1. Cheyenne Gunslingers pick RHP Les Gunderson
All 5 pitches are projected to be average to great, with a great cut fastball and curveball leading the way. Lacks the ideal velocity that most look for, but that’s the only apparent weakness. Good stamina and durability should lead to around 200 innings per season, and his control will be one of the best in the majors when he gets there. Keeps the ball out of the hitting zone and possesses the ability to induce double plays when he gets in trouble, which should be rare.
Owner byers61 on Gunderson:
The Gunslingers were set to draft SS Clay Swisher at #1, but his 47 max health scared us away. We're happy with the drafting and quick signing of SP Les Gunderson, who has good stamina and projects to 99 control. Although his lefty split is a little lower than our scouts saw, he does have 5 decent pitches with a cutter and curveball that are superb.
hurricane384 says:
Gunderson was hands-down the best pitcher in the draft and should be an Ace and perennial Cy Young candidate for years to come.
2. Jackson Mallards pick CF Wilson Barnes (L/L)
Projects to be a good defender who can steal some bases…but get caught at the most inopportune times as he lacks the baserunning knowledge to make himself into an elite baserunner. Should hit for some power and good average while drawing some key walks. You’ve heard the phrase “can’t hit the broadside of a barn,” Barnes truly fits this description with his arm accuracy.
Owner quackup on Barnes:
Love his speed & batting eye... Wish his vsRHP projections were stronger, but I'm eager to see what he produces on the field
hurricane384 says:
This is a very good pick as Barnes should be a mainstay for the Mallards in CF.
3. Texas Wildcats pick RHP Jake Bennett
Does not have the outstanding attributes one would expect out of the #3 pick in the draft. Isn’t going to go deep into most games. He has some solid pitches, but no excellent pitches. Does a decent job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone with good control. Does not have good velocity.
Owner kemosabe11 on Bennett:
No comment provided
hurricane384 says:
This pick seems like a reach for me. He’s a solid player, but is never going to be an Ace or even a #2 pitcher in a rotation.
4. Arizona Desert Dogs pick SS Clay Swisher
This 18-year old has yet to sign.
Owner jbongo3535 on Swisher:
Overall Management is very happy that Swisher fell to us. He was #1 on the board for
hurricane384 says:
5. Honolulu Hurricanes pick 3B Andrew Miller (R/R)
Lacks the ideal range for 3B, but has the glove and arm to make the plays that he gets to. He could turn out to be a gold glove corner outfielder, and his bat wouldn’t put him at a disadvantage. Solid hitter for average and power, he sees the ball really well against lefties and isn’t a slouch against righties either. Should have the durability to play in 145 games and shouldn’t spend much, if any, time on the disabled list. Should be in the Hurricanes’ lineup for years to come.
Owner bighead34 on Miller:
A low risk/low reward pick. Doesn't show a ton of projection, but is well advanced for his age. Should be able to play a high quality RF at minimum, while carrying a solidly above average bat. Probably never an MVP, but should be an All-Star quality player for years to come.
hurricane384 says:
This was a very good pick again. He’s likely going to have to come off the hot corner, but should definitely be worthy offensively of a corner outfield slot.
6. Richmond Rebels pick SS Kory Sterns (R/R)
Solid, if not slightly below average defensively across the board. Very good contact and power ability. Will dominate lefties. Will hit righties adequately. Will work a walk and steal some bases with his above average speed.
Owner train on Sterns:
I'm very pleased that Sterns fell to me at 6. I had him 2nd, behind only Swisher, so I wasn't expecting to see him there. My scouts project his defense to be adequate for SS, but I'm skeptical, so I'm penciling him in as the 3B of the future. Organizationally, we're completely devoid of 3B talent, so he's a perfect fit. Love the bat, especially the eye. Only knock on him is his relatively low health (mid 50's). Still waiting for him to sign, but he should eventually.
hurricane384 says:
This is a very good pick. One of the best players in the draft. If he plays SS his offense will offset his defense, which isn’t atrocious. Can be a gold glove and silver slugger at 2B or 3B.
7. Atlanta Fightin’ Peach Pits pick RHP Butch Tolar
Butch appears to be able to give a team about 120-150 IP each season…where those innings are going to come from is another catcher. Pitchers of his style have been used as super-closers or micro starters…he’s not going to give you 100 pitches each time out without needing additional days of rest and he’s not going to give 3-4 days in a row either. He has 3 above average pitches and does a solid job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Hopefully his great control and great velocity can somewhat outweigh his proclivity for the flyball.
