Post by Sha-Le Unique on Jan 30, 2014 3:44:52 GMT -5
Sorry for the delay here. I was all pumped up to do the FPR choices articles, then I got caught up with other stuff and slacked off, but here we go with my 1955 Draft grades for the AL!
Being that most of the current season is already behind us, I will include minor league stats for this season as well with each player.
Baltimore Orioles:
Brooks Robinson should provide good hitting and amazing defense at third base for years to come.
1st Round Pick: 3B Brooks Robinson
2nd Round Pick: 1B Deacon Jones
3rd Round Pick: P Dave Stenhouse
4th Round Pick: P Ted Wills
5th Round Pick: SS Jose Pagan
6th Round Pick: SS Alex George
7th Round Pick: C Jack Feller
8th Round Pick: P Jim Brady
Pete's Orioles had the second worst record in 1954, so they were in great position to land some good draftees. Pete selected Brooks Robinson fourth overall. Robinson started off with mostly average talents, but his hits talent rating has already been increased, making him that much more valuable. I probably would've taken Norm Cash over Robinson if it were me, but 3B is a position with not a whole lot of talent, so you can't really second guess Pete there. Robinson should turn into a very solid infielder to build a team around. He hit .417 with two home runs and eight RBI in Single A before getting quickly promoted to Double A, where he is hitting .230 with five home runs and 38 RBI. His .663 Double A OPS is concerning, but the 18-year old Robinson still has a long way to go regardless before he is ready for the big show.
Pete made another solid choice in the second round with Deacon Jones. Jones could probably use a hits increase himself, but looks to be a decent role player at the very least. He can only play first base right now, so Pete might want to make him more versatile defensively. Jones is having a great year in Double A, with a .298 average, 12 home runs and 78 RBI.
In the third round, Pete took pitcher Dave Stenhouse. Stenhouse is a decent pitcher for a 3rd round pick, but could really use a home runs increase to become better. He was 1-1 with a 4.87 ERA in Single A before getting promoted to Double A, where he has a 4-3 record and a 6.54 ERA.
By the fourth round, the auto picks started to roll in. Pete got another pitcher in Ted Wills in the 4th round. Wills is actually better rated right now than Stenhouse. Wills was 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in two Single A starts, but has been very good in Double A, with a 5-1 record and a 3.70 ERA.
Pete got a pair of shortstops in the fifth and sixth rounds, with Jose Pagan and Alex George, respectively. Pagan is the older of the two and could become a decent player, but not great until he gets some PD help. After getting off to .327, one home run and six RBI start in Single A, Pagan got moved up to Double A, where he has hit .236 with two home runs and 34 RBI.
George is rated slightly worse than Pagan, but is younger and could have more upside in the future. George has been all over the minors, with a .490 average, two home runs and 13 RBI in Single A, .396 average, four home runs and 27 RBI in Double A, and .222 average with eight RBI in Triple A.
Catcher Jack Feller landed with the O's in the 7th round. He's likely to be a backup catcher at best. He has had a very good year though, with a .349 average, four home runs and 46 RBI in Single A. The O's final pick was Jim Brady, who is more likely to be a reliever than a starter down the road. Brady was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in Single A and is currently 2-0 with a 3.88 ERA in Double A.
Pete's draft overall was very solid, but could have been slightly better.
Orioles 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Orioles 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Boston Red Sox:
1st Round Pick: P Bill Short
2nd Round Pick: CF Jim Small
3rd Round Pick: P Glen Hobbie
4th Round Pick: 2B Jack Bloomfield
5th Round Pick: RF Tex Nelson
6th Round Pick: C Mack Burk
7th Round Pick: LF John Easton
8th Round Pick: P Glen Rosenbaum
I personally tend to stay away from starting pitchers with E duration, but for some reason, Break doesn't mind E duration pitchers that much. With that being said, he took pitcher Bill Short in the first round. Short could end up becoming a reliever in the future, but will need a hits increase to be legit regardless. I would've taken someone like Ron Piche before Short, but to each his own. Short went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two Single A starts before getting moved up to Double A, where he has a 1-3 record and a 3.86 ERA. He seems to have split time between the rotation and bullpen.
Outfielder Jim Small could end up becoming a table setter in the Red Sox' future lineup. He needs a hits increase to be good, won't hit many home runs (thanks to a bad PD), but can draw some walks and get on base. Defensively, he looks pretty good overall. Small hit .460 with two home runs and 14 RBI in Single A before getting promoted to Double A, where he has hit .278 with nine home runs and 37 RBI.
Break's 3rd round pick, Glen Hobbie is pretty much an average pitcher. He's got some potential, but not a ton by any means. After going 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts in Single A, Hobbie has not fared as well in Double A, with a 1-8 record and a 4.42 ERA. Hobbie unfortunately suffered a bad PD to his home runs rating earlier in the season.
Utility infielder Jack Bloomfield was the Red Sox' 4th round pick. He looks to eventually be just that with the Red Sox in the years to come and probably won't be starting material unless the PD spirits have something to say on that. Bloomfield has had a very good season all over the minors. He hit .360 with one home run and seven RBI in Single A, .317 with three home runs and 20 RBI in Double A, and is currently hitting .368 with five home runs and 19 RBI in Triple A.
