2017
	BASEBALL TODAY AND TOMORROW
Welcome to this year's edition of BT&T as we preview the 2017 ZSABL. A couple years ago
we stated that due to the vast amount of information at the fingertips of today's general
managers that draft day is no longer only for the upcoming season but for the future as
well. Today more and more prospects who may or may not see the big leagues are being
drafted and this year was no exception. Ball clubs not drafting for the future could
find themselves left behind as their ball clubs increase in age and the top prospects
are already on ZSABL rosters.
Relief pitching has become such a hot commodity that some teams sport 10 or more
of them on their roster. There were twelve AZ relievers available in the draft with 50
or more innings and they would be gone by the 31st pick of the draft.
Using our PIP rating method a grade 5 is a player with high impact for the upcoming
season. Prospects highest rating is 4. Relief pitchers will not be graded.
On to the ratings:

THE EASTERN DIVISION

AMSTERDAM
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
3B	1	Alex Bregman	4.0
C	2	Sandy Leon	3.4
P	2	Alex Reyes	3.9
3B	3	Vlad Guerrero,Jr.	3.5
p	6	Michael Kopech	3.5
P	7	Kyle Barraclough	X
1B	8	Tommy Joseph	3.5
P	9	Chad Bettis	2.9
SS	10	Willy Adames	3.5
3B	11	Jeimer Candelario	3.3
The Draft
The Bulldogs with the second overall pick in the draft selected third baseman Alex
Bregman he has star potential. They followed that pick with catcher Sandy Leon in the
second round we aren't sold on the bat. In the 3rd round they picked highly touted
pitcher Alex Reyes and as luck would have it he will be going under the knife. Still
he is very young and should bounce back. Vladimir Guerrero Jr at all of 18 years of age
was selected in the 3rd round he'll be expected to replace Kyle Seager in the future.
With no picks in the 4th and 5th round they selected un-carded pitcher Michael Kopech.
He can get his heater over 100 mph, time will tell if he ends up being a starter or reliever.
Speaking of relievers the Bulldogs selected reliever Kyle Barraclough(BW) in the 7th.
First baseman Tommy Joseph was picked in the 8th. Followed by Colorado starting pitcher
Chad Bettis(D)in the 9th round??? Highly touted shortstop Willy Adames was selected in the
10th round and they finished their draft with prospect third baseman Jeimer Candelario in
the 11th round.
PIP 3.50
Team Synopsis
Amsterdam went in to this year's draft with their focus on the future. They have one (BZ)
starter with limited innings and three without control. The bullpen has one A reliever
without control. Their offense led by Anthony Rizzo would make the Bulldogs a competitive
ball club in the division but the pitching is woefully inadequate. They could have improved
it in the draft but as stated earlier they were drafting for the future. Overall the Bulldogs
had a good draft we question the Bettis and Candelario picks but none the less it should
improve their ball club going forward.
BROOKLYN
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
P	1	Chris Devenski	5.0
SS	1	Glyber Torres	4.0
2B	1	Ryan Schimpf	4.0
P	1	Addison Reed	x
P	1	Tony Barnette	x
OF	2	Tyler Naquin	4.5
3B	3	Nick Senzel	3.7
OF	4	Matt Joyce	3.8
P	5	Alec Asher	3.5
P	6	Mike Foltynewicz	3.5
SS	7	Kevin Maitan	3.3
OF	8	Alex Dickerson	3.5
3B	9	Matt Chapman	3.4
The Draft
Brooklyn pulled off a trade with Union Station (SURPRISE) getting the Cowboys first round
pick for 2B Jon Schoop to start their draft, giving them five first round picks. With the
fifth pick of the draft they selected pitcher Chris Devenski B(AZ )he can start or relieve.
Next came the highest rated prospect at shortstop Glyber Torres followed by two relievers
Addison Reed(AZ) and Tony Barnette(ACZ) as they tried to corner the market. Quite a first
round. In the second round they selected outfielder Tyler Naquin. In the third round they
selected 3B prospect Nick Senzel we really like him. Next came a hatchet card in OF Matt
Joyce you can always use one of these when making a run for the championship. In the fifth
round they took pitcher Alec Asher(AZ)not many innings but can start up to 5 games. Pitcher
Mike Foltynewicz(CZ)was selected in the 6th. In the 7th round Venazulean 16 year old shortstop
Kevin Maitan was selected he could be something special but it will be awhile till he see's
Brooklyn. Outfielder Alex Dickerson was taken in the 8th round he could surprise. They ended
their draft with another third base prospect Matt Chapman he will have to cut down on the
strikeouts before he sees the big show. Perhaps the best draft of the day.
