Probably would make more sense as a CFer as it seems to be easier to find better hitting 2B who can still field. Not so much in CF.
24. Chicago - Bernard Burkhart - Bernard absolutely loves facing lefties. Should be a solid everyday 3B. Very nice fielding ratings for a 3B as well.
25. Pittsburgh - Nick Robinson - Does Nick Robinson ever throw balls? He projects to a perfect 100 in control for some scouts. better splits would have been nice, but then he probably would have been picked higher.
26. Honolulu - Shawn Beaulac - The Warriors are hoping his stellar control and a couple great pitches can overcome that average righty split. He should end up being a nice middle to back of the rotation starter. Can't be too upset with that as teams start picking this late.
27. New Orleans - Carl Rossy - Pitcher #4 that has an overall number much higher because of stamina. That control rating is scary as some owners feel that MLers should have control 60+ at a minimum.
28. Portland - Cecil Bradford - Nice third baseman who probably will enver be anything spectacular, but could do some damage in the ML eventually.
29. Chicago - Billy Ray Yates - Getting to the point in the draft where all players have warts. Yates are his lefty split and only one above average pitch. Back of the rotation or Long Reliever type guy.
30. Las Vegas - Burt Adams - Adams will probably have to be moved due to his sub par fielding ratings, but also, most teams like a little more pop in their corner infielders. Might end up being a utility guy.
31. Oakland - Bo Clark - Very solid selection this late as Clark has a bright future as a short reliever. Great value at #31.
32. Florida - Scot Hunt - Solid value at #32 although that sub 50 health rating is tough to swallow. Slick fielding SS with a little bit of a bat is a nice find as the first round draws to a close.
1. Montgomery - Mitchell Spencer - Hasn't signed but he will. The only question is if he will raise his demands. He is a very solid #1 pick. Great hitter, speed. The only question is if he is truly a SS. The Crimson Tide can get away with him playing there due to his bat, but he will only be average at best as a SS. I bet every time there is a new cycle, mikesons eagerly looks to see if Spencer signed.
2. Los Angeles - Jake Randolph - Very nice pitching prospect. Scouts can't really find anything wrong with him as he is solid to very good across the board. The only question be raised is his mediocre health rating which is kind of scary in a #2 pick.
3. Salem - Bill Morton - I should just copy and paste what I wrote for Randolph. Morton is a fantastic prospect. The Beavers are hoping they can get away with the ~40 rated glove in right field. Also, his health probably scares jarazix every once in awhile.
4. Seattle - Larry Miller - Miller is a guy that probably should have gone a bit later in the first round. He is definitely first round material, but I'm not sure those splits make for a top 4 pick.
5. Arizona - Buddy Buckley - Beast of a hitter, but that glove probably makes him more of a corner OFer or 1B. Higher splits would have been nice as well, but he should do very well.
6. Syracuse - Frank Jenkins - Probably the steal of the draft so far. I'm sure the Orange were ecstatic that Jenkins dropped to him. He projects to be an absolute terror of a hitter and paired with former #1 pick Michael Seay they will make a dynamic duo in the middle of the lineup.
7. Philadelphia - Miller Kotsay - Wow, another fantastic pick. this draft is shaping up to be loaded. Another great hitter, that may possibly be playing out of position as a second basemen right now.
8. Buffalo - Cyrus Connelly - A bit of a reach as a topp eight pick due to such a lack of power. He should end up being a decent leadoff hitter, but the Bulls were probably hoping to get something more out of this pick.
9. Austin - Terry Clayton - Overall rating is inflated due to that stamina. Clayton will probably be a middle of the rotation type player due to his splits.
10. Jacksonville - Jeff Donovan - Pretty much the exact same player as Clayton. Projects to middle of the rotation. Better players were chosen later in the first round.
11. Columbus - Joshua Hall - Hall dropped due to not being able to hit lefties very well, but he should do well enough for the Buckeyes. This is another hitter that has some speed as well. there have been a few so far.
12. Detroit - Artie Hinch - The big question on Hinch is whether or not he can hit those split projections since he is already 22. If he does, then he is a steal, but worst case he'll be a nice starter for the Wolverines.
13. Texas - Matthew Davis - Well Davis signed ten days ago but is still unassigned. "Put me in coach, I wannnna play, today." Not sure where he fits in. His defense isn't good enough to play regular SS and his bat doesn't look strong enough for a corner OF or IF slot. Question Mark pick.
14. Cincinnati - Shane O'Brien - Hasn't signed and doesn't look like he will. Always risky to select a guy like this in the first round.
15. Memphis - Nate Forster - Another example of a stamina rating boosting the overall number much higher than it should be. Probably won't be more than a back of the rotation type do to average control and splits.
16. Kansas City - Clay Hausmann - Fantastic selection and a guy the Heels were hoping would somehow drop to them. Those are some fantastic splits, not to mention the stellar control and a few nice pitches. Always nice to see such a great health rating as well. Steal of the draft other than Syracuse's choice.
17. Iowa City - Haywood Young - Another great selection and a lot like Hausmann who was chosen right before. The Hawkeyes must be happy to have gotten Young here.
18. Charleston - Patrick Lamb - Lockdown closer of the future? Looks like Lamb could throw 150 innings in relief. if his control was a little bit higher this would be even better.
19. Louisville - Al Flores - Can't go wrong with a solid starting pitching selection as we get into the latter half of the first round. Solid selection for the Cardinals.
20. Atlanta - Micah Whitehall - See #14 Shane O'Brien
21. New York - Hector Guerrero - Standard if not spectacular selection. Guerrero should be a nice everyday piece in the ML lineup eventually. Not sure he is a 2B though considering that glove rating.
22. Charlotte - Travis Hermansen - I should let someone else analyze this pick. For the most part the Heels are ecstatic that Hermansen fell to them. They love the splits, however the health rating is a little scary. At this point in the draft, i think its okay to take chances on that for players you really like.
