[USML Announce] Baseball Draft

[Andy Klein]

Now for the answer to the question, "How many of these
players will ever help the USML team that drafted
them?" ... None.

-Andy

--- springkerb at aol.com wrote:

> Confirming the expertise of our league, no less than
> five of today's first round draft picks were already
> in rosters in the USML, including all of the first
> three picks.  Three of the five USML picks landed in
> the AL, the lone exception being first pick Justin
> Upton, who went to the D-Backs.
>  
> Below is a summary of the first round, with scouting
> reports, from Baseball America.  I have noted the
> USML teams of the draftees in red.
>  
> Mark
>  
> 1. Diamondbacks: Justin Upton, ss, Great Bridge HS,
> Chesapeake, Va.  BERLINERS
> 
> Upton demonstrates excellent patience at the plate
> and a quick stroke. His well-defined and muscular
> upper body give a hint to his plus power potential,
> which he accompanies with equal amounts of speed.
> His 6.23-second time in the 60-yard dash at a
> Perfect Game showcase last year rates as the
> quickest in the scouting service's history. Upton
> moves well defensively and shows clean actions at
> shortstop, but again follows in his brother's
> footsteps because he has trouble harnessing the plus
> arm strength that has allowed him to hit 94 mph off
> the mound.
>  2. Royals: Alex Gordon, 3b, U. of Nebraska NUKES
> 
> Gordon should hit for power and average because he
> has a sweet lefthanded swing, strength, exceptional
> strike-zone discipline and the ability to make
> adjustments. He uses the entire field and can drive
> the ball where it's pitched after getting
> pull-conscious as a sophomore. When Gordon first
> arrived at Nebraska, some thought he might have to
> move to first base or an outfield corner. But he has
> worked hard on his defense, where his strong arm,
> instincts and quickness are assets. 
>  3. Mariners: Jeff Clement, c, U. of Southern
> California NUKES
> 
> 
> Clement generates light-tower power with a short,
> compact lefthanded swing. He stays inside the ball
> well and gets excellent backspin. As a major league
> hitter, he projects to hit .270-.280 with 30-35 home
> runs. Clement has outstanding makeup and has worked
> hard to shore up his weaknesses. He has shown his
> biggest improvement behind the plate. His set-up,
> mechanics, blocking and arm quickness are all much
> improved. He still has only a 40-50 arm on the
> standard 20-80 scouting scale, but threw out almost
> 50 percent of basestealers this year.
>  4. Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman, 3b, U. of Virginia
> 
> Zimmerman's bat control, elite defensive and polish
> could give team a quick return on investment.
> Zimmerman rarely strikes out because of his
> balanced, up-the-middle approach and shows average
> speed and good instincts on the basepaths. He's
> always had excellent defensive skills, with hands,
> feet, arm strength and range that all rate
> above-average. One scout called him the best
> defender he had ever seen--at any position--and said
> the only question about Zimmerman was how many Gold
> Gloves he would win. His makeup also gets high
> marks. 
>  5. Brewers: Ryan Braun, 3b, U. of Miami
> 
> Braun has a hitch in his swing and a high,
> unconventional finish, but his hands are quick
> enough to make it work, and he?s athletic enough to
> repeat his stroke and drive pitches to all parts of
> the field. His future position will be the main
> source of concern for pro teams. He came to college
> as a shortstop and now plays third, but he has
> struggled with errors at both spots. Some scouts
> doubt his infield actions and footwork and say he'll
> have to move to an outfield corner, where his plus
> arm and speed could allow him to be an above-average
> defender in time. 
>  6. Blue Jays: Ricky Romero, lhp, Cal State
> Fullerton
> 
> Romero has three solid, major league-ready pitches
> that he can throw for strikes almost at will,
> including a fastball that sits at 90-91 mph and
> touches 93-94. He also has an excellent curveball
> and a better feel for a changeup this year after he
> reduced his reliance on his curve. But Romero gets
> his highest grades for his makeup, temperament and
> competitive zeal. He is an excellent student of the
> game who understands the science of pitching, and is
> a master at controlling the tempo of a game. 
>  7. Rockies: Troy Tulowitzki, ss, Long Beach State
> U.
> 
> Tulowitzki compares favorably to Oakland's Bobby
> Crosby, his predecessor as shortstop at Long Beach
