Half of the draft reviews are finished and now it's on to the second half of the round. Picks 16-20 are now up for review.
Oklahoma City Prairie Dogs
1(16). Henry Griffin(SS) R/R, 18, De Pere, WI
Still unsigned, Griffin is available for me to see. Not a bad pick here but not a pick that wows anyone. I would say that his demands are a bit too high for his talents and slot in the draft. He was drafted as a shortstop, but his glove is on the lower side for the position. He has good range projections and should develop a very good arm. He has good speed and could be counted on for about 20 steals a season. His drawbacks are that he has bad contact and not much power. He could hit double digit homers but 20 seems unlikely. He makes up for those with good splits and a decent eye. Griffin looks like a 250 hitter with 10 homer potential.
2(90). Felipe Siqueiros(CF) L/L, 18, Melba, ID
I like this pick at 90 better than the teams pick at 16, but that may be just because this is my style player. Siqueiros looks to be a solid centerfielder with decent range and glove for the spot. He doesn't have a good arm, but that isn't a necessity at the position. He has really good speed and his base running should develop nicely. He could be a real speed threat and steal over 50 bases a season if not more. He has good contact projections but very little power. His splits aren't good and his eyes projects decent, but he could still hit 250-260.
3(123). Peter Martin(2B) R/R, 18, Norfolk, VA
Martin is another pick I like by this franchise. He should have real good range and glove for secondbase and a good enough arm to play the position. He has great speed and will develop good enough base running to be another 50 steal threat. He has very good contact but very little power. His splits aren't good and his eye is only decent. Another 250-260 hitter that will steal plenty of bases and provide a good glove.
4(155). Aaron Worley(3B)
5(187). Sam Hubbard(2B)
Helena Ass Hats
1(17). Willie Crawford(P) L/L, 19, Machesney Park, IL
While not a great pick, Crawford is a solid pick. He has decent stamina and real good durability for a starting pitcher. He should have real good control and he'll be tough on lefties, but below average against right handers. He has low velocity and will not be a groundball pitcher. He should have a real good 4 seam fastball and curveball. His third pitch change up isn't very good, but he has a real good 4th pitch slider. Crawford should see some time in the majors, but won't be any better than a 4 starter.
1(25). Mat Stults(P) R/R, 22, Latham, NY
I'm not sure what happened here, but this pick is much better looking to me than the pick they made 8 spots earlier. Stults shows decent stamina and really good durability for a starter. He should have real good control and decent splits as well. His velocity is good and he is a real groundball pitcher. His 1st pitch 4 seam fastball is real good and second pitch curveball is good as well. His third pitch slider is good and his change up is below average. His sinker is useless. Stults is 22 and has less developemental time than the younger players, but he should still become a 3 or 4 starter in the majors.
1(38). B.J. Hennessey(SS)
Hennessey has not signed and I can't see anything about him.
1(48). Paul Cho(2B)
1(59). Tony Vega(LF)
2(79). Elmer Jennings(P)
2(91). Will Neal(1B)
3(124). Khiry Rhodes(P)
4(156). Roger Warden(P)
5(188). Jacob Burks(LF)
Tampa Bay Thunder
1(18). Talmadge Bradshaw(RF) L/L, 18, Montverde, FL
Bradshaw is a less than impressive pick here. He has the range to play rightfield but the glove is not very good. He has a good arm for the position though. His speed is decent and has decent base running. He has lower contact and not good power either. He is below average against left handers but decent against right handers with a really good eye. Bradshaw could see time in the majors but I'm not sure he'll be a regular.
1(60). Les Nixon(CF) L/L, 18, Live Oak, CA
Nixon surely has the glove to play centerfield and has decent range to go with it. His arm isn't very good but good enough for center. He has real good speed and good baserunning as well. His contact should be great and he has some power to go with it. His splits are terrible though, but he has a decent eye. Another big drawback on this player is his health. Nixon may see some time in the majors but the splits will keep him from doing much.
2(92). Ryouta Vanguri(P)
3(125). Jamile Kennedy(CF)
4(157). Buzz Corbin(P)
5(189). Daric Padgett(C)
Scottsdale Scorpions
1(19). Heinie Hutton(P) R/R, 21, Colton, CA
Hutton looks like a good pickup at 19. He has decent stamina to be a starter and good durability. He has good control and will be tough on right handers and decent against lefties. He has good velocity projections and is a groundball pitcher. He also has a good 4 seam fastball, a decent change up, and average to below curveball, slider and palmball pitches. Hutton isn't a dominant pitcher but he will still be able to hold down a spot in the ML rotation if he pans out.
1(39). Bret Roberts(SS) R/R, 21, Grand Island, NY
Roberts isn't a great pickup, but at 39 he is solid. He doesn't have the range or glove to make it as a major league shortstop but could play RF, 3B or 2B. He has a good arm, but also not ideal for short. He's not a speedy player and can't be expected to steal many bases. He projects to have decent contact and power. His splits are below average and his eye is decent. Roberts projects to be a backup in the majors.
1(61). Daniel Smith(CF) L/L, 20, Little Elm, TX
Smith is a real nice take at this spot. He's not much of a hitter, but he has gold glove potential as a centerfielder. He has real good range and pretty good glove as well. His arm strength and accuracy are great and if he was a right hander he'd be an awesome shortstop. He has real good speed and should be a good base runner as well. His contact projects low and his power is below average. He can't hit lefties at all, but will do decent against right handers and has a good eye as well. Smith should be a major league platoon centerfielder and defensive replacement.