23. Fargo - Phil Nomura - Will be interesting to see how he does with those batting ratings. Probably would make more sense as a CFer as it seems to be easier to find better hitting 2B who can still field. Not so much in CF.
24. Chicago - Bernard Burkhart - Bernard absolutely loves facing lefties. Should be a solid everyday 3B. Very nice fielding ratings for a 3B as well.
25. Pittsburgh - Nick Robinson - Does Nick Robinson ever throw balls? He projects to a perfect 100 in control for some scouts. better splits would have been nice, but then he probably would have been picked higher.
26. Honolulu - Shawn Beaulac - The Warriors are hoping his stellar control and a couple great pitches can overcome that average righty split. He should end up being a nice middle to back of the rotation starter. Can't be too upset with that as teams start picking this late.
27. New Orleans - Carl Rossy - Pitcher #4 that has an overall number much higher because of stamina. That control rating is scary as some owners feel that MLers should have control 60+ at a minimum.
28. Portland - Cecil Bradford - Nice third baseman who probably will enver be anything spectacular, but could do some damage in the ML eventually.
29. Chicago - Billy Ray Yates - Getting to the point in the draft where all players have warts. Yates are his lefty split and only one above average pitch. Back of the rotation or Long Reliever type guy.
30. Las Vegas - Burt Adams - Adams will probably have to be moved due to his sub par fielding ratings, but also, most teams like a little more pop in their corner infielders. Might end up being a utility guy.
31. Oakland - Bo Clark - Very solid selection this late as Clark has a bright future as a short reliever. Great value at #31.
32. Florida - Scot Hunt - Solid value at #32 although that sub 50 health rating is tough to swallow. Slick fielding SS with a little bit of a bat is a nice find as the first round draws to a close.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Season 2 - Amateur Draft - First Round Review
Apologies again for the lack of discussion on the blog this season, its been pretty crazy. Anyways here is a review of the first round of the amateur draft. Please keep in mind that I only could budget 14 mil in advanced scouting so my projections won't be great. Also this is just for fun and should not be looked at as an attack on anyone for their choices. Please discuss!
1. Salem Beavers - Vic Escobar - If Escobar reaches projections than he'll be a solid #2 starter. his lefty split will probably hold him back from true ace numbers. There were a couple other pitchers selected that some teams had higher on their draft boards than Escobar, but the Beavers are happy with their choice and he'll defintiely help int he rebuilding process.
2. Seattle Huskies - Erik Haynes - Absolute beast of a hitter. Probably not a SS at the major league level because of poor range for the position. Even his other numbers are slightly below average. Projects to be a dynamite player at most other positions however.
3. LA Bruins - Jose Javier - Really nice selection. obviously his control needs to improve but it definitely projects to. As long as the control improves he will be a dynamic pitcher on the ML level. In a perfect world Javier would have a fourth pitch, but he should do fine without one.
4. Arizona Sun Devils - Nick Wilson - another top of the rotation pitcher is selected at #4. Wilson should be a very good #2 pitcher eventually.
5. Texas Mustangs - Ned French - French should eventually hit for very high average and get a tone of stolen bases. he will be a fixture at the top of the lineup for years to come once he makes the bigs.
6. Chicago Blue Demons - Pat Gibbons - The choice of Gibbons shows how deep this draft was in top end pitchers. In a lot of seasons Gibbons would be a top 2 or 3 choice and here he was able to be scooped up at number 6. The Blue Demons must be ecstatic with this guy in the pipeline.
7. Columbus Buckeyes - Clinton Carr - I should just cut and paste what I wrote for Gibbons. I actually like carr more than a couple of the pitchers mentioned above. Fantastic split\control projections to go along with 4 pitches, none of which should be a hindrance. Great pick,
8. Tampa Bay Hurricanes - Garrett Parris - Scouts say this would be the first questionable selection of the draft. Parris' defensive projections aren't good enough for the ML level and his hitting projections are decent, but nothing that jumps out and says "we NEED to pick this guy in the top ten!"
9. Jackson Rebels - Micah Mitchell - Some scouts would call this the second questionable selection of the draft. First Basemen in this game seem to be a dime a dozen, so some GM's shy away from taking them with top choices unless they should the potential of last years #1. Mitchell should be a decent hitter at the ML level eventually but thats about it. Can't shake the feeling that the Reb's were hoping for something more here.
10. Memphis Tigers - Marshall Antonelli - this would be a really solid selection if Antonelli was a little bit better of a defensive player. He still should be a nice player, but not sure he can carry his weight in the middle of the infield.
11. Louisville Cardinals - Clay Lavarnway - Nice selection here for Louisville. Lavarnay should hit a ton of homers eventually and he even has some speed. Not sure if second base is definitely in his future but we'll see how he progresses.
12. Charleston Cougars - Dan James - Can't link him because he hasn't signed and doesn't look like he will. GM's were shocked when the announcement was made that James was chosen because he had been very up front with people that he loved college and wanted to stick his college career out. Charleston's roll of the dice unfortunately failed.
13. Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels - Candy Ryan - Perfect name for Vegas. he can probably be seen at the Rhino during the offseason. Should be a dynamic closer eventually. Some GM's shy away from taking relievers in the first round because of the limited innings, but he has some great projections and can see why he might be hard to pass up.
14. Philadelphia Owls - Rico Martinez - Really nice value selection here by the Owls. Definitely could have gone much higher and ownership must be ecstatic that he dropped. High durability would be nice, but not a deal breaker with his other ratings.
15. Wichita Jayhawks - Manuel Guillen - Kind of a head scratcher. Defensive ratings definitely don't compute to a SS. Maybe not even an infielder. His hitting ratings don't really get GM's excited as an OFer. We'll see what happens, but might have been a mistake.
16. Kansas City Wildcats - Marquis Nolan - Should be a solid hitter. His eye is terrific and the Wildcats are hoping eventually means a .450\.500 OBP.
