Post by Commissioner Erick on Jan 17, 2020 23:32:46 GMT -5
Grading baseball drafts always requires an element of time, due to the varied nature of player development. Some players enter the league as teenagers, others as fully-formed adults, with the vagaries of a manager's ideology affecting development. That being said, after more than five years, some members of the 2017 draft have had a few years under their belt, other prospects have just started their careers, some haven't sniffed the majors but still show exciting potential, while others have fallen out favor or given up their careers entirely. With that modicum of time, 5.5 years, allowing players to announce themselves a little bit more as who they are instead of who they may be, the 2017 PBA Draft. Note that you may use StatsPlus to see the specifics of any team's given draft in a year, or the entirety of a single draft.
Arizona Diamondbacks
First Round: (6) Quentin Holmes—CF
Second Round: (6) Cole Turney—RF
Third Round: (6) Tristan Beck—P
Best Player: Quentin Holmes
Best Deep Cut: Robert Jolly (13)
Total ML WAR: 4.8
Review: Arizona took a young project in Quentin Holmes and watched him marinate over four years before finally making his major league debut this season. It was worth it to develop him as Holmes produced 4.0 WAR as a rookie. He was an average hitter, but his defense and speed are exceptional, as he'll be a Gold Glove winner in his first season. Holmes should grow into his offense a little bit more and become a very valuable player until his legs slow down.
Cole Turney was another young player who can produce value. He's still in the mid-minors, but is still only 23 and has a strong hit tool. Tristan Beck has been a top-100 prospect for awhile, even if he's no longer with the Diamondbacks. He doesn’t have star potential, but was replacement-level as a swing man in his rookie year and should keep growing. Fifth-rounder Connor Uselton is by no means a complete player, but showed decent power as a rookie for the Astros in his rookie year.
Arizona didn't get much outside their top picks, but Robert Jolly has got intangibles and a great glove and can be a backup catcher.
Grade: B+: Arizona took some long term projects and doesn't appear to have a superstar for their trouble. That being said, they did get a difference maker with their first pick, and two more useful players. Mason House's development makes House a better possible option than Turney or Uselton, which docks Arizona slightly.
Atlanta Braves
First Round: (5) Shane Baz—P
Second Round: (5) Garrett Mitchell—CF
Third Round: (5) Ben Casparius—SS
Best Player: Shane Baz
Best Deep Cut: Chad Spanberger (12)
Total ML WAR: 3.3
Review: Shane Baz was picked fourth overall in a draft where almost no pitcher taken early has developed quickly. He's so wild, he's walked almost a batter an inning in the majors, though his stuff has certainly proven elite. Only 23, Baz still has superstar potential, even if he's taking the long road to realizing it. Second round pick Garrett Mitchell has terrific speed and defense, and is a major leaguer even if the bat doesn't come around. He had 0.6 WAR for Milwaukee despite a 70 OPS+ from a bat-first position.
Ben Casparius hasn't developed as a third-rounder, but fourth rounder Steven Williams is a wonderful defensive catcher with potential to have enough offense to be a top-tier catcher. Like Baz, fifth rounder Steven Jennings has taken a while to develop, but has major league stuff and minor league control. He may not have the consistency or durability to start, but even as a reliever, should add value.
Catcher Chad Spanberger has recorded the most WAR through the end of the 2022 season of any Atlanta pick. Despite being a 12th rounder, he's held his own as a starting catcher in the ALDS for the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Grade: B: To this point, Baz has shown enough to warrant the pick, though it's largely incomplete. We'll know in three years whether the pick was a hit or a bust. The only outfielder taken a few rounds after Mitchell who has produced significantly more than him is House, but House is of a different archetype. Atlanta has also gotten value out of catchers later on in the draft.
Baltimore Orioles
First Round: (23) Nick Allen—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (23) Sam Carlson—P
Third Round: (23) Kyle Hurt—P
Best Player: Sam Carlson
Best Deep Cut: Cody Bekman (27)
Total ML WAR: -1.8
Review: Baltimore knew it had something with Nick Allen, but couldn't get him to stop from spending a season at San Diego State, blowing the pick. Fortunately, Sam Carlson, erratic as he is, still has major upside as a second round pick. A lot of other pitchers taken in rounds 2-5 have demonstrated considerable success thus far, but Carlson is younger than them. He struck out 176 hitters in 165.2 innings last year, good numbers that would look great if he didn't also walk 110 batters.
Tyler Johnson, the club's sixth round pick, is the only other player with significant major league experience. He's somehow managed to compile -1.7 WAR in just 122 innings over four seasons, as he ghastly command undermines a hard fastball and devastating slider.
Kyle Hurt and Mitchell Stone may be swingmen as the team's third and fourth round picks, and some mid-round picks still have potential to be relief arms in the majors some day.
Grade: C-: It's a one-person draft to this point. Not signing a first round pick is devastating, and there's no lock anybody other than Carlson looks like a major leaguer. It's possible Carlson alone blows up to make the pick an "A.," but Carlson and Nick Allen would have made for a spectacular draft.
Boston Red Sox
First Round: (26) Jake Mangum—RF
Second Round: (26) J.J. Schwartz—C
Third Round: (26) Tyler Freeman—SS—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Mason House (5)
Best Deep Cut: Carlos Lomeli (11)
Total ML WAR: 1.4
Review: Jake Mangum had an impressive debut season in High-A back in 2017, followed it up with a slightly better repeat of the level in 2018, and never got above the level until eight games in 2022. The organization failed to develop him, his play eroded, and he finally retired this offseason for a wasted pick. Evan Skoug went directly after him, with a bunch of outfielders that have put up slightly negative to slightly positive WAR around him. Either way, Mangum was a huge bust.
Not to be outdone, J.J. Schwartz never got above Rookie Ball before retiring and Tyler Freeman didn't sign. In fairness to Boston, Freeman failed to sign with the next two clubs to draft him as well. Their fourth round pick, Matt Sauer, doesn't have the control needed to survive the high minors, or the stuff to compensate, and there's almost nothing from lower picks.
Their one hit was fifth-rounder Mason House, and to add insult to injury, he was unprotected in the Rule-V draft in 2022 and hit 30 home runs for Cleveland. Still, the pick was a success, and getting a 30-home run hitting Center Fielder keeps the draft from being fruitless, but only slightly.
Grade: D-: It's hard to not give F Grades for each pick aside from House, but House has shown enough, and drafting is so hard anyway, that it rescues a failing grade. That being said, they didn't even get mid-minors production from their early picks, which is an abject failure.
Chicago White Sox
First Round: (12) Brendan McKay—1B
Second Round: (12) Kyle Jacobsen—LF
Third Round: (12) Trevor Rogers—P
Best Player: Brendan McKay
Best Deep Cut: Elijah Dilday (15)
Total ML WAR: 18.4
Review: Just a terrific draft. Brendan McKay had two-way potential as a draft pick, and Chicago focused him on offense. He's turned into a terrific doubles-forward slugger on a terrific offense, and has the fifth most WAR to date of anybody in the draft.
Gator Jacobsen has been replacement level in the majors, but he's only 23 and may be a major league backup. Trevor Rogers struck out 177 batters a reliever last year and Ryan Lillard's contact and defense have him as a 3-Win player in his first year as a starter.
Lower in the draft, Elijah Dilday was a 15-th round selection who's hit a bunch of doubles as a part-time player. Nobody below him has produced more WAR.
Fifth-Round pick Robert Bell can't do much more than steal bases and run down fly balls, but Chicago used him to success last year. Sixth rounder Ivan Johnson still has potential to be a glove-first major leaguer. 12th Rounder Tristan Widra had a positive rookie campaign for Cincinnati.
Grade: A: There are home runs and singles throughout the system, with the only issue for Chicago being the number of players blossoming for other teams. Still, Mike Bell knew the right players to pick that would provide major league value when he was on the clock. Most of Chicago's mid-round picks have already retired from baseball, which is a very minor criticism. Chicago has gotten more WAR from their picks through 2022 than any other team.
Chicago Cubs
First Round: (30) Blake Hunt—C—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (30) David Banuelos—C—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (30) Michael Mercado—P—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Patrick Murphy (16)
Best Deep Cut: Patrick Murphy (16)
Total ML WAR: -0.3
Review: The Cubs didn't sign any of their top five picks, getting absolutely nothing from the majority of their players. In fact, only 12 players selected still play professional baseball. On the one hand, they saved some money by not signing some of their guys, but not getting anything from the draft has to be disappointing. The only player to sniff the majors has been six games of J.D. Andreesen at -0.3 WAR.
Patrick Murphy had nine home runs in 39 games in Triple A, and could be a fourth outfielder as a 16th round pick. Everybody else has an extremely fringy future. At least the players they didn't sign haven't shown signs of being difference makers. Hunt maybe is a backup catcher, Mercado lost 20 games last year, and David Banuelos doesn't look like a major leaguer.
Grade: F: The Cubs went through a draft and don't look they have a single major leaguer, whiffing on signing players who could have helped. Even the players did they drafted but didn't sign don't look like much. This can't be anything but an F.
Cincinnati Reds
First Round: (2) Keston Hiura—LF
Second Round: (2) Carl Chester—CF
Third Round: (2) Bubba Thompson—CF
Best Player: Keston Hiura
Best Deep Cut: Reid Long (14)
Total ML WAR: 6.1
Review: It's a weird draft. Hiura started off well, but has just 0.9 WAR the past two seasons after a strong 2020. He doesn't hit as well as he used to after shoulder damage in 2021, doesn't run well, and isn't much a defensive player. He was on a star track, but who knows what he is now. On the other hand, he's banked 4.5 WAR in his career already and is certainly a major leaguer. The next five outfielders picked could pass Hiura in WAR next season though, adding more of a negative tilt to the ultimate grade.
Behind Hiura, Carl Chester stole 56 bases in Double-A, but doesn't project to have more than a bit role in the majors. Like Chester, Bubba Thompson is also a speed-oriented outfielder, but he finally made it to Double-A last season and had a dismal .179 average there.
Fourth round pick Nicholas Storz looks like either a Triple-A First Baseman, or a Triple-A reliever, and fifth rounder Luis Campasano retired after never making it above Rookie Ball.
Cincinnati did get value out of 14th rounder Reid Long, who has 52 home runs the past two seasons. Long doesn't get on base enough or defend enough to be a first division starter, but for a second-division club needing a good clubhouse guy and some power, Long hasn't been too bad.
Grade: C-: It's hard to be super impressed with the draft, though Hiura isn't terrible, and Long was a nice grab. Considering the Reds picked second though, it leaves you wanting.
Cleveland Indians
First Round: (27) Evan Skoug—C
Second Round: (27) Brian C. Miller—CF
Third Round: (27) Gabe Holt—2B
Best Player: Evan Skoug
Best Deep Cut: J.J. Matiejevic (18)
Total ML WAR: 15.6
Review: Skoug was a late first-round pick who has had the most WAR of any non-pitcher in the draft. That alone is a huge win. Skoug is a two-time All Star, a Rookie of the Year, and helped carry the Indians to a championship in 2020. He's been, simply, a tremendous pick.
Cleveland's also gotten production from some other spots as well. Brian C. Miller had a .795 OPS in 50 games in 2021 before spending 2022 in the minors and being third place in the International League MVP award vote. He's had some major league success and has some potential. Fourth round pick Alex Scherff struck out 116 hitters in 103.2 innings with Oakland last year and will spend next season as a 25-year old.
Fifth round pick Conor Grady was cut after 2017 and is now, fascinatingly, the #1 prospect in the KBO. Stateside, ninth rounder James Karinchak went 3-0 with a 3.75 ERA in 10 starts with San Diego. 11th Round pick Spencer Howard has a big league future, and 18th rounder J.J. Matiejevic had a .344 OBP with 21 home runs as a starting first baseman for Boston last season. Nobody below that selection has more than Matiejevic's 1.4 career WAR.
The only miss was third rounder Gabe Holt, who has never hit, save for a partial season with Greensboro in 2020. Even then, he steals bases and may be a 26th man someday.
Grade: A+: Getting a superstar with a late first-round pick, racking up constant successes later in the draft, Cleveland's 2017 draft was a thorough success. Few of the players are on Cleveland still, but this is a draft review, not a trade review. Cleveland wouldn't have had its championship without this draft, earning Cleveland an A with a plus.
Colorado Rockies
First Round: (11) Pick traded with German Marquez and Ryan Castellani to Detroit for Michael Fulmer. Turned into Adam Hall.
