I'll trim this one up a bit in an attempt to get more picks covered in quicker fashion.
#11: Brooks_Nance A 2nd year Juco, Brooks displays solid control and excellant sink on an array of 5 pitchers, higlighted by his potentially ++ 4 seamer. Splits are slightly below average, but not terrible, ok stamina and solid durability should allow him to eat up many innings. Not much zip on his fastball, so don't count on strikeouts, however w/ that much sink, if he gets a solid defense behind him he should fill out the back of a rotation, if not make a solid #3 at his peak.
Comp: Bob_Guerrero Guerrero has far more zip on his fastball than Nance, but similar everywhere else. Bob has ate up a bunch if innings at the back of Trenton's order with roughly league average results, a good goal for Nance
#12: Fernando_Franco The 1st of 2 consecutive pitchers taken by Houston aimed at adding depth to the minor league system. Unfortunately, neither will star in the majors, should they ever reach the show. Franco is clearly the better of the 2 with a shot at providing long relief in the show one day. His splits are solid, but his stuff is roughly average, with decent sink, but below average control. With a history of great health, and solid stamina he may be able to fill in as a Long B and occasional swing starter to give others a bit of a rest.
Comp: Oleg_Penny
#13: Lawarence_Truby Another lefty with a solid history of health and great stamina. Lawerence excels vs Lefties and has even better sink and more stuff than Franco, however he has 2 bit "yeah but....s" going for him. With projected control of just 46, he'll walk far to many to excell in the show, and his vR skill is well below average. As a 21 year old w/ a long ways to go before reaching his projections, his ceiling looks like a AAAA pitcher, occasionally filling in for an injury at the big league level.
Comp: Billy_Gabriel Billy is the right handed version of Truby. If they ever get the LOOGY specialist figured out, Truby would be a solid edition to the pen, but righties w/ good batting eyes should eat him alive.
#14: Troy_Kubinski Troy makes an interesting case. In some respects he could have been drafted much higher, in others he may fall just short of being a star. At any rate, he'll be a solid pro, if not an occasional all star. His outstanding makeup is his most enhances his otherwise average SS fielding projections. Assuming he comes closer to meeting this projections due to high makeup than your average kid, Troy should be able to hold his own in the field, while his switch hitting approach and across the board average batting skills (save poor power) will make him an asset to the bottom of any batting order. He does nothing poorly at the plate, but nothing outstanding. His key will be getting those fielding projections into check, if he has to move to 3b, his bat will be less than adequate.
Comp: Lou_Gumbert should Troy reach his fielding projections, similar to Lou's skill set, he should provide a similar bat in the field. Lou's got more power, Troy projects for more contact enhanced by his ability to hit from both sides of the plate.
#15: Desi_Carreres Desi was rated as the top closer in the draft. Excellant stamina (for a closer), excellant control, splits, speed, sink and a killer curveball Desi could do lots of damage. However, his below average health and lack of a high quality 2nd pitch and no 3rd (or 4th) pitch to speak of gives one cause for concern. If he can stay healthy he should provide some dominate relief work, sprinkled in with a handful of blownsaves.
Comp: Danny_McCracken McCraken throws from the opposite side of the bump, but is quite similar w/o as much sink, but a better 2nd pitch; Desi should be at least equal to McCraken if not better.
#16: James_Sheets Florida drafted a collegiate right hander fresh out of James Andrews operating table. When healthy, Sheets hould be more than able to hold down the middle of any rotation, particular one anchored by future hall of famer Corban Walters, however scouts think he'll spend more time on the mend than on the major league bump.
Comp: Brandon_Lazzeri Bradon has managed to scath thru with only 1 major stint on the DL, something Sheets would love to accomplish. Get the majors healthy, and he may just find himself with an equally big payday.
#17: Andy_Rojas Rumor on the street is that Kansas City may have drafted the best overall pitcher in this draft, however my scouts have had an easier time finding a whore in the local nunery than catching a glimpse of anything Rojas has to offer.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Season 6 draft review, aka the year of the "yeah, but..."
With most of this season's top picks signed, sealed and delivered, its time to review the picks, and how each team did in the draft. The draft seemed to be fairly thin on talent, with a ton of kids that looked pretty good overall, but were missing 1 or 2 skills that made you wishing for just a little more.
