AL West Draft Review
I figured I would start off the first edition of the prospect watch with a little insight into the MLB 2008 First Year Player Draft.
The Los Angeles Angels overall went very young this year and went after high ceiling Hurlers all the way throughout the draft. For having this strategy their first pick which didn’t come until selection number 74 was a little strange. Every other pitcher and I mean any other is prototype all the way, but not their first. Why? What did they see in this kid straight out of high school on the younger side even? I’ll tell you, Tyler Chatwood, out of Redlands East Valley HS (CA) is an exceptional pitcher for only being 5’11 175. He already has good command of his two plus pitches and has been working on a Slider to add to his Curve and Fastball with what I hear is coming along nicely. It is rumored in some scouting reports that he does not have a change-up per say but he has been experimenting with changing the speeds of his pitches at a very young age. When you look at him or watch him work out you see that he is a baseball player and has the athleticism to back it. This is a great pick for the LA Angels and should be a nice piece to their team at some point in the future.
Other noteable picks include Zach Cone, very high ceiling with many tools brought to the table. Gabriel Jacobo out of Jr. College has good power potential and also knows how to slap the ball around a bit. May need to work on his footwork in the infield but has potential to stay at 3B and not be converted to a 1B.
The Oakland Athletics had one of my favorite drafts yet again. They started off with a bang by selecting the highly touted Jemile Weeks with the 12th Pick overall. Jemile being the brother of Milwaukee Brewers Infielder Rickie Weeks. A lot of comparisons will be made between the two brothers but let me tell you that its what is different about them that makes Jemile special. Jemile Weeks is an excellent defensive Infielder, this might not excite all of us Fantasy Baseball players but it keeps him on the field more and in the batting order which is important. Jemile also hits for a much better average than his brother, he may not have the pop that his brother has but He could be an excellent defensive infielder that hts for average and brings on the high side 12HR in a season in his prime. He will steal enough to be relevant but not as much to think he could be a 20/20 guy anytime in the foreseeable future.
Other notebale pick include Preston Paramore fits the Joe Mauer mold, excellent defensive Catcher with high average potential. Tyson Ross fits the Randy Johnson mold of being towering on the mound with an imposing persona. Has all the makings to be something special but hold the phone his delivery may need to be tweeked otherwise top 20 pick potential with the 58th.
The Seattle Mariners had their last draft run by GM Bill Bavasi and let me tell you thank God. Albeit he may have had his best draft ever it more often comes mind that maybe he just didn’t screw it up this time. They got a kid I really like with the first pick that pretty much solidified the run on RP with their selection of Joshua Fields. No not the guy that has been riding the pine in Chi town the guy that only plays one inning but will have a bigger impact. Fields is exciting because he unlike the other highly touted players selected with their teams first picks he comes out of College and could be in the bigs as early as September call up next season. High Impact early is what Bill was shooting for because I think he knew he would loose his job, and he did.
The Mariners have drafted a lot of guys that won’t stand out on anyone’s board as being the next A-Rod or Griffy but they got a lot of guys that will produce consistently at a high level with versatility which is something I think this organization has been severely lacking in recent years. There may not be anyone else to write home about but Mariners fans can breathe a sigh of relief finally because in one way or another help is on the way from this 2008 draft class.
Last but not least the Texas Rangers. The Rangers drafted directly in front of the Athletics and I think took their selection if he was still there, don’t quote me on that because I have no proof what so ever but that’s just a theory. Justin Smoak is yet another power hitting corner infielder to add to a already log-jamed minor leagues of corner power positions. However I do think that Smoak will separate himself from the group and find himself in the argument for Thome comparisons, which is lucky because they do have a DH in the AL. Defense is less than poor but will be working hard on footwork and instincts a lot in the minors. His pull will translate well the Arlington and be a game changing swing in the heat of the order for years to come, and it could be sooner rather than later.
Other Notable selections include Robert Ross, one of the best southpaws easily with moderate potential but has always exceeded expectations in his career, has an excellent family to support him and very grounded which character is often overlooked in baseball. It will get him in the clubhouse faster though that’s for sure. Joseph Weiland a RHP out of the baseball hotbed of Nevada is a rising star and could be one that does not sign because he is so young that he could only improve his already fairly high position by going to a Jr. College. If he stays he brings good command and a leg up of the HS pitchers that can’t throw their breaking stuff for strikes on command yet and could boost him to start in High A level.
Next prospect watch I will be focusing on some of the sleeper prospects of the division.
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 11:17 am and is filed under Fantasy Baseball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
