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Los Angeles Sharks of Anaheim
--With the #16 pick in the draft the Sharks selected 2B/CF Kevin Vickers. Vickers is a very solid defensive player with great range and a good glove. He hits for high average and has good speed, and would be a pretty nice #2 hitter or bottom of the order batter. He is a very versatile player, although he has limited durability. Supplemental pick 3B Bubba Pisciotta is a solid backup prospect for the bigs, he as a decent glove for 3B, and has an average bat and doesn't quite have the power you would like to see at the hot corner. Supplemental pick SP Manny Hollingsworth is a hard throwing lefty who will need to maximize his development to counteract his weakness vs. right handed hitters, but he is solid everywhere else and could be a #5 starter in the majors if things go right. 2nd round pick SP Frank McMasters would be great if his control weren't such a problem that it will prevent him from making the majors. 2nd round pick 1b/RF Darryl Spehr is a great contact hitter, but his splits are weak and he has little to no power, thus rendering him undesirable for those positions. 3rd round pick SS Garland Blank has a nice glove and could make it as a defensive replacement. All told this draft was a mixed bag for the Sharks, yielding some promising players and some duds, but the good outweighs the bad for the most part.
Grade: C+
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Los Angeles Leopards
--In a draft filled with stinkers it is amazing that Jose Martinez fell to #8 overall. Martinez is a slugging 3B/SS, who has great potential at the hot corner thanks to his tremendous bat a glove that is good but not quite up to SS level. His batting eye is supreme, and he should hit for very high average as well as power. He doesn't see right handed pitching too well, but his plate discipline will more than make up for that. It is good for LA that they signed Martinez though, because their 2nd round selection is a minor league lifer and none of their other top round picks signed. But it is pretty much a given that most teams would trade their drafts for this one this season because Martinez is such a nice prospect.
Grade: B+
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Kansas City Express
--The Express had the #3 pick in the draft, and were the first team to select a hitter this year, and they chose a beast in 1B Don Ross. Quite simply put, Ross is everything you want in a 1B. He hits for maximum power and average, and is very disciplined at the plate, and his glove is good enough to play competently in the field. Barring injury he has 500HR potential. 2nd round pick RP Nap Dillon was also a nice find for KC that late in the draft. With his control and splits he should have a nice career as a setup man in the bigs. None of KC's other signed picks in the top rounds will amount to much, but netting two quality ML players this season is a victory, and Ross is tremendous and was a solid use of a top five pick.
Grade: A-
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Jackson Pollocks
--The Pollocks had the top pick in the draft this season, and didn't waste it as they selected far and away the best pitcher in the draft in SP Vin Lunar. Lunar's stuff is electric, he has impeccable control, extremely deceptive movement, and pitches good enough to make those skills very effective. He is a true Ace #1 SP. Supplemental pick CF Scott Taylor was a nice selection as well, with elite defensive skills for CF, and a pretty good bat vs. right handed pitching. The next few picks yielded some AAAA players who could sub in the majors in a pinch if necessary in RP J.J. Rigby and LF Dustin Fick, but neither one of them will ever be starters. Still, based on the strength of Lunar alone this was an awesome draft, as pitchers like him don't come around very often.
Grade: A
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Iowa City Corn Dogs
--The Corn Dogs selected SP Andre Penny with the #24 pick in the draft this season. Penny projects to have #5 starter or long relief potential, as there really isn't anything truly outstanding in his skill set. There isn't anything really deficient either, making him a solid but not notable pitcher. The rest of Iowa Cities draft wasn't that remarkable either, bringing on a bunch of quality minor league players, but nobody who really has a realistic shot of making the major leagues. This was a pretty forgettable draft for the Corn Dogs.
Grade: D
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Florida Almendares
--The Almendares had two 1st round picks this season at #38 and #56. Their first selection refused to sign, leaving them with a top pick of RP Miguel Gomez. Gomez keeps the ball down, has great velocity and a very nice first pitch, but not enough else to distinguish himself in the major leagues, should he make it. If he does it will probably be as a setup B pitcher. Of the rest of the Almendares selection of draft pitchers, none of them really show enough potential to make the majors, although 3rd rounder Will Harnisch might make it as a long reliever. Not the best draft for Florida this season.
Grade: D-
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