NL SOUTH S17 DRAFT REVIEW

Memphis Amon-Ra

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	24	Johnny Smart	SP	18	Solid Starting Pitcher featuring good control and stamina and 2 plus pitches. He has 5 total pitches to throw and it might take a keen catcher to help guide him with the right ones to throw. Solid potential, at 18 he has the time to develop into an everyday starter
2	86	Nicholas McCovey	RF	19	Great splits and batting eye, but overall just an average hitter. He doesn't feature a lot of power and have very average speed. He's the sort of player to call up when you have an injury and need someone to fill a hole for 15 games or so.
3	119	Raul Esposito	RP	18	Good velocity and durability on a bullpen guy who should be crafty enough to overcome barely above average splits. In the 3rd round he looks pretty sweet.
4	151	Ross Melton	RP	20	2 above average pitches with solid control and good stamina for a reliever. His pitching splits are average and will hold him back from a long career.
5	183	Cord Blake	2B	18	Average outfielder with even more average hitting and running. He will be a grinder when he retires from AAA.

SUMMARY: Smart is a smart choice late in the 1^st round, he's no superstar, but will be a dependable starter for awhile. I like Esposito and should be effective in the league. The rest of the picks resulted in guys who can fill short term holes and emergency depth, but I'm not sure there is enough talent to lean on for awhile
GRADE: B

Florida Sting Ray

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	14	Clyde Kirby	C	18	Offensive catcher with solid power and great hitting splits; He will be no issue at the plate and should challenge pitcher and bat around .300 for his career. His fielding and pitch calling will leave a lot to be desired. I'm not sure if he's not a better DH option in the AL.
2	74	Thom Hill	RF	20	Above average power and speed, but to average everywhere else to make huge strides toward a ML career. Good luck Mr. Hill, as developed as you are your ceiling is going to come to quick for most teams.
3	109	Bo McCormick	SS	18	NOT SCOUTED
4	141	Nigel Mullin	RF	18	Left hand hitting expert, He is loaded with power potential, but his average batting eye and subpar fielding I'm not sure he is good enough to make the ML for the long term. I can see him getting a few fall call-ups to mash the left handed pitching
5	173	Kevin Perez	RF	18	Above average speed and power, but horrendous splits will limit him and whatever impact ct was to be. Career minor leaguer

SUMMARY I like Kirby and he will be a Mike Piazza type catcher, he is going to provide great offensive stats, but his pitch calling will hurt you. Match him with an established pitching staff who can call their own games and Florida will flourish. Florida doesn't have that pitching staff right now. I'm not sure much value was procured outside of pick 1.
GRADE C+

Monterrey Metros

Round	Pick	Fran	Owner	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	13	MTY	Midmets	Thomas Kipling	LF	20	I drive by Schoolcraft College everyday to work; I have never seen a baseball diamond. I think most of the scouts in this league must have completely missed Kipling to. How often does an 85 rated player slip to the 13th pick? Kipling is a speedy contact hitter with marginal power. I see him as a .guy who will bat .310 with 15hr and 65 sb bases a season. He is fairly developed, but at 20 he needs to be because of his slow makeup. If they can get him close to his potential, he's the steal of the draft.
1	36	MTY	Midmets	Alan Keeler	P	21	4 plus pitches with good velocity will allow him to pitch around his mediocre splits. He is a solid Starter, but projects to no better than #5 starter even if he reaches his potential. A Good cheap option for a rebuilding team to have on the roster.
2	65	MTY	Midmets	Willie Easterly	C	18	Great offensive catcher. He will walk 100+ times a season and put the ball in play as much as you would love from any player. He has 15hr potential and should bat around .300 for his career. I like this find in the 2nd round and surprised to see him here.
3	108	MTY	Midmets	Todd Snider	2B	18	Pure contact hitter who built a reputation as a guy who could tap the ball into play and outrun the play at first. Yes he's that fast. His fielding will not hurt the team at all either. Look for Snider to opt out of a Pro contract and take his skill set to college for a few seasons. With his Injury history, he can only hope he can survive it.
4	140	MTY	Midmets	Morgan Morgan	SP	21	Below average splits on a huge stamina pitcher. Watch for him to be the go to guy in the minors as he protects the pitch counts to the guys in the rotation who will star someday.
5	172	MTY	Midmets	Sammy Nance	P	19	Middle of the road stamina further compounds his issues with a poor pitch selection. He isn't going to make much splash outside of AA.

