Analysis of the First Round of the 2047 BBA Amateur Draft

[aaronweiner]

This is the first in a likely two-part series analyzing this year's amateur draft. The analysis includes the S1. The second part, likely to occur in a couple weeks, is a detailed look at bargains and busts through Round 5.

Disclaimer: As always, opinions and analysis are mine and mine alone and do not reflect any future, present or past knowledge of anything at all. My rationale for all of this would easily fit inside a pair of ballet shoes, which makes sense as it’s all a black swan. It’s entirely possible a UFO beamed this directly into my head. (No, really, ask the DOD.) Do not use as a barbecue.

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First Round Analysis:


1. SP Mike Adams (El Paso): El Paso continues their respectability drive (so far, verdict complete failure) by drafting a near-ready righty out of college. Adams throws three pitches at high velocity for consistent strikes, made two college All-Star games and was surely on pace for a third one; he was among the best pitchers last year. Adams doesn’t have the high-end upside of the guy drafted next in this draft, but he also doesn’t have his injury history and should be able to work deep into ballgames as long as he doesn’t give up the long ball. Best similarity score is Niccolo Destefani.

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2. SP Atmo Ananas (Des Moines): It’s not precisely a sea change pick for Des Moines, who have consistently chosen high-upside players in the draft, but Ananas is much more major-league ready than many of their other players. Ananas is a superior talent, especially for age 21, and especially for a lefty starter. He doesn’t throw quite as hard as Adams, but his command is better. He suffered a broken elbow on his throwing arm in college and missed a season, and doctors say there’s still some danger there of recurrent arm injuries, though since it wasn’t a soft tissue injury he kept his superior endurance. If Ananas stays healthy he’s going to be an ace-quality starter. Best similarity score is Charlotte’s Kyle Smallwood or El Paso’s Gerald Sizemore.

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3. LF/DH Julio Garcia (Valencia): Garcia’s college career was outstanding; he fell off a bit in his senior year but was clearly distracted with all the draft talk surrounding him as the top-rated hitter in the draft. There are concerns about Garcia at the major league level: his defense isn’t likely to be good, he’s likely to be a righty DH, and his batting eye isn’t great, just good. But he looks to have no holes against righties and isn’t particularly weak anywhere. He stayed in school to get his degree, and so he’s a nearly fully developed 21 year old with good intangibles and top-notch fitness. We may see him as early as this year, though he probably won't fully arrive until 2048. Best similarity scores are Charlotte’s Hector Cruz or Ramon Pagan.

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4. RP Xuan Ngo (Portland): For anyone who Xuan Ngo, this young righty is definitely a relief pitcher. The man with two Chinese last names is actually Thai, the third-generation grandson of two Chinese immigrants, whose grandparents fled the Revolution. Despite his Thai roots, the man carries a massive Chinese Fireball, hitting over 100 on the gun and throwing a superb fastball and curveball. The Bangkok Blaster has a little growth left but should be in the majors fairly fast. OK stamina for a reliever means Ngo will never be a starter, but he should be a durable guy who throws at least 80 strong innings. Good intangibles.

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5. SP Jose Barron (Vancouver): Colombian Barron doesn’t have the stamina or the intangibles of the top two starters, but he seems to have most of their talent. Barron is nearly fully developed and probably major league ready from Day 1, if Vancouver wanted to go that route. He’s a four-pitch starter that features a wicked knuckle curve and a forkball. Barron had an excellent college career while healthy, though repeated leg and abdominal injuries have to be a concern going forward. Maybe the worst intangibles in the draft, and a little wild; there were reports that he injured his abdominal muscle after being thrown from an RV in the Bogota woods (the official story was lifting a mattress), and obviously there are the rumors about drugs. We’ll see if the Mounties can get this guy right. Best similarity score is probably Boise’s Manuel Barrera.

