Franchise Draft Update 2016-2019

I got to thinking that it might be worth a look back to see where I hit, and perhaps where I missed, in recent drafts before the 2020 MLB draft is upon us.

2016 Draft Haul-

• Dakota Hudson
• Chris Okey
• Anthony Kay
• Ronnie Dawson
• Logan Gray- 2016 me is stunned this guy isn't on a hall of fame trajectory
• Kobie Taylor
• Andrew Calica
• Clate Schmidt
• Trey York
• Mitchell Jordan

In 2016, the two players I really wanted to get a hold of that I didn't were Garret Hampson (he's quite good) and Ryan Moseley (who's in th Dodger system).

2017 Draft Haul-

• Keston Hiura
• Quentin Holmes
• Keegan Thompson
• Nick Allen
• James Karinchak
• Justin Yurchak
• Chase Pinder
• Andrew Beckwith (went 960 in real life, KC)

Though he didn't sign this year, I also drafted Tarik Skubal. Talk about one who got away*.

2018 Draft Haul-

• Griffin Roberts
• Nick Northcut
• Colton Eastman
• Davis Martin
• John Aiello
• Matt Mercer
• Zac Susi
• Joe Demers
• Tarik Skubal *or not
• Mickey Gasper

I had to retrofit this one a bit, assuming the same decision early in the draft with Roberts and Northcut, but actually extending out the board.

The good news is that I stuck to my guns on Skubal, who turns this disaster of a draft into a not-so-bad haul, even if it went a very round about way to getting there. Jarren Duran was too low on my board, and is the one that got away here.

2019 Draft Haul-

• CJ Abrams
• Michael Massey
• Logan Driscoll
• Kyle McCann
• Andre Pallante
• Anthony Prato
• Ryan Ward
• Jeff Belge

Sebastian Keane is a guy I would have loved to have signed here, but it wasn't meant to be.

Breaking this into tiers (using Fangraphs' Board) with a major hat tip to Eric (and Kiley) based on Future Value (and prospect ranking in parenthesis):

55

• CJ Abrams (number 22)

50

• Tarik Skubal (number 53)
• James Karinchak (Number 115)

45

• Anthony Kay
• Nick Allen

40+

• Mike Massey

40

• Ronnie Dawson
• Kyle McCann

35+

• Andre Pallante
• Griffin Roberts
• Matt Mercer
• Logan Driscoll
• Quentin Holmes
• Keegan Thompson

Three of the top 115 prospects feels light, though it also excludes Hiura and Hudson, who are already contributing in the majors.

All told, it's possible that the makings/majority of a big league pitching staff are here, with Hudson, Skubal, and Kay forming the basis of a rotation (Thompson and Pallante on the way), and Karinchak, Mercer and any hopes of a bounceback for Roberts being a potentially good section of the bullpen.

I've got a lot of catching, for better or worse, and the middle of the diamond looks really good from a depth chart perspective (Abrams and Hiura could be a very interesting pair, and Allen would be a great trade chip or defensive sub, while Massey is also still there improving).

It's not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn't a bad one either. Lots of role players/trade chips, and a few really strong core players.

Looking forward to seeing what we can add to it in a week!

6/8/2020 Editor's note... changed Nick Allen to 45 FV and added Kyle McCann because of an update on Fangraphs