Draft Report Cards: American League Central

By Jim Callis
October 24, 2006

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Best Pro Debut: After leading NCAA Division II with 26 homers and 97 RBIs and winning D-II player-of-the-year and College World Series MVP awards, OF Lee Cruz (10) batted .301 with five homers in pro ball. RHP Kyle McCulloch (1) posted a solid 3.12 ERA and reached high Class A. OF Stefan Gartrell (21) hit .301 with a .438 on-base percentage.

Best Athlete: 2B/SS John Shelby (5) has slightly above-average power and speed, while Gartrell is solid in both areas. Shelby also showed marked defensive improvement in pro ball.

Best Pure Hitter: Cruz. He played second base in instructional league, and if he can stay there his bat would be all the more valuable.

Best Raw Power: White Sox scouting director Duane Shaffer saw DH/C Tyler Reves (4) hit a ball over a four-lane road that runs behind Arizona State's Packard Stadium, the longest ball he's seen hit in 27 years scouting there. If Reves is going to find a position, first base is more likely than catcher.

Fastest Runner: OF Kent Gerst (8) was one of the fastest players at the 2005 Area Code Games. He can run the 60-yard dash in 6.4-6.5 seconds. He's still raw on the basepaths, however, as he was caught in seven of his 11 pro steal attempts.

Best Defensive Player: C Matt Inouye (21) receives well, calls a good game and knows how to run a pitching staff. His arm rates just a 45 on the 20-80 scouting scale, but his quick release allows it to play as at least average.

Best Fastball: RHP Matt Long (2), the first college senior drafted in 2006, sits at 92-94 mph and peaks at 96. As he puts his 2004 Tommy John surgery further behind him, he could add a little velocity. Another Tommy John survivor, RHP Brian Omogrosso (6) had the operation in 2005 and hit 96 mph early this spring. He spent most of the year pitching at 90-92 with good sink.

Best Breaking Ball: Long's hard curveball can be devastating, but he doesn't always throw it for strikes. Inconsistent command was the biggest reason for his 8.02 ERA in his pro debut. McCulloch's changeup is the best secondary pitch in Chicago's draft crop.

Most Intriguing Background: For the second time in three years, the White Sox drafted a son of GM Ken Williams, this time taking (but not signing) 2B Kyle (47). Shelby's father John played in the majors and is the Pirates' first-base coach. RHP Justin Cassel's (7) brother Matt is a backup quarterback on the New England Patriots. RHP Kanekoa Texeira (22) is a cousin of Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino. Unsigned RHP Mike Bolsenbroek (41) has pitched for several Dutch youth and junior national teams.

Closest To The Majors: McCulloch likely will open 2007 in Double-A. Long could beat him to Chicago if he gets back on track quickly.

Best Late-Round Pick: Cruz.

The One Who Got Away: The White Sox loved 3B Chris Duffy's (9) lefthanded power, but couldn't quite get a deal completed by his mid-July deadline, so he went to Central Florida. They weren't as close to landing Evansville-bound RHP Wade Kapteyn (20).

Assessment: For the second straight year, Chicago spent its first-rounder on a polished college righthander with average stuff, following Lance Broadway with McCulloch. The White Sox system is starting to flag a bit, so they need Long and hitters such as Reves, Shelby and Cruz to live up to their projections.

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CLEVELAND INDIANS

Best Pro Debut: RHP Josh Tomlin (19) used his sinker-slider combination to go 8-2, 2.09 with 69 strikeouts in 77 innings. The Indians give C Matt McBride (2) extra credit for hitting .272 with four homers while rehabbing a shoulder injury he suffered in college.

Best Athlete: 2B/SS Adam Davis (3) has above-average speed to go with solid range and arm strength, and he's a switch-hitter who can play just about anywhere on the diamond. The key will be to get his bat going again, as he slumped all spring at Florida and hit .213 in his debut. RHP Chris Archer (5) is very athletic for a pitcher, which helped Cleveland rework his mechanics in instructional league after he went 0-3, 7.71 in Rookie ball.