SUMMARY I'm not sure if the Metros scouts were smarter than the rest of the scouts in the league, but they seem to pull huge diamonds out of the draft in their positions. Landing Kipling in the 1^st could be huge if he develops close to his potential. Only time will tell where these players actually end up.
GRADE A

Austin BUTCHERS

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	16	Julian Teheran	SS	19	Average hitter, runner and below average fielder. He is a huge reach in the 1st round and I think is the type of player that could have slipped to late in the 2nd
1	38	Charles Sprague	RF	21	Above average speed is almost wiped out by average running skills, he is a solid hitter, but lacks above average splits. He might be better fielding at 1B then anywhere else in the field
1	50	Miguel Mateo	CF	21	Solid runner with good speed, but extremely poor at the plate. His fielding might allow his to catch balls hit to CF, but only those hit right at him expect very little range to take hits away.
2	70	Hal Teixeira	P	21	Rubber armed pitcher in college who did it all, starting, relief and closed out a number of games. In 1951 he would have been an ideal pitcher. In today's world he doesn't do enough of one thing to separate him from the stack and he will get passed over more than promoted. He will be highly useful in the minors though.
2	76	Steve Norton	SS	22	Good runner with speed and solid contact. He could be effective at 3B. With his splits he could slip into the league as a key sub with some starts through his career.
3	111	Albert Mesa	LF	21	Solid in the outfield defender with outstanding speed and base running he never hit a home run in some small college parks; don't expect that to change when he breaks into the Major Leagues.
4	143	Troy Lundquist	SS	19	Another solid runner and speed guy, but with no bat and no splits. He doesn't have the defense to cover for his lack of everything else.
5	175	Edward Harper	RP	18	The perfect 5th round project. Harper has the pitching splits and pitches to work on for success. He lacks the control and durability to be a factor over the long haul. If he can learn how to bounce back or find some control. He should be a success.

SUMMARY 3 1^st rounders and not one guy I can see playing the league for more than a few abbreviated seasons. In the later rounds there were some nice finds, but you strike gold in round one in WIS and they came up empty.
GRADE C-

NL West S17 Draft Review

Cheyenne Marmots

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	11	B.J. Leach	1B	18	I hate picking a 1B so high, but Leach is a potential all-star. He has a plus bat with power and at 18 he has a lot of growth already. After some development he could easily be a go to guy batting 3rd in the Marmot lineup.
2	72	Brutus O'Keefe	RP	18	Flame thrower who lack average control. O'Keefe should still get a chance to be a positive member of the Marmot bullpen. I would love to see him with more control, but if that was the fact he would have been a 1st rounder.
3	107	Harry Jones	RP	18	2 pitch bullpen guy who has premier closer or setup A guy written all over him. He has ace caliber splits and solid control and durability which should allow him to pitch on little rest. I can see him striking out the side on occasion. Great pick in the 3rd round.
4	139	Malcolm Lemon	RP	18	2 great pitches and killer velocity on the fastball should get him an opportunity in the Big Leagues, his lack of control and low durability might take that shot away. Still he's in the 4th round.
5	171	Cooper Brunette	P	18	Below average control and average splits should sentence him to a career in the minors. He will do his most good allowing the real prospects to rest their arms.

SUMMARY: Normally I would not condone picking a 1B in the 1^st round before the 20^th pick because of their limited opportunities, but Leach is a solid 1^st rounder with true Ml talent. In a draft short on hitting talent his value rose. The relief help might be the biggest deal in the draft class. Some control issues, but also some real talent to work with deep in the draft.

Grade: A

Colorado Springs Organizational Filler

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	19	Welington Mota	SP	20	Solid mechanics pitcher with good splits and control, but he lacks a go to pitch to lean on. Pitchers have had capable careers in Ryan before with similar attributes, but I still don't like him in the 1st 25 picks
1	32	Milt Donnels	SP	18	Average splits, but overall a great pitcher, his features 4 pitches killer velocity and great control. He will struggle at times and may never have an ERA under 5, but he still should be in the Major Leagues some day.
1	40	Eddie Perez	SS	18	Solid defender with above average speed, he isn't going to hurt anyone at the plate. He was drafted for his prowess on the field nothing more.
1	51	Harry Jacobo	RP	20	2 pitches with solid durability and control, Jacobo isn't going to win many awards but he's a capable reliever in a pinch and should see a number of innings in the big leagues when all is said and down.
2	80	Phillip Grace	CF	18	Good speed and solid 2B defense, his bat leaves a lot to be desired, but for the price teams will take a flyer on drafting him and hope he can DITR a batting rating or two.
3	114	Frankie Moss	3B	18	NOT SCOUTED
4	146	Harry Tavarez	CF	22	Defense and speed guy with no bat to over, he has average splits so if he can find some contact he might be a success.
5	178	Vic Martinez	1B	22	NOT SCOUTED

SUMMARY: CSP had solid picks in the 1^st round, but I just can't get comfortable calling Mota the best pitching prospect available. To mean it seemed like the Fillers forced a number of their early picks and in the end ended up with gees with potential, but who might ultimately fizzle out quickly. I can't imagine CSp is ultimately satisfied with their class and their lack of signings of the class.

Grade: D+

NL EAST S17 Draft Review

NEW YORK DOLLS

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
2	94	Craig Andrelczyk	RP	18	Solid Splits, but average control and pitch selection will burnout this relief pitcher. I'm not sure many teams will give him a chance to make the league. He's very developed for an 18 year old, but his talent level just isn't there for the 2nd round.
2	96	Ryan Rhodes	SP	18	2 picks later you get Rhodes who is a good grinder for the minor leagues, he's not good enough to make a deep impact in the ML, but he's got the ability to see some time as filler for a team that needs to get buy for a season. Or a few games.
3	127	Vin Maxwell	CF	21	Great speed and defense give him 2 tools to work with, he sees right handed pitching well that's a plus, but doesn't have the pure baseball talent to be a regular. I like him as a bench guy.
4	159	Morgan Brower	CF	19	Fast guy, but struggles to much on the bases to be effective as a threat. He also will struggle at CF and should see his action in RF or Left in the Minors. He doesn't hit well enough to see time outside of AA.
5	191	Frank Stoddard	2B	22	Below average 2b, He's not good enough to even be considered a prospect at this point.

