- Dante Nakajima (CSP) 81.00
Although he doesn't have the power of a typical elite player, he doesn't strike out much and he drives the ball well. He knows the strike zone and uses that to his advantage. While his arm accuracy is below average, his range makes up for that. - Bey Perez (MNT) 77.75
Perez has great power, and doesn't strike out much. He does a solid job of driving the ball, although he is better against LHP. Decent eye. He's fast and can run the bases. Really shines as one of the better defensive 2B in the world. - Jesus Andrus (FLA) 77.13
Good power. Dominant against LHP. Solid against RHP. Average eye. Great speed. Very good defensively. Doesn't strike out too much. - Bruce Casanova (CHR) 76.13
- Louie Diaz (LA) 75.00
- Darrin Rossy (HON) 74.63
- Buddy Carroll (CH2) 74.50
- Jarrett Davis (OTT) 72.13
- Alan Lombard (JAX) 71.75
- Edgard Barrios (ARI) 71.50
- Al Guerrero (CLE) 71.25
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Top 2B
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Top 1B/DH
- Terry West (OTT) 85.60
Dominant against LHP, while doing well against RHP, West also hits for a good amount of power. He knows how to work the count to get on base, while not striking out too much. - Wiki Franco (CH2) 83.80
Tremendously powerful, Franco can make pitchers who try to pitch around pay with a great eye. He does drive the ball into the gaps pretty well. Doesn't strike out too much. - Milton Kramer (CHR) 82.80
Kramer is just solid across the board. He hits for power, average, drives the ball into the gaps and gets on base. - Pete Malone (ATL) 82.80
- Ahmad Wagner (MNT) 81.80
- Pedro Johnson (CHY) 80.80
- Derrick Trammell (TOR) 80.60
- Carmine Knott (RIC) 79.20
- Jesse Collins (RIC) 79.20
- Victor Vargas (NY2) 78.40
Monday, November 11, 2013
S15 Top C
- Donaldo Rodrigo (NB) 79.25
Some may look down upon this choice due to his lack of power, but Rodrigo makes contact and can drive the ball into the gaps well. He works the count really well. He also is the best game caller in the Majors. He's got a solid arm. He's got some durability issues. - Dennis Bohannon (FLA) 77.50
Won't strike out much at all. Hits for a ton of power and can work the count well. Struggles against RHP in comparison to his ability against LHP. He has a strong arm, while the accuracy is average. He's an average game-caller. Decent durability. Still young, so has the potential to grow. - Walt Burke (CH2) 75.75
Dominates RHP and is average against LHP. Has a great eye. Doesn't have elite power, but definitely solid power. Makes some good contact and avoids the strike out. Can really work the count so should definitely be on the basepaths a lot. Solid durability. Has a weak arm, but it's accurate Average game-caller. - Lenny Flores (SEA) 75.00
- A.J. Dupler (ARI) 74.88
- Enrique Canseco (CHR) 74.50
- Cole Robinson (NO) 74.13
- Frank Starr (FLA) 73.50
- Gookie Hennessey (RIC) 73.13
- Don Cintron (OTT) 72.50
Friday, September 27, 2013
S14 Draft Review
1. RF Carl Reitsma (ELP)
Interesting pick here…doesn’t have the glove to be anything but an extremely rangy 1B or a spectacularly frustrating RF with a cannon for an arm. Doesn’t excel at hitting the ball, but does drive it well when it is in his hitting zone. Great eye combines with great speed to make him a dangerous baserunner.
2. 2B Peter Rezepczynski (TOR)
Tremendous range and glove will allow him to be an outstanding 2B or CF. Does a good job of making contact and hits the ball with authority. Average at driving the ball consistently, but has a good eye to go along with solid baserunning skills.
3. RHP Angel Kirk (CHY)
Throws hard with solid control. Great stamina/durability combination. Does a tremendous job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Great pitch combination. Keeps the ball on the ground for the most part.
byers61 says: Cheyenne management is extremely happy with the third selection in this year's draft, Angel Kirk. He was number one on our board. Kirk is an already well-developed 20 year old who projects to a 94 OVR. Every pitching category is good to excellent. His one drawback is a max of 61 in the health rating, so the Gunslingers will be jacking up the medical budget. Expect a rapid ascent through the minors and a fixture in the Gunslinger's rotation for years to come.
4. 2B Buck Broome (PIT)
Great range. Average glove. Solid speed. Above average contact and power. Does a great job of driving the ball through the hitting zone. Great eye.
5. SS Chris Chapman (PHI)
Tremendous defensive SS when combined with his offensive skills. Very good speed with solid baserunning. Above average contact and drives the ball solidly when it’s in the hitting zone too. Tremendous eye.
opie5 says: Philadelphia management was very happy to land HS SS Chris Chapman with pick 5. Chapman projects as a solid 3b with excellent on-base skills and some pop in his bat. Questions about his signability were worrisome, but agreement was reached and he’s playing on the rookie level.
6. SS Neifi Azocar (NY2)
Tremendous power. Drives the ball really well. Good eye. Above average contact. Solid speed. Depending on how important SS defense is to a team, he’ll probably shift to 2B or 3B and be a Gold Glove/Silver Slugger candidate in most seasons.
abesmem says: The Highlanders were very pleased to select and sign Neifi Azocar with the 6th overall pick. The only uncertainty with Neifi is whether he will have the range to paly SS. Otherwise, he should be a great third sacker for NY for many years. He has a great arm, solid glove and good speed. He has great power even for 3B and handles righties and lefties well. His above average batting eye and his ability to make contact should allow him to develop into a very solid offensive threat, regardless of the position he ends up playing.