Second Round: (11) Michael Gigliotti—CF
Third Round: (11) Corbin Martin—P
Best Player: Hunter Williams
Best Deep Cut: Evan Pietronico (19)
Total ML WAR: 0.4
Review: Colorado traded away their first round pick and two useful pitchers to get one of the best arms in the National League. Michael Fulmer has produced 25.9 WAR over his career thus far, and will only turn 30 this upcoming season. German Marquez has turned into a decent arm, Castellani has been a serviceable back-end starter, and none of the arms taken in the first two rounds have produced anything aside from Griffin Canning. The trade was a bold one and it paid off for Colorado exceptionally well.
The rest of Colorado's draft is extremely blah, partly due to the players, and partly due to Erick Blasco's notoriously conservative approach. Only two players have hit the majors and neither Michael Gigliotti, nor Evan Pietronico appear to be more than Triple-A caliber players. Colorado has a lot of picks still active in their minors as placing players at age-appropriate levels has fostered their desire to keep playing. This gives Colorado some potential for future value, but nearly everyone picked has Triple-A upside.
Hunter Williams probably has the most potential of everyone. Popped in the sixth round, the lefty gets great downward plane from his 6-3, 250 pound frame. He doesn't have the best stuff, but gets a ton of ground balls. In an environment where he won't be BABIPed to death, he could be a good arm.
Grade: B-: The Fulmer trade was an A for Colorado, but there hasn't been much else to write home about from the system. Even the Fulmer deal is starting to tilt more neutral as German Marquez has pitched well the past two seasons. Still, Colorado got an ace out of their draft pick, and that is a terrific haul.
Detroit Tigers
First Round: (11) Adam Hall—SS (Pick Acquired with German Marquez and Ryan Castellani from Colorado for Michael Fulmer)
First Round: (21) Hans Crouse—P
Second Round: (16) David Peterson—P (Pick Acquired with Sandro Fabian, Chris J. Shaw, and Andrew Suarez from San Francisco for Daniel Norris)
Second Round: (21) Griffin Canning—P
Third Round: (21) Zach Pop—P
Best Player: Griffin Canning
Best Deep Cut: Zachary DeLoach (15)
Total ML WAR: 9.5
Review: The Tigers had a good draft if you take away the players selected in picks acquired in trades. In giving up Michael Fulmer, Detroit wound up with German Marquez (finally starting to blossom), Ryan Castellani (a decent fifth starter), and Adam Hall (a complete bust). That's not a great return for a pitcher who is eighth all-time in WAR.
Detroit's other early round pick they acquired also hasn't worked out. David Peterson flatlined in Double-A, was converted to pitcher where he posted an impressively destructive -3.0 WAR, then retired. Chris Shaw had a good year in 2020, but has been nothing special, while Sandro Fabian finally had a good season in High-A. Andrew Suarez has turned into a pretty good swingman, and Daniel Norris hasn't turned into more than a mid-rotation arm, so the trade wasn't a disastrous one by any means. Still, considering Norris' value, Detroit should have gotten more.
Getting past those deals, Detroit did pretty well. Hans Crouse hasn't made the majors yet, but he's developed nicely before tearing his UCL. If he can push past that injury, he has mid-rotation upside still. The OA named him their #51 prospect last year.
Their second-round pick, Griffin Canning, also looks like a mid-rotation arm. He was an All-Star in 2021, and has posted good strikeout numbers and decent home run prevention numbers in the majors. Third rounder Zach Pop struck out 77 hitters in 60.1 innings last year, and looks like a strong arm in the back of the bullpen.
Their fourth round pick, Jack Leftwich, has been slow to develop and likely doesn't have a major league future, but Oraj Anu, their fifth rounder, has produced in the minors and has a combination of power and defense that you don't see everywhere. Their sixth round pick Jordan Butler also profiles as a back-end starting pitcher.
Meanwhile, their eighth rounder, Matthew Annunziata, hit .285 with 25 doubles and 20 home runs last year, putting up a 3.6 WAR season as a third baseman, and their 10th rounder, Christopher Martin, could be a starting second baseman with a high average.
Grade: B+: The Tigers lost value on their trades, and despite four picks in the first round, came away with zero stars while giving away one. That being said, they cleaned up the rest of their picks in the top 10 to recuperate. It's hard to give them an A, but there's a lot to be impressed with.
Houston Astros
First Round: (17) D.L. Hall—P
Second Round: (17) Brady McConnell—SS
Third Round: (17) Blaine Knight—P
Best Player: Peter Solomon (5)
Best Deep Cut: Evan Mendoza (23)
Total ML WAR: 16.9
Review: Whatever happens with any other pick, Houston drafted Peter Solomon, the player with the most WAR in the draft to date. He's finished second in Cy Young Award voting twice, led the National League in ERA in 2021 and 2022, and pitched Washington a Championship in 2021. Not only has Solomon been spectacular, but he was popped in the fifth round before being traded to the Nationals for Sean Reid-Foley, Daniel Murphy, and Andrew McCutchen.
Houston's earliest pick, D.L. Hall, has been devastated by injuries much of his career and hasn't succeeded above A-Ball yet. He's looking like a complete whiff. Brady McConnell hasn't hit yet, but still has the upside to be a starting shortstop and will only turn 25 mid-season. Blaine Knight had a good year in Triple-A last year, and could become a fifth starter or reliever. Likewise, fourth-rounder Jacob Heatherly has a chance to be a decent fifth-starter.
In the middle-rounds, Alex Destino was overextended as a designated hitter last year, but he's hit well in the majors already and may start with Cincinnati. John Gavin, meanwhile, debuted last year and had a 2.43 ERA in 29.2 innings. In the later rounds, Houston doesn't have much but Evan Mendoza and Colter Castleman may be able to make it as long men.
Grade: A+: Solomon has turned into the best player in the draft, and an absolute steal. He makes the draft all on his own. Despite missing on Hall, Houston's also had enough success with players like McConnell and Destino to make up for it. Houston would be on a completely different trajectory had they kept Solomon, but they had an excellent draft.
Kansas City Royals
First Round: (15) Jeter Downs—SS
Second Round: (15) Ricardo de la Torre—3B
Third Round: (15) Clay Casey—RF
Best Player: Jeter Downs
Best Deep Cut: Anthony Boix (13)
Total ML WAR: 2.7
Review: Downs had a nice year last year in Oakland as the starting third baseman on an AL West champion. He played neutral defense, stole 20 bases, and hit .284 to make up for a lack of power and mediocre discipline. Downs is also still only 24, and still improving. He'll likely never be a star, and maybe Logan Warmoth would have been a better pick, but the Royals identified a starter-caliber player and grabbed one.
Ricardo de la Torre still works a count, runs aggressively on the bases, flashes potential with the leather, and has never seen a pitch at High-A or above. It's a tough profile, being a Third Baseman dependent on drawing walks, hitting doubles, and stealing bases, and de la Torre's development hasn't made it easy to grade the selection.
Crowded out by Japan's rules regarding the quantity of foreign players a team can employ, Clay Casey has torn up the Japanese minor leagues.
Joe Dunand, the team's fourth round pick, has hit in the minors, but as a First Baseman. He doesn't appear to be somebody who can slug enough as a major leaguer to succeed at first, and he may not be a good enough defender to succeed anywhere else. Their other fourth rounder, Drew Ellis, also looks like a Quad-A player, while fifth round pick Tommy Mace finally made it above rookie ball during the middle of last year.
Jonathan Rodriguez may have the most upside of any pick. Grabbed in the seventh round, he's starting to show that he may hit well enough to stick in the majors. his defense is superb, and scouts are starting to envision the bat playing in the majors. He still needs a lot of development, but he's only 23 and was picked in the seventh round.
Grade: C: Downs is a major leaguer, Rodriguez has upside, and the team may have some fringy back-end arms. That's not a bad starting point. There aren't any difference makers to bump the grade up though, and de la Torre doesn't appear to be worth the effort. He may be the player who can swing the grade the most in the future. Warmoth being better than Downs and Ben Ramirez and Brady McConnell being better than de la Torre bumped the grade down to a C.
Los Angeles Angels
First Round: (10) Pavin Smith—1B
Second Round: (10) Logan Warmoth—SS
Third Round: (10) Jake J. Thompson—P
Best Player: Logan Warmoth
Best Deep Cut: Christian Martinek (19)
Total ML WAR: 18.1
Review: Pavin Smith may not hit enough to be a first division First Baseman, but he has hit 44 home runs the past two years with good walk numbers, and is likely a starter moving forward. After selecting him in the first round, the Angels nailed their second round pick, getting Logan Warmoth. The Second Baseman is coming off a 4.6 win season, and his combination of defense, discipline, and smarts makes him a good looking player at the keystone position.
The Angels popped Zac Lowther in the fifth round, and while Lowther hasn't had much success to begin his career, he was worth roughly a win in 167 innings last year. The Angels' third rounder, Jake J. Thompson, has spent parts of four seasons with Salt Lake City in Triple A. The three seasons he's spent full time, he's produced roughly two wins a year, which may translate to a replacement-caliber big league career.
Jeremy Vasquez was drafted in the eighth round, and after a rough start to his major league career after being too young for the PBA, he settled in last season and hit 19 home runs with 28 doubles.
Grade: B+: The Smith pick is a B, the Warmoth selection is an A, and Vasquez is an A considering he was popped in the eighth round. Lowther, and Thompson are likely an aggregated C+. Combined, the Angels did a good job with the draft.
Los Angeles Dodgers
First Round: (25) J.B. Bukauskas—P
First Round: (28) Seth Romero—P—UNSIGNED (Pick was acquired from Washington for Gavin Lux)
Second Round: (25) Nathan Hadley—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (25 Hugh Fisher—P—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Matt Trask (8)
Best Deep Cut: Jesus Santana (13)
Total ML WAR: 0
Review: The Dodgers drafted J.B. Bukauskas 25th overall, and he really hasn't had a good individual season in the minors yet, let alone made it to Triple-A. Then, the Dodgers didn't sign picks in the second to seventh rounds, before grabbing Matt Trask, who may be a swingman in the pros.
Jesus Santana hit well in Triple-A and for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but scouts see him as a Triple-A guy really. He's arguably the best player picked by the Dodgers, especially if you've soured on the starters.
Grade: F: The Dodgers essentially punted on the draft, and held on to a player who won't amount to much. It's probable that the Dodgers don't get a single player to produce positive WAR out of the draft, which is a complete failure.
Miami Marlins
First Round: (14) Jeren Kendall—CF
Second Round: (14) Stuart Fairchild—RF
Third Round: (14) Hagen Danner—C
Best Player: Jeren Kendall
Best Deep Cut: Brandon Murray (11)
Total ML WAR: 14.3
Review: The Marlins popped Jeren Kendall 14th overall in 2017, and have seen him produce the third most WAR in the class. Kendall had the luxury of starting his career in 2018 as a 22-year old, but he's also produced at least 4.3 WAR in a season two times now. Kendall doesn't have the best bat and his legs are already slowing down, but his combination of outstanding defense, great speed, and solid pop have him as a first division regular.
Stuart Fairchild was successful in Triple-A until making it to the big leagues in 2019, where he promptly struggled. He hasn't been able to replicate his past success, and may never get a chance to get to the majors again and build upon his negative WAR. Hagen Danner hasn't even had the chance to cease building on past successes, as he's never had enough success to make it above A-Ball.
In the eighth round, Miami made an inspired pick, selecting Christian Hicks. Hicks was traded to Atlanta prior to the 2020 season, and he played in his third big league season last year, hitting .313 and stealing nine bases in 98 starts. Zack Gahagan has good power as a middle infielder as a 10th-round pick. Jack Labosky was picked in the fourth round and has enough juice in his bat to see if he can cut it in the majors as a part-time First Baseman. Dalton Guthrie is a nice middle infield depth piece in Triple-A as a fifth round selection, and Imani Wills' strong speed and decent bat may see him get some action as a sixth rounder.
Grade: A: Kendall was the right choice and was the face of the franchise in Miami, following Ben Vincent to the Dodgers as the result of a trade. Miami didn't get much value from their next two picks, but rounds 4-10 have produced major league caliber players. That combination of a strong player in the first round, and depth pieces throughout nets the Marlins an A.
