It's Raining in Seattle (A Dual M's and Rainiers Franchise) MLB13 The Show

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KEY PLAYERS

(STATS ARE THROUGH JUNE 4TH, LEAGUE LEADERS STAT IS BOLD)


MLB




M. Trout (LAA)- .376 19 HR 46 RBI 13 SB 51 Runs
S. Perez (KC)-.368 8 HR 27 RBI
L. Berkman (TEX)-.350 9 HR 31 RBI
B. Butler (KC)-.349 19 HR 49 RBI 44 Runs
P. Fielder (DET)-.344 16 HR 51 RBI 42 Runs
M. Cabrera (TOR)-.339 4 HR 27 RBI 8 SB
A. Dirks (DET)- .333 7 HR 39 RBI
J. Reyes (TOR)- .332 8 HR 34 RBI 32 SB 47 Runs
M. Napoli (BOS)-.330 21 HR 47 RBI 45 Runs
J. Carroll (MIN)- .330 2 HR 28 RBI 7 SB 42 Runs
J. Morneau (MIN)-.324 8 HR 43 RBI
E. Encarnacion (TOR)-.318 10 HR 43 RBI
M. Morse (SEA)-.317 13 HR 38 RBI 27 Runs
J. Hamilton (LAA)- .314 14 HR 40 RBI 31 Runs
M. Cabrera (DET)- .297 15 HR 56 RBI 42 Runs
A. Gordon (KC)- .295 11 HR 49 RBI 36 Runs
D. Ortiz (BOS)- .292 14 HR 39 RBI 38 Runs
R. Cano (NYY)- .269 16 HR 45 RBI 33 Runs
M Bourne (CLV)- .242 2 HR 26 RBI 22 SB 27 Runs
C. Crisp (OAK)- .238 4 HR 20 RBI 28 SB 24 Runs

SP M. Moore (TB) 8-2 3.46 ERA 78 K's
SP CJ Wilson (LAA) 8-2 2.06 ERA 79 K's
SP J. Verlander (DET) 8-2 2.01 ERA 89 K's
SP J. Shields (KC) 7-3 2.51 ERA 66 K's
SP B. Morrow (TOR) 7-2 3.64 ERA 76 K's
SP V. Worley (MIN) 7-3 3.38 ERA 66 K's
SP F. Hernandez (SEA) 7-2 2.70 ERA 76 K's
SP J. Saunders (SEA) 6-3 2.53 ERA 36 K's
SP M. Gonzalez (BAL) 6-3 2.77 ERA 49 K's
SP D. Fister (DET) 5-2 2.77 ERA 47 K's
SP Y. Darvish (TEX) 5-4 5.18 ERA 86 K's
SP CC Sabathia (NYY) 5-4 3.95 ERA 71 K's
SP A. Sanchez (DET) 5-1 3.63 ERA 69 K's
SP D. Price (TB) 4-2 2.09 ERA 69 K's
CP J. Hanrahan (BOS) 1.47 ERA 18 Saves
CP G. Perkins (MIN) 1.50 ERA 17 Saves
CP J. Valverde (DET) 2.41 ERA 16 Saves
CP C. Jansen (TOR) 2.00 ERA 16 Saves
CP T. Wilhelmsen (SEA) 3.00 ERA 16 Saves

At this point M. Trout is looking to win a Triple Crown after winning ROY last year, leading the race for MVP and Batting Crown, 2 HR behind Napoli for the lead and 9 RBI behind Cabera for RBI.

Verlander looks like he is going for his 2nd CY in 3 years, tied for the league lead in W's, leading in ERA and K's, but CJ Wilson is givig him a battle and don't count out Matt Moore or even King Felix.

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I have to go to work, but will finish posting NL Stats probably at Lunch.

As always all comments, questions or overall feedback is appreciated and loved. If you would like to see something or know something I forgot to post, let me know and I will get it added.