7. RHP William Choi (ROC)
Struggles to locate his pitches consistently. Tremendous pitch combination. Does a good enough job against LHB and dominates RHB. Solid stamina/durability combination. Doesn’t throw hard and is average at keeping the ball on the ground.
8. SS Peter McGowan (NO)
Doesn’t have the glove to be a SS at the BL level, but doesn’t have the offense to play 3B. Looks like a solid 2B. Average contact and power. Dominates RHP and is average against LHP. Great eye. Good baserunner with average speed.
9. C Logan Coulter (LOU)
Coulter is the best power hitte rin the draft. Not sure what else needs to be said other than he should anchor the Steamboats lineup and hit for a big OPS. The one negative would be he will be pretty deficient at 1B so hopefully his offense will camoflauge that well.
hurricane384 says: Hard not to get excited about Coulter. Should hit for a lot of power with a good average and OBP. Can’t play defense to save his life…he’s not real sure which hand he puts his glove on…but man can he rake…the Steamboats will be petitioning for a move to the AL.
10. RHP Ruben Castilla (LA)
Doesn’t throw hard. Doesn’t locate his pitches. Doesn’t have anything but one outstanding pitch. Great stamina/durability combination, but might not be consistent enough to make full use of that characteristic. Does keep the ball down in the zone.
trentk says: Once again was hoping one of the hitters I liked would fall to me at this pick but it didn't happen. Castilla was #5 on my board, and was the pitcher I liked most from who I could see. Only concern is control projected out a lot lower after signing. Hopefully a guy who can eat innings in the middle of the rotation.
11. 1B Rodney Ford (CHR)
Tremendous power and contact. Dominates LHP. Solid against RHP. Great eye. Should be an absolute beast and could actually hold his own in the bigs right now. Probably the best overall offensive player in the draft.
hopkinsheel says: The River Dogs were ecstatic to see Ford drop to #11. We think he is the top pure hitter in the draft and if he develops could break some records down the line. His swing doesn't have a hole in it.
12. LHP Ken Charleston (LR)
First reliever off the board is a good one. Lacks ideal durability. Good control. Does a good job of getting that strikeout or GB DP when needed. Keeps the ball out of the hitting zone. Could contribute in the bigs right now. Good pitch combination.
13. CF Alex Perez (CLE)
Great range and glove. Good speed. Will make a lot of contact, but won’t take a lot of walks. Very little power. Doesn’t hit consistently against either RHP or LHP. Terrible baserunner. Very durable.
14. LHP Hank Urich (TEX)
Great control. Dominates LHB and does a good job against RHB. Throws hard. Lacks ideal pitch combination. Good stamina and durability. Injury-risk.
15. RHP Boone Phelps (LAA)
Lacks ideal SP stamina, but does possess solid durability. Solid control. Does better against RHB than LHB. Doesn’t throw hard. Has a good combination of pitches. Solid at keeping the ball down in the zone.
allright says: Boone Phelps was taken at 15. Phelps will probably wind up in the bullpen. He does not project to have the stamina to be a starter and could be much better vrh. Positives are control and a couple of dynamite pitches. A decent choice at 15; but, now that we have him, we're not certain we know what to do with him.
16. SS Matt Scott (JAX)
Solid defensively who will make up for his shortcomings on defense by being an outstanding offensive SS. Makes great contact with some pop. Dominates LHP while doing well against RHP. Has the speed to beat out a few infield and bunt hits, while also getting on base at a good clip. Should be a top offensive player for a while.
17. LHP P.J. Jarvis (SEA)
Doesn’t have good splits. Keeps the ball down in the zone while throwing decently hard. Solid control. Solid stamina, great durability. 1 great pitch, but will let you down with the rest of the pitches.
jmleave says: P.J. Jarvis , although there were better players, I ranked PJ number 1 overall because I thought there was a chance he would fall to me at 17. I consider myself lucky to get him. Although his splits keep him from being an ace, he's a solid 1a, or #2. I couldn't ask for more at #17.
18. 2B Art Carew (ELP)
Dominates LHP, but is average against RHP. Average ballplayer. Isn’t going to win any awards. May not have the arm for 2B, but doesn’t possess the offensive skillset to move to a COF slot. Best tool is probably his speed, but he has to be reminded which way to run when he does reach base.
19. CF Edwin Kirby (LAA)
Drives the ball well when it’s in his hitting zone. Doesn’t make a lot of contact or have much pop. Solid knowledge of the strike zone. Solid glove, lacks ideal range for CF. Doesn’t have offensive skillset to play COF. Can’t run the bases to take advantage of above average speed.
allright says: Edwin Kirby was taken at 19. Drafted as a cf, he will have to find a new spot. He has neither the range nor the glove to be a major league cf. He will make it to the bigs because he can hit righthanders and he has enough power and contact talent to be an excellent doubles type hitter. Neither Phelps nor Kirby will be bell cows. They can play significant roles on a major league team.
20. RHP Toby Carroll (CIN)
Might be one of the better value picks of the draft. While he won’t dominate batters, he won’t hurt himself either. He throws hard and keeps the ball down. Has decent pitch combination. Good stamina/durability combination.
21. RHP Cesar Nieves (ARI)
Won’t walk many. Dominates RHB while doing well against LHB. Doesn’t possess ideal pitches or stamina for a SP. Doesn’t throw hard or keep the ball down in the zone.
22. LHP Hunter Raines (CSP)
Doesn’t have good splits. Solid control. Great stamina. Solid durability. Throws hard and keeps the ball down. Solid pitch combination.