Milwaukee Brewers
First Round: (9) Jake Burger—3B
Second Round: (9) Shane Shifflett—2B
Third Round: (9) Blayne Enlow—P
Best Player: Asa Lacy
Best Deep Cut: Mitch Cavanagh (12)
Total ML WAR: 11.2
Review: Jake Burger hasn't had the best two seasons since a stirring 2020, but scouts still see him as a player with All-Star potential. He's probably better than Pavin Smith, especially since he can also play a passable third base. He's also a different type of hitter than Brendon McKay, as McKay is an all-around player, and Burger is a slugger. He hit 42 home runs and drove in 127 men in 2020, which is a tremendous ceiling.
Shane Shifflett is a nice middle infielder still coming into his own. At worst, he's a speed and defense utility guy. He hasn't hit yet, not even in the minors, though scouts like the swing and the approach, and he'll only turn 25 mid-season. Logan Warmoth would have been the better choice as Warmoth has demonstrated the ability to start, but the Shifflet pick isn't a bust at all, at least not yet.
Blayne Enlow is taking the scenic route in his development, but he throws hard, has a nasty curveball, and may have the stamina to start. If his changeup never comes along, he's a closer. That's not bad for a third round pick.
Meanwhile, Asa Lacy is appropriately named as Milwaukee's fifth round pick, as he has ace upside. He led qualified starters in strikeouts-per-nine in the American League last season, fanning 217 batters in 170 innings. He throws a straight fastball at 96, and mixes in two curves and a forkball that play off of it. The pick gets slightly dinged as Peter Solomon was taken four pitchers after him, but only slightly as Lacy looks like a premier arm.
Milwaukee's also hit on some later picks. Bryce Montes de Oca has a lethal fastball-curve combination and had a 2.64 ERA in Colorado Springs last year, before getting a callup to the majors. He could be a good reliever in the future if he control becomes passable. Quinn Brody was nabbed in the 10th round and hit 12 home runs in 52 starts for the Marlins as a power bat who can play the corners. Finally, 12th rounder Mitch Cavanagh has electric stuff and has held his own starting the past two years in the majors. These are all hits and don't factor in several fringy arms that can possibly be back end starters or low-leverage relievers.
Grade: A: Some of the picks gets knocked slightly by better versions of them being taken in their neighborhood. However, Milwaukee still got talent at those spots, and supplemented them with value in later rounds. The volume of PBA-caliber players selected bumps the grades from a B+ or A- to a solid A.
Minnesota Twins
First Round: (1) Hunter Greene—P
Second Round: (1) Heliot Ramos—CF
Third Round: (1) Connor Wong—C
Best Player: Hunter Greene
Best Deep Cut: Boyd Vander Kooi
Total ML WAR: -0.3
Review: Hunter Greene has taken an eternity to develop, but after struggling in Double-A in 2020, and pitching exclusively in High-A in 2021, put up a 3.21 ERA out of the bullpen for Minnesota last season. He still throws 100 miles an hour, but he's always had trouble repeating his delivery leading to command issues. The hope is that he's still good enough to start and doesn't have to converted to a reliever. He's never hit as a professional, so that part of his game may be written off. The variance in his future is still huge, but none of the next 10 pitchers drafted after him have positive WAR.
Heliot Ramos was selected in the Rule V draft last year, and was forced to spend a season in the majors that he was not prepared for. Ramos still projects as a guy with good speed and defense, who can hit some home runs. He has only 190 plate appearances in full-season ball, all in the majors, so it's hard to get a statistical read on the player. None of his second round outfield peers have set the world on fire.
Connor Wong retired from professional baseball after 2018, so the Twins got nothing from that pick, but they did okay with some of their other mid-round picks. Fourth round pick Mark Vientos has good power and a good arm at Third Base. He was selected in the Rule V draft by Seattle and will get a chance to see if he sticks. Seventh round selection Matthew Golda may never hit in the majors, but he's a Gold Glove caliber Shortstop.
Eight round pick Holden Christian is only a two-pitch pitcher for not, but if his curveball develops, could be a starter in the league. He was selected by Atlanta in the Rule V draft, as was 10th rounder Kennet Sorrenson, a potential backup catcher.
Boyd Vander Kooi was Minnesota's 12th round pick that season—he was just taken in the Rule V draft by Washington. He projects as a power reliever. Ronald Washington was the Twins' 11th rounder. He looks like a version of Heliot Ramos, minus the speed.
The Twins also have a number of Quad-A type guys from their later picks. Individually that's not much, but in aggregate, it's a number of bites at the apple of finding a big leaguer, and with late picks, the any major league value is impressive if found and developed.
Grade: C+: The Greene pick still has upside, but is still dinged slightly since he may just be a reliever. That's not a great outcome for the first overall pick. Ramos is fine, and hasn't shown to be a btter or worse pick than most of the outfielders taken after him. Wong gets an F for retiring. The Twins get some value back from the rest of their draft. The sheer number of players taken in Rule V drafts indicate that teams see long term potential with a number of these players, and the Twins did a good job in the later rounds of the draft.
New York Yankees
First Round: (18) Tristen Lutz—RF—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (18) Jeremiah Estrada—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (18) Dan Cabrera—LF—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Noah Bremer (9)
Best Deep Cut: Nick Valaika (17)
Total ML WAR: 0.7
Review: The Yankees didn't sign their first five picks, getting no value from them. Lutz hasn't shown much since being drafted by San Diego in 2020, but Jeremiah Estrada and Dan Cabrera are already in the majors after being selected in subsequent drafts (interestingly both are on the Giants).
The Yankees did sign some guys with talent. Brent Rooker is a guy scouts think may be able to hit for power in the majors, and was selected sixth overall. Noah Bremer was selected in the ninth round and he allowed only five home runs in 73.2 innings in a decent rookie season. He could be a back rotation arm for a few years. Nick Valaika was the best deep pick. He makes decent contact and plays a solid second base, though that may not be enough for a major league career.
Grade: F: It's hard to have a productive draft when you fail to sign your first five picks. Bremer and Rooker may be okay, but the Yankees could have come away with more.
New York Mets
First Round: (22) Dalton Ewing—LF
Second Round: (22) Ben Ramirez—SS
Third Round: (22) Stephen Keller—P
Best Player: Ben Ramirez
Best Deep Cut: Brent Langhorne (18)
Total ML WAR: 3.2
Review: Despite a .300 average in Triple-A last year, Dalton Ewing retired before making the majors, making him a bust that generated no major league value. Other late-first to second-round picks haven't contributed much in the majors yet, but all have more future upside at the point than the retired Ewing.
While Ewing turned out to be a dreadful pick, Ben Ramirez had a wonderful rookie season last year for Baltimore, getting on base at a .356 clip, stealing 11 bases, and playing solid defense at Third Base. He projects as a strong defensive player on the left side with an excellent eye, and some gap power.
Ninth round pick Michael Higgins has made it to the majors as a backup catcher, though he's hit much more in Triple-A than he has in the majors. Still, that's an accomplishment for a ninth rounder. Brent Langhorne has major league upside despite being an 18th round selection. He has a little bit of power, a little patience, and a little bit of a hit tool, and could make himself a little bit of a starting third baseman.
Grade: D: Ramirez has been a nice pick, though the Mets didn't get much of anything from any of their other top picks. Most of New York's selections that didn't retire haven't played above the low minors yet. There just hasn't been much of anything to show.
Oakland Athletics
First Round: (7) Alex Faedo—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (7) Jacob Pearson—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (7) Brandon Dudley—LF
Best Player: Tristan Gray (6)
Best Deep Cut: Jonathan Windham (14)
Total ML WAR: 4.3
Review: Oakland didn't sign Alex Faedo or Jacob Pearson, missing out on talent early in the draft. Faedo hasn't become a starter, but he could be a closer, and Dudley looks like a starting Center Fielder. Brandon Dudley is taking an eternity to develop, and hasn't been worthy of a roster spot above High A, but consensus is that he could play in the majors as a second division Left Fielder who does a little bit of everything well.
Oakland took a pair of players with their fourth and sixth rounders that look like terrific picks for their spots. The sixth rounder, Tristan Gray, has seen a season and a half of PBA action already and played well. He's slotted in all over the infield and shown a good ability to get the bat on the ball, with more power than was expected. At worst he's a team's best utility infielder and offers a ton of flexibility. Fourth round pick Noah Campbell hasn't produced in the big leagues yet, but he should going forward. He was just named the 94th best prospect in baseball last year, and is an excellent base stealer and defensive middle infielder. He's only 23 and tore up the mid-minors and high-minors, and he should be able to hold his own with the bat.
Very few of Oakland's late round picks have retired, so there's still opportunities to squeeze value from the later picks. Jonathan Windham may be the best of that lot, as a Third Baseman with a decent bat and some good pop.
Grade: C-: While Oakland gets an F for not getting anything out of their first two picks, they get A's for Campbell and Gray. It takes awhile to find an outfielder picked after Dudley who has produced, which helps that pick in context.
Philadelphia Phillies
First Round: (8) Adam Haseley—LF
Second Round: (8) Wil Crowe—P
Third Round: (8) Cobi Johnson—P
Third Round: (29) Chace Sarchet—C (Pick acquired from Texas along with Shin-soo Choo and Cole Ragans for Joaquin Benoit
Best Player: Adam Haseley
Best Deep Cut: Robert Touron (12)
Total ML WAR: 9.9
Review: Philadelphia made some excellent selections at the early rounds of their draft. Adam Haseley has won a Gold Glove already, and was on pace for a huge season last year before injuries derailed him. He hit .274 with 42 doubles two years ago, and can improve on the average and transform the doubles into home runs.
While Wil Crowe retired before making it to the majors, Cobi Johnson has had a nice major league career to date, winning Rookie of the Year in 2021. He has impeccable command, keeps the ball in the park, and has emerged as a workhorse, throwing 203.1 innings last season. Chace Sarchet hasn't worked out, but Philadelphia won the trade that netted them the pick. Shin-soo Choo had several decent years for the Phillies as a low-average, big-power outfielder, and Cole Ragans could become a terrific relief arm going forward. Philadelphia got a lot of a pitcher in Joaquin Benoit who fell apart once he was traded away.
Most of the rest of Philadelphia's mid-round picks have retired already, but 12th pick Robert Touron looks like a decent reliever. He was released by the Phillies almost immediately after signing, but is the #78 prospect in the Korean Baseball Organization.
Grade: B: There are some misses in Philadelphia's portfolio, but Haseley, Johnson, and getting Cole Ragans were strong plays, bringing the draft to a solid B.
Pittsburgh Pirates
First Round: (13) Kyle Wright—P
Second Round: (13) Calvin Michell—LF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (13) Cameron Bishop—P
Best Player: Kevin Smith (4)
Best Deep Cut: Zach Willeman (15)
Total ML WAR: -1.7
Review: Kyle Wright hasn't shown he could be more than a fifth starter, especially after arm injuries sapped his development. Not many early round pitchers have done better than Wright, and he definitely could be a fourth starter in the majors, but he hasn't shown much upside.
Calvin Mitchell looks like a good looking starting left fielder, but Pittsburgh didn't sign him. They did sign Cameron Bishop, who hasn't made the majors, and Kevin Smith who like Wright, has a negative WAR in his major league career thus far. In fact, of the nine players Pittsburgh drafted in 2017 that have made the majors, eight of them have recorded a negative WAR in their career thus far.
In fact, despite walking 28 batters in 57.2 innings, and striking out only 43 hitters, Tylor Megill is the only Pirates selection with a positive PBA WAR. He allowed only five home runs last year to end up with a positive 0.2 WAR, despite being a completely underwhelming pitcher.
Grade: F: Kevin Smith and Kyle Wright may be second division starters, but they may not be, and that's the upside. The sheer amount of negative WAR is overwhelming, as Pittsburgh's picks look unprepared for the major leagues. Drafting but not signing the only productive player they selected only adds insult to injury.
San Diego Padres
First Round: (3) Austin Beck—CF
Second Round: (3) MacKenzie Gore—P
Third Round: (3) Ryan Vilade—3B
Best Player: Alejandro Toral (4)
Best Deep Cut: Will Toffey (13)
Total ML WAR: 0.9
Review: Austin Beck finally made it to the major leagues last year as a 24-year-old outfielder. He's never really hit in the minors and his defense has gotten worse as he's aged. Scouts have banked on the fact that his hit tool would get there, and it still might. Considering Quentin Holmes, Adam Haseley, Jeren Kendall, and Cole Brannon were the outfielders taken directly after Beck, there's some pressure for Beck to perform as his peer group has been better than him so far.