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6. RP Senen Subandrio (Madison): It’s a really good draft from Indonesia this year: Atmo Ananas went #2 and Senen Subandrio went #6. Subandrio finished second in Fox Mulder voting last year, and his sidearm slider is one of the best individual pitches we’ve seen in a while. He’s young enough to gain some velocity and be even more dominant, too. Like Ngo, he won’t ever be a starting pitcher, but he’ll be in the majors sooner than later and he’s going to be awfully difficult to hit. Scouts like his mental makeup, and he’ll likely be a closer.

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7. SS/3B Mike LeBlanc (Brooklyn): LeBlanc is a durable infielder who has the greatest chance of any prospect in this draft of leading the league in batting average. LeBlanc is a righty, free-swinging doubles hitter who doesn’t run and is not going to hit a lot of home runs, but could hit .300 in a lot of years. Leblanc was a shortstop in high school who probably finds his way to third base, since he’s sure-handed in the field but without the range to start at shortstop; he could be a very good third baseman. Good intangibles and excellent fitness should give him the leeway to find himself in the pros. Best similarity score is Charlotte’s Rafael Gutierrez.

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8. P Edgar King (Mexico City): Well, he’s not Dave Corfield (currently 6th in the BBA in WAR). But like Corfield, King is a well-rounded pitcher who should find success if he develops. Properly developed for 18 years old, King still has a long way to go to the majors. He sports a cutter/slider/change combination that could be very effective, and scouts believe he’ll improve his control and command, too. Not blessed with a lot of endurance or stamina, King could nonetheless be the sort of pitcher that can take over a ballgame for five or six innings.

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9. LHP Fernando Rodriguez (Atlantic City): Rodriguez joins Mike Brodt as one of the few players to be chosen in the top ten twice. He was one of the top prospects in the college ranks in 2044, and then he tore his rotator cuff. His comeback story has been inspiring, and he won one of the two Fox Mulder Awards last year. Rodriguez isn’t going to go deep into ballgames and he might never be the player they thought he’d be, but he could be a pretty good major league pitcher if he stays healthy. He’s still got some developing to do at age 21 and a half, but his college career suggests he’s going to do what he can to succeed.

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10. SP Sam Rutgers (Long Beach): Rutgers was the other Fox Mulder winner, and finished a stellar college career last year by going 8-0, 0.56 over eleven starts. Eat your heart out, Jacob DeGrom. Rutgers is a well-developed classical righty starter who also throws a screwball for strikes. He’s a hard thrower who can go deep into ballgames. Solid intangibles, and scouts like him. Best similarity score is Jacksonville's Takehide Gertrudes.

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11. RF Martin Hemming (Nashville): Hemming is good news for Nashville. A really appropriate pick for a pretty good team down on their luck last year, Hemming is a well-developed 21 year old lefty-hitting outfielder who won the Platinum Stick all three years of his college career. He translates into a solid contact hitter with good power in the major leagues basically on day 1, though he has some holes against lefties which will play out in the pros. Not great defensively but not disastrous, with a gun for an arm, Hemming should have a ten-year major league career and might have some years where we discuss him in the Sawyer Silk conversation. If you squint a LOT he looks like Dennis French, but San Antonio’s Valentin Fitas is probably a better match.

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12. RP Alejandro Chavez (Jacksonville): Another chalk mark in the Reliever Retriever draft of 2047, Chavez has a massive right arm and mostly already knows how to use it. A classical fastball/splitter reliever, Chavez entirely overmatched unready college hitters when he was converted to a reliever last year: in 15 appearances, Chavez had a 0.00 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 18 innings. Yikes. Chavez keeps in good shape and has good intangibles, too. With Jacksonville off to a blazing hot start, look for Chavez to possibly join the major league crew soon.

