EHCC Minor League Draft Recap Part 1
Adam Miller. Josh Barfield. Joel Guzman. Daric Barton. Brandon Wood. Mat Gamel. Angel Villalona. Reid Brignac. Bill Rowell. A list of random names generated by a name generating website for author’s with writer’s block? Nope. This is a (very) partial list of players that once made EHCC GMs pump their fists and high-five their colleagues when they were drafted. The annual EHCC Minor League draft is the ultimate crapshoot. For every Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, or Clayton Kershaw who are drafted and then come up and dominate the EHCC almost immediately, there are literally dozens more who never amount to jack squat.
So, how do we separate the Trouts and Harpers from the Gamels and Woods? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But let’s try anyway.
Round 1, Pick 1 (Santo Domingo):
Projected Pick: Nomar Mazara
Actual Pick: Nomar Mazara
Analysis: I need to start this off right off the bat by saying that this was the most up-in-the-air draft I’ve seen in years. Despite actually guessing this one right, there was no consensus #1 pick this year. In fact, it might have been the most shallow draft I’ve ever seen. In another year, most of these guys would probably be 2nd round picks. It’s impossible to judge. Mazara was as good a choice as any.
Round 1, Pick 2 (San Juan):
Projected Pick: Michael Conforto
Actual Pick: Alex Reyes
Analysis: Reyes was the top arm available here, so in that sense it was a good choice by San Juan. However, although he’s dominated at times, Reyes has also spent much of the season shelved by arm injuries. Ask Santo Domingo how taking a dominant but injury-prone pitcher at the top of the draft worked out (hi, Dylan Bundy!).
Round 1, Pick 3 (Bridgewater):
Projected Pick: Tyler Kolek
Actual Pick: Tyler Kolek
Analysis: Kolek has looked like complete garbage this year, but he’s a big power arm with a nice pedigree in a draft year lacking in those types of options. He’s sort of this year’s Mark Appel, but with a higher risk factor, given that he was taken ahead of more polished, but lower ceiling guys like Aaron Nola and Jose de Leon. A calculated risk for a Bridgewater team that needs to strike it big in these drafts.
Round 1, Pick 4 (Dublin):
Projected Pick: Alex Reyes
Actual Pick: Alex Jackson
Analysis: This is the pick of a team who didn’t do their homework prior to the draft. Jackson was hyped coming out of college, but has shown nothing in the minors to merit a pick this high. Jackson spent the entire 2015 season falling down draft boards across the EHCC, not even making this writer’s final mock draft. Seeing him taken in the top half of the first round is a shock.
Round 1, Pick 5 (Rakeville via Tokyo):
Projected Pick: Aaron Nola
Actual Pick: Aaron Nola
Analysis: Right pick, wrong team. Although Tokyo was initially projected to draft here, a draft day trade with Rakeville nets the Rockets the most polished arm in the draft. Nola is a great addition to any EHCC squad. Although his ceiling is considered fairly limited, he should have no problem reaching it. There’s something to be said for solid consistency.
Round 1, Pick 6 (Tokyo):
Projected Pick: Trea Turner
Actual Pick: Grant Holmes
Analysis: With former minor league pick Carolos Correa already mashing in Tokyo, the Omyoujis forego another SS and instead opt for an arm in Grant Holmes. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, as there were multiple other more intriguing arms still available (Jeff Hoffman, Jose de Leon, and Blake Snell all come to mind), but Tokyo’s drafted well recently, so we’ll just have to assume they know what they’re doing, even though they probably don’t.
Round 1, Pick 7 (Tokyo via Tijuana):
Projected Pick: Rafael Devers
Actual Pick: Sean Newcomb
Analysis: Eschewing their tradition of taking undersized infielders (maybe Jose Altuve doesn’t constitute a “tradition” per se, but just go with it), Tokyo instead goes with another pitcher in Newcomb. Newcomb is a fine choice here, projected to go only a few picks later in my mock. However, you can’t help but be a little dubious when Tokyo drafts a pitcher. Although they’ve struck gold in recent years with Altuve and Correa, two franchise cornerstones, they’ve really struggled in selecting pitchers, and they’ve taken a lot of them over the years.
Round 1, Pick 8 (Augusta):
Projected Pick: Tim Anderson
Actual Pick: Nobody
Analysis: Brilliant move here by Augusta. No one can tell you you don’t know what the hell you’re doing if you don’t bother to do anything. As we learned in ‘War Games,’ the only winning move is not to play.
Round 1, Pick 9 (San Juan via Rio):
Projected Pick: Jeff Hoffman
Actual Pick: Rafael Devers
Analysis: Devers goes a couple of picks later than projected. With the recently departed (from San Juan, not from Earth) Jean Segura no longer holding the torch at SS, San Juan goes with Devers, who currently plays 3B, but given his size might project better at short in the majors. At least that’s San Juan’s hope. With Manny Machado and Yasmany Tomas looking to block him for the foreseeable future, a move up the middle might be Devers best bet for future playing time.
Round 1, Pick 10 (Quebec City):
Projected Pick: Jose de Leon
Actual Pick: Michael Conforto
Analysis: With the sweet hitting OF long ago projected to be off the board, QC GM Pat Renaud jumps at the chance to add Conforto, one of the best pure hitters available in this year’s draft. Given QC’s struggles on offense this year, and next season’s roster expansion looming, it’s a smart, safe pick for Canada’s team.
Round 1, Pick 11 (Weymouth):
Projected Pick: Blake Snell
Actual Pick: Aaron Judge
Analysis: Apparently Weymouth doesn’t have enough power-hitting OFs on their roster with Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Ryan Braun (all of whom Weymouth drafted in the minor league draft). Other OFs Weymouth has selected in the minor league draft over the years? Justin Upton, Andrew McCutchen, and Carlos Gonzalez. So this is probably a very good pick.
Round 1, Pick 12 (Weymouth via Rakeville):
Projected Pick: Aaron Judge
Actual Pick: Bradley Zimmer
Analysis: See above.
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion! Round 2 Analysis coming soon…
Chief Lawless is EHspn's chief minor league analyst. Despite being a famous baseball analyst, his actual favorite pasttime is not baseball. It's masturbating furiously in a tree outside his neighbor's window, while he peeps with binoculars. He's a pretty weird guy.
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posted by Pawtucket Pat at 4:23 PM
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