Tifton Generals
Draft Recap and Organization Rundown
2015: SP
Ahmad Reese. The #3 overall pick, and first pitcher selected in the '15 draft. There were questions about Reese's ability to pitch deep into games, and indeed, for a time it looked as if the Generals were converting him to a reliever, but after 26 games in the pen in 2017, the 24-year old Reese made 23 starts and went 6-10, 4.95 as a starter. He's still got a bit of work to do on his control and he's still perfecting an out pitch, but he projects as a front-line starter going forward.
3rd round pick
Derion Trask might turn out to be a useful middle reliever, but he has to be wondering what else he can do to get a call up from the low-end Class C city league. He went for a 1.88 ERA in 38 IP last season.
2016: 1B
Steven Underwood. One cocky SOB, and he's got a right to be: all he did in 2016 was hit .389/.475/.681 in 185 AB. He hasn't been quite that good since, but a .959 and .944 OPS in his next two seasons is nothing to sneeze at. The consensus top pick in the 2016 draft, he has hardly disappointed.
3rd round pick
Charles Dye took over as the starting backstop midway through 2017, but he hasn't hit well and his defense isn't likely to carry him too far. He's only 21, so he could improve, but he'll have to start hitting better or he'll be a prime candidate for a replacement.
2017: 1B
Ralph Duell. Hard to say what the Generals had in mind, drafting Duell when they had one of the top first basemen in the league already. Of course, they dealt him almost immediately to the Lorris Greens for 34-year old right fielder Justin Hunter, who OPSed .650 for the Generals. This was one whole sordid story the Generals probably wish they could erase entirely.
Two other picks in that draft, SP
Maurice Cox and CF
Connor Spears have seen time in the Bay League, and Cox could spend some time at the back of the Generals rotation next season. Spears is nothing special, a decent defensive outfielder with some speed but no smarts on the basepaths. Still, getting anything out of a 3rd round pick is a bonus.
2018: SP
Darius McKie. Now this is one talented right-hander. Here's a kid who allowed opponents to hit a miniscule .150 splitting time between Class B and Class C. At age 23, you might think he's too advanced for the league, and you might be right. A lot of Generals fans expected to see him called up to Class A Haystack, but Tifton's keeping him in the city leagues for now. Overall, McKie went 9-3, 0.62 (0.67 WHIP, 91 K, 130 IP) at Class C, 5-5, 1.61 (0.84 WHIP, 48 K, 98.1 IP) and Class B.
Top Prospects:
1. SP
Darius McKie: Discussed above. 9th overall prospect.
2. SP
Mike Hughes: A soft-tossing lefty, Hughes is deceptive and careful, but relies on excellent control to keep him in games. 2nd round pick in the '18 draft, went 9-12, 1.88 (0.89 WHIP, 58 K in 219.2 IP) at Class C. 18 years old. 15th overall prospect.
3. SP
Cleveland Kelly: The 22 year old pitched well in Class C, 9-7, 1.21 (0.81 WHIP, 73 K in 185.2 IP). He's a jack of all trades but master of none, but he throws hard and a lefty with a 95-mph fastball's a reasonable commodity. 25th overall prospect.
4. SP
Maurice Cox: Discussed above. 29th overall prospect.
5. C
Charles Dye: Discussed above. 44th overall prospect.