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KEY PLAYERS


(STATS ARE THROUGH JUNE 4TH, LEAGUE LEADERS STAT IS BOLD)


MLB

W. Venable (SD)- .357 5 HR 32 RBI 9 SB
A. Ramirez (MIL)- .350 10 HR 34 RBI
H. Pence (SF)- .346 7 HR 38 RBI 9 SB
Y. Molina (STL)- .340 11 HR 34 RBI
J. Hairston JR (LAD)- .335 4 HR 29 RBI
J. Votto (CIN)- .333 15 HR 35 RBI 35 Runs
C. Johnson (ATL) .327 11 HR 37 RBI
R. Braun (MIL) .327 19 HR 56 RBI 41 Runs
J.. Ruggiano (MIA) .323 5 HR 24 RBI
I. Desmond (WA) .317 7 HR 30 RBI 11 SB
G. Stanton (MIA) .316 14 HR 32 RBI 30 Runs
B. Posey (SF) .305 11 HR 43 RBI 34 Runs
J. Rollins (PHI) .302 13 HR 40 RBI 12 SB 32 Runs
A. Gonzalez (LAD) .294 11 HR 41 RBI 33 Runs
A. Rizzo (CHI) .294 10 HR 39 RBI
J. Bruce (CIN) .279 16 HR 43 RBI 31 Runs
T. Snider (PIT) .271 11 HR 40 RBI
E. Cabrera (SD) .253 2 HR 15 RBI 36 SB 38 Runs
S. Castro (CHI) .235 3 HR 21 RBI 14 SB 31 Runs

SP S. Strasburg (WA) 9-3 2.42 ERA 92 K's
SP B. Beachy (ATL) 7-2 195 ERA 73 K's
SP J. Zimmerman 7-2 2.54 ERA 38 K's
SP I. Kennedy (ARZ) 7-3 2.42 ERA 73 K's
SP H. Bailey (CIN) 6-4 3.99 ERA 53 K's
SP J Samardzija (CHI) 6-3 3.13 ERA 66 K's
SP T. Lilly (LAD) 6-0 1.62 ERA 56 K's
SP C. Hamels (PHI) 6-1 2.25 ERA 76 K's
SP F. Liriano (PIT) 6-3 4.02 ERA 84 K's
SP R. Halladay (PHI) 5-3 1.44 ERA 82 K's
SP D. Hudson (AZ) 5-1 2.38 ERA 48 K's
SP B. Beavan (SF) 5-2 2.40 ERA 21 K's
SP W. Rodriguez (PIT) 4-5 2.23 ERA 71 K's.
SP C. Kershaw (LAD) 4-4 2.71 ERA 79 K's

CP A. Chapman (CIN) 3.38 ERA 19 Saves
CP J.Motte (STL) 3.26 ERA 19 Saves
CP JJ Putz (ARZ) 2.13 ERA 18 Saves
CP J. Axford (MIL) 5.95 ERA 18 Saves

Halladay currently leads the league in ERA, Whip (0.80) Innings pitched (87.1), 4 Complete gams (2 shutouts) and is 3rd in K's. At this point it is going to be either him or Strasburg for the CY, I would think, but don't count out dark horse Ted Tilly or B. Beachy whom I don't think anyone considered a CY candidate before this season.

At the Plate, Ryan Braun (steroids and all) is making a run for the Triple Crown, leading the race for MVP with a league leading HR and RBI. I can't imagine, Venable or Ramirez keeping up their BA for the entire season.

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Recent Transactions

RHP E. Ramirez came of the DL and after 2 starts at Triple A Everett and a start at AA Jackson bypassed Tacoma and was called up to Seattle to take the 5th spot in the rotation with A. Harang DNA. (0-2 11.72 ERA in 2 starts)

LHP L. Luetge came off the DL and will report to AA Jackson, RHP J. Arias was demoted to Single A High Desert.

DL Report

AAA 3B S. Romero-Broken Hand (1-2 months)
AAA SP J. Bonderman-Torn Finger Ligament (1-2 months)
AAA OF E. Thames-Broken Forearm (1-2 months)
MLB SS B. Ryan-Fractured Forearm (1-2 months)
MLB OF M. Saunders-Shouler Seperation (1-2 months)

STATS AS OF JUNE 4TH

SEATTLE MARINERS (28-30) .5 GB

ROTATION
RHP Felix Hernandez (7-2 2.70 ERA, 76 K's 0.97 WHIP)
RHP H. Iwakuma (1-7 7.05 ERA 36 K's)
LHP J. Saunders (6-3 2.53 ERA 36 K's)
RHP B. Maurer (2-5 4.36 ERA 35 K's)
RHP E. Ramirez (1-0 3.86 ERA 8 K's)


BULLPEN
LHP C. Furbush (1-2 3.86 ERA 4 HLD 28 IP)
RHP S. Pryor (2-0 3.97 ERA 4 HLD 22.2 IP)
RHP D. Farquhar (0-3 3.62 ERA 2 BSV 27.1 IP)
RHP J. Kinney (1-1 2.70 ERA 10 IP)
LHP J. Affeldt (3-0 1.50 ERA 4 HLD 30 IP LHH Avg 0.77)
RHP C. Capps (1-2 2.75 ERA 2 BSV 8 HLD 19.2 IP)
RHP T. Wilhelmsen (0-1 3.00 ERA 16/16 Saves