23. 1B Chili Lee (RIC)
The unfortunate thing about Chili is he struggles with his conditioning which will limit his impact for the Rebels. When he’s in the lineup, watch out. Hits for tremendous power, dominates RHP, won’t strike out much, and can work the count.
train says: I was surprised to land Chili Lee at 23; his bat is top-5. He's limited to 1B and he has Dur concerns (projects only to 66) so that could explain the drop. A bat of his quality, even with these red flags, is great value in the back third of the first round. Needless to say, I'm excited about this one.
24. RHP Bill Knotts (HON)
Great durability/stamina combination. Good control. Dominates RHB. Does well against LHB. Doesn’t throw hard and gives up his share of flyballs. Doesn’t possess killer stuff.
25. LF Nick Pederson (TEX)
Good power. Won’t strike out excessively. Solid eye. Solid splits. Has a great glove, but lacks ideal range. Solid speed.
26. 3B Alan Gordon (LR)
Will strikeout a lot. Drives the ball well when it’s in the hitting zone and he makes contact. More of a gap hitter than a power hitter. Average strike zone recognition. Average speed. If his glove wasn’t so weak, he’d be a gold glover for sure.
27. LHP Brent Kramer (CH2)
Great stamina. Better against LHB than RHB. Throws hard and does a solid job at keeping the ball down. Good pitch combination. Won’t walk a lot of guys.
28. C Seth O’Brien (MON)
Has a strong arm, but isn’t quite as accurate as you would like. Drives the ball into the gaps pretty well. Doesn’t hit for a lot of power and average at making contact. Average strike zone knowledge. Speedy for a C.
kelly_mccann says: Seth O'Brien should develop into a serviceable major league catcher eventually, but the Hornets drafted him for his bat. Hits very well for both contact and power and can handle both right and left handed pitching. Despite his natural bat skills, he's somewhat reckless at the plate and is prone to swinging at bad pitches.
29. 2B Gus Sutton (NY2)
Tremendous range. Solid glove and arm. Durable. Strikes out a lot. Doesn’t have much pop. Solid eye. Better against LHP than RHP. Pretty fast.
30. RF Yoshinori Wang (ATL)
Should be a solid defender who can hold his own at a couple positions. Solid power. Average contact. Much better against LHP than RHP. Decent eye. Average speed.
31. CF Peter O’Keefe (NB)
Best defensive CF in the draft. He can work the count really well and should be on base enough to take advantage of his elite speed. Not much pop and doesn’t drive the ball well. Average contact.
32. 2B Rymer Sanchez (LV)
Great range. Not much offensively to offer, although he’s above average at hitting the ball in the gaps and working the count. Solid speed.
33. RHP Ivan Hernandez (OTT)
Doesn’t have much stamina, but is durable. Good pitch combination. Prone to a gopher ball here and there. Won’t walk many. Does a great job at getting K’s and keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
34. RHP Johnny Borkowski (JAC)
Great control. Solid stamina/durability. Keeps the ball out of RHB hitting zones, while he’s prone to damage from LHB. Throws hard and keeps the ball down. One great pitch, 2 mediocre, and one terrible pitch.
quackup says: Johnny Borkowski : Sinkerballer with potentially excellent control could be a nice asset in the majors someday...
35. LF Ray Hodges (OTT)
Solid pick this late. Definitely can contribute. Makes contact, but average power and hitting the gaps. Solid eye. Great speed/baserunning. Could play CF in a pinch, but has good range and glove for the COF, even though he’s likely to not hit enough to justify a lock on either COF slot.
Interesting pick here…doesn’t have the glove to be anything but an extremely rangy 1B or a spectacularly frustrating RF with a cannon for an arm. Doesn’t excel at hitting the ball, but does drive it well when it is in his hitting zone. Great eye combines with great speed to make him a dangerous baserunner.
2. 2B Peter Rezepczynski (TOR)
Tremendous range and glove will allow him to be an outstanding 2B or CF. Does a good job of making contact and hits the ball with authority. Average at driving the ball consistently, but has a good eye to go along with solid baserunning skills.
3. RHP Angel Kirk (CHY)
Throws hard with solid control. Great stamina/durability combination. Does a tremendous job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Great pitch combination. Keeps the ball on the ground for the most part.
byers61 says: Cheyenne management is extremely happy with the third selection in this year's draft, Angel Kirk. He was number one on our board. Kirk is an already well-developed 20 year old who projects to a 94 OVR. Every pitching category is good to excellent. His one drawback is a max of 61 in the health rating, so the Gunslingers will be jacking up the medical budget. Expect a rapid ascent through the minors and a fixture in the Gunslinger's rotation for years to come.
4. 2B Buck Broome (PIT)
Great range. Average glove. Solid speed. Above average contact and power. Does a great job of driving the ball through the hitting zone. Great eye.
5. SS Chris Chapman (PHI)
Tremendous defensive SS when combined with his offensive skills. Very good speed with solid baserunning. Above average contact and drives the ball solidly when it’s in the hitting zone too. Tremendous eye.
opie5 says: Philadelphia management was very happy to land HS SS Chris Chapman with pick 5. Chapman projects as a solid 3b with excellent on-base skills and some pop in his bat. Questions about his signability were worrisome, but agreement was reached and he’s playing on the rookie level.
6. SS Neifi Azocar (NY2)
Tremendous power. Drives the ball really well. Good eye. Above average contact. Solid speed. Depending on how important SS defense is to a team, he’ll probably shift to 2B or 3B and be a Gold Glove/Silver Slugger candidate in most seasons.
abesmem says: The Highlanders were very pleased to select and sign Neifi Azocar with the 6th overall pick. The only uncertainty with Neifi is whether he will have the range to paly SS. Otherwise, he should be a great third sacker for NY for many years. He has a great arm, solid glove and good speed. He has great power even for 3B and handles righties and lefties well. His above average batting eye and his ability to make contact should allow him to develop into a very solid offensive threat, regardless of the position he ends up playing.
