Season 2 Draft Analysis

Round 1

* Indicates fastball for pitchers, and speed for hitters.
** Indicates age.

1. Kansas City: Greg Clare, SP 488* (4/3/4) 23**
First pick overall in a draft that in my opinion was very weak, however Clare was one of the exceptions, has a very good fastball (488), has shown that he can spot his pitches very well and has a breaking ball with stacks of potential, his changeup may need a bit of work but Clare was the best SP in the draft.

2. Baltimore: Mike Somerville, RP 494 (4/4/4) 22
From the best SP onto the best RP in the draft, Somerville throws a nasty fastball (494), add to this the fact that at this stage Somerville has not shown any weaknesses as yet in his other pitches or in his control then he has the potential to be a great pitcher.

3. Arizona: Lew Graffanino, SP 387 (3/3/2) 20
Whoops, the awol Arizona GM wont be rushing back to sign this years picks. Well Graffanino has a below average fastball (387) mediocre changeup and breaking ball and poor control.

4. Chicago(N): Buddy Osteen, C 415 (4/4/4) 22
The first hitter chosen and the first of 2 12 star C prospects, Osteen runs very well for a Catcher (415 speed), but that is just an added bonus to a hitter who appears to have all the tools needed to succeed at ML level. Can hit for average, power and find the gap, cant argue with this pick in a draft weak in pitching.

5. San Fransico: Rip Horton, SP 322 (4/3/3) 21
This pick illustrates the lack of depth at pitching this year, Horton has a good fastball (468) and his breaking ball looks good, however a changeup that needs work and control which is patchy at times, there is no guarantee that Horton will make the majors, Horton has potential but will need work to achieve anything.

6. Houston: Jon Teed, C 276 (4/4/4) 22
Second 12 star C prospect and my first pick this year, Teed does not run well (276) but has shown the same ability as Osteen when it comes to hitting, he will take a few years to get to the majors but if all goes as planned when he gets their he will be a very good hitter.

7. Florida: Joe Coombs, SP 461 (4/3/3) 19
Very Similar pick to Horton, solid fastball (461), and a breaking ball with lots of potential, as with Horton change up and control need working on for Coombs to reach the majors.

8. Milwaukee: John Velandia, 1B 307 (4/4/2) 21
Milwaukee fill a need here, and fill it with a good player to boot, Valandia may not have been the best player available but was the best 1B an area where Milwaukee were lacking in their farm system, he hits well for average and power and has every chance of becoming a very solid ML player.

9. New York(N): Maury Frost, 2B 472 (2/2/4) 17
With some confusion over what happened with the draft picks it would be unfair to comment until the matter is resolved, safe to say Frost wont be seeing much of New York unless its on holiday.

10. San Diego: Parke Kane, SS 446 (4/4/2) 20
San Diego needed a top prospect at SS in their A squad, and with Kane they have that, he runs very well (446), and has shown a lot of power to go with his ability to make contact, a solid pick who has a bright future.

11. Boston: John Page, 3B 461 (4/3/4) 22
A 2B may have slotted into Boston's farm system slightly better however there is no doubting that Page is a very solid prospect, he runs very well (461) which will make him a SB threat, and will also help him utilise his ability to find the gap, if his power improves then Page could have an extremely productive future, even without it look for him to achieve good things.

12. Tampa Bay: Jose Hughes, OF 395 (4/4/1) 19
Cant really argue too much with an OF who can hit for average and power, and who runs fairly well (395), however OF is a deep position and there were players available at other positions that would have fitted Tampa better, that said Hughes is very solid and should turn into a solid choice.

13. Texas: Roy Becker, SP 275 (4/4/4) 19
What is a 12 star SP doing at number 13 in the draft, well the answer is because Becker's arm is made of jelly as far as any scouts can tell, however he can control his pitches very well and posses a very good breaking ball and changeup, you only have to look at Frank Ludwick to see that its possible to excel without a fastball, however its not easy, Becker has a shot but he will have to work to make it. If he does then he could be more than solid.

14. Cleveland: Bill Joss, SP 321 (4/3/4) 21
Another pitcher who relies on finesse, however Joss does not have the same changeup as Becker and so despite a slightly better fastball 321 compared to 275 for Becker, Joss faces an even bigger struggle to reach the majors, again this is an example of the lack of pitching in this years draft, a solid hitter may have been a better choice.