STARTING LINEUP
C J. Montero (.277 6 HR 22 RBI)
1B J. Smoak (.253 5 HR 27 RBI)
2B D. Ackley (.297 11 HR 31 RBI 8 SB)
SS C. Triunfel (.200 1 HR 2 RBI in 50 AB's)
3B K. Seager (.297 12 HR 27 RBI 7 SB)
LF R. Ibanez vs RHP (.231 5 HR 21 RBI)
LF J. Bay vs LHP (.239 2 HR 5 RBI)
CF C. Patterson (.235 1 HR 3 RBI in 34 AB's)
RF M. Morse (.317 13 HR 38 RBI)
DH K. Morales (.361 7 HR 21 RBI)

** CF M. Saunders (.320 2 HR 9 RBI on the DL**
** SS B. Ryan (.169 2 RBI in 83 AB's) on the DL**


BENCH
OF D. Almonte (.294 2 HR 4 RBI in 34 AB's)
SS Y. Betancourt (.226 5 RBI in 84 AB's)
C K. Shoppach (.169 in 59 AB's)

Obviously we need some help. Only .5 game out of first place with stats like this means we are winning a lot of 1 run games Our bench is horrid. Triunfel and Betancourt don't belong on a MLB roster, but then again it's not like B. Ryan hits either. Shoppach is just embarrassing as our backup C. At this point it looks like Sucre should be promoted to be the backup. D. Almonte is going to push Patterson for the starting job in CF. In the same # of AB's he is already doing better.

As far as pitching goes, Affeldt is dominating LHH, but his move from the NL to the AL has doubled his ERA. Ramirez pitched great in his first MLB start picking up the "W" and should help the rotation with Iwakuma and Maurer struggling. At this point it looks like Iwakuma really needs to take a trip to Tacoma to clear his head. It would be nice to figure things out so I don't have to keep carrying 13 pitchers on the 25 man roster.

TACOMA RAINIERS (34-26) 1ST PLACE 1.5 G Lead

ROTATION
LHP D. Hutlzen (6-3 3.13 70 K's 12 Starts)
RHP H. Noesi (1-4 5.00 ERA 31 K's 8 Starts)
RHP T. Walker (2-2 2.70 ERA 6 Starts)
LHP J. Paxton (3-6 4.81 ERA 9 Starts)
RHP A. Carraway (3-2 5.36 ERA 9 Starts)

**RHP J. Bonderman (2-1 1.57 ERA)**-DL


BULLPEN
C. Ruffin (1-0 0.77 ERA 11.2 IP .120 BA vs RHH)
LHP C. Rusin (0-1 4.24 ERA 34 IP)
LHP B. Lafromboise (6-0 0.23 ERA 40 IP .160 BA vs LHH, .190 Overall)
RHP Y. Medina (2-1 2.83 ERA 35 IP)
LHP B. Moran (0.00 ER 20 K's 20 IP .174 BA vs LHH)
RHP D. Tapia (1-1 3.00 ERA 12 IP)
RHP C. Smith (0-1 0.66 ERA 14/15 Saves)


STARTING LINEUP
C M. Zunino (.310 6 HR 33 RBI)
1B B. Mills (.324 9 HR 25 RBI 3 SB)
2B N. Franklin (.255 8 HR 23 RBI 9 SB)
SS B. Miller (.269 1 HR 8 RBI 3 SB)
3B A. Liddi (.278 4 HR 25 RB)
LF G. Sizemore vs RHP (.250 3 HR 10 RBI in 44 AB's)
LF V. Catricala vs LHP (.208 3 HR 12 RBI)
CF F. Martinez (.267 1 HR 9 RBI 4 SB)
RF J. Blash (.246 3 HR 17 RBI 6 SB)
DH V. Guerrero (.266 1 HR 9 RBI)

**3B S. Romero (.285 3 HR 16 RBI 5 SB) on the DL**
**LF/RF E. Thames (.329 2 HR 9 RBI) on the DL**

BENCH
C J. Sucre (.394 12 RBI in 66 AB's)
Super Utility J. Marder (.265 1 HR 2 RBI 2 SB
2B/SS L. Watkins (.262 5 HR 24 RBI)

It's to early to tell what type of impact Sizemore and Guerrero will have but if Tacoma is to stay in 1st place it will need to be a big one. Blash and Martinez are ice cold since in the past 2 weeks, so is Catricala. It could be time for some guys to head to Jackson and try and get back on track.
Liddi is playing great with Romero out and has become a solid everyday 3B. Hopefully Marder can put up solid #'s after only doing so-so in AA and be a solid bench player playing everywhere on the field allowing the 13 pitchers to stay on the 25 man roster.. Would also love to see Franklin start hitting for Avg to go with his HR's, and Miller to start hitting for at least some power because 1 of them might need to replace Triunfel in Seattle.

