Post by Ashes on Apr 8, 2013 20:22:17 GMT -5
Grading the Draft!
First Round Draft Grades (Picks 15-28)[/center]
The World Series is set, but that's not the only excitement around the league. The draft is in full swing, and the first round is essentially over with. So while the Giants and the White Sox battle it out, let's take a look at how the less fortunate teams are doing in the draft.
Keep in mind, when I am evaluating talent/picks I automatically assume a TIA will be applied to said talent/pick.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates - Alex Rios
This pick could have been a lot better. Rios is nice, he has good base-stealing ability, and with a boost to his speed, could be a nice stealing threat, but with his bad Walks rating/talent he loses a bit of luster to me. Would need to TIA his HRs to give him some threat to go deep in order to make him a good player. He can play defense which is nice, but in my opinion, he wasn't even the best RF left. Definitely would've chosen a few other guys over Rios, or traded the pick.
Grade: C-
16. Florida Marlins - Ryan Doumit
The Marlins moved up a spot to make sure they got their guy. Doumit is a 17 year-old switch-hitting Catcher with the potential to be a deep threat. With a TIA to his Hits, he should be a very good player, and considering the shortage of Catchers, he will have a lot of value. His defense is decent, could use to be a little better, and in reality, he should probably have a few more positions under his belt, but he'll be used as a Catcher regardless. With the TIA and a few years in the minors, Doumit could be one of the better Catchers in the league.
Grade: B+
17. Milwaukee Brewers - Angel "Crazy Horse" Pagan
Might be the steal of the draft here. Pagan is very nice. Good defense, good speed, and good talent ratings. Give him a TIA to his Walks, and he's awesome. Couple that with a boost to his speed and stealing, and you've got a stud. He's 17 years old and raw, but with a few years in the minors he could be a very good all-around player, possibly a very good lead-off hitter. Great pick here by Milwaukee.
Grade: A-
18. Atlanta Braves - Jason Frasor
Do not like this pick at all. Don't feel any relief pitcher should be going this high. He has nice ratings/talent, plus very good intangibles, but he's still a relief pitcher. Very easy to come by. With Victorino and Ludwick still available, this isn't a very good pick. Only thing that salvages this, is if Atlanta can turn him into a SP during Spring Training. If he can do that, then sure, this is a nice pick. As it is now, Frasor went too early.
Grade: D+
19. Los Angeles Dodgers - Ronald Belisario
Going to be just as harsh here, maybe even more so because it doesn't do anything to help Greg here. Dodgers have always been close behind in the division, but have yet to make a move to get better or pack it in. Not sure a super-raw 15 year old RP is the way to go. He'll need a boost in Walks, and a lot of help. Now, just the same as Frasor, if you can turn him into a SP and boost his Walks, maybe he'd be worth this pick, but other than that, doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
Grade: D+
20. Chicago Cubs - Shane Victorino
Play traded up to get this pick and made a great selection in my opinion. I, too, was targeting Victorino. He is amazing on defense, and boost his speed and stealing, along with a TIA to Hits or Walks, and he could be a very nice top of the lineup type guy. Only thing is, Chicago has plenty of those guys now. I could see the Cubs stashing Victorino for awhile, or trying to package him for some more Majors ready players. I believe the latter is more likely. Still, very good value pick here.
Grade: B+
21. Philadelphia Phillies - Coco Crisp
The Diet Coke of Shane Victorino. Coco is okay, has some nice speed and defense capability, like Victorino, but he needs a little more work. He'll need a TIA in Hits for sure. He's also injury prone. I would have gone with Ludwick here, but if Philly is trying to get a possible lead-off guy, it might be worth taking a risk on Crisp. Yeah I just did that.
Grade: C+
22. Detroit Tigers - Colby Lewis
Not a bad pick here at all. Colby is 19 and has pretty decent ratings and talent. Obviously he'll need a TIA to Walks, but with that he'll be a pretty nice pitching prospect. With that TIA, he could be ready for Majors in a year. The only thing holding him back is his duration and his inconsistency. He'll need to be bumped to C Duration at the very least. However, with all that done, he may be a good pitcher for Detroit. Nice pick.
Grade: B
23. Houston Astros - Ryan Ludwick
Another very good pick. I'm surprised Ludwick fell this far to be honest. With a TIA to Hits, and an already pretty nice HR rating/talent, he could become a good slugger-type player. He'll need to be because he'll never wow anyone with speed. He is an outstanding defensive outfielder though, so I could definitely see him having a bright future as long as he gets that TIA and some time to develop.
Grade: B
24. Chicago Cubs - Gerik Baxter
The Cubs FOURTH 1st Round Pick, and finally they made a bad one. Don't understand or like this pick at all. That Fair in Walks is brutal for SPs. He does have a Good in Hits and HRs which is nice plus a Brilliant in Ks, but even with TIA to his Walks, he's just okay. He'll need a good PD, which you never want to rely on. He is a great leader, has great duration, and can hold runners. All that's well and good, but he isn't. There were a few better options out there in my opinion, but at least Baxter is young. He'll be buried in the minors, and rightfully so. Would've been a good 2nd round pick.
Grade: C-
25. Cincinnati Reds - Wandy Rodriguez
Here's one of the better options in my opinion. Like Baxter, Wandy will need a TIA to Walks, but that'll give him Good. His Hits need work, so a nice PD will be what stutter will be hoping for. Wandy has better ratings going for him, and he's strangely consistent and clutch. He's a lefty, which is fun. Still not the best option, but not the worst either.
Grade: C+
26. Cleveland Indians - Reed Johnson
Great pick here. Reed Johnson slipped a little further than I expected. He has good fielding percentage, and some good hitting talents. With a Walk TIA, you've got a good hitter. The downside is that he'll never be speed guy nor will he be a power guy. That alone might hurt his value a bit, but he can still be a good on base hitter, who can play some nice defense. He'll be a nice middle to bottom of the lineup guy, or a nice utility player.
Grade: B
27. Kansas City Royals - JJ Putz
Pickings are getting slim in terms of good prospects, but Putz is a pretty nice closer. Amazing velocity, Brilliant strikeouts, Good in Hits and HRs, just about anything you need from a good closer. He'll probably be major-ready in a season or so. Relievers aren't very valuable, but boost his Walks, and you've got a young closer locked up for awhile. KC has a pretty solid closer already, but like I said there isn't much left. However, there are a couple of guys I would have picked here over Putz, but all in all, solid pick.
Grade: B-
28. Texas Rangers - TBD