Owner mr_gone on Tolar:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
This pick seems to be a bit of a reach to me, as Tolar lacks the outstanding pitches and ability to get deep in a game that most would expect out of a top-10 pick, but he can and should be a good player, just not sure if he’s a top 10 pick.
8. Chicago Black Sox pick CF Pedro Estrella (L/L) – NOT SIGNED
Projects to have good range, good glove, great speed, and great durability. His contact and power are subpar, but he does have the ability to hit lefties and righties. Should be an interesting case study in what matters more, the splits or the con/pwr ratings. Has a decent eye. Maybe a future leadoff hitter or maybe a future #7 hitter.
Owner mamidu on Estrella:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
This seems to be a bit of a stretch as he doesn’t have the elite power and/or contact that most would expect out of a top-10 pick. Still, he’s going to be a solid player, I just don’t know if solid is enough out of a top-10 pick.
9. Las Vegas Bookies pick RHP Buzz West
Buzz could potentially pitch around 250 innings with his stamina/durability combination. He’s got great control, does a good job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone, and with 2 tremendous pitches and 2 average ones, should be competing for Cy Youngs in about 3-4 seasons.
Owner tk21775 on West:
Was thrilled to land Buzz West at the number 9 spot; he was our top pitching prospect so we really didn't think he'd fall down to us. If he gets to his potential the Bookies will have a workhorse in the rotation for many years to come.
hurricane384 says:
West is a steal at pick #9. tk should be thanking his lucky stars that he fell this far as he is arguably the second best pitcher in the draft and probably top 5 talent overall.
10. Anaheim Knights select RF Jose Owen (R/R)
Owen projects to have great power, good contact and a good eye. He has the strong arm that everyone wants out of their right fielder. Great speed. Will struggle to make the routine play at times in the field and will struggle against righties a bit, but his other abilities should make up for that.
Owner allright on Owen:
Jose Owen is exactly the prospect I wanted. I consider him a gamble. I was ultimately swayed by the rare combination of power, contact, and speed. Would've liked better splits; but, he's a certain major leaguer, how good remains to be seen.
hurricane384 says:
This is a great pick at number 10. He should be a future all-star, and although I don’t like his vsR, he won’t disappoint his owner.
11. Pittsburgh Crawfords select RF Gus Loney (S/L)
Another guy who projects to have great power, he will struggle somewhat against righties and won’t reach base as much as others in this draft. Will struggle to make routine plays even though he can get to more balls than the average right fielder. Does not have top-end speed. Should hit lefties hard.
Owner jeanpaul22 on Loney:
Well, we were hoping for a SP but when a guy like Gus Loney is available you can't pass. Loney will hit with power against lefties and righties. He can play RF but could be a 1B or DH in the majors.
hurricane384 says:
This is a very good pick. You don’t pick right fielders to win gold gloves, but rather silver sluggers and this guy will compete for that every season.
12. El Paso Sluggers select CF Bill Corcoran (S/L)
Solid player across the board, he boasts above average range and a below average glove, but that shouldn’t hurt the Sluggers too much in the coming years. He will hit for a decent average with some power and work the count decently. No real weakness, but no real strength with this pick.
Owner sirius07 on Corcoran:
The Sluggers were looking for a starting pitcher, but are very pleased of their selection with Corcoran which is a very nice center fielder.
hurricane384 says:
Just a very solid pick, one has to wonder if there were some players that did not make it to sirius07’s radar though.
13. Little Rock Swampfire select RHP Jesse Blowers
Good stamina, control, and velocity help this player overcome his deficiency against lefties. A great curveball and two above average pitches will help some too. He can also induce double plays to get out of danger.
Owner lefty32 on Blowers:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
A good pick. Nothing much to say here other than
14. New Orleans Zydeco select 1B Moose Mayne (S/R)
Moose is going to hit for power and average, driving the ball well against all pitchers. He’ll work the count some and get on base. He has tremendous speed for a first baseman and that should help his value out as well. Projects to a 30/30 guys for the Zydeco.
Owner balance71 on Mayne:
Moose Mayne is a good, balanced hitter, and is extraordinarily healthy. Unfortunately, he can't catch. We encourage him to continue his rigorous regimen of vitamins and calisthenics, and to purchase a pitch-back.
hurricane384:
How can you not like a guy named Moose?
15. Cleveland Gunners select SS Alex Bale (R/R)
Although likely not a long-term SS, Bale has great range for his eventual move to 2B as he doesn’t have ideal power for 3B. Lacks the ability to make great contact or hit for a lot of power. Sees the ball really well against lefties and is able to work the count for some walks. Doesn’t have high end speed, but will steal some bases.
