Post by Sha-Le Unique on Jan 10, 2014 21:42:47 GMT -5
Part 3 of this saga will feature what will eventually become the smallest division in baseball. It is also one of the youngest divisions, with two of the four teams mentioned here coming into existence in the 1960s and 1970s, respectively. Here we go!
Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels
1. SP Nolan Ryan
Draft Class: 1965
Ratings: B/B/B/P/B, A duration, 10 velocity, Durable, A in Fistfights
Stutter made a very good choice with the Angels in this league once we get to the 1960s. Not only will the Angels be in a large market, but his first FPR choice could not be any easier. Nolan Ryan was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history and is still the career leader in strikeouts by a big margin. He may get wild on the mound sometimes and give up a few too many walks, but if he can keep his control in check and have good command on his pitches, the "Ryan Express" could certainly turn into an ace for many seasons to come.
2. 3B Troy Glaus
Draft Class: 1997
Ratings: A/G/P/B/B/F, D speed, D steals, C range @ 3B (Should also be eligible at 1B)
Unfortunately for Stutter, it looks like he won't be able to reserve Jim Edmonds, who spent slightly more time with the Cardinals than the Angels. So the next best choice after that would probably be Troy Glaus. While Chipper Jones was clearly the best third baseman in the NL for many seasons, Glaus for a while was his AL counterpart and hit 147 home runs over a four-year stretch from 1999-2002. Glaus' career numbers probably would've turned out better if not for three injury-plagued seasons.
A hits increase could turn Glaus into a beast and an ideal #3-4 hitter for the Angels in the 2000s. His speed and defense won't be great, but won't be particularly terrible either. With talent sometimes hard to come by at third base, Glaus would be a great choice for an FPR.
3. RF Tim Salmon
Draft Class: 1989
Ratings: G/G/F/G/B/A, D speed, D steals, B range, A throwing arm, Loyal
One alternative to Glaus could be Tim Salmon, who spent his entire career with the Angels, had a good bat, great power and drew a lot of walks throughout his 14-year career. He should turn into a good #3 or 4 hitter and could win some Gold Gloves in the outfield too. Don't test his throwing arm either! Salmon racked up over 10 outfield assists in five different seasons.
Honorable Mentions: Garret Anderson, Darrin Erstad, Mark Langston, Chuck Finley, Jim Fregosi, Jered Weaver
KC/Oakland Athletics
1. LF Rickey Henderson
Draft Class: 1976
Ratings: Ratings: G/A/A/A/B/G,A speed, A steals, B range, A flashiness, Brilliant style
Determining an order for the A's was difficult. I honestly switched these 3 around a few times!
Steve1213 will be in a great position with FPR's. He will have the luxury of choosing between some of the greatest players of all time. One of them is the greatest base-stealer of all time in Rickey Henderson. The flashy "Man of Steal" was unstoppable on the bases and gave opposing pitching staffs and catchers nightmares. Henderson was also a great hitter too, drew a ton of walks and had very good power for a rather small leadoff hitter.
An increase to home runs could make Henderson a consistent 30/60 threat and would be the logical increase to make. In that sense, Henderson should turn out to be a better rated hitter than some of the other A's greats.
2. LF/RF Jose Canseco
Draft Class: 1982
Ratings: A/G/P/B/G/F, B speed, B stealing, C range @ LF and RF, Brilliant injections
Although his peak did not last through his entire career and injuries didn't help either, few hitters were as dynamic as Jose Canseco in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The self-proclaimed "Godfather of Steroids" became the first hitter to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in 1988 and won the AL MVP Award that year as well.
An increase to hits could turn Canseco into a beast and his speed on the bases will be pretty good as well, especially for someone his size. Although he was a DH for a good chunk of his real career, his defensive range wasn't all that bad, so he may not necessarily need the DH option here for sure.
This would be a very good choice for Steve1213 to make once we get to the 1980s. But if it doesn't happen, it shouldn't be particularly surprising, with all the options the A's will feature.
Oh and if anyone has never seen Canseco's real Twitter account...please check it out for some good laughs!
3. RF Reggie Jackson
Draft Class: 1966
Ratings: A/G/A/B/G/F, C speed, C steals, D range, A public speaking
In addition to the Man of Steal and Mr. 40/40, the A's will also be able to select Reggie Jackson earlier on. Jackson was best known for hitting a lot of home runs and particularly in clutch situations. He became one of the all-time greatest sluggers while doing so. Jackson's ratings should look almost the same as Canseco's except he probably won't be as lethal on the bases. Again, the A's will eventually have quite a few amazing options to select from, but you couldn't second guess Steve1213 at all for locking up Jackson if he chooses to do so.
