S20 Draft Review - New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans 

Needs: 1B, SP, RP
The Pelicans always have a steady stream of catching prospects
Looking for a young thug to replace Frank Robbin's aging bat
Plenty of youth looking to fill spots in an aging outfield
Rotation being systematically turned over, but could use a future ace
Need more quality arms in the bullpen

Draft Preparation:
Player budget: near league average (80 mill)
Prospect budget: moderate (15 mill)
Draft budget: moderate - college (10 mill) high school (12 mill)

Number of Draft Picks Rounds 1-5: 9

Picks

Round 1 Pick 21 CF Albert Buckley 
Brilliant glove, but limited range for a CF, he may be best utilized as a gold glove 2B. He is an average hitter, being held to the bottom third of the order. His high quality running skills may find him being used on occasion in the no. 2 slot. His makeup rating is suspect, so even reaching his projections will be a challenge.
ML Proj: 500-530 AB/10 HR/.240-.250 BA/20-25 SB

Round 1 Pick 37 (supp) 1B Lawrence Donatello 
Good defensive ability for the converted RF. Combination of decent hitting and speed makes him a solid contributor from the no. 7 slot in the order. His high makeup rating makes him likely to approach his projections.
ML Proj: 575 AB/15 HR/.260-.270 BA/15 SB

Round 1 Pick 53 (supp) RP Eric Durham 
Great left/right splits and great velocity. Unfortunately, he has trouble finding the plate at times. Good health and good makeup makes him reliable for showing up physically, if not mentally. He can only give limited innings due to low durability and stamina. 3 ML quality pitches involves the fastball as his feature pitch.
ML Proj: 40 IP/3.50-4.00 ERA

Round 1 Pick 62 (supp) SS Ross Teagarden 
Moved to 2B (a wise move) Teagarden will likely see time as a utility infielder. Not excelling in any one area, he has the tools to fill in for short periods of time.
ML Proj: 200 AB/5 HR/.260 BA

Round 2 Pick 66 SP Rudy Blair
Some signing issues. If signed, Blair would make a solid addition to the rotation in the number 4 or 5 slot. He has good left/right splits and control, and solid command of his 4 ML quality pitches. Feature pitch is the knucklecurve.
ML Proj: 210 IP/12-15 W/3.30-3.50 ERA if signed

Round 2 Pick 87 RP Coco Adkins 
Another RP to add depth, Adkins is not a lights out stopper, but will come in and eat middle - late innings, bridging the gap. Has slightly low control and velocity, so he will rely on his command of his 3 ML pitches to get outs. Feature pitch is the fastball.
ML Proj: 80-90 IP/3.50-4.50 ERA

Round 3 Pick 119 RP Mitch Jackson 
Another piece to a building bullpen. Once again, not the type to win you games, but to keep you in them. Decent splits, good control and great command of 3 ML pitches make him a productive commodity.
ML Proj: 40-50 IP/3.30-4.00 ERA

Round 4 Pick 152 LF Brian Skinner 
Career minor leaguer. Ceiling AAA

Round 5 Pick 184 SP/RP Jair Lugo 
Career minor leaguer. Ceiling AAA

Hidden Gems: none apparent

Overall Grade: A
Does not start with a very high first pick, but in the first 5 rounds, gjd comes away with no less than 7 potential ML prospects. A job well done.