15. Minnesota: George Burns, SP 319 (1/4/4) 23
It would appear that Minnesota decided not to set their draft picks, Burns has good control and a good changeup but has a horrible breaking ball and a poor fastball (319).

16. Anaheim: Ray Beltran, 2B 316 (4/4/3) 19
A solid addition to Anaheim's already very solid farm system, Beltran hits well for average and power and has some ability to find the gap, slots in nicely to their organisation, a solid pick.

17. Oakland: Dick Thomas, SP 330 (4/3/4) 19
Once again a pitcher without a decent fastball (330), Thomas is very similar to Joss and faces the same struggle, if his changeup develops beyond expectations then he will have a shot at the majors.

18. Philadelphia: Clem Hershiser, 3B 336 (4/3/3) 22
Hershiser gives Philly a 2nd solid 3B in their A squad, if Hershiser can bulk up and work on his power he has the potential to be a very good player, a solid pick here.

19. Chicago(A): Luis Kepshire, 2B 382 (4/3/4) 22
Kepshire has decent speed (382) hits for average and can find the gap, he even has some power potential, cant argue with this pick.

20. Colorado: Charlie Curtis, 1B 452 (3/4/3) 22
Curtis will be a SB threat (452 speed) and can hit for power, however he has shown a tendency to strike out to often and will need to work on that to reach the majors, at this stage there were better and safer choices available, Curtis has a big upside, however he could quite easily end up in the NL.

21. Montreal: Bill Mgann, SS 418 (4/3/4) 22
Very solid, makes contact, runs well (418) and makes the most of his speed by finding the gap, also has some power, gives Montreal a SS in their A squad as well. Very solid choice.

22. Cincinnati: Floyd Roberts, RP 444 (4/4/3) 21
2nd RP chosen, Roberts has a solid fastball (444) as well as possessing a good breaking ball and change up, his only problem has been a tendency to miss place his pitches, with good enough stuff he can survive, if he works on his control hard enough then he can truly prosper at ML level, have to wait and see about that however.

23. Detroit: Wilcy Minahan, OF 423 (4/4/2) 20
Detroit have power hitters and average hitters in their lower farm system, however Minahan gives them both in the same player, he also gives then a SB threat (423 speed). Minahan is a solid pick.

24. Atlanta: Stu Todd, SP 477 (2/3/4) 22
Todd has a very solid fastball (477) and can control it, however his changeup is not the best and his breaking ball needs alot of work, reaching the majors is not out of the question, however having much success there is unlikely, due to the lack of quality at SP and the high demand Todd is not a terrible pick, again though there were safer hitters available, Todd does have a good upside, time will tell if he fulfils it.

25. Seattle: Barry Wilhoit, RP 472 (4/4/3) 22
Similar to Roberts, Wilhoits fastball has more velocity (472) and his other pitches are equally as good, again control is his only downfall, as with Roberts, has every chance of making the majors, how successful he is there will depend on how well he learns to control his pitches.

26. St. Louis: Earl Zamloch, 3B 404 (4/4/1) 23
Zamloch runs well (404) and hits well for both power and average, with St. Louis' small farm system he is a solid and welcome addition for them, has potential to do very well.

27. New York(A): Cy Henke, 2B 376 (4/4/1) 23
Henke gives New York a very solid 2B prospect, he has some speed (376) and can hit for power and average, fills a need for New York, a good pick.

28. Pittsburgh: John Lazorko, RP 450 (3/3/4) 17
Lazorko throws a good fastball (450), and can spot his pitches nicely, his other pitches need some work but he has a legitimate shot at the majors, at only 17 if Lazorko works hard then he has potential to have a long and successful career.

29. Los Angeles: Tony James, OF 321 (4/4/1) 16
Nice pick form the point of view that James can hit for both power and average, at 16 he also has the chance to have a very long career in the majors, LA could have possibly been better suited to look for an infield prospect for there farm, however James is still a solid pick.

30. Toronto: Gus Blue, OF 309 (4/3/4) 20
Last pick of the first round and a solid one to boot, Toronto don't have any major gaps in their farm system so choosing a very solid OF like Blue is a good choice, has potential to be a great player if his power improves.

Round 1 Roundup:
Picks Per Position:
SP: 9
RP: 4
C: 2
1B: 2
2B: 4
3B: 3
SS: 2
OF: 4

Best Pick: The first 2 picks of the draft, they both took the only genuine top pitching quality in this years talent pool, they were a number of solid picks all through the draft, all the way down to and including the final pick.

