Baseball Today and Tomorrow

 

 

This year’s 2015 ZSABL draft was thin on hitting making it difficult for teams to improve their overall offensive numbers. This can be attributed to the vast amount of information and projections used by today’s ZSABL general managers when making their draft strategies for the present and future. We believe this to be a continuing trend for the foreseeable future. Here at BT&T we incorporated a new grading system (PIP) last year to rate each player drafted and it was well received. We have made two changes this year to our grading system.

 

1. A player 5 rating is a player with immediate high impact for the upcoming season.

 

2. Due to the abundant number of “A” relievers they will not be rated this year.

 

              

Pensacola

 

Position     Round        Player             PIP Grade

P              1     Dallas Kuechel            5

P              1     Dellin Betances           x

3B             2     Luis Valbuena             3.8

OF             3     Chris Coughlan            3.8

P              3     Jared Hughes              x             

OF             4     Kevin Kiermaier           3.3

INF            5     Marwin Gonzalez           3.2

C              6     Kurt Suzuki               3

P              7     Joakim Soria              x

OF             9     Jake Smolinski            3.2

3B             10    Yangervis Solarte         2.8

P(UC)          11    Kyle Freeland             3.5

P              12    Brandon League            x

P(UC)          13    Ian Clarkin               3.1

 

THE DRAFT

Pensacola had 2 picks in the 1st round and took two pitchers Dallas Kuechel and reliever Dellin Betances. We realize it’s hard to pass on a 200 Inning (AZ) starter but their rotation was not where they needed the help and (A) relievers were a dime a dozen. Here at BT&T we would have taken Pearce or Martinez with the 1st pick and Swihart or Seager with the 2nd, enough said. In the 2nd round they took third basemen Luis Valbuena he qualifies at 2B and that is where they’ll play him, moving Zobrist to short. Nice. With 2 picks in the 3rd they chose OF Chris Coughlan and (A) reliever Hughes, Coughlan certainly will help. Kevin Kiermaier was their 4th round pick and will add OF depth. Infielder Marwin Gonzalez was a nice pick in the 5th as he can play just about anywhere and won’t kill you with his bat. In the 6th round they took catcher Kurt Suzuki and in the 7th Joakim Soria a BZZ not bad. Outfielder Jake Smolinski was taken in the 9th, the jury is still out on just how much of that pop is for real but what the heck he’s worth a flier. In the 10th they took third basemen Solarte he’ll be starting at 3B for San Diego but Will Middlebbrooks is knocking on the door. They took uncarded pitcher Kyle Freeman a 1st round pick for the Rockies, a lot of upside here but a couple of years away from the show. Reliever Brandon League was taken in the 12th round and they finished their draft in round 13 with Ian Clarkin a 2013 1st round pitcher for the Yankees. He’s a few years away. PIP 3.47

 

 

THE ROSTER

Adding Kuechel (AZ) makes for one of the strongest pitching staffs in the division and he makes a nice compliment to Kershaw. The rest of the staff is quite capable as well, consisting of 4 BZ starters. With a team total OPS of .792 you would think they don’t have much of a chance to make the playoffs, guess what? It is the third highest OPS in the Western division perhaps making an argument for their 1st round pick of Kuechel. They definitely picked up players in the draft that will help so you have to say a playoff spot is not out of the picture. Still, with only one player with at least 400 at bats and a OPS over .800 the Piranha manager will need to be at the top of his game to make that a reality.

 

 

 

Norfolk

 

Position     Round        Player            PIP Grade

2B             1     Joe Panik                3.9

1B             2     C.J. Cron                3.9

P              3     Aaron Sanchez            x

SS             4     Wilmer Flores            3.5

P              5     Santiago Casilla         x

C              6     Andrew Susac             3.3

3B             7     Jake Lamb                3.5

P              8     Dominic Leone            x

P(UC)          9     Alex Meyer               3.4

P              12    Aroldis Chapman          x

 

 

 

THE DRAFT

The Neptunes picked second basemen Joe Panick with their first round selection. Is he worthy of a first rounder? In most years probably not but there were few impact players in this draft. With the 12th selection overall, the only young players remaining and worthy of a 1st round were arguably Seager and Swihart. That being said, Panik certainly would be gone by the time Norfolk would pick again in the second round. And they just couldn’t let that happen. In the 2nd round they picked C.J. Cron a nice pick here as they try to solidify their 1B situation. In the 3rd they picked a (AB) reliever in Sanchez. With the 4th round pick they selected SS Wilmer Flores he was a highly regarded prospect with the Mets and at the age of 23 has a nice upside. In the 5th they took reliever Casilla. The 6th round pick was catcher Andrew Susac he presently backs up Posey but has all the makings of a very good backstop himself. But until Posey moves to first he will have limited at bats. In the 7th round they took 3B Jake Lamb here at BT&T we feel that Tomas will end up in the OF for Arizona giving Lamb another chance to prove himself. Reliever Leone was picked in the 8th. Un-carded pitcher Alex Meyer was taken in the 9th round, a highly regarded prospect for the Twins, control issues have held him back from the big show. At this point their draft was completed, that was, until Brooklyn released Aroldis Chapman in the 12th and the Neptunes quickly swept in and grabbed him. PIP 3.58

