S9 Draft Review

1. LHP Adam Parnell (MIN)
Parnell has great control, great velocity, and a great stamina/durability combination. He has a solid repertoire of pitches and does an excellent job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone against both RHB & LHB.
Iceman67 says: Once again looking for pitching help, the Minnesota Twins selected Adam Parnell with the first pick of the draft. "We may have finally found our ace. With outstanding L/R splits, Parnell is on the fast track to big leagues. We look forward to that time when he will anchor the rotation for years to come."
hurricane384’s take: This is a great pick and was a no-brainer.

2. RHP Wilton Rosen (NY2)
Relief pitcher who has great control. Great velocity. Good stamina/durability combination. Good pitches. Does a good job keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
jgnjr says: came down between Lance Misch and Wilt Rosen needed a future closer Misch has more upside Rosen was the easier sign
hurricane384’s take: I hate taking RP this early, but he’s a solid pitcher and there wasn’t much of a choice as far as this draft is concerned.

3. RF Ruben Aguilar (NO)
Great power. Will dominate LHP. Solid against RHP. Great eye. Makes solid contact overall. Great speed will be a liability if he’s allowed to run with his poor baserunning.
mongoose_22 says: Aguilar should be our DH/1B of the future. He projects into an average defensive first baseman with good speed, durability and health. He should always be amongst the league leaders in walks and pitches seen with his highly developed batting eye. His batting eye, combined with good power and adequate contact and splits, will hopefully allow him to develop into a middle of the lineup player who can hit 3rd through 5th in the order.
hurricane384’s take: This is a very good pick, would be twice as good if the splits were flipped, but he’s still going to hit a lot of home runs and beat out some IF hits.

4. LHP Lance Misch (NO)
Great control. Does a great job of keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Lacks ideal velocity but has good pitches and keeps the ball down in the zone. Great stamina and durability combination.
mongoose_22 says: Maybe a reach at #4 for a reliever, but there were very few players in the class that we really liked (other than Adam Parnell ,Minn got a stud). Misch should be an All Star caliber set-up man capable of pitching 80+ very good innings every season. At 22 years old, after 4 seasons in college, he is already pretty polished and could be a serviceable major leaguer right now. While he's certainly not a fireballer, he is tough on righties and very tough on lefties and features pinpoint control with a very good sinker that will be very hard for hitters to elevate out of the park. He also boasts a secondary curveball that while it needs some work now, should develop into a #2 pitch to keep hitters off balance. He's on the fast track to the bigs and we expect him only to spend about two seasons or so in the minors.
hurricane384’s take: Misch is going to be a great relief pitcher, although I still hate taking a RP this early in the draft, at least Misch is going to come close to being worth it.

5. RHP Alfredo Norris (CH1)
NOT SIGNED

6. P Miguel Peron
NOT SIGNED

7. SS Alfredo Terrero (CIN)
Great contact with solid power. Does better against LHP than RHP. Solid eye. Lacks ideal defensive ratings for SS. Great durability.
hurricane384 says: I really like this pick for us, Terrero will never play SS in the Cincinnati organization, but could provide GG-type defense to go along with SS-type offense at 2B.
hopkinsheel’s take: Terrero projects to be more of a 3B than middle inflieder, which is perfectly fine b/c it’s not easy to find good hitting 3B who can really field the position. If Terrero develops into that type of ballplayer, than the Reds will have utilized their #7 selection very wisely. However, if his bat doesn't develop too much then they'll be stuck with a utiliy type player and you never want to waste a top 10 pick like that.

8. SS Jake Mayne (CLE)
Great contact with solid power. Does a solid job of driving the ball. Decent eye. Decent speed. Lacks ideal defensive ratings for SS.
abesmem says: The Indians are very happy with their 1st round pick, Jake Mayne. I had him ranked 2nd overall and did not expect him to be around for the 8th pick. While not projected as a SS, he should make the majors as an above average 3B or excellent defensive RF. Regardless; his principle asset will be as an offensive weapon. He makes great contact and above average power. He’s a lefty bat that can handle RH and LH pitching with an above average eye and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. His durability and health are both great. He is starting out in Low A as a third basemen and should be in the Majors within 2 to 3 years.
hurricane384’s take: I like this pick. Slide him to 2B and you have an instant SS candidate…move him to 3B and he might add GG to that.