Honorable Mentions (and there's a lot of them): Ken Holtzman, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Dave Stewart, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez, Miguel Tejada, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder
Seattle Mariners
1. CF/RF Ken Griffey Jr.
Draft Class: 1987
Ratings: G/G/F/B/G/A, C speed, B stealing, A range, A throwing arm, Loyal
Unlike the A's, there is only one clear cut #1 reservation choice for the Mariners. It's hands down Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey was one of, if not the greatest all-around position player in the 1990s and could do everything on the field. He had a pretty good average each season, hit 630 career home runs (and could've easily gotten past 700 or even past 760 if not for injuries in the latter half of his career), stole some bases and played center field as good as anyone ever has. His range was simply one of a kind and only possibly Willie Mays could ever match it.
There is absolutely no second guessing this. Griffey will be reserved by the Mariners unless the Mariners play poorly enough to be able to draft him outright. Either way, he will be a Mariner.
2. SP Randy Johnson
Draft Class: 1985
Ratings: B/B/G/A/B, A duration, 10 velocity, Brilliant bird killing
Felix Hernandez since the mid 2000s has been a great young pitching phenom for the Mariners and will very likely continue to be just that for many seasons to come as well. But before there was King Felix, there was the Big Unit.
Randy Johnson is one of the greatest left-handed starting pitchers of all time. He is in the same class as Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton and Tom Glavine as the five greatest southpaws ever. But with his velocity, unique pitching delivery and his signature mullet, Johnson was probably the most intimidating of them all. Johnson was so dominant in the 1990s that Larry Walker famously turned his left helmet backwards to hit right-handed against Johnson in the 1997 All-Star Game, which was funny because he only hit left-handed throughout his career.
But Johnson's dominance continued for many more seasons as he would win 5 Cy Young Awards in his career and play for 22 seasons. In this league, Johnson should turn out to be just as dominant, and especially after an increase in walks. The future Mariners GM will very likely be excited for the mid 1980s in order to claim the two greatest players in team history. Like Griffey, reserving Johnson is a no-brainer for the future Mariners GM.
3. RF Ichiro Suzuki
Draft Class: 1992
Ratings: B/G/G/F/F/B, A speed, A steals, C range, A throwing arm, Loyal
As if Griffey and the Big Unit weren't already good choices, one possible alternative for the Mariners could be Ichiro Suzuki, who has been one of the best contact hitters in both Japanese and MLB history. He has also been one of the best base-stealers around and has consistently displayed a cannon-arm in right field. Griffey and Johnson would probably still be better choices over Ichiro, but nonetheless, Ichiro should turn into a star wherever he ends up.
Honorable Mentions: Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Felix Hernandez
Texas Rangers
To avoid confusion, I'm just gonna refer to this team as the Texas Rangers, even though they were the Washington Senators for first decade or so of their team history. To avoid even more confusion, I'll call our future Rangers GM "Mr. Yikes", being that he would become the second Jeff up in here.
1. C Ivan Rodriguez
Draft Class: 1988
Ratings: G/G/F/A/F/G, D speed, C steals, A range, A throwing arm, Loyal, Durable
Throughout their team's history, the Rangers have always been known for their hitting. Not surprisingly, all their best choices will be hitters.
One hitter Mr. Yikes will probably secure is Ivan Rodriguez, who was arguably the greatest all-around catcher of his generation. Pudge was a superior defender and one of the two greatest defensive catchers ever, along with Johnny Bench. His throwing arm behind the plate was one of a kind and it was difficult for even the best base stealers to get past him. He won a record 13 Gold Gloves behind the plate over his 21-year career.
Pudge was also a pretty good hitter as well. The only problem there was that he was appropriately overshadowed offensively by Mike Piazza, who is widely considered the greatest offensive catcher ever. Pudge held his own among AL catchers though. He averaged nearly 22 home runs per season during an eight-year stretch from 1994-2001. His peak came in 1999, when he won the AL MVP Award after hitting .332 with career highs in 35 home runs and 113 RBI.
Pudge should be a good hitter in this league as well. He probably won't walk much, but an increase to home runs could turn him into more of a slugger. With great catching talent usually hard to find, it will be surprising if Mr. Yikes doesn't reserve Pudge.
