CHICAGO—Teams no longer can spend whatever they want in the draft, and neither can I in the pretend 10-round exercise I’ve conducted since 2003. But a year after new rules came into play in 2012, I’ve adapted.
There are no loopholes to exploit. So I resolved to take the best player available (among those who weren’t virtually unsignable) for as long as I could, then fill out the rest of my draft with college seniors. Several big league clubs use the same approach, and it’s the best way to accumulate talent.
I randomly drew the No. 17 slot in the first round, which gave me the White Sox’ draft—and unfortunately, no competitive-balance bonus pick. I would have loved to snap up Nevada righthander Braden Shipley or California high school shortstop J.P. Crawford, but they went 15th and 16th.
That leaves me considering four players: East Central (Miss.) CC shortstop Tim Anderson, San Diego prep lefthander Ian Clarkin, Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo and Arkansas righthander Ryne Stanek. Stanek ranks the highest (13th) on the BA 500—Baseball America’s draft board, if you will—but quality position players are scarcer than pitchers in this draft and I think I can find a college arm I like in round two.
I opt for Jagielo (No. 26 to the Yankees in real life), who ranked second in the Cape Cod League with 13 homers last summer. His lefthanded power always has stood out, and he impressed me this spring with the improvements he made as a hitter and defender.
Second-Round Coup
I fully intend to take a pitcher in the second round, and four lefthanders pique my interest: Kentucky high schooler Hunter Green, Oklahoma’s Dillon Overton, Minnesota’s Tom Windle and Vanderbilt’s Kevin Ziomek. But I can’t ignore the third-best catcher in the draft, a guy we pegged as a first-round talent.
Oklahoma prepster Jonathan Denney (third round, Red Sox) inexplicably didn’t get his name called on the first day of draft. He didn’t finish strong in his high school season or in workouts for clubs, yet I’m still sold on his above-average righthanded power and solid arm strength, and I believe he can refine his receiving skills.
Pitching help finally arrives in the third and fourth rounds. BA rated Texas Tech righthander Trey Masek (fifth round, Cubs) and Texas Christian Andrew Mitchell (fourth round, White Sox) as mid-second-round talents, and they’ll be more receptive to signing for their assigned pick values than I perceive Mississippi righty Bobby Wahl will be.
Masek throws strikes with four pitches, including an 89-95 mph fastball and a sometimes-sharp curveball, which helps me overlook his lack of size (6-foot-1, 195-pounds) and bout with rotator-cuff tendinitis this spring. Mitchell pitches at 90-94 mph as a starter, pumps his fastball up to 98 as a reliever and has the best curve among college prospects this year.
I land another second-round talent in the fifth round, and I have room in my budget to pay second-round money. California high school first baseman Rowdy Tellez (30th round, Blue Jays) has as much lefthanded pop as anyone in the 2013 draft class, and he also has advanced feel for hitting.
I can afford to give third-round money to my sixth-rounder, which gets me another fine hot-corner prospect to pair with Jagielo. Oklahoma prepster Trey Michalczewski (seventh round, White Sox) is an athletic 6-foot-3, 210-pound switch-hitter with plus power potential, a mature approach and strong arm.
Time For Fiscal Responsibility
In the seventh round, I have room to sign one more player at full value. Florida’s Daniel Gibson goes three picks before I can grab him, but I’m happy to snare another college lefthander. Though Minnesota’s D.J. Snelten (ninth round, Giants) strained his elbow last winter and might be a reliever, he also has a 90-95 mph fastball that plays up because of the extension he gets from his 6-foot-7 frame.
At this point, I must round out my draft with college seniors or their equivalents. My next two choices are redshirt juniors who missed 2010 after having Tommy John surgery and will turn 23 later this year.
Lee (Tenn.) righthander Andy Hillis (11th round, Brewers) has set-up man ceiling because he’s a 6-foot-7, 235-pounder with a 94-96 mph fastball that can reach 99. Missouri State righty Nick Petree (ninth round, Cardinals) is Hillis’ opposite, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound craftsman who mixes four pitches. He works at 87-88 mph and only his changeup grades as even a solid offering, but he has gone 18-5, 1.29 with 225 strikeouts in as many innings the last two years.
I finish by tapping the NAIA ranks for the second time in three rounds. Oklahoma City’s Chase Jensen (22nd round, Padres) could stick at shortstop, good pop for a middle infielder and average tools across the board.