Mackenzie Gore hurt his arm early in his professional career, never gained the ability to throw strikes, and stepped away from the game, netting the Padres nothing from the pick. Ryan Vilade hasn' hit much in the high-octane California League, but he at least blasted 27 home runs last year. He's only 23, and his idealized self is a big power hitter, something scouts still foresee.
Fourth and sixth rounders Alejandro Toral and Andrew Summerville have provided the most major league value thus far. Toral has smashed the ball his entire minor league career after a rough first season up in the Yukon. He held his own as a 23-year-old in the majors. He doesn't offer much defensively so the bat will need to play, but there's a good chance it will. Summerville meanwhile had a solid 3.62 ERA in relief as a rookie last year. He worked most of it as a 26-year-old, so a little older, but he had good strikeout and walk numbers. He throws four pitches, including a terrific changeup, so he may be able to work as a starter.
Grade: C+: The Beck pick is probably in the C- or D+ range at this point, with Gore getting an F, and Vilade being a C. Getting value from the middle rounds boosts the grade up. San Diego's picks generally appear to be a bit younger than other teams, so the grade may change a lot in future years.
San Francisco Giants
First Round: (16) Evan White—LF
Second Round: (16) Pick traded along with Sandro Fabian, Chris J. Shaw, and Andrew Suarez to Detroit for Daniel Norris. Turned into David Peterson.
Third Round: (16) A.J. Moore—P
Best Player: Reese Albert (8)
Best Deep Cut: Taylor Lehman (18)
Total ML WAR: 0.4
Review: Evan White is a major bust. He was never able to play the field anywhere, leaving him a First Baseman primarily, but he's never hit more than 11 home runs in a minor league season. He won't play in the big leagues. The second round pick saw the team give up Chris J. Shaw and Andrew Suarez for Daniel Norris, a trade that the Giants may have won, but only slightly. A. J. Moore has weirdly pitched better in San Francisco than Triple-A, but AT&T Park does have those sweet park factors. He's a swingman.
Calvin Greenfield was San Francisco's fourth rounder, and he can draw a walk, pop a double, and be a defensive force. He could be a backup catcher. Reese Albert, taken in the eighth round, is an excellent defender with good speed, plus scouts love his approach and think he can at least bang some doubles if not home runs. Only 23, he's an intriguing player picked in the eighth round.
Taylor Lehman has already made the majors as an 18th rounder, as a replacement level relief arm. However, he has three solid pitches, has good stamina, and has kept the ball in the park throughout his minor league career. It's not inconceivable he can become a decent back-rotation arm, which would be wonderful for an 18th rounder.
Grade: D+: While the Giants have a number of talented players from this draft on their team, sadly few of them are originally drafted by the Giants. They didn't get much value in the early rounds, and will need Reese Albert to pop to get talent out of this draft. That's a lot to ask of an 8th rounder.
Seattle Mariners
First Round: (19) Cole Brannen—CF
Second Round: (19) Seth Lonsway—P
Third Round: (19) Garrett Cave—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Cole Brannen
Best Deep Cut: Daniel Gooden (11)
Total ML WAR: 2
Review: After excellent production in the minor leagues, Brannen played out his rookie season last year and won a Gold Glove for Baltimore with 3.9 WAR. He's a speed-and-defense-based Center Fielder, the last of a talented group that includes Austin Beck, Quentin Holmes, and Jeren Kendall, and the last player picked before the position becomes barren. Brannen's hit tool is okay, but he doesn't have much power, making him extremely reliant on his speed and defense. Since he just turned 23, he should have access to his wheels for some time.
Seth Lonsway may be a decent reliever, but he tore his UCL and is undergoing ligament reconstruction surgery, so his future is very much in doubt. Garrett Cave could be a swingman, but he's already 26 and has only 14.2 innings above High-A. Seattle didn't do themselves a favor by picking him, nor did they do themselves a favor by not signing him. Fourth-rounder Brendon Little may be able to cut it as a reliever, but he's been in Double-A since 2019 and hasn't been able to cut it as a starter.
Three players were taken in the sixth round or later who have made the majors, each producing negative WAR. There are some intriguing swingman-types, slightly more intriguing than the myriad swingman types that litter every team's mid-minors, but ultimately swingmen all the same.
Grade: C-: It's looking like a one-person draft for Seattle, but at least they nailed the one they needed to hit—though trading him for Jake Junis and Jordan S. Stephens wasn't too inspired.
St. Louis Cardinals
First Round: (20) Nick Pratto—1B—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (20) M.J. Melendez—C—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (20) Philip Clarke—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Michael Bates (19)
Best Deep Cut: Michael Bates
Total ML WAR: 0.5
Review: St. Louis didn't sign their first five picks, nor their eighth rounder. They did draft Nick Pratto in the first round of 2018, so they did select the player they wanted, they just couldn't get the money right. M.J. Melendez has a lot of potential as a special defender with some power, while Philip Clarke was taken the next year in the 23rd round. He may be the first pick where the grade increases because he wasn't signed.
Michael Bates looks like the best pick the Cards made. He worked a wild, homer prone 2021, cleaning that up into a more polished 2022 where the homers were down, the walks were down, and the BABIP was down. 0.7 WAR in a year from a 19th rounder is legitimately impressive. Seventh round pick Hunter Ruth is the other guy with some upside. He'll be 24-years-old for most of the next season and is a two-pitch pitcher now that can be a three-pitch pitcher in the future. If the changeup comes, he could be a back-rotation arm. If it doesn't, he's just another middle reliever, but that's fine for a seventh round pick.
Grade: D-: Bates and Ruth may be nice, they dodged a bullet with Clarke, and maybe they signed some money with Pratto. That's enough to give them more than an F. Nonetheless, they came out of this draft with possibly two swingmen and little more. They won't even get too much from late picks, since most of them have retired already.
Tampa Bay Rays
First Round: (4) Royce Lewis—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (4) Tanner Houck—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (4) Adam Kerner—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Dalton Rone (9)
Best Deep Cut: Andrew Mahoney (20)
Total ML WAR: 1.8
Review: Like the Cardinals, Tampa Bay took the first five rounds and the eighth round off. Royce Lewis is currently a Top 10 Prospect, which is a huge miss to let him slip through their fingers. With the exception of Adam Hall, nearly all the infielders taken in the first two rounds have some upside, and missing out on them to draft an unsigned Lewis was terrible.
Houck and Kerner don't look like they'll amount to much, but neither do the players Seattle did draft. Luke Heimlich has been a fine swingman the last few years for Tacoma, but had perhaps the most disastrous nine-game starting stretch in baseball in 2021, when he posted -1.0 WAR in only 41.2 innings. Giving up 12 home runs and 25 walks against 19 strikeouts in that timeframe will cause that.
Dalton Rone is one player who has some potential. He hit .298 with a .416 OBP for Tampa Bay, playing great defense at short as a backup. He doesn't have enough power to be a difference maker, but as a player who will only turn 23 this season, with an advanced approach, a swing that leverages his skills, and sure hands, he'll have a job.
Grade: F: Dalton Rone is a nice utility infielder, but Royce Lewis is a decade-long starter. Without anything else other than Rone, it's impossible to give Tampa Bay a passing grade with what they could have had.
Texas Rangers
First Round: (29) Luis Gonzalez—LF
Second Round: (29) Jordan Adell—CF
Third Round: (29) Pick traded along with Shin-soo Choo and Cole Ragans to Philadelphia for Joaquin Benoit. Turned into Chase Sarchet
Best Player: Jordan Adell
Best Deep Cut: Tyler Lynn (16)
Total ML WAR: 0.8
Review: Texas drafted two different Luis Gonzalez', which is a fun quirk. The first was rushed to the majors, struggled in his return to the minors, before being cut in 2020 and blossoming into a star in the Mexican League. The second was their fourth-round pick who hit for a .633 OPS in the hitting paradise of Round Rock last year.
Jordan Adell, thankfully, is not a Luis Gonzalez, giving him hope he can carve out a major league career. He's in the Jeren Kendall mold of being a fantastic defender with excellent speed and good power. However, Adell will swing through more pitches than even Kendall. Adell will only turn 24 this year and looks like he has a future in the majors as a fourth outfielder at the very least, which isn't a bad outcome.
Texas gave up a productive player in Choo, a prospect who has turned into a decent reliever in Ragans, and a pick that turned out to be absolutely nothing in Sarchet for 14.1 innings of 6.28 ERA baseball from Benoit. Much of the rest of Texas' picks have already retired or don't have much of a future.
Grade: D: Adell looks like a major leaguer, though probably not more than a second division starter at this point. The first round Gonzalez turning into an all-around player and an All Star in the Mexican League is worth a little bit. In terms of PBA production though, there's little here now and won't be much more in the future.
Toronto Blue Jays
First Round: (24) Alex Lange—P
Second Round: (24) Clarke Schmidt—P
Third Round: (24) Je'Von Carrier-Ward—LF
Best Player: Clarke Schmidt (2)
Best Deep Cut: Hunter Stratton (20)
Total ML WAR: 2.7
Review: Alex Lange tore his labrum in 2018, joining the majority of pitchers taken in the first round who have had disappointing careers relative to where they were taken. The second round of the draft has given teams a little more optimism, including Toronto as Clarke Schmidt looked like a solid back-end starter last year, with a 8-7 record, a 4.67 ERA, and solidly mediocre, strikeout, home run, and BABIP numbers. Mediocre isn't the worst trait in a back-half of the second round selection, as Schmidt can hold his own on a World Series team.
Je'Von Carrier-Ward is a disappointment, both if you're trying to honor the capitalization and grammatical symbols in one's name, and if you're waiting for your third round pick to become a major leaguer. Seventh-rounder Dakota Robbins, on the other hand, has an easy name to spell, and looks like a well-balanced backup catcher with excellent locker room skills.
The Blue Jays' 10th round pick, Brady Feigl struggled in his first taste of the PBA last year, as he doesn't appear to have the movement needed to survive at the highest level, nor the stuff to compensate.
Grade: D: Missing on Lange and Carrier-Ward hurts the grade tremendously, and Schmidt isn't dynamic enough to lift it up much. Most of the late picks have retired already, leaving swingmen and backup catchers as the other options that can make the majors.
Washington Nationals
First Round: (28) Pick Traded to Los Angeles Dodgers for Gavin Lux. Turned into Seth Romero.
Second Round: (28) Drew Waters—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (28) Sam McMillan—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: D'Mond LaFond
Best Deep Cut: Ben Hecht (17)
Total ML WAR: -0.2
Review: Romero wasn't signed by the Dodgers, turned into a Top 75 Prospect with the Reds, was bounced around their minors, and retired this past year. Instead of riding that roller coaster, they traded the pick for Gavin Lux. While Lux was eventually moved out of Washington, he is now a two-time Gold Glove winner and a Team USA-caliber player. Washington made the right move with that trade.
They then proceeded to not sign any of their other picks in the first four rounds, leading to a lack of young talent. Drew Waters doesn't look like he can hit enough for the show, but Sam McMillian has excellent defensive tools and was just popped in the Rule V draft, so at least one team thinks he's worth it.
Washington's best player turned out to be D'Mond LaFond, who hasn't proven anything above Double-A. At his best, he could be a back-end arm that struggles against left-handed lineups. At worst, he's a minor leaguer. His median outcome is likely a decent enough guy in the bullpen.
Grade: C-: There's not much there from the draft portion of their draft, but essentially selecting Gavin Lux in the back of the first round is a great move. The rest of their draft drags that move down to a D+.
Most WAR
Team Total WAR
Chicago White Sox 18.4
Los Angeles Angels 18.1
Houston Astros 16.9
Cleveland Indians 15.6
Miami Marlins 14.3
Milwaukee Brewers 11.2
Philadelphia Phillies 9.9
Detroit Tigers 9.5
Cincinnati Reds 6.1
Arizona Diamondbacks 4.8
Oakland Athletics 4.3
Atlanta Braves 3.3
New York Mets 3.2
Kansas City Royals 2.7
Toronto Blue Jays 2.7
Seattle Mariners 2
Tampa Bay Rays 1.8
Boston Red Sox 1.4
San Diego Padres 0.9
Texas Rangers 0.8
New York Yankees 0.7
St. Louis Cardinals 0.5
Colorado Rockies 0.4
San Francisco Giants 0.4
Los Angeles Dodgers 0
Washington Nationals -0.2
Chicago Cubs -0.3
Minnesota Twins -0.3
Pittsburgh Pirates -1.7
Baltimore Orioles -1.8
Best Grades
A+: Indians, Astros
A: White Sox, Marlins, Brewers
B+: Diamondbacks, Braves, Tigers, Angels
B: Phillies
B-: Rockies
C+: Twins, Padres
C: Royals
C-: Orioles, Reds, Athletics, Mariners, Nationals
D+: Giants
D: Mets, Rangers, Blue Jays
D-: Red Sox, Cardinals
F: Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Pirates, Rays
Arizona Diamondbacks
First Round: (6) Quentin Holmes—CF
Second Round: (6) Cole Turney—RF
Third Round: (6) Tristan Beck—P
Best Player: Quentin Holmes
Best Deep Cut: Robert Jolly (13)
Total ML WAR: 4.8
Review: Arizona took a young project in Quentin Holmes and watched him marinate over four years before finally making his major league debut this season. It was worth it to develop him as Holmes produced 4.0 WAR as a rookie. He was an average hitter, but his defense and speed are exceptional, as he'll be a Gold Glove winner in his first season. Holmes should grow into his offense a little bit more and become a very valuable player until his legs slow down.
