<table class="data" style="background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); color: rgb(27, 27, 27); font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" width="968px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted SP
Mike Champagne in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 32, 32nd overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted SP
Kevin Lovetere in the 2027 first-year player draft (Supplemental Round 1, Pick 6, 38th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted RP
Mike Brown in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 31, 69th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted SP
Gil Wayne in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 25, 96th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted RF
Rogelio Cuellar in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 29, 125th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted SP
Juan Flores in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 29, 154th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted 3B
Isaiah Diamond in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 6, Pick 30, 184th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted SP
Ben Hummel in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 7, Pick 30, 214th overall pick).</td></tr><tr><td class="dl wrap" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(27, 27, 27); vertical-align: top; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(247, 243, 222); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(235, 233, 233); padding: 1px 4px 2px; white-space: normal;">Drafted RF
Manny Leana in the 2027 first-year player draft (Round 8, Pick 30, 244th overall pick).</td></tr></tbody></table>
As you can see we went pitching-heavy this year. Some quick thoughts on the top draftees:
Mike Champagne: Great name of course, almost worth the pick on its own. I'll be happy if my scouting director's (Rob Metzler) assessment comes through and finds him as a mid-rotation starter but OSA likes him even better, calling Champagne "a golden arm" and that "he should be a top of the rotation pitcher". He's a college guy from Kansas State.
Kevin Lovetere: A high-school lefty projected to have really good movement and command to go with decent stuff, he's a "pitcher" rather than a thrower and Metzler says he should "end up near the top of any MLB rotation" and OSA says "front of the rotation potential".
Mike Brown: The top pure college reliever in the draft out of Texas, projected to have 80 stuff and tabbed by Metzler and OSA as a future closer.
Gil Wayne: A high-school righty with a wicked curveball (75/80 potential depending on who you ask), Metzler sees him as a future #3 starter while OSA says #2 starter.
Rogelio Cuellar: The first hitter we took, he has potential 70 gap power & HR power, he's a 19-year old RF out of JuCo. As always with these types, contact will be the issue.
Juan Flores: Back to the mound we went with this LSU commit out of a GA high school. He's more of a control, groundball artist who could fit at the back end of a rotation (hey, we're late in the 5th round now)
Isaiah Diamond: High school 3B from Georgia whom both Metzler and OSA project as a future regular, good hit and power tools.
Ben Hummel: HS lefty out of Iowa. Has potential 60/65 stuff with a potential 80 changeup. Not the hardest thrower but a decent shot at a 4 or a 5 rotation spot.
Manny Leana. Another Iowa HSer, he's a RF with 70-80 power potential depending on who you ask, very toolsy but raw of course. Metzler uses the famous "penciled in for a lion's share of the starts at his position" line in his report. Could be a steal in the 8th round, more likely not.