17. Cincinatti Bearcats - Julio Lira - Lira dropped a bit in the draft due to his average projection with his righty split. Still should be a nice middle of the rotation pitcher eventually.
18. Buffalo Bulls - Jamie Cameron - Defensive Whiz and thats about it. It is nice that he has a great batting eye as well. Some GM's have no issue sacrificing offense for superb defense at SS and looks like the Bulls are one of them.
19. Oakland Golden Bears - Torey Vizquel - Really impressed with this selection and probably the best value selection so far in the draft. Not sure how this guy got past a lot of teams radars, but getting a true CF with power and speed this late in the first round is very impressive.
20. New York Red Storm - Ajax Brown - Should be a very solid pitcher eventually and definitely worth the #20 choice in the draft. Solid ratings across the board, nice selection.
21. Honolulu Warriors - Thomas Martin - Another defensive whiz, but with more pop in the bat than Cameron. Nice selection. If he had gone higher it might have been questionable, but this seems about right.
22. Chicago Illini - Fernando Rondon - GM's are not a huge fan of this choice. This very average splits scared off a lot of people. He should be ready sooner rather than later, but will probably be best looked at as an "innings eater."
23. Detroit Wolverines - Mitch Carter - Scary pick because of his health ratings. Carter is known to hurt himself even if he is in a circular, padded room with nothing else in there. If somehow he escapes the injury bug, he'll be a nice catcher.
24. Austin Longhorns - Lorenzo Fernandez - His lefty split scared off a lot of people. We'll see if his nice righty split makes up for it. Probably will be another "innings eater" back of the rotation type pitcher.
25. Portland Ducks - Peter Stankiewicz - One of the more advanced players in the draft, Peter should be ready to contribute within the next couple of seasons, but will probably just be a decent player because of his average splits.
26. Charlotte Tar Heels - Jerry Seabol - The Heels were happy with the choice. We would rather have had a pitcher, but to us Seabol projects as an above average defensive right fielder with some really nice pop in his bat.
27. Fargo Bison - Sam Kashmir - Nice selection late in the first round. Should eventually be a great closer.
28. Memphis Tigers (from Nashville) - Dan Russell - Really ncie bat, but not sure he will succeed defensively at second base.
29. Pittsburgh Panthers - Jimmie Alicea - Beggers can't be choosers and when you can find probable ML starters at the end of the first round than you have succeeded and Alicea fits that bill.
30. Detroit Wolverines (from New Orleans) - Paul Bowman - Probably won't be more of a long reliever due to his stamina. Would have been nice if his splits were a bit higher.
31. Iowa City Hawkeyes - J.P. Calvo - With development, he could be a very nice back of the rotation pitcher. His splits aren't great but he has solid control and 4 above average pitches. Definitely could succeed.
32. Florida Gators - Jesus Rosa - Really nice selection with the last choice in the first round. the Gators must be happy Rosa dropped to them. really nice bat.
1. Salem Beavers - Vic Escobar - If Escobar reaches projections than he'll be a solid #2 starter. his lefty split will probably hold him back from true ace numbers. There were a couple other pitchers selected that some teams had higher on their draft boards than Escobar, but the Beavers are happy with their choice and he'll defintiely help int he rebuilding process.
2. Seattle Huskies - Erik Haynes - Absolute beast of a hitter. Probably not a SS at the major league level because of poor range for the position. Even his other numbers are slightly below average. Projects to be a dynamite player at most other positions however.
3. LA Bruins - Jose Javier - Really nice selection. obviously his control needs to improve but it definitely projects to. As long as the control improves he will be a dynamic pitcher on the ML level. In a perfect world Javier would have a fourth pitch, but he should do fine without one.
4. Arizona Sun Devils - Nick Wilson - another top of the rotation pitcher is selected at #4. Wilson should be a very good #2 pitcher eventually.
5. Texas Mustangs - Ned French - French should eventually hit for very high average and get a tone of stolen bases. he will be a fixture at the top of the lineup for years to come once he makes the bigs.
6. Chicago Blue Demons - Pat Gibbons - The choice of Gibbons shows how deep this draft was in top end pitchers. In a lot of seasons Gibbons would be a top 2 or 3 choice and here he was able to be scooped up at number 6. The Blue Demons must be ecstatic with this guy in the pipeline.
7. Columbus Buckeyes - Clinton Carr - I should just cut and paste what I wrote for Gibbons. I actually like carr more than a couple of the pitchers mentioned above. Fantastic split\control projections to go along with 4 pitches, none of which should be a hindrance. Great pick,
8. Tampa Bay Hurricanes - Garrett Parris - Scouts say this would be the first questionable selection of the draft. Parris' defensive projections aren't good enough for the ML level and his hitting projections are decent, but nothing that jumps out and says "we NEED to pick this guy in the top ten!"
9. Jackson Rebels - Micah Mitchell - Some scouts would call this the second questionable selection of the draft. First Basemen in this game seem to be a dime a dozen, so some GM's shy away from taking them with top choices unless they should the potential of last years #1. Mitchell should be a decent hitter at the ML level eventually but thats about it. Can't shake the feeling that the Reb's were hoping for something more here.
10. Memphis Tigers - Marshall Antonelli - this would be a really solid selection if Antonelli was a little bit better of a defensive player. He still should be a nice player, but not sure he can carry his weight in the middle of the infield.
11. Louisville Cardinals - Clay Lavarnway - Nice selection here for Louisville. Lavarnay should hit a ton of homers eventually and he even has some speed. Not sure if second base is definitely in his future but we'll see how he progresses.
12. Charleston Cougars - Dan James - Can't link him because he hasn't signed and doesn't look like he will. GM's were shocked when the announcement was made that James was chosen because he had been very up front with people that he loved college and wanted to stick his college career out. Charleston's roll of the dice unfortunately failed.
13. Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels - Candy Ryan - Perfect name for Vegas. he can probably be seen at the Rhino during the offseason. Should be a dynamic closer eventually. Some GM's shy away from taking relievers in the first round because of the limited innings, but he has some great projections and can see why he might be hard to pass up.
14. Philadelphia Owls - Rico Martinez - Really nice value selection here by the Owls. Definitely could have gone much higher and ownership must be ecstatic that he dropped. High durability would be nice, but not a deal breaker with his other ratings.
15. Wichita Jayhawks - Manuel Guillen - Kind of a head scratcher. Defensive ratings definitely don't compute to a SS. Maybe not even an infielder. His hitting ratings don't really get GM's excited as an OFer. We'll see what happens, but might have been a mistake.
16. Kansas City Wildcats - Marquis Nolan - Should be a solid hitter. His eye is terrific and the Wildcats are hoping eventually means a .450\.500 OBP.
17. Cincinatti Bearcats - Julio Lira - Lira dropped a bit in the draft due to his average projection with his righty split. Still should be a nice middle of the rotation pitcher eventually.
18. Buffalo Bulls - Jamie Cameron - Defensive Whiz and thats about it. It is nice that he has a great batting eye as well. Some GM's have no issue sacrificing offense for superb defense at SS and looks like the Bulls are one of them.
19. Oakland Golden Bears - Torey Vizquel - Really impressed with this selection and probably the best value selection so far in the draft. Not sure how this guy got past a lot of teams radars, but getting a true CF with power and speed this late in the first round is very impressive.
20. New York Red Storm - Ajax Brown - Should be a very solid pitcher eventually and definitely worth the #20 choice in the draft. Solid ratings across the board, nice selection.
21. Honolulu Warriors - Thomas Martin - Another defensive whiz, but with more pop in the bat than Cameron. Nice selection. If he had gone higher it might have been questionable, but this seems about right.
22. Chicago Illini - Fernando Rondon - GM's are not a huge fan of this choice. This very average splits scared off a lot of people. He should be ready sooner rather than later, but will probably be best looked at as an "innings eater."
23. Detroit Wolverines - Mitch Carter - Scary pick because of his health ratings. Carter is known to hurt himself even if he is in a circular, padded room with nothing else in there. If somehow he escapes the injury bug, he'll be a nice catcher.
24. Austin Longhorns - Lorenzo Fernandez - His lefty split scared off a lot of people. We'll see if his nice righty split makes up for it. Probably will be another "innings eater" back of the rotation type pitcher.
25. Portland Ducks - Peter Stankiewicz - One of the more advanced players in the draft, Peter should be ready to contribute within the next couple of seasons, but will probably just be a decent player because of his average splits.
26. Charlotte Tar Heels - Jerry Seabol - The Heels were happy with the choice. We would rather have had a pitcher, but to us Seabol projects as an above average defensive right fielder with some really nice pop in his bat.
27. Fargo Bison - Sam Kashmir - Nice selection late in the first round. Should eventually be a great closer.
28. Memphis Tigers (from Nashville) - Dan Russell - Really ncie bat, but not sure he will succeed defensively at second base.
29. Pittsburgh Panthers - Jimmie Alicea - Beggers can't be choosers and when you can find probable ML starters at the end of the first round than you have succeeded and Alicea fits that bill.
30. Detroit Wolverines (from New Orleans) - Paul Bowman - Probably won't be more of a long reliever due to his stamina. Would have been nice if his splits were a bit higher.
31. Iowa City Hawkeyes - J.P. Calvo - With development, he could be a very nice back of the rotation pitcher. His splits aren't great but he has solid control and 4 above average pitches. Definitely could succeed.
32. Florida Gators - Jesus Rosa - Really nice selection with the last choice in the first round. the Gators must be happy Rosa dropped to them. really nice bat.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Portland Ducks Season Recap
Portland Ducks - Season I Review
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
With 90 wins, the first season of the Ducks was good.
They are playing in a strong division with Pittsburgh, Fargo and Syracuse.
On the pitcher side, the Ducks have three good starting pitcher in Gene "Cy Young" Wise, the veteran Hong-Gu Kim and one of the rookie of year contender, Terry Simmons.
Some other pitcher like Steve Bevil, Randy Mullin and Luis Rivera have shown that they can do the job.
The official closer of the Ducks, Malachi Benson, has done the job by saving 18 games on 25 opportunities.
The Ducks shown an average power at bat. Ernest Lowe was the power hitter of the Ducks, with 52 HR and 118 RBI. Also, Pedro Cruz and Mark Stewart have proven that they can hit the ball.
Even with two injuries in the season, Vance "Road Runner" Coppolecchia has shown his speed and running abilities, with 112 SB. Cliff Burns and Ivan Nunez respectivly stolen 40 and 30 bases, which is not bad.
In the minor leagues, the results were good. Some young players have played very well, and are still developping theirs abilities. In the amateur draft, the Ducks put their hands on some nice player, but nothing more.
On the international market, Felipe Gandarilla was a great pick. In 23 starts, Gandarilla got 9 wins with and 2.81.
The Ducks also got some great player by trades. For exemple, Gene "Cy Young" Wise were acquire at the same time of Steve Bevil and Lawrence Hill. In this trade, they gave David Cordero and Domingo Servet who are great prospects.
Some other great players come from other teams, like Grant Dixon, Mark Stewart, Al Cortes, Charile Spencer and Randy Mullin.
So, the table are sets for the next season. The Ducks's owner knows what he need to do to improve his team, and maybe have a chance to go to World Series.
sirius07
Portland Ducks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
With 90 wins, the first season of the Ducks was good.
They are playing in a strong division with Pittsburgh, Fargo and Syracuse.
On the pitcher side, the Ducks have three good starting pitcher in Gene "Cy Young" Wise, the veteran Hong-Gu Kim and one of the rookie of year contender, Terry Simmons.
