Draft Grades: NL East
We continue our post-draft coverage by grading each team’s draft, going division by division, starting off with the NL East. Each team’s first pick will be highlighted, as well as four other prospects that have caught my eye. I will analyze, then offer a final statement and grade on each team’s draft.
Atlanta Braves:
First Pick: Jason Hursh, Pitcher, Oklahoma State (pick 31)
Other Notable Picks:
Victor Caratini, Catcher, Miami Dade CC (65)
Kyle Wren, CF, Georgia Tech (253)
Stephen Wrenn, OF, Walton High School, Georgia (853)
Jacob Heyward, RF, Eagles Landing Christian Academy, Georgia (1153)
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Atlanta’s decision to add a collegiate pitcher in Jason Hursh is a make-or-break pick here. While Hursh is armed with a mid 90’s fastball, he did come off of Tommy John surgery, which is common among this batch of Atlanta Braves hurlers. Still, Oklahoma State is starting to shy away from its hitter image in favor of becoming a pitching farm.
Victor Caratini, the JuCo catcher, could be a solid defensive asset who can play many positions. While his primary position is catcher, he can play third base, a position that is being temporarily held by Chris Johnson.
The Braves did find an intriguing trio of outfielders from Georgia, in Kyle Wren, who is GM Frank Wren’s son, Stephen Wrenn, who came from the same Georgia prep system as Austin Meadows and Clint Frazier, and Jacob Heyward, the brother of current Braves star Jason Heyward. While it is unlikely that Wrenn and Heyward will sign, Wren could find himself as a solid backup in the Braves organization.
Overall, Atlanta’s draft wasn’t exactly littered with high profile talent, and with the team giving up their first round pick to sign the slumbering giant that is BJ Upton, it doesn’t look like this draft will pay off for them. Hursh may find himself on the Braves’ pitching staff as early as 2015, but aside from that, nothing special
Grade: C-
Miami Marlins:
First Pick: Colin Moran, 3B, North Carolina (6)
Other Notable Picks:
Matt Krook, Pitcher, St. Ignatius College Prep, California (35)
Trevor Williams, Pitcher, Arizona State (44)
Colby Suggs, Pitcher, Arkansas (73)
Chad Wallach, Catcher, Cal State Fullerton (142)
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Nobody expected Colin Moran to go to Miami at #6, especially with New Mexico first baseman DJ Peterson on the board, but Miami pulled it off. Moran, the nephew of BJ Surhoff, a former first overall pick, has the bat and the glove to be a solid contributor, if not a superstar, for the Marlins once they reach pinnacle mode again.
Matt Krook is an intriguing high school arm. A lefty with low to mid 90’s speed, he’s not exactly a big stamina guy, but his size and arm slot have drawn favorable reviews from scouts. Krook will take years to develop, provided he signs, but if he makes it through the system, he could be the next big Marlins pitcher, after Josh Beckett, Josh Johnson, and Jose Fernandez.
The Marlins grabbed some relief pitching that could contribute early in Trevor Williams and Colby Suggs. Williams profiles as a contact pitcher who will miss a few bats occasionally, while Suggs, who served as Arkansas’ closer, could do some major damage in terms of his pitches. Suggs could end up as a September call-up, while waiting maybe three years to become the permanent closer.
Tim Wallach, a former All-American, first round pick, Gold Glove winner, and Silver Slugger, must have been proud when his son Chad was drafted. The younger Wallach has some hitting ability combined with solid defensive skills. He may not be a starter like his dad, but could find himself as a dependable backup in the future, especially if Rob Brantly goes and Kyle Skipworth still hasn’t panned out.
Miami’s draft was littered with big names and possible contributors. Moran’s ceiling indicates that he could be another Dustin Ackley or David Wright, while his floor indicates he could be like his uncle. Pitching was a must-need in Miami and most of their picks were used to bolster a system that could use a few more good arms. Judging by the talent that is coming in, this could serve to be one of the best drafts the Marlins have in a long time.
Grade: A
New York Mets
First Pick: Dominic Smith, 1B, Serra High School, California (11)
Other Notable picks:
Andrew Church, Pitcher, Basic High School, Nevada (48)
Ivan Wilson, OF, Ruston High School, Louisiana (76)
LJ Mazzilli, 2B, Uconn, (116)
Jared King, OF, Kansas State (146)
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In the weeks leading up to the draft, the speculation was that Sandy Alderson was finally going to address the outfield problem with the first pick he had. Turns out that was not it at all, as first baseman Dominic Smith was picked instead. Smith, while not an outfielder, was regarded as one of the best prep hitters in the draft, some would say better than the two Georgia outfielders that were taken before him. Smith, who was drafted because he was the best player available, will not be ready until 2017, but when he is, Ike Davis, who has yet to show that he is over his disastrous 2012 start, will likely be moved.
Alderson pulled another shocker when he took Nevada prepster Andrew Church in the second round. The pick was clearly based on potential, as Church hasn’t played a full season of baseball since his freshman season, and spent his high school career on three different teams, including one where he had an argument with his team’s coach. Church’s potential should be monitored, as he has the tools to be a mid-rotation arm, but he may honor his commitment to the University of San Diego in order to build up his resume and be picked three years later.