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13. OF Jen-kan Zhai (Las Vegas): Faced with the rest of the draft pool, Las Vegas took a little Zhai. Just 5’ 10”, 170 pounds, the Thai Zhai packed a lot of punch into his bats, finishing third last year in Bo Jordan voting. Zhai needs to work on his bat speed but should be a consistent hitter from the right side of the plate. He’s not gifted defensively, but is solid on the basepaths. It’s an interesting pick because his way to the majors is blocked pretty solidly on Vegas; maybe he’ll be used as trade bait.

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14. P Marcus Olivares (Sacramento, 14): Sacramento doesn’t often focus on high movement starters because their ballpark swats fly balls down on its own, but Olivares was apparently too good to pass up. A high school righty, Olivares throws reasonably hard for a 17 year old, and still has all the stuff his Little League coach told him wouldn’t hurt his arm: fastball/slider/changeup. Olivares will get all the time he needs to develop, but if he doesn’t get his changeup or isn’t effective as a starter, he may end up as a reliever. Groundballer, great attitude for a young kid.

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15. SP/RP Javier Gallegos (San Antonio): You can’t tell anyone who throws both a splitter and a forkball to get a grip, and you shouldn’t to Gallegos, who also has a fastball, changeup, and curveball. Scouts think he’ll be able to throw them all for strikes eventually, but it’s possible none of them will be dominant, meaning he might be a prime reliever conversion if he doesn’t make it as a starter. Gallegos is well developed for 22 years old and can paint the corners, but still has some work to do before he’s really ready to face major league hitters. Great intangibles will help.

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16. CF Manuel Torres (Phoenix): One reason why scouts love players like Manuel Torres more than GMs do is that Torres just needs a little bit of improvement in some place or another to make it really big…but isn’t there yet. He’s good defensively, fast, and the ball flies off his bat whenever it makes contact. But yeah, that’s the problem: Torres hit .225 and .211 in his last two years in college and projects to be that kind of player in the pros. He has every other tool you’d want, he’s in top shape, and he’s likely to appeal to fans. But we’ll have to see if he can hit major league pitching.

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17. P Allen Davidson (New Orleans): Our first autopick goes to the New Orleans Crawdads, and congratulations: it’s a lefty. Davidson is kind of a strange duck as pitchers go. On one hand, he’s a lefty groundballer who should be able to keep the ball in the ballpark against righties most of the time. On the other hand, Davidson hits 92 on the gun but really works everything off a forkball; he’s considered to have poor command on his cutter. Davidson is a high schooler who may benefit from significant increases in velocity as his 6’ 4” frame fills out, and while he’s not a reliever conversion he might end up as a lefty bullpen arm. Poor intangibles won’t help.

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18. SP Erik Brooks (Twin Cities): Brooks, who just turned 18, has one of the highest ceilings for starters in the draft, but he was passed over for more developed, older, and cheaper pitchers. It’s curious to see him drafted by Twin Cities, one of the most cash-strapped teams in the league, but he’s absolutely the right pick for this franchise, whose time horizon is loooong. Brooks won the 2046 Mike Swanson and followed that up with a strong 2047 campaign. He may end up being a reliever if his changeup doesn’t come in, in which case velocity increases will help him a lot. A good teammate whose fitness is top-notch, Brooks projects to a workhorse #2 starter. Most flattering similarity score would be Nashville’s Chris Moran.

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19. C John McMuttray (Boise): A consistent powerhitter in four years of high school, McMuttray projects to be a strong right-handed offensive catcher with passable defensive skills. Based on his projection, he may become one of those players who’s better against lefties but holds solid against righties at the plate. The backstop lives in the gym and has been tremendously durable behind the plate. No relation to either Crime Dog (Fred McGriff or McGruff) but the model citizen was ironically called “Doghouse” by his high school teammates as a reference to his unusual name.