PIP 3.84
Team Synopsis
Rich Hill(A) is the ace of the pitching staff but with limited innings Asher will be paired
with him to help offset that to a degree. Three BZ and a CZ fill out the rest of the rotation.
Brooklyn possess the deepest bullpen in the league with no less than 6 AZ relievers and a BZZ
to boot. They field a respectable offense anchored by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt however
it is not the strongest in the division. Teams will need to strike early to have a shot at
beating the Mets as they turn to their bullpen from the 6th inning on and who can blame them.
Brooklyn has yet to win a division crown even though they just celebrated their 1000th career
win. It's time to get that monkey off their backs but can they do it? If not the Met’s fans will be looking for a managerial change.
LAS VEGAS
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
P	2	Nate Jones	x
P	2	Mike Montgomery	x
OF	2	Andrew Toles	4.0
OF	3	Keon Broxton	3.4
C	4	Mike Zunino	3.3
P	7	Brandon Kintzler	x
P	9	Matt Andriese	3.6
1B	10	Mike Napoli	3.7
1B	11	Casey Gillaspie	3.5
2B	12	Willie Calhoun	3.4
OF	13	Jacoby Ellsbury	3.0
P	14	Luis Severino	3.3
The Draft
Las Vegas did not have a first round pick however they did have three in the second round.
They started out by picking two relievers Nate Jones(AZ) and Mike Montgomery(A). If
Montgomery breaks the Cubs starting rotation this pick could be huge, none the less 100
innings of A relief never hurts! With their 3rd pick in round two they took outfielder Andrew
Toles. Round three brought another outfielder in speedster Keon Broxton we aren't sold on the
bat but he has speed to burn. Catcher Mike Zunino was selected in the 4th round followed by
reliever Brandon Kintzler(BZ). Starting pitcher Matt Andriese(CZ) was selected in the 9th round.
Next came Mike Napoli he adds depth followed by the highly regarded un-carded first baseman
Casey Gillaspie in the 11th. Second baseman prospect Willie Calhoun was picked in the 12th
round not many publication have him rated too high but he's only 21 and made AA this past year.
We think you'll hear more of him going forward. A surprising pick in OF Jacoby Ellsbury in the
13th round, his only saving grace is he's a (3) fielding outfielder. They finished their draft
by taking a flier on pitcher Luis Severino(D).
PIP 3.47
Team Synopsis
Las Vegas with the best record in baseball last year will once again be a team to reckon with.
The pitching staff is led by Jon Lester(AZ)followed up with three BZ starters, very formidable.
The bullpen is light on AZ relief but Montgomery helps to make it more palatable. Fred Freeman
and JD Martinez lead the offense. If there is anything to be picky about the starting outfield
defense is a bit shaky. Make no mistake about it the Crazy Horse will be right in the thick of
it.
Maine
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
P	1	Michael Fulmer	5.0
P	2	Ryan Dull	X
P	3	Edwin Diaz	X
P	4	Tyler Thornburg	X
C	4	Alex Avila	3.1
C	5	Carson Kelly	3.5
P	5	Zach Duke	X
P	6	Matt Bowman	X
SS	7	Fred Galvis	3.0
1B	7	Ken Vargas	3.4
OF	8	Paulo Orlando	3.0
P	8	Jason Groome	3.0
P	9	Brian Ellington	X
The Draft
Maine with the first pick of the draft selected starting pitcher Michael Fulmer he should anchor
the Maui's rotation for years to come. They followed that with three A relief pitchers in rounds
two, three and four. Ryan Dull(AZ), Edwin Diaz(AZ) and Tyler Thorburg(A) nothing to quibble about
here. Maine needing to fill a big hole at catcher took catcher Alex Avila they followed that
with highly rated prospect catcher Carson Kelly. We think the strategy was right on however we
liked Francisco Mejia over Carson. We are not sure that Carson's bat will live up to the hype.