Cole Turney was another young player who can produce value. He's still in the mid-minors, but is still only 23 and has a strong hit tool. Tristan Beck has been a top-100 prospect for awhile, even if he's no longer with the Diamondbacks. He doesn’t have star potential, but was replacement-level as a swing man in his rookie year and should keep growing. Fifth-rounder Connor Uselton is by no means a complete player, but showed decent power as a rookie for the Astros in his rookie year.
Arizona didn't get much outside their top picks, but Robert Jolly has got intangibles and a great glove and can be a backup catcher.
Grade: B+: Arizona took some long term projects and doesn't appear to have a superstar for their trouble. That being said, they did get a difference maker with their first pick, and two more useful players. Mason House's development makes House a better possible option than Turney or Uselton, which docks Arizona slightly.
Atlanta Braves
First Round: (5) Shane Baz—P
Second Round: (5) Garrett Mitchell—CF
Third Round: (5) Ben Casparius—SS
Best Player: Shane Baz
Best Deep Cut: Chad Spanberger (12)
Total ML WAR: 3.3
Review: Shane Baz was picked fourth overall in a draft where almost no pitcher taken early has developed quickly. He's so wild, he's walked almost a batter an inning in the majors, though his stuff has certainly proven elite. Only 23, Baz still has superstar potential, even if he's taking the long road to realizing it. Second round pick Garrett Mitchell has terrific speed and defense, and is a major leaguer even if the bat doesn't come around. He had 0.6 WAR for Milwaukee despite a 70 OPS+ from a bat-first position.
Ben Casparius hasn't developed as a third-rounder, but fourth rounder Steven Williams is a wonderful defensive catcher with potential to have enough offense to be a top-tier catcher. Like Baz, fifth rounder Steven Jennings has taken a while to develop, but has major league stuff and minor league control. He may not have the consistency or durability to start, but even as a reliever, should add value.
Catcher Chad Spanberger has recorded the most WAR through the end of the 2022 season of any Atlanta pick. Despite being a 12th rounder, he's held his own as a starting catcher in the ALDS for the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Grade: B: To this point, Baz has shown enough to warrant the pick, though it's largely incomplete. We'll know in three years whether the pick was a hit or a bust. The only outfielder taken a few rounds after Mitchell who has produced significantly more than him is House, but House is of a different archetype. Atlanta has also gotten value out of catchers later on in the draft.
Baltimore Orioles
First Round: (23) Nick Allen—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (23) Sam Carlson—P
Third Round: (23) Kyle Hurt—P
Best Player: Sam Carlson
Best Deep Cut: Cody Bekman (27)
Total ML WAR: -1.8
Review: Baltimore knew it had something with Nick Allen, but couldn't get him to stop from spending a season at San Diego State, blowing the pick. Fortunately, Sam Carlson, erratic as he is, still has major upside as a second round pick. A lot of other pitchers taken in rounds 2-5 have demonstrated considerable success thus far, but Carlson is younger than them. He struck out 176 hitters in 165.2 innings last year, good numbers that would look great if he didn't also walk 110 batters.
Tyler Johnson, the club's sixth round pick, is the only other player with significant major league experience. He's somehow managed to compile -1.7 WAR in just 122 innings over four seasons, as he ghastly command undermines a hard fastball and devastating slider.
Kyle Hurt and Mitchell Stone may be swingmen as the team's third and fourth round picks, and some mid-round picks still have potential to be relief arms in the majors some day.
Grade: C-: It's a one-person draft to this point. Not signing a first round pick is devastating, and there's no lock anybody other than Carlson looks like a major leaguer. It's possible Carlson alone blows up to make the pick an "A.," but Carlson and Nick Allen would have made for a spectacular draft.
Boston Red Sox
First Round: (26) Jake Mangum—RF
Second Round: (26) J.J. Schwartz—C
Third Round: (26) Tyler Freeman—SS—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Mason House (5)
Best Deep Cut: Carlos Lomeli (11)
Total ML WAR: 1.4
Review: Jake Mangum had an impressive debut season in High-A back in 2017, followed it up with a slightly better repeat of the level in 2018, and never got above the level until eight games in 2022. The organization failed to develop him, his play eroded, and he finally retired this offseason for a wasted pick. Evan Skoug went directly after him, with a bunch of outfielders that have put up slightly negative to slightly positive WAR around him. Either way, Mangum was a huge bust.
Not to be outdone, J.J. Schwartz never got above Rookie Ball before retiring and Tyler Freeman didn't sign. In fairness to Boston, Freeman failed to sign with the next two clubs to draft him as well. Their fourth round pick, Matt Sauer, doesn't have the control needed to survive the high minors, or the stuff to compensate, and there's almost nothing from lower picks.
Their one hit was fifth-rounder Mason House, and to add insult to injury, he was unprotected in the Rule-V draft in 2022 and hit 30 home runs for Cleveland. Still, the pick was a success, and getting a 30-home run hitting Center Fielder keeps the draft from being fruitless, but only slightly.
Grade: D-: It's hard to not give F Grades for each pick aside from House, but House has shown enough, and drafting is so hard anyway, that it rescues a failing grade. That being said, they didn't even get mid-minors production from their early picks, which is an abject failure.
Chicago White Sox
First Round: (12) Brendan McKay—1B
Second Round: (12) Kyle Jacobsen—LF
Third Round: (12) Trevor Rogers—P
Best Player: Brendan McKay
Best Deep Cut: Elijah Dilday (15)
Total ML WAR: 18.4
Review: Just a terrific draft. Brendan McKay had two-way potential as a draft pick, and Chicago focused him on offense. He's turned into a terrific doubles-forward slugger on a terrific offense, and has the fifth most WAR to date of anybody in the draft.
Gator Jacobsen has been replacement level in the majors, but he's only 23 and may be a major league backup. Trevor Rogers struck out 177 batters a reliever last year and Ryan Lillard's contact and defense have him as a 3-Win player in his first year as a starter.
Lower in the draft, Elijah Dilday was a 15-th round selection who's hit a bunch of doubles as a part-time player. Nobody below him has produced more WAR.
Fifth-Round pick Robert Bell can't do much more than steal bases and run down fly balls, but Chicago used him to success last year. Sixth rounder Ivan Johnson still has potential to be a glove-first major leaguer. 12th Rounder Tristan Widra had a positive rookie campaign for Cincinnati.
Grade: A: There are home runs and singles throughout the system, with the only issue for Chicago being the number of players blossoming for other teams. Still, Mike Bell knew the right players to pick that would provide major league value when he was on the clock. Most of Chicago's mid-round picks have already retired from baseball, which is a very minor criticism. Chicago has gotten more WAR from their picks through 2022 than any other team.
Chicago Cubs
First Round: (30) Blake Hunt—C—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (30) David Banuelos—C—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (30) Michael Mercado—P—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Patrick Murphy (16)
Best Deep Cut: Patrick Murphy (16)
Total ML WAR: -0.3
Review: The Cubs didn't sign any of their top five picks, getting absolutely nothing from the majority of their players. In fact, only 12 players selected still play professional baseball. On the one hand, they saved some money by not signing some of their guys, but not getting anything from the draft has to be disappointing. The only player to sniff the majors has been six games of J.D. Andreesen at -0.3 WAR.
Patrick Murphy had nine home runs in 39 games in Triple A, and could be a fourth outfielder as a 16th round pick. Everybody else has an extremely fringy future. At least the players they didn't sign haven't shown signs of being difference makers. Hunt maybe is a backup catcher, Mercado lost 20 games last year, and David Banuelos doesn't look like a major leaguer.
Grade: F: The Cubs went through a draft and don't look they have a single major leaguer, whiffing on signing players who could have helped. Even the players did they drafted but didn't sign don't look like much. This can't be anything but an F.
Cincinnati Reds
First Round: (2) Keston Hiura—LF
Second Round: (2) Carl Chester—CF
Third Round: (2) Bubba Thompson—CF
Best Player: Keston Hiura
Best Deep Cut: Reid Long (14)
Total ML WAR: 6.1
Review: It's a weird draft. Hiura started off well, but has just 0.9 WAR the past two seasons after a strong 2020. He doesn't hit as well as he used to after shoulder damage in 2021, doesn't run well, and isn't much a defensive player. He was on a star track, but who knows what he is now. On the other hand, he's banked 4.5 WAR in his career already and is certainly a major leaguer. The next five outfielders picked could pass Hiura in WAR next season though, adding more of a negative tilt to the ultimate grade.
Behind Hiura, Carl Chester stole 56 bases in Double-A, but doesn't project to have more than a bit role in the majors. Like Chester, Bubba Thompson is also a speed-oriented outfielder, but he finally made it to Double-A last season and had a dismal .179 average there.
Fourth round pick Nicholas Storz looks like either a Triple-A First Baseman, or a Triple-A reliever, and fifth rounder Luis Campasano retired after never making it above Rookie Ball.
Cincinnati did get value out of 14th rounder Reid Long, who has 52 home runs the past two seasons. Long doesn't get on base enough or defend enough to be a first division starter, but for a second-division club needing a good clubhouse guy and some power, Long hasn't been too bad.
Grade: C-: It's hard to be super impressed with the draft, though Hiura isn't terrible, and Long was a nice grab. Considering the Reds picked second though, it leaves you wanting.
Cleveland Indians
First Round: (27) Evan Skoug—C
Second Round: (27) Brian C. Miller—CF
Third Round: (27) Gabe Holt—2B
Best Player: Evan Skoug
Best Deep Cut: J.J. Matiejevic (18)
Total ML WAR: 15.6
Review: Skoug was a late first-round pick who has had the most WAR of any non-pitcher in the draft. That alone is a huge win. Skoug is a two-time All Star, a Rookie of the Year, and helped carry the Indians to a championship in 2020. He's been, simply, a tremendous pick.
Cleveland's also gotten production from some other spots as well. Brian C. Miller had a .795 OPS in 50 games in 2021 before spending 2022 in the minors and being third place in the International League MVP award vote. He's had some major league success and has some potential. Fourth round pick Alex Scherff struck out 116 hitters in 103.2 innings with Oakland last year and will spend next season as a 25-year old.
Fifth round pick Conor Grady was cut after 2017 and is now, fascinatingly, the #1 prospect in the KBO. Stateside, ninth rounder James Karinchak went 3-0 with a 3.75 ERA in 10 starts with San Diego. 11th Round pick Spencer Howard has a big league future, and 18th rounder J.J. Matiejevic had a .344 OBP with 21 home runs as a starting first baseman for Boston last season. Nobody below that selection has more than Matiejevic's 1.4 career WAR.
The only miss was third rounder Gabe Holt, who has never hit, save for a partial season with Greensboro in 2020. Even then, he steals bases and may be a 26th man someday.
Grade: A+: Getting a superstar with a late first-round pick, racking up constant successes later in the draft, Cleveland's 2017 draft was a thorough success. Few of the players are on Cleveland still, but this is a draft review, not a trade review. Cleveland wouldn't have had its championship without this draft, earning Cleveland an A with a plus.
Colorado Rockies
First Round: (11) Pick traded with German Marquez and Ryan Castellani to Detroit for Michael Fulmer. Turned into Adam Hall.
Second Round: (11) Michael Gigliotti—CF
Third Round: (11) Corbin Martin—P
Best Player: Hunter Williams
Best Deep Cut: Evan Pietronico (19)
Total ML WAR: 0.4
Review: Colorado traded away their first round pick and two useful pitchers to get one of the best arms in the National League. Michael Fulmer has produced 25.9 WAR over his career thus far, and will only turn 30 this upcoming season. German Marquez has turned into a decent arm, Castellani has been a serviceable back-end starter, and none of the arms taken in the first two rounds have produced anything aside from Griffin Canning. The trade was a bold one and it paid off for Colorado exceptionally well.
