Third Round Draft Grades

Second Round’s Grades can be found here: https://statsplus.net/cba/home/?p=66

Pick 61: RHP Steven Mrazek, New York Roar

Muh-Razek? Razek? Mazek? Who knows how his name is pronounced, but his durable 29 year old frame should serve him well with New York. He isn’t anything special; rather, he’ll get the job done and do nothing more.

Grade: B-

Pick 62: RHP Keith Bush, Dallas Devils

The 32 year old is already showing some signs of decline, but Dallas made sure people knew they wouldn’t shy away from those players once the draft started. He’ll contend for the strikeout crown this year, with six(!) pitches to baffle hitters with. His control does need some work, but when you’re striking out batters, you can get yourself out of jams. The issue with the pick is the obvious decline already showing. We all know that a pitcher’s stuff is the first to go with age, and since Bush relies on his pitches to get out of jams, we can only wonder what his effectiveness down the road will be.

Grade: B

Pick 63: LHP Kirk Willhite, Carolina Aces

The durable 32 year old from Germantown has a four pitch arsenal which he uses effectively… from the pen. His stamina isn’t at the point where you want him to start, and it appears as if Carolina is deciding to use him from a relief role. He walks too many batters, and his stuff isn’t good enough to make up for the walks. On the positive – he is left handed. Consider this a wasted pick.

Grade: D

Pick 64: RF Billy Wetz, Midwest Plainsmen

Midwest was looking for a power bat, and they hope they’ll find it in Wetz. While the 28 year old won’t compete for leaderboards, he will provide a stable bat in the lineup. His defense is just above league average, and his speed isn’t good. At this point in the draft, I’d be looking for a more impactful bat.

Grade: C

Pick 65: 1B Brad Sayers, Oklahoma Mammoths

Sayers is made from the first baseman mold, hitting for power… and not much else. He should slot nicely in the DH, because his defense is not good.

Grade: B+

Pick 66: RF Kevin Shaheen, Mexico City Chupacabras

Shaheen will be able to draw walks and get on base often this year. His pure hitting skills, however, aren’t up to speed with what the 66th pick should be at. He has the potential to hit for big power numbers, but at 25, most don’t think he’ll reach that. His fielding range is subpar, but he’ll gun out runner from right field. His running is spotty, but serviceable. An interesting pick from Mexico City, to be certain.

Grade: B+

Pick 67: LF Winston Ordaz, Iowa Predators

The 23 year old will fit nicely into the outfield of Iowa, with good defensive skills and plenty of speed. His hitting won’t blow your mind at the plate, but he’ll be penciled in every day, either at the top or at the bottom.

Grade: B

Pick 68: 1B Timothee Brandi, Portland Axemen

The gigantic first baseman will be able to hit and hold his own at first base. He’ll definitely be one of the most feared batters heading in to this season, with a blend of pop and contact that will leave pitchers hoping to not face him. His speed is not good, but his baserunning skills should make up for where speed lacks. At 30 years old and fragile, however, one wonders how many seasons he has left at the top.

Grade: B+

Pick 69: RHP Robert Buxton, Philadelphia Liberty

The 29 year old Grand Rapids native will be a force for Philly this year, with an arsenal of five plus pitches and a huge stuff rating. He follows the Keith Bush mold, but will walk more hitters while also giving up more home runs.

Grade: B-

Pick 70: RHP Chris Cote, Salt Lake City Snappers

The first reliever taken off the board, Cote will be one of, if not the best relievers in the league. He blends in his power sinker and curve to strike out hitters at an alarming rate, while not giving up many home runs either. There are no holes in his game. Was it too early to take a closer, though?

Grade: C-

Pick 71: 2B Mike Becklin, Denver Wolves

Becklin will be a nice leadoff hitter for Denver, with high hitting ratings except for power. His speed is a bit slower than what you’d want in a leadoff hitter, but his defense isn’t half bad. At 31 years of age, Becklin will be vying for the OBP crown this year.