 

 

 

THE ROSTER

This is the strongest pitching staff in the division led by Wainwright and Zimmerman. With Lance Lynn(A) and Porcello(BZ) filling out a very formidable staff. On offense they are lead by Stanton, Morneau and Lind. Lind has limited at bats. We went back to 2004 when the ZSABL began listing player OPS numbers and Norfolk was never below .800 in fact one year they had an OPS over.900! That shows you the state of hitting in MLB today. But some owners are hinting that perhaps Norfolk management has lost some of their touch. Here at BT&T we don’t think so. Even with their low OPS number this year the Neptunes will be battling for a playoff spot in the weaker Western division.

 

 

 

 

 

San Diego

 

Position     Round        Player             PIP Grade

SS             1     Danny Santana             5

P              3     Mike Fiers                3.8

3B             4     Trevor Plouffe            3.9

P              6     Zack Duke                 x

C              7     Steve Vogt                3.4

P              8     Adam Warren               x

P              9     Joe Beimel                x

OF/1B          10    Ryan Rau                  3.4

P(UC)          11    Aaron Nola                3.4

P              12    Shane Greene              3

OF             13    Anthony Gose              3

 

 

 

THE DRAFT

With their 1st selection the 76ers surprised just about everyone when they chose SS Danny Santana. Here at BT&T we felt they would go for offense since it was in such limited supply and Santana was the logical choice looking at their roster. Hopefully he stays at SS. Their second pick of the draft came in the 3rd round and they selected starting pitcher Mike Fiers(A) who has limited innings but an (A) is an (A). In the 4th they took 3B Trevor Plouffe an excellent pick. Relief help came in the 6th with Zach Duke and in the 7th round they selected catcher Steve Vogt, he’ll fit in nicely on this roster. In the 8th and 9th rounds more relief help was added. In the 10th they selected OF/1B Ryan Rau a nice pick this late in the draft. Un-carded Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola was next and may make the big show in 2015. They selected pitcher Shane Greene he may end up being the 5th starter in Detroit so there is upside here. With their final pick in the 13th round they took a flier on Anthony Gose, not much pop but will be given the chance in Detroit to start. PIP 3.61

 

 

 

THE ROSTER

Though this pitching staff is not as strong as others in the division, it is still very capable with Hamels being the ace of the staff. The offense lacks big time pop as Chris Davis struggled last year. However they did make picks in the draft Santana, Plouffe and Fiers that will keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot.

 

 

 

Hartford

 

Position     Round        Player             PIP Grade

P              2     Scott Kazmir              4.4

P              3     Drew Storen               x

INF            4     Kris Negron               3.2

OF             5     Seth Smith                3.8

2B(UC)         5     Jose Peraza               3.3

P              6     Jesse Hahn                3.6

P              8     Jake Petricka             x

2B(UC)         8     Micah Johnson             3.3

 

 

 

THE DRAFT

Hartford’s first pick of the draft came in the second round where they selected starting pitcher Scott Kazmir(BZ). In the third they took relief pitcher Drew Storen(ABZ). In the 4th round they took utility infielder Kris Negron who at the age of 29 had a good year with the Reds but he may see less playing time this year. Outfielder Seth Smith was selected in the 5th round, which surprised us that he was available this far in to the draft. Un-carded 2B Jose Peraza was next for the Hurricanes, a prospect in the Atlanta organization who will have a shot this spring for the starting gig. Peraza has lots of speed and bats for a high average but lacks power. In the 6th they selected starting pitcher Jesse Hahn of the Oakland A’s, the kid looks like he could be something special. With two picks in the 8th round they picked relief help and un-carded second baseman Micah Johnson a highly touted second basemen in the White Sox’s organization.

PIP 3.60

 

 

 

 

 

THE ROSTER

Much like San Diego’s pitching staff Hartford’s may not be the strongest but is more than capable with Alex Wood leading the way. The addition of pitcher Scott Kazmir(BZ) helps immensely. On offense they have the second highest OPS in the division led by Jose Bautista and Big Papi David Ortiz. Getting Seth Smith adds a nice player to their mix as well. If there is one thing about this roster it’s that they should have released at least 3 players and taken some more young un-carded prospects. With that being said, Hartford has enough to make the playoffs in this wide-open division.