9. RHP Otis Cooper (STL)
Great control. Does a solid job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid stamina & durability. Good pitch combination and decent at keeping the ball on the ground.
dwboyce says: There were very few starting pitchers available in the draft, and we felt lucky to land a potential starter with the ninth pick. It came down to a choice between Enrique Johnson and Otis Cooper, and we went with the latter although we would have been happy with either player. We like Cooper’s advanced command and his excellent collection of pitches, especially his four-seamer and slider. As our ball stadium tends to depress hitting anyway, Cooper’s marginal effectiveness when batters make contact didn’t bother us as much, so in the end his advanced control was the differentiating factor. We also like his youth, giving him maximum time to develop in our minor league system as a college player, and his durability will allow him to pitch often.
hurricane384’s take: Solid pitcher who in a good draft would likely fall around 20.

10. 2B Vernon Stewart (WAS)
Very solid offensive player all the way across the board. Will hit for power, contact, and walk some. More of a COF than a 2B though.
hurricane384’s take: This is a very good offensive pick even though his overall rating doesn’t say it. I like this pick a lot.

11. CF Pat Howard (PHI)
Solid range with a great glove. Great speed. Makes contact a lot and can get on base via the walk. Average power. Struggles to consistently drive the ball, especially against RHP. Lacks baserunning skills that one looks for with that speed.
sowden says: With the 13th pick the Phillies nabbed Pat Howard. A strong contact hitting center fielder with a decent eye. With an overall rating of 88 Howard will be manning the Phillies CF position for years to come.
hurricane384’s take: When you can find a CF who isn’t a terrible liability offensively and can patrol the OF well, you have to overlook his warts.

12. LHP Vic Nicasio (NY1)
Struggles against RHP. Solid control. Good stamina/durability combination. Groundball pitcher. Great pitch repertoire.
mcgupp says: The Yankees are pleased to grab a quality starting pitcher in the middle of the first round. Vic Nicasio has two good Yankee Stadium qualities, he's a lefty and effective against lefties limiting the short porch in RF, and he's a ground ball pitcher. Hopefully those qualities serve him well in the Bronx
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. His vsR worries me, but the other ratings might make up for it and allow him to be a contributor at the ML level.

13. RHP Shayne Weaver (BAL)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Decent at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good pitch grouping. Great control. Injuries are not a concern.
hopkinsheel says: We have no idea what to think of Weaver. Our College Scouting team had him pegged much higher than our advanced scouts. We're hoping we can progress into a middle of the rotation SP, but probably more suited for back end/long relief. Disappointing get for the 13th pick.
hurricane384’s take: This is a solid pick, worst case he gives you a ML LRA…best-case #3 SP.

14. CF Manny Park (TB)
Great defensive CF who can run like a cheetah. Better against LHP than RHP. Good eye. Good power. Solid contact. Solid baserunning skills.
mexd781 says: Tampa Bay was very excited to see Manny Park fall to them at the 14th Pick. There were questions going into the draft about his signability and work ethic. Manny has the potential to be a gold glove at 2B or CF and has the speed and overall bat to be a very good offensive player. The TB front office is just hoping that their minor league coaches can help Manny grow up and reach his full potential.
hurricane384’s take: This is a great pick. To be able to pick up a potential GG CF who can excel offensively at the 14th pick is beyond a great pick.

15. LHP Brad Vaughn (TOR)
Great stamina/durability combination. Great control. Struggles at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone, especially against RHB. Flyball pitcher without velocity. Solid pitch combination.
foxspor54 says: Brad Vaughn- ranked 50# overall by central baseball scouting bureau at WIS, Toronto scouts drooled at his 5 pitch repertoire and moved him up on the board. All goes well he should be in the majors in a few seasons.
hurricane384’s take: This is the kind of pitcher I try to stay away from…he’s going to give up a lot of HR’s, not strike anybody out, and struggle against RHB.

