07-10-2017, 07:59 AM
It's that time again. As always, these evals are based solely on starting ratings, depth of the pool, and don't take trades into account. So without further ado, I present to you the Overly Premature draft Evaluations of 2052!
The Winners
Cairo: Was there any doubt? In a deep pitching pool, the Scorps raked in the high-quality arms. Hutchison, Birmingham, and Brown will form a formidable core to Cairo's rotation, no doubt. And in the second round they landed the clear top reliever in the draft in Charlie Delker. Not to mention RF Henry Heffner, one of the top outfield bats out there.
Calabria: Last year I busted Tony's choice for #1. Not this year. Luzinski is the standout high school player in the class of 2052. Highest speed, 20-20 for an 18 yr old. Yeah, this kid is going places. But what really gets the G-Fathers on winners bracket is landing Pete Savage and his 85 sinker at #20. Concerns over Savage's skinny arm and lack of control lead a lot of teams to pass up on him, myself included. He could be a bust, but chances are also high that we'll be talking about him as the Steal of the Draft in 10 years. Welsh and Dresser? Meh. If they turn out well, that's just a bonus for Calabria.
Edmonton: It's rare that I talk about a team that has the standard 1st,2nd,3rd round picks here in the winners circle, but the Orcas freaking nailed it. With Cairo opting for Heffner, Jim Smartwood fell to the Orcas at #5. It's a toss up as to which will turn out better, but neither was a bad option early on. Then they scoop up power hitting 2B Frank Richmond in the 2nd round. With the scarcity of power at that position, I don't see how Richmond made it out of the 1st round. (Okay, I do. All that pitching. But still...) And speaking of power, how often does the guy with the highest actual PH rating get drafted in the 3rd round? True, Binks is 23 and his contact rating probably doesn't get above 75. But a power-hitting 1B/DH with even a decent contact rating is quite a catch this late in the draft. Well done Orcas. Well done.
The Losers
Havana (sorry Ed): The Cigars headline the losers list simply because of talent they passed up. Moronko is a great talent, but he's gonna be relying heavily on the development of that fastball, which is anything but a sure thing in the crowded pool of hard throwers. To take him, Havana passed up arms such as Savage, Hickerson, and Corwin. I also don't like the 2nd round pick of Hulse. Nothing about the guy stands out. I definitely would have taken Stuffel, Thomas or one of the two center fielders that got taken immediately following Havana's pick. Missed opportunities here, I'm afraid.
New York: New York makes the losers list because their picks were nowhere on my radar. The Nukes had their pick of the arms and instead took 2B Bobby Bliss. Bliss's only standout stat is his speed. Maybe that means something in a draft pool that is notoriously slow, but otherwise I can't see any reason to take this guy at #2. In Rd 2, Connaster was actually one of the guys I was expecting to fall to me five picks later. While he may end up with the best slider in the draft, that looks to be his only potential weapon. Another consequence of taking Bliss was passing up on Richmond in Rd 2.
Warsaw: Not that Ed Hooker was a bad pick. Certainly not. But the White Eagles just barely missed out on Irv Brashear, whom I am certain is going to be a star one day. The head scratcher though is taking another similar LF, Rebel Wiesler in round 2. Maybe a trade is in this works, I don't know. and that 12 CH is too low, even for an 18 yr old. If going for the speedy high school outfielder, Jack Johnson makes much more sense.
The Dark Horses
Dublin: Dublin made some great picks in my opinion and just barely missed out on a spot in the winners' circle. All three of the arms they took are 19 and under, so they need a lot of growth to be competitive. Brown and Miller at least, I am confident will be potent power arms for the Daredevils. I have less confidence in Marberry, but he's got a nice pitch variety that might make a good back end starter. Gotta get that command up though.
Vancouver: The Mounties were off to a great start getting Irv Brashear and Jack Blair. But it went downhill from there. Greg chickened out of pulling the trigger on Savage, a move that he will either be kicking himself for or congratulating himself for in a few years time. But what the Mounties really need to be winners in this draft is to have found a diamond or two in the rough of the second round.
Sapporo: Long Beach opting for the glove of Thomas over the bat of Billings may be good news for the offensively-challenged Snow Monkeys. If he puts on enough muscle, his switch-hitting bat will more than make up for his slow feet and glove. Next up: Andy Orosco, an older but stronger player in a position crowded with talent. Since he didn't get drafted by Entebbe, he should have more than 3 years of solid growth in him, enough to make him a good second round pickup. And then there's Bruce Stuffel. Knuckleballers, need I say more.
Honorable Mentions: Long Beach, Panama
Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film: Cozumel, Oakland, Rio, Amity, Stockholm
The Winners
Cairo: Was there any doubt? In a deep pitching pool, the Scorps raked in the high-quality arms. Hutchison, Birmingham, and Brown will form a formidable core to Cairo's rotation, no doubt. And in the second round they landed the clear top reliever in the draft in Charlie Delker. Not to mention RF Henry Heffner, one of the top outfield bats out there.