On the mound it's the bullpen who is still carrying the team. Which is why Tacoma also is carrying 13 pitchers. Paxton has pitched great the past 3 games since being recalled and has taken over the #3 with Noesi moving to the #4. Hopefully Noesi and Carraway can solidfy the backend of the rotation because there isn't much help in AA.

JACKSON GENERALS (37-20) 1ST PLACE 7.0 G Lead


ROTATION
RHP V. Sanchez (2-6 7.85 ERA 12 Starts)
LHP T. Pike (6-1 4.09 ERA 12 Starts)
RHP A. Cisco 1-1 3.15 ERA 3 Starts)
LHP R. Elias (1-1 7.43 ERA 5 Starts)
LHP A. Fernandez (4-3 3.41 ERA 9 Starts)

BULLPEN
RHP J. Chapman (2-1 1.27 ERA 21 IP)
RHP DJ Mitchell (3-0 1.65 ERA 27 IP)
RHP T. Burgoon (3-1 2.32 ERA 31 IP)
LHP L. Luetge (No stats just assigned)
RHP M. Brazis (3-1 0.35 ERA 25 IP 0.77 BA vs LHH, .136 Overall)
RHP L. Bawcom (19 saves 1.37 ERA, 0.94 BA vs RHH)

STARTING LINEUP
C J. Hicks (.267 3 HR 20 RBI)
1B Ji-Man Choi (.364 4 HR 32 RBI)
2B T. Lopes (.283 2 HR 7 RBI in 46 AB's)
SS C. Taylor (.233 10 RBI)
3B P. Kivlehan (.372 4 HR 19 RBI)
LF J. Jones (.262 4 HR 33 RBI 7 SB)
CF J. Morban vs RHP (.270 5 HR 38 RBI)
CF L. Landry vs LHP (.354 6 HR 32 RBI 13 SB)
RF G. Guerrero (.265 7 HR 19 RBI)
DH R. Poythress (.293 4 RBI in 41 AB's)

BENCH
C M. Littlewood (.350 2 HR 26 RBI)
OF A. Almonte (.269 3 RBI 4 SB in 78 AB's)
IF J. De Carlo (.224 1 HR 7 RBI in 67 AB's)
OF T. Martin (.357 in 14 AB's)

Looking at the stats it's hard to see how this team is 37-20 and in 1st as well. Other then Pike the SP's have been horrible. But like Tacoma, the bullpen has been solid. It will be nice to have a LHP in the pen now with Luetge joining the team. C. Rusin brought over in the Cubs trade is also a candidate to move down as well in the coming week. If Sucre does move up to Seattle, Littlewood would probably take his place in AAA as the backup so Hicks can continue to start everyday. Lopes has played well since replacing Marder at 2B, and Poythress is starting to hit the ball better getting everyday AB's at DH.

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RAINIERS OPEN JUNE ON A WINNING NOTE

Typically when 1st Place plays Last Place, the 1st Place team comes out on top.. That is exactly what happened here in the 4 game series to open up June. Tacoma won the first 3 games, with the River Cats pulling out a 2 run victory in Game 4. Here is a Recap of the games. (Notice Stats were already included in the totals for the May Recap)


Game 1 Recap (Win 7-6)

B. Miller went 3/4 at the plate and drove in the game winning run in the 9th., J. Marder starting in LF went 2/4 with a solo HR (his 1st) and scored another. V. Guerrero went 1/5 but drove in 2 key RBI's. G Sizemore was 1/4 with a SB.

Hutlzen had one of his worst outings going 4 1/3 giving up 6 runs (5 ER) on 7 hits and 3 BB. Tapia picked up the "W" (1-1) pitching a scoreless 9th.