16. RHP George Hall (CH2)
Solid durability/stamina combo. Great control. Dominant against RHB. Great velocity. Keeps the ball down. Lacks a little in the pitches department to be consistently dominant.
byers61 says: With the 16th pick in the draft, the White Sox selected future closer George Hall . He projects to an OVR 82 rating, superior control, and excellent against righties. One wonders how he will use his 98 velocity, since his only pitches to brag about are a slider and forkball. Regardless, the White Sox are glad to add Hall to their future plans.
hurricane384’s take: I would love to have a reliever like this on my team. He’ll blow batters away consistently and make the opposition earn their wins late in the game.

17. 2B Courtney Coppinger (LAA)
Solidly average offensive player. Great eye though. Decent speed. Not a great defender.
mskakunan says: With the 17th overall pick, the Angels selected Courtney Coppinger. His excellent plate discipline will make him a solid major league hitter who should be decent as a second baseman or left fielder. He shouldn't take long to arrive as he is 22 and probably ready for AA now. He was third on our board so we were happy to get him.
hurricane384’s take: This is a pick that you can’t argue with but you don’t get too excited over either.

18. LHP Rick Saunders (ATL)
Lacks ideal velocity or groundball ability. Great top 2 pitches, terrible other 2. Lacks ideal stamina to be a difference maker in the rotation. Great control. Does a solid job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone.
kilgore says: The Braves were pleased to snag LHP Rick Saunders with the 18th pick. We have him ultimately pegged as a middle relief pitcher, though he'll be a starter as he begins his career at the High A level in hopes that he can further develop his splitter and changeup to complement a quality 4 seam fastball and a slurve that is projected to be eventually be elite at the ML level. His control is already well above average, and should continue to improve as he progresses up the ladder. The biggest downside is his tendency to leave the 4 seam fastball too close to the top of the zone at times, making him vulnerable to the long ball.
hurricane384’s take: Should make a solid bullpen arm.

19. LHP Lance Henley (SEA)
Great stamina durability combination. Does a good job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Good control. Solid velocity. Solid GB. Good pitches.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick. He’ll hold down the back end of the Seattle bullpen for a long time.

20. CF Brian Sutton (ARI)
Good defensive ratings. Solid contact. Decent power. Struggles against RHP more than LHP. Decent eye. Decent speed.
llcc says: Brian Sutton, is my number one pick. He is a good field avg hitter who will make it to the majors in about 3 years.
hurricane384’s take: Another solid pick as Sutton can play defense and that seems to be the hardest thing to find in CF. The offense is the cherry on top.

21. RHP Henderson Cooke (CIN)
Decent durability stamina combination. Great control. Solid pitches. Doesn’t keep the ball down. Good velocity. Dominates RHB.
hurricane384 says: We’re very happy to add Cooke to this year’s draft class. Although we are worried about his ability to keep the ball in the park, we believe his peripheral ratings will help to off-set that problem.
hopkinsheel’s take: Cooke should end up being a really solid bullpen addition down the road. He has a unique blend of STA/DUR which will be interesting to see how many innings he can throw. Wish his vL was a bit higher, but his vR looks really strong and coupled with his other ratings, he is a nice pick.

22. SS Sparky Lowry (HOU)
Very good defensive ratings. Solid speed. Solid contact. Dominant against LHP. Really struggles with RHP. Solid power. Good eye.
drichar138 says: I took Sparky Lowry in the first round. Hoping his low makeup doesn’t ruin his chances of living up to his potential. In the end, I know I had to take a chance this late in the draft and if everything falls right he could be really good platoon CF vs LHP.
hurricane384’s take: First true SS off the board and he’s a doozy…he’d be an all-star if the splits were flipped, but he’ll still be worth a starting spot with his defense.

