[ayaghmour2]

We're about to get the 1936 Draft going, so I wanted to do a sort of mock draft review. The in game one refuses to rank pitchers, so instead of covering the first round, I'll be covering the top 10 hitters and top 6 pitchers to have a little variety in the rankings:

CF Sal Pestilli (Narragansett): Easily the most hyped non-Barrell prospect, it's almost not worth covering Pestilli because he's informally been selected #1 overall by the Dynamos. If we finished 7th, Pestilli would've been informally selected a Cougar, but there seems to be a clear cut top 4 in the draft and Detroit seems to have warmed up to the idea of Pestilli patrolling center in Thompson Field. This kid is a legit five tool player and hit .380/.437/.732 in his three seasons in the middle of the Navigators lineup. The middle brother added 38 doubles, 23 triples, 32 homers, 97 steals, and 171 RBI's in 152 games, equivalent to a full FABL season. He's got 30/30 potential with the chance to challenge 40/40 all while hitting for a batting title and playing an outstanding center field. Rumor has it he could go from the campus to the lineup, potentially forming a dangerous outfield in Detroit with Irv Brady and the recently acquired Leon Drake.

1B Walt Messer (McKinley Tech): He couldn't quite hit .600 three seasons in a row as senior "Wally the Knife" hit .586/.631/1.126 with 13 homers and 49 RBI's for McKinley Tech. That earned him a full ride to go to Collingwood College, but there is little to no chance Messer turns down a chance to go pro. In 363 high school plate appearances Messer slashed .601/.639/1.140 with 38 homers and 139 RBI's. It's obvious that he's loaded with power, but I am very surprised Messer doesn't walk more. For someone who almost always gets a hit, you'd think he'd walk more then just 47 times. Still, my scout thinks the eye will develop and his power potential will turn him into a "human highlight film" which is generally a more apt comparison for defenders then sluggers, but it's hard to oversell Messer's power. I'm a big Henry Cox fan, but even his power pales in comparison to Messer. He's not a great consolation to Sal Pestilli, but if you don't have corner players and select second, you'll be pretty thrilled with Messer.

2B Billy Woytek (Loyola): Here's where things start to get a little murky, as after the clear-cut 1-2 for hitters, it's going to be a free-for-all for the rest of the picks. A California kid born and raised, Woytek went to Loyola in LA and is committed to Golden Gate University. "Blue Collar Billy" hit .504/.599/.874 with 45 doubles, 8 homers, 55 steals, and 75 RBI's in 66 games. He's got a strong hit tool with a quick and loose swing, paired with a strong eye, and potentially developing power. He's an extremely gifted athlete with good speed and he doubled his home run total with four as a senior. With a little more gap power he could turn into a Jack Cleaves type player, but Woytek reminds me a lot of Cleveland's Brooks Meeks. I don't like taking second basemen early in a draft, but I've done it before with Bill Ashbaugh and I may do it again with Woytek.

CF Al Jennings (Gates University): Another option for our pick, Al Jennings was a three year starter for the Griffins, Jennings hit .325/.382/.493 with 37 doubles, 19 triples, 14 homers, 113 steals, and 138 RBI's. Jennings turned 22 in August, and is a projected top five pick due to his defensive ability, hit tool, and extra base hit power. He does walk a bit, totaling 62 compared to just 3 walks each season, but that will never be one of his greatest strengths. Good pitchers will challenge him, but very few will be able to best him. He feels like a "safe" pick and a pick that I would make, but I don't see Jennings ending up a Cougar. With Carlos Montes penciled in as center fielder of the future, it would feel weird adding someone two years older then him. I can see Jennings falling to the middle of the first, with a team like St. Louis or Toronto able to add a really strong piece that contribute pretty early.

CF Tony Richardson (Fall Creek): A high school center fielder with some experience in the infield as well, Tony Richardson was unheard of until this season. He broke out as a senior, slashing .500/.581/.805 with 2 homers, 16 steals, and 28 RBI's in his 21 prep games. Not much to go off of with the 17-year-old, but my scout and OSA alike seem to feel very highly of him. He projects to be an above average defender with good pitch recognition skills and he does an outstanding job consistently making contact with the ball. He's a very risky pick and I can't see him being selected in the top five. There are a lot of interesting pitchers available and we just do not know much about Richardson. He's a high risk, high reward prospect that is well worth the development time.

