S57 Draft Recap

Gabrielle  O. Alvarez-Tillman - Contributing Reporter.

Yet another draft season in Cobbfather, so let's round up the Rule 4 draft. We won't mention any names, but a certain team hired the scouts out from under us, so temper expectations on projections a bit. Let's dig into it! We'll do the same as last season and add in current ML comps to most players - maybe not all. As a reminder comps are to match their projections as closely as possible and not what they may end up like. 

1. New York - Bronson Yamakazi (RF) - After failing to sign last year's #9 overall pick, New York sank in the rankings to 'earn' the top pick in this season's draft where they find themselves with a Japanese whiskey. He's not exactly what you'd expect from a #1 pick, but then again the drafts these days haven't been as strong as they've been over the previous years. Bronson doesn't handle lefties or righties very well but shows potential for great contact, average ML power with a poor eye. The defensive is plus in everything but the glove. Perhaps a new pair of glasses might help this kid out. I'd look to Dover's Benny Ward as a decent comp - mind you, B-dubs was the #12 pick back in S52. 

2. Dover - Duke Omogrosso (SS) - Can you believe it, Dover selected a college player! Defensively he's an average shortstop with plus accuracy. But Omo isn't all glove, but has potential to become a .285ish hitter with 20-30 HRs. I'd gladly take those numbers up the middle to have a 25-30% better than league average OPS. Geronimo Nunez's S54 & 55 are likely decent comps if he can reach projections. 

3. Austin - Sammy Bennett (2B) - This draft is looking rather poor, yet another top 5 pick who would barely be top 10 in recent years. This Son of Odin is looking a lot like Nicholas Cornely from Pittsburgh or Edwards Ferrara of Montreal. His arm strength might not keep him in LF and have him transitioned to 1B...assuming he doesn't get waived before then. That's mid-20s HR power with a league average wOBA. Let me repeat that, league average for the #3 pick. He's a 6 hole hitter at best for a contending team. 

4. Tacoma - Nicky Constanza (C) - Unless Nicky is related to George, I don't really want to hear about him. The sea was angry that day, my friends. Like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli. His pitch calling should help the rotation from stinking it up...or a foul aroma if you will. Arm strength and accuracy that should help him throw out his fair share of runners. S50, #53 overall pick Max Olivo is likely his comp, but we'll admit not a great one as ole Nicky has him beat in nearly every rating. So think a max Max Olivo or Max Olivo+. So far one of the more solid picks of the draft, let's see if that holds. On to pick 5!

5. Mexico City - Larry Hall (CF) - You'll see the Atlanta Expos send money in a trade before you see Hall lay down a bunt. Hall won't stay at Centerfield but should still help a team in the field. Offensively, he's former diamond in the rough Turner Pryor. In full time at bats early on, he put up low 20s HR with an average at .285 for two of three seasons (.265 the third season). Given the talent in the draft, he could have at least a short ML career. 

6. Pittsburgh - Nolan Speier (P) - Our first pitcher off the board but he doesn't handle righties very well, that might prevent him from becoming the pitcher the Yinzer faithful are hoping for. His numbers may be inflated due to the stadium he plays in, but Brent Gorzelanny is a decent comp; who has generally been a below average pitcher in ERA+. Perhaps starting instead of closing out games will be the biggest difference between the two. Though CJ Frazier is another comp that is a starter and he hasn't been much better. 

7. Colorado Springs - Todd "The Eye of the South" Torreyes (P) - Given the control, velocity, and pitch quality it's no wonder he's got the nickname Eye of the South. Pinpoint control whose likely to have a K/9 around 7.5 in his worst season and a K/BB well over 3. Some of his comps are Damaso Ethier, Carmen Arnold, and Norm Cunningham. That's a nice group of names to be discussed with for Torreyes. The biggest except is, he's a reliever. Will those comps hold up in the volatile nature of the bullpen? Depending on the coaches preference he likely sees 20-30 pitches a game and could be used in nearly half the team's games, if not a few more.  If he was a starter he would have surely been higher on other team's draft boards. Great pick for the rebuilding Loins. Given how long players stay in Colorado Springs, that has to ease Todd's mind about purchase his first house. 

8. Augusta - Johermyn Leonard (C) - Another Leonard. The Cobbfather Gazette doesn't like Leonards. Case in point, Dizzy. This pick automatically gets an F. Come on Augusta, you can do better than this. He's drafted as a catcher but he should remain a DH throughout his career. Only reason to play him elsewhere is because everyone else on the roster include all pitchers are injured. But that bat...think Sticky Baez as a baseline. He could easily become a 35-40 HR hitter on a .300 average during his prime years. All while limiting the number of Ks. This is your typical solid DH type that slips because many teams above this pick play in the DH and prefer a more usable piece than a poor defender or future trade bait. Right on Augusta, time to turn this city into a baseball city instead of a gold destination. 