7. RHP William Choi (ROC)
Struggles to locate his pitches consistently. Tremendous pitch combination. Does a good enough job against LHB and dominates RHB. Solid stamina/durability combination. Doesn’t throw hard and is average at keeping the ball on the ground.
8. SS Peter McGowan (NO)
Doesn’t have the glove to be a SS at the BL level, but doesn’t have the offense to play 3B. Looks like a solid 2B. Average contact and power. Dominates RHP and is average against LHP. Great eye. Good baserunner with average speed.
9. C Logan Coulter (LOU)
Coulter is the best power hitte rin the draft. Not sure what else needs to be said other than he should anchor the Steamboats lineup and hit for a big OPS. The one negative would be he will be pretty deficient at 1B so hopefully his offense will camoflauge that well.
hurricane384 says: Hard not to get excited about Coulter. Should hit for a lot of power with a good average and OBP. Can’t play defense to save his life…he’s not real sure which hand he puts his glove on…but man can he rake…the Steamboats will be petitioning for a move to the AL.
10. RHP Ruben Castilla (LA)
Doesn’t throw hard. Doesn’t locate his pitches. Doesn’t have anything but one outstanding pitch. Great stamina/durability combination, but might not be consistent enough to make full use of that characteristic. Does keep the ball down in the zone.
trentk says: Once again was hoping one of the hitters I liked would fall to me at this pick but it didn't happen. Castilla was #5 on my board, and was the pitcher I liked most from who I could see. Only concern is control projected out a lot lower after signing. Hopefully a guy who can eat innings in the middle of the rotation.
11. 1B Rodney Ford (CHR)
Tremendous power and contact. Dominates LHP. Solid against RHP. Great eye. Should be an absolute beast and could actually hold his own in the bigs right now. Probably the best overall offensive player in the draft.
hopkinsheel says: The River Dogs were ecstatic to see Ford drop to #11. We think he is the top pure hitter in the draft and if he develops could break some records down the line. His swing doesn't have a hole in it.
12. LHP Ken Charleston (LR)
First reliever off the board is a good one. Lacks ideal durability. Good control. Does a good job of getting that strikeout or GB DP when needed. Keeps the ball out of the hitting zone. Could contribute in the bigs right now. Good pitch combination.
13. CF Alex Perez (CLE)
Great range and glove. Good speed. Will make a lot of contact, but won’t take a lot of walks. Very little power. Doesn’t hit consistently against either RHP or LHP. Terrible baserunner. Very durable.
14. LHP Hank Urich (TEX)
Great control. Dominates LHB and does a good job against RHB. Throws hard. Lacks ideal pitch combination. Good stamina and durability. Injury-risk.
15. RHP Boone Phelps (LAA)
Lacks ideal SP stamina, but does possess solid durability. Solid control. Does better against RHB than LHB. Doesn’t throw hard. Has a good combination of pitches. Solid at keeping the ball down in the zone.
allright says: Boone Phelps was taken at 15. Phelps will probably wind up in the bullpen. He does not project to have the stamina to be a starter and could be much better vrh. Positives are control and a couple of dynamite pitches. A decent choice at 15; but, now that we have him, we're not certain we know what to do with him.
16. SS Matt Scott (JAX)
Solid defensively who will make up for his shortcomings on defense by being an outstanding offensive SS. Makes great contact with some pop. Dominates LHP while doing well against RHP. Has the speed to beat out a few infield and bunt hits, while also getting on base at a good clip. Should be a top offensive player for a while.
17. LHP P.J. Jarvis (SEA)
Doesn’t have good splits. Keeps the ball down in the zone while throwing decently hard. Solid control. Solid stamina, great durability. 1 great pitch, but will let you down with the rest of the pitches.
jmleave says: P.J. Jarvis , although there were better players, I ranked PJ number 1 overall because I thought there was a chance he would fall to me at 17. I consider myself lucky to get him. Although his splits keep him from being an ace, he's a solid 1a, or #2. I couldn't ask for more at #17.
18. 2B Art Carew (ELP)
Dominates LHP, but is average against RHP. Average ballplayer. Isn’t going to win any awards. May not have the arm for 2B, but doesn’t possess the offensive skillset to move to a COF slot. Best tool is probably his speed, but he has to be reminded which way to run when he does reach base.
19. CF Edwin Kirby (LAA)
Drives the ball well when it’s in his hitting zone. Doesn’t make a lot of contact or have much pop. Solid knowledge of the strike zone. Solid glove, lacks ideal range for CF. Doesn’t have offensive skillset to play COF. Can’t run the bases to take advantage of above average speed.
allright says: Edwin Kirby was taken at 19. Drafted as a cf, he will have to find a new spot. He has neither the range nor the glove to be a major league cf. He will make it to the bigs because he can hit righthanders and he has enough power and contact talent to be an excellent doubles type hitter. Neither Phelps nor Kirby will be bell cows. They can play significant roles on a major league team.
20. RHP Toby Carroll (CIN)
Might be one of the better value picks of the draft. While he won’t dominate batters, he won’t hurt himself either. He throws hard and keeps the ball down. Has decent pitch combination. Good stamina/durability combination.
21. RHP Cesar Nieves (ARI)
Won’t walk many. Dominates RHB while doing well against LHB. Doesn’t possess ideal pitches or stamina for a SP. Doesn’t throw hard or keep the ball down in the zone.
22. LHP Hunter Raines (CSP)
Doesn’t have good splits. Solid control. Great stamina. Solid durability. Throws hard and keeps the ball down. Solid pitch combination.