The rest of Colorado's draft is extremely blah, partly due to the players, and partly due to Erick Blasco's notoriously conservative approach. Only two players have hit the majors and neither Michael Gigliotti, nor Evan Pietronico appear to be more than Triple-A caliber players. Colorado has a lot of picks still active in their minors as placing players at age-appropriate levels has fostered their desire to keep playing. This gives Colorado some potential for future value, but nearly everyone picked has Triple-A upside.
Hunter Williams probably has the most potential of everyone. Popped in the sixth round, the lefty gets great downward plane from his 6-3, 250 pound frame. He doesn't have the best stuff, but gets a ton of ground balls. In an environment where he won't be BABIPed to death, he could be a good arm.
Grade: B-: The Fulmer trade was an A for Colorado, but there hasn't been much else to write home about from the system. Even the Fulmer deal is starting to tilt more neutral as German Marquez has pitched well the past two seasons. Still, Colorado got an ace out of their draft pick, and that is a terrific haul.
Detroit Tigers
First Round: (11) Adam Hall—SS (Pick Acquired with German Marquez and Ryan Castellani from Colorado for Michael Fulmer)
First Round: (21) Hans Crouse—P
Second Round: (16) David Peterson—P (Pick Acquired with Sandro Fabian, Chris J. Shaw, and Andrew Suarez from San Francisco for Daniel Norris)
Second Round: (21) Griffin Canning—P
Third Round: (21) Zach Pop—P
Best Player: Griffin Canning
Best Deep Cut: Zachary DeLoach (15)
Total ML WAR: 9.5
Review: The Tigers had a good draft if you take away the players selected in picks acquired in trades. In giving up Michael Fulmer, Detroit wound up with German Marquez (finally starting to blossom), Ryan Castellani (a decent fifth starter), and Adam Hall (a complete bust). That's not a great return for a pitcher who is eighth all-time in WAR.
Detroit's other early round pick they acquired also hasn't worked out. David Peterson flatlined in Double-A, was converted to pitcher where he posted an impressively destructive -3.0 WAR, then retired. Chris Shaw had a good year in 2020, but has been nothing special, while Sandro Fabian finally had a good season in High-A. Andrew Suarez has turned into a pretty good swingman, and Daniel Norris hasn't turned into more than a mid-rotation arm, so the trade wasn't a disastrous one by any means. Still, considering Norris' value, Detroit should have gotten more.
Getting past those deals, Detroit did pretty well. Hans Crouse hasn't made the majors yet, but he's developed nicely before tearing his UCL. If he can push past that injury, he has mid-rotation upside still. The OA named him their #51 prospect last year.
Their second-round pick, Griffin Canning, also looks like a mid-rotation arm. He was an All-Star in 2021, and has posted good strikeout numbers and decent home run prevention numbers in the majors. Third rounder Zach Pop struck out 77 hitters in 60.1 innings last year, and looks like a strong arm in the back of the bullpen.
Their fourth round pick, Jack Leftwich, has been slow to develop and likely doesn't have a major league future, but Oraj Anu, their fifth rounder, has produced in the minors and has a combination of power and defense that you don't see everywhere. Their sixth round pick Jordan Butler also profiles as a back-end starting pitcher.
Meanwhile, their eighth rounder, Matthew Annunziata, hit .285 with 25 doubles and 20 home runs last year, putting up a 3.6 WAR season as a third baseman, and their 10th rounder, Christopher Martin, could be a starting second baseman with a high average.
Grade: B+: The Tigers lost value on their trades, and despite four picks in the first round, came away with zero stars while giving away one. That being said, they cleaned up the rest of their picks in the top 10 to recuperate. It's hard to give them an A, but there's a lot to be impressed with.
Houston Astros
First Round: (17) D.L. Hall—P
Second Round: (17) Brady McConnell—SS
Third Round: (17) Blaine Knight—P
Best Player: Peter Solomon (5)
Best Deep Cut: Evan Mendoza (23)
Total ML WAR: 16.9
Review: Whatever happens with any other pick, Houston drafted Peter Solomon, the player with the most WAR in the draft to date. He's finished second in Cy Young Award voting twice, led the National League in ERA in 2021 and 2022, and pitched Washington a Championship in 2021. Not only has Solomon been spectacular, but he was popped in the fifth round before being traded to the Nationals for Sean Reid-Foley, Daniel Murphy, and Andrew McCutchen.
Houston's earliest pick, D.L. Hall, has been devastated by injuries much of his career and hasn't succeeded above A-Ball yet. He's looking like a complete whiff. Brady McConnell hasn't hit yet, but still has the upside to be a starting shortstop and will only turn 25 mid-season. Blaine Knight had a good year in Triple-A last year, and could become a fifth starter or reliever. Likewise, fourth-rounder Jacob Heatherly has a chance to be a decent fifth-starter.
In the middle-rounds, Alex Destino was overextended as a designated hitter last year, but he's hit well in the majors already and may start with Cincinnati. John Gavin, meanwhile, debuted last year and had a 2.43 ERA in 29.2 innings. In the later rounds, Houston doesn't have much but Evan Mendoza and Colter Castleman may be able to make it as long men.
Grade: A+: Solomon has turned into the best player in the draft, and an absolute steal. He makes the draft all on his own. Despite missing on Hall, Houston's also had enough success with players like McConnell and Destino to make up for it. Houston would be on a completely different trajectory had they kept Solomon, but they had an excellent draft.
Kansas City Royals
First Round: (15) Jeter Downs—SS
Second Round: (15) Ricardo de la Torre—3B
Third Round: (15) Clay Casey—RF
Best Player: Jeter Downs
Best Deep Cut: Anthony Boix (13)
Total ML WAR: 2.7
Review: Downs had a nice year last year in Oakland as the starting third baseman on an AL West champion. He played neutral defense, stole 20 bases, and hit .284 to make up for a lack of power and mediocre discipline. Downs is also still only 24, and still improving. He'll likely never be a star, and maybe Logan Warmoth would have been a better pick, but the Royals identified a starter-caliber player and grabbed one.
Ricardo de la Torre still works a count, runs aggressively on the bases, flashes potential with the leather, and has never seen a pitch at High-A or above. It's a tough profile, being a Third Baseman dependent on drawing walks, hitting doubles, and stealing bases, and de la Torre's development hasn't made it easy to grade the selection.
Crowded out by Japan's rules regarding the quantity of foreign players a team can employ, Clay Casey has torn up the Japanese minor leagues.
Joe Dunand, the team's fourth round pick, has hit in the minors, but as a First Baseman. He doesn't appear to be somebody who can slug enough as a major leaguer to succeed at first, and he may not be a good enough defender to succeed anywhere else. Their other fourth rounder, Drew Ellis, also looks like a Quad-A player, while fifth round pick Tommy Mace finally made it above rookie ball during the middle of last year.
Jonathan Rodriguez may have the most upside of any pick. Grabbed in the seventh round, he's starting to show that he may hit well enough to stick in the majors. his defense is superb, and scouts are starting to envision the bat playing in the majors. He still needs a lot of development, but he's only 23 and was picked in the seventh round.
Grade: C: Downs is a major leaguer, Rodriguez has upside, and the team may have some fringy back-end arms. That's not a bad starting point. There aren't any difference makers to bump the grade up though, and de la Torre doesn't appear to be worth the effort. He may be the player who can swing the grade the most in the future. Warmoth being better than Downs and Ben Ramirez and Brady McConnell being better than de la Torre bumped the grade down to a C.
Los Angeles Angels
First Round: (10) Pavin Smith—1B
Second Round: (10) Logan Warmoth—SS
Third Round: (10) Jake J. Thompson—P
Best Player: Logan Warmoth
Best Deep Cut: Christian Martinek (19)
Total ML WAR: 18.1
Review: Pavin Smith may not hit enough to be a first division First Baseman, but he has hit 44 home runs the past two years with good walk numbers, and is likely a starter moving forward. After selecting him in the first round, the Angels nailed their second round pick, getting Logan Warmoth. The Second Baseman is coming off a 4.6 win season, and his combination of defense, discipline, and smarts makes him a good looking player at the keystone position.
The Angels popped Zac Lowther in the fifth round, and while Lowther hasn't had much success to begin his career, he was worth roughly a win in 167 innings last year. The Angels' third rounder, Jake J. Thompson, has spent parts of four seasons with Salt Lake City in Triple A. The three seasons he's spent full time, he's produced roughly two wins a year, which may translate to a replacement-caliber big league career.
Jeremy Vasquez was drafted in the eighth round, and after a rough start to his major league career after being too young for the PBA, he settled in last season and hit 19 home runs with 28 doubles.
Grade: B+: The Smith pick is a B, the Warmoth selection is an A, and Vasquez is an A considering he was popped in the eighth round. Lowther, and Thompson are likely an aggregated C+. Combined, the Angels did a good job with the draft.
Los Angeles Dodgers
First Round: (25) J.B. Bukauskas—P
First Round: (28) Seth Romero—P—UNSIGNED (Pick was acquired from Washington for Gavin Lux)
Second Round: (25) Nathan Hadley—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (25 Hugh Fisher—P—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Matt Trask (8)
Best Deep Cut: Jesus Santana (13)
Total ML WAR: 0
Review: The Dodgers drafted J.B. Bukauskas 25th overall, and he really hasn't had a good individual season in the minors yet, let alone made it to Triple-A. Then, the Dodgers didn't sign picks in the second to seventh rounds, before grabbing Matt Trask, who may be a swingman in the pros.
Jesus Santana hit well in Triple-A and for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but scouts see him as a Triple-A guy really. He's arguably the best player picked by the Dodgers, especially if you've soured on the starters.
Grade: F: The Dodgers essentially punted on the draft, and held on to a player who won't amount to much. It's probable that the Dodgers don't get a single player to produce positive WAR out of the draft, which is a complete failure.
Miami Marlins
First Round: (14) Jeren Kendall—CF
Second Round: (14) Stuart Fairchild—RF
Third Round: (14) Hagen Danner—C
Best Player: Jeren Kendall
Best Deep Cut: Brandon Murray (11)
Total ML WAR: 14.3
Review: The Marlins popped Jeren Kendall 14th overall in 2017, and have seen him produce the third most WAR in the class. Kendall had the luxury of starting his career in 2018 as a 22-year old, but he's also produced at least 4.3 WAR in a season two times now. Kendall doesn't have the best bat and his legs are already slowing down, but his combination of outstanding defense, great speed, and solid pop have him as a first division regular.
Stuart Fairchild was successful in Triple-A until making it to the big leagues in 2019, where he promptly struggled. He hasn't been able to replicate his past success, and may never get a chance to get to the majors again and build upon his negative WAR. Hagen Danner hasn't even had the chance to cease building on past successes, as he's never had enough success to make it above A-Ball.
In the eighth round, Miami made an inspired pick, selecting Christian Hicks. Hicks was traded to Atlanta prior to the 2020 season, and he played in his third big league season last year, hitting .313 and stealing nine bases in 98 starts. Zack Gahagan has good power as a middle infielder as a 10th-round pick. Jack Labosky was picked in the fourth round and has enough juice in his bat to see if he can cut it in the majors as a part-time First Baseman. Dalton Guthrie is a nice middle infield depth piece in Triple-A as a fifth round selection, and Imani Wills' strong speed and decent bat may see him get some action as a sixth rounder.
Grade: A: Kendall was the right choice and was the face of the franchise in Miami, following Ben Vincent to the Dodgers as the result of a trade. Miami didn't get much value from their next two picks, but rounds 4-10 have produced major league caliber players. That combination of a strong player in the first round, and depth pieces throughout nets the Marlins an A.
Milwaukee Brewers
First Round: (9) Jake Burger—3B
Second Round: (9) Shane Shifflett—2B
Third Round: (9) Blayne Enlow—P
Best Player: Asa Lacy
Best Deep Cut: Mitch Cavanagh (12)
Total ML WAR: 11.2
Review: Jake Burger hasn't had the best two seasons since a stirring 2020, but scouts still see him as a player with All-Star potential. He's probably better than Pavin Smith, especially since he can also play a passable third base. He's also a different type of hitter than Brendon McKay, as McKay is an all-around player, and Burger is a slugger. He hit 42 home runs and drove in 127 men in 2020, which is a tremendous ceiling.
