AL Wild-Card Round
Game 3 Recaps
#4 Fargo @ #5 Salem
Salem’s Vic Escobar pitched 7.1 innings of 5-hit 4-run ball to complete the sweep of Fargo. Diego Nieto and Kiki Vazquez gave up a walk combined in the final 1.2 innings to complete the victory. Salem rode the offense of Joe Campbell (2-4, 2R), Ivan Martis (2-4, HR, 2RBI, 1R), and Travis O’Keefe (2-3, HR, RBI, R) as they scored 8 runs in game 3. Marlon Hegan (5.2, 10H, 7ER, 2BB, 6K) got knocked around and took the loss for Fargo. Esteban Galvez hit a 2-run homer in the 4th, and Marc Everhart knocked a 2-run double in the 8th for Fargo’s offense.
* Salem beats Fargo, 8-4. Salem sweeps the series, 3-0.
#3 Florida @ #6 New York
Trent Clark pitched 6 innings of 6-hit, 2-run baseball as Florida came back from a disastrous game 2 loss to take the series lead. With 10 hits and 5 walks Florida’s offense came from many sources. Chad Selby, Dante Thompson, Dernell Cameron, and Harry Minor each had two hits while Lou Glynn had a hit and knocked in 3 runs and Stu Ford had a hit and 2 ribbies. Despite New York’s Scott Graham and Max Pineda having 3 hits a piece, the only runs were scored when Napoleon Saunders went deep to centerfield in the bottom of the fourth. Pinky Matheson got knocked around for six runs in five innings as he picked up the loss.
* Florida beats New York, 8-2. Florida leads the series 2-1.
NL Wild-Card Round
Game 3 Recaps
#4 Austin @ #5 Scranton
In a game that was 1-1 before everyone had even gotten their hot dogs and beer, the pitchers really buckled down and made these teams work for runs. Austin’s pitching was good, but not quite good enough as Clay Lavarnway hit his second home run of the night, a 2-run blast, off of Haywood Thompson in the 8th to win the game for Scranton. Austin’s David Shibata went 5 innings giving up 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and striking out 4 and Miguel Veras followed it up with 2 perfect innings. Lavarnway was all over the place today hitting 2 home runs while going 2 for 4 and also had an error in the first inning that allowed the only run to score and blemished Dwight Weathers’ great performance (7.0IP, 3H, 1R(unearned), 1BB, 7K). Quinton Hamilton picked up the victory with 2 perfect innings.
* Scranton beats Austin, 3-1. Austin leads the series, 2-1.
#3 Dover @ #6 Detroit
Dover led this game going into the 9th, 3-1, and was looking to complete the wild-card sweep of Detroit when the unthinkable happened…usually reliable closer Nicky Drew (44/48 in the regular season) blows the save and the game goes into extra innings. Drew struck out the first batter he faced, then walked 1, and gave up back-to-back-to-back singles to allow Detroit to tie the game. Dover’s Junior Benjamin hit Christopher Jones in the leg with a pitch to open the bottom of the 11th, then gave up a single to Mitch Carter and is pulled. Willie Sabathia came on and promptly recorded a ground out and a line out before giving up the game-winning single to winning pitcher Herm Thompson.
* Detroit beats Dover, 4-3 (11 inn.). Dover leads the series 2-1
AL Wild-Card Round
Game 4 Recaps
#3 Florida @ #6 New York
This hard fought game saw New York fighting for its playoff life while Florida was hoping to advance with a victory. Florida’s Lou Glynn was 3-4 with 2 HR and 2 RBI while scoring every time he reached base. This was a back-and-forth contest that saw New York Score 4 in the 3rd and again in the 5th, but Florida put up runs in the 2nd through 6th to lead 7-5 after 6. In the bottom of the 9th, normally solid closer Adrian Kendall is brought in to preserve the victory in the 8th and records a 1-2-3 inning. It is the 9th inning that really gives him problems as he allows a single and a walk to begin, he then strikes out Napoleon Saunders as Florida brings in Liang to pitch. Stu Ford boots the double play ball to load the bases. A lineout by Max Pineda brings Florida within one out of the Division series…back-to-back singles by Hall and Hiljus tie the game and it looks like Florida’s plans are going to be pushed back at least one game. Ernie Helton pops out to 3rd base to end the threat. Fast forward to the top of the 11th and Dante Thompson rockets a 2-run home run to left field and Florida’s Luis Diaz comes in to record the save.