23. 1B Chili Lee (RIC)
The unfortunate thing about Chili is he struggles with his conditioning which will limit his impact for the Rebels. When he’s in the lineup, watch out. Hits for tremendous power, dominates RHP, won’t strike out much, and can work the count.
train says: I was surprised to land Chili Lee at 23; his bat is top-5. He's limited to 1B and he has Dur concerns (projects only to 66) so that could explain the drop. A bat of his quality, even with these red flags, is great value in the back third of the first round. Needless to say, I'm excited about this one.
24. RHP Bill Knotts (HON)
Great durability/stamina combination. Good control. Dominates RHB. Does well against LHB. Doesn’t throw hard and gives up his share of flyballs. Doesn’t possess killer stuff.
25. LF Nick Pederson (TEX)
Good power. Won’t strike out excessively. Solid eye. Solid splits. Has a great glove, but lacks ideal range. Solid speed.
26. 3B Alan Gordon (LR)
Will strikeout a lot. Drives the ball well when it’s in the hitting zone and he makes contact. More of a gap hitter than a power hitter. Average strike zone recognition. Average speed. If his glove wasn’t so weak, he’d be a gold glover for sure.
27. LHP Brent Kramer (CH2)
Great stamina. Better against LHB than RHB. Throws hard and does a solid job at keeping the ball down. Good pitch combination. Won’t walk a lot of guys.
28. C Seth O’Brien (MON)
Has a strong arm, but isn’t quite as accurate as you would like. Drives the ball into the gaps pretty well. Doesn’t hit for a lot of power and average at making contact. Average strike zone knowledge. Speedy for a C.
kelly_mccann says: Seth O'Brien should develop into a serviceable major league catcher eventually, but the Hornets drafted him for his bat. Hits very well for both contact and power and can handle both right and left handed pitching. Despite his natural bat skills, he's somewhat reckless at the plate and is prone to swinging at bad pitches.
29. 2B Gus Sutton (NY2)
Tremendous range. Solid glove and arm. Durable. Strikes out a lot. Doesn’t have much pop. Solid eye. Better against LHP than RHP. Pretty fast.
30. RF Yoshinori Wang (ATL)
Should be a solid defender who can hold his own at a couple positions. Solid power. Average contact. Much better against LHP than RHP. Decent eye. Average speed.
31. CF Peter O’Keefe (NB)
Best defensive CF in the draft. He can work the count really well and should be on base enough to take advantage of his elite speed. Not much pop and doesn’t drive the ball well. Average contact.
32. 2B Rymer Sanchez (LV)
Great range. Not much offensively to offer, although he’s above average at hitting the ball in the gaps and working the count. Solid speed.
33. RHP Ivan Hernandez (OTT)
Doesn’t have much stamina, but is durable. Good pitch combination. Prone to a gopher ball here and there. Won’t walk many. Does a great job at getting K’s and keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
34. RHP Johnny Borkowski (JAC)
Great control. Solid stamina/durability. Keeps the ball out of RHB hitting zones, while he’s prone to damage from LHB. Throws hard and keeps the ball down. One great pitch, 2 mediocre, and one terrible pitch.
quackup says: Johnny Borkowski : Sinkerballer with potentially excellent control could be a nice asset in the majors someday...
35. LF Ray Hodges (OTT)
Solid pick this late. Definitely can contribute. Makes contact, but average power and hitting the gaps. Solid eye. Great speed/baserunning. Could play CF in a pinch, but has good range and glove for the COF, even though he’s likely to not hit enough to justify a lock on either COF slot.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
S14 Preview
Anaheim Knights
The LAA@A were 8 games underwater last season, and most of that was without an oxygen tank. At first glance, last season's record indicates regression from the prior season's team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Closer analyses suggests just the opposite. Last season's team was better than the one before, in spite of the poorer record. " How is that"?, you say. The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, more precisely in the flame throwing dragons that patrol the National League west. Once know as "The Patsie Division", it is now one the League's strongest and promises to get stronger this season. Keeping up with the Jones' will take more than a leap of faith, it will also take a leap in talent. The Angels have read the tea leaves, or maybe the handwriting is on the wall. Either way, an improved Angels team is ready for the challlenge. The expected improvement comes from within the organization. Bullpen addition A. Perez is the only rookie expected to make the opening day roster; but, continued development of last year's solid rookies, like O. Parris, J. Melendez, A. Bryant, and D. Shields bodes well for the Angels.
The loss (via trades for promising minor league pitching) of P. Bob Tulowitzki, catcher C. Palmer, and the team's OBA leader, H. Brock, will mean the sophomores will have to step up and it is expected that they will, though growing pains are expected.
The team is deep, with talented players plentiful. It will be better this season and will have to be to be above water. The Angels offense is solid; but it is not spectacular. The starting rotation needs improvement. Budget flexibility, outstanding prospects in AAA, and another year of maturity for the current roster means that next season should be the Angels better one. This season, because of division strength, the Angels will have a long row to hoe in order to make the playoffs.
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is returning a very similar team as last season's WS champs, but made a couple key additions. 1B Pete Malone will add a much needed bat to the middle of Peaches lineup and should greatly improve the offense this year. Trenidad Tejada was also added to round out the starting rotation. We are hoping that these 2 upgrades will help us to defend the title!
Charleston River Dogs
The River Dogs are tired of losing and made some big moves with the target of getting back to the top of the NL South. Last season we planned on continuing the rebuilding process, but the NL South was so weak (again) that we found oursleves in the thick of the playoff race which we eventually lost by a few games.