2(80). Darren McPherson(2B)
2(93). Lucas Moore(SS)
3(126). Mandy Mohr(LF)
4(158). Harry Felix(RF)
5(190). Grant Herrmann(P)
Los Angeles Regulators
1(20). Willie Cairo(P) R/R, 22, Leonard, TX
Cairo projects to be a starting pitcher in the future. Another solid 1st round pickup at pick 20. He projects to have decent stamina and good durability. He should be good for 180 innings a season. His control is below average and could hold him back from that innings projection. His splits project real good, but he has low velocity and below average gb/fb. He has a decent 4 seam fastball and good change up. His curveball is really good as a third pitch and he has a decent slurve as well. Cairo won't be an all star, but he should be a solid major league starter.
1(40). Preston Hubbard(P) L/L, 18, Elida, OH
Hubbard is a decent pick at 40. He has low stamina but decent durability projections. He has really good control but his splits are below average. He has good velocity and gb/ fb. His 4 seam fastball is below average for a first pitch and his slider is as well for a second pitch. His curveball is average and his change up is good as a fourth pitch. His split fastball is decent enough. Hubbard probably doesn't project to be a major leaguer.
2(94). Jaime Murray(P)
2(102). Clyde Magnuson(P)
3(127). Tim Decker(P)
4(159). Mike Flores(3B)
5(191). Josh O'Rourke(CF)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Season 16 draft review
Time to look at picks 11-15 and of course each teams top picks from the draft. I know that this is going slow, but I'll have them done soon enough. Stick with me on this.
Cheyenne Rawhide
1(11). Daryl McEnerney(CF) L/L, 19, Sibley, LA
It seems like the draft took a bit of a dropoff with this pick. McEnerney should develop into a really good centerfielder with the glove, but his stick leaves something to be desired. He surely has the range and glove to play center and even brings a good arm to the position. He has good speed and decent baserunning so he'll get some steals, but will probably get caught stealing a good amount as well. He's not much of a contact hitter and has double digit homerun power. His splits are decent, but his eye is not very good. He should end up being a ML starter, and could possibly be a gold glove winner, but will never be an all star type player. This is just a solid draft choice here.
1(28). Tanner Hatcher(C) S/R, 21, Vancouver, WA
Hatcher is another solid pickup for this team that has 9 picks in the top 5 rounds. He projects to be a really good pitch caller, with a decent arm behind the plate. He only projects to have low contact, with a little bit of pop. He should do much better against lefties than righties as he projects really well against lefties and below average against righties. He does have a very good eye and that should help his OBP. Hatcher should be a good starting catcher. He's not a star, but should fit nicely with the team.
1(35). Willie Williams(C) S/R, 18, Plymouth, MN
While Williams won't be a starting catcher due to his lack of pitch calling abilities, he should be a nice fill in and could play DH. He has a decent arm, but doesn't work well with pitchers. He does have good contact and good power. He's not very good against lefties and will be average against right handers. He doesn't have a good eye at the plate either. Williams will be a major leaguer, but I don't see him as a regular starter.
1(55). Alex Tamura(CF) L/L, 20, Crescent City, CA
Tamura looks like a very good centerfielder, but his hitting will probably hold him back from being a major leaguer. He has real good speed and base running so he could be a speed threat. His hitting doesn't project very well at all. His contact is awful, and he has very little power. His splits are below average, but he does have a good eye. Tamura's best shot at the majors would be as a defensive replacement or pinch runner.
1(68). Kenny Fox(C) S/R, 19, Kansas, OH
While I don't like the value this team got from most of it's picks, this is one spot that I feel the team got great value. The only thing holding Fox back from being a top prospect is his durability and health. He may never fully develop due to this. He does project to be a real good pitch caller with a really good arm. He shows good contact and good 20+ homer power. He has good splits and a good eye to go with it. He could be a really good hitter and fielder.
1(71). Eugene Leach(C)
1(73). Doc Crudale(C)
4(150). Eduardo Molina(P)
5(182). Wesley Davis(P)
New Orleans Nighthawks
1(12). Larry Brow(P) L/L, 18, Bloomer, WI
Brow is a solid pick at this spot. I like his projections for stamina and durability. He doesn't project well with his control though. He should be really tough on left handers, but he only projects to be decent against righties. He has great velocity projections and should be a really good groundball pitcher. He shows a dynamite 4 seam fastball and great slider as well. His third pitch curveball is real good for an off pitch. Brow's control will hold him back from being great, but he should still be a decent starter in the majors.
1(24). Pat Becker(3B) 18, R/R, Lisbon, ND
Becker doesn't appear that he is going to sign.
1(36). Mario Manning(SS) 22, L/R, Hanford, CA
Manning was drafted as a shortstop, but I don't seem him being much more than a thirdbaseman if he's going to make the majors. He lacks the range for short. His glove is decent, but much more suited for the hot corner. He has a really good arm and good accuracy as well. He has good speed and baserunning projections and should be a steal threat in the majors. His contact isn't very good and he has a little bit of pop(maybe 10-15 homers). He has good splits and a good eye though. Manning could be a solid contributor in the majors once he develops.
1(56). Ben Mailman(P) 18, L/L, Fountain, CO
What a name? Well I must say that he'll be better than the mailman delivering my mail. That lazy POS can't even get out of his vehicle to deliver my mail if the mailbox is blocked. What's taking a couple steps to drop off the mail? My grandfather was a mailman and walked all over town. What have they done with the real mailmen of the world? Well on to my preview. Mailman Could be a major leaguer, but he'll need a DITR to improve his control for that to happen. His control is rediculous bad when compared to his other abilities. He has good splits, real good velocity, real good gb/fb, a real good knuckleball, good curveball, decent screwball and decent slider. Ahhhh, I get it. He hasn't mastered his knuckleball and that kills his control. Well, Mailman doesn't appear to be a major leaguer, but that DITR on control could change that and turn him into a real good major leaguer.