2. 1B/LF Rafael Palmeiro
Draft Class: 1985
Ratings: G/G/F/B/G/G, D speed, D steals, D range @ 1B, C range @ LF, Loyal, Durable, Poor Lying
Another great choice for Mr. Yikes could be Rafael Palmeiro, who was one of the best hitters in the 1990s, both from contact and power perspectives. Palmeiro is one of only four hitters to ever have over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs in his career. The others were Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray. That's some elite company indeed!
Palmeiro's speed on the bases was limited, as was his defense. He spent part of his career as a DH as well. But offensively, Palmeiro was as good as anyone from 1990-2004. He also drew a good number of walks and had a career .371 OBP.
The only reason Palmeiro got placed at #2 instead of 3 was because he drew more walks than the hitter listed at #3. It was very close other than that. The one thing to consider though is that while Rodriguez and the following hitter both spent the vast majority of their careers with the Rangers, Palmeiro also spent a good chunk of his career with the Orioles. As a result, Palmeiro was not as much of a true Ranger compared to the others. So will Mr. Yikes put his personal loyalties to the test with the choices he makes here? This will be very interesting to see once we get to the 1980s.
3. OF Juan Gonzalez
Draft Class: 1986
Ratings: G/B/F/B/F/A, E speed, E steals, C range @ LF, CF and RF, A throwing arm, Loyal
Juan Gonzalez was one of the most elite hitters throughout the 1990s. He won a pair of AL MVP Awards in 1996 and 1998. Gonzalez averaged 37 home runs per season over a nine-year stretch with the Rangers from 1991-1999. He hit over 40 home runs in five of those seasons. Gonzalez was also an RBI machine, and it helped that he was surrounded by great hitters in the Rangers' lineup for many years.
Usually, a GM would almost certainly reserve a player that was as good as someone like Gonzalez. But due to the presence of Rodriguez and Palmeiro, Gonzalez is not necessarily a definite lock to be reserved. I really didn't think I'd see Juan ranked third here, but with Rodriguez's value as a catcher being very high and Palmeiro having a noticeably better walk rating, that's how it worked out.
Heck, Mr. Yikes' best bet is probably to plan to rebuild during the mid-late 1980s anyway. By doing so, it would be the best way for him to possibly draft all three of his likely personal favorites.
Honorable Mentions: Jeff Burroughs, Kenny Rogers, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler
NL ranks will be coming in 1956! Next up for this season will be my draft grades for each league.
Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels
1. SP Nolan Ryan
Draft Class: 1965
Ratings: B/B/B/P/B, A duration, 10 velocity, Durable, A in Fistfights
Stutter made a very good choice with the Angels in this league once we get to the 1960s. Not only will the Angels be in a large market, but his first FPR choice could not be any easier. Nolan Ryan was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history and is still the career leader in strikeouts by a big margin. He may get wild on the mound sometimes and give up a few too many walks, but if he can keep his control in check and have good command on his pitches, the "Ryan Express" could certainly turn into an ace for many seasons to come.
2. 3B Troy Glaus
Draft Class: 1997
Ratings: A/G/P/B/B/F, D speed, D steals, C range @ 3B (Should also be eligible at 1B)
Unfortunately for Stutter, it looks like he won't be able to reserve Jim Edmonds, who spent slightly more time with the Cardinals than the Angels. So the next best choice after that would probably be Troy Glaus. While Chipper Jones was clearly the best third baseman in the NL for many seasons, Glaus for a while was his AL counterpart and hit 147 home runs over a four-year stretch from 1999-2002. Glaus' career numbers probably would've turned out better if not for three injury-plagued seasons.
A hits increase could turn Glaus into a beast and an ideal #3-4 hitter for the Angels in the 2000s. His speed and defense won't be great, but won't be particularly terrible either. With talent sometimes hard to come by at third base, Glaus would be a great choice for an FPR.
3. RF Tim Salmon
Draft Class: 1989
Ratings: G/G/F/G/B/A, D speed, D steals, B range, A throwing arm, Loyal
One alternative to Glaus could be Tim Salmon, who spent his entire career with the Angels, had a good bat, great power and drew a lot of walks throughout his 14-year career. He should turn into a good #3 or 4 hitter and could win some Gold Gloves in the outfield too. Don't test his throwing arm either! Salmon racked up over 10 outfield assists in five different seasons.
