S18 Draft Review by holer

Santa Fe Sluggers

Needs: C, 3B, SS, SP
Similar needs to Jackson in that they have an aging Catcher who needs to be replaced in a few seasons.
The remainder of the system appears lopsided with an abundance of talent available for certain positions, and glaring ommissions at other positions.

Draft Expectations: Low
With no extra picks, and having lost his 2nd round pick due to free agent signings, tony23 is left with only 4 picks in the top 5 rounds. Pick no. 2 isn't until 100th overall.

Draft Preparation: To get anything out of this year's draft, tony23 had to make his 11th overall pick count. Very low scouting numbers across the board means the Sluggers had to get very lucky to pull down an adequate pick at number 11.

Prospects

Round 1 Pick 11
RF Francis Kelly - Considering the obstacles tony23 faced in finding a worthy candidate for the 11th overall pick, he did a credible job in finding Kelly. Kelly will be a very effective power hitter and has both the durability and makeup to maximize his potential, and play every day. He also has the base running skills to swipe a few bases, if he is played that way. Defensively, he is better suited to 1B where he will make fewer errors with his glove than in RF. If played properly, he should make several all-star appearances.
ML projection: 40-45 HR/.300-.310 BA/15 SB 

Round 3 Pick 100
SP Luis Montana - 3 plus pitches, outstanding velocity/control splits, and a good groundball/flyball ratio will allow Montana to excell in his rise through the minors. That, however, is as far as he will go. He may get pulled up to the bigs to fill in for injuries, but once there, the big bats will feed on him. Look for a AAA ceiling.
ML projection: Emergency replacement
  
Round 4 Pick 132
RP Esmerling Nunez - Very similar to Montana in that he should have no problem rising through the minor league bullpens until he hits a brick wall at AAA.

Round 5 Pick 164
LF Antonio Song - Like Kelly, he should be moved to 1B to cut back on errors. Offensively he could rise to the high minors, but idealy you would like to see more power from your 1B. Watch for him to bounce around once he reaches AA.

Hidden Gems: none foreseeable

Overall Grade: D
Francis Kelly saved this from being a total disaster, but even with him, none of the real long range needs were addressed. The few areas where the sluggers have a surplus of talent is where they used their higher draft choices.