SUMMARY: Added just a few depth guys to the team, No one is going to shine from this bunch, but a few might have some nice games in their careers. Overall without a 1^st round pick and only picking at the bottom of the 2^nd they did okay identifying talent early, but no one is going to be a huge impact starter for New York anytime soon.

GRADE: B

Norfolk Trainwrecks

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	9	Manny Nelson	P	18	Long Relief extraordinaire. He has everything you would like in a pitcher except ideal stamina. His stamina limits him to a role in relief or as a super closer.
1	48	Gabe Dawkins	C	19	I love Gabe Dawkins. He's a killer backstop with a fine bat, his splits are average to below average, but he should hurt the team to much with his actual baseball skills as refined as they are.
1	57	Josh Baez	P	21	Similar to Nelson, as a solid long reliever, he has just enough stamina to make a few spot starts without hurting him too much. His control is average, but that is his only real huge concern.
2	69	Bobby Blake	RP	22	Solid bullpen skills, with 3 pitches, good control and solid splits. He does throw softer than I would like to see out of the pen and his durability is less than ideal to match his stamina.
3	105	Juan Colome	C	19	Offensive catcher, Colome doesn't offer much of support for the pitchers, but is solid behind the dish. He has great contact and solid power. He should give Norfolk 350-400 ab's in his prime with his durability rating.
4	137	Ryouta Fujiwara	C	20	3rd catcher the team took fills up the farm system. He has ML power and solid fielding and a great battery mate. He has below average splits, but still could see ML time down the road. Great 4th round pickup
5	169	Donatello Shaw	CF	19	All speed very little to offer at the plate and average defense for a 2B. He needs some help to make the league maybe a breakthrough in the field would ensure him a path to the league.

SUMMARY: Norfolk had their sights set on getting the catcher the team needs for the future and might have found him late in the 1^st round. They also picked up 2 late round guys who have potential and should bring something in trade when Norfolk starts to shake things out in a few seasons. Nelson as the 1^st pick might have been a reach, only because he's a tweener that has no defined position. Use him as they may, he is a good player.
GRADE: A-

Pittsburgh Pirates

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	5	Alberto Rodriguez	SP	21	Super workhorse pitcher with solid control and splits. He has nice velocity and should strikeout a few in his career. His pitch selection is solid but lacks a spectacular punch to take him to the next level.
4	133	Alex Lee	SP	21	Solid starting prospect he has above average splits and Average control. His lack of velocity does not add his lack of above average pitching. IF he had a killer pitch, he would have received more love in the draft, but for a 4th rounder you got to love this guy.
5	165	Billy Smart	SP	20	Great all around pitcher, except he has no concept of where the plate is when throwing. At least with his limited velocity no one will get hurt when he hits a guy or two.

SUMMARY: 3 pick to represent the Pirates and I think they pulled down 3 solid guys. Rodriguez might not be a superstar, but he is a sure anchor to the pitching staff. Lee and Smart both could have solid opportunities with the ML.

GRADE: A

Atlanta Braves

Round	Pick	Player	Pos	Age	SUMMARY
1	2	Marty Waters	SP	18	Have all the makings of an Ace pitcher, Ideal control, splits and 3 solid pitches. He is a Mean SOB with a hard throwing arm His stamina is his biggest knock as he might struggle to get 9 innings a go on his arm and if he did his low durability would affect time over time...
2	62	Ronald Fischer	SP	18	3 pitches with average splits and velocity. He has good control and stamina, but might not be much without maximizing his potential in his right/left splits. I think he was a solid chance to be in the ML.
3	98	Omar Estella	CF	22	Great speed and base runner, Estrella has good enough contact to take advantage of those skills and sneak his way onto base. Watch for him to bunt his way onto bases at times He lacks power and good batting understanding to be effective every day, but as a super sub he should see ML time.
4	130	Damian Becker	SP	22	Below average splits and control minimize another wise lightning fast pitch selection. He isn't going to rise above AAA and if he does he will be eaten alive in the Big Leagues.
5	162	Pete Burrell	C	18	Great battery mate for the right pitching staff, he's average at the plate, but will not hurt a team who turns to him every day. He should be a .240 hitter with 10hr power, but he will play for his pitch selection and arm as a backstop.

SUMMARY: Good a future Ace who will be very similar career wise to a Pedro Seguignol who has carved out a HOF career. I'm not sure he will be that good, but the potential is there to be similar. The other pitchers also should serve useful roles for the team and both Becker in the 4^th and Burrell in the 5^th are solid picks for their rounds.

GRADE: A-