The 2107 rookie draft.

[Coop]

My team is in the IBL, so normally I only scout the IBL draft prospects, but this year a trade has netted me a pick in the ABL draft (the 39th overall pick), so I've scouted both draft pools.  With the draft fast approaching, I've decided to share a few observations about the 2107 draft class, just for fun.

This year's IBL draft class is quite a bit stronger than the ABL draft class.  The IBL draft class includes six pitchers with 5-star potential, and six hitters with 5-star potential; the ABL draft class has ZERO 5-star pitchers, and only five hitters with 5-star potential.  The IBL pool is also a bit deeper; there are 31 players in the IBL pool with ratings of 4 stars or higher, whereas there are only 28 such players in the ABL pool.  (But you ABL guys need not look for any sympathy; your league has the reigning WBA champion, and three of its teams won 100+ games this past year, something that no IBL team accomplished.  So we NEED to have more talent coming into our league.)

In my opinion, the two best players in the ABL draft both happen to be catchers:  Juan Baca and Teodosio Mascarenhas.  The other three guys with 5-star potential all happen to be outfielders.  The pitcher I like best is Ricardo Jiminez, and I need pitching, so if you ABL guys would be so kind as to let him slide to the #39 slot, I'd appreciate it.

The IBL draft is loaded with pitchers --- six 5-star guys and 11 guys in the 4.0 to 4.5 star range (including relievers).  The IBL pool is also loaded when it comes to first basemen; there are three first-sackers with 5-star potential (Erik Schiff, Bei Zhang and Afzul Isfahani), all of whom look like tremendous hitters.  Lastly, there's a catcher who's going to be a fantastic hitter --- Saud Naji.  Some IBL GMs are going to be very happy on Draft Day.

For that matter, I think Draft Day is ALWAYS a good time.  Nobody loses on Draft Day; everybody gets to choose some good young players, and they don't cost anything (yet).  So the draft makes everyone happy, and it's something I look forward to every season.

[Huckleberry]

The pitcher I like best is Ricardo Jiminez, and I need pitching, so if you ABL guys would be so kind as to let him slide to the #39 slot, I'd appreciate it.

No problem. I will promise not to draft him before pick 39 in exchange for $41,338,975. 

[Huckleberry]

There are already rumblings that the Santo Domingo fans are going to push the club to draft Javier Vázquez in the first round. They love their Dominicans and given that the Palmchats have the 10th pick the superstars will likely all be gone by the time the pick rolls around.

[Coop]

Yeah, if you want to keep the hometown fans happy, that's the guy.  He's the only Dominican I've got rated in the top 20.  Not that my ratings should be taken as gospel.  My starting shortstop is a 1-star guy that I drafted in the second round a few years ago.  I can really pick 'em, huh?