* Florida beats New York, 9-7 (11 inn.). Florida wins the series, 3-1.
NL Wild-Card Round
Game 4 Recaps
#4 Austin @ #5 Scranton
Scranton was looking to send the series back to Austin all tied up. Let’s pick this game up in the 7th, when all of the action took place. In the top of the 7th, Castilla beat out an infield single, stole second and then Wilson crushed a 2-run home run over the left-centerfield fence to put Austin up 2-0. Terrific relieve Jose Rodriguez comes in for Austin looking to bridge the gap and keep the lead, ultimately leading to the series victory as well, but it was not to be. One out later and Rodriguez is on the bench having surrendered a home run, walk, and double to tie the game…Thompson gives up a single allowing Rodriguez to pick up the loss and blown save to go along with it. Victor Infante gave up a hit in the 9th, but managed to hold off the attempt at a rally as he strikes out Young looking to end the game.
* Scranton beats Austin, 3-2. Series tied, 2-2.
#3 Dover @ #6 Detroit
Dover is looking to put the wraps on this series in Comerica Park and started out looking like that’s exactly what was going to happen. Following a groundout by leadoff hitter Moreno, Manuel Guillen misplayed a flyball and allowed Roger Valentin to reach base. Harris strikes out looking, then Dover gets three straight singles (Martin, Spencer, and Thompson) to take the 2-0 lead. That was the extent of their scoring. Shane Cyr was solid, going 6.1 innings and giving up 4 runs, but solid was not good enough when facing a spectacular Ching-Lung Komatsu (8.0IP, 4H, 2R, 1BB, 9K). Detroit got a 2-run home run from Mitch Carter in the 4th to take the lead and never looked back. Manuel Guillen tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th and Ronald Berger pitched a perfect 9th for the save.
* Detroit beats Dover, 4-2. Series tied, 2-2.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Wild Card Round - Game 2 Recaps
courtesy of hurricane!
AL Wild-Card Round
Game 2 Recaps
#5 Salem @ #4 Fargo
Salem scored at least once in the first 5 innings, capping it off with a 4 run top of the 5th which saw Ivan Martis round up the scoring with a 2-run double. Jack Nicholas ran at will stealing 4 bases in as many attempts. Salem’s Al Valdes gave up 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 earned run while striking out 5 en route to a complete game victory. 2B Phil Nomura was the lone bright spot for Fargo as he went 2-3 with Fargo’s only RBI.
* Salem defeats Fargo, 11-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the series going into Salem.
#6 New York @ #3 Florida
This one was quite the barnburner as Florida rode the solid pitching of Spud Jones, Blade Wright, and John Liang to a 6-4 advantage going into the 8th. Liang allowed hits to 2 of the first 3 New York batters in the 8th, including a Napoleon Saunders HR before Luis Diaz came in to lose the game for Florida. Scott Graham capped his evening with a grand slam to left field that put the exclamation point on New York’s victory. Jimmie Butler earned his first victory of the postseason with a 3 inning tightrope act that saw him put two men on in the bottom of the 8th and again in the bottom of the 9th.
* New York holds on to win 11-6 to tie the series at 1-1.
NL Wild-Card Round
Game 2 Recaps
#5 Scranton @ #4 Austin
After taking 53 outs to decide the first game, these two teams took about 18 to decide this second game. The middle of the Scranton order (Kohlmeier, Snow, and Cook) did all they could to lead their team to victory, collecting 5 hits and knocking in 2…unfortunately the rest of their team could only manage 3 hits off Austin pitching. Jose Javie, Carl Rossy (W), and Terry Jacquez (S) scattered 8 hits and 7 walks over the 9 innings while holding Scranton to just 2 runs. Austin 3B Francisco Sierra (2-3, HR, 2R, 1RBI) and SS Yorvit Castilla (2-3, HR, 1R, 1RBI) continued their hot hitting while CF Julio Cubillan hit a 3-run wall scraper in the bottom of the 4th that kept Austin in the lead for good.
