CLASS of 2022: FIRST ROUND
First overall pick acquired by Youngstuds from NY Titans for two players and three picks (including two future first rounders).
Pick #1: SP Dean Martin, Los Angeles NL. Age 22, RHP-Ball State University, Indiana.The #1 overall consensus draft pick in this class by our analysts, Martin now sits at the top of the farm team food chain in LA. Along with Dom Phillips, the pair will likely continue LA's rotation dominance as their older starting pitchers age out. Martin projects to potential A-/A+ skills.
Pick #2: LF Cy Miller, Kansas City. Age 18, RHB-Greenbriar Christian Academy HS, Virginia.The #2 ranked player in this draft and taken second. He'll hit for average and good power with great speed and potential Gold Glove defense. KC is already moving prospect Lave Sharrott to CF to make room for this youngster.
Pick #3: SP Terry Hollingsworth, Detroit. Age 21, RHP-Community College of Rhode Island.Not the best player on the board at #3 and not even the next best SP, but Hollingsworth is the best SP with the shortest track to the majors, and the Diamonds are in desperate need of pitching.
Pick #4: RP Jorge Rodriguez, Boston. Age 30, RHP-from Cuban National Team.Like Hollingsworth, not the next best player or top relief pitcher on the board but unlike Hollingsworth, major league ready. What you see is what you get, a high-K hurler with questionable control issues. One year he'll be great, the next season just awful. There's a slim chance his control will improve mildly and he's best used in situations facing only one or two hitters, but Boston's system is already loaded and couldn't afford another young project. They made the best of a bad situation.
Pick #5: SP Johnny Striker, St. Louis. Age 17, LHP-Liberty High School, California.We had Marty Ewing as the next best high school hurler but St. Louis scouts didn't like his B/D skill split and went with the next best SP in Striker, projected to #11 overall by our analysts. He projects to A-/B+ and there's nothing wrong with that. He immediately becomes the best prospect in the Browns' system.
Pick #6: RP Ozzie Kreitner, Minnesota. Age 18, RHP-Fraser Valley Christian HS, British Columbia, Canada.Our analysts had pegged Kreitner's C- overall grade for the second round and the fifth best RP so a bit of a surprise to see him go this high, but we remind ourselves it was a terrible draft class. And Minnesota now has exactly *one* pitcher in the minors, so they were undoubtedly as desperate as Detroit for any kind of pitching prospect.
Pick #7: CF Pete Gilbreth, San Diego. Age 21, LHB-University of Lethbridge.We had Gilbreth ranked neck-and-neck with Darnell Aldridge, giving the edge to the latter for a slightly better offensive projection. Still, Gilbreth is one of the top three outfielders in this class and it will be fun to watch a lefty throw from CF.
Pick #8: RP Monk Nash, Baltimore. Age 20, RHP-St. Louis Community College-Forest Park.A solid pick at #8 as we had him pegged at #4 and one of the best overall RP projections. A+/B+ is not out of the question, though unlikely.
Pick #9: SP Koji Nohmi, Atlanta. Age 30, LHP-Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, Japan Pacific League.Our analysts put Nohmi in the early second round but he can go right to the majors at need, if only Atlanta management was available to make these decisions. Sadly, Horseradish remains in recuperation after his recent surgery.
Pick #10: SP Marty Ewing, Milwaukee. Age 18, RHP-Cypress Falls HS, Houston Texas.We had him slotted at #7 overall and the best SP left on the board with an A+/B- projection. Those pitchers can be inconsistent, but Milwaukee is doing a fine job stockpiling young quality arms for their future rotation.
Pick #11: 3b Angel Hernandez, Philadelphia. Age 17, SHB-Apopka High School, Florida.The 76ers had to be thrilled to land Hernandez at this slot. He was rated #3 overall and was the top third baseman in this class. Projects to A+ Speed, with high A CvR and borderline red letters for the rest of his hitting. He immediately becomes the heir apparent to current 3b Chad Berman.
Pick acquired from Chicago AL for 5-tool CF Lou Thobe.
Pick #12: 2b George Ermer, Kansas City. Age 21, RHB-University of South Carolina.Taken about where we thought, near the end of the first round, but Ermer did score out to be the top-rated second baseman here. He has a plus bat but his defense is suspect. A home at 1b or RF will be where he'll do the least damage, defensively. Bob Davis and a couple major leaguers are ahead of him on the depth chart w/Davis already slated to head out to RF.
Pick acquired from LA Youngstuds. See Pick #1.
Pick #13: C Ed Baker, New York NL. Age 18, RHB-Eau Gallie HS, Melbourne, Florida.Given the dearth of talent generally available at catcher, and especially with this ability-starved class, we expected Baker to rise (see what I did there?) all the way into the Top Five of this class. He'll be adequate against RHP but kill lefties. With two dozen on the farm, NY currently doesn't have any CP love for him, however.
Pick #14: CF Darnell Aldridge, Oakland. Age 21, LHB-San Diego State University.Aldridge projects to one of the top three OF (see Pick #7) and we thought he might go as high as #9. He doesn't have the Range for CF and his lefty bat will be weak against southpaws, but he should rake right-handed pitching. Oakland's OF are all aging out so he could see major league action quickly.
Pick acquired from Washington for 1b Jim Bruce, who hit 32 HR last year, 20 for the Phantoms.
Pick #15: RP Orlando Rufer, Baltimore. Age 18, RHP-Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia.There were two OF projected to higher overall scores still on the board, but Rufer was the best pitcher remaining. Projects to a lower A-/B+ with enough CP love and IP, he becomes one of the top five prospects for the NatBo's.
Pick #16: RP Ryuji Toyoda, Pittsburgh. Age 28, RHP-Japan's Hanshin Tigers, Central League.The Jolly Rogers' pitching staff is pretty set with a good mix of youth and veterans and some talented young arms on the farm. With half a dozen hurlers at C- or worse Health (including a trio of F Heatlh players), this was probably just an injury insurance pick.