Draft Report: St. Louis, Syracuse, Toldeo, Toronto

St. Louis Draft Report

1st Rnd, 18th, Cesar Mesa Probably won’t ever be an ace, but will be the next best thing. His pitches range from awesome to terrible and his control will only ever be average but does know who to get people out regardless. A potential 15 game winner every season.

2nd Rnd, 64th Corban Cooke Anyone who hails from Skidmore Texas better not have high expectations about life. The same should be said for their baseball career. Has very good control and 4 useable pitches but just doesn’t know how to get people out. Could find his way as a 5th starter on a desperate team.

3rd Rnd, 96th, Joaquin Martinez Another potential mop up pitcher. Might be slightly better then Cooke, but that difference won’t make to much impact on the scoreboard.

4th Rnd, 128th, Sal Tewksbury A very soft tosser but has a couple of good pitches that will make up for his inability to keep from getting hit really hard. Another contestant for the 5 spot in the rotation.

5th Rnd, 160th, Darin Dunn Good control is his strength, weak pitches and lack of ability to get people are out are his weaknesses. Could be a SuB.

Grade: B-, they are 5 potential major league pitchers, only one of any real ability but 5 pitchers none the less.


Syracuse Draft Report

1st Rnd, 22nd, Greg Shelley Future stud closer. An A+ sinker with solid curve will have batters swinging and missing plenty. Great control and does a superb job at shutting down right handed batters.

1st Rnd, 43rd, Humberto Astacio Sinker is almost as good as Shelleys, and mixes in a mid 90’s fastball. Will get hit a little more often but has the arm that can see him eat innings like crazy out of the pen. Syracuses bullpen will be set with these two.

2nd Rnd, 68th, Ossie Bradshaw 11-0 at rookie ball. Probably won’t ever play that well at any other level. Could be a solid 4 or 5 starter though. Will pile up innings, has superior control and two major league plus pitches.

Grade: B, Not the depth of St. Louis but plenty of talent. Two bullpen studs and a SP that will start every 5th day.


Toledo Draft Report

1st Rnd 20th, Sammy Brito Projects to be a pretty solid 2nd/CF type player. .275+ avg, with 15 homers and 30 steals. His defense is probably better suited for 2nd base though. Is only about 2 seasons away from being ready.

2nd Rnd, 66th, Roosevelt King Another 2nd sacker, who is probably better suited for 3rd base. Might be of some use as a utility player but lack of speed/power/defense will hold him back.

3rd Rnd, 98th, Samuel Ward a catcher who cant hit for power or call a good game is like a dog with no home. Ward does have some skills but I really don’t know in what situation they will come into play.

4th Rnd, 130th, Terry Plesac A slick fielding shortstop who doesn’t hit well enough to even platoon. Best bet is to be a defensive sub and hope for an injury to the starter.

Grade: C+, Brito is just shy of being an all-star, after that is pretty slim pickings for Toledo.


Toronto Draft Report

1st Rnd, 26th, Tim Logan Might be the best pure hitter in the draft. Safe projections have him hitting .330 with 40+ homers and a +.400 OBP. Several years away but will be worth the wait.

1st Rnd, 35th, Paul Blalock The ultimate platoon catcher. Gold Glove type defense behind the plate and raw extreme power to the 10th degree. Could easily swat 40 homers in 400 atbats.

1st Rnd, 45th, Nelson Averill OF platoon part One we will call him. Kills lefties, hits for power and steals at will. If given 200 ab’s against lefties 15 homers/20 steals and a .280 avg are not out of the question.

2nd Rnd, 55th, Bob Fornataro Isnt anything extraordinary but with the state of Torontos pitching staff he could slide in the top 4. He does have two very good pitches and solid splits.

2nd Rnd, 72nd, Pete Williams OF platoon Part Two. Very fast and heady baserunner, ability to play all 3 Of spots if needed and can smack righties around pretty well.

3rd Rnd, 104th, Ed Wilkinson If either of the first two platooners fail Wilkinson could slip in nicely. Can play LF and hits lefties and righties equally well. Not a real power threat but a smart baserunner who will do nicely off the bench.

4th Rnd, 136th, Eduardo Barajas Looks like a solid set up man, two nice pitches, solid splits and decent control. A nice find in the 4th Rnd.

Grade: B+, did a good job of replenishing a tired minor league system. Also grabbed two potential Major league Stars.