* Austin defeats Scranton, 9-2, to take a 2-0 series lead.
#6 Detroit @ #3 Dover
After a day where a victory took at least 9 runs to pull off, it was nice to see a relative pitcher’s duel in the nightcap. Matthew Lennon justified that large contract by pitching 8 innings of 3-hit, 2-walk, 1-run ball to pick up the “W”. Nicky Drew picked up the save in an inning of work. Detroit pitcher Julio Johnson got the “L” despite a strong performance that saw him go 6 innings, scattering 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 9. The 5th inning was his undoing as he gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to 2B Charlie Spencer, and a batter later, a 2-run dinger to Russell Harris that proved to be the difference. Mitch Carter homered for Detroit in the 7th.
* Dover triumphs over Detroit, 3-1, to take a 2-0 series lead.
AL Wild-Card Round
Game 2 Recaps
#5 Salem @ #4 Fargo
Salem scored at least once in the first 5 innings, capping it off with a 4 run top of the 5th which saw Ivan Martis round up the scoring with a 2-run double. Jack Nicholas ran at will stealing 4 bases in as many attempts. Salem’s Al Valdes gave up 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 earned run while striking out 5 en route to a complete game victory. 2B Phil Nomura was the lone bright spot for Fargo as he went 2-3 with Fargo’s only RBI.
* Salem defeats Fargo, 11-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the series going into Salem.
#6 New York @ #3 Florida
This one was quite the barnburner as Florida rode the solid pitching of Spud Jones, Blade Wright, and John Liang to a 6-4 advantage going into the 8th. Liang allowed hits to 2 of the first 3 New York batters in the 8th, including a Napoleon Saunders HR before Luis Diaz came in to lose the game for Florida. Scott Graham capped his evening with a grand slam to left field that put the exclamation point on New York’s victory. Jimmie Butler earned his first victory of the postseason with a 3 inning tightrope act that saw him put two men on in the bottom of the 8th and again in the bottom of the 9th.
* New York holds on to win 11-6 to tie the series at 1-1.
NL Wild-Card Round
Game 2 Recaps
#5 Scranton @ #4 Austin
After taking 53 outs to decide the first game, these two teams took about 18 to decide this second game. The middle of the Scranton order (Kohlmeier, Snow, and Cook) did all they could to lead their team to victory, collecting 5 hits and knocking in 2…unfortunately the rest of their team could only manage 3 hits off Austin pitching. Jose Javie, Carl Rossy (W), and Terry Jacquez (S) scattered 8 hits and 7 walks over the 9 innings while holding Scranton to just 2 runs. Austin 3B Francisco Sierra (2-3, HR, 2R, 1RBI) and SS Yorvit Castilla (2-3, HR, 1R, 1RBI) continued their hot hitting while CF Julio Cubillan hit a 3-run wall scraper in the bottom of the 4th that kept Austin in the lead for good.
* Austin defeats Scranton, 9-2, to take a 2-0 series lead.
#6 Detroit @ #3 Dover
After a day where a victory took at least 9 runs to pull off, it was nice to see a relative pitcher’s duel in the nightcap. Matthew Lennon justified that large contract by pitching 8 innings of 3-hit, 2-walk, 1-run ball to pick up the “W”. Nicky Drew picked up the save in an inning of work. Detroit pitcher Julio Johnson got the “L” despite a strong performance that saw him go 6 innings, scattering 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 9. The 5th inning was his undoing as he gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to 2B Charlie Spencer, and a batter later, a 2-run dinger to Russell Harris that proved to be the difference. Mitch Carter homered for Detroit in the 7th.
* Dover triumphs over Detroit, 3-1, to take a 2-0 series lead.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wild Card Round Game 1 Recaps
Courtesy of hurricane384!