Right fielder Tex Nelson has had a good season of his own, despite not projecting to be anything special in the future. He is hitting .316 with five home runs and 45 RBI in Single A. After Nelson for the Red Sox was catcher Mack Burk, who is backup material, but has hit .342 with ten home runs and 42 RBI in Single A this season. Teammate and 7th Round pick left fielder John Easton can draw some walks, but may not be as good of an actual hitter. The PD in walks was nice for him. Nonetheless, Easton has been tearing up Single A with a .341 average, five home runs and 46 RBI.
Break's final pick, pitcher Glen Rosenbaum has mop-up potential at best right now. He hasn't been too impressive in Double A either, with an 0-5 record and a 5.66 ERA out of the bullpen.
All in all, Break's draft was rather mediocre. He could've done better than Bill Short in the first round and none of his other picks really stood out. I'll give him the benefit of doubt though just because a lot of these guys have hit and pitched well in the minors thus far.
Red Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Red Sox 1955 Draft Grade: B+
Chicago White Sox:
1st Round Pick: P Lindy McDaniel
2nd Round Pick: P Dave Wickersham
3rd Round Pick: C Don Gile
4th Round Pick: P Diomedes Olivo
5th Round Pick: RF Angelo Dagres
6th Round Pick: LF Bob Powell
7th Round Pick: P Evans Killeen
8th Round Pick: P John Edelman
Bullpen depth seemed to be an area Mark wanted to improve for the future, so he went with Lindy McDaniel in the 1st round. Like Bill Short, I would have passed up on McDaniel in favor of Ron Piche personally. But regardless, McDaniel has great talents and has the potential to become a future closer. He has B relief duration as well, so Mark could increase that to A and then try to convert him into a starter. We'll see if he ends up doing that. McDaniel is 4-3 with a 4.32 ERA and 17 saves in Double A this season.
Mark then selected another pitcher in Dave Wickersham in the 2nd round. Wickersham looks very good overall and could eventually be a part of the White Sox' rotation. Wickersham is 6-9 with a 6.33 ERA in Double A. In the 3rd round, Mark drafted catcher Don Gile. Being that Mark already brought up a 20 year old Earl Battey to be his catcher of the future, Gile could become a more than serviceable backup later on. Gile hit .330 with one home run and 14 RBI in Single A before getting promoted to Double A and hitting .270 with one home run and 16 RBI in Double A.
The White Sox' 4th round pick was pitcher Diomedes Olivo, who has already been promoted to the major leagues. Olivo is 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA out of the bullpen. In the 5th round, right fielder Angelo Dagres was chosen. Dagres looks like he has mediocre potential at this point. He has hit .254 with five home runs and 52 RBI in Double A.
Bob Powell, the White Sox' 6th round pick is less developed than Dagres, but has similar potential. In Single A, Powell is hitting .282 with three home runs and 53 RBI. Mark's final two selections are nothing special. Evans Killeen looks below average generally speaking, but could turn into a walk machine, thanks to an untimely bad PD. He is 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA in eight Double A starts. John Edelman is not much better talent wise, but has had a better season with a 9-2 record and a 4.72 ERA.
Mark's draft wasn't too flashy, but despite taking a closer in the 1st round, it was good overall.
White Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: B+
White Sox 1955 Draft Grade: B+
Cleveland Indians:
1st Round Pick: P Orlando Pena
2nd Round Pick: C Jesse Gonder
3rd Round Pick: P Wynn Hawkins
4th Round Pick: 3B Bob F. Sadowski
5th Round Pick: RF Jim McAnany
6th Round Pick: SS Chico Heron
7th Round Pick: 3B Jim McKnight
8th Round Pick: P Lowell Creighton
Falling short of the Yankees once again, Ashes' draft position obviously wasn't the greatest. His 1st round pick was pitcher Orlando Pena, who looks very good overall and already has a 2 in runs. A home runs increase would make him a stud. Pena went 6-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 Double A starts, before getting promoted to Triple A, where he is currently 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA. He should be ready by around 1958.
In the 2nd round, Ashes went with catcher Jesse Gonder. He already has a young Earl Averill as his catcher of the future, so Gonder could be a solid backup. He has average talents across the board and could become a decent player with time. He is hitting .265 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI in Triple A.
Ashes' 3rd round pick was Wynn Hawkins, who is also average across the board and could turn into a solid pitcher with some PD help. Hawkins was 2-2 with a 7.20 ERA in four Double A starts. He now has a 1-2 record and a 7.71 ERA in 11 Triple A appearances, but all of one have been as a reliever.
The Indians got one of the many Sadowski brothers in the 4th round. Bob Sadowski is not the most talented player out there, but could turn into a good utility backup of some sort later on. He is tearing up Single A with a .331 average, four home runs and 45 RBI. Single A teammate outfielder Jim McAnany has been hitting very well himself, with a .335 average, 12 home runs and 62 RBI. He could become a promising outfielder with a hits increase. He already got a home runs and walks PD earlier this season.
Ashes was given shortstop Chico Heron in the 6th round. His talent ratings aren't great, but he has hit .304 with ten home runs and 49 RBI in Single A thus far. Jim McKnight will probably never get a starting job at any point in his career, but he has hit .332 with six home runs and 55 RBI in Single A. A negative PD for McKnight did not help his development one bit. Ashes' final selection was pitcher Lowell Creighton. The reliever, who has very little potential, is 2-1 with a 4.18 ERA and four saves in Single A.