Also in the 5th they took relief pitcher Zach Duke(A) followed by relief pitcher Matt Bowman(BZ)
in the 6th round. In the 7th round they selected shortstop Fred Galvis as they needed a backup at
the position however IMHO Tim Anderson was the SS to take. Next Maine went looking for a first
baseman and settled on Ken Vargas in the 7th. He still may become the hitter that many thought he
would be. Paulo Orlando in the eighth round was a wasted pick as there were carded and un-carded
outfielders with much higher upside available. In the same round they took 19 year old pitcher
Jason Groome he needs a few more years of “grooming” but has the potential to be a front line
pitcher. With their final pick in the 9th they took relief pitcher Brian Ellington(A).
PIP 3.43
Team Synopsis
Maine's rotation is made up of three B pitchers two of which have control and two C's one having
control. The bullpen has 6 (A) pitchers a big plus for the Maui's. Mookie Betts is the star on
this ball club and Jean Segura is no slouch either. After you take away the two top offensive
teams in the division the Maui's are right there with the rest of the pack. This was one of the
better drafts for Maine as they built themselves a bullpen that will help take some of the
pressure off of the starting rotation. That in itself enables skipper Deeter to keep games close.
There is nothing to argue about with the strategy Maine used coming into the draft we think it
worked out well with a couple changes it could have been even better. The Maui's will play
competitive ball we see them battling for 4^th place with a host of others.
Philadelphia
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
P	1	Chris Tillman	4.1
OF	2	Robbie Grossman	3.5
P	3	Hector Neris	X
P	3	Brent Honeywell	3.8
OF	4	Hyun Soo Kim	3.5
P	5	Dan Jennings	X
P	5	Nick Tropeano	3.5
P	6	Heath Hembree	X
OF	6	Carlos Beltran	4.2
C	8	Chance Sisco	3.4
P	9	Jordan Zimmermann	3.5
P	10	Dillon Gee	3.4
3B	11	Martin Prado	3.4
OF	12	Mitch Haniger	3.6
The Draft
The Sox's had the overall 8th and 9th picks of the draft and with the 8th they selected starting
pitcher Chris Tillman(B) they then traded the 9th pick to Memphis for Mikel Franco, Greg
Bird and AJ Pollock what a haul! In the second round they selected outfielder Robbie Grossman.
They followed that with relief pitcher Hector Neris(A) and highly touted prospect pitcher Brent
Honeywell in the third round. In the 4th round they selected outfielder Hyun Soo Kim. The Black
Sox's had two picks in the fifth and selected relief pitcher Dan Jennings(AC)and starting pitcher
Nick Tropeano(B). Our Choice for a starter would have been Ivan Nova. Relief pitcher Heath Embree
(A) was selected in the sixth round along with outfielder Carlos Beltan. Nice pick. Highly touted
catching prospect Chance Sisco was selected in the 8th round. In the ninth round they took a flier
on starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. We like it. In the 10th round they selected Dillon Gee(CZ)
he will be used as a relief pitcher. Third baseman Martin Prado was taken in the 11th round he's
an upgrade defensively. With their last pick of the draft they selected outfielder Mitch Haniger.
A STEAL!
PIP 3.63
Team Synopsis
Philadelphia’s rotation consists of four (B) starters only one with control that being Madison
Bumgarner. The bullpen has five (A) pitchers only one with control. Offensively the Sox's
are led by Cespedes and Seager. Defensively they are challenged. With one of the better drafts
of the day the Sox's helped to improve their offense putting them in the mix for a fourth place
finish and a future that looks bright.