AL Wild-Card Round
Game 1 Recaps
#6 New York @ #3 Florida
Lou Glynn and Harry Minor knocked in 3 as they proved to be too much for New York starter Juan Mendez (6.0 IP, 4H, 3ER, 4BB, 4K). Florida starter Randy Tyson threw a 7-inning gem, giving up 4 hits, 1 run (unearned) while striking out 6. Blade Wright picked up the save, throwing a perfect .2 innings. Adrian Kendall threw 1.1 innings to bridge the gap as Florida defeated New York 3-1 in the opening game of the season 8 playoffs.
#5 Salem @ #4 Fargo
Salem scored once in the 2nd, again in the 3rd, then aided by some shoddy fielding (H. Smith with an error, Larson with a wild pitch) scored four more in the 4th. Salem pitcher, Daisuke Suzuki pitched brilliantly for 8 innings, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks while allowing one run through 8. It was that 9th inning that nearly led to his downfall. After back-to-back singles to open the 9th, Suzuki induce a pop-out to second base, walked a guy, and then gave up a line-drive, 2-run double with the bases loaded. Freddy Tanaka induced a line-out and a ground-out to preserve the win for Salem as they win 6-3 and take 1-0 lead over Fargo.
NL Wild-Card Round
Game 1 Recaps
#6 Detroit @ #3 Dover
Detroit scored in the second on a Mitch Carter (2-3, 1HR, 1RBI) home run to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the 2nd. That was Detroit’s lone run on the day as Otis Damon went the distance for Dover, scattering 6 hits over 9 innings without walking a batter, and striking out 9. Roger Valentin was 2-4, with 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI. Dover wins this one 6-1.
#5 Scranton @ #4 Austin
Talk about spreading the wealth…Austin used 5 pitchers to scatted 8 hits and 3 walks throughout the game and pick up the shutout against Scranton. Both teams saw ample opportunities to put runs on the board. The bottom of the 1st, top of the 2nd, bottom of the 3rd, and top of the 4th were the only innings that didn’t see a runner reach base. The game ended on a bases loaded walk issued by Wes Crane after he started the bottom of the ninth with by getting pop out to second. Back-to-back hits, a ground out, and 2 walks later, and Austins wins 1-0.
AL Wild-Card Round
Game 1 Recaps
#6 New York @ #3 Florida
Lou Glynn and Harry Minor knocked in 3 as they proved to be too much for New York starter Juan Mendez (6.0 IP, 4H, 3ER, 4BB, 4K). Florida starter Randy Tyson threw a 7-inning gem, giving up 4 hits, 1 run (unearned) while striking out 6. Blade Wright picked up the save, throwing a perfect .2 innings. Adrian Kendall threw 1.1 innings to bridge the gap as Florida defeated New York 3-1 in the opening game of the season 8 playoffs.
#5 Salem @ #4 Fargo
Salem scored once in the 2nd, again in the 3rd, then aided by some shoddy fielding (H. Smith with an error, Larson with a wild pitch) scored four more in the 4th. Salem pitcher, Daisuke Suzuki pitched brilliantly for 8 innings, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks while allowing one run through 8. It was that 9th inning that nearly led to his downfall. After back-to-back singles to open the 9th, Suzuki induce a pop-out to second base, walked a guy, and then gave up a line-drive, 2-run double with the bases loaded. Freddy Tanaka induced a line-out and a ground-out to preserve the win for Salem as they win 6-3 and take 1-0 lead over Fargo.
NL Wild-Card Round
Game 1 Recaps
#6 Detroit @ #3 Dover
Detroit scored in the second on a Mitch Carter (2-3, 1HR, 1RBI) home run to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the 2nd. That was Detroit’s lone run on the day as Otis Damon went the distance for Dover, scattering 6 hits over 9 innings without walking a batter, and striking out 9. Roger Valentin was 2-4, with 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI. Dover wins this one 6-1.
#5 Scranton @ #4 Austin
Talk about spreading the wealth…Austin used 5 pitchers to scatted 8 hits and 3 walks throughout the game and pick up the shutout against Scranton. Both teams saw ample opportunities to put runs on the board. The bottom of the 1st, top of the 2nd, bottom of the 3rd, and top of the 4th were the only innings that didn’t see a runner reach base. The game ended on a bases loaded walk issued by Wes Crane after he started the bottom of the ninth with by getting pop out to second. Back-to-back hits, a ground out, and 2 walks later, and Austins wins 1-0.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Season 8 Amateur Draft First Round Recap
The following is based off of my 17 million in Advanced Scouting. I hope everyone understands that this is just one person's thoughts and I hope it sparks some discussion!