Owner wvbucki on Bale:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
This is a solid pick at #15, but definitely not a great pick. He will be a solid player for the Gunners provided he develops near his projections.
16. Louisville Steamboats select LHP Bubbles Bibby
Bubbles is a groundball machine with great velocity and control, 2 great pitches, and the ability to keep the ball out of the hitting zone and dominate lefties. Lacks the ideal stamina/durability combination to be a starter, but should be able to provide 100 innings out of the ‘pen.
Owner hurricane384 on Bibby:
We were thrilled to get Bubbles where we did. He’s going to end up in the ‘pen and will likely be used in the same manner as Spud Clarke was when he was here.
hopkinsheel says:
Could be a very nice closer with a good combination of control, splits, two plus pitches, velocity, and groundball ratio. It would almost be better if Lousiville could just get rid of the other two pitches he tries to throw.
17. New York Highlanders select 2B Darrel Lawrence (R/R)
Owner abesmem on
I was very happy with Darrel Lawrence at #17. I'm not sure he's staying very long at 2B, but he's got great power. He's starting out at AA, but should move up pretty quick, once I figure out his positional situation.
hurricane384 says:
This is a good pick as he projects to have great power which should overcome any split deficiency he ends up with. He will have to move to the COF slot though.
18. Los Angeles Tiger Sharks select C Orlando Lopez (R/R)
Lopez is the first C off the board, and deservedly so. He’s abysmal defensively, but his hitting ratings are exceptional. He has no offensive weakness and should put up close to .300/.400/.800 on a regular basis and be an MVP finalist.
Owner crb2 on Lopez:
If Orlando Lopez works hard to fufill his potential, we believe that he will be an all-star catcher at the major league level. He has a lot of work to do, though.
hurricane384:
I wasn’t sure if Lopez would last even this long, so this is a great pick. If the Tiger Sharks are willing to put up with his defensive shortcomings he should be around for a long time.
19. Jacksonville Gators select RHP Skip Hatteberg
Great control, dominant at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone against lefties and righties, great velocity, 1 great, and 1 good pitch, he should be dominant. Lacks the durability and stamina to make full use of his talent, although he should be a dominant closer in the playoffs.
Owner drichar138 on Hatteberg:
The Gators are content, but not overly thrilled with thier first round pick Skip Hatteberg . Skip will have nasty stuff as he develops, but the real question will be how many innings per season we can get out of him. We are hoping he develops in to a 1 inning closer at the ML level.
hurricane384 says:
Can’t really blame drichar138 for this pick…40 innings of domination and the ability to absolutely shutdown a team in the playoffs makes this a good pick.
20. Toronto Beavers select RHP Gene Marshall
He’s a likely starter, but he lacks the ideal stamina to be a real innings-eater. Lacks the ideal pitches to really dominate the opposition. Has great control, keeps the ball down and out of the hitting zone. Lacks velocity to get the big strikeout.
Owner mtorabdaddy on
Gene Marshall projects out as a long reliever in an uninspiring draft for the Beavers. This draft was more about quantity than quality and should help build the system for future trades.
hurricane384 says:
This pick is a quality pick for value.
21. Syracuse Orange select RHP Karim Meacham
Lacks the ideal stamina for a starter and is a little bit weak in his control, but does a tremendous job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Average stamina and groundball ability, he does have a great pitch and 3 good ones to keep teams guessing.
Owner mcbain10 on Meacham:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
This is a surprise that he fell so far. He’s going to produce and produce well. Mcbain10 got a steal here.
22. Colorado Springs Sky Sox select SS Miguel Santana (R/R)
Projects to be a very good defender who can hit. Will hit righties very well. Struggles against lefties. Won’t walk enough to take advantage of his speed. Won’t hurt his team defensively.
Owner joekendall on Santana:
We needed to continue to add organizational depth which SS is an area we felt needed some attention. We hope he can be a nice hitter with great speed and play great defense.
hurricane384 says:
This is a great pick. Anytime you can get a surefire good shortstop defensively who won’t hurt you offensively, you have to do it.
23. Charleston River Dogs select RHP Buddy Shelley
Great control, 2 great pitches, and 2 good pitches should combing to help make up for his in weakness against righties. Lacks great durability, but has decent stamina. He has poor velocity, so don’t expect a lot of timely strikeouts. A flyball pitcher.
Owner hopkinsheel on Shelley:
The River Dogs are a bit disappointed this was all they could get out of their draft pick. Hopefully his solid pitches will make up for average splits and be a decent middle of the rotation guy.
hurricane384:
You’re at the point in the draft, where every player is going to have a weakness, and his is RHB, but shouldn’t hurt him too badly in light of great pitches. A good pick.
