[Griever20]

2021 First-Year Player Draft

Looking back at the last two drafts, Matt Allen looks like a loss and so far, Patrick Bailey, the catcher we drafted in the first round, is batting .259/.312/.368 with 3HR and 18RBIs in AA, barely holding on to his top 100 prospect status, and Logan has him slashed down to a 4* potential. We moved down to #21 in the draft order thanks to our success... and our shortlist for the first round pick is shorter than that...

LHSP Jorge Arredondo(19, 3.5*)
RHSP Doug Collier(17, 3.5*)

RHRP Jimmy Eskew(21, 4.5*)
RHRP Mike Franklin(20, 4*)

C Joe Mack(18, 4*)
C Ian Moller(18, 3.5*)

1B Blaze Jordan(18, 5*)

SS Dorian Gonzalez(18, 3.5*)
SS Robert Moore(19, 3.5*)
SS Hueston Morrill(20, 3.5*)

CF Roc Riggio(18, 3.5*)
RF Steve Rose(18, 3.5*)

And with the first pick, Oakland selects a pitcher we discarded due to his underdeveloped changeup, 21-year old right-hander Josh Rosales, and Baltimore got the big first baseman in Jordan.

By the time we had our first pick, the list was down to two, and as we already had picked a catcher last year...(Moller in that case was Logan's wish...)

Round 1 Pick 21: Texas Rangers select RHRP Mike Franklin(20, 4* HS, 5* OSA) out of Michigan College(Ann Arbor, MI)
96-98mph with a big slider, his movement potential is a bit iffy, but he still is expected to have a neutral GB/GB tendency, and good control for a reliever, AND he is regarded as a clubhouse leader. Was 7-1 with a 2.51ERA against great competition, striking out 12.9 per nine. Wants 700k, a lot under slot money...

In round two, our big shortlist was empty, and Logan wanted a right fielder that the OSA didn't like and whose defense I did not like(we picked that guy in round three...)

Round 3 Pick 26: Texas Rangers select RHSP Eric Cannon(18, 3* HS, 3* OSA) out of Countryside Christian High School(Gainsville, FL)
We may have wasted a pick here. Cannon is throwing 96-98 with good control and an assortment of four pitches, including a rare splitter. He was 11-0 1.04 with 14.7K/9, but here is the problem... He wants to go to college... so we will drop a $3.5M offer on his head...

Round 3 Pick 21: Texas Rangers select RF Jon Graves(19, 3.5* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Arcanum High School(OH)
Left-handed hitter with good power potential, decent range and arm in the outfield, but sometimes seems to be struggling easy flyballs... And he is greedy A.F. The OSA does not like him, but we trust our head scout here... Wants the slot, $270k.

Round 4 Pick 23: Texas Rangers select 3B Caleb DiFranco(18, 2.5* HS, 1* OSA) out of Valley View High School(Jonesboro, AR)
We were already scraping the bottom of the barrel, and this guy at least had a stand out arm and projects as a .260 hitter with .350OBP and some doubles. He hit for a 1.204OPS against average competition, and at least is young.

Round 5 Pick 23: Texas Rangers select SS Josh Coble(18, 1.5* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of North Tama High School(Traer, IA)
I asked the room: name me the guy with the highest contact potential left, and they named this kid. Probably more of a second baseman, and not enough speed to steal a base, he still hit .479 against average competition and has a blue chip personality.

Round 6 Pick 23: Texas Rangers select CF Wilberson Cieslinski(17, 2.5* HS, 0.5* OSA) out of Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School(Norristown, PA)
Area scout guy. Cole Brannen type of hitting, but less defense and speed, he projects as a good backup outfielder or serviceable left-fielder... serviceable is the little brother of ****, as we say in Germany.

Round 7 Pick 23: Texas Rangers select RHSP Humberto Luna(18, 2* HS, 2* OSA) out of International High School(San Francisco, CA)
I actually did send an independent scout to check on that kid. 92-94 with a cutter, a curve, a slider, and a changeup, his movement looks good and his control looks decent. Only 5'11' which costs him a couple of rounds. Was 10-1 with a 1.36ERA and 13.8K/9.

Round 8 Pick 23: Texas Rangers select 1B Ben Hollander(18, 2* HS, 1.5* OSA) out of Abbeville Christian Academy High School(Abbeville, AL)
Kinda Braedon Mooris like pick. Good power potential, decent bat, but a sucker in the field. A right-handed hitter, bat .433 with a 1.347OPS in 21 games... From here on, we take a flyer on 17-19-year-olds anyways.

Loads of high school kids... we are playing the long game here...