Ashes' draft wasn't the top among all teams, but pretty good for the position he was in. McAnany could turn out to be one of the bigger steals in the draft.
Indians 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Indians 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Detroit Tigers:
Lenny Green was one of the better hitters in the 1955 draft.
1st Round Pick: CF Lenny Green
2nd Round Pick: P Jack Kralick
2nd Round Pick: P Claude Raymond
3rd Round Pick: C Don G. Leppert
4th Round Pick: P Garland Shifflett
5th Round Pick: CF Dan Dobbek
6th Round Pick: 2B Marv Breeding
7th Round Pick: 3B Don Eaddy
8th Round Pick: P Verle Tiefenthaler
In his first draft with the Tigers since taking over for K, Trevor did the best he could with a relatively thin draft class by taking Lenny Green seventh overall. Green could use a hits increase, but is already good in walks and has B/C for running and stealing, which is not bad. Green tore it up in Single A, with a .351 average, five home runs and 52 RBI, before getting promoted to Double A, where he has struggled, with a .203 average and six RBI in 17 games.
With the Senators' 2nd round pick, Trevor took starter Jack Kralick. Kralick has the potential to be a very good pitcher. He is currently 7-3 with a 5.46 ERA in Double A.
Trevor then selected reliever Claude Raymond with his own 2nd round pick. With a B relief duration, Trevor could increase that to an A and then convert him to a starter if he wants to. Raymond's talents look great and he could eventually become an effective closer. He is 3-2 with a 5.01 ERA in Double A.
Catcher Don Leppert was Trevor's next pick. Leppert is closer to being major league ready than Green and Raymond, but like Green, he could use a hits increase as well. Leppert is hitting .296 in Triple A with four home runs and 32 RBI. He has already benefited from a good home runs and strikeouts PD. In the 4th round, Trevor got pitcher Garland Shifflett. Shifflett can start and relieve, but is probably better off as a reliever in the future. Shifflett has decent talent abilities so far. He is 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA in Double A and has spent most of his time as a reliever.
In the 5th round, the Tigers got Dan Dobbek. Dobbek isn't particularly talented, but has had a monster season in Single A that includes a .372 average, 24 home runs and 91 RBI. Marv Breeding, who has chosen in the 6th round is one of the most developed among the late picks. Breeding could be a major league backup infielder as soon as 1956. He is hitting .262 with six home runs and 35 RBI in Triple A.
Third baseman Don Eaddy went in the 7th round, but does not have any real potential at all unless he gets that PD help. He is batting .288 with four home runs and 43 RBI in Double A. 8th round pick Verle Tiefenthaler has more potential as a reliever than a starter, but he is 7-0 with a 3.80 ERA in ten starts and 24 total appearances in Single A.
All in all, Trevor had a good, but not great draft. Having middle picks sucks, but hopefully, Trevor can bring the Tigers closer to being legitimately competitive in the future.
Tigers 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Tigers 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Kansas City A's:
1st Round Pick: 1B Kihachi Enomoto
2nd Round Pick: P Julio Navarro
3rd Round Pick: P Bob Botz
4th Round Pick: P Willard Hunter
5th Round Pick: P Bob Hartman
6th Round Pick: 2B Chet Boak
7th Round Pick: SS J.C. Hartman
8th Round Pick: P Red Swanson
A change of scenery has not done any good for the A's this season. Steve1213 misses Philly already. He took Kihachi Enomoto ninth overall. Enomoto does not look particularly awesome for a first baseman, but he has very good potential, especially if he gets a hits increase. Steve1213 has the points to make it happen. Enomoto is off to a good start to his young career with a .291 average, 14 home runs and 52 RBI in Single A.
In the 2nd round, Steve1213 selected Julio Navarro. Navarro is a reliever, but he has very good talent ratings. He could possibly become the A's future closer. Navarro is currently 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 10 saves in Double A. Bob Botz will need a hits or home runs increase to become more useful, but he is still a solid spect for the A's right now. He is 6-5 with a 4.53 ERA in Double A so far. He has already suffered a drop in starting duration.
Steve then got 2 more pitchers in Willard Hunter and Bob Hartman. Hunter is decent and could use a hits increase. He has struggled with a 3-9 record and a 7.80 ERA in 17 starts in Double A. Hartman's talents aren't as good and he will need PD help to get somewhere. He is 3-7 with a 5.40 ERA in Double A.
Second baseman Chet Boak was drafted in the 6th round. Despite being fair in both hits and home runs, Boak has had a very good season in Single A, with a .328 average, eight home runs and 72 RBI. Shortstop J.C. Hartman was taken in the 7th round and is destined to eventually be a major league backup. He hit .292 with two home runs and 15 RBI in Double A before getting promoted to Triple A, where he has hit .235 with 13 RBI. As for Red Swanson, he will need major PD help to get anywhere. He is 3-4 with a 4.70 ERA in Double A and has mostly worked out of the bullpen.
Steve1213's draft was good, but he will need to pay up for a few increases for these guys to have a major impact in the future.