Best Pure Hitter: 3B Wes Hodges (2) recovered his swing and batting stroke once he got over a stress fracture in his left leg that was diagnosed late in the spring.

Best Raw Power: C Robbie Alcombrack (7) won the home run derby at the 2005 Aflac Game. 1B Chris Nash (24) is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound hulk who may have enough athleticism to play an outfield corner.

Fastest Runner: OF Stephen Douglas (16) covers 60 yards in 6.6 seconds.

Best Defensive Player: Davis should become an above-average second baseman.

Best Fastball: RHP Dan Frega (12) has the best pure arm strength, reaching 94 mph more consistently than the other Indians draftees, but his control and command are far from refined. RHPs Steven Wright (2), Austin Creps (6) and Kyle Harper (17) all touched 94 this spring. They all missed the summer recovering from maladies, as Wright had mononucleosis, Creps had knee surgery and Harper had Tommy John surgery.

Best Breaking Ball: Thanks to his curveball, RHP Mike Eisenberg (8) led NCAA Division III in wins (13) and strikeouts (138 in 115 innings) and shared MVP honors as Marietta (Ohio) won the D-III College World Series. LHP Ryan Morris (4) and Archer also have promising curves.

Most Intriguing Background: RHP Paolo Espino (10) pitched a scoreless inning for Panama at the World Baseball Classic. Unsigned RHP Greg Pryor's (26) uncle Greg played in the major leagues.

Closest To The Majors: LHP David Huff (1) could follow a path similar to the one Jeremy Sowers did, going from the first round of the draft to Cleveland in two years. Huff had one of the top changeups in the draft, throws strikes and is lefthanded.

Best Late-Round Pick: The Indians took gambles on several injured pitchers, among them Harper, LHP John Gaub (21) and RHP Vinnie Pestano (20), who was challenging for the NCAA Division I lead in saves until he injured his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery. Total cost: $410,000, far less than what they would have commanded if healthy.

The One Who Got Away: Cleveland also went after RHP Brant Rustich (13), who projected as an early-round pick before he was sidelined by an inflamed tendon in his middle pitching finger. He returned to UCLA.

Assessment: It's hard to judge this draft based on early performance, because several of the Indians' key signees have yet to make their debuts. Huff and Hodges could be very good values for where Cleveland got them, and McBride was the best all-around college catcher in the draft.

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DETROIT TIGERS

Best Pro Debut: OF Brennan Boesch (3) topped the New York-Penn League with 54 RBIs, while SS Scott Sizemore (5) paced the NY-P with 49 runs and 96 hits. Sidearming RHP Brett Jensen (17) had a 0.67 ERA, 17 saves and a 31-5 K-BB ratio in 27 innings. LHP Paul Hammond (35) posted a 0.81 ERA and made it to high Class A, mainly by throwing strikes.

Best Athlete: Surprisingly, Oneonta manager Tom Brookens tabbed a catcher (Jordan Newton [6]) as the best athlete on his club, which received most of Detroit's draft picks. Newton was recruited to play strong safety by college football programs and has plus speed, arm strength and power potential.

Best Pure Hitter: Sizemore hit .303 in the Cape Cod League last summer and .327 in his pro debut. As a bonus, the Tigers drafted him as a second baseman but played him at short based on need, and he more than held his own defensively. 3B Ronnie Bourquin's (2) bat is his best tool, and he won the Big Ten Conference batting title with a .416 average.

Best Raw Power: 1B Ryan Strieby (4), who's 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, has more pure pop than Boesch, a physical specimen himself at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds.

Fastest Runner: OFs Deik Scram (18) and Mike Sullivan (31) are above-average runners.

Best Defensive Player: Sullivan has the range for center field, though he played right field in the GCL in deference to stud prospect Gorkys Hernandez. Draft-and-follow C Jeff Kunkel has impressive catch-and-throw skills.