#1: Ken_Borland kicks off the draft as well as our "yeah but..." review. This HS senior is still awaiting a final decision on signing w/ Albuquerque, but word on the street is that he'll stick to his promise of signing if drafted in the first round, though it may require a bit more cash. This left handed speedster has off the charts contact and batting eye skills, with a great approach vs righties, and solid enough vs lefties. Projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter w/ solid power (projected to 50), perhaps even a 3rd hole hitter if one can ignore his classic 3-hole pop. So where's the "yeah, but...?" Ken has well below average makeup, making many scouts wonder how much of his potential will ever be fully tapped, and even more damning, his defense projects to left field or 1b. Bottom line, he's going to make a great pro, and is certainly worth of the pick, but ideally you'd like more pop out of your LF or 1b. If Ronzabill can pick up some power at other defensive minded position, Borland's lack of range will quickly be forgotten when he's leading the league in OBP.
#2: Delino_Rodriquez Boston really hit a home run with this pick. Delino is a HS Centerfielder batting from the left side. Great contact and power, solid splits and a decent batting eye. Top end speed and range and enough glove to stay in CF. It would be picking nits to find a "yeah but..." with Delino. Yes his makeup is low, and he'll likely fall a bit short on durability needed a 20-30 days off a season, but his bat will more than make up for either of those issues. Delino has future MVP written all over his projections.
Comp: Hick_Hartley Consider Delino to be the Center field versino of Salem's all star third bagger. In other words, get ready to pony up some serious cash for this kid when he hits the free agent market sometime around season 16.
#3: Rickey_Norton The first pitcher selected, this southpaw has stuff that makes the drool. Norton throws a mid-90s fastball with pinpoint control to dominate both sides of the plate, not to mention outstanding stamina that has him pitching deep into games. So what's not to like? None of Norton's pitches project to be dominate, though 2 should be well above average. His changeup may well be dropped before he hits the majors. However with that control and splits, he should make several all-star games.
Comp: Chili_Stocker Chili has 1 more above average pitch than Norton projects, and has managed to win twice as many games as he's lost. I'm assuming most would be happy with a young cheap Chili Clone.
#4: Marshal_Svuem A switch hitting SS out of Washington, Marshall possess great contact skills w/ a particularly sharp approach vs lefties. An above average eye and solid baserunning skills to compliment his great speed. yeah but...? Marshall's displays a lack of range and arm strength making many scouts question his ability to stick at SS in the majors, while lacking the ideal power many would prefer at 3rd. Similar to Borland, he's got enough skill to stick somewhere in the majors and be a key cog on a playoff team, but Tampa Bay will need to find some power to complement his talent
Comp: TJ_STark The switching second baseman of the Evil Empire possesses a similar, if not better bat than Svuem, however Svuem will be more of an asset in the field with better arm strength and accuracy. Stark, has hit for a decent .801 OPS while stealing over 100 bases in 6 majore league seasons, a level Svuem should be able to hit during his tenure.
#5: Chet_Turner A sweet swinging lefty first bagger from New Mexico, Chet projects as the classic 3 hole hitter. Great contact, splits and batting eye, and just enough pop to clear the bases 30+ times a season. He'd fit the middle 3rd of any lineup at his projections, the only draw back is that similar to most solid bats, he's limited to 1b and not much else. Durability and health are a small problem, but shouldn't deter him from picking up a handful of silver sluggers along the way.
Comp: Vincente_Arias Chet projects similar to Little Rock's hot shot rookie 1st baseman. Arias bashed his way to a near .900 OPS in the minors, while being fairly young for his level at each step. His current .955 OPS mark at the midway point is no mirage and something Chet Turner can aspire to in a few seasons.
#6: John_Hayes A HS 3rd baseman, Hayes will need to transition into a corner OF spot in the majors. Despite just average contact skills, Hayes projects great power, solid splits and a keen batting eye. While he only possesses average speed, one can tell he's a true student of the game when they notice his outstanding approach on the basepaths.
Comp: Patrick_Watson While Watson has the advantige of swinging from both sides of the plate, Hayes should be able to come close to his .850 major league OPS.
#7: Chris_Langston The first real question mark of the draft. A Juco SS, Langston lacks the ideal range to star at the SS position in the majors. While he posses just average batting skills across the board, if his ideal makeup and coaching can improve his range to an acceptable rate while meeting his projections elsewhere, he'll make a solid major league SS until his price tag gets too high.