Shane Shifflett is a nice middle infielder still coming into his own. At worst, he's a speed and defense utility guy. He hasn't hit yet, not even in the minors, though scouts like the swing and the approach, and he'll only turn 25 mid-season. Logan Warmoth would have been the better choice as Warmoth has demonstrated the ability to start, but the Shifflet pick isn't a bust at all, at least not yet.
Blayne Enlow is taking the scenic route in his development, but he throws hard, has a nasty curveball, and may have the stamina to start. If his changeup never comes along, he's a closer. That's not bad for a third round pick.
Meanwhile, Asa Lacy is appropriately named as Milwaukee's fifth round pick, as he has ace upside. He led qualified starters in strikeouts-per-nine in the American League last season, fanning 217 batters in 170 innings. He throws a straight fastball at 96, and mixes in two curves and a forkball that play off of it. The pick gets slightly dinged as Peter Solomon was taken four pitchers after him, but only slightly as Lacy looks like a premier arm.
Milwaukee's also hit on some later picks. Bryce Montes de Oca has a lethal fastball-curve combination and had a 2.64 ERA in Colorado Springs last year, before getting a callup to the majors. He could be a good reliever in the future if he control becomes passable. Quinn Brody was nabbed in the 10th round and hit 12 home runs in 52 starts for the Marlins as a power bat who can play the corners. Finally, 12th rounder Mitch Cavanagh has electric stuff and has held his own starting the past two years in the majors. These are all hits and don't factor in several fringy arms that can possibly be back end starters or low-leverage relievers.
Grade: A: Some of the picks gets knocked slightly by better versions of them being taken in their neighborhood. However, Milwaukee still got talent at those spots, and supplemented them with value in later rounds. The volume of PBA-caliber players selected bumps the grades from a B+ or A- to a solid A.
Minnesota Twins
First Round: (1) Hunter Greene—P
Second Round: (1) Heliot Ramos—CF
Third Round: (1) Connor Wong—C
Best Player: Hunter Greene
Best Deep Cut: Boyd Vander Kooi
Total ML WAR: -0.3
Review: Hunter Greene has taken an eternity to develop, but after struggling in Double-A in 2020, and pitching exclusively in High-A in 2021, put up a 3.21 ERA out of the bullpen for Minnesota last season. He still throws 100 miles an hour, but he's always had trouble repeating his delivery leading to command issues. The hope is that he's still good enough to start and doesn't have to converted to a reliever. He's never hit as a professional, so that part of his game may be written off. The variance in his future is still huge, but none of the next 10 pitchers drafted after him have positive WAR.
Heliot Ramos was selected in the Rule V draft last year, and was forced to spend a season in the majors that he was not prepared for. Ramos still projects as a guy with good speed and defense, who can hit some home runs. He has only 190 plate appearances in full-season ball, all in the majors, so it's hard to get a statistical read on the player. None of his second round outfield peers have set the world on fire.
Connor Wong retired from professional baseball after 2018, so the Twins got nothing from that pick, but they did okay with some of their other mid-round picks. Fourth round pick Mark Vientos has good power and a good arm at Third Base. He was selected in the Rule V draft by Seattle and will get a chance to see if he sticks. Seventh round selection Matthew Golda may never hit in the majors, but he's a Gold Glove caliber Shortstop.
Eight round pick Holden Christian is only a two-pitch pitcher for not, but if his curveball develops, could be a starter in the league. He was selected by Atlanta in the Rule V draft, as was 10th rounder Kennet Sorrenson, a potential backup catcher.
Boyd Vander Kooi was Minnesota's 12th round pick that season—he was just taken in the Rule V draft by Washington. He projects as a power reliever. Ronald Washington was the Twins' 11th rounder. He looks like a version of Heliot Ramos, minus the speed.
The Twins also have a number of Quad-A type guys from their later picks. Individually that's not much, but in aggregate, it's a number of bites at the apple of finding a big leaguer, and with late picks, the any major league value is impressive if found and developed.
Grade: C+: The Greene pick still has upside, but is still dinged slightly since he may just be a reliever. That's not a great outcome for the first overall pick. Ramos is fine, and hasn't shown to be a btter or worse pick than most of the outfielders taken after him. Wong gets an F for retiring. The Twins get some value back from the rest of their draft. The sheer number of players taken in Rule V drafts indicate that teams see long term potential with a number of these players, and the Twins did a good job in the later rounds of the draft.
New York Yankees
First Round: (18) Tristen Lutz—RF—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (18) Jeremiah Estrada—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (18) Dan Cabrera—LF—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Noah Bremer (9)
Best Deep Cut: Nick Valaika (17)
Total ML WAR: 0.7
Review: The Yankees didn't sign their first five picks, getting no value from them. Lutz hasn't shown much since being drafted by San Diego in 2020, but Jeremiah Estrada and Dan Cabrera are already in the majors after being selected in subsequent drafts (interestingly both are on the Giants).
The Yankees did sign some guys with talent. Brent Rooker is a guy scouts think may be able to hit for power in the majors, and was selected sixth overall. Noah Bremer was selected in the ninth round and he allowed only five home runs in 73.2 innings in a decent rookie season. He could be a back rotation arm for a few years. Nick Valaika was the best deep pick. He makes decent contact and plays a solid second base, though that may not be enough for a major league career.
Grade: F: It's hard to have a productive draft when you fail to sign your first five picks. Bremer and Rooker may be okay, but the Yankees could have come away with more.
New York Mets
First Round: (22) Dalton Ewing—LF
Second Round: (22) Ben Ramirez—SS
Third Round: (22) Stephen Keller—P
Best Player: Ben Ramirez
Best Deep Cut: Brent Langhorne (18)
Total ML WAR: 3.2
Review: Despite a .300 average in Triple-A last year, Dalton Ewing retired before making the majors, making him a bust that generated no major league value. Other late-first to second-round picks haven't contributed much in the majors yet, but all have more future upside at the point than the retired Ewing.
While Ewing turned out to be a dreadful pick, Ben Ramirez had a wonderful rookie season last year for Baltimore, getting on base at a .356 clip, stealing 11 bases, and playing solid defense at Third Base. He projects as a strong defensive player on the left side with an excellent eye, and some gap power.
Ninth round pick Michael Higgins has made it to the majors as a backup catcher, though he's hit much more in Triple-A than he has in the majors. Still, that's an accomplishment for a ninth rounder. Brent Langhorne has major league upside despite being an 18th round selection. He has a little bit of power, a little patience, and a little bit of a hit tool, and could make himself a little bit of a starting third baseman.
Grade: D: Ramirez has been a nice pick, though the Mets didn't get much of anything from any of their other top picks. Most of New York's selections that didn't retire haven't played above the low minors yet. There just hasn't been much of anything to show.
Oakland Athletics
First Round: (7) Alex Faedo—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (7) Jacob Pearson—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (7) Brandon Dudley—LF
Best Player: Tristan Gray (6)
Best Deep Cut: Jonathan Windham (14)
Total ML WAR: 4.3
Review: Oakland didn't sign Alex Faedo or Jacob Pearson, missing out on talent early in the draft. Faedo hasn't become a starter, but he could be a closer, and Dudley looks like a starting Center Fielder. Brandon Dudley is taking an eternity to develop, and hasn't been worthy of a roster spot above High A, but consensus is that he could play in the majors as a second division Left Fielder who does a little bit of everything well.
Oakland took a pair of players with their fourth and sixth rounders that look like terrific picks for their spots. The sixth rounder, Tristan Gray, has seen a season and a half of PBA action already and played well. He's slotted in all over the infield and shown a good ability to get the bat on the ball, with more power than was expected. At worst he's a team's best utility infielder and offers a ton of flexibility. Fourth round pick Noah Campbell hasn't produced in the big leagues yet, but he should going forward. He was just named the 94th best prospect in baseball last year, and is an excellent base stealer and defensive middle infielder. He's only 23 and tore up the mid-minors and high-minors, and he should be able to hold his own with the bat.
Very few of Oakland's late round picks have retired, so there's still opportunities to squeeze value from the later picks. Jonathan Windham may be the best of that lot, as a Third Baseman with a decent bat and some good pop.
Grade: C-: While Oakland gets an F for not getting anything out of their first two picks, they get A's for Campbell and Gray. It takes awhile to find an outfielder picked after Dudley who has produced, which helps that pick in context.
Philadelphia Phillies
First Round: (8) Adam Haseley—LF
Second Round: (8) Wil Crowe—P
Third Round: (8) Cobi Johnson—P
Third Round: (29) Chace Sarchet—C (Pick acquired from Texas along with Shin-soo Choo and Cole Ragans for Joaquin Benoit
Best Player: Adam Haseley
Best Deep Cut: Robert Touron (12)
Total ML WAR: 9.9
Review: Philadelphia made some excellent selections at the early rounds of their draft. Adam Haseley has won a Gold Glove already, and was on pace for a huge season last year before injuries derailed him. He hit .274 with 42 doubles two years ago, and can improve on the average and transform the doubles into home runs.
While Wil Crowe retired before making it to the majors, Cobi Johnson has had a nice major league career to date, winning Rookie of the Year in 2021. He has impeccable command, keeps the ball in the park, and has emerged as a workhorse, throwing 203.1 innings last season. Chace Sarchet hasn't worked out, but Philadelphia won the trade that netted them the pick. Shin-soo Choo had several decent years for the Phillies as a low-average, big-power outfielder, and Cole Ragans could become a terrific relief arm going forward. Philadelphia got a lot of a pitcher in Joaquin Benoit who fell apart once he was traded away.
Most of the rest of Philadelphia's mid-round picks have retired already, but 12th pick Robert Touron looks like a decent reliever. He was released by the Phillies almost immediately after signing, but is the #78 prospect in the Korean Baseball Organization.
Grade: B: There are some misses in Philadelphia's portfolio, but Haseley, Johnson, and getting Cole Ragans were strong plays, bringing the draft to a solid B.
Pittsburgh Pirates
First Round: (13) Kyle Wright—P
Second Round: (13) Calvin Michell—LF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (13) Cameron Bishop—P
Best Player: Kevin Smith (4)
Best Deep Cut: Zach Willeman (15)
Total ML WAR: -1.7
Review: Kyle Wright hasn't shown he could be more than a fifth starter, especially after arm injuries sapped his development. Not many early round pitchers have done better than Wright, and he definitely could be a fourth starter in the majors, but he hasn't shown much upside.
Calvin Mitchell looks like a good looking starting left fielder, but Pittsburgh didn't sign him. They did sign Cameron Bishop, who hasn't made the majors, and Kevin Smith who like Wright, has a negative WAR in his major league career thus far. In fact, of the nine players Pittsburgh drafted in 2017 that have made the majors, eight of them have recorded a negative WAR in their career thus far.
In fact, despite walking 28 batters in 57.2 innings, and striking out only 43 hitters, Tylor Megill is the only Pirates selection with a positive PBA WAR. He allowed only five home runs last year to end up with a positive 0.2 WAR, despite being a completely underwhelming pitcher.
Grade: F: Kevin Smith and Kyle Wright may be second division starters, but they may not be, and that's the upside. The sheer amount of negative WAR is overwhelming, as Pittsburgh's picks look unprepared for the major leagues. Drafting but not signing the only productive player they selected only adds insult to injury.
San Diego Padres
First Round: (3) Austin Beck—CF
Second Round: (3) MacKenzie Gore—P
Third Round: (3) Ryan Vilade—3B
Best Player: Alejandro Toral (4)
Best Deep Cut: Will Toffey (13)
Total ML WAR: 0.9
Review: Austin Beck finally made it to the major leagues last year as a 24-year-old outfielder. He's never really hit in the minors and his defense has gotten worse as he's aged. Scouts have banked on the fact that his hit tool would get there, and it still might. Considering Quentin Holmes, Adam Haseley, Jeren Kendall, and Cole Brannon were the outfielders taken directly after Beck, there's some pressure for Beck to perform as his peer group has been better than him so far.
Mackenzie Gore hurt his arm early in his professional career, never gained the ability to throw strikes, and stepped away from the game, netting the Padres nothing from the pick. Ryan Vilade hasn' hit much in the high-octane California League, but he at least blasted 27 home runs last year. He's only 23, and his idealized self is a big power hitter, something scouts still foresee.