Calabria: Last year I busted Tony's choice for #1. Not this year. Luzinski is the standout high school player in the class of 2052. Highest speed, 20-20 for an 18 yr old. Yeah, this kid is going places. But what really gets the G-Fathers on winners bracket is landing Pete Savage and his 85 sinker at #20. Concerns over Savage's skinny arm and lack of control lead a lot of teams to pass up on him, myself included. He could be a bust, but chances are also high that we'll be talking about him as the Steal of the Draft in 10 years. Welsh and Dresser? Meh. If they turn out well, that's just a bonus for Calabria.
Edmonton: It's rare that I talk about a team that has the standard 1st,2nd,3rd round picks here in the winners circle, but the Orcas freaking nailed it. With Cairo opting for Heffner, Jim Smartwood fell to the Orcas at #5. It's a toss up as to which will turn out better, but neither was a bad option early on. Then they scoop up power hitting 2B Frank Richmond in the 2nd round. With the scarcity of power at that position, I don't see how Richmond made it out of the 1st round. (Okay, I do. All that pitching. But still...) And speaking of power, how often does the guy with the highest actual PH rating get drafted in the 3rd round? True, Binks is 23 and his contact rating probably doesn't get above 75. But a power-hitting 1B/DH with even a decent contact rating is quite a catch this late in the draft. Well done Orcas. Well done.
The Losers
Havana (sorry Ed): The Cigars headline the losers list simply because of talent they passed up. Moronko is a great talent, but he's gonna be relying heavily on the development of that fastball, which is anything but a sure thing in the crowded pool of hard throwers. To take him, Havana passed up arms such as Savage, Hickerson, and Corwin. I also don't like the 2nd round pick of Hulse. Nothing about the guy stands out. I definitely would have taken Stuffel, Thomas or one of the two center fielders that got taken immediately following Havana's pick. Missed opportunities here, I'm afraid.
New York: New York makes the losers list because their picks were nowhere on my radar. The Nukes had their pick of the arms and instead took 2B Bobby Bliss. Bliss's only standout stat is his speed. Maybe that means something in a draft pool that is notoriously slow, but otherwise I can't see any reason to take this guy at #2. In Rd 2, Connaster was actually one of the guys I was expecting to fall to me five picks later. While he may end up with the best slider in the draft, that looks to be his only potential weapon. Another consequence of taking Bliss was passing up on Richmond in Rd 2.
Warsaw: Not that Ed Hooker was a bad pick. Certainly not. But the White Eagles just barely missed out on Irv Brashear, whom I am certain is going to be a star one day. The head scratcher though is taking another similar LF, Rebel Wiesler in round 2. Maybe a trade is in this works, I don't know. and that 12 CH is too low, even for an 18 yr old. If going for the speedy high school outfielder, Jack Johnson makes much more sense.
The Dark Horses
Dublin: Dublin made some great picks in my opinion and just barely missed out on a spot in the winners' circle. All three of the arms they took are 19 and under, so they need a lot of growth to be competitive. Brown and Miller at least, I am confident will be potent power arms for the Daredevils. I have less confidence in Marberry, but he's got a nice pitch variety that might make a good back end starter. Gotta get that command up though.
Vancouver: The Mounties were off to a great start getting Irv Brashear and Jack Blair. But it went downhill from there. Greg chickened out of pulling the trigger on Savage, a move that he will either be kicking himself for or congratulating himself for in a few years time. But what the Mounties really need to be winners in this draft is to have found a diamond or two in the rough of the second round.
Sapporo: Long Beach opting for the glove of Thomas over the bat of Billings may be good news for the offensively-challenged Snow Monkeys. If he puts on enough muscle, his switch-hitting bat will more than make up for his slow feet and glove. Next up: Andy Orosco, an older but stronger player in a position crowded with talent. Since he didn't get drafted by Entebbe, he should have more than 3 years of solid growth in him, enough to make him a good second round pickup. And then there's Bruce Stuffel. Knuckleballers, need I say more.
Honorable Mentions: Long Beach, Panama
Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film: Cozumel, Oakland, Rio, Amity, Stockholm
Ryno, Executor of the Entebbe Zealots, Draft Czar.
Barnes Division Champs - 2055, 2056, 2057
Weaverball Champions: 2066, 2067
Francisco Matthei - 2054 ROY, 2056 CY, 2066 Triple Crown. Paul Blaisedell - 2056 MVP
Bobby Muich - 2060 ROY. Logan Richter - 2064 ROY. Art Harris - 2065 ROY.
Barnes Division Champs - 2055, 2056, 2057
Weaverball Champions: 2066, 2067
Francisco Matthei - 2054 ROY, 2056 CY, 2066 Triple Crown. Paul Blaisedell - 2056 MVP
Bobby Muich - 2060 ROY. Logan Richter - 2064 ROY. Art Harris - 2065 ROY.
