2038 Draft Grades

Steve (PGH) has taken the time to evaluate the draft and come up with some grades. What do you think?

ANA
2.9- 1B Joey Votto
2.15- RP Hanover Money
2.19- RP Heath Bell
2.26- CF Denard Span
3.13- SP Harvey Haddix
3.21- LF Howard Earl Averill

The only players I’m not a big fan of here are Span and Haddix, but the Angels did plenty enough in the rest of the draft to make up for it. KL may have gotten the best steal in the draft in Votto and Averill was a good pickup in the late 3rd. Bell should be a terrific late inning reliever and with the success of guys like Kip Konoa and Easy Gibson, there’s no reason to believe Money won’t be money as well.
Best pick: Votto
Worst pick: Span
Grade: B+

HOU
1.21- C Yogi Berra
2.2- RP Kent Tekulve
2.21- RF Dwight Evans
3.15- 1B Ron Kittle
4.21- Pass

Houston was the only team to pass on a pick in this draft, but who can blame them as there weren’t any good players left. No game changers for the Stros, but 4 solid players. Berra is a definite upgrade over Ray Fosse. Tekulve will be a very good reliever wherever he is plugged in. Evans will be a decent replacement for Burnitz or Abreu. Then, at 1B Sam already had Tommy Spokane, but he or Kittle could be moved for good value.
Best pick: Berra
Worst pick: Evans
Grade: B

OAK
No picks

It’s hard to question the champs’ methods.
Best pick: N/A
Worst pick: N/A

Grade: A


TOR
1.4- SP Grover Alexander
2.4- SP Ed Cicotte
3.4- 2B Lou Whittaker
4.4- 3B Frank Malzone

The Jays got the foundation of their rotation in Alexander and Malzone is an ok hitter for a 4th. In between, though the club struggled. Cicotte was taken off the board with several better starters still available. Then, the team got Whittaker when their best player already was a 2B.
Best pick: Alexander
Worst pick: Cicotte
Grade: B-

ATL
1.9- SP Joe Niekro
3.25- 1B Don Mincher
4.25- CF Dom DiMaggio

Felix Hernandez appears to be a bust, while Cy Young and Joda Chamberlain’s careers appear to be off to shaky starts, so trading up to get a talent like Niekro could be huge for the Braves rotation. Don’t expect Mincher to supplant Prince Fielder at 1B, but a nice trade asset picked up in the late 3rd.
Best pick: Niekro
Worst pick: DiMaggio
Grade: B+

MIL
2.5- SP Bingo Long
2.7- LF Joe Medwick
2.14- SP Yovani Gallardo
2.27- 3B Sal Bando
4.1- SS Zoilo Versalles
4.15- 1B Jake Beckley
4.26- RF Al Cowens
4.28- RF Sammy West

Wow, was this team busy throughout the draft! Long was not very high on many draft boards, but the Brew Crew picked up some decent talent in the rest of the 2nd. Gallardo could turn out to be a very good starter, while Medwick and Bando should find their way into the starting lineup.
Best pick: Gallardo
Worst pick: Long
Grade: B


STL
3.1- SP Don Sutton
4.8- 3B Pablo Sandoval
4.27- RF Don Cramer

Sutton could be a solid middle of the rotation type. He’ll infuse a little youth into an aging rotation.
Best pick: Sutton
Worst pick: Cramer
Grade: B

CHN
1.3- LF Barry Bonds
2.3- 2B Rod Carew
3.3- CF Jim Northup
4.3- CF Jimmy Piersall

The club picked up some big time offensive help in Bonds and Carew. Then they got a couple of borderline starting OFs in Northup in Piersall. However, they failed to do anything to upgrade one of the poorer pitching staffs in the league.
Best pick: Bonds
Worst pick: Carew
Grade: B+

LA
1.22- CF Bobby Mercer
2.22- SP Josh Johnson
3.22- SP Chad Billingsley
4.22- SS Omar Infante

Mercer should team well with OF Cesar Cedeno at the top of the Dodgers lineup in years to come. Johnson could become a solid back end of the rotation guy.
Best pick: Mercer
Worst pick: Infante
Grade: B











MON
1.20- CF Ty Cobb
3.5- SP Rick Porcello
3.6- SP Don Mossi
4.6- C Pat Borders

Cobb’s got great speed and contact, but there’s only so much a guy with 46 power can accomplish. Porcello was a very nice value in the 3rd and should be a solid starter.
Best pick: Porcello
Worst pick: Cobb
Grade: B

SF
3.9- SP Clay LeMaster
3.26- RP Pedro Feliciano
4.9- RP Darren Jones

LeMaster reminds some scouts of Max Butcher of the Astros and could be a huge steal in the 3rd. Feliciano and Jones have a chance to make the Giants pen.
Best pick: LeMaster
Worst pick: Jones
Grade: B+

CLE
2.20- SS Maury Wills
3.20- C Kirt Manwaring
4.20- SS Kirt Stillwell

Manwaring could end up being the Indians starting catcher. Wills and Stillwell bring little to the table, but speed and defense.
Best pick: Manwaring
Worst pick: Wills
Grade: C-

SEA
1.12- SP George Herman Ruth
2.12- 2B Jose Vidro
3.12- SP John Candelaria
4.12- SP Dallas Green

Vidro should be a good hitter with good speed as well. The Ruth selection was suprising with other ace caliber pitchers that appeared to be safer picks available. Candelaria could turn out to be ok.
Best pick: Vidro
Worst pick: Ruth
Grade: C+
FLA
1.10- SP Mickey Lolich
2.10- 2B Brandon Phillips
3.10- 1B Frank Chance
4.10- 2B Jim Gantner

