Springfield (AP) –
In what now seems to be
the norm, a flurry of trades has led to numerous first round picks changing
hands. Although one shy of last year, four teams (Illinois, Canyon Country,
Seattle, and Vermont) do not have selections in the first round of this year’s
draft. It should be noted that last
year’s NASBL Champion – Ed Couch New Potatoes also was without a 1st
round selection in last year’s draft. So
take heart, Chow Chow, Canyon, Pilot and Fighting Sioux faithful.
While this draft appears
to be lacking in the sheer number of impact hitters, there is a plethora of good
young pitchers available that any NASBL organization would love to have on its
staff. As such, supply and demand show 10
hitters going in Round 1 according to the Times.
Without further adieu, the following is the Springfield Times’ Annual First
Round Projections.
#1) Slatington Bulldogs – Jose Abreu (1B)
Last year, the Bulldogs
traded its #1 overall selection for Wilson Ramos and the #2 overall pick. GM Adam Leickel has given no indication that
the #1 pick is available for trade this time around – and for good reason. In a day and age where power is a rare
commodity, Jose Abreu seems to stand head and shoulders above anyone else
available in this draft. Without a
carded 1st baseman on the Bulldogs roster, the first pick is not
really in doubt here. The only question
will be how many seconds Leickel takes to give Commissioner Beard the card with
Abreu’s name on March 7th.
#2) Troy Haymakers – Sonny Gray (SP)
Although there appears
to be many good young starting pitchers available in this draft, only one has
been successful over 283 innings of major league baseball. That alone is enough to give Sonny Gray the
edge here. Staying healthy is a skill
and a skill that Sonny Gray appears to possess.
No small feat for a young starting pitcher. With Bumgarner, Hughes, Collmenter, and Gray
in its rotation to go along with a resurgent offense/defense, the Haymakers
will be a force to be reckoned with in NASBL this year.
#3) Georgia Roadkill – Josh
Harrison (2B,3B,SS,LF,RF)
Super utility player
Josh Harrison could play 2B or 3B for the Roadkill, depending on where Johnny
Miller plans on playing last year’s 2nd round selection Anthony
Rendon. One thing is for certain – no
matter where Harrison plays he will hit.
There was serious talk in MLB circles that Harrison was the true MVP of
MLB’s Pirates squad last season – this on a team with NASBL superstar/Spur
Andrew McCutchen. Harrison just may be
the same for the Roadkill upon season’s end.
#4) Dallas Fort Worth Spurs – Jake Arrieta (SP)
Red Robbins appears to
be set on the offensive side. What the
Spurs need is an ace to anchor its staff in the playoffs. Jake Arrieta grades out as a top 5 starting
pitcher in basically any conceivable measurement – outside of innings
pitched. In a division in which a .500
record won it last year, the Spurs can reasonably look at who will give them
the best chance of winning the title again – not necessarily the pitcher that
gives them 200 regular season innings.
Arrieta is that guy and has the prospect pedigree necessary to believe
his 157 innings of dominance in MLB this season were not a fluke.
#5) Lehigh Valley (via
trade from Illinois) – Xander Bogaerts (SS/3B)
The Iron Pigs could go
many directions with this pick. Having
traded Zach Greinke for the rights to this selection, it is not a reach to
believe this means the Iron Pigs are not all in on winning a title in
2015. As such, the Iron Pigs can afford
to look past production this year and look at “best talent available”. What makes this pick hard to project is that
best talent available is a subjective measure.
This could mean someone as raw as Javier Baez/Xander Bogaerts, someone
as polished as Marcus Stroman or someone in between like Mookie Betts/George
Springer. There’s an old saying that GM
Kevin Burns may ascribe to – “when in doubt, grab the shortstop”.
#6) Outlaw Josey Wales – Billy Hamilton (OF)
Outlaw is undergoing a
youth movement. Gone are stalwarts David
Ortiz and Adrian Beltre and in are such youngsters as Albert Pujols. OK maybe not a full scale youth movement, but
close enough of a rebuild to give Mark Hildebrandt three picks in the first
round. The first of which the Times
predicts will be used on something that Hildebrandt values greatly – defense up
the middle. They say you can’t steal
first base, but Billy Hamilton can steal every other base known to man and
patrol a mean CF. If he learns to hit a
little better, Hamilton will be the “steal of the draft” – cue rim shot - here
at #6.
#7) Pocono Chin Music – Masahiro Tanaka (SP)
Tanaka would have been
the 2nd pick in the draft (1st on some team’s boards
above even Abreu) if this draft had taken place at the MLB All Star Break. However, rumblings came of a sore arm, followed up by
an extended stay on MLB’s disabled list.
Tanaka’s injury issues appear to have been healed via good old fashioned
rest and not via the knife of a surgeon.
However, the lingering injury issues create enough uncertainty that
Tanaka lasts until #7 – but the Times does not see a way that Bill Anderson
lets Tanaka get past this pick.