Worst Pick: To balance the number of solid picks there were also a few very poor ones, none more so than Arizonas first pick, with the 3rd pick overall you would expect some quality, however with there absent GM this was not to be.

Overall: As expected several SP prospects were taken, this however in my opinion was not necceserilly a wise move, this years talent pool is a rather weak one, especially the pithcers, some solid hitting pickups all the way through, 3 teams for one reason or another did not fill their draft cards.

31. Kansas City: Brian Howard, OF 363 (4/4/1) 17
Howard hits well for average and power, OF is a deep position but when the player had those abilities then it is never a bad pick. Howard is very young as well meaning that he can be a top quality player for years to come.

32. Baltimore: Mario Naehring, RP 443 (4/2/4) 23
Fairly solid pick, Naehrings only weakness is his changeup which is never going to be ML quality, however his fastball is and he can control it well, add to that a very good breaking ball and Naehring has
every chance of making it to the majors, he wont anchor the bullpen when he gets there but he will be a decent addition to it.

33. Arizona: Steve Hobson, RP 333 (2/1/4) 20
Draft Card Not Filled. Hobson has no pitches that are or will ever be ML quality, on the plus side he can control them, so at least it will just be the home runs that get him and not the wild pitches.

34. Chicago(N): Chick Farrell, C 283 (4/4/2) 23
Chicago are definitely set in the Catcher department for the future, after taking 12 star prospect Osteen in the first round they follow it with another very solid C here. Farrell hits for power as well as average, doesn't have the same speed as Osteen but that is not a big problem, solid pick.

35. San Francisco: Bob Pipp, C 204 (4/3/1) 20
Pipp gives San Fran a second catcher in there A squad who can hit for average, Pipp also has some potential to hit for power, a good choice that gives them quality depth at C.

36. Houston: Greg Ashby, 3B 290 (4/4/1) 20
Ashby gives me a solid young 3B prospect, he does not have great speed (290) however he can hit for power and average which makes him a decent choice, and fills a need which makes the pick better.

37. Florida: Andy Winters, SP 323 (4/1/4) 23
Bad pick here, Florida seem to have been looking to hard for pitching, Winters has a poor fastball(323) and an even worse changeup, although his breaking ball and control are good, he does not have a realistic chance at reaching the majors, so much so that Florida haven't signed him as yet.

38. Milwaukee: Lefty Clements, 2B 495 (4/1/4) 22
Milwaukee only have a very small A squad, and already had a 2B so I could argue this pick, however with great speed (495) and the ability to find the gap Lefty could turn into a very solid leadoff man in the future, it would seem harsh to criticise, nice pick.

39. New York (N): Paul Barrett, RP 397 (1/3/4) 20
Draft card problems. Barrett has great control and with some work could have a good changeup, has no breaking ball and a sub par fastball.

40. San Diego: Duffy Miller, RP 481 (4/3/3) 23
Miller has potential to go two ways, he has an excellent fastball (481) and his breaking ball is also very good, however his changeup and control are patchy, if he can improve in one of those areas he will be solid, if he improves in both he will be excellent, however if he continues as he is he may end up as nothing more than mediocre. Probably worth the risk given the lack of pitching.

41. Boston: Bill Campbell, SP 441(3/4/3) 23
Campbell faces a similar task as Miller, he must improve his breaking ball and control to achieve anything at ML level, again with the lack of pitching available Campbell is worth the risk, if he works hard he has a big upside.

42. Tampa Bay: Chuck Romano, SS 435 (4/2/3) 17
Romano hits for average and finds the gap occasionally, he has the speed to exploit this (435) and so could be a solid player, Tampa could have looked to fill a gap in their system and gone for a for a different position, however they are not ultra deep at SS either so I cant criticise this choice.

43. Texas: Wattie Scriverner, 1B 282 (4/2/4) 19
A lack of speed wont aid Scriverner who finds the gap well, he will hit for average, Texas fill a gap in their system with Wattie, who is a solid pick, he wont hit many home runs but is young and a solid choice.

44. Cleveland: Mike Gajkowski, SP 302 (4/4/3) 17
With a 302 fastball Gajkowski is a risk, with questionable control he is a bigger risk, he will need to overcome any control problems he has and maintain his other pitches to stand a chance of making it, he has a chance, but this is a risky pick with some potential to turn out well.