1(69). Vic Lunar(P)
4(151). Harvey Snelling(2B)
5(183). Bernard Kaye(P)
Durham Doormats
1(13). Enrique Lopez(P) L/L, 19, N Little Rock, AR
Lopez is a really good pick at this spot. With his low durability his innings will be held back some, but he has good stamina. Lopez has very low health and this is a risk pick, but if it pays off he will be really good. He has great control projections and matched with his stamina puts him in the 200 innings a season possibility. He has real good splits and below average velocity. He should be decent at getting groundballs. His first pitch sinker is decent and his 4 seam fastball is decent. His slider is a good third pitch and his fourth pitch change up is ok. If Lopez pans out he could be a really good pitcher in the majors.
1(57). Buck DeJean(P) L/L, 19, Sun Valley, ID
The team chose to go with another left handed starter in this spot. DeJean is really good value at this pick in the draft. He has good stamina and decent durability projections. His control is decent and his splits are decent as well. His velocity is below average and he's not much of a groundball pitcher. His first pitch 4 seam fastball is well below average and his forkball curveball slider and change up are all below average pitches. DeJean could see some time in the majors as a #5 starter, but he's not much else.
2(87). Paul Recchio(1B)
3(120). Darryl Schneider(C)
4(152). Asdrubal James(C)
5(184). Willy Lunsford(P)
New York Moneymaker
1(14). Taylor Flier(P) R/R, 21, Towner, ND
This pick isn't an eye opener, but is still a solid pick. Flier has the durability of a starter, but doesn't have the stamina to do so. I could see him as a long reliever/ setup man. He should develop really good control and decent splits. He won't have much velocity and will likely give up some long balls. His pitches are average with a 4 seam fastball, Slurve, Forkball, Slider, and Change up. Flier should be a major league pitcher, but an all star he is not.
1(26). Dave Gaston(P) L/L, 19, Fayetteville, OH
Gaston is another solid pick for New York in the 1st round. He does have the stamina to start and good durability for a starter. He likely won't have very good control, but he does project to have just above average splits. He has low velocity and will not force groundballs. He has a good slider to go with a below average cut fastball, average 3rd pitch slider, and an off pitch curveball. Gaston should develop into a decent back end of the rotation pitcher.
1(37). Albert Beltran(P) L/L, 22, Dover, OH
Now I really like this pick at 37. Beltran should develop into a nice future closer for New York. He projects to have pretty good control and good splits. He has good velocity and while he isn't a groundball pitcher, he also won't give up many homers either. He has a really good 4 seam fastball and a decent slider to go with it. While Beltran won't be a dominant closer, he should still be a good closer in the majors and that's a good pick at this point in the draft.
2(88). George Paul(SS)
3(121). Junior Yoshii(P)
4(153). Frank Correia(P)
5(185). Carl Hardy(CF)
Anaheim Annihilation
1(15). Ralph Womack(P) R/R, 18, Ayden, NC
Womack still hasn't been signed, but I can see him. He projects to be a fairly good starter. He has the stamina and durability to be a major league starter. His drawback is control. His control isn't projected very well, but his splits project to be really good. He also has good velocity. He's not really a groundball pitcher but he won't give up a lot of homers. He has a pretty good 4 seam fastball, a really good curveball and decent cut fastball and change up. Womack could be held back by his control, but if his splits reach potential then he could be a pretty good pitcher regardless. I really like this pick at this spot and the team needs to figure out how to get this guy signed.
1(58). Leon Bonds(CF) L/L, 18, Berlin, NH
Another top pick that hasn't signed and probably won't.
2(89). Harry Granados(P)
3(122). Doug Welsh(P)
4(154). Max Guerrero(P)
5(186). Brian Ledee(SS)
Cheyenne Rawhide
1(11). Daryl McEnerney(CF) L/L, 19, Sibley, LA
It seems like the draft took a bit of a dropoff with this pick. McEnerney should develop into a really good centerfielder with the glove, but his stick leaves something to be desired. He surely has the range and glove to play center and even brings a good arm to the position. He has good speed and decent baserunning so he'll get some steals, but will probably get caught stealing a good amount as well. He's not much of a contact hitter and has double digit homerun power. His splits are decent, but his eye is not very good. He should end up being a ML starter, and could possibly be a gold glove winner, but will never be an all star type player. This is just a solid draft choice here.
1(28). Tanner Hatcher(C) S/R, 21, Vancouver, WA
Hatcher is another solid pickup for this team that has 9 picks in the top 5 rounds. He projects to be a really good pitch caller, with a decent arm behind the plate. He only projects to have low contact, with a little bit of pop. He should do much better against lefties than righties as he projects really well against lefties and below average against righties. He does have a very good eye and that should help his OBP. Hatcher should be a good starting catcher. He's not a star, but should fit nicely with the team.
1(35). Willie Williams(C) S/R, 18, Plymouth, MN
While Williams won't be a starting catcher due to his lack of pitch calling abilities, he should be a nice fill in and could play DH. He has a decent arm, but doesn't work well with pitchers. He does have good contact and good power. He's not very good against lefties and will be average against right handers. He doesn't have a good eye at the plate either. Williams will be a major leaguer, but I don't see him as a regular starter.
1(55). Alex Tamura(CF) L/L, 20, Crescent City, CA
Tamura looks like a very good centerfielder, but his hitting will probably hold him back from being a major leaguer. He has real good speed and base running so he could be a speed threat. His hitting doesn't project very well at all. His contact is awful, and he has very little power. His splits are below average, but he does have a good eye. Tamura's best shot at the majors would be as a defensive replacement or pinch runner.
1(68). Kenny Fox(C) S/R, 19, Kansas, OH
While I don't like the value this team got from most of it's picks, this is one spot that I feel the team got great value. The only thing holding Fox back from being a top prospect is his durability and health. He may never fully develop due to this. He does project to be a real good pitch caller with a really good arm. He shows good contact and good 20+ homer power. He has good splits and a good eye to go with it. He could be a really good hitter and fielder.