#8) Springfield Isotopes – Marcus Stroman (SP)
We knew that it was
bound to happen eventually, but it appears that age/picking near the bottom of
the draft each year has finally caught up to the Isotopes. The Topes got younger during the offseason in
adding Brett Lawrie, Pedro Alvarez, and Colby Rasmus to its roster. However, the youth movement has not yet
reached the Topes’ pitching staff. The
Topes need someone to supplant C.C. Sabathia or Jered Weaver as the ace of its
staff. As such, the rumor is that the
Topes have fallen in love with Stroman and will grab him here if available.
#9) Shawnee Crows – Danny Santana (SS/CF)
Unless Kole Calhoun has
exceedingly more range than the “2” given to him by Hal, the Crows are going to
need some outfielders. At first glance, GM
Mike Johnson has a tough choice here between a youngster with huge upside in
George Springer and a guy who had a huge, probably non-repeatable year in MLB
in J.D. Martinez. However, there is
another alternative here. Yes you read
that position right. Danny Santana
channeled his inner Robin Yount during his rookie season in MLB playing both
shortstop and center field – hitting regardless of where he played. What makes this pick so attractive is that
Santana can play center for the Crows in 2015 and put pressure on Crows
incumbent Erick Aybar at short in 2016.
Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins seem to foresee Santana as its
long term solution at SS. There is no
reason that Mike Johnson can’t do the same for the Crows.
#10) Grundy County Grizzlies (via trade from Canyon Country) – George
Springer (OF)
Quick question – how
many players in NASBL hit more than 30 homers in 2014? The answer is only six (Chris Davis, Paul
Goldschmidt, Edwin Encarnacion, Brandon Moss, Miguel Cabrera, and Evan
Longoria). For comparison purposes,
thirteen guys hit more than 30 homers in 2013 and fourteen in 2012. Home runs are down in NASBL and are becoming
a rare commodity. George Springer is a
guy who has arguably the best power in this draft. Plus, someone needs to help Lorenzo Cain
patrol the outfield for the Grizz. As
such, Jack Howard is thrilled that Springer is still here at #10.
#11) Grundy County
Grizzlies – Yordano Ventura (SP)
What do you look for in a first round starting pitcher if you are Jack
Howard here? Youth? Check - Ventura is
23. Health? Check - Ventura started 30
games. A live arm? Double Check - Ventura’s
average fastball velocity was 96.9 MPH in MLB this season – best of ANY
starting pitcher. How this guy is still
here at #11 is anyone’s guess, but Howard gladly grabs Ventura here.
#12) Lake Champlain Cannibals – Dellin Betances (RP)
Betances struck out 135
guys in major league baseball this year – AS A RELIEF PITCHER! Although Clayton Kershaw may set the league’s
record for complete games and the rest of the Cannibals staff are no slouches,
the Cannibals manager may have to stroll to the mound every once in awhile to
bring in a reliever. 90 innings of good
god almighty out of the bullpen is just what the doctor ordered here for
Commissioner Beard and should help the Cannibals to compete for a title in 2015.
#13) Shawnee Crows (via
trade from Seattle) – JD Martinez (OF)
I’m not sure even Mike
Johnson can convince himself that the resurgence of JD Martinez in Major League
Baseball is a repeatable occurrence.
However, it doesn’t really matter.
In an age where power has fallen off the table (see George Springer pick
analysis above), the Crows add one of the biggest power bats in this draft by
grabbing Martinez here. Martinez immediately
gives the Crows the impact bat that it needs in the middle of its order.
#14) Outlaw Josey Wales
(via trade from Lehigh Valley) – Mookie Betts (2B/OF)
The Times staff honestly has no idea what Outlaw will do with these
picks. With a lot of pitchers on its
staff, Outlaw can go with the best available offensive player here and try to
compete in the Tastes Great South or Hildebrandt can go full scale youth
movement. The Times predicts the full
scale youth movement route and the next two picks reflect this. Despite lacking a starting job for the Red
Sox entering this season, Betts is deemed untouchable by the Sawx – and for
good reason. On base skills like
Mookie’s just don’t come along very often – especially coming from a 21 year
old. No matter where he ends up, Betts
will get on base. An extremely valuable
skill and one that insures Betts will not make it out of the first round.
#15) Outlaw Josey Wales (via Trade from Vermont) – Gregory Polanco (OF)
The Times is going again
with the best young player on the board here for Outlaw. You’d be hard pressed
to put together a list of who that could mean and not have Gregory Polanco
at/near the top. Polanco is a corner
outfielder with a cannon arm who held his own against righties at the age of 22. Not sure if a youth movement is truly
Hildebrandt’s strategy, but if it is he could do a lot worse than a draft of
Billy Hamilton, Mookie Betts and Gregory Polanco.
#16) Ed Couch New Potatoes – Steve Pearce (1B/OF)
The New Potatoes are
looking to repeat as champs. As such, Ed
Kilmer will take the best player available with this pick – regardless of
age/position. That is far and away
journeyman Steve Pearce. Pearce will
singlehandedly make left handed pitchers cry, while also pounding the ball
against righties. The Potatoes lineup
looked loaded before this pick – good luck to opposing pitchers once Kilmer
adds Pearce to the squad.