Honorable Mentions: Garret Anderson, Darrin Erstad, Mark Langston, Chuck Finley, Jim Fregosi, Jered Weaver
KC/Oakland Athletics
1. LF Rickey Henderson
Draft Class: 1976
Ratings: Ratings: G/A/A/A/B/G,A speed, A steals, B range, A flashiness, Brilliant style
Determining an order for the A's was difficult. I honestly switched these 3 around a few times!
Steve1213 will be in a great position with FPR's. He will have the luxury of choosing between some of the greatest players of all time. One of them is the greatest base-stealer of all time in Rickey Henderson. The flashy "Man of Steal" was unstoppable on the bases and gave opposing pitching staffs and catchers nightmares. Henderson was also a great hitter too, drew a ton of walks and had very good power for a rather small leadoff hitter.
An increase to home runs could make Henderson a consistent 30/60 threat and would be the logical increase to make. In that sense, Henderson should turn out to be a better rated hitter than some of the other A's greats.
2. LF/RF Jose Canseco
Draft Class: 1982
Ratings: A/G/P/B/G/F, B speed, B stealing, C range @ LF and RF, Brilliant injections
Although his peak did not last through his entire career and injuries didn't help either, few hitters were as dynamic as Jose Canseco in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The self-proclaimed "Godfather of Steroids" became the first hitter to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in 1988 and won the AL MVP Award that year as well.
An increase to hits could turn Canseco into a beast and his speed on the bases will be pretty good as well, especially for someone his size. Although he was a DH for a good chunk of his real career, his defensive range wasn't all that bad, so he may not necessarily need the DH option here for sure.
This would be a very good choice for Steve1213 to make once we get to the 1980s. But if it doesn't happen, it shouldn't be particularly surprising, with all the options the A's will feature.
Oh and if anyone has never seen Canseco's real Twitter account...please check it out for some good laughs!
3. RF Reggie Jackson
Draft Class: 1966
Ratings: A/G/A/B/G/F, C speed, C steals, D range, A public speaking
In addition to the Man of Steal and Mr. 40/40, the A's will also be able to select Reggie Jackson earlier on. Jackson was best known for hitting a lot of home runs and particularly in clutch situations. He became one of the all-time greatest sluggers while doing so. Jackson's ratings should look almost the same as Canseco's except he probably won't be as lethal on the bases. Again, the A's will eventually have quite a few amazing options to select from, but you couldn't second guess Steve1213 at all for locking up Jackson if he chooses to do so.
Honorable Mentions (and there's a lot of them): Ken Holtzman, Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Dave Stewart, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez, Miguel Tejada, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder
Seattle Mariners
1. CF/RF Ken Griffey Jr.
Draft Class: 1987
Ratings: G/G/F/B/G/A, C speed, B stealing, A range, A throwing arm, Loyal
Unlike the A's, there is only one clear cut #1 reservation choice for the Mariners. It's hands down Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey was one of, if not the greatest all-around position player in the 1990s and could do everything on the field. He had a pretty good average each season, hit 630 career home runs (and could've easily gotten past 700 or even past 760 if not for injuries in the latter half of his career), stole some bases and played center field as good as anyone ever has. His range was simply one of a kind and only possibly Willie Mays could ever match it.
There is absolutely no second guessing this. Griffey will be reserved by the Mariners unless the Mariners play poorly enough to be able to draft him outright. Either way, he will be a Mariner.
2. SP Randy Johnson
Draft Class: 1985
Ratings: B/B/G/A/B, A duration, 10 velocity, Brilliant bird killing
Felix Hernandez since the mid 2000s has been a great young pitching phenom for the Mariners and will very likely continue to be just that for many seasons to come as well. But before there was King Felix, there was the Big Unit.
Randy Johnson is one of the greatest left-handed starting pitchers of all time. He is in the same class as Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton and Tom Glavine as the five greatest southpaws ever. But with his velocity, unique pitching delivery and his signature mullet, Johnson was probably the most intimidating of them all. Johnson was so dominant in the 1990s that Larry Walker famously turned his left helmet backwards to hit right-handed against Johnson in the 1997 All-Star Game, which was funny because he only hit left-handed throughout his career.
But Johnson's dominance continued for many more seasons as he would win 5 Cy Young Awards in his career and play for 22 seasons. In this league, Johnson should turn out to be just as dominant, and especially after an increase in walks. The future Mariners GM will very likely be excited for the mid 1980s in order to claim the two greatest players in team history. Like Griffey, reserving Johnson is a no-brainer for the future Mariners GM.