Some other pitcher like Steve Bevil, Randy Mullin and Luis Rivera have shown that they can do the job.
The official closer of the Ducks, Malachi Benson, has done the job by saving 18 games on 25 opportunities.
The Ducks shown an average power at bat. Ernest Lowe was the power hitter of the Ducks, with 52 HR and 118 RBI. Also, Pedro Cruz and Mark Stewart have proven that they can hit the ball.
Even with two injuries in the season, Vance "Road Runner" Coppolecchia has shown his speed and running abilities, with 112 SB. Cliff Burns and Ivan Nunez respectivly stolen 40 and 30 bases, which is not bad.
In the minor leagues, the results were good. Some young players have played very well, and are still developping theirs abilities. In the amateur draft, the Ducks put their hands on some nice player, but nothing more.
On the international market, Felipe Gandarilla was a great pick. In 23 starts, Gandarilla got 9 wins with and 2.81.
The Ducks also got some great player by trades. For exemple, Gene "Cy Young" Wise were acquire at the same time of Steve Bevil and Lawrence Hill. In this trade, they gave David Cordero and Domingo Servet who are great prospects.
Some other great players come from other teams, like Grant Dixon, Mark Stewart, Al Cortes, Charile Spencer and Randy Mullin.
So, the table are sets for the next season. The Ducks's owner knows what he need to do to improve his team, and maybe have a chance to go to World Series.
sirius07
Portland Ducks
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Columbus Buckeyes Season Recap
Weena's recap of his Buckeye's season.
Here is something I put together on the Buckeyes. I think it pretty much covers the season. Feel free to edit or reject it entirely if it is not what you are looking for. I had fun with it anyway.
The Columbus Buckeyes - a season of chumps, lumps, bumps
I was initially very excited about the Columbus Buckeyes franchise. I thought the ML team might run away with the Big Ten division and possibly go all the way to the World Series. The trophies were just waiting to be engraved with my name. Then the 3 other division coaches signed up. Oh well, I knew they were coming. I figured a little competition is good for the soul anyway. Once the league filled and we got to reserve our spots and wait for the rollover. My anticipation was still very high at that point. Why couldn’t someone at WIS just throw the switch, turn the dial, press the button so our world could begin. The waiting was driving me crazy. I wondered how many Cy Young and MVP candidates I would have. I was wearing the lettering off of the F5 button checking to see if the world had rolled over.
Then there it was on the list of active franchises. I clicked. I looked. I died. What was this crap I was seeing. This wasn’t a championship team. It looked more like a roster of over the hill potbellied softball rejects. My vision blurred. I became lightheaded. My stomach was bubbling up volcano lava. I was sweating profusely. I couldn’t catch my breath. Slowly the nausea passed and all that remained was a sick headache. My dreams of a championship were dashed. Heck, my dreams of a winning season were dashed.
Well, I was locked into this thing so I decided to see what I could salvage of it. I quickly thought that maybe there were some gems hidden in the minors that I could bring up. I scanned the rosters but there was not much to help me there. I saw some potentially good players for future seasons but no immediate help. The reality of the situation was that this franchise stunk from top to bottom. There was one sliver of silver lining though. I found that I was listed as #3 in the amateur draft. There would be hope for the future after all.
I trimmed off as much dead weight as I could from the ML roster including a pitcher with a Control of 5 and the 40 year olds. Once trading began I made a few moves to both strengthen my rotation and build for the future. I had to trade away CF Charles Swindell, my only legitimate player. I got 3 solid players in return and Chuckie would have been a primo big mouth bass swimming in a lake of dead carp anyway. I eventually picked up a couple of SPs that allowed me to demote a couple of high priced slugs to AAA.
The season progressed about as well as expected. Our hitting was pathetic and the hodge podge bullpen cost me a bunch of wins. Then the emails from the medical staff started coming in. A good day was a day that someone didn’t get injured. At one point during the season I had 7 ML players on the 60 day DL including 6 pitchers. My minor league teams took similar hits. It seemed like every other day I was playing dominoes with the pitching. Move a guy up from Rookie League to Low A, move a Low A guy to High A, move a guy from High A to AA. Etc. I ended up with several players playing much higher levels than they should have. Hopefully, the experience at the higher level won’t cause them to miss their potentials.
The Buckeyes finished the season at 69-93. Surprisingly, 6 teams finished with worse records. I guess we weren’t the worst of the worse. The success of our amateur draft is documented elsewhere in this blog and hopefully I can trade one or two of the picks to continue to improve this team. I did sign a nice International starting pitcher who has ML potential. Unfortunately, he will not be able to help the big league club for several more seasons. Our goal for next season is .500. I don’t know if we will make it or not but I do know that it will never be worse than this season. Go Buckeyes.
Weena
Here is something I put together on the Buckeyes. I think it pretty much covers the season. Feel free to edit or reject it entirely if it is not what you are looking for. I had fun with it anyway.
The Columbus Buckeyes - a season of chumps, lumps, bumps
I was initially very excited about the Columbus Buckeyes franchise. I thought the ML team might run away with the Big Ten division and possibly go all the way to the World Series. The trophies were just waiting to be engraved with my name. Then the 3 other division coaches signed up. Oh well, I knew they were coming. I figured a little competition is good for the soul anyway. Once the league filled and we got to reserve our spots and wait for the rollover. My anticipation was still very high at that point. Why couldn’t someone at WIS just throw the switch, turn the dial, press the button so our world could begin. The waiting was driving me crazy. I wondered how many Cy Young and MVP candidates I would have. I was wearing the lettering off of the F5 button checking to see if the world had rolled over.
Then there it was on the list of active franchises. I clicked. I looked. I died. What was this crap I was seeing. This wasn’t a championship team. It looked more like a roster of over the hill potbellied softball rejects. My vision blurred. I became lightheaded. My stomach was bubbling up volcano lava. I was sweating profusely. I couldn’t catch my breath. Slowly the nausea passed and all that remained was a sick headache. My dreams of a championship were dashed. Heck, my dreams of a winning season were dashed.