Though I’d be more aggressive if the rules permitted it, I still like my haul. My first six picks all ranked among the top 81 on the BA 500, and I think I’ll get at least one big leaguer from rounds seven through 10.
Past picks from Jim Callis’ hypothetical drafts:
2012 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 22nd Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Ty Hensley, rhp, HS/Oklahoma
NYY, 1st
Supp. 1st
Tanner Rahier, ss, HS/California
Cin, 2nd
2nd
Carson Kelly, 3b/rhp, HS/Oregon
StL, 2nd
3rd
Brandon Thomas, of, Georgia Tech
Pit, 4th
4th
Preston Beck, of, Texas-Arlington
Tex, 5th
5th
Stephen Johnson, rhp, St. Edward’s (Texas)
SF, 6th
6th
Damian Carroll, rhp, HS/Virginia
TB, 6th
7th
Torsten Boss, 3b, Michigan State
Bal, 7th
8th
Daniel Stumpf, lhp, San Jacinto (Texas) JC
KC, 9th
9th
Ben Waldrip, 1b, Jacksonville State
Col, 10th
10th
Ben Klimesh, rhp, Trinity (Texas)
Cin, 15th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 53rd overall choice.
2011 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 10th Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Taylor Jungmann, rhp, Texas
Mil, 1st
Supp. 1st
Daniel Norris, lhp, HS/Tennessee
Tor, 2nd
2nd
Andrew Susac, c, Oregon State
SF, 2nd
3rd
Aaron Westlake, 1b, Vanderbilt
Det, 3rd
4th
Tyler Marlette, c, HS/Florida
Sea, 5th
5th
Brandon Loy, ss, Texas
Det 5th
6th
Charlie Lowell, lhp, Wichita State
Fla, 6th
7th
Senquez Golson, of, HS/Mississippi
Bos, 8th
8th
Burch Smith, rhp, Oklahoma
SD, 14th
9th
Colton Murray, rhp, Kansas State
Phi, 13th
10th
Lance Jeffries, of, HS/Missouri
StL, 10th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 44th overall choice.
2010 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 22nd Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Zack Cox, 3b, Arkansas
StL, 1st
Supp. 1st
Ryan LaMarre, of, Michigan
Cin, 2nd
2nd
Chad Bettis, rhp, Texas Tech
Col, 2nd
3rd
Garin Cecchini, 3b, HS/Louisiana
Bos, 4th
4th
Drew Cisco, rhp, HS/South Carolina
Cin, 6th
5th
Kendrick Perkins, of, HS/Texas
Bos, 6th
6th
Ben Wells, rhp, HS/Arkansas
ChC, 7th
7th
Tyler Green, rhp, HS/Texas
Ari, 8th
8th
Tyler Holt, of, Florida State
Cle, 10th
9th
Tyler Burgoon, rhp, Michigan
Sea, 10th
10th
Josh Richmond, of, Louisville
Tex, 12th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 45th overall choice.
2009 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 15th Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Shelby Miller, rhp, HS/Texas
StL, 1st
Supp. 1st
Everett Williams, of, HS/Texas
SD, 2nd
2nd
Garrett Gould, rhp, HS/Kansas
LAD, 2nd
3rd
Max Stassi, c, HS/California
Oak, 4th
4th
Angelo Songco, of, Loyola Marymount
LAD, 4th
5th
Ryan Schimpf, 2b, Louisiana State
Tor, 5th
6th
Josh Fellhauer, of, Cal State Fullerton
Cin, 7th
7th
Ryan Buch, rhp, Monmouth
CWS, 8th
8th
Jabari Blash, of, Miami Dade CC
Tex, 9th
9th
Del Howell, lhp, Alabama
Mil, 15th
10th
Neil Medchill, of, Oklahoma State
NYY, 11th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 41st overall choice.
2008 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 18th Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Christian Friedrich, lhp, Eastern Kentucky
Col, 1st
Supp. 1st
Brett DeVall, lhp, HS/Florida
Atl, supp. 1st
2nd
Dennis Raben, of, Miami
Sea, 2nd
3rd
Blake Tekotte, of, Miami
SD, 3rd
4th
Pete Hissey, of, HS/Pennsylvania
Bos, 4th
5th
Justin Parker, ss, Wright State
Ari, 6th
6th
Brett Hunter, rhp, Pepperdine
Oak, 7th
7th
Tim Federowicz, c, North Carolina
Bos, 7th
8th
Gabe Jacobo, 3b, Sacramento State
LAA, 10th
9th
Justin LaTempa, rhp, Golden West (Calif.) JC
Ari, 22nd
10th
Mikie Mahtook, of, HS/Louisiana
Fla, 39th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 40th overall choice.
