Chasing The Storm 2054-4 Draft Pick Update

[njherdfan]

Going into this year, the Storm's front office knew that they had an exciting, and rare, opportunity. Because they did not sign their first round draft pick from last year's draft, the Storm would have the 2nd and 3rd picks in the 2054 draft. After using almost all of their first round picks over the past 7 or 8 years on pitching, it seemed almost guaranteed that the Storm would look to bolster their offense with the picks this year. Of course, Seattle told everyone who would listen that they were going to pick the best players available, but the unspoken preference for choosing hitters was always there. The board then broke in Seattle's favor, as Seattle drafted Michael Buckley with the 2nd overall pick and Keith Williams with the 3rd. Let's take a look at how they performed in their first professional season.

Buckley was drafted with the understanding that his bat was his primary tool, and that has carried over into his professional career. After he signed, Buckley went to High-A Lake City and he hit the ground running. In roughly half a season, he had a wRC+ of 124, and he played rather uninspired defense, as most observers expected. Seattle is planning to move Buckley up to AA next season and will continue to play him in the outfield in the hope that he can develop into at least a playable fielder. Seattle's front office is hoping that Buckley can evolve into a true offensive powerhouse with prodigious power, and Seattle fans are hoping for the same. So far, Seattle has no regrets about using its pick on Buckley, and everyone is excited to see how he develops.

Williams, the 3rd pick in the draft, was less of a consensus selection. Scouts loved a lot of Williams' intangibles, but there are some questions about how high his ceiling ultimately can be. Scouts wonder if he's truly elite in any area, and, more importantly, they wonder whether he will be able to play shortstop in the pros at a high level. In his first year as a pro, Williams more than held his own, as he had a wRC+ of 120 at rookie-league Ogden, and his defensive metrics all graded out positively (although it's important to note that he was being graded against other rookies). One other thing that has scouts excited is that Williams is only 16 years old; he was playing against opponents 4 or 5 years older at times, and he thrived. Seattle's scouts are excited to see what he can do next year, as the current plan is for Williams to be promoted a level, to Lake City, and see how he can handle the level as a 17 year old.