Comp: Rich_Clarke Cincity's SS possesses simlar range to Langston's projection and a similar, though less potent bat.
#8: Adam_Billingsly Premier defensive talent at SS, this switch hitter projects to more than hold his own at the bottom of the order to compliment his golden glove. However, while his glove is nearly major league ready, he's still got a good amount of work to do at the plate before he's ready for the show. Willing to sign for slot, he's patiently waiting for Nashville to free up some funds before making his minor league debut.
Comp: Vic_VEnezula Adam shows slightly more promise in the field than Albequerque's gold glove level SS, while possessing a slightly less potent bat. Neither are the cornerstones of their respective franchises, both are solid pieces of a major league lineup.
#9: Mandy_Hansen the Clubbers were thrilled to see Hansen slide this far in the draft. A JR switch hitter out of UNLV is still awaiting a larger payday before signing his name on the dotted line. The product of Barry Manilow concert, Mandy display's supurb contact, solid power and splits, but just an average batting eye. His defense is less than ideal, but solid enough to stick at 2b in the majors.
Update: actually his 1st name is Mendy, which perhaps makes the Barry Manilow reference all that more relevant and funny.
Comp: Francis_Kennedy Iowa's left field displays similar contact and splits to Hansen's projected level while both display a less than ideal batting eye. Hansen's ability to hit from both sides, combined w/ his better defense will ultimately make him a better player than Kennedy's .800 OPS display to date.
#10: Howard_Bevil The Clubber's 2nd pick in a row, and another middle infielder. Howard displays roughly average majore league potential defensively, with a better than average bat for SS. However his low makeup is a huge "yeah but...". Should he reach his potential he'll definently make a solid addition, otherwise he's an OK 3b
Comp: Jon_Huff Prior to injury and age taking over, Huff was once an .800 OPS bat w slightly below average SS skills. Father time has not been kind to Jon, but a few seasons similar to what we saw in his early years would give Chicago a hell of a middle of the infield.
#1: Ken_Borland kicks off the draft as well as our "yeah but..." review. This HS senior is still awaiting a final decision on signing w/ Albuquerque, but word on the street is that he'll stick to his promise of signing if drafted in the first round, though it may require a bit more cash. This left handed speedster has off the charts contact and batting eye skills, with a great approach vs righties, and solid enough vs lefties. Projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter w/ solid power (projected to 50), perhaps even a 3rd hole hitter if one can ignore his classic 3-hole pop. So where's the "yeah, but...?" Ken has well below average makeup, making many scouts wonder how much of his potential will ever be fully tapped, and even more damning, his defense projects to left field or 1b. Bottom line, he's going to make a great pro, and is certainly worth of the pick, but ideally you'd like more pop out of your LF or 1b. If Ronzabill can pick up some power at other defensive minded position, Borland's lack of range will quickly be forgotten when he's leading the league in OBP.
Update: Signed for $4.0 mil after the initial draft
Comp: Willis_Lewis Borland should be better offensively, but a shade worse defensively than Trenton's young leadoff hitter#2: Delino_Rodriquez Boston really hit a home run with this pick. Delino is a HS Centerfielder batting from the left side. Great contact and power, solid splits and a decent batting eye. Top end speed and range and enough glove to stay in CF. It would be picking nits to find a "yeah but..." with Delino. Yes his makeup is low, and he'll likely fall a bit short on durability needed a 20-30 days off a season, but his bat will more than make up for either of those issues. Delino has future MVP written all over his projections.
Comp: Hick_Hartley Consider Delino to be the Center field versino of Salem's all star third bagger. In other words, get ready to pony up some serious cash for this kid when he hits the free agent market sometime around season 16.
#3: Rickey_Norton The first pitcher selected, this southpaw has stuff that makes the drool. Norton throws a mid-90s fastball with pinpoint control to dominate both sides of the plate, not to mention outstanding stamina that has him pitching deep into games. So what's not to like? None of Norton's pitches project to be dominate, though 2 should be well above average. His changeup may well be dropped before he hits the majors. However with that control and splits, he should make several all-star games.
Comp: Chili_Stocker Chili has 1 more above average pitch than Norton projects, and has managed to win twice as many games as he's lost. I'm assuming most would be happy with a young cheap Chili Clone.