We had a protected first round pick and after surveying the free agent market we decided to target several top end pitchers and ended up acquiring Carlton Nelson (former first round pick of the River Dogs who was traded away for Bruce Casanova) and Brendan Lobstein (former #1 pick of the first season). Both have had solid careers and were signed at very attractive prices.
Two good rookies will also be joining the team in former first rounder Jason Tracy who should hit a ton and also Charlie Woods who will be the last piece of the Al Castro deal to make his major league debut. Big things are expected of each.
We are definitely shooting for an NL South title, but we're excited about the young core and pieces we added this season.
El Paso Diablos
The El Paso Diablos decided to focus on Starting Pitching this offseason. With a plethora of young players, payroll has not been an issue this season. We signed 3 free agent SPs who we hope will help turn around this franchise. With only 1 winning season in the existence of the franchise we are hopeful that this season we can come in around .500 or slightly over.
Jackson Mallards
Not too many changes; with luck we'll perform a bit better than last season.
Louisville Steamboats
After an absolutely miserable season last season, the Steamboats wanted to make changes…those changes didn’t exactly come to fruition. A decently rebuilt rotation, and some more power for the offense should help. Losing Steamboat home run leader Kevin Zhang has the potential to hurt, but his replace, Bobby Ray Mercedes should perform better overall. Added a good defensive CF in Henry Franklin and will be bringing SS Tom Masterson up to take over after 20 or so games. Hopefully he’ll add some pop to this offense. The pitching staff is mediocre and hopes to take advantage of a good infield defense by inducing a lot of grounders.
Montgomery Hornets
Montgomery shocked some people last season, winning 90 games for the first time in franchise history, and winning the AL South Division Title for the first time since Season 1 with a record of 94-68.
The Hornets were extremely quiet this off season, bringing in veteran relievers Davey Andrews & Nick Offerman to stabilize the bullpen. So Montgomery will go to battle with essentially the same team that won 94 games last season. “We felt like we had the pieces in place to compete on the field”, GM Kelly McCann said, “and we wanted the club to be able to compete in the International market as well, so we were pretty conservative.”
Former #1 overall pick Dennis Bohanon has a full year of big league experience under his belt and the Hornets need him to turn his game up a notch if they want to be in a position to win playoff games. CF Darrin Rossy is in a contract year and has made it clear thru his agents, Big Money Ballers LLC, that he is playing his final year in Montgomery and will sell himself to the highest bidder this off season. 24 year old, former #4 overall pick, Denny Spencer will play his first full season in the bigs after appearing in 108 games last season. 36 year old Hal Thompson, will look to cement a spot in the HOF this season, as his career winds down.
The starting rotation remains the same with Todd Schmidt and Darrell Taylor anchoring the top. Former Rule-5 pick Hub Merritt saved 41 games last season and was even in the running for the Cy Young.
The Hornets expect to win 90 games again this season, and are hopeful that they have the stuff to win their first playoff series in franchise history.
New York Highlanders
The NY Highlanders are looking forward to a much needed bounce-back season. The season 14 roster looks very different than last season due to a glut of FA signings and trades. The middle of the infield has seen a dramatic change with the move of veteran Lou Coleman over to the second base side of the bag to make room for newly acquired slick fielding SS Alex Posada. This trade will allow NY to keep Coleman’s bat in the lineup while making his somewhat diminishing defensive skills a positive attribute at 2B. The addition of FA bat Victor Vargas at 1B, will give the middle of the lineup the “pop” that was missing last season. The much maligned rotation from last year has been significantly boosted by the addition of veterans Ken Saunders and Bob Tulowitzki (thru trade) and FA signing Shou Zhang. Returning veterans Reed Carlson and Sherman Feldman should remain solid contributors. The starting rotation will be rounded out by the continued development of “wild thing” Heath Smith. Finally the bullpen was strengthened immeasurable by the FA signings of set up man Louis Izquierdo and potential closer Justin Ross.
Richmond Rebels
Not sure what to make of this season - previous success for this franchise had been built around pitching, and heading into last season that was still the plan. After sputtering through the first half of the season I dealt my top two SP for a combination of bats and prospects.
Logically, we went on a tear from there, fueled by a lineup of power bats (and not much else). So I figured why not load up on those guys and see what happens this year. Honestly, this team would be perfect for Colorado: my 1-8 hitter have power ratings of 74, 99, 91, 98, 85, 99, 99, 99 (with only a 29-power SS missing the mark). Gotta be the first time i've put together a lineup in which a guy with 98 power has the 5th highest rating in that category.
The other offense skills are averagish, with some obp in there, but mostly we are going to rely on power. The pitching, on the other hand, should also provide power but for the other team. I expect some football scores this year, as we lack anything resembling high-end SP. Hopefully the offense can outscore whatever the pitching allows. Should be fun to read the box scores at least...
I predict something around .500, but if the bats go off (or go cold), it could swing significantly one way or the other.
The LAA@A were 8 games underwater last season, and most of that was without an oxygen tank. At first glance, last season's record indicates regression from the prior season's team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Closer analyses suggests just the opposite. Last season's team was better than the one before, in spite of the poorer record. " How is that"?, you say. The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, more precisely in the flame throwing dragons that patrol the National League west. Once know as "The Patsie Division", it is now one the League's strongest and promises to get stronger this season. Keeping up with the Jones' will take more than a leap of faith, it will also take a leap in talent. The Angels have read the tea leaves, or maybe the handwriting is on the wall. Either way, an improved Angels team is ready for the challlenge. The expected improvement comes from within the organization. Bullpen addition A. Perez is the only rookie expected to make the opening day roster; but, continued development of last year's solid rookies, like O. Parris, J. Melendez, A. Bryant, and D. Shields bodes well for the Angels.
