11. Houston Hope - Brian Dye, outfielder. Though Dye played centerfield in college, he'll be forced to shift to a corner spot before hitting the bigs. He definitely has the bat for it, hitting for average and power. He can move on the basepaths as well. A great pick at #11.
12. New York new york - Mark Cox, pitcher. The Gotham City Nine took a big risk on signability with Cox, but once again, the risk-taking franchises came out ahead in this draft. Cox is nearly unhittable, dominating all batters with pinpoint control, incredible velocity and 4 solid pitches. Only his stamina kept him from being a top 3 pick, but if used correctly, Cox will provide 150 lights out innings per year.
13. Chicago Cubs - Damon Darwin, starting pitcher. Darwin is cut from the same cloth as Tony Sojo, which is to say a lack of control could derail what would otherwise be a terrific career. The risk is worthwhile at #13, and with 3 potential plus pitches, Darwin could beat the odds if he can gain control of his talented left arm.
14. Colorado Springs Field Mice - Kyle Young, relief pitcher. Young is a rubber armed pitcher who will give the Field Mice 125 innings a year if they let him. He has great control, and potentially two plus-plus pitches. The Field Mice know Tom Nen can't go on forever (even if it seems like it), and Young should be their next great reliever.
15. Cleveland Redlegs - Miguel Ramirez, starting pitcher. The Redlegs stunned the league by selecting the unheralded Ramirez at number 15. The big, strong righthander already has a major league quality fastball, but most scouts didn't see Ramirez as a first round pick. His struggles against lefties in college will only get worse in pro ball. He could become a back of the rotation starter, however.
16. Vancouver Vikings - Andres Lopez, second base/centerfield. Unlike each other aggressive club, the Vikings have been unable to turn their reluctant draftee into a signee. With his demands rising, it appears that this will be a wasted pick by the Vikings. Even if he signs, Lopez is a a poor man's Happy Lowell, with a great glove, but nowhere near the same stick. Unfortunately for Vancouver fans, it's unlikely that we will ever see Lopez's spectacular glove.
17. Jackson Jokers - James Barrett, catcher. The Jokers took the first true catcher off the board. Barrett is adequate behind the plate and swings a big bat. He already has 34 RBI in his first 10 games in Rookie ball. Though he will strike out occasionally, he will hit for average and power, and draw walks as well. This is a solid pick at #17.
18. Ottawa Rough Riders - Peter Dorsey, catcher. Ottawa took the second of back-to-back backstops, though calling Dorsey a catcher is a bit of a stretch. However, what Dorsey lacks in pitchcalling, he more than makes up with his bat. He is very similar to Salem's Dennis Spivey, with slightly less power but more ability to make contact. He tends to tire over the season, however, and may be limited to 450 at bats per year. They'll be tremendous at bats, though!
19. Baltimore mets - Tommy Waters, relief pitcher. Owner pitnickd surprised all draft attendees by snatching up Waters, who wasn't even invited to the green room for the event. Waters is a one inning closer who has yet to tame his lively arm. A true reach at #19, there are rumors that ownership overreacted to the sudden collapse of former St. Louis and Rochester closer, Kevin Wood in making this selection.
20. Helena Loggers - Davey Small, starting pitcher. The surprises continued with the selection of Small. He consistently misses bats, but unfortunately misses the plate even more often. Few scouts see Small as being more than a mop-up pitcher at the major league level.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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