Game 2 Recap (Win 2-0)

4 Pitchers combine on the 4 hit shutout. B. Miller continues his hot hitting hitting his 1st HR of the season in AAA. Well Logan Watkins starting at 2B went 1/3 with a RBI. Here is the pitchers line score.

T. Walker 6 IP 1 H 1 BB 3 SO (Now 2-2)
Y. Medina 1 IP 1 H 3 SO
B. Moran 1 IP 1 H 1 BB
C. Smith 1 IP 1 H SO (14th Save)

Game 3 Recap (Win 6-5) *10 innings*

Both teams recorded 11 hits each. The Cats took a 5-1 lead into the 7th, where the Rainiers tied it and then won it in the 10th as N. Franklin hit a solo walkoff HR (8th of year). V. Catricala also hit a HR, and G. Sizemore was 2/4 with a double and triple. V. Guerrero was 1/4 but did steal 2B picking up his 1st SB of the season.

H. Noesi went 4 innings giving up 5 runs on 9 hits, C. Rusin pitched 4 innings of scoreless relief giving up 1 hit well striking out 2. B. Lafromboise (who isn't from Boise ID) pitched the 9th and 10th striking out 2 to improve to (6-0).

Game 4 Recap (Loss 2-4)

This is the game in which Sizemore hit's his 3rd HR of the year (1/3 solo shot) Miller went 2/4 with a SB. J. Marder added the other RBI on a Sac Fly.

J. Paxton took the loss (3-6) going 4 innings giving up 3 runs on4 hits. C. Ruffin pitched 4 2/3 giving up 1 run on 4 hits. Tapia got the final out on a strikeout.

Transaction Notes

After the series, the Rainiers signed RHP RP Brian Sweeney to a 2 yr deal with a club option. Sweeney (38 yrs old) started his career with Seattle in 2003 and most recently was with Rainiers in 2010,before being released and claimed by Arizona. His career #'s in the Majors are 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 58 K's.

With Sweeney joining the bullpen, LHP C. Rusin was sent to AA Jackson and OF A. Almonte was sent from AA to Single A Everett.

Ryno "Sweeney throws hard and gives us another solid arm out of the pen. It wasn't that Rusin wasn't doing a good job (he just pitched 4 scoreless innings) but more that AA Jackson needed another LHP in their pen (just added Luetge, and they had none) I am sure Chris will be back up in no time once we can find some LHP out in FA. Sweeney is familiar with AAA and Tacoma, and we believe he will have success here"

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2013 MOCK DRAFT
(All Material was taken from Jim Callis at Baseball America)

With the MLB Draft just days away, here is a project Mock Draft of the Entire 1st Round.

For the second straight draft, Stanford righthander Mark Appel entered the spring as the consensus best player available. Another college righthander, Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray, quickly joined him after a string of dominant starts.
With a month remaining before the 2013 draft, Appel and Gray remain alone on the first tier of prospects. “There’s a severe difference between those two and everyone else,” an American League scouting director said.
Scouts rate the overall crop of talent as mediocre, just as they did coming into the season. Several of the best college arms, most notably Indiana State lefthander Sean Manaea, have taken a step backward. That’s bad news for clubs at the top of the draft who covet advanced pitching.
High school hurlers such as righthanders Kohl Stewart (Texas) and Phil Bickford (California) and lefty Trey Ball (Indiana) are flying up draft boards. Yet it remains to be seen how early teams will be willing to take players from what’s considered the draft’s riskiest demographic.
San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant, college baseball’s runaway home run leader, is the top bat available. Outfielders Clint Frazier and Austin Meadows, who play for different high schools in Loganville, Ga., have lived up to their billing as the best high school position players, but there’s a growing sense that one or both of them could slide out of the first 10 selections.
Last year, a new Collective Bargaining Agreement brought major changes with assigned bonus pools for the first 10 rounds and severe draft-pick penalties for exceeding them by more than 5 percent. As was the case in 2012, many clubs will seek discounts in the first round, saving money versus the CBA pick values and allocating that cash for later selections. Between teams looking to cut deals and little agreement as to how the talent lines up after the first 10-15 players, the bottom half of the first round is more unsettled than usual.
Here’s our best guess as to how things will play out on June 6:
1. ASTROS: Houston, which has the top selection for the second straight year, says it’s still evaluating seven players. Most industry sources believe Houston’s decision will come down to Appel, whom it strongly considered a year ago before taking Carlos Correa, and Gray. While Appel has less leverage this time around because he’s now a college senior, Houston won’t be able to take as much of a discount as it did with Correa, who signed for $4.8 million. The Astros’ pick is valued at $7.8 million, and whichever arm they pass on likely will be snapped up by the Cubs ($6.7 million) or the Rockies ($5.6 million).
PROJECTED PICK: MARK APPEL.
2. CUBS: Chicago has had scouts at every one of Appel’s and Gray’s starts this spring. While the Cubs insist they haven’t narrowed their focus to just the two pitchers, it will be an upset if they don’t choose whichever one the Astros leave on the board.
PROJECTED PICK: JONATHAN GRAY.