Well, I was locked into this thing so I decided to see what I could salvage of it. I quickly thought that maybe there were some gems hidden in the minors that I could bring up. I scanned the rosters but there was not much to help me there. I saw some potentially good players for future seasons but no immediate help. The reality of the situation was that this franchise stunk from top to bottom. There was one sliver of silver lining though. I found that I was listed as #3 in the amateur draft. There would be hope for the future after all.
I trimmed off as much dead weight as I could from the ML roster including a pitcher with a Control of 5 and the 40 year olds. Once trading began I made a few moves to both strengthen my rotation and build for the future. I had to trade away CF Charles Swindell, my only legitimate player. I got 3 solid players in return and Chuckie would have been a primo big mouth bass swimming in a lake of dead carp anyway. I eventually picked up a couple of SPs that allowed me to demote a couple of high priced slugs to AAA.
The season progressed about as well as expected. Our hitting was pathetic and the hodge podge bullpen cost me a bunch of wins. Then the emails from the medical staff started coming in. A good day was a day that someone didn’t get injured. At one point during the season I had 7 ML players on the 60 day DL including 6 pitchers. My minor league teams took similar hits. It seemed like every other day I was playing dominoes with the pitching. Move a guy up from Rookie League to Low A, move a Low A guy to High A, move a guy from High A to AA. Etc. I ended up with several players playing much higher levels than they should have. Hopefully, the experience at the higher level won’t cause them to miss their potentials.
The Buckeyes finished the season at 69-93. Surprisingly, 6 teams finished with worse records. I guess we weren’t the worst of the worse. The success of our amateur draft is documented elsewhere in this blog and hopefully I can trade one or two of the picks to continue to improve this team. I did sign a nice International starting pitcher who has ML potential. Unfortunately, he will not be able to help the big league club for several more seasons. Our goal for next season is .500. I don’t know if we will make it or not but I do know that it will never be worse than this season. Go Buckeyes.
Weena
Monday, June 9, 2008
Amateur Draft Review - AL West
Los Angeles Bruins
1-14 - Dick Bailey - Will be an absolute steal at 14 IF his control reaches near his projections. His stamina obviously incrases is OVR, but lots of people were surprised he fell this far. Will be a top f the rotation pitcher if he reaches projections.
1-38 - Joaquin Almanzar - Definitely not a SS at the ML level, but still a slid pick. Has the bat to produce well as a 3B or corner outfielder.
2-49 - Marcus Perez - Decent pick. Again, has a good bat, but his batting eye is below par. Some owners don't care about BE and others do. Will be fun to see how he does.
2-62 - Daryl Smith - With those splits is almost certainly a career minor leaguer. Could have gotten much more value here.
3-94 - Anthony Hines - Didn't scout and hasn't signed
4-126 - Junior Palmeiro - Career minor leaguer
5-158 - Vinny Glover - Not a bad selection at all for a fifth rounder. The Bruins rolling the dice to see if his excellent power can overcome those splits.
Impact: Mild\Moderate - If the Bruins had added one more solid guy, this definitely would have been a Moderate Impact class. Bailey is a steal at 14 and the next two picks are solid if not spectacular.
Oakland Cardinal
1-7 - Luis Santana - Nice selection and should be a really good #2 starter in the league for many years.
1-28 - Al Gomez - Not a huge fan of this pick strictly because of that righty split which probably means he won't be very effective. Definitely a reach.
1-36 - Karim Ramirez - On the other hand, I really like this pick. Will be very interesting to see if his control and splits can overcome two average at best pitches. Probably will need to be pared with a high PC catcher.
3-87 - Brian Pagnozzi - Hasn't signed and doesn't look like Oakland is going to give him the money he wants. Probably a good idea, as he doesn't look like he would be worth the investment.
4-119 - Scot Moore - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout.
5-151 - Met Smart - Hasn't signed and even if he does will probably only be a career minor leaguer.
Impact: Mild - With two first round picks and a comp pick I think the Cardinal could have gotten a little more out of the second of those picks. Also, akland has pretty much ignored the rest of their draft.
Salem Beavers
1-18 - Stu Ford - Definitely a nice pick, but definitely not a SS. Could be a standout 3B though and will have a very nice bat.
1-39 - Buster Gordon - Gordon seems to be a bit of a reach here because his control and splits aren't great.
2-56 - Bob Marshall - Very good value selection here. Would have thought the same thing if Salem chose Marshall with their comp pick. Should be a nice catcher if the Beavers can live with average PC.
2-66 - Martin Davis - Another great value selection as Davis definitely has the bat to not only make it to the bigs, but do well.
3-98 - Craig Stechschulte - Third great value selection in a row. Not sure how many innings they can get out of him due to that stamina\durability combo, but when he pitches he should be really solid.
4-130 - Stu Farnsworth - Great fourth round selection. Whenever you can get possibly ML contributors here you are having a good draft. Should hit some homeruns in the bigs one day.
5-162 - Juan Gomez - Career minor leaguer
Impact: Moderate\High - Salem had one of the best drafts in NCAA this season. If his second pick was a little better than this would be a full High Impact draft (although I can definitely be proved wrong)
Seattle Huskies
1-6 - Tracy Nen - Should be a great player eventually. Seattle already has some bad luck as Nen tore his groin muscle even with a great health rating.
1-35 - Benny Taveras - Will be interesting to see if Taveras can overcome that awful lefty split. It seems like with this high a pick, Seattle might have wanted to go in a different direction as this is a definite roll of the dice.
2-54 - Harry Moya - Solid choice here. Probably won't pitch a ton of innings, but when he is in there he should do a great job.
2-58 - Damian Matsuzaka - Didn't scout and hasn't signed.
