Down the Rabbit Hole (35.12): New Bunnies
Moderator: neugey
Down the Rabbit Hole (35.12): New Bunnies
With the 5th overall pick in the 2035 Amateur Draft, the Edmonton Jackrabbit select: 1B Takeichi Ohayashi (8/9/6/7/8 Talents) THE RUNDOWN
Age: 17
Bats/Throws: S/R
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175
A weak overall draft class is marked by the Edmonton Jackrabbits selecting an ostensibly all-bat first baseman within the first five picks. But that's not to undervalue Ohayashi's potential as a future major-leaguer; the Hokkaido-born infielder has a rare combination of power and patience, with 101 walks and just 56 strikeouts throughout high school, while corking 39 doubles and 31 homers in 97 total games. He's a pretty average defender, with not a lot of mobility despite his slim frame, but his bat was good enough to win him the 2034 IFA C2 Platinum Stick Award at his position.
With the 38th overall pick in the 2035 Amateur Draft, the Edmonton Jackrabbits select: CF Mitsuhide Suzuki (6/6/6/6/5 Talents)
THE RUNDOWN
Age: 18
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 145
As sheer luck (more than very specialized scouting) would have it, Edmonton's first two selections in this year's draft came out of the same high school. A teammate of Ohayashi's over the last three seasons, Suzuki is another Japanese high school talent, but more of a defensively-minded one. Suzuki needs experience roaming professional outfields, but with his range and arm he profiles at all three outfield positions. With a slight build like his, Suzuki will never hit for 15+ homer power unless he fills out his frame. Still, he hit .301 as a junior and had a .906 OPS throughout his entire high school career. It will be fun to watch Ohayashi and Suzuki progress together through the minor leagues.
With the 82nd overall pick in the 2035 Amateur Draft, the Edmonton Jackrabbits select: RP Douggie Bott (7/5/7 Talents) THE RUNDOWN
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: L/L
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180
The fact that Bott went within the first 100 draft picks is a marker of two things. One, that this was a weak class. Two, that Bott has shown some considerable improvement since last season, when he was drafted in the 11th round by the Jacksonville Hurricanes, but failed to sign and returned to Microsoft for college. Last year, Bott put up a 2.22 ERA and a similarly deuce-filled ERA+ of 220. The 12 walks in under 25 innings were perhaps the most glaring detriment to Bott's game, but he got that under control this season and his numbers shone in response. 11 saves in 16 appearances, a 1.53 ERA, and a 27/5 K/BB ratio in not even 20 innings. That ERA+ took a shot all the way up to 312.
Bott reportedly has the stamina of a starter, but his poor changeup and lack of standard four-seam fastball will set him up to be a two-pitch, back-end kind of guy. Bott was highly regarded by the X-Sox coaching staff, and despite few appearances as a relief pitcher, was one of the faces of the team over the last two seasons.
With the 114th overall pick in the 2035 Amateur Draft, the Edmonton Jackrabbits select: RP Vincente Medrano (5/5/5 Talents) THE RUNDOWN
Age: 17
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 175
Uh-oh. Four picks in and we've already got this underwhelming guy. Medrano could be a good minor-league starter, or a decent front-end big-league reliever, but there isn't too much to write home about here. The Argentinian's age is probably his most enticing factor; he can spend a lot of time developing in the system if he needs to and still crack the majors in his prime. He will probably spend a year or two starting and then get transitioned into relief unless we see some major progress.
With the 144th overall pick in the 2035 Amateur Draft, the Edmonton Jackrabbits select: RP Juan Espinoza (9/4/4 Talents) THE RUNDOWN
Age: 19
Bats/Throws: S/R
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 175
Espinoza will not deceive you. He won't paint the corners with a brilliant backdoor breaking ball. What he will do is overpower you. Topping out at around 98 miles per hour, Espinoza struck out 50 batters in 27 innings as an 18-year-old collegiate athlete last season, giving up just one run on a homer and putting up a jaw-dropping 1430 ERA+. He took a step back in just eight appearances in 2035, but after winning both the Reliever of the Year and the Mulder Award last season with the Kodak Snappers, it's hard to argue with the young Colombian's track record. When he's on, Espinoza is unbeatable. It's going to be a matter of consistency as he progresses with his professional career.
BRANDON BROOKS
Edmonton Jackrabbits: 2032 -
Edmonton Jackrabbits: 2032 -
Re: Down the Rabbit Hole (35.12): New Bunnies
Can't hope for SCIII every time, I suppose. Thought Ohayashi was gonna go before I got there, so I'll take him with this pool.
BRANDON BROOKS
Edmonton Jackrabbits: 2032 -
Edmonton Jackrabbits: 2032 -
Re: Down the Rabbit Hole (35.12): New Bunnies
Added profiles for Bott, Medrano, and Espinoza.
BRANDON BROOKS
Edmonton Jackrabbits: 2032 -
Edmonton Jackrabbits: 2032 -
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