24. Philadelphia Freedom select RHP Terry McConnell – NOT SIGNED
Lacks anywhere close to ideal stamina or durability. Great control, 2 great pitches, and 3 average pitches, as well as an innate ability to keep the ball out of the hitting zone define him. Won’t strike out many guys and won’t get a lot of groundballs.
Owner TheJester74 on McConnell:
I was holding out on my quote until he my first round pick signed, but now I'm not sure he will. He's an x+1 player, which is the player I always draft. That is there are x amount of good players in the draft I see to rank, and I seem to draft the next after the last guy on my list I hope to get so he's x+1.
hurricane384 says:
This is a good pick. Probably one of the most talented pitchers in the draft. Will dominate when he’s in the game. Can be dominant in the playoffs. Would be a perennial all-star with better durability/stamina numbers.
25. Columbus Aeros select RHP Dale McIntyre
Solid across the board. Good control, 2 good pitches, 2 below average pitches. Solid stamina and durability combination. Does a decent job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Won’t generate a ton of strikeouts or groundballs.
Owner anml34 on McIntyre:
We had Dale high on our draft board and didnt think that he would fall to us at number 25. If he works to reach his potential we think we have a solid #2 or 3 starter to pair with Alex Estalella for many seasons to come.
hurricane384 says:
This is just a solid pick all the way.
26. Cincinnati Battlin’ Redlegs select LHP Renyel Soto
Pitches with great control and velocity and will get the groundball most times, but lacks an ideal starter durability/stamina. Will struggle against righties. Has a great pitch, a good pitch, an average pitch, a below average pitch, and a poor pitch.
Owner cmthieme on Soto:
He’s a future solid BOR SP. He won't be a star but I like the pick for the end of the round.
hurricane384 says:
This is a solid pick, the vsR scares me, but he could be solid.
27. Rochester Redbirds select 2B Gio Marrero (R/R)
Great ability to make contact and has some pop in his bat. Sees the ball well against lefties but won’t be embarrassed against righties. He has solid range to go along with a solid glove and can play 3 positions for the Rebirds. Will work the walk. Lacks top-end speed.
Owner bonk36 on
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
This is a great pick. A lot of people would be pleased to have
28. Little Rock Swampfire select RHP Bill Bradford
Great durability/stamina combination. He has great control, velocity, and ability to keep the ball out of the hitting zone. Should see plenty of strikeouts as well as timely double play balls. A great pitch, a good pitch, and an average pitch makes for an all around good pitcher.
Owner lefty32 on
No comment provided
hurricane384 says:
This is another good pick. A good closer at 28…I’d take it.
29. Florida Tropics select RHP Willie Carlyle
Carlyle has great stamina/durability combination. Great control, velocity and ability to get groundballs more than outweigh his mediocre ability to keep the ball out of the hitting zone. 2 good pitches and 2 average pitches round out this talented pitcher.
Owner ajwalton on Carlyle:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
Wow. He dropped this far, probably because of his splits, but with his other ratings he should be a solid player. I’d say this is a great pick.
30. Ottawa Outlaws select LHP Livan Pulido
Great control, and a good stamina/durability combination. He dropped, like Carlyle, because of his splits. He has a good pitch, and 2 above average pitches. Has poor velocity and will give up lots of flyballs.
Owner mlhutch on Pulido:
Although our low scouting levels muddies our assessment of Pulido, we are happy to add him at #30. We have him ranked #11 overall and we didn't expect to add a quality arm that late in the 1st round. He should settle in as a nice #3-4 starter in the rotation.
hurricane384 says:
This is a good pick. Can’t beat getting a #3 pitcher this late in the draft.
31. Jackson Mallards select SS Justin McCartin (R/R)
Good arm strength and accuracy as well as adequate range may not be enough to keep him at SS as his glove is below average. He’ll hit lefties hard and work the count for walks. Can hit for some contact and with some power, but will struggle somewhat against righties. Average speed.
Owner quackup on McCartin:
His glove is sorely needed...
hurricane384:
Not really a SS, but who cares. He can be a gold glove 2B and provide offense from a non-traditional position in the lineup. I like this pick.
32. New Britain Rock Cats select RHP Shawn Corbin – NOT SIGNED
Great control, velocity and first pitch. Great stamina/durability combination. Also boasts a good pitch and an above average pitch. Can induce a groundball. Lacks the ability to keep the ball out of the hitting zone.
Owner mikejuggalo on Corbin:
No comment provided.
hurricane384 says:
This is a good pick. Might be able to become a #2 in the rotation. His splits should be offset some by his control, velocity and pitches. Definitely a #3 though.