2007 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 11th Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Jason Heyward, of, HS/Georgia
Atl, 1st
Supp. 1st
Justin Jackson, ss, HS/North Carolina
Tor, supp. 1st
2nd
Nevin Griffith, rhp, HS/Florida
CWS, 2nd
3rd
Sam Demel, rhp, Texas Christian
Oak, 3rd
4th
T.J. McFarland, lhp, HS/Illinois
Cle, 4th
5th
Will Middlebrooks, 3b/rhp, HS/Texas
Bos, 5th
6th
Matt Angle, of, Ohio State
Bal, 7th
7th
Tim Smith, of, Arizona State
Tex, 7th
8th
Colby Shreve, rhp, CC of Southern Nevada
Atl, 8th
9th
Kade Koewen, of, Louisiana State-Eunice JC
Bos, 9th
10th
Dan Rohlfing, c, HS/Missouri
Min, 14th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 41st overall choice.
2006 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 19th Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Brett Sinkbeil, rhp, Missouri State
Fla, 1st
2nd
Wes Hodges, 3b, Georgia Tech
Cle, 2nd
3rd
Matt Sulentic, of, HS/Texas
Oak, 3rd
4th
Ryan Morris, lhp, HS/North Carolina
Cle, 4th
5th
Chris Archer, rhp, HS/North Carolina
Cle, 5th
6th
Zach Daeges, of, Creighton
Bos, 6th
7th
Luke Gorsett, of, Nebraska
StL, 7th
8th
Kent Gerst, of, HS/Missouri
CWS, 8th
9th
Kyle Gibson, rhp, HS/Indiana
Phi, 36th
10th
Justin Woodall, lhp/of, HS/Mississippi
NYM, 19th
2005 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 17th Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Luke Hochevar, rhp, Tennessee
LA, supp. 1st
Supp. 1st
Michael Bowden, rhp, HS/Illinois
Bos, supp. 1st
2nd
Bryan Morris, rhp, HS/Tennessee
TB, 3rd
3rd
Jordan Schafer, of, HS/Florida
Atl, 3rd
4th
Seth Johnston, ss, Texas
SD, 5th
5th
Aaron Cunningham, of, Everett (Wash.) CC
CWS, 6th
6th
Jeremy Slayden, of, Georgia Tech
Phi, 8th
7th
Paul Phillips, rhp, Oakland
Tor, 9th
8th
Daniel McCutchen, rhp, Oklahoma
StL, 12th
9th
Mark Wagner, c, UC Irvine
Bos, 9th
10th
Mike Bell, 3b, Grayson County (Texas) CC
Mil, 15th
Note: Supplemental first-rounder was 35th overall choice.
2004 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 21st Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Jon Zeringue, of, Louisiana State
Ari, 2nd
2nd
Erik Cordier, rhp, HS/Wisconsin
KC, 2nd
3rd
Andrew Dobies, lhp, Virginia
Bos, 3rd
4th
Mike Butia, of, James Madison
Cle, 5th
5th
Brad McCann, 3b, Clemson
Fla, 6th
6th
Jason Quarles, rhp, Southern
Pit, 7th
7th
Grant Plumley, ss, Oral Roberts
NYY, 9th
8th
Richard Mercado, c, Arizona
Ari, 12th
9th
Jeff Gogal, lhp, Montclair State (N.J.)
Fla, 12th
10th
Micah Owings, rhp, Georgia Tech
ChC, 19th
2003 Hypothetical Draft (Picking 31st Each Round)
Round
Player, Pos, School
Real Life Draft
1st
Ryan Sweeney, of, HS/Iowa
CWS, 2nd
2nd
Tony Richie, c, Florida State
ChC, 4th
3rd
Cliff Davis, rhp, HS/Mississippi
Hou, 6th
4th
Justin James, rhp, Missouri
Tor, 5th
5th
Clark Girardeau, rhp, South Alabama
SD, 7th
6th
Andy D’Alessio, 1b, HS/Florida
Cin, 10th
7th
Matt Maniscalco, ss, Mississippi State
TB, 8th
8th
Chris Durbin, of, Baylor
Bos, 10th
9th
Michael Brown, of, William & Mary
Det, 13th
10th
Myron Leslie, ss, South Florida
Phi, 11th
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