The outfield help came in the third round, as the Mets used their compensation pick from the loss of Teddy Stankiewicz to draft Ruston High School outfielder Ivan Wilson. Wilson has projectable power, but is somewhat raw and still needs to develop more if he wants to be part of the Mets outfield in the future.
A familiar name came to the Mets in the fourth round when the team drafted former first rounder Lee Mazzilli’s son, LJ. LJ is a mold of Daniel Murphy, as a hitter with little power but able to spray to all fields. He could probably find himself in a Justin Turner type role as early as 2014, but he won’t get as much playing time as his father, as long as Murphy holds his own at second base.
Probably the fastest player in the Mets 2013 draft class to make the majors could be Kansas State outfielder Jared King. King won’t be joining the team until Kansas State is finished with their season, and with the Wildcats on the verge of making the journey to Omaha, that will be a while. Still, King was drafted as a hitter as his ability as a contact and power hitter have shown, and given the team’s horrendous outfield situation, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he makes the Mets as early as 2014.
In conclusion, the Mets made some curious choices in Smith and Church, but afterwards, the team started making choices that made some degree of sense. Smith may become another Darryl Strawberry, and King may be a name to be considered in the future. Sandy used his draft to remedy some situations that needed to be fixed. Hopefully it will turn out that he once again has made solid picks.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Phillies:
First Pick: JP Crawford, Shortstop, Lakewood High School, California (16)
Other Notable Picks:
Andrew Knapp, Catcher, California (53)
Cord Sandberg OF, Manatee High School, Florida (89)
Trey Williams, 3B, College Of the Canyons (211)
Cavan Biggio, Utility, St. Thomas High School, Texas (871)
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It’s about time the Phillies took a shortstop to replace Jimmy Rollins. The second oldest starting shortstop in the big leagues, (oldest if you don’t count Jeter on the disabled list) will be 35 in November. Thankfully, JP Crawford stood out in a weak middle infield class and should take the reigns as soon as Rollins retires. Crawford is a defensive standout who has some hitting ability and speed. His athleticism was constantly dissected, even months before the draft. Crawford has the chance to continue the tradition of all-star caliber Phillies infielders.
Though there were several other options in terms of prep catchers, Andrew Knapp, the California backstop intrigued Philly the most. While Carlos Ruiz still has plenty of time, Knapp is a solid hitter, but an excellent defender. It will be interesting to see if he could find himself fighting for the backup, and then possibly the starting role in the future.
Trey Williams stands out as a highly touted infielder who had first round potential.While not drafted as high as he wanted, the CotC third baseman still has talent that could land him in the big leagues in the future, namely his hitting ability.
One of the biggest day 3 surprises in the draft was seeing Cavan Biggio, son of Craig, not go to Houston, like his father did, but rather to Philadelphia. Biggio, who has no set position, yet can hit and run like his father, however, will not sign with the Phillies, instead going to Notre Dame. He could be a future first round pick if it turns out that he finds his position.
The Phillies had their share of surprises, but what I liked about their draft the most was their addressing of a potential future weakness at shortstop. This could help restart the farm system that was once considered the worst in baseball.
Grade: B
Washington Nationals:
First Pick: Jake Johansen, Pitcher, Dallas Baptist (68)
Other Notable Picks:
Austin Voth, Pitcher, Washington (166)
Andrew Dunlap, Pitcher, No school, (1006)
Lukas Schiraldi, Pitcher, Navarro College (1066)
Karsten Whitson, Pitcher, Florida (1126)
Jake Johansen comes from the ever present Underdog university that is Dallas Baptist, most famously known for its 2011 Super Regional loss against California, a team that had just been saved from budget cuts. Johansen has the build to be a good pitcher, but still needs a lot of development in order to justify his second round pick label.
Austin Voth may be the best pick the Nationals have made this year, as he carved out a decent resume in the Pac 12. Finishing behind first overall pick Mark Appel in strikeouts, he has a possibly future in Washington’s staff, especially if certain free agent acquisitions fail to work out.
Andrew Dunlap is an anomaly. He did not pitch high school ball last year despite needing the eligibility in order to get a college scholarship, so he spent the season pitching at the same academy that Trevor Bauer used. He has a mid to high 90’s fastball, but if anything, he probably should consider going to college instead of signing with the team.
Lukas Schiraldi is the son of former Mets and Red Sox pitcher Calvin Schiraldi. The younger Schiraldi spent two seasons as a JuCo pitcher where he developed an arsenal of pitches, many of which still need development. It is unlikely that he signs, considering he can improve his draft position at his dad’s alma mater, the University of Texas.
Karsten Whitson’s name is familiar because he was a former first round pick of the San Diego Padres. Whitson has had an up-and -down career at Florida, where he pitched in the College World Series, but this year, he was sidelined due to injury. I doubt that Whitson will accept being drafted this low, so we should see him reenter the draft for the final time, in hopes that he can be a first round pick again.
Washington’s draft was unimpressive from the beginning. First the team gave up their first round pick for Rafael Soriano, a terrible move in and of itself. Second, tabbing a collegiate project in the second round is a major no-no. Third, there were other big names out there who could contribute. Ultimately, this draft is a failure.
Grade: F
Coming up, the NL Central.