RF Ed Stoddard (Pullman): Another kid we don't know much about, the Chicago kid Ed Stoddard got just one year in the starting lineup. He hit .516/.596/.768 with 2 homers, 2 steals, and 30 RBI's. Not the most encouraging numbers, especially from a 19-year-old corner player where you want to see a lot more pop. That combined with one year of statistics and a rather uninspiring scouting report make me suspicious that Stoddard is truly the 6th best prospect available. The Chicago kid is stuck in a class deep with outfielders and he didn't quite show off enough to make me thing he's worth a first round selection.

3B Denny Andrews (Maryland State): A switch hitter from Maryland State, Denny Andrews hit .298/.429/.504 with 18 homers and 75 RBI's. That was impressive, but so was the 81-to-22 walk to strikeout ratio that really helped Andrews' OBP. His strong eye makes it hard to fool him and his top of the line power makes him an extremely challenging out. He's no Mack Sutton, but this is back to back seasons with truly game changing talents at third base available. The league as a whole is rather weak at third, and that makes Andrews a really attractive candidate for an early selection. There are also very few alternatives at third, so a team in need of a new specialist for the hot corner may consider trading up for a change to snag him.

RF Mike T Taylor (University Military): I don't think I'm going to want another Mike Taylor in my organization, but Mike T. should be the second player with that name to debut in the FABL. Taylor stole 100 bases in 67 high school games combined with a .519/.563/.859 batting line. Not much power, just 8 homers, and there are a lot of other corner guys with more pop then him and Stoddard. The power may end up developing, my scout predicts above average power, but he's going to need to dedicate a lot of development time to adding muscle. He's 6'1'', but just 160, and honestly profiles a lot more as a center fielder then a right fielder. Interesting enough, he has no positional ratings, so my guess is he's just a bad defender like Doc Love. He's demanding a $17,000 bonus to sign, so perhaps Taylor drops out of the first like Chubby Hall did last year.

RF Fred Vargas (Cass Tech): Another high school outfielder, Fred Vargas was a three year starter at Cass Tech where he hit .442/.557/.779 with 11 homers, 16 steals, and 86 RBI's in 371 trips to the plate. The lefty has excellent plate discipline, but he doesn't make all that much contact. He makes up for it with the pop, 5 homers in 23 games as a senior, but expect low averages with high walks and strikeouts. He's not quite a three true outcomes player, won't strike out that much, but I wish he made more consistent contact. He has the tools to start, but doesn't quite have the upside I look for in a first round pick. The defense is a mystery, so I'm guessing average at best, but with so many corner outfield options, it'll be tough for Vargas to stand out.

LF Bob Edgin (Opelika State): If I had to dub one of the players available the "will always be good, but impossible to trade" player of the class, it would be Bob Edgin. A three year starter for the Wildcats, he hit .296/.387/.450 with 17 homers, 39 steals, and 101 RBI's in 126 games out in left. They are nice numbers, but unfortunately for the Georgia native, there really isn't much demand for corner outfielders who can hit. He's got strong pop, a good eye, and rarely strikes out, but there are 50 other guys just like him hanging out in AAA. He'll rise through the system fast, but will end up stuck behind someone who's just a little bit better then him.

LHP Johnnie Jones (St. Paul): Despite being ranked 15th in the mock draft, I'd wage Billy Hunter that he's selected earlier then that in the actual draft. The 6'4'' southpaw dubbed "The Patron Saint of Groundballs", the towering 18-year-old made 42 starts for his high school and finished 28-5 with a 1.44 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 78 walks, and 400 strikeouts in 349.2 innings pitched. Not sure he's the best pitcher available, but his upside is unmatched. As you might expect, he's elite at keeping the ball on the ground, as his high 80s sinker is outstanding. It's next to impossible to get any sort of contact on it, and if you do, chances are it's going to bounce a few feet from home plate. He's got great command and great movement, and does a nice job supplementing the sinker with his slider, change, and the occasional forkball. As with all high school pitchers, there is tremendous risk, but I expect Jones to be selected by the Stars right after Pestilli and Messer go to the Dynamos and Cannons. I'd be thrilled to end up with Jones, but that seems about as likely as getting Pestilli. If injuries don't hit, he's a surefire ace, and perhaps one of the best pitchers we'll see. Of course, just like with any 18-year-older, you won't see that greatness for a long time.