1(71). Eugene Leach(C)
1(73). Doc Crudale(C)
4(150). Eduardo Molina(P)
5(182). Wesley Davis(P)
New Orleans Nighthawks
1(12). Larry Brow(P) L/L, 18, Bloomer, WI
Brow is a solid pick at this spot. I like his projections for stamina and durability. He doesn't project well with his control though. He should be really tough on left handers, but he only projects to be decent against righties. He has great velocity projections and should be a really good groundball pitcher. He shows a dynamite 4 seam fastball and great slider as well. His third pitch curveball is real good for an off pitch. Brow's control will hold him back from being great, but he should still be a decent starter in the majors.
1(24). Pat Becker(3B) 18, R/R, Lisbon, ND
Becker doesn't appear that he is going to sign.
1(36). Mario Manning(SS) 22, L/R, Hanford, CA
Manning was drafted as a shortstop, but I don't seem him being much more than a thirdbaseman if he's going to make the majors. He lacks the range for short. His glove is decent, but much more suited for the hot corner. He has a really good arm and good accuracy as well. He has good speed and baserunning projections and should be a steal threat in the majors. His contact isn't very good and he has a little bit of pop(maybe 10-15 homers). He has good splits and a good eye though. Manning could be a solid contributor in the majors once he develops.
1(56). Ben Mailman(P) 18, L/L, Fountain, CO
What a name? Well I must say that he'll be better than the mailman delivering my mail. That lazy POS can't even get out of his vehicle to deliver my mail if the mailbox is blocked. What's taking a couple steps to drop off the mail? My grandfather was a mailman and walked all over town. What have they done with the real mailmen of the world? Well on to my preview. Mailman Could be a major leaguer, but he'll need a DITR to improve his control for that to happen. His control is rediculous bad when compared to his other abilities. He has good splits, real good velocity, real good gb/fb, a real good knuckleball, good curveball, decent screwball and decent slider. Ahhhh, I get it. He hasn't mastered his knuckleball and that kills his control. Well, Mailman doesn't appear to be a major leaguer, but that DITR on control could change that and turn him into a real good major leaguer.
1(69). Vic Lunar(P)
4(151). Harvey Snelling(2B)
5(183). Bernard Kaye(P)
Durham Doormats
1(13). Enrique Lopez(P) L/L, 19, N Little Rock, AR
Lopez is a really good pick at this spot. With his low durability his innings will be held back some, but he has good stamina. Lopez has very low health and this is a risk pick, but if it pays off he will be really good. He has great control projections and matched with his stamina puts him in the 200 innings a season possibility. He has real good splits and below average velocity. He should be decent at getting groundballs. His first pitch sinker is decent and his 4 seam fastball is decent. His slider is a good third pitch and his fourth pitch change up is ok. If Lopez pans out he could be a really good pitcher in the majors.
1(57). Buck DeJean(P) L/L, 19, Sun Valley, ID
The team chose to go with another left handed starter in this spot. DeJean is really good value at this pick in the draft. He has good stamina and decent durability projections. His control is decent and his splits are decent as well. His velocity is below average and he's not much of a groundball pitcher. His first pitch 4 seam fastball is well below average and his forkball curveball slider and change up are all below average pitches. DeJean could see some time in the majors as a #5 starter, but he's not much else.
2(87). Paul Recchio(1B)
3(120). Darryl Schneider(C)
4(152). Asdrubal James(C)
5(184). Willy Lunsford(P)
New York Moneymaker
1(14). Taylor Flier(P) R/R, 21, Towner, ND
This pick isn't an eye opener, but is still a solid pick. Flier has the durability of a starter, but doesn't have the stamina to do so. I could see him as a long reliever/ setup man. He should develop really good control and decent splits. He won't have much velocity and will likely give up some long balls. His pitches are average with a 4 seam fastball, Slurve, Forkball, Slider, and Change up. Flier should be a major league pitcher, but an all star he is not.
1(26). Dave Gaston(P) L/L, 19, Fayetteville, OH
Gaston is another solid pick for New York in the 1st round. He does have the stamina to start and good durability for a starter. He likely won't have very good control, but he does project to have just above average splits. He has low velocity and will not force groundballs. He has a good slider to go with a below average cut fastball, average 3rd pitch slider, and an off pitch curveball. Gaston should develop into a decent back end of the rotation pitcher.
1(37). Albert Beltran(P) L/L, 22, Dover, OH
Now I really like this pick at 37. Beltran should develop into a nice future closer for New York. He projects to have pretty good control and good splits. He has good velocity and while he isn't a groundball pitcher, he also won't give up many homers either. He has a really good 4 seam fastball and a decent slider to go with it. While Beltran won't be a dominant closer, he should still be a good closer in the majors and that's a good pick at this point in the draft.
2(88). George Paul(SS)
3(121). Junior Yoshii(P)
4(153). Frank Correia(P)
5(185). Carl Hardy(CF)
Anaheim Annihilation
1(15). Ralph Womack(P) R/R, 18, Ayden, NC
Womack still hasn't been signed, but I can see him. He projects to be a fairly good starter. He has the stamina and durability to be a major league starter. His drawback is control. His control isn't projected very well, but his splits project to be really good. He also has good velocity. He's not really a groundball pitcher but he won't give up a lot of homers. He has a pretty good 4 seam fastball, a really good curveball and decent cut fastball and change up. Womack could be held back by his control, but if his splits reach potential then he could be a pretty good pitcher regardless. I really like this pick at this spot and the team needs to figure out how to get this guy signed.
1(58). Leon Bonds(CF) L/L, 18, Berlin, NH
Another top pick that hasn't signed and probably won't.
2(89). Harry Granados(P)
3(122). Doug Welsh(P)
4(154). Max Guerrero(P)
5(186). Brian Ledee(SS)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Season 16 draft review
It's time to review picks 6-10 in this seasons draft. Once again I'll throw in some reviews of players taken by each franchise in rounds 2-5 as well. I think it adds a little bit to the review and gives teams something to think about. If not, then it at least interests me.
