HANG IN THERE – 2021 AMATEUR DRAFT LATE BLOOMERS

by C.C. McCandless

The inaugural 2021 CBA Amateur Draft seems like eons ago, both in real life and in-game time. The top of that draft produced some players that became household names in the CBA: DANNY CREWS, TYLER SHINKLE, and CAMERON BRASTED, just to name a few (each with career WARs over 20). But some lesser-known draftees have hung around and are finally beginning to pay dividends for their patient owners…even if they aren’t blue chippers or All-Stars just yet. To that end, here are a few 2021 picks that finally got their shot in 2027.

(Note: this list is far from comprehensive. It just highlights half a dozen guys that have spent their entire career in the minors with one franchise, and who never bore the weight of heavy expectations. They all debuted in the majors with positive WAR in 2027.)

CHANDLER BENSON, Portland Axemen: The now 26 year old righty was probably nothing more than an afterthought when he went to Portland in the 7th round. After a slow, consistent minor league career with over 200 starts, Benson made his major league debut with 16 appearances in the Silver League this year, holding his own and providing positive WAR. This guy is a perfect example of how any pick, of any pedigree, can eventually make a difference.

AUSTIN SULLIVAN of the Salt Lake Snappers is a similar case. Taken in the mid-2nd round as a 20 year old, Sullivan came blazing out of the gates, posting a sub-1.00 ERA over his first year at the YA level. But his climb up the ladder was a slow one, as he filled a variety of roles before finding a full-time gig in the Snappers Reserves bullpen. After 37 impressive games there in 2027 (2.32 FIP, 3:1 K:BB ratio), Sullivan finally got the call for a five game cup of coffee in the bigs.

Catcher JAYDEN BROWN, a 2nd round choice of the Denver Wolves, has never showed consistent minor league promise. But the parent club’s carousel of frustration behind the dish led to Brown getting a Premiere League shot in 2027. He took advantage of it, hitting .315 over a six week trial at season’s end.

RF JEFF PAYNE was a smaller piece in the part of The Process blueprint for the youth-oriented Bay Area Pandas. A 4th round selection, Payne bulked up and found his power stroke at the Dev-A level, where he spent four seasons. The Pandas’ patience paid off when Payne made his major league debut this spring. Still just 24, Payne had a two-homer game in September and an OPS over 1.000 in his 28 major league PAs. It will be interesting to see if his role expands in the PL in 2028.

Iowa Predator ALEJANDRO RODRIGUEZ has been a solid pitching prospect since he went off the board as a 22 year old in the 3rd round in ‘21. By 2022 he was a workhorse in the Dev-A bullpen, going 15-6 with an ERA under 3.00 while tossing over 100 innings. His climb stagnated, but his skills did not, as he bounced from A to B to Reserves from 2023-2027. Finally given his shot, the 6’1” righty with the 99 MPH heater made 14 appearances out of the major league pen, where he struck out more than one hitter per inning while logging a minuscule 1.25 ERA.

C.C. McCandless

General manager of the Denver Wolves of the Championship Baseball Association.

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