45. Minnesota: Art Marshall, RP 469 (2/2/1) 22
Draft Card Not Set. Marshall throws the ball fairly hard, but then so do a lot of people, he has very poor breaking ball and changeup, and has been known to miss a barn door from 60 ft let alone the strike zone.

46. Anaheim: John Naleway, 2B 359 (4/3/3) 19
Anaheim didn't need another 2B badly but Naleway is very solid, has some speed (359) hits for average, and has shown glimpses of power and some ability to find the gap, with some luck he could be a very solid player, either way he is a good pick.

47. Oakland: Pete Whisenant, RP 380 (3/4/4) 23
Whisenant's fastball lets him down a little, hid breaking ball also needs work, he probably wont be a star but has a chance to be very solid depending on how he progresses.

48. Philadelphia: Roy Boyer, OF 320 (4/3/3) 21
Philly maybe could have looked for an infielder instead of an OF where they are fairly deep, however Boyer is very solid, with work he could be an excellent player.

49. Chicago (A): Walter Bakely, 3B 410 (4/2/4) 20
Bakely gives Chicago a solid young 3B, he runs well (410 speed) which will help his ability to find the gap, has not shown much power but has the tools to leadoff in the future.

50. Colorado: Mack Doran, RP 465 (4/3/3) 20
Doran has a good fastball and breaking ball, his changeup and control need working on for him to reach the majors and be a success there, he has a shot and being very solid, will need to work though.

51. Montreal: Bombo Marzano, RP 387 (2/4/4) 18
Although Bombo is only 18 he is going to have 2 below par pitches when he matures, his fastball is slightly weak (387) however it is his breaking ball that could let him down, he has no problems with control and has a good changeup however he will have to work very hard to achieve much.

52. Cincinnati: Leo Brown, 2B 274 (4/2/4) 16
Hits for average and finds the gap well, doesn't have the speed to fully utilise this however, Brown is very young and could have a good and long career in front of him.

53. Detroit: Lloyd Baker, SS 286 (4/3/3) 19
Again no great speed for Baker but can hit for average and has power potential, gives Detroit a young SS that they needed, has potential to be more than solid for many years.

54. Atlanta: Steve Robitaille, 3B 433 (4/2/4) 20
Another potential leadoff hitter here, Robitaille runs very well, and exploits it by finding the gap. Solid Pick

55. Seattle: Henry Oliva, SP 494 (4/4/2) 22
Interesting pick here, Oliva has an overpowering fastball (494) and combined with that has a good breaking ball and changeup, however Oliva has experienced control problems, now if he can overcome this and get some control then with the great stuff he has shown then he has the chance to be very solid,
if not then he will struggle and may end up in the ball pen or released completely.

56. St. Louis: Hal Hudek, 2B 403 (4/3/1) 18
Hudek makes contact and has shown some glimpses of power, St. Louis have a small farm system and may have been better off filling a different position, however Hudek is still a solid pick.

57. New York (A): Joe Vaughn, OF 403 (4/3/2) 22
With good speed (403) Vaughn will be a good base runner, he has also shown some potential to hit for power, nice pick.

58. Pittsburgh: Juice Baldwin, 1B 485 (4/2/3) 19
Baldwin has excellent speed (485) and potential to find the gap to exploit it, is young and will hit for average, gives Pittsburgh a second young 1B, good pick.

59. Los Angeles: Billy Nixon, 3B 325 (4/3/1) 19
L.A fill a need in their system with Nixon, he will hit for average and has shown glimpses of power, a good pick who could develop into a very solid player.

60. Toronto: Ernie Barrett, C 446 (4/1/4) 21
With good speed, especially for a catcher Barrett will be a SB threat, can also find the gap well, Toronto are already deep at catcher but Barrett has the potential to warrant picking him.

Round 2 Roundup:
Picks Per Position:
SP: 4
RP: 8
C: 3
1B: 2
2B: 4
3B: 4
SS: 2
OF: 3

Best Pick: A few solid picks, I liked mine own pick, giving me a power hitting player at a position I was lacking in, also Chicago (N) getting there second very solid catcher.

Worst Pick: Excluding those who didn't set or who had draft card problems, Andy Winters picked by Florida, he has not been signed and I don't expect him to be. With a good fastball he would have been pickable, but he doesn't have one so a wasted pick.

Overall: Again pitching was sought after, albeit relief pitching due to the terrible lack of starters, as the talent pool thins out teams look to fill needs and get what talent they can, with the odd exception all teams made decent picks.

[Season 1 Draft Analysis]