3-86 - Jay West - Might have been able to get better value here. Suspect control and splits might hurt him too much to be anything but the 12\13th pitcher in the bigs if that.
4-118 - Tommie Stone - At best is a long reliever\mop up because of those splits. Probably a career minor leaguer.
5-150 - Rudy Callaway - Didn't Scout and hasn't signed
Impact: Mild\Moderate - Other than Nen with the first pick, this draft has questions. However Nen is good enough to be a perennial all star and thats enough to push the impact up.
1-14 - Dick Bailey - Will be an absolute steal at 14 IF his control reaches near his projections. His stamina obviously incrases is OVR, but lots of people were surprised he fell this far. Will be a top f the rotation pitcher if he reaches projections.
1-38 - Joaquin Almanzar - Definitely not a SS at the ML level, but still a slid pick. Has the bat to produce well as a 3B or corner outfielder.
2-49 - Marcus Perez - Decent pick. Again, has a good bat, but his batting eye is below par. Some owners don't care about BE and others do. Will be fun to see how he does.
2-62 - Daryl Smith - With those splits is almost certainly a career minor leaguer. Could have gotten much more value here.
3-94 - Anthony Hines - Didn't scout and hasn't signed
4-126 - Junior Palmeiro - Career minor leaguer
5-158 - Vinny Glover - Not a bad selection at all for a fifth rounder. The Bruins rolling the dice to see if his excellent power can overcome those splits.
Impact: Mild\Moderate - If the Bruins had added one more solid guy, this definitely would have been a Moderate Impact class. Bailey is a steal at 14 and the next two picks are solid if not spectacular.
Oakland Cardinal
1-7 - Luis Santana - Nice selection and should be a really good #2 starter in the league for many years.
1-28 - Al Gomez - Not a huge fan of this pick strictly because of that righty split which probably means he won't be very effective. Definitely a reach.
1-36 - Karim Ramirez - On the other hand, I really like this pick. Will be very interesting to see if his control and splits can overcome two average at best pitches. Probably will need to be pared with a high PC catcher.
3-87 - Brian Pagnozzi - Hasn't signed and doesn't look like Oakland is going to give him the money he wants. Probably a good idea, as he doesn't look like he would be worth the investment.
4-119 - Scot Moore - Hasn't signed and I didn't scout.
5-151 - Met Smart - Hasn't signed and even if he does will probably only be a career minor leaguer.
Impact: Mild - With two first round picks and a comp pick I think the Cardinal could have gotten a little more out of the second of those picks. Also, akland has pretty much ignored the rest of their draft.
Salem Beavers
1-18 - Stu Ford - Definitely a nice pick, but definitely not a SS. Could be a standout 3B though and will have a very nice bat.
1-39 - Buster Gordon - Gordon seems to be a bit of a reach here because his control and splits aren't great.
2-56 - Bob Marshall - Very good value selection here. Would have thought the same thing if Salem chose Marshall with their comp pick. Should be a nice catcher if the Beavers can live with average PC.
2-66 - Martin Davis - Another great value selection as Davis definitely has the bat to not only make it to the bigs, but do well.
3-98 - Craig Stechschulte - Third great value selection in a row. Not sure how many innings they can get out of him due to that stamina\durability combo, but when he pitches he should be really solid.
4-130 - Stu Farnsworth - Great fourth round selection. Whenever you can get possibly ML contributors here you are having a good draft. Should hit some homeruns in the bigs one day.
5-162 - Juan Gomez - Career minor leaguer
Impact: Moderate\High - Salem had one of the best drafts in NCAA this season. If his second pick was a little better than this would be a full High Impact draft (although I can definitely be proved wrong)
Seattle Huskies
1-6 - Tracy Nen - Should be a great player eventually. Seattle already has some bad luck as Nen tore his groin muscle even with a great health rating.
1-35 - Benny Taveras - Will be interesting to see if Taveras can overcome that awful lefty split. It seems like with this high a pick, Seattle might have wanted to go in a different direction as this is a definite roll of the dice.
2-54 - Harry Moya - Solid choice here. Probably won't pitch a ton of innings, but when he is in there he should do a great job.
2-58 - Damian Matsuzaka - Didn't scout and hasn't signed.
3-86 - Jay West - Might have been able to get better value here. Suspect control and splits might hurt him too much to be anything but the 12\13th pitcher in the bigs if that.
4-118 - Tommie Stone - At best is a long reliever\mop up because of those splits. Probably a career minor leaguer.
5-150 - Rudy Callaway - Didn't Scout and hasn't signed
Impact: Mild\Moderate - Other than Nen with the first pick, this draft has questions. However Nen is good enough to be a perennial all star and thats enough to push the impact up.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Amateur Draft Review - AL South
Florida Gators
1-12 - Chance Austin - Very nice first round selection. Austin projects to be a top of the rotation pitcher. Maybe not a true #1 ace, but a very good #2.
1-45 - Pat Howington - Howington is an interesting compensation pick. Great splits and some nice pitches should make him be a very good setup A\closer. Even though he does project to high forties in stamina, his durability will mitigate that.
3-92 - Davy Jackson - Defensive specialist at shortstop that has a belw average bat. The glove is definitely ML material.
4-124 - Turner Torrealba - Poor righty split probably dooms him to career minor league status.
5-156 - Chris Blake - Scouts don't think Blake has the bat to make it to the majors. He makes above average contact, but his splits are really poor.
Impact: Moderate - First two picks are very strong especially the first rounder. Will be interesting to see what happens to Jackson. He has a great glove, but will be a very poor hitter at the ML level.
Jackson Rebels
1-15 - Stuart Hughes Looking forward to seeing how Hughes progresses. He has a really nice lefty split but not a great righty split. Also, 4 out of his 5 pitches project to below average to average. He does have fantastic control. He will definitely contribute on the ML level, but part of me feels he could have gotten more at 15.
2-63 - Wilt Curtis - Could be a decent role player, but probably not much more in the bigs.