The loss (via trades for promising minor league pitching) of P. Bob Tulowitzki, catcher C. Palmer, and the team's OBA leader, H. Brock, will mean the sophomores will have to step up and it is expected that they will, though growing pains are expected.
The team is deep, with talented players plentiful. It will be better this season and will have to be to be above water. The Angels offense is solid; but it is not spectacular. The starting rotation needs improvement. Budget flexibility, outstanding prospects in AAA, and another year of maturity for the current roster means that next season should be the Angels better one. This season, because of division strength, the Angels will have a long row to hoe in order to make the playoffs.
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta is returning a very similar team as last season's WS champs, but made a couple key additions. 1B Pete Malone will add a much needed bat to the middle of Peaches lineup and should greatly improve the offense this year. Trenidad Tejada was also added to round out the starting rotation. We are hoping that these 2 upgrades will help us to defend the title!
Charleston River Dogs
The River Dogs are tired of losing and made some big moves with the target of getting back to the top of the NL South. Last season we planned on continuing the rebuilding process, but the NL South was so weak (again) that we found oursleves in the thick of the playoff race which we eventually lost by a few games.
We had a protected first round pick and after surveying the free agent market we decided to target several top end pitchers and ended up acquiring Carlton Nelson (former first round pick of the River Dogs who was traded away for Bruce Casanova) and Brendan Lobstein (former #1 pick of the first season). Both have had solid careers and were signed at very attractive prices.
Two good rookies will also be joining the team in former first rounder Jason Tracy who should hit a ton and also Charlie Woods who will be the last piece of the Al Castro deal to make his major league debut. Big things are expected of each.
We are definitely shooting for an NL South title, but we're excited about the young core and pieces we added this season.
El Paso Diablos
The El Paso Diablos decided to focus on Starting Pitching this offseason. With a plethora of young players, payroll has not been an issue this season. We signed 3 free agent SPs who we hope will help turn around this franchise. With only 1 winning season in the existence of the franchise we are hopeful that this season we can come in around .500 or slightly over.
Jackson Mallards
Not too many changes; with luck we'll perform a bit better than last season.
Louisville Steamboats
After an absolutely miserable season last season, the Steamboats wanted to make changes…those changes didn’t exactly come to fruition. A decently rebuilt rotation, and some more power for the offense should help. Losing Steamboat home run leader Kevin Zhang has the potential to hurt, but his replace, Bobby Ray Mercedes should perform better overall. Added a good defensive CF in Henry Franklin and will be bringing SS Tom Masterson up to take over after 20 or so games. Hopefully he’ll add some pop to this offense. The pitching staff is mediocre and hopes to take advantage of a good infield defense by inducing a lot of grounders.
Montgomery Hornets
Montgomery shocked some people last season, winning 90 games for the first time in franchise history, and winning the AL South Division Title for the first time since Season 1 with a record of 94-68.
The Hornets were extremely quiet this off season, bringing in veteran relievers Davey Andrews & Nick Offerman to stabilize the bullpen. So Montgomery will go to battle with essentially the same team that won 94 games last season. “We felt like we had the pieces in place to compete on the field”, GM Kelly McCann said, “and we wanted the club to be able to compete in the International market as well, so we were pretty conservative.”
Former #1 overall pick Dennis Bohanon has a full year of big league experience under his belt and the Hornets need him to turn his game up a notch if they want to be in a position to win playoff games. CF Darrin Rossy is in a contract year and has made it clear thru his agents, Big Money Ballers LLC, that he is playing his final year in Montgomery and will sell himself to the highest bidder this off season. 24 year old, former #4 overall pick, Denny Spencer will play his first full season in the bigs after appearing in 108 games last season. 36 year old Hal Thompson, will look to cement a spot in the HOF this season, as his career winds down.
The starting rotation remains the same with Todd Schmidt and Darrell Taylor anchoring the top. Former Rule-5 pick Hub Merritt saved 41 games last season and was even in the running for the Cy Young.
The Hornets expect to win 90 games again this season, and are hopeful that they have the stuff to win their first playoff series in franchise history.
New York Highlanders
The NY Highlanders are looking forward to a much needed bounce-back season. The season 14 roster looks very different than last season due to a glut of FA signings and trades. The middle of the infield has seen a dramatic change with the move of veteran Lou Coleman over to the second base side of the bag to make room for newly acquired slick fielding SS Alex Posada. This trade will allow NY to keep Coleman’s bat in the lineup while making his somewhat diminishing defensive skills a positive attribute at 2B. The addition of FA bat Victor Vargas at 1B, will give the middle of the lineup the “pop” that was missing last season. The much maligned rotation from last year has been significantly boosted by the addition of veterans Ken Saunders and Bob Tulowitzki (thru trade) and FA signing Shou Zhang. Returning veterans Reed Carlson and Sherman Feldman should remain solid contributors. The starting rotation will be rounded out by the continued development of “wild thing” Heath Smith. Finally the bullpen was strengthened immeasurable by the FA signings of set up man Louis Izquierdo and potential closer Justin Ross.
Richmond Rebels
Not sure what to make of this season - previous success for this franchise had been built around pitching, and heading into last season that was still the plan. After sputtering through the first half of the season I dealt my top two SP for a combination of bats and prospects.
Logically, we went on a tear from there, fueled by a lineup of power bats (and not much else). So I figured why not load up on those guys and see what happens this year. Honestly, this team would be perfect for Colorado: my 1-8 hitter have power ratings of 74, 99, 91, 98, 85, 99, 99, 99 (with only a 29-power SS missing the mark). Gotta be the first time i've put together a lineup in which a guy with 98 power has the 5th highest rating in that category.