Grade: A-

Pick 72: RHP Sergio Cervantes, Carolina Aces

Ladies and Gentlemen, put on your sunglasses and sunblock now, because there’s gonna be some fireworks ahead.

 

I’ll start off by saying that I feel for Carolina. Auto pick wasn’t nice to them.

The Aces really must have said something that made auto hate them.

Cervantes is 42 years old, and is the closer for the RESERVE roster. He obviously was a great starter back in his day – the movement and control is still there. Did I mention, though, that he is currently rated at 35 overall by OSA, and his fastball tops out at 87? No pitch is above a 40. Stuff sits at a lowly 25. Decline is evident. Stamina isn’t quite there to be a starter.

You want to name Luis Guerra as the mistake? I found the better candidate.

Grade: F

Pick 73: RF Chad Lynch, Portland Axemen

Lynch is an interesting pick for Portland. Stop me if you’ve heard this before – he’ll hit home runs… and that’s it. Speed is lackluster, but defense isn’t shabby, but still not good. He’ll need a platoon for left handed pitching. I feel like Lynch was picked because of his age (26) more so than his skills, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Grade: C+

Pick 74: RHP Kamar Alston, Los Angeles Chilis

He’s a 30 year old starter who has pretty good ratings, but has definite red flags. First off, he has two big pitches – the fastball and change – but the curve lacks far behind them. As a hitter, you may as well only think fastball/change, because the curveball is not good. He also lacks in stamina, so he’ll struggle to get deep in to games. On the outside, this looks like a good pick, but the farther you dig the more you’ll see he’s destined for the pen.

Grade: D+

Pick 75: RF Curt Cottrell, Indianapolis Hawks

He’s destined for the batting average crown. 80 contact and 80 avoid k ratings lead him to a high batting average if he can stay healthy. With a fragile rating, we remain to see whether or not Cottrell can stay on the field. His speed and defense aren’t awful, but aren’t good. The 27 year old should provide great benefits to this Indy club as long as he becomes best friends with the trainer.

Grade: A

Pick 76: RHP Ricky Colon, Salt Lake City Snappers

Colon was the first starter picked by SLC, and they picked big. He has four pitches, and has similar ratings to Alston. His stamina will allow him to pitch deep, but don’t be surprised to see him start to decline. He’s almost 32 and is a detriment to the clubhouse. Colon, however, seems like a “Sure Shot” to be a force this year.

Grade: B

Pick 77: LF Josh Johnson, Mexico City Chupacabras

It’s turned in to a race between him and Kyle Baker for the “Most American Name in a Foreign Country” award, but don’t be fooled – he’s not a pitcher. Instead, he’ll play good defense in left field and run well for Mexico City. His hitting is suspect, but he’s 22, so he still has time to work on it. Scouts are saying that he doesn’t improve on hitting much, but his defense should be able to land him a job somewhere.

Grade: B-

Pick 78: RHP Jason Corbin, Sacramento Golden Bears

When you look at the pitchers taken after Corbin, you realize that he wasn’t the best pitcher available at the time. Yes, he’s 29 and throws 101, but his pitches just aren’t good – and that takes a toll on his final line. Sure, the ratings may say one story, but the pitches he throws will say another. He is durable, so he’ll stay on the field for Sacramento, but fans will wonder if he really was worth this high of a pick.

Grade: B

Pick 79: RF Nelson Santana, Florida Giants

He appears to be sort of an average player – no one part of his game jumps out or is bad. He’ll just be there. The bonus taking him is his age – at 21, he has years to contribute in a Florida jersey.

Grade: B+

Pick 80: CF Ramiro Zaragosa, Iowa Predators

Zaragosa is a leadoff hitter with good speed and defense, making him one of the better all-around players taken this round. Near 30 and fragile, though, injuries may cut his production short, but Zaragosa will be a great player for the next few years.