A's 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
A's 1955 Draft Grade: B+
New York Yankees:
1st Round Pick: P Barry Latman
2nd Round Pick: P Jim Duffalo
3rd Round Pick: P Jack H. Smith
4th Round Pick: LF Fred Van Dusen
5th Round Pick: P Ted Sadowski
6th Round Pick: P Bob Dustal
7th Round Pick: 1B Karl Kuehl
Oh what a surprise! Our lovely commissioner decided to load up on pitching in the draft, with some of his vets really starting to age. That's good thinking right there. Chris took Barry Latman with the final pick of the 1st round. At just 19, Latman looks very good and I can't believe he fell this far! Latman already has a 1 in runs and could turn into yet another one of the Yankees' great pitchers in the future. Latman is 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA in Double A.
The next pitcher Chris took was Jim Duffalo. His talents are similar to Latman, but he also has E duration, which would make him a possibly better reliever in the future. Duffalo is 4-3 with a 2.37 ERA in Double A and has split time between the rotation and bullpen. In the 3rd round, Chris selected Jack Smith, who is also more likely to be a reliever. Smith though only has a fair in hits, which lowers his value. He is 1-1 with a 6.93 ERA in Double A.
The first hitter Chris got was Fred Van Dusen in the 4th round. Van Dusen is only 17, but is fair in hits. A bad PD brought Van Dusen's home runs down to fair as well. But at that age, anything can happen with PD's and Chris will obviously hope for some good ones. Van Dusen is currently hitting .335 with two home runs and 52 RBI in Single A.
Chris then went back to pitching and drafted another Sadowski brother. This one was Ted Sadowski, who is probably going to be a reliever in the future. His talents aren't bad at all for a 5th round pick. Sadowski is 4-2 with a 4.91 ERA in Double A. After that, he selected yet another reliever in Bob Dustal. Dustal's talents are similar to Sadowski's, but is slightly behind in overall development. Dustal has a 3-0 record and a 6.23 ERA in Double A.
First baseman Karl Kuehl was Chris' final pick of the draft. Kuehl did not look great at all originally, but was recently a major beneficiary of a huge PD that resulted in his hits and home runs talents each going up once and his strikeouts talent going up twice. Kuehl now has mostly average talents and could be that much more useful with a hits increase. Kuehl is hitting .270 with six home runs and 39 RBI in Double A.
Chris' 1st round pick was great, and especially considering the fact that he is the defending AL champion and had the final pick in each round of the draft. The rest of his draft was good, but could have been even better if some of those relievers were starters with D or better duration. Oh well. The Yankees are still loaded as hell and Chris isn't complaining.
Yankees 1st Round Pick Grade: A
Yankees 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Washington Senators:
Clete Boyer and Carl Mathias have since been traded to the Pirates.
1st Round Pick: 3B Clete Boyer
3rd Round Pick: 1B Ramiro Caballero
4th Round Pick: P Carl Mathias
5th Round Pick: P Tom Gibson
6th Round Pick: 2B George C. Smith
7th Round Pick: 2B Ray Webster
8th Round Pick: CF Jerry Schoonmaker
Unlike the other AL teams, Adam no longer has two of his picks from this draft. One of them is his 1st round pick, Clete Boyer. He was traded to the Pirates in the deal that sent Steve Gromek and Bill Kennedy to the Senators. The 18 year old Boyer now has a happy home in the "Steel City" and has already gotten a nice home runs and strikeouts PD. Where exactly Boyer will fit in with the Pirates later on is yet to be determined, but Boyer can already play three infield positions and should be able to learn the outfield with time as well. Boyer hit .215 with two home runs and 10 RBI in Double A, but after his promotion to Triple A, he has turned the power up with a .222 average, 10 home runs and 36 RBI. He could really use a hits increase and should be ready for the big leagues no later than 1957.
Adam had traded his 2nd round pick to the Tigers when he acquired Bob Cerv. In the 3rd round, he selected Ramon Caballero. Caballero is on the older side, but should be major league ready by 1957 at the very latest. He has decent talent ratings overall and is hitting .267 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI in Double A.
The other drafted player Adam already traded to the Pirates was pitcher Carl Mathias. Mathias has average talents across the board, but is only 19 so he has quite a lot of growing to do with time. With all the pitching depth the Pirates have, he might end up being a reliever. Mathias is 4-5 with a 6.35 ERA in Double A.
Adam's 5th round pick was pitcher Tom Gibson. With E starting duration, Gibson may be better off as a reliever going forward. His talents aren't bad for a mid-late pick. He is 2-6 with a 6.82 ERA in Single A. It will be a long time before Gibson is ready for the major leagues.
Shortstop George Smith was next and he looks to be a backup infielder unless the PD spirits help him out at some point. Smith is hitting well in Single A though with a .335 average, seven home runs and 47 RBI. Another second baseman Ray Webster was drafted in the 7th round. Webster's talents are similar to Smith's, but he is further developed at just 17 years old. Webster hit .346 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in Single A and is now hitting .256 with five home runs and 26 RBI in Double A.
Jerry Schoonmaker rounds out the Senators' draft as their 8th round pick. Schoonmaker will most likely never make the major leagues and if he does, I will feel sorry for whoever promotes him there. Schoonmaker has fair talents across the board, except for average strikeouts. He offers little else in speed and defense as well. Yet despite all that, he is hitting .350 with 17 home runs and 89 RBI in Single A. Now I'm definitely convinced that they use aluminum bats in Single A!
Adam's draft was decent to begin with, but not having his own second round pick will hurt his grade a bit, as will Caballero being 25 already.
Senators 1st Round Pick Grade: B+
Senators 1955 Draft Grade: B
There you have it! National League grades coming soon to a forum near you!