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20. SS Carlos Gutierrez (Charlotte): There’s a lot to like about Gutierrez, especially on the fringes. He should be able to play quality defense at almost any position on the field, eventually, a player who can move between center field and shortstop seamlessly. His bat isn’t going to be enormous, but he makes good contact, has good speed, runs the bases well and is talented at laying down bunts for hits. He’ll be more consistent in the outfield than the infield but he will probably be most valuable at shortstop. A gym junkie, Gutierrez should be a ten year major leaguer; whether he’s a starter or not will depend on how well he hits.

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21. 1B Colm Alker (Charm City): If it’s not Martin Hemming, who went at #11, Alker is likely the best pure lefty hitter in the draft this season. Alker is going to have some issues with consistency and will surely and sorely need a platoon partner. However, he’s so platoonish you get the sense that he is even better against righties than we think. Charm City’s management is going to like this comparison: I’d say that the best similarity score for Alker is Tai Hoi Wie, about whom we’re having real discussions about the Hall of Fame. Alker doesn’t have Wie’s batting eye but he’s cut in the same mold and should be productive. Alker keeps in top shape and should have a long career if he makes consistent contact.

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22. CF Andrew MacColl (San Fernando): There’s a lot to like about McColl. He’s an incredibly driven, cut five tool outfielder who looks great in a baseball uniform and does a lot of things well. He’s smart on the basepaths, can hit for power, and had an absolutely epic college career. Scouts have his ceiling as a major league starter, not a star, but because of his durability and his all-around game, McColl will have a starting job for the next decade somewhere. Nearly fully developed at almost 22 years old, you’re going to see a lot of this kid for a long time. Best similarity score is Chicago’s Jose Benavidez.

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23. RP Francisco Hernandez (Phoenix): The Phoenix Talons have one of the top bullpen groups in all of baseball, and yet Hernandez could break into this elite group sooner than later and pitch with players like Tiernan O’Macken and Gilberto Sosa. That’s because Hernandez has a gun for an arm and comes nearly fully ready. Hernandez had a couple core injuries during his junior year, but otherwise was utterly unhittable, posting an FIP of 1.10 and 9 saves in 16 games.

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24. RP Juan Santana (Edmonton): Santana was a starter until his final season in college, and while he had a few issues with the long ball and with giving up walks, he was basically unhittable otherwise. Santana hits 99 on the gun with his fastball and his offspeed is a good splitter that might improve quickly. The righty isn’t long from the major leagues by his development and the 18-12 Jackrabbits, who are 10th in bullpen ERA at the time of this writing, could use bullpen depth. He might be a reasonable starter conversion if they go that route, but not if they call him up right away. Mediocre intangibles not a big issue since he’s nearly fully grown.

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25. C Trevor Eteldrum (Seattle): The Storm have run out a lot of catchers with Eteldrum’s profile over the years, and they’ve been very successful doing so. The righty catcher is nearly developed and projects to be a consistent threat at the plate with doubles power. Right now Seattle has Jared Bolen (3.0 WAR) at catcher, and while Eteldrum is unlikely to supplant Bolen he could be the heir apparent in two seasons. Good intangibles will help, though he’ll have to improve his defense.

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26. OF Sancho Rutan (Calgary): If you’re a big Jim Antolin fan, you’ll love Sancho Rutan. Rutan doesn’t run the bases like Antolin (which is a lot of the star outfielder’s appeal) but his hitting profile sets up a lot like him. Rutan is deeply underdeveloped for his age and isn’t good defensively, so he’ll need some serious coaching. Also like Antolin, he’s not strong defensively. Going to the best possible ballpark for his talents.

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27. P Vincent Louis (Hawaii): Louis is drafted in the first round for the second time, this time 20 spots higher, after insisting upon going to college. The tall righty (he’s 6’ 9”) throws in the mid 90s, primarily a fastball/slider combination with what is currently a throwaway change. If Louis gets his changeup he might be a very productive starting pitcher in the bigs; if he doesn’t, Louis should be a productive reliever. Very good intangibles should help, and he has no serious injury history.