 

 

 

 

Seattle

 

Position     Round        Player            PIP Grade

UTI            1     Josh Harrison            5

P              3     Jason Hammel             3.5

P              5     Scott Feldman            3.2

P              6     Mike Morin               x

P              7     Jeremy Affeldt           x

P              8     Sam Dyson                x

P              9     Danny Farquhar           x

P              10    Kevin Jepsen             x

1B/Of          11    Garret Jones             3

OF             12    Gregor Blanco            2.0

C              13    Rene Rivera              3.8

P              14    Chris Hatcher            2.0

P              15    Fernando Salas           2.0

 

 

 

THE DRAFT

Seattle selected Josh Harrison with the 2nd pick of the 2015 draft, you’ll get no complaints here. In the third round they took starting pitcher Jason Hammel and with the 5th round they selected starting pitcher Scott Feldman, why? We do not know. Both these picks should have been used for more offense. Their next 5 picks in rounds 6 thru 10 they took four (A) relievers. In the 11th they picked 1B Garret Jones to backup Francisco. In the 12th round they selected outfielder Blanco most likely for his fielding 3 rating. Catcher Rene Rivera was the next in round 13, a very nice selection this late. For their final 2 picks in rounds 14 &15 they took two (BZ) relievers again, we are not sure why. PIP 3.06

 

 

 

THE ROSTER

The Scouts came into the draft with a set rotation led by Doug Fister and they added Hammel for depth. It’s a solid pitching staff. Offensively, Cuddyer, Cruz and the newly acquired Harrison lead the way. Cuddyer has limited at bats. Josh Donaldson is solid at third. With their fortuitous rolling of the dice don’t count them out for a playoff spot.

 

 

 

 

Union Station

 

Position     Round        Player            PIP Grade

P              1     Phil Hughes              5

C/OF(UC)       3     Kyle Schwarber           3.7

1B             4     Kennys Vargas            4

OF             4     Dave Peralta             3.5

C(UC)          5     Peter O’Brien            3.4

OF(UC)         5     Aaron Judge              3.4

P              6     Wily Peralta             3.5

1B             7     Ben Paulsen              2.8

P              8     Brad Boxberger           x

P              9     Neal Ramirez             x

P              10    Brett Anderson           3.7

P              11    Fernando Rodney          x

P              12    Pedro Strop              x

 

 

 

THE DRAFT

Part of a big trade at the start of the draft, USMC acquired arguably the best prospect in baseball in Kris Bryant, forfeiting 2 first round picks in the draft. However with one remaining they selected starting pitcher Phil Hughes(BZZ). In the 3rd round they selected un-carded C/OF Kyle Schwarber from the Cubs, he comes with a big time bat. With 2 picks in the 4th round they selected Ken Vargas and Dave Peralta. BT&T had Vargas rated high. Peralta gives them the highest OPS outfielder on their roster. In the 5th they also had 2 picks and took two un-carded prospects in Peter O’Brien and Aaron Judge. Catcher O’Brien hit 34 HR’s between A+ and AA in 2014. Arizona will have him on the fast track if his defense is up to snuff. Judge is a highly rated prospect as well. In the 6th round they selected starting pitcher Wily Peralta. First basemen Ben Paulsen was picked in the 7th round however, he doesn’t excite us. In their two next rounds they picked relief pitching. Round 10 saw Brett Anderson as their pick and we do like this flier. Their final two picks in rounds 11 and 12 were (A) relief. PIP 3.67

 

 

 

 

THE ROSTER

Led by their 1st round pick in the draft Phil Hughes USMC boasts all (B) starters but only 2 with control. Their offense has the lowest OPS in the division at .736. The roster is loaded with young talent and if they jell in the 2015 MLB season USMC will be a contender for years to come, until than they will struggle.

 

 

 

 

 

Memphis

 

Position     Round        Player             PIP Grade

OF             1     Jorge Soler               4.4

P              2     Jacob de Grom             4

OF             2     Lorenzo Cain              3.7

P              4     Wade Davis                x

P              4     Hector Rondon             x

2B(UC)         7     Devon Travis              3.5

2B             8     Dilson Herrera            3.5

P              9     Shawn Tolleson            x

SS             10    Chris Taylor              3.2

1B(UC)         11    D.J. Peterson             3.2

OF             12    Desmond Jennings          3.3

1B(UC)         14    Greg Bird                 3

 

 

 

THE DRAFT

The Sound with the 1st overall pick of the draft selected Cub outfielder Jorge Soler. In round two Memphis had two picks and with a(A) starter still on the board they quickly picked Jacob de Grom and followed him with OF Lorenzo Cain. In the 4th they had 2 picks as well and selected relief help in Davis and Rondon. In the 7th round they picked un-carded prospect Devon Travis who will get a shot to start in Toronto. In the 8th they picked the Mets second baseman of the future Dilson Herrera. A relief pitcher came next in round 9 in Shawn Tolleson. In the 10th they took SS Chris Taylor as they needed an eligible player for their roster at that position. However we do like his upside as well. In the 11th they picked Seattle Prospect D. J. Peterson who hit 31 hrs between A+ and AA ball in 2014. They were surprised when Desmond Jennings was released by USMC and grabbed him in the 12th round. Their final pick was NYY 1B prospect Greg Bird.

PIP 3.53

 

 

 

THE ROSTER

Memphis’s pitching staff is made up of 3 (A) and 3 (BZ) pitchers and they will need every one of them due to low innings. It is not as strong as some staffs in their division but should be strong enough. The offense is the best in the West with a OPS of .834. The team is lead by Abreu, Puig and Posey. Soler, who they coveted, will fill in at bats for AJ Pollock who has only 265 AB. Overall this is a very good ball club and they will be shooting for their first division championship. But there is a lot of ball to be played before that can come to fruition.