On to the AL North, not last for once! The division that has been dominated (no pun intended) by one team, as the NY Pride of the Yankees has won 4 straight division titles. Let's see who's getting closer to knocking them off the top of the division!
AL NORTH
Boise Bed Wetters
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Top pick Bruce Durbin, taken 12th overall, is a hard throwing right hander who keeps the ball down, and has nice splits. He’s also an innings eater, and has fairly good pitch quality, although lacks one dominant pitch. The biggest concern is his mediocre control, which will limit his upside as an effective major league pitcher. They didn’t have another pick until the fourth round, and got a couple of fringe major league quality pitchers.
Final Synopsis: Durbin could be good, but with the 12th pick, you’d expect someone who’s more of a sure thing.
Grade: C
Chicago Hitmen
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With the 13th pick, the Hitmen got RHP Rusty Hogan, whose ratings project solid across the board, with no real weaknesses. He projects as a solid #2 starter with upside to put up staff ace type numbers. 2nd rounder Ellie Jenkins has the potential to be a very good major league reliever, and could possibly even close; very nice pick for a 2nd rounder. 3rd rounder hard throwing RHP Carlos Barajas was also a good value for where he was taken.
Final Synopsis: Chicago got some nice arms in this draft.
Grade: A
Detroit Dirt Dogs
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With the 11th pick, Detroit got reliever Bob Thompson, who should be a great bullpen guy a few seasons down the road. His low durability may limit his innings somewhat, but he has no real weaknesses in his projected ratings, so the innings they do get from him should be extremely effective. Supp round pick Ron Weinhardt is a gold glove caliber Centerfield with tremendous speed and baserunning ability, and should be a nice lead off man one day in the bigs. Ryan McDonald, another supp round pick, was a nice grab, and could start in the majors, despite a slight concern with his RH split. 3rd round choice Odalis Gonzales was a good value for them as well, and 3rd rounder Art Alfaro is a decent arm for the end of the 3rd.
Final Synopsis: Detroit had a lot of early picks, and we think they made the most of them.
Grade: A
New York Pride of the Yankees
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Picking 19th, the defending World Series champs selected Randy Knight, an infielder with solid splits and batting eye, good contact, and some power. Fielding wise, his projections, particularly range, fall just short of being a major league quality shortstop, although given NY’s low standards for defense, he’ll probably end up there anyway. 2nd rounder Nick Hatfield looks to be a solid fielding 2B/CF with some speed and good contact hitting skills. 3rd rounder Tim Wilkins is very similar to Hatfield, and was a good value pick.
Final Synopsis: New York did well with their first three picks.
Grade: B
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