3. ROCKIES: Colorado may prefer a pitcher, but if Appel and Gray aren’t available, there’s not an obvious arm to take here. The Rockies could cut a deal with someone like Nevada righthander Braden Shipley or hope that Manaea regains his form from last summer in the Cape Cod League. Would they opt for a high school pitcher after getting burned by their $3.9 million investment in Tyler Matzek in 2009? More likely, they’ll grab the best offensive prospect in the draft.
PROJECTED PICK: KRIS BRYANT.
4. TWINS: A year ago, Minnesota badly needed pitching but used the No. 2 overall choice on outfielder Byron Buxton, the 2012 draft’s top-rated prospect. While the Twins aren’t as desperate now, they’re still looking at arms. Stewart comes with more risk but similar ceiling to Appel and Gray. Manaea and Ball are other options. Rumors persist that Minnesota could cut a deal with Washington high school catcher Reese McGuire and spend heavily further down in the draft.
PROJECTED PICK: KOHL STEWART.
5. INDIANS: Cleveland is another team searching for pitching. The Indians traditionally have been more comfortable with college arms, so they’re one of several teams trying to figure out Manaea. Shipley could allow them to move money lower in the draft, helpful for a club that lost picks by signing free agents Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher. If Bryant fell, Cleveland would grab him and focus on pitching later.
PROJECTED PICK: BRADEN SHIPLEY.
6. MARLINS: Other teams believe Florida will make a discount choice, with candidates ranging from Shipley and McGuire to New Mexico corner infielder D.J. Peterson and New Jersey high school lefthander Rob Kaminsky. If money is less important, Frazier could be a target.
PROJECTED PICK: REESE McGUIRE.
7. RED SOX: Boston has selected this high just once since 1967, getting Trot Nixon with the No. 7 choice in 1993. The Red Sox are looking to maximize their opportunity and will take a high-ceiling talent such as Frazier, Manaea or Stewart. They’re also interested in sweet-swinging North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran.
PROJECTED PICK: CLINT FRAZIER.
8. ROYALS: Add Kansas City to the list of teams on the hunt for pitching. If Stewart and Shipley are gone, that would leave the Royals considering Ball, Manaea and Arkansas righthander Ryne Stanek—who pitched his high school ball in suburban Kansas City. The Royals are known for preferring curveballs to sliders, which could help Ball’s cause.
PROJECTED PICK: RYNE STANEK.
9. PIRATES: Pittsburgh added this pick after failing to sign Appel at No. 8 last year, and it would get the No. 10 selection in 2014 if it can’t close a deal again. The Pirates were on Moran more than most teams in high school, and he’d eventually allow Pedro Alvarez to shift across the diamond to first base. Ball and McGuire also get mentioned here.
PROJECTED PICK: COLIN MORAN.
10. BLUE JAYS: No team was more aggressive than Toronto in the 2012 draft, but it has no extra picks to play with this year. Expect the Blue Jays to go all-in here and grab the highest-ceiling player still available. If Stewart and Frazier are off the board, that means Ball or Meadows.
PROJECTED PICK: TREY BALL.
11. METS: New York appears to be targeting college bats. If Moran doesn’t get to the Mets, they’ll pick between Peterson and Missisippi State outfielder Hunter Renfroe.
PROJECTED PICK: D.J. PETERSON.
12. MARINERS: Meadows opened the year as the top-rated high school prospect, and while he hasn’t had the senior season scouts hoped for, he’s still a potential five-tool talent. Getting him here would be a nice value for Seattle. This is likely the floor for Shipley and McGuire, and the ceiling for Bickford.
PROJECTED PICK: AUSTIN MEADOWS.
13. PADRES: Meadows also would be a nice get for San Diego, which may be the lone club this high that prefers Ball as an outfielder. If the Padres don’t see a high-upside position player, they may turn to Bickford or lefthander Ian Clarkin, a San Diego high schooler.
PROJECTED PICK: PHIL BICKFORD.
14. PIRATES: A year ago, Pittsburgh ditched a predraft deal with David Dahl and gambled the No. 8 choice on Appel when he unexpectedly fell. Could they do the same with another Boras Corp. college pitcher in Manaea, a potential No. 1 overall pick before his stuff backed up? No team has two picks as high as the Pirates do, and not signing Manaea wouldn’t sting as much as missing out on Appel did in 2012. Pittsburgh also could grab Ball at No. 9 and get a college bat such as Renfroe or Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo here. California high school first baseman Dominic Smith is a gifted hitter, too.
PROJECTED PICK: SEAN MANAEA.
15. DIAMONDBACKS: After an early run on pitchers, position players will be the strength of the middle of the first round. Count Arizona as one of several teams in this area who would love an unexpected shot at Meadows. Renfroe and California high school shortstop J.P. Crawford are better bets to be available.
PROJECTED PICK: HUNTER RENFROE.
16. PHILLIES: Philadelphia, which has its earliest pick since taking Gavin Floyd at No. 4 in 2001, loves toolsy athletes. Crawford is the best shortstop in the draft, a quality defender with hitting ability who’d make a fine replacement for Jimmy Rollins down the road.
PROJECTED PICK: J.P. CRAWFORD.
17. WHITE SOX: Chicago used its top choice on athletic outfielders in 2009 (Jared Mitchell), 2011 (Keenyn Walker) and 2012 (Courtney Hawkins), and could go that route again with Stanford’s Austin Wilson or Fresno State’s Aaron Judge, who have massive power potential and two of the best bodies in the draft. Sox executive Ken Williams is a former Cardinal outfielder himself.