Being that most of the current season is already behind us, I will include minor league stats for this season as well with each player.
Baltimore Orioles:
Brooks Robinson should provide good hitting and amazing defense at third base for years to come.
1st Round Pick: 3B Brooks Robinson
2nd Round Pick: 1B Deacon Jones
3rd Round Pick: P Dave Stenhouse
4th Round Pick: P Ted Wills
5th Round Pick: SS Jose Pagan
6th Round Pick: SS Alex George
7th Round Pick: C Jack Feller
8th Round Pick: P Jim Brady
Pete's Orioles had the second worst record in 1954, so they were in great position to land some good draftees. Pete selected Brooks Robinson fourth overall. Robinson started off with mostly average talents, but his hits talent rating has already been increased, making him that much more valuable. I probably would've taken Norm Cash over Robinson if it were me, but 3B is a position with not a whole lot of talent, so you can't really second guess Pete there. Robinson should turn into a very solid infielder to build a team around. He hit .417 with two home runs and eight RBI in Single A before getting quickly promoted to Double A, where he is hitting .230 with five home runs and 38 RBI. His .663 Double A OPS is concerning, but the 18-year old Robinson still has a long way to go regardless before he is ready for the big show.
Pete made another solid choice in the second round with Deacon Jones. Jones could probably use a hits increase himself, but looks to be a decent role player at the very least. He can only play first base right now, so Pete might want to make him more versatile defensively. Jones is having a great year in Double A, with a .298 average, 12 home runs and 78 RBI.
In the third round, Pete took pitcher Dave Stenhouse. Stenhouse is a decent pitcher for a 3rd round pick, but could really use a home runs increase to become better. He was 1-1 with a 4.87 ERA in Single A before getting promoted to Double A, where he has a 4-3 record and a 6.54 ERA.
By the fourth round, the auto picks started to roll in. Pete got another pitcher in Ted Wills in the 4th round. Wills is actually better rated right now than Stenhouse. Wills was 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in two Single A starts, but has been very good in Double A, with a 5-1 record and a 3.70 ERA.
Pete got a pair of shortstops in the fifth and sixth rounds, with Jose Pagan and Alex George, respectively. Pagan is the older of the two and could become a decent player, but not great until he gets some PD help. After getting off to .327, one home run and six RBI start in Single A, Pagan got moved up to Double A, where he has hit .236 with two home runs and 34 RBI.
George is rated slightly worse than Pagan, but is younger and could have more upside in the future. George has been all over the minors, with a .490 average, two home runs and 13 RBI in Single A, .396 average, four home runs and 27 RBI in Double A, and .222 average with eight RBI in Triple A.
Catcher Jack Feller landed with the O's in the 7th round. He's likely to be a backup catcher at best. He has had a very good year though, with a .349 average, four home runs and 46 RBI in Single A. The O's final pick was Jim Brady, who is more likely to be a reliever than a starter down the road. Brady was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in Single A and is currently 2-0 with a 3.88 ERA in Double A.
Pete's draft overall was very solid, but could have been slightly better.
Orioles 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Orioles 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Boston Red Sox:
1st Round Pick: P Bill Short
2nd Round Pick: CF Jim Small
3rd Round Pick: P Glen Hobbie
4th Round Pick: 2B Jack Bloomfield
5th Round Pick: RF Tex Nelson
6th Round Pick: C Mack Burk
7th Round Pick: LF John Easton
8th Round Pick: P Glen Rosenbaum
I personally tend to stay away from starting pitchers with E duration, but for some reason, Break doesn't mind E duration pitchers that much. With that being said, he took pitcher Bill Short in the first round. Short could end up becoming a reliever in the future, but will need a hits increase to be legit regardless. I would've taken someone like Ron Piche before Short, but to each his own. Short went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two Single A starts before getting moved up to Double A, where he has a 1-3 record and a 3.86 ERA. He seems to have split time between the rotation and bullpen.
Outfielder Jim Small could end up becoming a table setter in the Red Sox' future lineup. He needs a hits increase to be good, won't hit many home runs (thanks to a bad PD), but can draw some walks and get on base. Defensively, he looks pretty good overall. Small hit .460 with two home runs and 14 RBI in Single A before getting promoted to Double A, where he has hit .278 with nine home runs and 37 RBI.
Break's 3rd round pick, Glen Hobbie is pretty much an average pitcher. He's got some potential, but not a ton by any means. After going 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts in Single A, Hobbie has not fared as well in Double A, with a 1-8 record and a 4.42 ERA. Hobbie unfortunately suffered a bad PD to his home runs rating earlier in the season.
Utility infielder Jack Bloomfield was the Red Sox' 4th round pick. He looks to eventually be just that with the Red Sox in the years to come and probably won't be starting material unless the PD spirits have something to say on that. Bloomfield has had a very good season all over the minors. He hit .360 with one home run and seven RBI in Single A, .317 with three home runs and 20 RBI in Double A, and is currently hitting .368 with five home runs and 19 RBI in Triple A.
Right fielder Tex Nelson has had a good season of his own, despite not projecting to be anything special in the future. He is hitting .316 with five home runs and 45 RBI in Single A. After Nelson for the Red Sox was catcher Mack Burk, who is backup material, but has hit .342 with ten home runs and 42 RBI in Single A this season. Teammate and 7th Round pick left fielder John Easton can draw some walks, but may not be as good of an actual hitter. The PD in walks was nice for him. Nonetheless, Easton has been tearing up Single A with a .341 average, five home runs and 46 RBI.
