Friday, June 06, 2008

St. Louis Draft Action - Day 1

Day one of the MLB Draft is complete and here's who my beloved St. Louis Cardinals selected in the first six rounds.
13. Brett Wallace, 3B, Arizona State University (JR)
Drawing rave reviews for his work in the box, he's one of the best hitters in college and perhaps in the entire Draft class. His unbelievable plate discipline will undoubtedly be attractive to some teams, though it's unlikely he'll play anything but first as a pro. He could be the kind of Major Leaguer who hits .300 with 25 homers and a high OBP annually.
39. Michael Lynn, RHP, University of Mississippi (JR)
Lacking great pure stuff, Lynn is a level behind the elite college arms in this Draft class. But he makes the most out of his average offerings with excellent command, a knowledge of how to pitch and a real competitive streak on the mound. He's done a good job of maintaining his weight this year and will have to continue to do so as a pro. He won't wow you, but he's the type who could be a solid innings-eater who presumably won't take long to be big-league ready.
59. Shane Peterson, OF, Cal State - Long Beach (JR)
A fairly good athlete, Peterson has shown the ability to hit for average in college, but it's unclear whether his approach will work at the pro level. There have been glimpses of power in BP, but not in games, lending some to wonder if he's got enough pop to play first or a corner outfield spot as a pro. Defensively, he's fine at either position with enough arm for right. How much power people think he'll develop later on could determine how quickly he gets taken.
91. Ernest Vasquez, SS, Durango HS (NV)
Vasquez played in his first game of the season at the end of March because he was academically ineligible. When he's on the field, he shows a bat that could translate into a .270 hitter with 20-25 home run pop down the line. He has well below-average speed, which turns some off when considering him as a shortstop, but he's got the arm and the actions to stay there for now. If he fills out, he could handle a move to third, both with the glove and what's expected from that position offensively, in the future.
125. Scott Gorgen, RHP, UC Irvine (JR)
Gorgen's combination of stuff, command and makeup in a different package would be flying up Draft charts everywhere. But as a stocky "undersized righty," he'll have to fight an uphill battle to get the recognition he probably deserves. There are always teams who look outside that certain box, and his ability to throw three pitches -- fastball, curve, changeup -- for strikes to go along with a terrific work ethic should entice one of them to take him.
155. Jermaine Curtis, 3B, UCLA (JR)
After an All-Star campaign in the Cape League last summer, there were some high expectations for Curtis. He hasn't lived up to them, struggling at the plate to hit the ball with the same authority he has in the past. He doesn't have the arm to stay at third and would profile better at second at the next level. He'll have to get out of his funk in order to go as highly as anticipated when the season began.
185. Eric Fornataro, RHP, Miami Dade CC South

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