1. Boise - Jack Daley - Can't really find anything wrong with this pick. Daley is definitely an "ace" who should be a cornerstone of Boise's rotation for seasons to come. I just took a second look to try and find a "fault" and really couldn't come up with one. He'll be a workhorse, K a lot hitters, and you have to like that makeup rating as he should be able to pitch at a high level for a long time.
2. Columbus - Homer Konerko - What a great name. How can he fail? Lots of things to like about Konerko. Awesome splits and pitches. The one big concern is his stamina/durability combo. Not sure if he is a starter. He is currently being used as a starter in High A, but is only averaging 3.68 IP per outing which obviously won't get it done. He might end up being a "super closer" who pitches 120 - 130 IP per season.
3. Little Rock - Bill Perez - Great closer prospect. I'm not sure how many drafts I've seen where two closer prospects go in the top three (assuming Konerko is a better relief/closer prospect).
4. Fargo - Mitch Huckaby - Great position prospect, although probably not a SS with that glove rating. Could be a gold glover at 3B or or one of the corner outfields. Maybe mike decides to not worry about the errors thinking having such a premier hitter at SS is worth it?
5. Jackson - Yonder Santos - Very good SP prospect. Santos should win a lot of games for the Rebels. Solid splits with a couple plus pitches.
6. Helena - Dorian Griffin - Cf prospects are so hard to find that you sometimes overlook their flaws just to grab one. His health rating makes me a little nervous. Definitely has a the glove for CF, but the range will probably lead to some minus plays.
7. Texas - Martin Dresden - Splits seems to be a little iffy for a top ten pick, but a solid pitching prospect. Should get a lot of K's with that velocity. Would have been nice to have a legitimate third pitch.
8. Chicago - Matty Canseco - Other than that health rating, a very nice pick at #8. Unfortunately it seems like guys that have sub 40 health ratings almost always suffer at least one major injury. Arte will be crossing his fingers that doesn't happen here.
9. New Orleans - Matthew Rolle - His OVR seems a little inflated due to his "yellow ratings." This will probably mean that down the line he'll ask for more money than he is worth. He is a decent 2B prospect, but not sure he was worth investing a top 10 pick in.
10. Dover - Albie Tejeda - Its doubtful he has the defensive ratings to stay at 2B. Probably needs to move to LF and at that point is he a good enough hitter? I'm just not sure. His splits and eye definitely help, but contact and power aren't great. Another iffy top ten pick.
11. Minnesota - Sam Shea - Hasn't signed. Chose not to sign or Minnesota out of money?
12. Portland - Kenneth Wall - If Wall's right split was higher this would be a great pick. With that being said, he's a decent SP prospect who will slot in nicely in the middle of the rotation.
13. Iowa City - Hank Gordon - I've never had a ton of success with 3 pitch SP's, but that doesn't really mean much as its such a small sample size. Gordon is another nice pitcher. In my opinion, it would have been great if he had a 4th pitch, but those splits and velocity could very well make up for it.
14. Huntington - Gavin Mills - Really nice selection for the Thundering Herd. Mills should be an above average defensive 3B and will hit a ton. Great value as we enter the middle of the draft.
15. Memphis - Phil Rapp - Solid splits, 4 good pitches. The big question mark is control. Can the aforementioned ratings overcome average control? My experience has been these guys can go out and throw 8 inning of shutout ball and then come right back and get blown out. It will help playing in Charleston's pitchers park.
16. Charleston - Jason Cole - Probably won't be a starter with his sta/dur rating, but will be a very effective middle reliever and hopefully will be good for 100 IP each season.
17. Cincinnati - Dwayne Hodges - Great value here. A great hitting SS prospect at 17? Can't pass that up. His range is a little low, but his other three def ratings will make up for it. As of now this is probably the best value so far.