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28. RP Max Birstall (Montreal): Birstall is a town in England (p. 16,000), and Max Birstall is a British pitcher who was last seen plying his craft in Thailand. Birstall projects as a plus major league reliever with a plus mid-90s cutter and a plus slider, and was entirely untouchable in his last year of college, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks in 14 innings with 26 strikeouts. Birstall might be vulnerable to the long ball, but has come a long way in two years and should be really very soon for the Blazers, who could probably use him. Superb intangibles will help, no serious injury history.

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29. RP Fernando Villareal (Omaha): Villareal comes with some warts, but has a huge arm and might just need a little coaching. He allowed 19 walks and 12 homers in his last 50 college innings, problems that may follow him into the pros. But Villareal also hits close to 100 on the gun and had 103 strikeouts over that same 50 innings. No history of injuries, solid citizen.

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30. SP Wilson Milligan (Chicago): Milligan is a classical four-pitch starter who hits the mid 90s who’s nearly fully ready. He doesn’t have a major out pitch, but his solid control and movement will allow him to keep the ball in play, and he’s a groundballer. He projects like Des Moines’ Larry Fain or Nashville’s Dan Forsyth, a really nice innings eater who will throw strikes and be able to work deep into ballgames. No serious injury history, solid intangibles. A nice, safe choice for the Black Sox.

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31. LF Pablo Lara (Rockville): Lara may be the best two-way batter in the draft; he won all three Pascal Verhoeve Awards for defense and this year finished third in Bo Jordan voting. But he has some warts too: he’s going to need a caddy and he might not be great in center field. Still, Lara projects to be a plus defensive player in left field (and we don’t know that he’s done growing there), a consistent lefty bat against righties, and he’s fast. No notable injury history, though the Pikemen might have to work on some trust issues. Fills a need for Rockville, too.

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32. RP not 1B Glenn Dennis (Louisville): Dennis finished third in Mike Swanson voting and was really good for the last two years of his high school career, but fell to #32 primarily because teams were taking more developed relievers. The lefty isn’t too raw for a player who’s not old enough to vote but is pretty far from the big leagues. Dennis doesn’t throw hard and might really take off a bit if he gained some velocity; he’s surely young enough to do that. No injury history, and while he didn’t hit the books hard in high school, maybe he’ll get inspired once they get him into the tape room.

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33. SP/RP Joe Davis (Yellow Springs): Now we’re starting to get to players who look like late first rounders: the low-ceiling starter, the platoony outfielder, the underdeveloped high ceiling reliever and here comes the interesting starting pitcher with warts. Davis is a lefty who’s largely changeup-dependent, has poor control and endurance, and doesn’t throw hard, but is just 17 years old, gets good movement on his pitches and if he gains some velocity could improve. Davis just got over a UCL tear that kept him out of the 2047 season and has a history of back problems. He’s an interesting project who’s unlikely to become a good reliever conversion unless he starts throwing harder.

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34. SP John Dawson (Nashville): Dawson won the Mike Swanson last year, and he would be rated a lot higher by scouts if his stamina was better. A 5’11”, 150 pound railpost and self-proclaimed pitching nerd, Dawson gets by on finesse and guile: an 89-MPH cutter, a potentially wicked knuckle curve. His starting chances are changeup dependent and therefore Dawson might end up a reliever in the bigs, where he could be pretty solid. No serious injury history, good intangibles.

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35. LF/1B Lee Hogan (San Antonio): Looking for power? The 6’ 4”, 200 pound Hogan has some mild concerns outside of his rippling muscles, but he hit 54 homers over his last 145 games in college. Hogan could be the sort of player who could hit 30 homers and 30 doubles on the regular in the major leagues, provided he makes consistent contact. Despite being a switch-hitter, he appears to still have holes against lefties. Poor defensively, Hogan will likely find his way to first base, where he’s blocked by BBA superstar Larry Stinson, and he's comparable to their current DH, so he might be depth for now. Hogan is brash but a good teammate and has no injury history.