PROJECTED PICK: AUSTIN WILSON.
18. DODGERS: Since Logan White took over Los Angeles’ amateur scouting operations in 2002, he has used seven first-round picks on high school pitchers, most notably Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers could take another this year, with Bickford, Clarkin, New Jersey lefthander Rob Kaminsky and North Carolina righthy Hunter Harvey as possibilities.
PROJECTED PICK: IAN CLARKIN.
19. CARDINALS: St. Louis picked in the same spot a year ago and got a tremendous value with a college righthander in Michael Wacha. It could happen again, as Jacksonville’s Chris Anderson and Florida’s Jonathon Crawford have faltered after looking like top-10 talents earlier in the spring. It’s not inconceivable that Manaea could fall this far if he doesn’t right himself and/or doesn’t appear signable, and the Cardinals have more flexibility than most clubs thanks to a pair of first-rounders.
PROJECTED PICK: CHRIS ANDERSON.
20. TIGERS: Detroit hasn’t had a first-round pick since 2009. At their best, Crawford and Anderson have the type of well above-average fastballs for which the Tigers are always on the prowl. If they want a hitter, they could look at Jagielo or Texas prep outfielder Billy McKinney. The latter is similar to Detroit’s top prospect, Nick Castellanos.
PROJECTED PICK: JONATHON CRAWFORD.
21. RAYS: Tampa Bay could go in several directions here, with the best options appearing to be position players. The Rays could opt for the highest ceiling available and grab Wilson or Judge. They could choose a more polished hitter in Smith or Samford outfielder Phillip Ervin. They could address their need at catcher with a prepster like South Carolina’s Nick Ciuffo or Oklahoma’s Jon Denney. They also could target a scarce position with East Central (Miss.) JC shortstop Tim Anderson, the draft’s best juco prospect.
PROJECTED PICK: AARON JUDGE.
22. ORIOLES: Though Baltimore is set at catcher with Matt Wieters, it still makes sense to draft the best available talent in the first round. The Orioles have been linked to Ciuffo, who like Wieters played at a South Carolina high school.
PROJECTED PICK: NICK CIUFFO.
23. RANGERS: Texas has built a strong major league team and a deep farm system by shooting for ceiling. Smith is one of the best all-around hitters in the draft, comes with less risk than most high school bats and provides quality defense at first base as a bonus.
PROJECTED PICK: DOMINIC SMITH.
24. ATHLETICS: Athletic college players who can hit are a rare commodity, so getting Cape Cod League MVP Ervin here would be a coup. Oakland also may find it hard to resist high school lefthander Matt Krook, who flashes front-of-the rotation stuff, from nearby San Francisco.
PROJECTED PICK: PHILLIP ERVIN.
25. GIANTS: Krook pitches even closer to the Giants, who know a thing or two about developing pitching. Chris Anderson also might fit here.
PROJECTED PICK: MATT KROOK.
26. YANKEES: After losing Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano to free agency, New York has three first-rounders, more than any team. The Yankees system is short on arms, and polished prep lefthander Rob Kaminsky pitches across the Hudson River in New Jersey. It may make more sense to wait on Kaminsky and go for Jagielo, who could shore up the aging left side of New York’s infield.
PROJECTED PICK: ERIC JAGIELO.
27. REDS: Tennessee high school righthander Kyle Serrano will be difficult to sign away from a commitment to play for his father Dave at the University of Tennessee, but Cincinnati is one of the clubs most determined to try. If the Reds strike out there, they could pursue Tim Anderson.
PROJECTED PICK: KYLE SERRANO.
28. CARDINALS: The final six choices in the first round are compensation for departed free agents, beginning with this one for Kyle Lohse. High school righthander Devin Williams is making a push to go from the St. Louis suburbs to the first round, but that seems a bit rich, even for a local team with multiple choices. McKinney’s advanced bat makes more sense here.
PROJECTED PICK: BILLY McKINNEY.
29. RAYS: Tampa Bay could pair a position player at No. 21 with a pitcher here. The Rays excel at developing high school arms and could select from among a group that includes Kamisnky, Harvey and Kentucky lefthander Hunter Green. They also could go for a quicker return, with the most polished college lefthander in the draft, Gonzaga’s Marco Gonzales.
PROJECTED PICK: MARCO GONZALES.
30. RANGERS: Since 2006, Texas has used eight of its nine first-round picks on high schoolers. Most of the best preps at this point will be pitchers such as Kaminsky, Harvey and Green. Florida high school outfielder/quarterback Cord Sandberg is the type of athlete the Rangers traditionally covet.
PROJECTED PICK: HUNTER GREEN.
31. BRAVES: Atlanta scouting director Tony DeMacio is known for his love for lefthanders, which could lead him to Kaminsky, Gonzales or Green. McKinney would become the Braves’ best hitting prospect if they could get him. Harvey’s father Bryan, a former all-star closer, scouted for the organization, which also likes prep power arms.
PROJECTED PICK: HUNTER HARVEY.
32. YANKEES: New York may be able to finesse Kaminsky down to its No. 32 pick if it passes on him at No. 26. If not, Tim Anderson is another player who could help the left side of the Yankees infield.
PROJECTED PICK: ROB KAMINSKY.
33. YANKEES: No organization has a greater affinity for offensive-minded catchers than New York. Denney should be able to stay behind the plate, but he also has enough bat to profile at a less challenging position.
PROJECTED PICK: JON DENNEY.