Break's final pick, pitcher Glen Rosenbaum has mop-up potential at best right now. He hasn't been too impressive in Double A either, with an 0-5 record and a 5.66 ERA out of the bullpen.
All in all, Break's draft was rather mediocre. He could've done better than Bill Short in the first round and none of his other picks really stood out. I'll give him the benefit of doubt though just because a lot of these guys have hit and pitched well in the minors thus far.
Red Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Red Sox 1955 Draft Grade: B+
Chicago White Sox:
1st Round Pick: P Lindy McDaniel
2nd Round Pick: P Dave Wickersham
3rd Round Pick: C Don Gile
4th Round Pick: P Diomedes Olivo
5th Round Pick: RF Angelo Dagres
6th Round Pick: LF Bob Powell
7th Round Pick: P Evans Killeen
8th Round Pick: P John Edelman
Bullpen depth seemed to be an area Mark wanted to improve for the future, so he went with Lindy McDaniel in the 1st round. Like Bill Short, I would have passed up on McDaniel in favor of Ron Piche personally. But regardless, McDaniel has great talents and has the potential to become a future closer. He has B relief duration as well, so Mark could increase that to A and then try to convert him into a starter. We'll see if he ends up doing that. McDaniel is 4-3 with a 4.32 ERA and 17 saves in Double A this season.
Mark then selected another pitcher in Dave Wickersham in the 2nd round. Wickersham looks very good overall and could eventually be a part of the White Sox' rotation. Wickersham is 6-9 with a 6.33 ERA in Double A. In the 3rd round, Mark drafted catcher Don Gile. Being that Mark already brought up a 20 year old Earl Battey to be his catcher of the future, Gile could become a more than serviceable backup later on. Gile hit .330 with one home run and 14 RBI in Single A before getting promoted to Double A and hitting .270 with one home run and 16 RBI in Double A.
The White Sox' 4th round pick was pitcher Diomedes Olivo, who has already been promoted to the major leagues. Olivo is 2-2 with a 2.17 ERA out of the bullpen. In the 5th round, right fielder Angelo Dagres was chosen. Dagres looks like he has mediocre potential at this point. He has hit .254 with five home runs and 52 RBI in Double A.
Bob Powell, the White Sox' 6th round pick is less developed than Dagres, but has similar potential. In Single A, Powell is hitting .282 with three home runs and 53 RBI. Mark's final two selections are nothing special. Evans Killeen looks below average generally speaking, but could turn into a walk machine, thanks to an untimely bad PD. He is 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA in eight Double A starts. John Edelman is not much better talent wise, but has had a better season with a 9-2 record and a 4.72 ERA.
Mark's draft wasn't too flashy, but despite taking a closer in the 1st round, it was good overall.
White Sox 1st Round Pick Grade: B+
White Sox 1955 Draft Grade: B+
Cleveland Indians:
1st Round Pick: P Orlando Pena
2nd Round Pick: C Jesse Gonder
3rd Round Pick: P Wynn Hawkins
4th Round Pick: 3B Bob F. Sadowski
5th Round Pick: RF Jim McAnany
6th Round Pick: SS Chico Heron
7th Round Pick: 3B Jim McKnight
8th Round Pick: P Lowell Creighton
Falling short of the Yankees once again, Ashes' draft position obviously wasn't the greatest. His 1st round pick was pitcher Orlando Pena, who looks very good overall and already has a 2 in runs. A home runs increase would make him a stud. Pena went 6-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 Double A starts, before getting promoted to Triple A, where he is currently 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA. He should be ready by around 1958.
In the 2nd round, Ashes went with catcher Jesse Gonder. He already has a young Earl Averill as his catcher of the future, so Gonder could be a solid backup. He has average talents across the board and could become a decent player with time. He is hitting .265 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI in Triple A.
Ashes' 3rd round pick was Wynn Hawkins, who is also average across the board and could turn into a solid pitcher with some PD help. Hawkins was 2-2 with a 7.20 ERA in four Double A starts. He now has a 1-2 record and a 7.71 ERA in 11 Triple A appearances, but all of one have been as a reliever.
The Indians got one of the many Sadowski brothers in the 4th round. Bob Sadowski is not the most talented player out there, but could turn into a good utility backup of some sort later on. He is tearing up Single A with a .331 average, four home runs and 45 RBI. Single A teammate outfielder Jim McAnany has been hitting very well himself, with a .335 average, 12 home runs and 62 RBI. He could become a promising outfielder with a hits increase. He already got a home runs and walks PD earlier this season.
Ashes was given shortstop Chico Heron in the 6th round. His talent ratings aren't great, but he has hit .304 with ten home runs and 49 RBI in Single A thus far. Jim McKnight will probably never get a starting job at any point in his career, but he has hit .332 with six home runs and 55 RBI in Single A. A negative PD for McKnight did not help his development one bit. Ashes' final selection was pitcher Lowell Creighton. The reliever, who has very little potential, is 2-1 with a 4.18 ERA and four saves in Single A.
Ashes' draft wasn't the top among all teams, but pretty good for the position he was in. McAnany could turn out to be one of the bigger steals in the draft.