3-95 - Alexander Herrera - At best, will be a long reliever\ mop up guy in the bigs and maybe just a great AAA pitcher.
4-127 - Bobby Sheffield - Probably can be a decent defensive replacement in the bigs. Not a bad selection at all for the 4th round.
5-159 - Phillip Ritchie - With those splits he'll be a career minor leaguer.
Impact: Mild. Decent draft, but no one sticks out as a great player and part of me still feels that taking Hughes at 15 was a bit of a reach.
Nashville Commodores
1-13 - Juan Delgado - If Delgado's glove rating was about 10 points higher than I would really like this selection, but as it stands now, I'm not sure he can be an everyday ML SS without making a lot of errors. Very nice bat, but his batting eye will hurt a bit.
2-61 - Guillermo James - James is a speedster and makes good contact when he actually hits the ball, but he swings at an awful lot of pitches outside the zone which hurt him. Might have been able to find better value here.
3-93 - Nate Fitzgerald - Really nice value for the third round. Definitely has the bat to be a player in the bigs. He might need to be moved to a corner outfield position as his glove probably won't cut it at third.
4-125 - PJ Harper - Would have been a great selection for the fourth round, but he still hasn't signed. Great power and batting eye.
5-157 - Ed Baez - Probably a career minor leaguer.
Impact: Mild. Not in live with the first two picks for where they were selected although I'm looking forward to seeing what Nashville does with Delgado position wise. Nice value in the 3rd round and it would be great for them if the 4th rounder signs.
New Orleans Privateers
1-30 - Juan Torres - Really nice value at the end of the round. Definitely a better pick than several others that went higher. Should be a nice bat in the bigs although he might have to mve to a corner outfield position.
2-78 - Philip Valdes - Another great value selection here. He'll have to get his durability up, but definitely projects to a big league bat.
3-110 - Hugh Moss - Interesting selection here. Great splits and pitches. Probably fell in the draft due to poor stamina and slightly above average control.
4-142 - Nolan Loewer - Probably a career minor league, but maybe a 25th guy on the roster type player. Also, he is one of the ugliest guys in NCAA world.
5-174 - Dan Graham - Probably a career minor leaguer
Impact: Moderate - Two definite ML starters in the first two rounds push this draft barely into the moderate impact category. It will be interesting to see how many innings\year the Privateers can get out of Moss.
1-12 - Chance Austin - Very nice first round selection. Austin projects to be a top of the rotation pitcher. Maybe not a true #1 ace, but a very good #2.
1-45 - Pat Howington - Howington is an interesting compensation pick. Great splits and some nice pitches should make him be a very good setup A\closer. Even though he does project to high forties in stamina, his durability will mitigate that.
3-92 - Davy Jackson - Defensive specialist at shortstop that has a belw average bat. The glove is definitely ML material.
4-124 - Turner Torrealba - Poor righty split probably dooms him to career minor league status.
5-156 - Chris Blake - Scouts don't think Blake has the bat to make it to the majors. He makes above average contact, but his splits are really poor.
Impact: Moderate - First two picks are very strong especially the first rounder. Will be interesting to see what happens to Jackson. He has a great glove, but will be a very poor hitter at the ML level.
Jackson Rebels
1-15 - Stuart Hughes Looking forward to seeing how Hughes progresses. He has a really nice lefty split but not a great righty split. Also, 4 out of his 5 pitches project to below average to average. He does have fantastic control. He will definitely contribute on the ML level, but part of me feels he could have gotten more at 15.
2-63 - Wilt Curtis - Could be a decent role player, but probably not much more in the bigs.
3-95 - Alexander Herrera - At best, will be a long reliever\ mop up guy in the bigs and maybe just a great AAA pitcher.
4-127 - Bobby Sheffield - Probably can be a decent defensive replacement in the bigs. Not a bad selection at all for the 4th round.
5-159 - Phillip Ritchie - With those splits he'll be a career minor leaguer.
Impact: Mild. Decent draft, but no one sticks out as a great player and part of me still feels that taking Hughes at 15 was a bit of a reach.
Nashville Commodores
1-13 - Juan Delgado - If Delgado's glove rating was about 10 points higher than I would really like this selection, but as it stands now, I'm not sure he can be an everyday ML SS without making a lot of errors. Very nice bat, but his batting eye will hurt a bit.
2-61 - Guillermo James - James is a speedster and makes good contact when he actually hits the ball, but he swings at an awful lot of pitches outside the zone which hurt him. Might have been able to find better value here.
3-93 - Nate Fitzgerald - Really nice value for the third round. Definitely has the bat to be a player in the bigs. He might need to be moved to a corner outfield position as his glove probably won't cut it at third.
4-125 - PJ Harper - Would have been a great selection for the fourth round, but he still hasn't signed. Great power and batting eye.
5-157 - Ed Baez - Probably a career minor leaguer.
Impact: Mild. Not in live with the first two picks for where they were selected although I'm looking forward to seeing what Nashville does with Delgado position wise. Nice value in the 3rd round and it would be great for them if the 4th rounder signs.
New Orleans Privateers
1-30 - Juan Torres - Really nice value at the end of the round. Definitely a better pick than several others that went higher. Should be a nice bat in the bigs although he might have to mve to a corner outfield position.
2-78 - Philip Valdes - Another great value selection here. He'll have to get his durability up, but definitely projects to a big league bat.
3-110 - Hugh Moss - Interesting selection here. Great splits and pitches. Probably fell in the draft due to poor stamina and slightly above average control.
4-142 - Nolan Loewer - Probably a career minor league, but maybe a 25th guy on the roster type player. Also, he is one of the ugliest guys in NCAA world.
5-174 - Dan Graham - Probably a career minor leaguer
Impact: Moderate - Two definite ML starters in the first two rounds push this draft barely into the moderate impact category. It will be interesting to see how many innings\year the Privateers can get out of Moss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)