The 2056 draft pool was very weak. Sam Corkum was not first round material, but the pickings were slim. Ironically, we are now in possession of the 2056 first overall pick, Teddy Bullock, who is currently struggling in Short Season A after finally mastering rookie ball this season. We shipped Corkum to Vancouver in April of this season, where he's getting his first taste of the big leagues. Only one player remains from that draft that has any hope of contributing in the future: speedy 1B Ramón Téllez, but he's a long shot and will need to bump to have any realistic chance. At age 21 with a high WE, it could happen.
The 2057 draft pool was as strong as the 2056 pool was weak. Raúl Gallehos tumbled to us as a corner infielder while others prioritized the more glamorous positions. The OOTP 25 conversion was a major blow to Gallehos, but he's still a strong prospect. Harry Stewart has exceeded expectations so far; he is currently pitching to a 139 ERA+ in AA at age 20. David Uribe is a fringe SP prospect who just keeps surprising. He's now in AAA posting a 135 ERA+ at age 21. Chris Parker projects as a future setup guy. Wlodz Sidelsky is already a big league setup man, pitching to a 3.27 ERA (128 ERA+) and 1.02 WHIP over 44 innings in his rookie debut this season. Bill Atkinson was called up last season as an emergency injury replacement and hit .300; he has come back down to earth this season. That's six out of ten that could realistically contribute at some point.
2058's draft pool was a letdown from the year before. First round pick José Martínez has been solid if unspectacular so far, but he's only 20 pitching in AA. Nikolaus Buser has been slow to develop, but he's only 19 and should blossom eventually. The most promising so far has been Cristo Manuel, who has dominated at every level. He took a step back this season in his second season in AAA, but I expect him to return to form soon. Three of ten is not great.
By the time that we pick in these drafts, most of the up-the-middle guys and impact SPs are already off the board. 2059 saw us take left fielders with our top two selections, then two relief pitchers and two catchers, then three more relief pitchers. As Joe Girardi is fond of saying, "It's not what you want." The two left fielders are progressing well, so there's that. Phillip Higgins is looking like a platoon big leaguer, which is not ideal considering that he's right-handed, but he has crushed left-handed pitching at every level. Manny Burgus is nearly major league ready at age 20; his floor is as a fourth outfielder who can play all three outfield positions; his ceiling is as the platoon partner for Higgins. António Figueroa and Jorge Trinidad project as middle relievers. Both catchers have left in trades. Four of ten is not awful.
It's too early to get a real sense of the 2060 draft, but MacKenzie Rhoney has already established his bona fides. Assigned directly to AA, he's made 13 starts with a 3.21 ERA (128 ERA+). Kent Gill struggled in Short Season A but found his footing in rookie ball. He's already bumped. Raúl Chavarría has also bumped although his results have yet to reflect it. Juan Hernández has dominated both Short Season A and Single-A this season; he'll start next season in AA. That's four strong prospects with the possibility of more. Despite drafting even more left fielders, first basemen, and defense-first catchers, I think this is likely our best draft since 2057.
We publish an annual Prospect Handbook with our Top 30 prospects. As of now, 17 of them have arrived via the draft. I am pleased that we have not missed badly on any of our first and second round picks. We've drafted three legitimate BBA SP prospects, three BBA left field prospects, one serious first base prospect, and two more first base maybes. It is unfortunate that none of the position players are up-the-middle types, but we draft best player available and this is what you get with the 25th-ish pick. If you are in need of a left fielder, please give us a call.