St. Louis Vipers
1(6). Sean Shipley(P) S/L, 18, Hiland, IL
Shipley is a pitcher with some tremendous upside. The knock on Shipley is his stamina projections, but with his durability and control, this guy could be a 200 inning a season pitcher. He projects to have outstanding control to go along with good velocity. He'll be really tough on both right handers and lefties alike. He should develop a good 4 seamer and a really good second pitch slider. His change up will be pretty good for a third pitch and his curveball will be a great fourth pitch. Throw in a split finger fastball as a fifth pitch to keep hitters thinking. He's not much of a groundball pitcher, but I doubt that will stop him from being a great pitcher. This guy has the projections to be a top pitcher in Pine Tar down the road.
5(177). Kevin Craddock(LF) L/L, 22, Hinsdale, NH
Usually I wouldn't write anything about a 5th round pick, but this guy surprisingly has some decent projections and could eventually spend a little time in the bigs. I doubt he'll ever be a regular, but he could fill in for sure. Low contact, decent power, good splits and a decent eye, make this guy a fringe major league talent.
Boston Pilgrims
1(7). Bucky Simpson(P) R/R, 18, Thomasville, GA
Simpson is right in line with what a team would expect with this pick. He's not great, but he's still pretty good. He has low to average stamina with good durability. He projects with very high control which will help him pitch deep into games even with the lower stamina. He'll only be average against lefties and just above average against righties. He has lower velocity and won't be much of a groundball pitcher. He does project to have a decent 4 seam fastball to go with a good slider a below average change up third pitch and pretty good fourth pitch curveball. I don't think he'll be a cy young winner, but he should have some good seasons.
1(53). Brian Lowrie(SS) S/R, 18, Sabinal, TX
Lowrie was drafted as a shortstop, but ideally he's more of a thirdbaseman. He has the range and arm to play the position but his glove doesn't look like it will develop to that point. He's not fast, but he isn't slow either. I don't see him stealing bases, but he won't hurt a team with his base running. He projects to have good contact with really good power. His splits are both projected low, but he does have a decent eye. This is a solid pick at number 53 and he should be a major leaguer in the future, but not much of an impact player.
2(81). Vincenzo Tenbrink(LF) L/L, 20, Shelton, CT
To think that with the 81st pick of the draft this team was able to get Tenbrink shows the depth of this draft. While he isn't projected to be a great player, he should still be able to crack the major league roster in the future. He has lower contact, but good power. He is below average against lefties, but he'll hit righties pretty good. He doesn't have much of an eye at the plate. He projects to have good base running, but he's not fast. Tenbrink should be a solid role player one day.
3(114). Hack Washington(SS) R/R, 21, Blooming Grove, TX
Washington isn't much of a hitter, but has a little bit of power. He projects to have a decent glove with a phenomenal arm. He could spend time in the bigs as a reserve, but not much more.
4(146). Darren Urich(C) R/R, 22, Red Oak, OK
Ok, seriously? How in the heck did this guy fall all the way to pick 146? Am I missing something? He projects to be a decent catcher behind the plate. He looks like he'll have good contact, good power, with really good splits and a decent eye. If this guy isn't a major leaguer then maybe I'm seeing his projections incorrectly. He should have a solid big league career if I'm right.
5(178). Jerry Twitchell(SS)
Charlotte Bad News
1(8). Rafael Unamuno(LF) R/R, 18, Los Olivos, CA
Another solid selection at the top of the draft with Unamuno. He'll be a solid fielder out in left and won't hurt the team there. He isn't much of a base runner if there is any knock on him. He projects to have real good contact and power. He should crush left handers and still be pretty good against righties. He also has a real good eye at the plate. Unamuno should be able to bat a .300 with a .380 OBP and throw in 30-40 homers. This is a pretty good get at the 8th spot in the draft.
1(54). Edwin Reese(CF) R/R, 18, St George, UT
Reese could be a great centerfield glove one day. He projects to have really good range and a pretty good glove to go with it. His arm isn't great but isn't terrible either. He has good speed and base running and will be a stolen base threat. He has lower contact and very little power. He is below average against left handers, but real good against righties and has a below average eye. I could see Reese manning center in the bigs eventually and having a solid career.
3(115). Logan Hearn(P)
4(147). Daryl Jensen(P)
5(179). Miguel Ugueto(P)
Minnesota PeaceFrog
1(9). Gil Wainwright(LF) L/L, 22, Leamington, ON
Wainwright projects to be a solid ML player in the future, but not a difference maker. I'm not sure he has the abilities to be an all star, but he should help out the big league team. He isn't much in the field but should be OK out in left. His hitting projections are better than his fielding. He should have good contact, and decent power. For a left hander he'll hit lefties pretty good and do fairly good against right handers as well. His batting eye worries me a bit, but it isn't terrible. He should be a real good base runner for a slow guy. He should develop into a .280+ hitter with 20 homer potential.
2(83). Pedro Delgado(SS)
3(116). Clark Truman(P)
4(148). Ricardo Megias(C)
5(180). Luis Ozuna(RF)
Kansas City Kardinals
1(10). Elroy Epstein(SS) R/R, 18, Hartland, WI
Epstein should turn out to be an average shortstop in the field. He could be a really good thirdbaseman as he lacks ideal shortstop range. He has average speed and good base running projections. He may be able to steal a couple bases in his career but not many. Epstein shows average contact projections with some power. He has good splits and a decent eye. I could see him hitting around .270 with 10 homers regularly.
2(84). Kenneth Miceli(P) R/R, 18, Swampscott, MA
Miceli is a decent pick at this spot. He has good stamina, and durability. His control will be an issue that may keep him from ever being a major leaguer. His splits are good and he's a groundball pitcher. He projects to have a good 4 seamer and cut fastball. His third pitch curveball is good and he has a decent change up for his out pitch.
