Draft Review

[Astros]

With the MLB draft this Thursday, I figured out of boredom that I would look back at past IBC drafts. At first I'm just going to look at my drafts but later on might break down the drafts of others. So, the 2002 Cardinals IBC draft.

Round 1 Pick 16: Cole Hamels
Round 2 Pick 16: Jason Pridie
Round 3 Pick 16: Aaron Coonrod
Round 4 Pick 16: Jake Blalock
Round 5 Pick 16: Brad Thompson

Hamels MLB writeup: COMMENT: Angular, wiry, lean muscles, long extremities. High three-quarter release. Obvious quick, live arm. Natural lefty sink action. Fastball takes off last 10 feet. Occasional 12-6 break on curve. Good follow through and extension out front. Deceptive circle change occasionally backs up. Crafty, mixes pitches well. Excellent mound presence.

Pridie's writeup: COMMENT: Good body, slender athletic frame. Wiry, muscular build. Aggressive level plane. Bat speed, extension through pitch. Doubles to gaps, occasional pull power. Good runner, quick advancing strides. Average, on-line arm strength across diamond. Fair glove actions, average range to glove side. High profile player. Makes things happen.

Coonrod's writeup:COMMENT: Excellent Major League pitcher's body. Large, well-proportioned frame. Plus fastball velocity for 7 innings. Sinks, bores thigh down. 12-to-6 power curveball with occasional tight rotation, late bite. Promising straight change fades, especially against lefties. Around plate with four pitches. Stuff best in late innings. Major League arm, velocity and body. Flashes quality package.

Blalock's writeup: COMMENT: Great physical specimen. Angular, athletic frame. Similar build to Scott Rolen. Strong baseball family, brother is Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock. Aggressive fastball hitter approach. Strong, powerful bat. Consistent hard contact to all fields. Throws have online carry. Student of the game. Intense, hard worker.

Thompson didn't have a writeup.

Hamels has turned into an ace. Brad Thompson is a good middle innings reliever who can spot start. He was traded to the Twins for Mark DeRosa in 2004 and returned for the 2007 season in a deal for Kris Benson and won a ring. The DeRosa deal this winter netted me Max Ramirez, Carlos Carrasco, Gerardo Parra and Gorkys Hernandez. Not bad for a 5th round pick. Blalock is still bouncing around in the minors and has a career .260/.337/.403 line and was moved to the outfield his second year in the Phillies organization. Coonrod's major league arm, body and velocity netted him a 4.86 career era in the minors, topping out in High A and being released after throwing 3 innings in 2005. Pridie's claim to fame is being involved in the Delmon Young/Matt Garza trade. He has a career .275/.323/.423 line and is in AAA now. He may be a 5th outfielder but that's his ceiling right now.

If I had a do over, with players available at my draft slots when I picked, my draft would look like this:

1. Cole Hamels
2. Brian McCann
3. John Maine
4. Howie Kendrick (undrafted in IBC, signed by me a year later as a free agent)
5. Brad Thompson