Grade: B

Pick 81: LF Carlos Gonzalez, Atlanta Swarm

Not to be confused with the power hitter, Gonzalez is a leadoff oriented hitter. His durable rating may slow injuries, and combined with his plus speed, make him a stolen base threat. His defense is average, and Atlanta will be relying on him making contact to get on base. While his gap power is great, his contact rating could be higher for a leadoff hitter, but he won’t strike out often. He has a definite drop in production when facing left handed pitching, so Atlanta may want to find another outfielder to put in his spot.

Grade: C+

Pick 82: 3B Luis Trevino, Austin Outlaws

He’ll play above average third base, and will have the pure hitting stats that Austin is looking for this year. He is slow, but his defense won’t suffer because of it. He’ll hit plenty of balls in the gap and out of the park, so Austin should be very happy with this pick. Did I mention he’s only 23 and durable?

Grade: A-

Pick 83: RHP Yoshiji Okuno, Denver Wolves

Following the tradition to draft foreign born pitchers, Okuno, hailing from Japan, will provide an interesting ride for Denver this year. He will strike out plenty of hitter, but his movement and control issues will leave his ERA up much higher than most may think with his stuff. Don’t be surprised, though, if the 31 year old puts up a good season.

Grade: B

Pick 84: 1B Sal Baez, Brooklyn Bulldogs

The 22 year old still has room to grow, but not much. That being said, he will still be a good player for Brooklyn this year. He will hit for a high average and dot in some home runs, and his speed isn’t half bad. His defense ranks among the same with other first basemen in the league, but he won’t become the human roadblock on the bases that you’re used to.

Grade: A-

Pick 85: RHP Paul Piatt, Detroit Motors

He doesn’t do anything well, but he also isn’t poor in anything. He’ll soon be 28 years old, and with a durable rating, Piatt will contribute to Detroit for years.

Grade: B+

Pick 86: LF Carlos Negrete, Arizona Thunderbirds

The 34 year old is a hitter. The only thing that you’ll be really impressed with is his batting eye, which ranks among the top in the league. Everything else isn’t shabby, but isn’t extraordinary either. His defense and speed aren’t good, and Negrete has already started to show decline. We hope Arizona gets a good year out of him.

Grade: B-

Pick 87: RHP Neil Hinz, Great Lakes Monsters

Great Lakes stole Hinz from the rest of the league, when you consider how early pitchers of his caliber went in the draft. Like Piatt, he isn’t great in anything, but is above average in everything. His stuff is there, however, and he’ll be much more successful than Piatt in the short run. Long run for the 32 year old is looking bleak, though, with a decline in stuff having already started.

Grade: C+

Pick 88: LHP Sean Eubank, San Diego Skylarks

Eubank is a huge gamble for a San Diego team looking to build from the bottom up. He’s 24 years old, which makes him a gigantic risk for him to fully develop. His stuff and movement haven’t developed yet, and he only has two pitches which he can rely on. His third pitch, the curve, isn’t at a major league level. He’ll get battered this year in home runs, and he may very well lead the league in home runs. His stuff is good enough for some strikeouts, but don’t expect him to go on a rampage. For this writer, it appears like San Diego has bitten off more than they can chew.

Grade: D-

Pick 89: CF Joe Tuzzio, Los Angeles Chilis

This was a headscratcher for most. Tuzzio isn’t predicted to do much in the CBL, other than be a bench player. His range and speed aren’t good, and his hitting isn’t predicted to get him past the reserves.

Grade: F

Pick 90: 1B Kurt Dominy, Boston Rogers

Definitely feels like a reach here for Boston. He’s 30 years old and, for a first baseman, can’t hit well compared to others taken around here. His defense and speed aren’t good, and while he will hit a bit, he won’t mash and put up big numbers like you’re expecting from a first baseman taken from this position.

Grade: C-

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