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36. SP Maurice Jeffes (Twin Cities): Scouts like the sidearm Jeffes, who relies heavily on a first-pitch fastball he can throw for strikes and two other pitches he mixes in for spice. A balanced pitcher who can go deep into ballgames, Jeffes projects as a solid #3 starter with some upside if the 20 year old Australian gains some velocity. Good intangibles, not much not to like, no serious injury history.

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37. SS/2B Carlos Benitez (Charlotte): Charlotte gets an all-Carlos, all-middle infield draft. Benitez is listed as a second baseman but can probably play any position on the diamond. Benitez is gifted with natural instincts you simply can’t teach: he’s had serious issues with contact and consistency in college, but also shows a natural batting eye and has big power for a middle infielder, and his reactions in the field are some of the best in the draft. Benitez may have an issue with professionalism, as he isn’t known for being quick to pick up instruction or a hard worker, but he’s clearly a gifted talent. Reminds me a bit of Mark Wareham, which would be a big win for Charlotte.

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38. OF/DH Topan Adjeng (San Fernando): Adjeng had a great college career, with 57 homers in 557 at bats, a Paul Bunyan MVP, two Platinum Sticks and a championship MVP. Lefty-hitting Adjeng has serious holes against lefty pitching and did strike out quite a bit in college, but already has major league quality skills against righthanded pitching and could improve upon that soon. Could be the sort of player who gets 30 HR and 30 doubles a season along with a fair OBP.

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39. P Adamnan Maryadi (Yellow Springs): What started with Indonesians ended with Indonesians - they're not just cricket players anymore. Maryadi is in the same mold as many Yellow Springs draft picks, a solid, strong-armed righty reliever with a high floor. He combines a 97-MPH cutter with a solid curveball, and should come on in a hurry. Maryadi wasn't dominant in college, but he had a solid career at that level. Great intangibles, no serious injury history.

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[Dington]

11. RF Martin Hemming (Nashville): Hemming is good news for Nashville. A really appropriate pick for a pretty good team down on their luck last year, Hemming is a well-developed 21 year old lefty-hitting outfielder who won the Platinum Stick all three years of his college career. He translates into a solid contact hitter with good power in the major leagues basically on day 1, though he has some holes against lefties which will play out in the pros. Not great defensively but not disastrous, with a gun for an arm, Hemming should have a ten-year major league career and might have some years where we discuss him in the Sawyer Silk conversation. If you squint a LOT he looks like Dennis French, but San Antonio’s Valentin Fitas is probably a better match.

Well, shit. I'm throwing out my contacts and squinting REAL hard.

[Dington]

18. SP Erik Brooks (Twin Cities): Brooks, who just turned 18, has one of the highest ceilings for starters in the draft, but he was passed over for more developed, older, and cheaper pitchers. It’s curious to see him drafted by Twin Cities, one of the most cash-strapped teams in the league, but he’s absolutely the right pick for this franchise, whose time horizon is loooong. Brooks won the 2046 Mike Swanson and followed that up with a strong 2047 campaign. He may end up being a reliever if his changeup doesn’t come in, in which case velocity increases will help him a lot. A good teammate whose fitness is top-notch, Brooks projects to a workhorse #2 starter. Most flattering similarity score would be Nashville’s Chris Moran.

I considered him at #11 exactly because I believed he could be another Chris Moran for me. Spot on analysis.

[GoldenOne]

After just signing Menzies to a 6-year extension, wonder if it was the best idea to draft 2 almost-BBA ready shortstops? Good thing they can both play other positions in the IF and OF just as well.

[aaronweiner]

I considered him at #11 exactly because I believed he could be another Chris Moran for me. Spot on analysis.

Moran is criminally underrated.

[aaronweiner]

After just signing Menzies to a 6-year extension, wonder if it was the best idea to draft 2 almost-BBA ready shortstops? Good thing they can both play other positions in the IF and OF just as well.

