2078 Nokes Draft Grades

[mattynokes]

Let's uhh...bring this back...

01. :tor3: RF Aaron Ford
We've seen this build before. We've seen it fail and we've seen it sail. His future could very well be reminiscent of Alberto Recendez and with his health, Ford can be even more valuable. A true well-rounded middle of the order star is not just his ceiling, but very possible.

Grade:
Future Skills: 87 Con, 89 Pow, 91 Eye
Scouting File Rank: 4
Scouting File Score: 92.18

02. :lad2: 1B Jamie Trewhitt
He's not bad, I just don't see bonafide star written on him. If his power really takes off, he'll be better than I'm expecting. But if it develops as expected, he'll have trouble putting on great OPS numbers - as his low K's means an inflated contact rating. He'll certainly walk a lot, but I see a guy hitting for just a decent average and only a solid amount of homers. Again, not a bad player, but I don't see a franchise hitter unless his power takes off.

Grade:
Future Skills: 90 Con, 90 Pow, 96 Eye
Scouting File Rank: 1
Scouting File Score: 94.92

03. SS/2B Brandon Fingers
He reminds me of Tommy Cake with his good, but not elite speed (yet damn proficient at stealing bases). And that reference is both good and not-so-good. Both are great assets to a team, but as seen with Cake, that type a player can be had in the 2nd round. Certainly Fingers has a high ceiling than Cake did on draft day, but in there lies my point on not being head over heals about Fingers.

Time and time again, we see these middle infielders get a ton of hype on draft day and by the time they're peaked, it's hard to tell a difference in the ones drafted early in the 1st round and then the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Still, he's a very fine player. He'll be a great top of the order speedster and great defensively. The only knock on him is how much more valuable he'll be than the infielders drafted just outside of the 1st round.

Grade:
Future Skills: 92 Con, 68 Pow, 86 Eye
Scouting File Rank: 5
Scouting File Score: 91.80

04. :nym2: SS Bryan Ross
As I hinted above, I'm usually rather down on drafted a middle infielder early. Too many of them turn out to a ~.700 OPS whether you select them 2nd overall or 52nd overall. However, I really like Ross. The great defense is obvious. He has solid speed and should turn out to have a good contact rating. Where he separates himself from the pack is his ability to walk. He can be a great asset by getting on-base and using his solid wheels.

Grade:
Future Skills: 89 Con, 69 Pow, 96 Eye
Scouting File Rank: 2
Scouting File Score: 94.12

05. :fla2: SP Keith Gantz
He looks like he could be a very good pitcher. I would figure (based off of his stats) that there's a good chance his movement development gives way a bit to more control than predicted. The only real issue I have with him is his one year of college showing a 1.65 HR/9. Even one year could be an indicator of home run problems and he's already 20 years old.

Grade:
Future Skills: 86 Con, 78 Pow, 97 Mov
Scouting File Rank: 6
Scouting File Score: 90.98

06. :oak2: 2B/3B Carmelo Aragune
I like him, but I think he was taken too early. You can find players capable of his defense later in the draft and I don't think his offense will be enough of a game changer to take this early.

Other that, he should be a player who can do a little bit of everything. He should have solid contact, power, and eye to go along with decent enough speed. If his power takes off, then he'll be more in line of game changer. But I'm a little skeptical.

Grade:
Future Skills: 84 Con, 85 Pow, 82 Eye
Scouting File Rank: 10
Scouting File Score: 90.23

07. :pit2: SP Larry Fay
I think he's the best pitcher in the draft and should have been one of the top picks. He has a nice blend of control, power, and movement. He already projects very well and Mogul seems to develop 16 year olds better than expected. He does show some home run problems, but at 16 years old (and with a high GB%) I wouldn't be worried in the slightest.

Grade:
Future Skills: 88 Con, 85 Pow, 93 Mov
Scouting File Rank: 3
Scouting File Score: 93.18