#4: Marshal_Svuem A switch hitting SS out of Washington, Marshall possess great contact skills w/ a particularly sharp approach vs lefties. An above average eye and solid baserunning skills to compliment his great speed. yeah but...? Marshall's displays a lack of range and arm strength making many scouts question his ability to stick at SS in the majors, while lacking the ideal power many would prefer at 3rd. Similar to Borland, he's got enough skill to stick somewhere in the majors and be a key cog on a playoff team, but Tampa Bay will need to find some power to complement his talent
Comp: TJ_STark The switching second baseman of the Evil Empire possesses a similar, if not better bat than Svuem, however Svuem will be more of an asset in the field with better arm strength and accuracy. Stark, has hit for a decent .801 OPS while stealing over 100 bases in 6 majore league seasons, a level Svuem should be able to hit during his tenure.
#5: Chet_Turner A sweet swinging lefty first bagger from New Mexico, Chet projects as the classic 3 hole hitter. Great contact, splits and batting eye, and just enough pop to clear the bases 30+ times a season. He'd fit the middle 3rd of any lineup at his projections, the only draw back is that similar to most solid bats, he's limited to 1b and not much else. Durability and health are a small problem, but shouldn't deter him from picking up a handful of silver sluggers along the way.
Comp: Vincente_Arias Chet projects similar to Little Rock's hot shot rookie 1st baseman. Arias bashed his way to a near .900 OPS in the minors, while being fairly young for his level at each step. His current .955 OPS mark at the midway point is no mirage and something Chet Turner can aspire to in a few seasons.
#6: John_Hayes A HS 3rd baseman, Hayes will need to transition into a corner OF spot in the majors. Despite just average contact skills, Hayes projects great power, solid splits and a keen batting eye. While he only possesses average speed, one can tell he's a true student of the game when they notice his outstanding approach on the basepaths.
Comp: Patrick_Watson While Watson has the advantige of swinging from both sides of the plate, Hayes should be able to come close to his .850 major league OPS.
#7: Chris_Langston The first real question mark of the draft. A Juco SS, Langston lacks the ideal range to star at the SS position in the majors. While he posses just average batting skills across the board, if his ideal makeup and coaching can improve his range to an acceptable rate while meeting his projections elsewhere, he'll make a solid major league SS until his price tag gets too high.
Comp: Rich_Clarke Cincity's SS possesses simlar range to Langston's projection and a similar, though less potent bat.
#8: Adam_Billingsly Premier defensive talent at SS, this switch hitter projects to more than hold his own at the bottom of the order to compliment his golden glove. However, while his glove is nearly major league ready, he's still got a good amount of work to do at the plate before he's ready for the show. Willing to sign for slot, he's patiently waiting for Nashville to free up some funds before making his minor league debut.
Comp: Vic_VEnezula Adam shows slightly more promise in the field than Albequerque's gold glove level SS, while possessing a slightly less potent bat. Neither are the cornerstones of their respective franchises, both are solid pieces of a major league lineup.
#9: Mandy_Hansen the Clubbers were thrilled to see Hansen slide this far in the draft. A JR switch hitter out of UNLV is still awaiting a larger payday before signing his name on the dotted line. The product of Barry Manilow concert, Mandy display's supurb contact, solid power and splits, but just an average batting eye. His defense is less than ideal, but solid enough to stick at 2b in the majors.
Update: actually his 1st name is Mendy, which perhaps makes the Barry Manilow reference all that more relevant and funny.
Comp: Francis_Kennedy Iowa's left field displays similar contact and splits to Hansen's projected level while both display a less than ideal batting eye. Hansen's ability to hit from both sides, combined w/ his better defense will ultimately make him a better player than Kennedy's .800 OPS display to date.
#10: Howard_Bevil The Clubber's 2nd pick in a row, and another middle infielder. Howard displays roughly average majore league potential defensively, with a better than average bat for SS. However his low makeup is a huge "yeah but...". Should he reach his potential he'll definently make a solid addition, otherwise he's an OK 3b
Comp: Jon_Huff Prior to injury and age taking over, Huff was once an .800 OPS bat w slightly below average SS skills. Father time has not been kind to Jon, but a few seasons similar to what we saw in his early years would give Chicago a hell of a middle of the infield.
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