I might have something to say about this in the next part.

[GoldenOne]

After just signing Menzies to a 6-year extension, wonder if it was the best idea to draft 2 almost-BBA ready shortstops? Good thing they can both play other positions in the IF and OF just as well.

I might have something to say about this in the next part.

Looking forward to it.

I like versatility. Oh yeah, and I'm not afraid to trade prospects.

[Dington]

I considered him at #11 exactly because I believed he could be another Chris Moran for me. Spot on analysis.

Moran is criminally underrated.

I was surprised myself when I saw he led the league in quality starts last season.

[usnspecialist]

Considering both Maccool and Adjeng were my backup choice (i wanted torres and benitez), i am pretty pleased with how my draft turned out.

[HerbD]

Great stuff @aaronweiner. Reading your analysis is one of the things I look forward to at draft time.

[Jwalk100]

Great stuff @aaronweiner. Reading your analysis is one of the things I look forward to at draft time.

I agree. This is what makes this league great!

[jiminyhopkins]

Wow some good reviews about our picks this year. Cool!

[aaronweiner]

Wow some good reviews about our picks this year. Cool!

Thanks dude. I kinda felt like I stepped up my game this year, so nice of you to say.

[aaronweiner]

Great stuff @aaronweiner. Reading your analysis is one of the things I look forward to at draft time.

I agree. This is what makes this league great!

Thanks guys.

[aaronweiner]

Considering both Maccool and Adjeng were my backup choice (i wanted torres and benitez), i am pretty pleased with how my draft turned out.

You got seriously corked. I like who you got every bit as much, BTW.

[StormZ_23]

Can't said I heard that RV story about Barron, but it makes sense. Hopefully he's a new man after the off-season.

[CTBrewCrew]

@aaronweiner arguably this is my favorite feature of the league (outside of your write up of Madisons eventual 10 year championship run). Seriously- thanks for doing this…and i look forward to your 5 round wrap up!

[lordtoffee]

Really enjoy reading your thoughts about the draft every year Aaron. LeBlanc might need some PP love, but I think he could be someone who is the perfect guy to be in the 2 hole in the batting order.

[shoeless.db]

14. P Marcus Olivares (Sacramento, 14): Sacramento doesn’t often focus on high movement starters because their ballpark swats fly balls down on its own, but Olivares was apparently too good to pass up. A high school righty, Olivares throws reasonably hard for a 17 year old, and still has all the stuff his Little League coach told him wouldn’t hurt his arm: fastball/slider/changeup. Olivares will get all the time he needs to develop, but if he doesn’t get his changeup or isn’t effective as a starter, he may end up as a reliever. Groundballer, great attitude for a young kid.

I don’t have any 8 mov/8 con pitchers in my entire org. I felt if he bumps velocity, he’ll bump his stuff to eight also. I’d run 8/8/8 starters out there all day long.

Either way, like you said, his floor is a hell of a good reliever.

Great stuff, as always, with this series.

[aaronweiner]

14. P Marcus Olivares (Sacramento, 14): Sacramento doesn’t often focus on high movement starters because their ballpark swats fly balls down on its own, but Olivares was apparently too good to pass up. A high school righty, Olivares throws reasonably hard for a 17 year old, and still has all the stuff his Little League coach told him wouldn’t hurt his arm: fastball/slider/changeup. Olivares will get all the time he needs to develop, but if he doesn’t get his changeup or isn’t effective as a starter, he may end up as a reliever. Groundballer, great attitude for a young kid.

I don’t have any 8 mov/8 con pitchers in my entire org. I felt if he bumps velocity, he’ll bump his stuff to eight also. I’d run 8/8/8 starters out there all day long.

Either way, like you said, his floor is a hell of a good reliever.

Great stuff, as always, with this series.

I literally agree with all of that. *checks self for concussion*