3(117). Alton Trammell(SS)
4(149). Stuffy Hyers(P)
5(181). Lance LaRocca(2B)
St. Louis Vipers
1(6). Sean Shipley(P) S/L, 18, Hiland, IL
Shipley is a pitcher with some tremendous upside. The knock on Shipley is his stamina projections, but with his durability and control, this guy could be a 200 inning a season pitcher. He projects to have outstanding control to go along with good velocity. He'll be really tough on both right handers and lefties alike. He should develop a good 4 seamer and a really good second pitch slider. His change up will be pretty good for a third pitch and his curveball will be a great fourth pitch. Throw in a split finger fastball as a fifth pitch to keep hitters thinking. He's not much of a groundball pitcher, but I doubt that will stop him from being a great pitcher. This guy has the projections to be a top pitcher in Pine Tar down the road.
5(177). Kevin Craddock(LF) L/L, 22, Hinsdale, NH
Usually I wouldn't write anything about a 5th round pick, but this guy surprisingly has some decent projections and could eventually spend a little time in the bigs. I doubt he'll ever be a regular, but he could fill in for sure. Low contact, decent power, good splits and a decent eye, make this guy a fringe major league talent.
Boston Pilgrims
1(7). Bucky Simpson(P) R/R, 18, Thomasville, GA
Simpson is right in line with what a team would expect with this pick. He's not great, but he's still pretty good. He has low to average stamina with good durability. He projects with very high control which will help him pitch deep into games even with the lower stamina. He'll only be average against lefties and just above average against righties. He has lower velocity and won't be much of a groundball pitcher. He does project to have a decent 4 seam fastball to go with a good slider a below average change up third pitch and pretty good fourth pitch curveball. I don't think he'll be a cy young winner, but he should have some good seasons.
1(53). Brian Lowrie(SS) S/R, 18, Sabinal, TX
Lowrie was drafted as a shortstop, but ideally he's more of a thirdbaseman. He has the range and arm to play the position but his glove doesn't look like it will develop to that point. He's not fast, but he isn't slow either. I don't see him stealing bases, but he won't hurt a team with his base running. He projects to have good contact with really good power. His splits are both projected low, but he does have a decent eye. This is a solid pick at number 53 and he should be a major leaguer in the future, but not much of an impact player.
2(81). Vincenzo Tenbrink(LF) L/L, 20, Shelton, CT
To think that with the 81st pick of the draft this team was able to get Tenbrink shows the depth of this draft. While he isn't projected to be a great player, he should still be able to crack the major league roster in the future. He has lower contact, but good power. He is below average against lefties, but he'll hit righties pretty good. He doesn't have much of an eye at the plate. He projects to have good base running, but he's not fast. Tenbrink should be a solid role player one day.
3(114). Hack Washington(SS) R/R, 21, Blooming Grove, TX
Washington isn't much of a hitter, but has a little bit of power. He projects to have a decent glove with a phenomenal arm. He could spend time in the bigs as a reserve, but not much more.
4(146). Darren Urich(C) R/R, 22, Red Oak, OK
Ok, seriously? How in the heck did this guy fall all the way to pick 146? Am I missing something? He projects to be a decent catcher behind the plate. He looks like he'll have good contact, good power, with really good splits and a decent eye. If this guy isn't a major leaguer then maybe I'm seeing his projections incorrectly. He should have a solid big league career if I'm right.
5(178). Jerry Twitchell(SS)
Charlotte Bad News
1(8). Rafael Unamuno(LF) R/R, 18, Los Olivos, CA
Another solid selection at the top of the draft with Unamuno. He'll be a solid fielder out in left and won't hurt the team there. He isn't much of a base runner if there is any knock on him. He projects to have real good contact and power. He should crush left handers and still be pretty good against righties. He also has a real good eye at the plate. Unamuno should be able to bat a .300 with a .380 OBP and throw in 30-40 homers. This is a pretty good get at the 8th spot in the draft.
1(54). Edwin Reese(CF) R/R, 18, St George, UT
Reese could be a great centerfield glove one day. He projects to have really good range and a pretty good glove to go with it. His arm isn't great but isn't terrible either. He has good speed and base running and will be a stolen base threat. He has lower contact and very little power. He is below average against left handers, but real good against righties and has a below average eye. I could see Reese manning center in the bigs eventually and having a solid career.
3(115). Logan Hearn(P)
4(147). Daryl Jensen(P)
5(179). Miguel Ugueto(P)
Minnesota PeaceFrog
1(9). Gil Wainwright(LF) L/L, 22, Leamington, ON
Wainwright projects to be a solid ML player in the future, but not a difference maker. I'm not sure he has the abilities to be an all star, but he should help out the big league team. He isn't much in the field but should be OK out in left. His hitting projections are better than his fielding. He should have good contact, and decent power. For a left hander he'll hit lefties pretty good and do fairly good against right handers as well. His batting eye worries me a bit, but it isn't terrible. He should be a real good base runner for a slow guy. He should develop into a .280+ hitter with 20 homer potential.
2(83). Pedro Delgado(SS)
3(116). Clark Truman(P)
4(148). Ricardo Megias(C)
5(180). Luis Ozuna(RF)
Kansas City Kardinals
1(10). Elroy Epstein(SS) R/R, 18, Hartland, WI
Epstein should turn out to be an average shortstop in the field. He could be a really good thirdbaseman as he lacks ideal shortstop range. He has average speed and good base running projections. He may be able to steal a couple bases in his career but not many. Epstein shows average contact projections with some power. He has good splits and a decent eye. I could see him hitting around .270 with 10 homers regularly.