> State. They're about the same size and have similar
> speed and bat speed at the same stage, but scouts
> say Tulowitzki is a better athlete and should be a
> better player. He has more arm strength and range,
> and more power to all parts of the park, while
> Crosby was more automatic on routine plays and had
> more pull power. Tulowitzki has also won over scouts
> with his approach to the game. He plays with
> exceptional intensity and an unrivaled passion for
> the game. 
>  8. Devil Rays: Wade Townsend, rhp, Dripping
> Springs, Texas 
> 
> Townsend didn't sign as the eighth overall pick last
> year, deciding to return to Rice to complete his
> degree after negotiations with the Orioles broke
> down. Townsend spent April and May working out for
> clubs, and for the most part showed the same stuff
> he had in 2004. He wasn't in game shape, so he
> didn't maintain his velocity past three simulated
> innings, but he pitched at 90-92 mph with his
> trademark spike curveball and an effective changeup.
> Though he has the repertoire to start, most teams
> project Townsend as a big league reliever because
> they say his intensity fits best in that role. 
>  9. Mets: Mike Pelfrey, rhp, Wichita State U.
> 
> Pelfrey has blown away hitters consistently with a
> 92-97 mph fastball that's as notable for its sink as
> for its velocity. He's adept at getting grounders or
> strikeouts, depending on the situation. He has
> refined a straight changeup that will be a plus
> pitch and keeps lefthanders in check. He also has
> tightened his curveball and become more consistent
> with it. Add in a perfect pitcher's frame, good
> control and a competitive makeup, and the only thing
> that really bothers scouts about Pelfrey is agent
> Scott Boras. 
>  10. Tigers: Cameron Maybin, of, T.C. Roberson HS,
> Arden, N.C. RED HOTS
> 
> Maybin has a rare combination of premium athletic
> ability, bloodlines and baseball savvy. He has broad
> shoulders and long limbs and fingers, and physically
> evokes comparisons on the low end to Preston Wilson
> and on the high end to Vladimir Guerrero. He should
> be a premium defender in center field with
> experience, with long, graceful strides gobbling up
> turf and an average arm. Some scouts think his bat
> might take time to develop once he starts seeing
> good breaking balls consistently. His
> makeup?including good work habits, maturity and love
> for the game--endears him to scouts. 
>  11. Pirates: Andrew McCutchen, of, Fort Meade
> (Fla.) HS
> 
> McCutchen?s game isn?t all about tools, though his
> tools are plus across the board. That starts with
> the most important tool: the bat. McCutchen has
> quick hands and a compact swing, producing
> surprising raw power for his size and giving him the
> bat speed to lash line drives to all fields. His
> athletic ability, speed and frame earn comparisons
> to Mets prospect Lastings Milledge, but he?s more
> polished at the plate, earning 60 and 70 grades from
> scouts (on the 20-80 scouting scale) with 50 raw
> power. 
>  12. Reds: Jay Bruce, of, West Brook HS, Beaumont,
> Texas
> 
> Bruce has been compared by scouts to Larry Walker.
> Though he has average to plus tools across the board
> and enough athleticism to play center field, Bruce
> profiles better in right field. His swing can get a
> little long at times, but Bruce is a polished high
> school hitter. He centers the ball well and already
> understands the importance of using the entire
> field. He also has the strength and skill to
> eventually hit 30-plus homers annually in the
> majors. His average speed is probably his worst
> tool, but he plays quicker than his stopwatch
> readings on the bases and in the outfield. He has
> more than enough arm to handle the move to right
> field in pro ball. 
>  13. Orioles: Brandon Snyder, c, Westfield HS,
> Centreville, Va.
> 
> Snyder is tough mentally, jumping back and forth
> between shortstop and catcher, though he moved
> behind the plate for good late in his senior season.
> He plays the game hard with a dirt-rat mentality in
> spite of his premium prospect status. Snyder's
> mature approach, line-drive swing and ability to
> pull the ball with authority remind scouts of Justin
> Upton at the plate. His athleticism and arm strength
> would play at shortstop or third base, and some
> teams would start him out as an infielder to make
> sure his offensive development doesn't get stunted. 
>  14. Indians: Trevor Crowe, of, U. of Arizona
> 
> 
=== message truncated ===


Andrew R. Klein
anrklein at yahoo.com