[Westheim]

2026 DRAFT POOL ANALYSIS

I am in love with a black kid from Massachusetts that I will never be able to touch and - … and let me start again.

I am in love with this 22-year-old black right-hander from Massachusetts that is never going to fall to our #16 pick, which makes me so sad. Brandon Nickerson has a great selection of pitches and an infectious smile. Could be the poster boy for Maud and her social media awareness brand things. To be honest, most of the time I have no idea what she's doing.

We have compiled our annual shortlist of 87 players that will be in the draft pool come June, all of which have some nice qualities or other. Yes, that means there are hundreds upon hundreds of kids with no nice qualities, and I blame their stupid game phone… their… (waves helplessly) whatever they're doing with their fingers on their ****ty phones! Oh! Oh – AND computer games! See, this shortlist (and the accompanying hotlist, which looks more like a young hurlers' directory) contains way more pitchers than hitters. Nobody seems to be able to coordinate hands and eyes anymore. All they can do is this … this … (waves helplessly again) MAUD WHERE ARE YOU I NEED HELP WITH WORDS!!!

(frowns) All the boys do these days is playing their stupid games. Nobody can hit a baseball anymore unless their mommy has placed it on a stick for them. They can still *pitch* though – probably a factor of throwing their gamethings at the wall when they don't let them win. Their… (more arm waving) … their thumb… dawdling… MAUD!!

PORTLAND RACCOONS HOTLIST (*indicates HS player)

SP Brandon Nickerson (12/14/9) – BNN #4
SP Justin Osterloh (12/13/13) – BNN #1
SP Sean Fowler (12/13/12)
SP Steve Younts (13/12/12)
SP Dale Mazie (12/13/10) – BNN #8
SP Jamie O'Leary (11/13/13)

SP* Chris Henry (13/12/13) *
SP* Nate Burleigh (11/16/13) *

CL Andy Hyden (19/14/7)

INF/CF Jose Cruz (14/7/13) * - BNN #9

RF/LF Mike Plunkett (9/12/13)
OF Billy Jennings (9/10/12)

Why the asterisks? Well, these two are listed as starting pitchers, but Carrasco has raised red flags. For example, Henry from Troy, Ohio; everybody raves about the 91mph heater that is sure going to gain and that swooping curveball. Nobody has ever said much about what other pitches he plans to throw to big league sluggers. Probably because kiddo ain't got a clue.

And yes, those three are the only mildly exciting batters we can think of. Probably safe to say that our first-rounder is going to be a pitcher this year, because you can't hump yourself beautiful on these batters in the pool. Seriously, they make *Daniel Bullock* look like an All Star. – No, Cristiano, he's never been an All Star. – Not in *my* heart!