Indians 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Indians 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Detroit Tigers:
Lenny Green was one of the better hitters in the 1955 draft.
1st Round Pick: CF Lenny Green
2nd Round Pick: P Jack Kralick
2nd Round Pick: P Claude Raymond
3rd Round Pick: C Don G. Leppert
4th Round Pick: P Garland Shifflett
5th Round Pick: CF Dan Dobbek
6th Round Pick: 2B Marv Breeding
7th Round Pick: 3B Don Eaddy
8th Round Pick: P Verle Tiefenthaler
In his first draft with the Tigers since taking over for K, Trevor did the best he could with a relatively thin draft class by taking Lenny Green seventh overall. Green could use a hits increase, but is already good in walks and has B/C for running and stealing, which is not bad. Green tore it up in Single A, with a .351 average, five home runs and 52 RBI, before getting promoted to Double A, where he has struggled, with a .203 average and six RBI in 17 games.
With the Senators' 2nd round pick, Trevor took starter Jack Kralick. Kralick has the potential to be a very good pitcher. He is currently 7-3 with a 5.46 ERA in Double A.
Trevor then selected reliever Claude Raymond with his own 2nd round pick. With a B relief duration, Trevor could increase that to an A and then convert him to a starter if he wants to. Raymond's talents look great and he could eventually become an effective closer. He is 3-2 with a 5.01 ERA in Double A.
Catcher Don Leppert was Trevor's next pick. Leppert is closer to being major league ready than Green and Raymond, but like Green, he could use a hits increase as well. Leppert is hitting .296 in Triple A with four home runs and 32 RBI. He has already benefited from a good home runs and strikeouts PD. In the 4th round, Trevor got pitcher Garland Shifflett. Shifflett can start and relieve, but is probably better off as a reliever in the future. Shifflett has decent talent abilities so far. He is 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA in Double A and has spent most of his time as a reliever.
In the 5th round, the Tigers got Dan Dobbek. Dobbek isn't particularly talented, but has had a monster season in Single A that includes a .372 average, 24 home runs and 91 RBI. Marv Breeding, who has chosen in the 6th round is one of the most developed among the late picks. Breeding could be a major league backup infielder as soon as 1956. He is hitting .262 with six home runs and 35 RBI in Triple A.
Third baseman Don Eaddy went in the 7th round, but does not have any real potential at all unless he gets that PD help. He is batting .288 with four home runs and 43 RBI in Double A. 8th round pick Verle Tiefenthaler has more potential as a reliever than a starter, but he is 7-0 with a 3.80 ERA in ten starts and 24 total appearances in Single A.
All in all, Trevor had a good, but not great draft. Having middle picks sucks, but hopefully, Trevor can bring the Tigers closer to being legitimately competitive in the future.
Tigers 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
Tigers 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Kansas City A's:
1st Round Pick: 1B Kihachi Enomoto
2nd Round Pick: P Julio Navarro
3rd Round Pick: P Bob Botz
4th Round Pick: P Willard Hunter
5th Round Pick: P Bob Hartman
6th Round Pick: 2B Chet Boak
7th Round Pick: SS J.C. Hartman
8th Round Pick: P Red Swanson
A change of scenery has not done any good for the A's this season. Steve1213 misses Philly already. He took Kihachi Enomoto ninth overall. Enomoto does not look particularly awesome for a first baseman, but he has very good potential, especially if he gets a hits increase. Steve1213 has the points to make it happen. Enomoto is off to a good start to his young career with a .291 average, 14 home runs and 52 RBI in Single A.
In the 2nd round, Steve1213 selected Julio Navarro. Navarro is a reliever, but he has very good talent ratings. He could possibly become the A's future closer. Navarro is currently 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 10 saves in Double A. Bob Botz will need a hits or home runs increase to become more useful, but he is still a solid spect for the A's right now. He is 6-5 with a 4.53 ERA in Double A so far. He has already suffered a drop in starting duration.
Steve then got 2 more pitchers in Willard Hunter and Bob Hartman. Hunter is decent and could use a hits increase. He has struggled with a 3-9 record and a 7.80 ERA in 17 starts in Double A. Hartman's talents aren't as good and he will need PD help to get somewhere. He is 3-7 with a 5.40 ERA in Double A.
Second baseman Chet Boak was drafted in the 6th round. Despite being fair in both hits and home runs, Boak has had a very good season in Single A, with a .328 average, eight home runs and 72 RBI. Shortstop J.C. Hartman was taken in the 7th round and is destined to eventually be a major league backup. He hit .292 with two home runs and 15 RBI in Double A before getting promoted to Triple A, where he has hit .235 with 13 RBI. As for Red Swanson, he will need major PD help to get anywhere. He is 3-4 with a 4.70 ERA in Double A and has mostly worked out of the bullpen.
Steve1213's draft was good, but he will need to pay up for a few increases for these guys to have a major impact in the future.
A's 1st Round Pick Grade: A-
A's 1955 Draft Grade: B+
New York Yankees:
1st Round Pick: P Barry Latman
2nd Round Pick: P Jim Duffalo
3rd Round Pick: P Jack H. Smith
4th Round Pick: LF Fred Van Dusen
5th Round Pick: P Ted Sadowski
6th Round Pick: P Bob Dustal
7th Round Pick: 1B Karl Kuehl
Oh what a surprise! Our lovely commissioner decided to load up on pitching in the draft, with some of his vets really starting to age. That's good thinking right there. Chris took Barry Latman with the final pick of the 1st round. At just 19, Latman looks very good and I can't believe he fell this far! Latman already has a 1 in runs and could turn into yet another one of the Yankees' great pitchers in the future. Latman is 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA in Double A.