2(84). Kenneth Miceli(P) R/R, 18, Swampscott, MA
Miceli is a decent pick at this spot. He has good stamina, and durability. His control will be an issue that may keep him from ever being a major leaguer. His splits are good and he's a groundball pitcher. He projects to have a good 4 seamer and cut fastball. His third pitch curveball is good and he has a decent change up for his out pitch.
3(117). Alton Trammell(SS)
4(149). Stuffy Hyers(P)
5(181). Lance LaRocca(2B)
Friday, July 22, 2011
Season 16 draft review
I guess I should get on this now that most of the picks have signed. It was a pretty deep draft class with plenty of players that could play in the majors one of these days. There wasn't many impact players but it was still a good draft. I'll take a look at each teams draft in a series of posts and give my insight as to how these players should turn out.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
1(1). Sticky Farquhar(P) L/L, 18, Lincoln, NE
While there weren't many impact players in the draft, the top overall selection should be. This is a franchise that is need of some good young talent and direction, and this pick should provide that for them. With real good stamina and durability, this guy should be able to pitch every 4th or 5th day without problem. He projects to have great control, and should be tough on right and left handers. He won't have good velocity, but should be a groundball pitcher. He should develop a real good 4 seam fastball an even better slider, a pretty good curveball and he'll even have a decent change up as a 4th pitch. If Farquhar develops like he should, then this pick could be the start of good things to come from this franchise.
2(33). Gary Graves(P) R/R, 22, Coral Gables, FL
Graves is a pretty solid pick at this spot. Another starter for this team that should be a good #4 or 5 guy. Decent control, decent splits, great velocity, and good at getting the groundball. He should develop a good 4 seamer, with a decent slider, a below average change up for a 3rd pitch, but good 4th pitch curveball and 5th pitch sinker.
3(107). Russell Fleming(CF/2B) R/R, 20, Rochester, NY
Projects to be a solid fielder in centerfield or a real good second baseman. Not much of a hitter, but could see time in the big leagues as a reserve and defensive replacement.
4(140). Francisco Valentin(SS)
5(172). Dusty Robinson(SS)
Chicago Wind Tunnel
1(2). Russell Powell(1B) S/R, 18, Courtland, AL
Powell looks like he could develop into a very good hitter in the future. He looks like a pretty good fielder for firstbase, but that is likely the only position he could play. He lacks speed but should develop good base running skills. His projects to be a good contact hitter with a little bit of pop. He could be a 20 homer guy. He should hit lefties and righties very good and has an outstanding eye. He should easily be a 300 hitter. While I'm not sure he will put up hall of fame numbers, he should turn into a really good major leaguer and make his fair share of all star games.
1(52). Kyle Olsen(C)
2(76). Gus Castillo(SS) S/R, 18, Kansas City, KS
Castillo was drafted as a SS, but I don't think he can develop into one. He's at best a solid 3B. He has a little speed, but not enough to be a base stealer. His hitting is below average. I doubt he'll make it to the big leagues if he even signs.
3(109). Christopher Darnell(RF) S/R, 22, Kansas City, MO
4(141). Al Bush(CF)
5(173). Howard Lary(P)
Austin Tumbleweeds
1(3). Harvey Merrick(C) R/R, 20, University City, MO
Merrick was a solid pick at this spot. He has the arm to play catcher, but doesn't appear to have the ability to learn how to call a game. His contact and power are solid and he should hit pretty well against righties and lefties. He has a great eye which should make him a higher OBP player. He should develop into a 20 homer, .290 average and .350 OBP player that is best suited as a DH.
2(77). Ken Martin(P) R/R, 20, Arecibo, PR
I could see this guy contributing in the big leagues one day. He has the stamina to be a starter but the durability to only be a spot starter. He won't develop the control to be a great pitcher, but he should be good against left handed hitters and real good against right handers. His velocity isn't good, but he should be a decent pitcher at forcing groundballs. He should develop a good 4 seam fastball, a great slider, and decent change up, curveball and forkball out pitches. Not a bad pick in this spot at all.
3(110). Ed Perez(P) L/L, 21, Greenville, MS
Perez may likely never be a solid major leaguer, but he has most of the tools. He should develop real good stamina, control, and a couple good pitches. What will hold him back is he doesn't pitch good to either righties or lefties and has bad velocity.
4(142). Nate Ryan(P)
5(174). Bo Corcoran(P)
Colorado Springs Night Watchmen
1(4). Pedro Reyes(RF) L/L, 19, Palmyra, VA
For a team that doesn't have many picks in the first five rounds after losing them with free agent signings, this team had to go big early. They did just that with this pick. Reyes should develop into a real good right fielder for this team in the field. He projects to have unmatched contact, and awesome power. He'll hit lefties real good but may struggle against righties, but being a left handed hitter will off set that. His eye is real good as well. He has decent speed and base running projections as well but won't steal many bases. I think he'll be good for 40 homers, .300+ average, and .380+ OBP in his career. He should be a perennial all star in his career.
4(143). Alex Cairo(P)
5(175). Charlie Peterson(CF)
Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's
1(5). Clay Vernon(P) R/R, 18, Lithonia, GA
Vernon was a very nice grab in the 5 spot here. He should turn into a very nice #2 or 3 starter in his career and for most teams a #1. He should develop pretty good stamina and durability. His control will be good but not great and he will pitch good against lefties and should be even better against right handers. He should develop great velocity and will be a pretty good groundball pitcher. He should also develop a real good 4 seamer, but a below average 2nd pitch sinker. His 3rd pitch split finger fastball is decent and his curveball is below average for even an out pitch. Overall, he should have a pretty good career and was a nice find with this selection.
3(112). Don Hatcher(3B) R/R, 21, Caguas, PR
Not a bad pick for the 3rd round and this deep into the draft. He has a solid glove and decent arm for 3rd base. He doesn't have much speed. He has just below average contact projections and not much power. He will have good AB's against righties and lefties, but doesn't have much of an eye at the plate. Hatcher could see some time in the bigs, but will never be a regular.