18. New York - Milton Hermanson - Carbon copy of Huntington's pick. Another very nice value here. His health rating is a little low, but at pick 18, you can't pass up a talent like Hermanson.
19. Buffalo - Elvis Fox - Decent hitting, great glove SS. Solid selection. These are tough to find as well. Fox's def ratings are gold glove caliber and he'll be a decent hitter at the same time. Nothing wrong with that.
20. Charlotte - Endy Latham - The Heels will be hoping his defensive ratings progress enough to stay at 2B so we can take advantage of a great hitting 2B. If not, then he is probably destined for LF which would diminish his value. Health rating hurts a bit as well.
21. Florida - Kip Jennings - Great closer prospect. He'll be limited to a small number of innings, but will be very effective when he is in there.
22. Cincinnati - Kirk Bradford - Solid hitting prospect. Unfortunately he is only suited to LF, 1B, or DH, but he should be a solid hitter for the Bearcats.
23. Oakland - Jeremy Livingstone - Great closer prospect! Surprised he lasted this long as he gives the other closer prospects a run for their money with those ridiculous splits.
24. Salem - Gregory Cloud - Really nice pick here for Salem. I'm sure jarazix was happily surprised a SP prospect of Cloud's caliber slipped all the way to 24. Unfortunately, Cloud has already had some bad luck and suffered a relatively major injury. Hopefully he can bounce back.
25. Detroit - Dennis Snyder - With those splits and pitches, Snyder is probably destined for a back of the rotation/spot starter/long reliever role for the Wolverines.
26. Scranton - Bobby Lollar - Decent hitting prospect for Scranton. Wish I could write more, but he is what he is.
27. Seattle - Bill Adams - Decent relief prospect. Unfortunately has suffered a really bad injury and he is already 21 so who knows if he'll reach his projections.
28. Anaheim - George Stokes - Maybe a middle of the rotation guy? Thats probably stretching it through. His lefty split is nice, but righty split is very average and only three pitches with one of them being around 40. Probably destined for long relief.
29. Kansas City - Damaso Mota - It will be interesting to see how Mota does. His splits are solid, but 4 pitches are very average. Decent selection this late in the first round though.
30. Syracuse - Gustavo Sivilla - I'm guessing Sivilla will end up being a 4th OF type. He'd be a great platoon against righties, but will be ineffective vs lefties. He does project to 100 durability so he has that going for him!
31. Arizona - Glendon Reichert - Nothing wrong with picking up a great glove SS that can hit lefties pretty well this late in the first round. Nice value.
32. Florida - Kane Fordyce - Another nice selection to round out the first round. Those splits are great this late. Pitches could be better, but if they were, he'd have been picked up earlier.
1. Boise - Jack Daley - Can't really find anything wrong with this pick. Daley is definitely an "ace" who should be a cornerstone of Boise's rotation for seasons to come. I just took a second look to try and find a "fault" and really couldn't come up with one. He'll be a workhorse, K a lot hitters, and you have to like that makeup rating as he should be able to pitch at a high level for a long time.
2. Columbus - Homer Konerko - What a great name. How can he fail? Lots of things to like about Konerko. Awesome splits and pitches. The one big concern is his stamina/durability combo. Not sure if he is a starter. He is currently being used as a starter in High A, but is only averaging 3.68 IP per outing which obviously won't get it done. He might end up being a "super closer" who pitches 120 - 130 IP per season.
3. Little Rock - Bill Perez - Great closer prospect. I'm not sure how many drafts I've seen where two closer prospects go in the top three (assuming Konerko is a better relief/closer prospect).
4. Fargo - Mitch Huckaby - Great position prospect, although probably not a SS with that glove rating. Could be a gold glover at 3B or or one of the corner outfields. Maybe mike decides to not worry about the errors thinking having such a premier hitter at SS is worth it?
5. Jackson - Yonder Santos - Very good SP prospect. Santos should win a lot of games for the Rebels. Solid splits with a couple plus pitches.
6. Helena - Dorian Griffin - Cf prospects are so hard to find that you sometimes overlook their flaws just to grab one. His health rating makes me a little nervous. Definitely has a the glove for CF, but the range will probably lead to some minus plays.
