Currently viewing the tag: "MLB draft"

Lineout: D-Backs Draft Trends from Day One

On June 13, 2017 By

The MLB First-Year Player Draft kicked off last night and if you didn’t notice, I won’t blame you. The MLB Draft is certainly a smaller spectacle than the NFL Draft and even pales in comparison to the NBA and it’s ping pong balls. The Diamondbacks had the 7th overall pick, the highest pick they’ve held since selecting Dansby Swanson 1-1 …

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Quietly, the Diamondbacks Put Together an Intriguing 2016 Draft Class

On June 13, 2016 By

As you may recall, the 2015 MLB Draft left us with some concerns about the Diamondbacks. The biggest concern was due to the fact that Arizona had the largest bonus pool of any team and, with a soon-to-expire CBA in place that left future draft allocations uncertain, failed to utilize that pool of money for competitive advantage. Aiding the …

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Double Plus: What Is Arizona Doing Drafting College Relievers?

On October 23, 2015 By

Okay, maybe the title is a little misleading. Drafting college relievers is defensible, if for one reason only: you get 40 picks and dammit, one of them is bound to be a college reliever by the odds alone. Another defensible reason might be that they’re a cheap bunch. It’s not that any of them have ever left me with the …

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Draft Days Two and Three: Cause for Concern?

On June 11, 2015 By

Day one of the Diamondbacks’ draft went about as well as you could expect. Selecting Dansby Swanson first overall was perhaps an easy choice in a weak draft, and he’ll probably slot somewhere in the D-backs’ top three prospects once he signs. Left-hander Alex Young is a polished starter with clean mechanics who should move quickly through the minors although …

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D-backs add Swanson, Position Themselves Well in Draft

On June 9, 2015 By

The first day of the MLB First-Year Player Draft is in the books. In a year in which two strange things occurred – the Diamondbacks having the first overall pick and the draft being incredibly weak – Arizona was in a prime spot to capitalize as best as possible. The Diamondbacks were able to select two players  through two full …

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D-backs 2014 Draft Primer v.3.0 – the Aftermath

On June 10, 2014 By

Major League Drafts are perhaps the most difficult of all drafts to gauge. Think about it: a prep pick can take four or five years to mature and arrive to the majors right on time, then take two or three more years of major league growth to become the player everyone thought he’d be. In case you’re not counting, that’s …

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D-backs 2014 Draft Primer v.2.0

On June 4, 2014 By

With MLB Draft taking place tomorrow, all sights are set on a bunch of kids expected to change the forecast of every major league franchise. No pressure, kids, no pressure. The Diamondbacks have the 16th overall pick and in the first draft primer released two weeks ago, I identified some potential targets. Rather, I should say, I collected a …

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D-backs 2014 Draft Primer v.1.0

On May 22, 2014 By

It’s already late May and the 2014 MLB Rule 4 Draft is right around the corner, being held June 5th – 7th. This is obviously an important time for the Diamondbacks given their new-found sense of direction and the fact that the organization as a whole has been relatively depleted in terms of talent, thanks to a number of trades …

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Diamondbacks 2013 Draft Check-In

On August 27, 2013 By

About a month ago, Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com put together a remarkable article. I was skeptical, but Piecoro is not your average sports writer. He’s privy to the likes of advanced metrics and you can find his name popping up on FanGraphs from time to time. He’s an excellent source of Diamondbacks information and you really should read him.

This …

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Dbacks Snag Second Round Competitive Balance Pick

On July 18, 2013 By

As one of the 14 teams eligible for both rounds of the competitive balance pick lottery, there was some hope that, like last year, the Dbacks would get an extra selection between the first and second rounds of the 2014 draft.  Luck was not completely on Arizona’s side, as the team failed to get a Comp A pick before landing …

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