Prospect Alert
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

2003 Amateur Draft Review, Part II

Welcome to “Prospect Alert,” the informative new column with information regarding all aspects of the minor leagues. Throughout the course of this season, we will focus on minor leagues with the goal of informing fantasy players about the minor leagues. From player scouting to specific player breakdowns, this is the place to visit for top-notch minor league information.

This week, we will focus on providing a 2003 Baseball Draft Review. Which teams had solid drafts and which didn’t? Which players were steals in the first round, and which have a high probability of becoming busts? Did your team make good use of their first round pick, or did they use it to select a player with limited potential? These answers and more in the Draft Review edition of “Prospect Alert.”

Most importantly, the draft provides teams with a solid base of young talent with which they can build for the future. Some teams, most notably the A’s, use the draft as the primary means of infusing talent into their organization. For many teams, especially the low-budget organizations, the draft is critical to a successful future.

This leads to discussion of teams that have traditionally successful drafts, and whether or not they were able to sustain that success in this year’s draft. The leading teams in recent drafts have been the Indians, Cubs, and A’s, and all had respectable drafts this year. So far, the Indians and Devil Rays appear to have the top two drafts, but it’s difficult to tell whether or not that will hold true in the future. The A’s used their traditional approach of drafting high-OBP pitchers and polished college pitchers, while the Cubs started the draft on the right foot by drafting athletic OF Ryan Harvey. Neither draft can be overlooked, and both are easily included amongst the top-10 drafts in 2003.

This week, we’ll look at some of the top picks in the draft, covering the final portion of the first round and the supplemental first round.

21. Matthew Moses, 3B, Mills E Goodwin High School
Minnesota Twins

Moses is rather well-polished for a high schooler, but has plenty of work to do before reaching the majors. His defense is the biggest question mark, as he is a former shortstop who will likely move to third base, possibly even second if the first experiment doesn’t work out. Moses has the ability to hit for average and power, and his bat will advance him through the minors.

22. David Aardsma, RHP, Rice University
San Francisco Giants

Aardsma is a bit risky for a college pitcher, simply due to his rather inconsistent production in the past. He has a great frame, strong arm, and solid control. The Giants usually have a good idea of which pitchers will develop and which won’t, so the inconsistency is not quite as worrisome as it would have been if another team had drafted him. Aardsma could quickly develop into one of the top arms in the Giants’ system, or he could quickly fizzle out. The former seems quite possible, and Aardsma is one to watch, if only for his cool name.

23. Brandon Wood, SS, Horizon High School
Anaheim Angels

Wood has drawn comparisons to Derek Jeter, which may not be too far offline. Always a fine defender, Wood finally started to hit last season after adding muscle to a rather small frame. He has a quick bat which should lead to above-average power for a shortstop in the future, and his defense will surely advance him through the organization fairly quickly for a player of his experience. High schoolers are always risky picks, but Wood is one of the favorites in this class.

24. Chad Billingsley, RHP, Defiance Senior High School
Los Angeles Dodgers

Billingsley is one of the most advanced high school pitchers in recent memory, which should help him advance through the system at an unusually high rate of speed. He throws four pitches, a low-90s fastball, curve, slider, and changeup. With solid command and velocity, Billingsley could be ready to fill in for an aging Dodgers rotation within the next four years.

25. Brad Sullivan, RHP, University of Houston
Oakland A’s

Sullivan fits right into the A’s draft plan, and should advance through the organization fairly quickly. He has great make-up, which is one of the biggest components to the A’s drafting strategy, and has developed an outstanding work ethic. His delivery worries some teams, who fear that he will be prone to injury in the future, but the A’s typically are not too concerned about those types of fears. Sullivan has great command and throws hard, and is one of the most likely prospects to succeed in this entire class.

26. Brian Snyder, 3B, Stetson University
Oakland A’s

Once again, a typical A’s pick. He has below-average power for a third baseman, and scouts worry about his weight. However, he controls the strike zone and draws a ton of walks. Sound like most of the positional prospects in the A’s system, and most of those guys have done quite well. Snyder is a decent fielder, and has more mobility than a casual observer might believe.

27. Eric Duncan, 3B, Seton Hall Prep School
New York Yankees

Duncan is rather weak as a fielder, and his arm is no better than average. The way that he handles his fielding technique will dictate how quickly Duncan is able to advance through the system. However, he has plenty of power potential, particularly to the right field wall. His swing is solid, and he should hit for a decent average with plenty of power in the majors. It will be interesting to see if Duncan is any more than fellow Yankees 3B prospect Drew Henson in his trek to the majors.

