S8 Draft Review

1.     LHP Victor Nance (MIN)   
With top-notch control, good splits, and upper level splits, the only knock on him is that he’s a fly ball pitcher who is likely to give up some HRs. At least pitching in the Metrodome, he’s not going to have to worry about cheapies.
Iceman67 says: Making pitching a high priority, the Minnesota Twins chose high school fireballer Victor Nance with the number one overall pick. Nance will begin his career in rookie ball with the potential to move up to Low A before season's end. With an exceptional make-up rating, the lanky lefthander has the potential and ability to crack the big league starting rotation within a few seasons.
hurricane384’s take: A no-brainer pick here, Nance has the ability to be a top of the rotation ace for years.

2.     LHP Jim Wagner (NO)    
Wagner has great control with good splits. He’s got solid stamina. He’s a pure groundball pitcher who has 2 good pitches to help him out. The knock on him is that he’s unlikely to come up with that strikeout when you need it.
mongoose_22 says:  While Jim Wagner looks like he'll develop into a solid middle of the rotation type pitcher, he certainly isn't the kind of player you want to draft #2. This is why I fervently hope he'll decide to finish out his college career and we'll be able to more fully utilize next season's comp pick after we've been able to invest more heavily in scouting and hopefully take advantage of a deeper/better draft class.
hurricane384’s take: Most of the time you’re not looking to grab a #2 starter here, but that’s his ceiling.

3.     OF Sonny Ratliff (PHI)       
A COF with great speed, Ratliff isn’t going to strike out much and will hit for some power. He will dominate LHP while doing solidly against RHP. He’s got a great eye. I would expect to see a few 30HR/60SB seasons with a .330/.600/.930 slash line. His health is somewhat of a concern.
sowden says: The Phillies chose Sonny Ratliff with the 3rd overall pick in this years draft. After focusing on pitching in the draft and international market the past 2 seasons the Phillies picked Ratliff to begin to rebuild the offensive side of the minor league system. Ratliff projects to be a high contact hitter with decent power and a good I, good splits that should destroy left handed pitching.
hurricane384’s take: It’s great to grab a potential cornerstone offensive player no matter when he’s drafted.

4.     2B Trot Philips (WAS)      
Durability and speed would be Trot’s calling card. He doesn’t have great defense. He’s average at making contact with average power. He’ll struggle against RHP while doing well against LHP. He’s got a solid eye, so he’ll get on the basepaths.
displacednyr says:
hurricane384’s take: It’s tough to have the #4 pick and end up with a mediocre player who doesn’t excel at anything.

5.     RHP Heinie McGowan (NY2)
Tremendous set of pitches, he’s got great control as well. Solid split. Average velocity and GB. Decent durability/stamina combination and he’s very resilient and unlikely to get injured.
jgnjr says: 
hurricane384’s take: Solid starter but unlikely to be more than a #2 at best.

6.     RHP Reginald Walker (CLE)
Walker has great control and great splits. His pitch combination is one of the best ever to come out of the draft. Doesn’t blow people away and doesn’t get more than the average number of ground balls. Lacks ideal stamina/durability.
abesmem says: I was very happy with Reginald Walker being available at #6. While his endurance is a bit of an issue, he’s got 5 pitches (4 of which grade out above 70 or 80), excellent control and splits that should develop to be 79 vs lefties and 88 vs righties. Even better, at 22 years old with a full college career, he’s very close to being major league ready and will start out in AA.
hurricane384’s take: A ceiling of a #1 with innings limitations or a floor of a very good #3…that’s how I see this one.

7.     C Elroy Brown (CIN)
Brown will not strike out much while hitting for solid power. He’s got great splits and a good eye. He’s very durable. Classified as a catcher, he’s got a good arm but is only average at calling a game.
hurricane384 says: We were very pleased to get Elroy with our first pick. He was the best offensive player on our board and in these situations we don’t give a second thought to his position. We luck out that he’s able to play a position of value in addition to his offensive prowess.
hopkinsheel’s take: Really like this pick. Brown is a good hitting Catcher with decent defensive skills. It is not easy to find players like this so to be able to snatch him up in the middle of the first round is a nice coup.

8.     SS Jerome Morton (CLB)
Morton has good power. Great splits. Solid eye. Does not have the ideal SS defensive ability. Can run a little. Will strike out some.
anml34 says: With Jerome Morton I got the top guy on my board and a solid replacement for Anthony terry in a few more seasons. I was very happy to get this player at pick 8.
hurricane384's take: Could be a very good defensive 3B while hitting for good power.

9.     CF Jacque Stevenson (ARI)
Stevenson is a solid defensive CF. Great at making contact. Solid against LHP, but dominant against RHP. Will reach base plenty. Has decent speed. No power to speak of.
llcc says: Jacque Stevenson is my #1 pick he is 21 yrs old and has a projected rating of 78. He has no power but should hit for a high average.
hurricane384’s take: Lacking the ideal speed of a leadoff hitter, Stevenson will no doubt still fill that role for years to come while playing solid defense.

