The 2039 UMEBA Entry Draft's Top Prospects

[TheKenwyne]

As the first year player draft looms for UMEBA, let's talk about some of the top prospects forecast to go in the early going this year. This isn't a mock draft per se, more an assessment of the talents on offer to UMEBA GMs going into the first round.

Hitters
1B Adam Backhouse
A big hoss with a terrifying bat, the 6'7 Backhouse is the best pure hitter in the class. Projected to have terrifying power and excellent contact, his biggest weakness are his penchant for chasing bad pitches and his poor defensive abilities - something his high school coaches have fixed by putting him at the frequent defensive liability spot of First Base. He's got a 1.474 OPS in the Oceania Baseball Academy this year through 19 ABs, which means GMs may have to gamble that scouts are right regarding the potential of this 17-year-old's bat without real statistical guidance. If he matures as expected, Backhouse's ceiling is BBA All Star, never mind UMEBA MVP.

1B/3B Marco Acheson
The second scarily talented hitter to occupy the 1B position and near guarantee himself a first round selection in the draft, Acheson is projected to be a better all rounder than Backhouse. Without the latter's terrifying power, Acheson, about a month older, is not the same defensive liability who's showed some competence at Third Base also. He also has better plate discipline, and is faster on the bases. Last year, in 60 ABs he managed a .747 OPS. With a lower ceiling than Backhouse due to his more limited power, Acheson is still expected to be capable of being an everyday player in the BBA, and a certified All Star if he spends his career in UMEBA.

C Wally Dingle
Yet another slugger with good potential, the excellently named Dingle pales in comparison to the aforementioned players. Plodding on the basepaths and lacking the gap power of his contemporaries, he's got similar Homerun potential to Acheson at least, and a powerful arm behind the plate. However, he's not even received a proper defensive rating as of the present at Catcher, despite that being his listed position, so concern persists as to whether he'll be able to contribute there. If he can grow into his potential as a Catcher, this is another guy with a BBA ceiling, though it's not as high as the two aforementioned players.

OF Baden Goulding
Another power hitter? In my UMEBA 2039 Draft Class? I never. Less disciplined at the plate than Dingle and Acheson but better than Backhouse, and with similar ability to murder a baseball as the latter, Goulding's most notable upside is his excellent defensive skills for a player of his young age - he's the only guy in this stratosphere yet to turn 16. He already has the basics to become a highly effective outfielder, along with good speed and stealing ability round the basepaths. Possibly the most rounded of the prospects thus far mentioned on both sides of the ball, Goulding feels like a safe pick who may also be BBA bound in the future.

2B Takechi Eida
An on base machine, Eida makes up for his shortcomings in the power department by almost always putting the ball in play or walking, with strike outs a rarity. Though his slugging numbers will raise no eyebrows, solid defensive fundamentals and good speed and stealing make Eida a likely middle infield fixture in the UMEBA of the future, if a BBA GM doesn't poach him first.

LF Willem Snijders
With elite contact hitting, Snijders is more limited at the plate than any of our other contenders, striking out more frequently and chasing bad pitches. He also is at best an average defensive player, despite being a solid baserunner. The first guy we've discussed who has no business dreaming of the BBA, Snijders will almost certainly be an everyday player at the UMEBA level.

IF Ivan Lovett
A good all rounder with solid defence, Lovett's biggest hole in his game is his slow pace around the basepaths. With reps already logged across the infield, the absolute minimum for this player would see him rostered as a utility infielder.

RF/LF Fraser Tisdale
The last hitter who stands out from the crowd, Tisdale has some solid power, but strikes out too often. Fast on the basepaths, he's a mediocre defender saved by his cannon of an arm, able to get the ball in from the outfield with ease. Another player who'll easily find his way onto UMEBA rosters, he's already familiar at both corner outfield positions.

Pitchers
RHP Joe D'antonio
One of the "big four" pitching prospects in this draft, D'antonio is a knuckleballer. And his knuckleball is terrifying. "Unhittable", according to several scouts who've laid eyes on the big 6'8 Aussie. Despite his superlative knuckleball, D'antonio is expected to find himself in trouble if forced to rely on his other pitches, with neither his fastball or slider expected to be anything special. With neither his control or movement anything to write home about, any GM drafting this player is gambling that his knuckleball remains unhittable at the UMEBA level, and possibly beyond.