28. Daric Barton, C, Marina High School
St. Louis Cardinals

Some teams believe that Barton was a bit overdrafted at this spot, and that may be true. However, catchers are traditionally drafted higher than they should be, and are usually considered “hit-or-miss” types. He is a very good offensive catcher, and that will be his ticket to the majors. Barton displays a quick bat with home run power, and has plus-power for a catcher. Only time will tell if Barton is a “hit” or a “miss.”

29. Carlos Quentin, OF, Stanford University
Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks went with another polished college hitter at this spot, and Quentin was a solid choice. There is some concern about an arm injury that will likely require surgery, but Quentin is a solid hitter who should rise quickly through the system even if he misses time with the injury. One of the leading forces on a top-ranked Stanford team, Quentin brings both power and patience to the plate. The injury is something to watch, but it should not hamper his long-term potential.

30. Mitchell Maier, C, University of Toledo
Kansas City Royals

Maier is an interesting pick here, and is a better bet than most catchers to succeed. He has a great combination of power and speed as a catcher, and his only real weakness is defense. Maier should hit for a solid average in the majors, and that should be complimented by a solid number of homers and steals. Considering the current crop of catchers in the minors, Maier has a solid chance of developing into one of the game’s better offensive catchers. He will be interesting to watch.

Supplemental First-Round

31. Adam Miller, RHP, McKinney High School
Cleveland Indians

Miller is a solid value here, and was a legitimate possibility to be picked earlier in the draft. The Indians are happy to have him on the board at this spot, as Miller has all the tools needed to succeed in the majors. He throws a low-90s fastball with great breaking pitches and excellent command. Miller is an athletic pitcher, and should be able to adapt to the minors fairly easily.

32. Matthew Murton, OF, Georgia Tech
Boston Red Sox

Murton struggled at times last season, but has shown the ability to hit well with wooden bats, which bodes well for his ability to adapt to professional baseball. He has solid bat speed and should hit for decent power and average, but will never be a tremendous offensive player. Murton is a polished hitter that sacrifices some potential for a lower risk-factor, and has a decent chance of developing into a legitimate major-leaguer.

33. Omar Quintanilla, 2B/SS, University of Texas
Oakland A’s

Not surprisingly, the A’s selected another college hitter with this choice. He can play either second base or shortstop, and it is more than likely that he will fit in at second with the A’s. He is hard-worker with above-average defensive skills. He is not overly powerful, but will hit for average with a decent number of doubles. Viewed as an overdraft by many insiders, the A’s have a tendency to make such unorthodox picks a common theme in their drafts.

34. Roger Whitaker, RHP, Lufkin High School
San Francisco Giants

Whitaker has a great fastball, which measures in the high-90s at times. His curve is also above-average, and he is working on developing a changeup. As soon as he adds some muscle and fills out his frame, it would not be a surprise to see his velocity gain a few more MPH.

35. Luis Atilano, RHP, Gabriela Mistral High School
Atlanta Braves

Atilano is a very risky pick, and is quite unproven. In other words, he is an extremely risky overdraft at this point. The Braves, however, have had success with similar stories in the past, so they can have the benefit of the doubt on this one. It will be a long time before Atilano reaches the majors, and he will need to add some muscle before then. He is rather tall, and still growing. He has a solid fastball and changeup, but needs lots of work. The Braves will need to spend a lot of time with Atilano.

36. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Royal Palm Beach High School
Atlanta Braves

Saltalamacchia has one of the longest names in MLB draft history, and his strength appears to be defense. He has an above-average arm and solid skills behind the plate, and will keep improving over time. As for the offensive side of things, Saltalamacchia needs some work. He has plenty of power potential, but needs some work on his swing. He’s a natural leader, which makes him an ideal backstop, but he could also play third base.

37. Adam Jones, SS, Samuel Morse High School
Seattle Mariners

Jones can be tried as either a hitter or pitcher, but is a better option as a hitter, where the Mariners will likely keep him. He has solid range in the field, and has an above-average arm. A talented athlete, Jones needs to work on the mental side of the game. Time is on his side, but he will need plenty of it, as he has some work to do. Plate discipline might be a problem.

Please leave any comments/suggestions/questions using the “comment” feature at the bottom of this page, or feel free to leave a message on the Fantasy Info Central message board. The more feedback provided, the better this column can be devised. In the coming weeks, look for an in-depth look at the league’s top prospects.

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