10.   2B Eugenio Astacio (LAA)
Projects as a below average defender anywhere in the infield. Great contact with solid power. Will dominate RHP but struggle against LHP. Lacks a great eye.
mskakunan says: Eugenia Astacio was number 3 on my draft board and I landed him with the 10th pick. He will hit righties well and be a 20 plus HR guy. He has great make-up. This was such a weak draft class, so I feel like I did OK in landing one of the very few potential all-stars out there.
hurricane384’s take: You’d like to see a better player here, but at least Astacio is a useful player.

11.   CF Alfredo Ramirez (TOR)
Ramirez has a great glove to go with great range. His speed is above average. He’s got great power, good contact, and an average split against RHP. He will struggle against LHP. He’s got a solid eye.
foxspor54 says:
hurricane384’s take: It’s great to get a guy like this at #11…you can plug him in as your CF of the future.

12.   2B Garland Mailman (FLA) 
Mailman lacks the ideal range or glove for 2B. He has strong power with good splits. Solid eye. Good contact. Decent speed.
mtorabdaddy says: Mailman turned down a less lucrative career delivering the mail for the USPS to become a Marlin. He projects to plus power and should provide offense in the coming years that the Marlins have sorely lacked.
hurricane384’s take: Your first thought on this pick is to not be impressed, but when you really look at him, it’s a good pick.

13.   P Apollo Bradley (HOU)
Bradley is not going to walk a lot of people with great control. He has good splits to go along with great velocity. He’s going to get a lot of groundballs as well as keep hitters guessing with 2 good pitches. Lacks ideal stamina/durability.
drichar138 says: The Astros selected left handed starting pitcher Apollo Bradley with the 13th pick overall. Bradley was 4th on our draft board, so we were pleasantly surprised he was still around for our pick. He has amazing control and is one of those pitchers that is good at a lot of things, but not great at any one. He is effective against hitters from both sides of the plate and has nice pitches. We are hoping he blooms into a nice #3 starting pitcher at the major league level.
hurricane384’s take: Although he’s unlikely to give you a lot of innings, the innings he’ll give are going to be great.

14.   LF Boots Vaughn (ATL)
Boots has solid power and contact. He has a good eye and is solid against LHP. He struggles against RHP. Is a solid COF defender.
kilgore says: The Braves were pleased that Boots Vaughn was available when their pick in the 14th slot came around. Though he played 2B in college, Vaughn's glove doesn't meet the Braves' expectations there and have him projected as a left fielder. A quality, disciplined switch hitter projected to have plus power, Vaughn also has above average speed and his defensive work should be more than adequate in left given his offensive output. Vaughn is expected to be able to compete at the ML level soon, and is off to a good start at the AAA level.
hurricane384’s take: This is a solid pick, about what you can expect from this point in the draft. I’d like it better if the vsL & vsR were flipped.

15.   P Mike Reese (CH2)
Reese has great control and great stamina. His durability is low. He’s got good splits. He doesn’t throw hard and will give up a lot of flyballs. His pitches are good.
byers61 says: With the 15th pick, the White Sox drafted P Mike Reese . We had him at the top of our draft board, with an asterisk because of his low durability. The thought here is that if he reaches anywhere close to his projected 98 stamina, that he can still throw 100 pitches a game and only skip a start now and then. With exceptional control, ability to keep pitches out of the zone, and a good pitch repertiore, he was worth a shot at pick 15.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. He’s going to be a good pitcher and would likely have went higher if not for his durability. I would like to see his velocity or GB higher.

16.   SS Miguel Ramirez (CIN)            -               UNSIGNED

17.   P Hector Maxwell (BOS)
Hector is average against LHB and solid against RHB. He has good control and stamina/durability. He has a good pitch, but only has 3. He doesn’t throw hard, but makes up for that by keeping it down in the zone.
brickyard9 says:
hurricane384's take: I always feel that a 3-pitch starter is a big risk unless he's dominant in other areas.

18.   CF Philip Henley (SD)
Henley has solid power and good vsL. He’s average against RHP. Doesn’t make great contact and struggles with plate discipline. He’s got a great glove and good range. He’s got great speed.
gerald007 says:
hurricane384’s take: Henley is the type of CF that you can bat 7th and feel great about what you’re getting.

19.   P Sid McCormick (SF)
Sid has great pitches, even though he’ll struggle locating them at times. He has great velocity and will make hitters work by keeping the ball out of the hitting zones. Decent stamina, great durability.
AllSox says: At number 19, I took Sid McCormick a late inning reliever with very good stuff ( splits and pitches). His mediocre at best control may hold him back.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good spot for McCormick to come off the board. He’s got the potential to be a good closer.

20.   P Rex O’Donnell (NY1)
Rex has great control and is dominant against RHB. Has 1 outstanding pitch and solid across the board. Decent stamina and good durability. He doesn’t throw hard and won’t get too many groundballs.
mcgupp says: The NY Yankees were extremely pleased to see Rex O'Donnell fall to them in the draft. Rated #5 overall by the Yankees he will be a future starter on the ML team. He joins several other draftees and IFA's to give the Yankees a stable of bright young starting pitchers.
hurricane384’s take: To grab a pitcher like this so late in the draft is a good thing.