Best Fastball: LHP Andrew Miller (1) throws 93-95 mph with ease, and the Tigers have seen him peak at 98. RHP Angel Castro (13), a 23-year-old Domincan, has a low-90s fastball. Assigned to the bottom rung of professional baseball (the Dominican Summer League) because of visa issues, he blew away teenagers to the tune of a 1.39 ERA, .167 opponent average and 71 strikeouts in 58 innings.

Best Breaking Ball: Miller's tight mid-80s slider.

Most Intriguing Background: RHP Jonah Nickerson (7) was MVP of the College World Series. OF Lance Durham's (45) father Leon was a big league all-star, while C Ben Petralli's (17) dad Geno played in the majors. Neither signed. C Adrian Casanova's (40) father Rolando is a Tigers area scout and a former assistant coach at Florida International, where Adrian spent the first three years of his college career.

Closest To The Majors: Miller became the first player from the 2006 draft to reach the big leagues, showing quality stuff but walking 10 in as many innings. Detroit was considering adding him to its World Series roster, which would make him the first player to participate in the College World Series and World Series in the same year. Nickerson's guts and command of four pitches will hasten his development.

Best Late-Round Pick: Jensen and Carlson.

The One Who Got Away: RHP Casey Weathers (25), a converted outfielder who has touched 95 mph, returned to Vanderbilt after failing to reach accord with the Tigers.

Assessment: Getting Miller, the consensus best prospect in the draft, at No. 6 is a coup that ranks with landing Cameron Maybin at No. 10 in 2005. Without an agreement in place, the Tigers didn't let Miller's excessive bonus demands scare them off and signed him for market value, a guaranteed $5.45 million big league contract.

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KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Best Pro Debut: RHP Aaron Hartsock (23) went 6-2, 2.91 with 43 strikeouts in 46 innings, leading the Pioneer League in wins. Kurt Mertins (13) and Marc Maddox (9) shared the second-base job at Idaho Falls and finished among the PL batting leaders at .342 and .336, with Mertins also stealing 26 bases.

Best Athlete: OF Derrick Robinson (4) was a top cornerback recruit headed to play at Florida before signing for $850,000, easily the highest bonus in his round. The Royals landed several quality athletes, among them 3B Jason Taylor (2); OFs Brett Bigler (7), Nick Francis (15) and Jarrod Dyson (50); and 2B Tyrone Wilson (16). Taylor's athleticism drew comparisons to that of fellow Virginia high school product Justin Upton, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005.

Best Pure Hitter: Taylor's balance, approach and strike-zone judgment are advanced for an 18-year-old.

Best Raw Power: Maddox has the most present pop, but Francis has more power potential and is just learning how to use it.

Fastest Runner: Robinson ran a 6.19-second 60-yard dash at a summer showcase in June 2005. He's still learning as a basestealer after getting caught in 14 of 34 pro attempts. Dyson, a find for first-year area scout Brian Rhees, is just as fast. Bigler and Wilson are plus-plus runners, while OF Nick Van Stratten (10) and Mertins have above-average speed.

Best Defensive Player: Robinson still needs work on taking better routes to balls, but he has the speed to become a plus defender in center field.

Best Fastball: After sitting out for the better part of a year, RHP Luke Hochevar (1) returned to throw a 92-95 mph fastball that topped out at 97 in independent and pro ball. Better yet, he has above-average life and command to go with his velocity.

Best Breaking Ball: Though some teams considered Hochevar's slider more advanced than his curveball, the Royals have had him focus on his curve. It may be his second-best breaking ball, but it's also the best in this draft crop.

Most Intriguing Background: C Matt Morizio's (17) father Michael is the president of a company that developed the ScoutAdvisor information system used by 13 big league clubs, including all four League Championship Series participants. RHP Brad Boxberger's (20) dad Rod was a first-round pick and MVP of the College World Series in 1978.

Closest To The Majors: Hochevar finished the season pitching in the Double-A Texas League playoffs, and he could open 2007 in Triple-A. RHP Blake Wood (3) could move quickly as well. After ironing out his mechanics and recovering from shin splints that plagued him at Georgia Tech, he threw 93-95 mph during the summer.