The next pitcher Chris took was Jim Duffalo. His talents are similar to Latman, but he also has E duration, which would make him a possibly better reliever in the future. Duffalo is 4-3 with a 2.37 ERA in Double A and has split time between the rotation and bullpen. In the 3rd round, Chris selected Jack Smith, who is also more likely to be a reliever. Smith though only has a fair in hits, which lowers his value. He is 1-1 with a 6.93 ERA in Double A.
The first hitter Chris got was Fred Van Dusen in the 4th round. Van Dusen is only 17, but is fair in hits. A bad PD brought Van Dusen's home runs down to fair as well. But at that age, anything can happen with PD's and Chris will obviously hope for some good ones. Van Dusen is currently hitting .335 with two home runs and 52 RBI in Single A.
Chris then went back to pitching and drafted another Sadowski brother. This one was Ted Sadowski, who is probably going to be a reliever in the future. His talents aren't bad at all for a 5th round pick. Sadowski is 4-2 with a 4.91 ERA in Double A. After that, he selected yet another reliever in Bob Dustal. Dustal's talents are similar to Sadowski's, but is slightly behind in overall development. Dustal has a 3-0 record and a 6.23 ERA in Double A.
First baseman Karl Kuehl was Chris' final pick of the draft. Kuehl did not look great at all originally, but was recently a major beneficiary of a huge PD that resulted in his hits and home runs talents each going up once and his strikeouts talent going up twice. Kuehl now has mostly average talents and could be that much more useful with a hits increase. Kuehl is hitting .270 with six home runs and 39 RBI in Double A.
Chris' 1st round pick was great, and especially considering the fact that he is the defending AL champion and had the final pick in each round of the draft. The rest of his draft was good, but could have been even better if some of those relievers were starters with D or better duration. Oh well. The Yankees are still loaded as hell and Chris isn't complaining.
Yankees 1st Round Pick Grade: A
Yankees 1955 Draft Grade: A-
Washington Senators:
Clete Boyer and Carl Mathias have since been traded to the Pirates.
1st Round Pick: 3B Clete Boyer
3rd Round Pick: 1B Ramiro Caballero
4th Round Pick: P Carl Mathias
5th Round Pick: P Tom Gibson
6th Round Pick: 2B George C. Smith
7th Round Pick: 2B Ray Webster
8th Round Pick: CF Jerry Schoonmaker
Unlike the other AL teams, Adam no longer has two of his picks from this draft. One of them is his 1st round pick, Clete Boyer. He was traded to the Pirates in the deal that sent Steve Gromek and Bill Kennedy to the Senators. The 18 year old Boyer now has a happy home in the "Steel City" and has already gotten a nice home runs and strikeouts PD. Where exactly Boyer will fit in with the Pirates later on is yet to be determined, but Boyer can already play three infield positions and should be able to learn the outfield with time as well. Boyer hit .215 with two home runs and 10 RBI in Double A, but after his promotion to Triple A, he has turned the power up with a .222 average, 10 home runs and 36 RBI. He could really use a hits increase and should be ready for the big leagues no later than 1957.
Adam had traded his 2nd round pick to the Tigers when he acquired Bob Cerv. In the 3rd round, he selected Ramon Caballero. Caballero is on the older side, but should be major league ready by 1957 at the very latest. He has decent talent ratings overall and is hitting .267 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI in Double A.
The other drafted player Adam already traded to the Pirates was pitcher Carl Mathias. Mathias has average talents across the board, but is only 19 so he has quite a lot of growing to do with time. With all the pitching depth the Pirates have, he might end up being a reliever. Mathias is 4-5 with a 6.35 ERA in Double A.
Adam's 5th round pick was pitcher Tom Gibson. With E starting duration, Gibson may be better off as a reliever going forward. His talents aren't bad for a mid-late pick. He is 2-6 with a 6.82 ERA in Single A. It will be a long time before Gibson is ready for the major leagues.
Shortstop George Smith was next and he looks to be a backup infielder unless the PD spirits help him out at some point. Smith is hitting well in Single A though with a .335 average, seven home runs and 47 RBI. Another second baseman Ray Webster was drafted in the 7th round. Webster's talents are similar to Smith's, but he is further developed at just 17 years old. Webster hit .346 with nine home runs and 36 RBI in Single A and is now hitting .256 with five home runs and 26 RBI in Double A.
Jerry Schoonmaker rounds out the Senators' draft as their 8th round pick. Schoonmaker will most likely never make the major leagues and if he does, I will feel sorry for whoever promotes him there. Schoonmaker has fair talents across the board, except for average strikeouts. He offers little else in speed and defense as well. Yet despite all that, he is hitting .350 with 17 home runs and 89 RBI in Single A. Now I'm definitely convinced that they use aluminum bats in Single A!
Adam's draft was decent to begin with, but not having his own second round pick will hurt his grade a bit, as will Caballero being 25 already.
Senators 1st Round Pick Grade: B+
Senators 1955 Draft Grade: B
There you have it! National League grades coming soon to a forum near you!