ROCHESTER
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
SS	1	Aledmys Diaz	4.0
1B	1	Cody Bellinger	4.0
P	3	Derek Law	X
P	5	Jeremy Hellickson	4.0
P	8	Ivan Nova	4.2
P	9	Deolis Guerra	X
C	10	Tucker Barnhart	3.2
P	11	Chris Rusin	3.4
C	12	Anthony Recker	3.0
P	13	Carlos Torres	X
OF	14	Charlie Tilson	3.4
OF	15	Roman Quinn	3.5
P/OF	16	Shohei Otani	3.4
P	16	Tim Adleman	3.4
The Draft
The Rochester Rockers kicked off their draft with the 3rd overall pick and selected shortstop
Aledmys Diaz a nice upgrade over Zack Cozart the bat is legit but the glove may necessitate a
switch in positions. The Rocker's also had the overall 6th pick and with that they selected
who may have been the best prospect in the draft, first baseman Cody Bellinger. Reliever Derek
Law(AZ) was selected in the third round followed by starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson(CZ) in
the 5th round. They did not pick again until the eighth round and selected starting pitcher
Ivan Nova(CZ)don't be surprise if you see a career year from Nova. Reliever Deolis Guerrs(BZ)
came aboard in round number nine. They selected catcher Tucker Barnhardt in the 10th round
followed by starting pitcher Chris Rusin(CZ). They needed a backup catcher so they selected
Anthony Recker in the 12th round. Relief pitcher Carlos Torres(B) was picked in the 13th round
followed by outfield prospect Charlie Tilson. Tilson is slated to start in Chicago he has speed
but not much pop. The Rockers than selected the highly touted outfield prospect Roman Quinn in the
15th round followed by the elite prospect out of Japan Shohei Otani. They ended their draft with
starting pitcher Tim Adlelman(CZ).
PIP 3.59
Team Synopsis
Rochester needed to build a pitching staff but with their first two picks in round one they
drafted position players. They did not panic and ended up with a respectable rotation as well.
We love it that's how you build a ball club. The starting rotation consists of two (B) pitchers
no control and four (CZ) pitchers and they will need all of them due to low innings. They were
however unable to build a bullpen as they sport only one (AZ)and two (BZ)relievers. The offense
is led by two studs in Trout and Bryant along with newcomer Diaz but falls off significantly after
that. The Rocker's built a respectable rotation however it pales in comparison to other teams in
the East and there is not much help in the pen. The defense is woefully lacking as well. Rochester
had a wonderful draft their only glitch not drafting a catching prospect. The Rockers are on the
right track but are a couple of years away. Look for them to battle for fourth place in the East.
SHERWOOD
Position	Round	Player	PIP Grade
OF	4	Cameron Maybin	3.8
P	4	Robert Gsellman	3.8
P	5	Seth Lugo	3.7
P	6	Marc Rzepczynski	X
P	6	Sammy Solis	X
P	7	Richard Bleier	X
P	8	Nick Wittgren	X
P	9	Chad Khul	3.3
P	10	Grant Dayton	X
P	11	Sean Doolittle	X
P	12	Albert Suarez	3.3
3B	13	Eugenio Suarez	3.4
P	14	Ryan Pressly	X
P	15	Andrew Triggs	X
P	16	Jake Barrett	X
The Draft
Sherwood selected thirteen pitchers out of their 15 picks in the draft. The Machine did not draft
until the 4th round and they had two picks. With the first they took outfielder Cameron Maybin and
with the second starting pitcher Robert Gsellman(A). They followed that with four (A) relievers
with a total of 176 innings with Richard Bleier(ACZ) the only one with control. Reliever Nick
Wittgren(BZ) was taken in the 8th round followed by starting pitcher Chad Kuhl(C) in the 9th.
Rounds 10 and 11 brought more relief in Grant Dayton(A) and Sean Doolittle(BZ). Starting pitcher
Albert Suarez was selected in the 12th round. A POSITION player, only the second of their draft, came
in round thirteen and that was third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Rounds 14 thru 16 brought more relief
with the final pick being Jake Barrett(B). Sherwood’s draft was decisive and precise!
PIP 3.52
Team Synopsis
Sherwood is anchored by Noah Syndergaard(AZ)and Kyle Hendricks(AZ) they match the pair up with Jose
Quintana(BZ) and a combination of Gsellman, Suarez, Lugo and Kuhl. The bullpen will play a big part
for Sherwood as they shuffle their rotation around due to limited innings with their starters.
That shouldn't be a problem with 12 relief pitchers on their roster but only 127 innings of (AZ)
relief. It will need to be monitored carefully and we are sure skipper Tarantino will be more than
up to the task. The Machine sport one of the strongest offenses in the division led by Trevor
Story and D.J. Lemahieu. Sherwood has finished 3rd or better with five first place finishes
since 2010. This season they will be adding to that impressive record.