21.   P Felix Cosby (STL)
Cosby has great control and does a tremendous job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. He doesn’t throw hard and only has one top-notch pitch. He’s got a good stamina/durability combination.
dwboyce says: We’re excited to get a player of Felix Crosby’s talent late in the first round. We’re hopeful he’ll live up to our scouts expectations despite his advanced age. He was one of two pitchers in the draft with both splits currently rated 60 or greater, and was one of a few with advanced control. His control and pitches will need to develop to their full potential to be truly effective, as he won’t be blowing major league hitting away. With the 21st pick, he needs a season or so before he’s ready for the majors, so he’s a safe selection. If his ceiling is as high as we hope, he could be the answer to the bullpen question plaguing St. Louis.
hurricane384’s take: I like my 2-pitch relievers to have 2 dominant pitches instead of one good one and one average one, but he still should make a difference in the bullpen for St. Louis.

22.   P Lorenzo Padilla (BAL)
A little short on the stamina, but he has tremendous control. Better against RHB than LHB. Has decent velocity and decent GB. Solid pitches across the board.
hopkinsheel says: The Orioles selected a solid high school SP prospect with the 22nd overall selection. We project him to be a decent middle of the rotation type pitcher with 4 above average pitches and decent splits.We invested more heavily in high school scouting so ranked high schoolers higher so we may have missed a good college player or two, but are happy with our selection.
hurricane384’s take: Padilla won’t be a superstar or an ace, but he’ll be a good pitcher.

23.   P Guillermo Lee (TB)
Lee has great control. His pitches are solid and he throws hard. Good stamina/durability combination. Does a solid job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Won’t get many groundballs.
mexd781 says:
hurricane384’s take: He’s the type of pitcher who won’t star for a team, but will definitely be worth his salary for a while.

24.   LF Nash Jensen (PIT)
Good power and contact. He’s better against LHP than RHP. He’s got a good eye. He’s got great speed. Lacks ideal defensive abilities.
ajwalton says:
hurricane384’s take: He’s a good offensive player. Nice find this late in the draft.

25.   2B Eswalin Wilfredo (CH1)
Wilfredo is a solid player. He’s dominant against LHP and good against RHP. Not a great defender. Solid contact and power. Solid eye.
tk21775 says: borderline 2B with above average splits, no superstar but someone who will contribute at the majors someday
hurricane384’s take: Not a bad pickup for this late in the draft.

26.   P Max Velandia (KC)
Velandia has a good set of pitches to go with good control. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Does not have great velocity and will give up an average amount of flyballs. Solid stamina/durability split.
bighead34 says: Solid selection who carries a decent amount of risk because of his health. However, it is exciting to get a potential 200IP starter, who has a chance to be better than league average, at this point in the draft.
hurricane384’s take: I struggle to remember a time where we had such a run on solid pitchers this late in the draft. No superstars, but still a solid group.

27.   SS Bingo McClellan (CH1)
Terrible defensive SS. Solid offensive ratings. Good speed. Very durable.
tk21775 says:
hurricane384’s take: As long as he doesn’t end up playing SS, this should be a solid pick to play 2B/3B and come off the bench.

28.   P Ed Bragg (MON)
Bragg has great control and throws hard. He’s got a good stamina/durability combination. Not dominant splits. Will give up a lot of flyballs. Solid pitches.
ekoontz41 says:
hurricane384’s take: Any time you can get a big-league SP this low, you’re doing something right. He’s going to be a solid #3/#4.

29.   P Rob Olsen (MIL)
Lacks the ideal control, but makes up for it with his pitch selection. He’s dominant against RHP. Lacks ideal velocity, but will induce more GBs than most.
s_gammon says: Rob Olsen, projects to a solid mid-rotation starter, with slight control issues that will likely prevent him from being a true front of the rotation ace.
hurricane384’s take: Yet another solid SP who will contribute down the road.

30.   P Alex Magee (MIL)
Lacks ideal control, but makes up for that with his tremendous velocity and a great selection of pitches. He’s not dominant and will give up some flyballs. Solid stamina/durability combination.
s_gammon says: Alex Magee is a carbon copy of Olsen
hurricane384’s take: I like this pick better than Olsen at #29…he’s got the ability to do some dominant things while also being beyond frustrating at times.

31.   P Kelly Crosby (SEA) 
A good reliever. He has good splits and throws the ball down in the zone. He's got great control and good pitches. A good stamina/durability combination.
jakaitis says:
hurricane384's take: This is a great value pick. He'll be a good reliever.

32.   P Patrick Pose (MIL)
Pose has great control and throws hard, but he lacks dominant pitches. Great stamina/durability combination. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
s_gammon says: Patrick Pose, projects to be a very effective relief pitcher.
hurricane384’s take: This guy could be a very good set up guy. I don’t like that he doesn’t have a single dominant pitch.

33.   P Willie Mercedes (NY2)
Good control, dominant against LHB. Solid against RHB. Good velocity. Solid pitches. Good durability/stamina. Will not get a lot of GBs.
jgnjr says:
hurricane384’s take: A solid pitcher who will have a decent ML career.