Fourth and sixth rounders Alejandro Toral and Andrew Summerville have provided the most major league value thus far. Toral has smashed the ball his entire minor league career after a rough first season up in the Yukon. He held his own as a 23-year-old in the majors. He doesn't offer much defensively so the bat will need to play, but there's a good chance it will. Summerville meanwhile had a solid 3.62 ERA in relief as a rookie last year. He worked most of it as a 26-year-old, so a little older, but he had good strikeout and walk numbers. He throws four pitches, including a terrific changeup, so he may be able to work as a starter.
Grade: C+: The Beck pick is probably in the C- or D+ range at this point, with Gore getting an F, and Vilade being a C. Getting value from the middle rounds boosts the grade up. San Diego's picks generally appear to be a bit younger than other teams, so the grade may change a lot in future years.
San Francisco Giants
First Round: (16) Evan White—LF
Second Round: (16) Pick traded along with Sandro Fabian, Chris J. Shaw, and Andrew Suarez to Detroit for Daniel Norris. Turned into David Peterson.
Third Round: (16) A.J. Moore—P
Best Player: Reese Albert (8)
Best Deep Cut: Taylor Lehman (18)
Total ML WAR: 0.4
Review: Evan White is a major bust. He was never able to play the field anywhere, leaving him a First Baseman primarily, but he's never hit more than 11 home runs in a minor league season. He won't play in the big leagues. The second round pick saw the team give up Chris J. Shaw and Andrew Suarez for Daniel Norris, a trade that the Giants may have won, but only slightly. A. J. Moore has weirdly pitched better in San Francisco than Triple-A, but AT&T Park does have those sweet park factors. He's a swingman.
Calvin Greenfield was San Francisco's fourth rounder, and he can draw a walk, pop a double, and be a defensive force. He could be a backup catcher. Reese Albert, taken in the eighth round, is an excellent defender with good speed, plus scouts love his approach and think he can at least bang some doubles if not home runs. Only 23, he's an intriguing player picked in the eighth round.
Taylor Lehman has already made the majors as an 18th rounder, as a replacement level relief arm. However, he has three solid pitches, has good stamina, and has kept the ball in the park throughout his minor league career. It's not inconceivable he can become a decent back-rotation arm, which would be wonderful for an 18th rounder.
Grade: D+: While the Giants have a number of talented players from this draft on their team, sadly few of them are originally drafted by the Giants. They didn't get much value in the early rounds, and will need Reese Albert to pop to get talent out of this draft. That's a lot to ask of an 8th rounder.
Seattle Mariners
First Round: (19) Cole Brannen—CF
Second Round: (19) Seth Lonsway—P
Third Round: (19) Garrett Cave—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Cole Brannen
Best Deep Cut: Daniel Gooden (11)
Total ML WAR: 2
Review: After excellent production in the minor leagues, Brannen played out his rookie season last year and won a Gold Glove for Baltimore with 3.9 WAR. He's a speed-and-defense-based Center Fielder, the last of a talented group that includes Austin Beck, Quentin Holmes, and Jeren Kendall, and the last player picked before the position becomes barren. Brannen's hit tool is okay, but he doesn't have much power, making him extremely reliant on his speed and defense. Since he just turned 23, he should have access to his wheels for some time.
Seth Lonsway may be a decent reliever, but he tore his UCL and is undergoing ligament reconstruction surgery, so his future is very much in doubt. Garrett Cave could be a swingman, but he's already 26 and has only 14.2 innings above High-A. Seattle didn't do themselves a favor by picking him, nor did they do themselves a favor by not signing him. Fourth-rounder Brendon Little may be able to cut it as a reliever, but he's been in Double-A since 2019 and hasn't been able to cut it as a starter.
Three players were taken in the sixth round or later who have made the majors, each producing negative WAR. There are some intriguing swingman-types, slightly more intriguing than the myriad swingman types that litter every team's mid-minors, but ultimately swingmen all the same.
Grade: C-: It's looking like a one-person draft for Seattle, but at least they nailed the one they needed to hit—though trading him for Jake Junis and Jordan S. Stephens wasn't too inspired.
St. Louis Cardinals
First Round: (20) Nick Pratto—1B—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (20) M.J. Melendez—C—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (20) Philip Clarke—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Michael Bates (19)
Best Deep Cut: Michael Bates
Total ML WAR: 0.5
Review: St. Louis didn't sign their first five picks, nor their eighth rounder. They did draft Nick Pratto in the first round of 2018, so they did select the player they wanted, they just couldn't get the money right. M.J. Melendez has a lot of potential as a special defender with some power, while Philip Clarke was taken the next year in the 23rd round. He may be the first pick where the grade increases because he wasn't signed.
Michael Bates looks like the best pick the Cards made. He worked a wild, homer prone 2021, cleaning that up into a more polished 2022 where the homers were down, the walks were down, and the BABIP was down. 0.7 WAR in a year from a 19th rounder is legitimately impressive. Seventh round pick Hunter Ruth is the other guy with some upside. He'll be 24-years-old for most of the next season and is a two-pitch pitcher now that can be a three-pitch pitcher in the future. If the changeup comes, he could be a back-rotation arm. If it doesn't, he's just another middle reliever, but that's fine for a seventh round pick.
Grade: D-: Bates and Ruth may be nice, they dodged a bullet with Clarke, and maybe they signed some money with Pratto. That's enough to give them more than an F. Nonetheless, they came out of this draft with possibly two swingmen and little more. They won't even get too much from late picks, since most of them have retired already.
Tampa Bay Rays
First Round: (4) Royce Lewis—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (4) Tanner Houck—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (4) Adam Kerner—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: Dalton Rone (9)
Best Deep Cut: Andrew Mahoney (20)
Total ML WAR: 1.8
Review: Like the Cardinals, Tampa Bay took the first five rounds and the eighth round off. Royce Lewis is currently a Top 10 Prospect, which is a huge miss to let him slip through their fingers. With the exception of Adam Hall, nearly all the infielders taken in the first two rounds have some upside, and missing out on them to draft an unsigned Lewis was terrible.
Houck and Kerner don't look like they'll amount to much, but neither do the players Seattle did draft. Luke Heimlich has been a fine swingman the last few years for Tacoma, but had perhaps the most disastrous nine-game starting stretch in baseball in 2021, when he posted -1.0 WAR in only 41.2 innings. Giving up 12 home runs and 25 walks against 19 strikeouts in that timeframe will cause that.
Dalton Rone is one player who has some potential. He hit .298 with a .416 OBP for Tampa Bay, playing great defense at short as a backup. He doesn't have enough power to be a difference maker, but as a player who will only turn 23 this season, with an advanced approach, a swing that leverages his skills, and sure hands, he'll have a job.
Grade: F: Dalton Rone is a nice utility infielder, but Royce Lewis is a decade-long starter. Without anything else other than Rone, it's impossible to give Tampa Bay a passing grade with what they could have had.
Texas Rangers
First Round: (29) Luis Gonzalez—LF
Second Round: (29) Jordan Adell—CF
Third Round: (29) Pick traded along with Shin-soo Choo and Cole Ragans to Philadelphia for Joaquin Benoit. Turned into Chase Sarchet
Best Player: Jordan Adell
Best Deep Cut: Tyler Lynn (16)
Total ML WAR: 0.8
Review: Texas drafted two different Luis Gonzalez', which is a fun quirk. The first was rushed to the majors, struggled in his return to the minors, before being cut in 2020 and blossoming into a star in the Mexican League. The second was their fourth-round pick who hit for a .633 OPS in the hitting paradise of Round Rock last year.
Jordan Adell, thankfully, is not a Luis Gonzalez, giving him hope he can carve out a major league career. He's in the Jeren Kendall mold of being a fantastic defender with excellent speed and good power. However, Adell will swing through more pitches than even Kendall. Adell will only turn 24 this year and looks like he has a future in the majors as a fourth outfielder at the very least, which isn't a bad outcome.
Texas gave up a productive player in Choo, a prospect who has turned into a decent reliever in Ragans, and a pick that turned out to be absolutely nothing in Sarchet for 14.1 innings of 6.28 ERA baseball from Benoit. Much of the rest of Texas' picks have already retired or don't have much of a future.
Grade: D: Adell looks like a major leaguer, though probably not more than a second division starter at this point. The first round Gonzalez turning into an all-around player and an All Star in the Mexican League is worth a little bit. In terms of PBA production though, there's little here now and won't be much more in the future.
Toronto Blue Jays
First Round: (24) Alex Lange—P
Second Round: (24) Clarke Schmidt—P
Third Round: (24) Je'Von Carrier-Ward—LF
Best Player: Clarke Schmidt (2)
Best Deep Cut: Hunter Stratton (20)
Total ML WAR: 2.7
Review: Alex Lange tore his labrum in 2018, joining the majority of pitchers taken in the first round who have had disappointing careers relative to where they were taken. The second round of the draft has given teams a little more optimism, including Toronto as Clarke Schmidt looked like a solid back-end starter last year, with a 8-7 record, a 4.67 ERA, and solidly mediocre, strikeout, home run, and BABIP numbers. Mediocre isn't the worst trait in a back-half of the second round selection, as Schmidt can hold his own on a World Series team.
Je'Von Carrier-Ward is a disappointment, both if you're trying to honor the capitalization and grammatical symbols in one's name, and if you're waiting for your third round pick to become a major leaguer. Seventh-rounder Dakota Robbins, on the other hand, has an easy name to spell, and looks like a well-balanced backup catcher with excellent locker room skills.
The Blue Jays' 10th round pick, Brady Feigl struggled in his first taste of the PBA last year, as he doesn't appear to have the movement needed to survive at the highest level, nor the stuff to compensate.
Grade: D: Missing on Lange and Carrier-Ward hurts the grade tremendously, and Schmidt isn't dynamic enough to lift it up much. Most of the late picks have retired already, leaving swingmen and backup catchers as the other options that can make the majors.
Washington Nationals
First Round: (28) Pick Traded to Los Angeles Dodgers for Gavin Lux. Turned into Seth Romero.
Second Round: (28) Drew Waters—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (28) Sam McMillan—C—UNSIGNED
Best Player: D'Mond LaFond
Best Deep Cut: Ben Hecht (17)
Total ML WAR: -0.2
Review: Romero wasn't signed by the Dodgers, turned into a Top 75 Prospect with the Reds, was bounced around their minors, and retired this past year. Instead of riding that roller coaster, they traded the pick for Gavin Lux. While Lux was eventually moved out of Washington, he is now a two-time Gold Glove winner and a Team USA-caliber player. Washington made the right move with that trade.
They then proceeded to not sign any of their other picks in the first four rounds, leading to a lack of young talent. Drew Waters doesn't look like he can hit enough for the show, but Sam McMillian has excellent defensive tools and was just popped in the Rule V draft, so at least one team thinks he's worth it.
Washington's best player turned out to be D'Mond LaFond, who hasn't proven anything above Double-A. At his best, he could be a back-end arm that struggles against left-handed lineups. At worst, he's a minor leaguer. His median outcome is likely a decent enough guy in the bullpen.
Grade: C-: There's not much there from the draft portion of their draft, but essentially selecting Gavin Lux in the back of the first round is a great move. The rest of their draft drags that move down to a D+.
Most WAR
Team Total WAR
Chicago White Sox 18.4
Los Angeles Angels 18.1
Houston Astros 16.9
Cleveland Indians 15.6
Miami Marlins 14.3
Milwaukee Brewers 11.2
Philadelphia Phillies 9.9
Detroit Tigers 9.5
Cincinnati Reds 6.1
Arizona Diamondbacks 4.8
Oakland Athletics 4.3
Atlanta Braves 3.3
New York Mets 3.2
Kansas City Royals 2.7
Toronto Blue Jays 2.7
Seattle Mariners 2
Tampa Bay Rays 1.8
Boston Red Sox 1.4
San Diego Padres 0.9
Texas Rangers 0.8
New York Yankees 0.7
St. Louis Cardinals 0.5
Colorado Rockies 0.4
San Francisco Giants 0.4
Los Angeles Dodgers 0
Washington Nationals -0.2
Chicago Cubs -0.3
Minnesota Twins -0.3
Pittsburgh Pirates -1.7
Baltimore Orioles -1.8
Best Grades
A+: Indians, Astros
A: White Sox, Marlins, Brewers
B+: Diamondbacks, Braves, Tigers, Angels
B: Phillies
B-: Rockies
C+: Twins, Padres
C: Royals
C-: Orioles, Reds, Athletics, Mariners, Nationals
D+: Giants
D: Mets, Rangers, Blue Jays
D-: Red Sox, Cardinals
F: Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Pirates, Rays