7. Texas - Martin Dresden - Splits seems to be a little iffy for a top ten pick, but a solid pitching prospect. Should get a lot of K's with that velocity. Would have been nice to have a legitimate third pitch.
8. Chicago - Matty Canseco - Other than that health rating, a very nice pick at #8. Unfortunately it seems like guys that have sub 40 health ratings almost always suffer at least one major injury. Arte will be crossing his fingers that doesn't happen here.
9. New Orleans - Matthew Rolle - His OVR seems a little inflated due to his "yellow ratings." This will probably mean that down the line he'll ask for more money than he is worth. He is a decent 2B prospect, but not sure he was worth investing a top 10 pick in.
10. Dover - Albie Tejeda - Its doubtful he has the defensive ratings to stay at 2B. Probably needs to move to LF and at that point is he a good enough hitter? I'm just not sure. His splits and eye definitely help, but contact and power aren't great. Another iffy top ten pick.
11. Minnesota - Sam Shea - Hasn't signed. Chose not to sign or Minnesota out of money?
12. Portland - Kenneth Wall - If Wall's right split was higher this would be a great pick. With that being said, he's a decent SP prospect who will slot in nicely in the middle of the rotation.
13. Iowa City - Hank Gordon - I've never had a ton of success with 3 pitch SP's, but that doesn't really mean much as its such a small sample size. Gordon is another nice pitcher. In my opinion, it would have been great if he had a 4th pitch, but those splits and velocity could very well make up for it.
14. Huntington - Gavin Mills - Really nice selection for the Thundering Herd. Mills should be an above average defensive 3B and will hit a ton. Great value as we enter the middle of the draft.
15. Memphis - Phil Rapp - Solid splits, 4 good pitches. The big question mark is control. Can the aforementioned ratings overcome average control? My experience has been these guys can go out and throw 8 inning of shutout ball and then come right back and get blown out. It will help playing in Charleston's pitchers park.
16. Charleston - Jason Cole - Probably won't be a starter with his sta/dur rating, but will be a very effective middle reliever and hopefully will be good for 100 IP each season.
17. Cincinnati - Dwayne Hodges - Great value here. A great hitting SS prospect at 17? Can't pass that up. His range is a little low, but his other three def ratings will make up for it. As of now this is probably the best value so far.
18. New York - Milton Hermanson - Carbon copy of Huntington's pick. Another very nice value here. His health rating is a little low, but at pick 18, you can't pass up a talent like Hermanson.
19. Buffalo - Elvis Fox - Decent hitting, great glove SS. Solid selection. These are tough to find as well. Fox's def ratings are gold glove caliber and he'll be a decent hitter at the same time. Nothing wrong with that.
20. Charlotte - Endy Latham - The Heels will be hoping his defensive ratings progress enough to stay at 2B so we can take advantage of a great hitting 2B. If not, then he is probably destined for LF which would diminish his value. Health rating hurts a bit as well.
21. Florida - Kip Jennings - Great closer prospect. He'll be limited to a small number of innings, but will be very effective when he is in there.
22. Cincinnati - Kirk Bradford - Solid hitting prospect. Unfortunately he is only suited to LF, 1B, or DH, but he should be a solid hitter for the Bearcats.
23. Oakland - Jeremy Livingstone - Great closer prospect! Surprised he lasted this long as he gives the other closer prospects a run for their money with those ridiculous splits.
24. Salem - Gregory Cloud - Really nice pick here for Salem. I'm sure jarazix was happily surprised a SP prospect of Cloud's caliber slipped all the way to 24. Unfortunately, Cloud has already had some bad luck and suffered a relatively major injury. Hopefully he can bounce back.
25. Detroit - Dennis Snyder - With those splits and pitches, Snyder is probably destined for a back of the rotation/spot starter/long reliever role for the Wolverines.
26. Scranton - Bobby Lollar - Decent hitting prospect for Scranton. Wish I could write more, but he is what he is.
27. Seattle - Bill Adams - Decent relief prospect. Unfortunately has suffered a really bad injury and he is already 21 so who knows if he'll reach his projections.