RHP Gerry Devereux
One of those players likely to trouble GMs when it comes to whether he should start games, the 6'5 Devereux has a power fastball and a killer changeup, but his curveball has problems fooling batters. Already showing masteful control and with reasonably lively stuff and movement, if one can look past his limited pitch mix, Devereux is a certain starter. If one can't, both his fastball, which clocks 96MPH for the 18 year old, and his changeup look like strikeout pitches, giving him upside out of the bullpen.

LHP Johan Trojka
The oldest of the prospects being discussed today at 19 and a half, Trojka is perhaps unsurprsingly the most complete pitcher of the aforementioned big 4. A five pitch mix, all of which project to useable once he matures. and excellent stuff, movement and control, Trojka is probably the safest pick amongst the big name pitchers of the draft. The Czech's fastball already clocks in at 97, and the rest of his repetoire - cutter, changeup, splitter, forkball - underline his versatility. I'd expect this chap to go first of all the big arms in this year's draft.

RHP Wally Bowden
The last of the big four pitching prospects, and a notch below his rivals for GM's affections, Bowden still packs a lot of upside. In nearly everything, he looks like a right handed shadow of Trojka. His stuff, movement and control is all good, but not quite as good as the Czech's. His four pitch mix is impressive, but not as good as the lefty's - and though fastball (97, again like Trojka), splitter and forkball all look like they'll trouble UMEBA hitters, his changeup is already starting to look like a liability. Still, bonafide starters are hard to find, and even with the caveats, Bowden looks certain to become one of those, making him a contender to go second of the big four, despite his shortcomings.

RHP Nick Angwin
A reliever, Angwin looks like he has potential to develop into a solid closer. Both his 96MPH fastball and his changeup look like strikeout pitches, and his stuff and movement are already coming along nicely. If he can work on some control problems, he'll be a fixture in an UMEBA bullpen before too long.

LHP Norman Chivers
Another reliever, Chivers vs. Angwin will be an interesting decision one team has to make this year. Packing a 99mph fastball and a scary splitter, Chivers has similar stuff, worse movement and better control. Along with throwing from his left side, one wonders if this will advantage him over Angwin when the time comes for someone to take the draft's first reliever.

RHP Bernie Kesterton
Nothing really stands out about the 6'8 Kesterton, according to scouts, aside from his massive height and his accuracy. "This guy never misses his spots!", one scout enthused after seeing him pitch in the Oceania Baseball Academy. His pitch mix (fastball (92MPH), sinker, changeup) is mediocre at best, as is both his stuff and movement, which rather takes the shine off an otherwise interesting prospect.

RHP Mitch Lee
The last pitching prospect to discuss, Lee, the second 19 year old up for grabs this year, is similar to Kesterton. More modestly proportioned (a mere 6'4) and with a more exciting set of pitches (fastball (96MPH), curveball and changeup all look like they have the potential to get strikeouts), Lee falls down due to his inferior command, and doesn't really offer an upgrade in the stuff or movement categories.

Anyone disagree vehemently with me?

[usnspecialist]

I don't think I have seen anyone with 1 eye before, much less a guy with as much potential otherwise as backhouse. That is incredible

[ThePreyingManta]

Great analysis! And now we wait to get this thing started.

[Fat Nige]

I think Beirut's been bombed. Appears to be no survivors?

[bschr682]

Ugggh. This isn't good.

[Fat Nige]

I have no problems with real life getting in the way, it happens to us all, but just tell us or Matt when something happens. It is so frustrating to sit by and watch the time tick by. You just know we're going to pay for it as everything is rushed once we get underway to beat the timer. With only eight of us we could have used these three days before the clock starts to get well ahead of time and allow a few bouts of 'Real Life' not to bother us

[jaaahm]

I have a list so pick 2 will come fast.

[jleddy]

FYI, looks like Beirut has list pick on (and with a list...love when people have list pick on but no players listed), but his pick won't go until the draft technically starts tomorrow. Maybe nudging him to make his first pick to override the list pick will be able to kickstart things for y'all.

[allenciox]

What time does the draft start today? Things will definitely slow down or stop for my pick (pick 4) as I still don't have access to the draft on StatsPlus. I sent PM to recte yesterday but nothing has happened yet. Perhaps I can do it through putting messages on here if I still don't have access when it comes to my pick (can't really use Slack at work).