Lolich was a nice pickup to anchor the Marlins rotation. Phillips is an ok player, but a surprising pick with Vidro still on the board. Chance is another surprise, with guys like Kittle and Micher still there.
Best pick: Lolich
Worst pick: Phillips
Grade: B-

NYN
1.16- SP Juan Marichal
2.16- 2B Joe Gordon
3.16- RP Gene Garber
4.16- RF Felipe Alou

The Mets managed to get Marichal, who many considered to be the last great starter on the board. Gordon is a solid player and should give them some trade options with Pete Looper still on the roster.
Best pick: Marichal
Worst pick: Alou
Grade: B+

BAL
1.17- 2B Jackie Robinson
2.17- SP John Montefusco
3.17- SS Richie Aurellia
4.17- 3B Don Wert

The new GM for the O’s got things off to a strong start. He picked up a difference maker in Robinson and 2 other potential starters in Montefusco and Aurellia. With an older ball club, this is just what this team needed.
Grade: A-










SD
1.15- 3B Eddie Matthews
3.7- SP Adam Wainwright
3.28- SP Billy Chapel
4.7- RF Harry Hooper

Even if Wainright and Chapel fail to materialize into anything of significance, this will still have been a strong draft for the Padres. Mike was able to pick up Matthews in a deal with the Brewers to add to what was already a very scary offense.
Best pick: Matthews
Worst pick: Chapel
Grade: B+

PHI
1.13- SS Ernie Banks
1.27- RF Al Kaline
1.28- SP Frank Lary
4.13- C Clay Dalrymple

Banks will be a stud; not much else needs to be said about him. Kaline should be a solid player, while Lary may be a bit of a gamble for a 1st.
Best pick: Banks
Worst pick: Lary
Grade: B+

PIT
1.14- SP Dewey Cheatem
1.26- LF Garrett Jones
2.11- RP Bill Wakefield
2.23- RP Dick Raddix
3.18- RP Neftali Feliz
4.18- CF Billy Bruton

At the very least, Cheatem and Jones adequately “replace” SP Tim Wakefield and LF Zach Wheat. Then, the Pirates completed their main objective heading into the draft, which was to round out the bullpen. They did so with a trio of flamethrowers. In an effort to be unbiased, Bruton really sucks.
Best pick: Cheatem
Worst pick: Bruton
Grade: A-






TEX
1.6- SP Bob Gibson
1.19- CF Matt Kemp
2.18- 1B Norm Cash
3.11- 3B Pepper Martin
4.11- LF Justin Upton

The Rangers traded up to get their staff ace Gibson. He, along with Soto, Zumaya and Bucholtz should make a fairly formidable rotation. They then got 3 future starters and a solid backup.
Best pick: Gibson
Worst pick: Upton
Grade: A

CIN
3.24- 2B Dick McAuliffe
4.24- 2B Billy Ripken

Getting a starting caliber player in the late 3rd is always nice. Then there’s Billy boy. There’s not much to say about him, other than that he’s not his brother.
Best pick: McAuliffe
Worst pick: Ripken
Grade: B+

BOS
1.25- SP Jonathan Sanchez
2.8- RP Hoyt Wilhelm
2.25- C Mickey Tettleton
4.5- RP John Hiller

Tettleton was definitely the bright spot of this draft, as he should be a solid player. Hiller, also, has a chance to be ok. Before that, though, this draft was a mess. Sanchez, most likely would have still been available in the 3rd, while Wilhelm is a much bigger question mark than several relievers taken after him.
Best pick: Tettleton
Worst pick: Sanchez
Grade: C-









COL
3.2- C Ernie Lombardi
4.2- SP Billy Traber

Lombardi should be a decent catcher who hits for a nice average. Unfortunately, this club could have really used its earlier picks.
Best pick: Lombardi
Worst pick: Traber
Grade: B

KC
1.23- 3B Dick Allen
3.23- LF Larry Doby
4.23- 1B Marv Thornberry

Allen will be a good hitter, but wasn’t a 1st round talent on many boards. Doby and Thornberry will provide decent depth.
Best pick: Doby
Worst pick: Allen
Grade: B-

DET
4.19- SS George Davis

Davis is really fast. Here’s another team that was really hurt by not having their picks.
Best pick: Davis
Worst pick: Davis
Grade: C+

MIN
1.1- C Johnny Bench
1.2- SP Bob Feller
1.11- 1B Willie McCovey
2.1- CF Cool Papa Bell
2.6- RP Dan Callison
3.27- RP Fu-Te Ni

Likely the first time anyone ever got the best position player, starting pitcher and reliever in the same draft; impressive. The only pick I don’t like is Bell, and he’ll probably do just fine in that lineup.
Best pick: Feller
Worst pick: Bell
Grade: A



CHA
1.5- SP Lefty Grove
1.7- SP Walter Johnson
1.8- 3B Mike Schmidt
1.18- LF Roger Maris
1.24- 1B Don Mattingly
2.24- SP Tommy Hanson
3.8- RP Danny Herrera

Wow, what a 1st round. Kudos to Dan for the effort made to acquire 5 firsts and picking up studs with each one. Like Luke, however, he’ll just miss a perfect score, because of one questionable pick. A 98 pitch on Hanson is nice, but screwballers are pretty risky.
Best pick: Grove
Worst pick: Hanson
Grade: A

NYA
3.14- C Matt Weiters
4.14- C Jim Price

Mark’s main goal appears to have been to find a backup for C Brian McCann. Not much real help here, though. This club is mostly waiting for youngsters already on the roster to develop and get them back to the playoffs.
Best pick: Weiters
Worst pick: Price
Grade: C+