28. Anaheim - George Stokes - Maybe a middle of the rotation guy? Thats probably stretching it through. His lefty split is nice, but righty split is very average and only three pitches with one of them being around 40. Probably destined for long relief.
29. Kansas City - Damaso Mota - It will be interesting to see how Mota does. His splits are solid, but 4 pitches are very average. Decent selection this late in the first round though.
30. Syracuse - Gustavo Sivilla - I'm guessing Sivilla will end up being a 4th OF type. He'd be a great platoon against righties, but will be ineffective vs lefties. He does project to 100 durability so he has that going for him!
31. Arizona - Glendon Reichert - Nothing wrong with picking up a great glove SS that can hit lefties pretty well this late in the first round. Nice value.
32. Florida - Kane Fordyce - Another nice selection to round out the first round. Those splits are great this late. Pitches could be better, but if they were, he'd have been picked up earlier.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
NCAA World Rules Recap
Here are the rules that all of NCAA World members have agreed to by playing in this world. If they are not followed, then the owner will be replaced.
1. More than 200 losses over a two year period and the owner will be asked to state their case as to why they should be allowed to stay. If allowed to stay the owner must reach 70 wins or be replaced.
2. Owners must keep their minor league teams intact. This includes having enough pitchers a to avoid 0(0) pitchers and also covering all of the positions. (Not enough money in the budget is not an excuse as budgeting is an important part of the game...you'll need to make some moves to free up payroll).
3. Cities/Stadiums are not to be moved once you are in the world.
4. You must protect your players for the 40 man roster! Plenty of time to do so once budgets are set to the Rule V Draft. There will be no "I had something come up, please take pity on me and trade me my player back." First time this happens, there is a warning, the second time it happens, you'll be replaced.
5. It hasn't been an issue in this world for a long time, but keep the world chat civil. If it becomes an issue then you'll be replaced.
6. Trade chats and proposals must be responded to in 24 hours...even if it is to say "hey, i saw your chat/proposal, but I'm busy, give me some time to get back to you." Please send me a private trade chat if this rule is not being observed.
7. If cash is included in a trade then the cash can not exceed the player salary going with it. (Example is player A makes 2 million...you can NOT trade 5 million and the player)
8. When a trade is completed, any major league player involved is immediately to be moved to "Rest" and any minor league player involved is to be put on the inactive roster. This is to prevent fatigue and/or injury.
9. If a team signs a "Type A" or "Type B" player than that player can not be traded until after the amateur draft.
10. I reserve the right to add to these rules. Usually I'll put a matter up for a vote and we'll see what everyone thinks.
1. More than 200 losses over a two year period and the owner will be asked to state their case as to why they should be allowed to stay. If allowed to stay the owner must reach 70 wins or be replaced.
2. Owners must keep their minor league teams intact. This includes having enough pitchers a to avoid 0(0) pitchers and also covering all of the positions. (Not enough money in the budget is not an excuse as budgeting is an important part of the game...you'll need to make some moves to free up payroll).
3. Cities/Stadiums are not to be moved once you are in the world.
4. You must protect your players for the 40 man roster! Plenty of time to do so once budgets are set to the Rule V Draft. There will be no "I had something come up, please take pity on me and trade me my player back." First time this happens, there is a warning, the second time it happens, you'll be replaced.
5. It hasn't been an issue in this world for a long time, but keep the world chat civil. If it becomes an issue then you'll be replaced.
6. Trade chats and proposals must be responded to in 24 hours...even if it is to say "hey, i saw your chat/proposal, but I'm busy, give me some time to get back to you." Please send me a private trade chat if this rule is not being observed.
7. If cash is included in a trade then the cash can not exceed the player salary going with it. (Example is player A makes 2 million...you can NOT trade 5 million and the player)
8. When a trade is completed, any major league player involved is immediately to be moved to "Rest" and any minor league player involved is to be put on the inactive roster. This is to prevent fatigue and/or injury.
9. If a team signs a "Type A" or "Type B" player than that player can not be traded until after the amateur draft.
10. I reserve the right to add to these rules. Usually I'll put a matter up for a vote and we'll see what everyone thinks.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Season 4 - 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. 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.
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.
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.
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