9. Washington DC - Al Estrada (P) - Good starting pitching is hard to come by in this league, and drafting Estrada gives them a front of the rotation arm of the future. Victor Ortega is likely his best comp with a very slight tick less versus righties, less velocity, and a slightly worse pitch quality. But even if you regress VO's numbers, he's still be 30-40% better than league average with a WHIP ranging from 0.95-1.25. Give Estrada a 1.10-1.30 WHIP with a 3.00ish ERA, occasionally dropping down below 3 for his prime years. Pretty solid pick for 9th overall, will definitely take him over Speier who went 3 picks earlier. 

10. - Milwaukee - Alfredo Nina (2B) - Now Milwaukee needs to sign Jesus Pinta (SS) and Marcus Santa Maria (1B) as IFAs. Imagine the double play calls, Nina to Pinta to Santa Maris for the 4-6-3 double play. But that's only if Nina can make the majors, as we have our doubts. Pretty decent speed but doesn't have the smarts to run the basepath and very limited power and struggles mightily vesrus righties. Would Ernie Liebel be the right comp here? Either way we don't see Nina at the ML level unless the team is still rebuilding. Since he's 22, what I'd love to see is a promotion straight to the majors. Let him help the team now and see how well he develops. 

11. Salem - Derek Moore (P) - Only the 4th pitcher drafted so far and yet another one that comes up with something useful. They might not be Hall of Famers, but Arismendy Costilla and Max Abreu over the last few seasons seem like good comps. He'll have a standard 1.20-1.30 WHIP and a 3.50ish ERA, good for 25-30% above league average. But was he worth that bonus? Maybe so if it wasn't going to go anywhere else. Better a useful pitcher than nobody. He's probably more S54-55 Abreu and S56 Costilla. Louis Combs from S56 isn't a bad comp either. 

12. Santa Fe - Pipe Ball (2B) - Lots of different comps for Ball, but just like #2 pick Nicholas Cornely from Pittsburgh is on the list. Santa Fe has to be happy with that comp, selecting the same talent level as the #2 overall pick? The comp is a .270ish hitter with a .342 wOBA which is slightly above league average. He'll probably be limited to a back of the order or worse bench role but in what seems like one of the thinnest drafts we've had in years, you gotta take what you can get!

13. Charleston - Evan Rekar (P) - Rekar, I don't even know her! Wait wait wait...Rekar, that's what New Orleans did to this division last year. Charleston is the 3rd team in the NL South to have already picked this season. Charleston isn't going to like this comp but there's just not a lot of data there, but current Offsrping reliever Darby Hatcher would his be his equal. Hatcher won S54 AL Fireman of the Year but got benched come the post season, traded to Chicago who didn't even bother putting him on their roster where he ended up as a Rule 5 pick to Charleston. 

14. Buffalo - Levi McConnell (SS) - Likely the best defensive player in the draft.; he's better than some current ML shortstops as a 19 year old. That power might keep him in the lineup long enough to win multiple gold gloves and not become the next #1 Rule 5 pick. These types of players are tough to comp, but RIcky Kirk might be the closest one. Looking at a .210-.235 hitter with some pop. That's about 10% worse than league average but given the glove on Levi I think that balances out nicely enough. 

15. Jacksonville - Arthur Wisdom (CF) - Smart move here as Jacksonville moves up a pick from last year. Fantastic range on this kid to freely roam center field but will the rest of his work defensively be enough to stay at Center? Just because he can get to the ball doesn't mean he doesn't bobble it. At the plate his comp is likely Boomer 'Sooner' Cornely. Lucky to hit 1 HR a season, and while he might only have a .260 wOBA he has potential with that speed to gain an extra base or two when he does finally get one the first time. A .245-.250 hitter at best. 

16. Anaheim - Patsy James (2B) - Always feel bad for a boy named Patsy. Let's cut right to it, James' comps are all part time hitters or defensive replacements; which means their hitting comps are way to small to compare. Let's go with a .300 wOBA / .255ish average. Maybe 8-12 HRs with minimal stolen bases. Roy Guerrero comes to mind. 

Recap: 5 pitchers, 4 second baseman, 2 shortstops, 2 center fielders, a right fielder, and a 2 catchers. Pitching and help up the middle went early in this draft, though per usual we'll see how many of those wanna-be shortstops actually having staying power by the time they hit the majors. 

Bonus wise it was pretty low-key with most acceptable slot. New Orleans overpaid at pick #59 ($1.2M) and Washington DC overpaid at pick #76 ($2.2M). Most expensive signing: #11 overall to Salem - Derek Moore (P) - $5.7M, nearly double slot. See above for his writeup, let's see if he ends up worth it in a few years. 

Let's go prospects, it's nearly your time to shine!! Check back in 10 seasons to see how things turned out and who ended up being the best pick of the draft.