[ayaghmour2]

1st Round, 14th Overall: RF Elmer Hoffman
School: Wagoner Bulldogs
1951: .443/.500/1.000, 124 PA, 14 2B, 15 HR, 43 RBI
Career: .461/.523/.945, 363 PA, 44 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 43 RBI

With the 14th pick in the draft, most of the guys I really, really wanted were already gone, and I debated here between making the smart or sexy pick. The smart pick was Dixie Marsh's #4 player in the pool, even if he has serious makeup concerns, while the sexy pick was a young and fun shortstop who can hit homers.

Believe it or not, I went with the safe, or at least safer, pick, Elmer "Fudd" Hoffman is a towering 6'5'' lefty who can hit the ball a mile. I even just re-scouted, and Dixie agrees with OSA, calling him an elite right fielder. We could really use one of those right now, but at 17 he's a long way away from playing a FABL game. That's actually a good thing, as this dingbat thinks he's already the best best hitter in the world who's absolutely flawless at doing everything despite the fact that there are guys like Jimmy Hairston and Charlie Everitt who could out-hit him in any sort of contest.

That being said, neither compares to Hoffman in terms of upside, and there's an outside chance of him becoming our top prospect. Allen and Smith will have graduated by time he's officially drafted, and many around the lead had great things to say about what our would be second Elmer if he makes his way to Chicago. Set to be a four year starter for the Wagoner Bulldogs, he's hit 34 home runs in his minor league career, and I think he'll surpass his personal high of 15 as a junior last season. There's a ton of talented hitters, but Hoffman may actually have the best power, with the only comparable guy I see Eddie Black. As a lefty, Elmer has the advantage, and I think it's fair to say he has the most power from the left side. I think that will be the case in the organization too, as we don't really have any big power bats. Sure there's Red Bond, but that's more consistent power the highlight real power. 40 homers may be pushing it, but as a flyball hitter he'll love the left and right field walls that can be easy to clear. His hit tool could use some work, but I care more about the eye, which projects to be at least average. The power is key to his big league success, and if you look at Otto Christian, it takes more then power to make it in the big leagues.

One of the reasons why I don't like keeping negative influences around is because of guys like this. He needs a quality coaching staff and clubhouse to ease him into the grind of a minor league schedule, as his work ethic is poor and he doesn't feel the need to make strides towards improvement. The one thing in our favor is that he's smart, so if he stops hitting like the best player in the world he might actually try to put in the bare minimum. That's why guys like Ed Watson and Warren ross can be so helpful, as they really help keep guys in line. I will spend plenty of time attempting to cultivate a positive atmosphere around him. He seems like an early candidate for the dev lab next year, as we'll want to up that power right away. I can't wait to see his prep stats during the season, as he could be among the high school leaders in home runs. I almost never take corner bats who are bat first prospects in the first round, but it's hard to pass up on a guy who probably lasted all the way until the last pick between lottery teams.