Best Late-Round Pick: Mertins and Francis.

The One Who Got Away: RHPs Jeff Inman (19) and Boxberger are now Pacfic-10 Conference rivals at Stanford and Southern California. Both pitch in the low 90s at times, with Inman possessing better velocity and Boxberger owning a superior breaking ball.

Assessment: By taking Hochevar first overall, the Royals dispelled the notion they'd try to save money, just as they did the year before with No. 2 overall choice Alex Gordon. Hochevar is the perfect fit for an organization that lacked pitching.

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MINNESOTA TWINS

Best Pro Debut: Most of the Twins' position-player signees performed well, starting with OF/1B Chris Parmelee (1). He batted .279/.369/.532 with eight homers in the Gulf Coast League, then held his own as an 18-year-old in low Class A. 3B Whit Robbins (4) headed straight to low Class A and hit .304/.421/.482. 3B Danny Valencia (19) was an Appalachian League all-star after batting .311/.365/.505 with eight homers.

Best Athlete: OF Joe Benson (2) could have played college football after rushing for 2,183 yards as a senior, including a 363-yard performance in the second round of the Illinois 6-A playoffs. He's a legitimate five-tool player with outstanding makeup. LHP Tyler Robertson (3) also had college-football potential as a quarterback.

Best Pure Hitter: Parmelee was one of the more advanced high school hitters in the draft. If Benson can tone down his aggressive approach, he has similar potential. SS Nick Papasan (24) also is a gifted hitter whose 5-foot-11 frame belies his strong hands and surprising pop.

Best Raw Power: Though they scouted Parmelee extensively before the draft, he surprised the Twins with the pop he showed during the summer. His power potential is well-above-average. 1B Jonathan Waltenbury (7) and Benson also can put a charge into balls.

Fastest Runner: Benson can get from the right side of home plate to first base in 4.1 seconds, and he could get a step quicker after he loses his football stiffness. OF Mark Dolenc (15) is an above-average runner.

Best Defensive Player: C Jeff Christy's (6) work behind the plate earned him a late-season fill-in promotion to Double-A.

Best Fastball: Robertson is a 6-foot-5, 225-pound southpaw who already throws 90-91 mph and can reach 94. And his fastball ranks as his No. 2 pitch, behind his curveball.

Best Breaking Ball: Robertson's curveball is good, but RHP Jeff Manship's (14) is better. He's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2004 and also has a solid-average fastball.

Most Intriguing Background: OF Jared Mitchell (10) is an even more accomplished football player than Benson and Robertson, and he turned down the Twins to play wide receiver at Louisiana State. SS Derek McCallum (50) was a hockey defenseman who played with the U.S. national team. C Braxton Chisholm (29) decided to pursue a career in firefighting rather than baseball. Robertson's father Jay is a former Indians scouting director who now scouts for the Rangers. Manship's brother Matt signed with the Athletics as a 29th-round pick. 2B Brian Dinkelman (8) was the NAIA player of the year after hitting .462 with 17 homers. He broke Randy Velarde's NAIA records for career hits (373) and assists (679) while also setting new standards for runs (303), doubles (96) and total bases (670).

Closest To The Majors: Manship, who would have been a third- or fourth-round pick if not for signability questions stemming from his sophomore-eligible status. He pitched well in a brief stint in high Class A.

Best Late-Round Pick: Manship and Papasan.

The One Who Got Away: The Twins would have considered Mitchell with their first-round pick if Parmelee hadn't been available. Though they offered Mitchell a significant bonus and he wanted to play baseball, the two sides couldn't reach a deal. Minnesota also made a run at but failed to sign athletic OF Devin Shepherd (5), the MVP of the 2005 Aflac Classic, and LHP Andy Oliver (17). Shepherd is now at Oklahoma, Oliver at Oklahoma State.

Assessment: After stocking up on pitching in recent drafts, the Twins bolstered their stock of hitters with Parmelee and Benson. Adding Mitchell would have been a coup.