RHP Bunny Edwards (Red River State): I think I've gone back and forth over who's the "best' pitcher available this year a thousand times, but one of the guys always in the mix was Bunny Edwards. A Christmas baby, he'll turn 21 at the end of the year, but the 20-year-old finished his AIAA career 20-5 with a 2.36 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 77 walks, and 268 strikeouts. Not quite a plug and play starter, the 5'7'' righty finished his Red River State career strong, 7-1 with a 2.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 22 walks, and 95 strikeouts. The command has improved, and like Jones, he does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground. He doesn't feature a dominant sinker, but his mid 80s fastball gets a lot of swings and missed, his change up does an excellent disappearing act, and the curve has excellent bite. As a college pitcher, he's a safer bet, and just ranked two spots lower then Jones in the mock draft. Edwards doesn't quite have ace upside, but his floor is a middle of the rotation arm and with his steady improvement in college, I think Edwards will continue to improve. He's throwing harder now then he did during the season as well, and while I expect him to be a top five pick, it will be really hard for Edwards to last past six.

LHP Jim Morrison (Indiana A&M): I almost feel a personal connection to Jim Morrison, who I correctly deduced would have a bounce back junior year that would propel him up draft boards. Usually that's a good thing, but in this case, it means I'm probably going to end up reaching to take Morrison. A five pitch pitcher, the Sycamores' ace was 8-4 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 47 walks, and 80 strikeouts in 118.2 innings after a slight setback as a sophomore. The 6'2'' Morrison finished his collegiate career 21-12 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 126 walks, and 210 strikeouts across 325 innings pitched. His best pitch is either his knee buckling curve or high 80s fastball, but his arsenal is already FABL quality due to his capable change up. He'll mix in a splitter and forkball as well, and possibly his greatest strength is the movement he gets on each one of his offerings. I think the Woodbury native is a very well developed arm who could rise through the system in a season or two like Pug Bryan, but also like Bryan, sacrifices upside for a higher floor. There's no way he lasts past pick 25, but I'm hoping I don't end up using the 6th pick on him.

RHP Pete Papenfus (West Plains): As a sophomore, "Peter the Heater" broke on to the scene by dominating Missouri prep hitters all season long. The 18-year-old was a perfect 10-0 with a miniscule 0.53 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 19 walks, and 189 strikeouts. Of course, those numbers are impossible to replicate, but in 41 starts for West Plains he was a near perfect 30-1 with a 0.93 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 97 walks, and 524 strikeouts in just 308.1 innings. Yes, an insane 15.3 K/9. And while high K/9's are common in the amateur levels (and some minor leagues as well), you almost never see a value that high. So how does he do it? Well, when you are blessed with a high 90s cutter and fastball, there's really not much you need to do. His stuff is electric, his arsenal polished, but his command can allude him at times. His 1.7 BB/9 in 1934 never stayed below 3 the next two seasons, but I'm really not too concerned by a few walks. He allowed just a single homer each season with an absurd 4.8 H/9 for his career and he tends to only allow soft contact. When you see an nearly 100 mile per hour pitch from an 18-year-old, it's hard to not just stop and dream about what he could be. The ultimate combination of high risk, high reward, he seems like someone who could develop injury problems, although that's the only thing stopping him from being an outstanding strikeout arm.

LHP Wally Doyle (Waco): Another excellent high school arm with the tools to lead a rotation, Wally Doyle was extremely consistent in his three high school seasons. He kept his ERA between 0.98 and 1.15, his strikeouts between 155 and 187, innings between 103 and 118, and WHIP between 0.82 and 0.87. Like the four pitchers prior to him, he's probably better then most of the guys expected to be selected before him as I'd also wager Hunter that Doyle is selected before the 45th pick. He doesn't throw all that hard, sitting comfortably in the mid 80s with his cut fastball, but he's also a groundball specialist. He has great raw stuff that needs some work on, but the tools for success are there. I like his command and movement, but he's a long term development project with tantalizing upside. My scout is really big on him, ranking him the second best pitcher available, but unlike last season, my scout is actually very similar to what OSA likes. Last year he had guys like Doc Smith and Ralph Kendall very high, but the only guy in his top 5 (for pitcher's) not in the mock's top five was Whitney College's Hank Beckman. I feel a pitching run in Chicago coming, so a "win" for this draft is two of the top six arms in the first 20 or so picks of the draft.