The other offense skills are averagish, with some obp in there, but mostly we are going to rely on power. The pitching, on the other hand, should also provide power but for the other team. I expect some football scores this year, as we lack anything resembling high-end SP. Hopefully the offense can outscore whatever the pitching allows. Should be fun to read the box scores at least...
I predict something around .500, but if the bats go off (or go cold), it could swing significantly one way or the other.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Top 10 Winningest Franchises - thanks to balance71
- Cincinnati - .581
- Ottawa - .570
- Honolulu - .559
- New Britain - .556
- Syracuse - .551
- Columbus - .544
- Richmond - .544
- Texas - .533
- Las Vegas - .532
- Florida - .522
Monday, July 8, 2013
S13 Draft Quotes
Sorry guys, I ran out of time to post anything in-depth, but here are the guys who got me quotes.
Las Vegas Bookies
Not very happy with Mr. Putz, he was our 8th selection and got him with the 12th pick; was really hoping to get someone in our top 5 as after that it dropped off from what we could see. He'll be able to throw in the 9th but that's about it.
Los Angeles Entertainers
Kip Costello Round 1, Pick #2. Projects solid stamina, control and splits and above average velocity. Pitches are not outstanding, but 4 of 5 project over 55. Health is a slight concern. Hopefully a middle of the rotation guy for a long time.
Albie Mujica Round 1, Pick #10. Was hoping one of the hitters taken in the top would fall, but not unhappy with Mujica. Health is a mild concern. Projects to outstanding control, and 3 of 4 above average pitches. Hopefully again a solid middle of the rotation guy for years to come.
New Orleans Zydeco
The New Orleans front office is thrilled with the selection of Shannon Williams. If he lives up to expectations, he will be a workhorse with outstanding control of five pitches. He should be murder on right-handed hitters. Although he has a strong makeup, he can be injury-prone. The main question mark is whether he'll be able to remain healthy. If he can, he could be an all-star level pitcher.
Charleston River Dogs
Pick 11 - This was a loaded draft at the top so we actually had Dickson ranked 6th. Extremely happy he dropped to us and we feel like he is a guy who could have gone top 5 in a weaker draft. We project him as a #2 SP if not possibly an ace specifically because of his strong splits and #1 pitch. The one area of concern will be his health which is a tad lower than someone we'd normally invest so much in, but we couldn't pass up the talent.
Pick 27 - A little background on this pick. It was a comp pick from last season where we ended up not signing the guy we chose so we earned this choice in Season 13's draft. We originally had several players ranked higher than Small that we could have chosen, but they were all signability risks. Since we would have completely lost the choice if that happened, we inched up several players who were not signability concerns and thus we landed Small. We acually really like him as a Catching prospect. Typically our organization targets great hitting, marginal fielding Catchers, but Small is an awesome fielding catcher with a little pop in his bat. Should be interesting to watch him develop.
New York Highlanders
The Highlanders are very happy signing Dwight Overbeck with the 16th overall pick. We’ll probably move Dwight over to second base where throwing arm will not be a detriment. He has a great glove, adequate range and should be durable enough to be an everyday player. The major upside for Dwight is his bat. He makes good contact, has very good power and great splits against both righties and southpaws. At 21, he has very advanced skills and will start out in AA ball. He could be in the majors in 2 years or less.
Las Vegas Bookies
Not very happy with Mr. Putz, he was our 8th selection and got him with the 12th pick; was really hoping to get someone in our top 5 as after that it dropped off from what we could see. He'll be able to throw in the 9th but that's about it.
Los Angeles Entertainers
Kip Costello Round 1, Pick #2. Projects solid stamina, control and splits and above average velocity. Pitches are not outstanding, but 4 of 5 project over 55. Health is a slight concern. Hopefully a middle of the rotation guy for a long time.
Albie Mujica Round 1, Pick #10. Was hoping one of the hitters taken in the top would fall, but not unhappy with Mujica. Health is a mild concern. Projects to outstanding control, and 3 of 4 above average pitches. Hopefully again a solid middle of the rotation guy for years to come.
New Orleans Zydeco
The New Orleans front office is thrilled with the selection of Shannon Williams. If he lives up to expectations, he will be a workhorse with outstanding control of five pitches. He should be murder on right-handed hitters. Although he has a strong makeup, he can be injury-prone. The main question mark is whether he'll be able to remain healthy. If he can, he could be an all-star level pitcher.
Charleston River Dogs
Pick 11 - This was a loaded draft at the top so we actually had Dickson ranked 6th. Extremely happy he dropped to us and we feel like he is a guy who could have gone top 5 in a weaker draft. We project him as a #2 SP if not possibly an ace specifically because of his strong splits and #1 pitch. The one area of concern will be his health which is a tad lower than someone we'd normally invest so much in, but we couldn't pass up the talent.
Pick 27 - A little background on this pick. It was a comp pick from last season where we ended up not signing the guy we chose so we earned this choice in Season 13's draft. We originally had several players ranked higher than Small that we could have chosen, but they were all signability risks. Since we would have completely lost the choice if that happened, we inched up several players who were not signability concerns and thus we landed Small. We acually really like him as a Catching prospect. Typically our organization targets great hitting, marginal fielding Catchers, but Small is an awesome fielding catcher with a little pop in his bat. Should be interesting to watch him develop.
New York Highlanders
The Highlanders are very happy signing Dwight Overbeck with the 16th overall pick. We’ll probably move Dwight over to second base where throwing arm will not be a detriment. He has a great glove, adequate range and should be durable enough to be an everyday player. The major upside for Dwight is his bat. He makes good contact, has very good power and great splits against both righties and southpaws. At 21, he has very advanced skills and will start out in AA ball. He could be in the majors in 2 years or less.
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