I am running 30 team control and plan on drafting for everyone. If you have a favorite team and would like to give your input on who you would like to see them take let me know and I will consider it. I am reading as many mocks as I can find and will also look at team needs.

As far as players go, I plan on editing players to match real life guys. So what I will do is take the highest rated (potential rated as well) SP and edit for Appel, Gray ect. Highest rated high school OF for Meadows, Frazier, Highest rated 1B/3B for Bryant, Moran, ect..

[k_mac]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

Trust me if the M's perform in my franchise like they are in real life, then Wedge and Jack will be fired, and Ryno and Deuce will be getting called up to the Show sooner then later.

This really hadn't occurred to me yet, well, until I read this. That's going to be one hell of a storyline, Ryno + Deuce being called up to the bigs with a flurry of young talent coming with them.

As always, keep up the good work Deuce. Really enjoying this.

[Deuce2223]

Quote: Originally Posted by k_mac

This really hadn't occurred to me yet, well, until I read this. That's going to be one hell of a storyline, Ryno + Deuce being called up to the bigs with a flurry of young talent coming with them. As always, keep up the good work Deuce. Really enjoying this.

Thanks. IRL, I was really hoping the Cubs would've hired Ryno as their manager. Especially after the success he had in the minors. Obviously there is inside info the fans are not aware of that made this move not happen, and now he is back with the Phillies. But for me I figure if he can't run the Cubs, he could come help me run the M's.

As far as the storyline goes when I first started the thread, I figured I would play AAA the whole time, but as things progress, the thought of Ryno and Deuce with the M's just seems to fit.


Would love to hear what you think about the draft. I have heard rumors that the Cubs prefer Appel and have even mentioned bonus money to him, in hopes that he might convince the Astros to take Gray. Then again I have read that Gray is who the Astros prefer, so maybe this is just something that will cause the Cubs to overpay in bonus money, sticking it to their former division rivals.