4(144). Gus Moreno(CF)
5(176). Henry Rivera(2B)
That's it for today's review of the draft's opening rounds. I'll try and get the next 5 up soon so stay tuned into the Pine Tar blog to see how each team did with the draft this season and see how I feel about your top picks.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
1(1). Sticky Farquhar(P) L/L, 18, Lincoln, NE
While there weren't many impact players in the draft, the top overall selection should be. This is a franchise that is need of some good young talent and direction, and this pick should provide that for them. With real good stamina and durability, this guy should be able to pitch every 4th or 5th day without problem. He projects to have great control, and should be tough on right and left handers. He won't have good velocity, but should be a groundball pitcher. He should develop a real good 4 seam fastball an even better slider, a pretty good curveball and he'll even have a decent change up as a 4th pitch. If Farquhar develops like he should, then this pick could be the start of good things to come from this franchise.
2(33). Gary Graves(P) R/R, 22, Coral Gables, FL
Graves is a pretty solid pick at this spot. Another starter for this team that should be a good #4 or 5 guy. Decent control, decent splits, great velocity, and good at getting the groundball. He should develop a good 4 seamer, with a decent slider, a below average change up for a 3rd pitch, but good 4th pitch curveball and 5th pitch sinker.
3(107). Russell Fleming(CF/2B) R/R, 20, Rochester, NY
Projects to be a solid fielder in centerfield or a real good second baseman. Not much of a hitter, but could see time in the big leagues as a reserve and defensive replacement.
4(140). Francisco Valentin(SS)
5(172). Dusty Robinson(SS)
Chicago Wind Tunnel
1(2). Russell Powell(1B) S/R, 18, Courtland, AL
Powell looks like he could develop into a very good hitter in the future. He looks like a pretty good fielder for firstbase, but that is likely the only position he could play. He lacks speed but should develop good base running skills. His projects to be a good contact hitter with a little bit of pop. He could be a 20 homer guy. He should hit lefties and righties very good and has an outstanding eye. He should easily be a 300 hitter. While I'm not sure he will put up hall of fame numbers, he should turn into a really good major leaguer and make his fair share of all star games.
1(52). Kyle Olsen(C)
2(76). Gus Castillo(SS) S/R, 18, Kansas City, KS
Castillo was drafted as a SS, but I don't think he can develop into one. He's at best a solid 3B. He has a little speed, but not enough to be a base stealer. His hitting is below average. I doubt he'll make it to the big leagues if he even signs.
3(109). Christopher Darnell(RF) S/R, 22, Kansas City, MO
4(141). Al Bush(CF)
5(173). Howard Lary(P)
Austin Tumbleweeds
1(3). Harvey Merrick(C) R/R, 20, University City, MO
Merrick was a solid pick at this spot. He has the arm to play catcher, but doesn't appear to have the ability to learn how to call a game. His contact and power are solid and he should hit pretty well against righties and lefties. He has a great eye which should make him a higher OBP player. He should develop into a 20 homer, .290 average and .350 OBP player that is best suited as a DH.
2(77). Ken Martin(P) R/R, 20, Arecibo, PR
I could see this guy contributing in the big leagues one day. He has the stamina to be a starter but the durability to only be a spot starter. He won't develop the control to be a great pitcher, but he should be good against left handed hitters and real good against right handers. His velocity isn't good, but he should be a decent pitcher at forcing groundballs. He should develop a good 4 seam fastball, a great slider, and decent change up, curveball and forkball out pitches. Not a bad pick in this spot at all.
3(110). Ed Perez(P) L/L, 21, Greenville, MS
Perez may likely never be a solid major leaguer, but he has most of the tools. He should develop real good stamina, control, and a couple good pitches. What will hold him back is he doesn't pitch good to either righties or lefties and has bad velocity.
4(142). Nate Ryan(P)
5(174). Bo Corcoran(P)
Colorado Springs Night Watchmen
1(4). Pedro Reyes(RF) L/L, 19, Palmyra, VA
For a team that doesn't have many picks in the first five rounds after losing them with free agent signings, this team had to go big early. They did just that with this pick. Reyes should develop into a real good right fielder for this team in the field. He projects to have unmatched contact, and awesome power. He'll hit lefties real good but may struggle against righties, but being a left handed hitter will off set that. His eye is real good as well. He has decent speed and base running projections as well but won't steal many bases. I think he'll be good for 40 homers, .300+ average, and .380+ OBP in his career. He should be a perennial all star in his career.
4(143). Alex Cairo(P)
5(175). Charlie Peterson(CF)
Louisville ARF ARF ARF ARF's
1(5). Clay Vernon(P) R/R, 18, Lithonia, GA
Vernon was a very nice grab in the 5 spot here. He should turn into a very nice #2 or 3 starter in his career and for most teams a #1. He should develop pretty good stamina and durability. His control will be good but not great and he will pitch good against lefties and should be even better against right handers. He should develop great velocity and will be a pretty good groundball pitcher. He should also develop a real good 4 seamer, but a below average 2nd pitch sinker. His 3rd pitch split finger fastball is decent and his curveball is below average for even an out pitch. Overall, he should have a pretty good career and was a nice find with this selection.
3(112). Don Hatcher(3B) R/R, 21, Caguas, PR
Not a bad pick for the 3rd round and this deep into the draft. He has a solid glove and decent arm for 3rd base. He doesn't have much speed. He has just below average contact projections and not much power. He will have good AB's against righties and lefties, but doesn't have much of an eye at the plate. Hatcher could see some time in the bigs, but will never be a regular.
4(144). Gus Moreno(CF)
5(176). Henry Rivera(2B)
That's it for today's review of the draft's opening rounds. I'll try and get the next 5 up soon so stay tuned into the Pine Tar blog to see how each team did with the draft this season and see how I feel about your top picks.
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