23. LHP Ted Frederick (SD)
Does a great job at keeping the ball out of the hitting zone. Solid pitch combinations including a dominating 1st pitch. Great stamina & durability. Lacks ideal control. Good job keeping the ball down.
hurricane384’s take: Definitely worth taking a chance on this late in the 1st round…has the stuff to dominate at times and the control to really piss you off at other times.

24. SS Achilles Votto (COL)
Lacks ideal defensive ratings. Good contact and power. Better against LHP than RHP. Solid eye. Average speed.
hurricane384’s take: Not a true SS, but definitely could be a good 3B or 2B. Not sure his offense will make up for his defense enough to justify putting him at SS.

25. RHP Andrea Blasingame (LA)
Great control. Does a tremendous job at keeping batters from hitting the ball squarely. Has a starter-type repertoire of pitches. Lacks ideal stamina/durability combination and doesn’t throw hard.
rawkdk27 says: Our first need was a position player as we really lack any solid ML level prospects. But with the lack of depth in this draft for position players, we targeted a RP and Blasinggame has closer type stuff but lacks great durability.
hurricane384’s take: I’m not sure what to make of this pick…he’ll struggle to get the innings to develop fully as well as to be truly dominant…but man, he should be good when he’s in the game.

26. CF Nomar Pendleton (LA)
NOT SIGNED

27. LHP Enrique Johnson (OAK)
Solid stamina/durability combination. Solid control. Good splits. Throws hard. Good pitch combination.
train says: Pretty pleased with this year's draft results. I had Johnson ranked in my top 5 and got him at 27. He will likely have control and stamina issues, which always worry me for a SP but I couldn't pass up projected 80's splits and a similarly-rated pitch#1. I had a couple of comp picks as well that look to be future contributors as well, so this was a good draft.
hurricane384’s take: This is a good pick this late in the draft as he should be a good LRA or a solid back of the rotation starter.

28. CF Hulk Smart (KC)
NOT SIGNED

29. 2B Abraham Malloy (TEX)
Great contact. Solid splits. Solid eye. Good range. Decent glove. Weak, inaccurate arm. Good speed. Good baserunner.
jcairns says: The Texas rangers are happy with our selection of Abraham Malloy . we feel his talents will fit perfectly into our lineup for seasons to come
hurricane384’s take: Solid draft pick in the late part of the round. Definitely can contribute in multiple ways.

30. RF Darrell Allen (MIL)
Solid power and contact. Better against RHP than LHP. Good eye. Solid defensively. Great speed and baserunner.
s_gammon says: Darrell Allen was one of the top college non-pitchers in this years draft and I was glad to snag him with the 30th pick. I believe he will be a high quality lead off hitter with his great speed, good eye and decent contact and splits. he'll even provide a bit of pop. He should be ready to take over in RF when the incumbant RF's contract wraps up.
hurricane384’s take: If you aren’t hung up on power being a necessity to play the COF, Allen could definitely contribute. He’ll steal a ton of bases and walk quite a bit. Play decent defense. Decent pick.

31. P Marco Garcia (SF)
NOT SIGNED
AllSox says: 1st round pick Mario Garcia turned down an $8 million signing bonus to go to college. College was a lot of fun, but $8mill?

32. SS Wilton Stanley (DET)
Decent defense. Solid splits. Decent speed. Lacks ideal contact or power.
dakar says: Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an offical with the Tigers privately admitted that management was hoping that first round pick Wilton Stanley would refuse to sign with the club and go to college. "Sure they say all the usual things like how excited they are that this kid fell to them in the draft, and they expected to see him taken in the first 10 picks. Seriously though, he will never play an adequate SS, and his bat has backup written all over it if he can't handle the middle infield." When asked if he considered it a blown pick, the insider replied: "Hey, this draft just sucked. Its not like they overlooked anyone who was significantly better."
hurricane384’s take: Not much to say about this guy…destined to be a utility player as his defense isn’t good enough to play SS and his offense isn’t good enough to warrant playing full-time at any other position.

33. 3B Hank Faulkner (LA)
NOT SIGNED