3. RF Ichiro Suzuki
Draft Class: 1992
Ratings: B/G/G/F/F/B, A speed, A steals, C range, A throwing arm, Loyal
As if Griffey and the Big Unit weren't already good choices, one possible alternative for the Mariners could be Ichiro Suzuki, who has been one of the best contact hitters in both Japanese and MLB history. He has also been one of the best base-stealers around and has consistently displayed a cannon-arm in right field. Griffey and Johnson would probably still be better choices over Ichiro, but nonetheless, Ichiro should turn into a star wherever he ends up.
Honorable Mentions: Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner, Felix Hernandez
Texas Rangers
To avoid confusion, I'm just gonna refer to this team as the Texas Rangers, even though they were the Washington Senators for first decade or so of their team history. To avoid even more confusion, I'll call our future Rangers GM "Mr. Yikes", being that he would become the second Jeff up in here.
1. C Ivan Rodriguez
Draft Class: 1988
Ratings: G/G/F/A/F/G, D speed, C steals, A range, A throwing arm, Loyal, Durable
Throughout their team's history, the Rangers have always been known for their hitting. Not surprisingly, all their best choices will be hitters.
One hitter Mr. Yikes will probably secure is Ivan Rodriguez, who was arguably the greatest all-around catcher of his generation. Pudge was a superior defender and one of the two greatest defensive catchers ever, along with Johnny Bench. His throwing arm behind the plate was one of a kind and it was difficult for even the best base stealers to get past him. He won a record 13 Gold Gloves behind the plate over his 21-year career.
Pudge was also a pretty good hitter as well. The only problem there was that he was appropriately overshadowed offensively by Mike Piazza, who is widely considered the greatest offensive catcher ever. Pudge held his own among AL catchers though. He averaged nearly 22 home runs per season during an eight-year stretch from 1994-2001. His peak came in 1999, when he won the AL MVP Award after hitting .332 with career highs in 35 home runs and 113 RBI.
Pudge should be a good hitter in this league as well. He probably won't walk much, but an increase to home runs could turn him into more of a slugger. With great catching talent usually hard to find, it will be surprising if Mr. Yikes doesn't reserve Pudge.
2. 1B/LF Rafael Palmeiro
Draft Class: 1985
Ratings: G/G/F/B/G/G, D speed, D steals, D range @ 1B, C range @ LF, Loyal, Durable, Poor Lying
Another great choice for Mr. Yikes could be Rafael Palmeiro, who was one of the best hitters in the 1990s, both from contact and power perspectives. Palmeiro is one of only four hitters to ever have over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs in his career. The others were Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray. That's some elite company indeed!
Palmeiro's speed on the bases was limited, as was his defense. He spent part of his career as a DH as well. But offensively, Palmeiro was as good as anyone from 1990-2004. He also drew a good number of walks and had a career .371 OBP.
The only reason Palmeiro got placed at #2 instead of 3 was because he drew more walks than the hitter listed at #3. It was very close other than that. The one thing to consider though is that while Rodriguez and the following hitter both spent the vast majority of their careers with the Rangers, Palmeiro also spent a good chunk of his career with the Orioles. As a result, Palmeiro was not as much of a true Ranger compared to the others. So will Mr. Yikes put his personal loyalties to the test with the choices he makes here? This will be very interesting to see once we get to the 1980s.
3. OF Juan Gonzalez
Draft Class: 1986
Ratings: G/B/F/B/F/A, E speed, E steals, C range @ LF, CF and RF, A throwing arm, Loyal
Juan Gonzalez was one of the most elite hitters throughout the 1990s. He won a pair of AL MVP Awards in 1996 and 1998. Gonzalez averaged 37 home runs per season over a nine-year stretch with the Rangers from 1991-1999. He hit over 40 home runs in five of those seasons. Gonzalez was also an RBI machine, and it helped that he was surrounded by great hitters in the Rangers' lineup for many years.
Usually, a GM would almost certainly reserve a player that was as good as someone like Gonzalez. But due to the presence of Rodriguez and Palmeiro, Gonzalez is not necessarily a definite lock to be reserved. I really didn't think I'd see Juan ranked third here, but with Rodriguez's value as a catcher being very high and Palmeiro having a noticeably better walk rating, that's how it worked out.
Heck, Mr. Yikes' best bet is probably to plan to rebuild during the mid-late 1980s anyway. By doing so, it would be the best way for him to possibly draft all three of his likely personal favorites.
Honorable Mentions: Jeff Burroughs, Kenny Rogers, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler
NL ranks will be coming in 1956! Next up for this season will be my draft grades for each league.
