Thursday, January 14, 2010

Season 7 Draft Review -- Detroit Dirt Dogs

An experienced owner and a Day 1er in Cobbfather, the Detroit owner has seen his team be a little inconsistent where one year they're competing for the playoffs and the next they're struggling to get to .500. However, Detroit is starting to see some real talent find its way into their system, so inconsistency is probably going to disappear as that talent finds its way to the big leagues. Let's see how they did in the draft for Season 7.

I'm not as high on 1st rounder Earl Latham as the scouts, who in my opinion give him too much credit for his ability to show up every day. He's got solid potential and is a Major League prospect, but he's isn't outstanding at any one thing. He's got some ability though, and may end up being one of those "glue" guys that every ML team needs.

2nd rounder Mule Gordon has a real chance to contribute at the ML level. Currently a 2B, it is entirely possible that DET moves him to LF where his well above average range and solid speed would help him cover a lot of ground in that canyon of an outfield in Detroit. Shows a real ability to put the bat on the ball in a productive way, and while he may not have the OBP skills to be a top-of-the-order hitter, he can certainly extend innings and be a good hitter at the bottom of the order. This was a good value pick for the 2nd round.

3rd rounder Jesus Alomar causes quite a stir among scouts. Some believe he just gets hit too much to be an effective ML reliever. Others look at his dominant fastball and well above average velocity and see a good candidate to become an ML reliever. With that fastball, he's got a shot; though I personally think its a remote shot.

Good solid C. Nothing flashy, but if Gordon develops to his potential, he'll provide a lot of options for Detroit ownership.