The Guardians, recently, have taken the position that, for the most part, their draftees won't play in the minors in the year they are drafted. There are a few exceptions but, by and large, draftees have to wait to get their first taste of professional baseball until the next spring training. Looking at the 2021 in the famous pitcher draft (19 of 21 picks were pitchers, 18 college, 1 HS and two were hitters, 1 college and 1 HS) draftees here is where and when they started.
- 5 started at Lake County
- 8 started at Lynchburg
- 3 started at the AZL team
So, with that in mind, here are my predictions of where the players the Guardians drafted last year will start their pro career this year. This list, of course, is subject to change if guys get injured and, therefore, are held back in extended spring training. But let's hope that good fortune smiles on the Guardians prospects in terms of injuries this spring
1. Chase DeLauter - OF - When I started to make this list I had him, surprisingly, starting his pro career in Akron as the Guardians tried to push him up the ladder the way they did with Bo Naylor in 2021. Now, with his injury, I see him getting onto the field in August in the AZL and maybe finishing with Lake County in September if that goes well. If the opportunity presents itself, he might even get a couple of ABs in Akron where he would likely start 2024. This is, of course, with the hope that everything goes well with his rehab.
1- CB - Justin Campbell, RHP - The Guardians have a formula. Their high draft pick college pitchers start at high A ball. So I see Campbell starting at Lake County with the Guardians hoping he goes all Tanner Bibee/Gavin Williams and ends up getting a mid-season promotion to Akron. Campbell's pitchability should be able to handle high A batters and, if he shows some life on his fastball, Akron. If his fastball velo remains where it was in college, his promotion to AA will go the way Tanner Burns' season went last year.
2 - Parker Messick - LHP - Messick should start at Lake County but I think he stays at Lake County most of the year (think Doug Nikhazy). I think Messick needs to develop his weapons to be able to compete at AA and I don't think he will get there this year, except for maybe a week or two at the end of the season if Lake County is out of the playoff hunt.
3. Joe Lampe - OF - Normally I would say that your 3rd round advanced college hitter would start at high A but with Lampe, and with what the Guardians have done in the past, I think they are going to find that he is not what they thought they were getting and will send him to Lynchburg so that he can have some early success. Clearly, though, if he stays at Lynchburg the whole year something is REALLY wrong with his development. I do expect him to split the year, going up to Lake County at the beginning of June.
4.Nate Furman 2B - I see Furman starting at Lynchburg. I think they will allow him to get his confidence and then move him up to Lake County during the season. He might start at Lake County but, if he does, I would expect him to struggle a bit.
5. Guy Lipcomb, Jr. - OF - I see him starting the season at Lynchburg and maybe being there the entire year as he adjusts to the speed of pro ball. There is an outside chance that he stays in extended spring training for a month or so before he moves up to Lynchburg.
6. Dylan DeLucia RHP - DeLucia is a polished pitcher who I think will start the season at Lake County. His mix should serve him well but I don't see him moving up during the season.
7. Javier Santos RHP - I see him starting the season in extended spring training and then playing in the AZL although I wonder if they would start him in the DSL as he was training at our academy in the DR this winter. He would then transition to the AZL later in the summer.
8. Jackson Humphries - RHP - Easy call here for a HS pitcher. He will start the season in extended spring training as he learns his routine. Then he will pitch in the AZl.
9. Austin Peterson - RHP - I see him starting the season in Lynchburg and moving up if he dominates the way I think he should. Then again, he may spend the majority of the season in Lynchburg mirroring, somewhat, what Will Dion did last year.
10. Jacob Zibin - RHP - Like Humphries, I see him starting the season in extended and then pitch in the AZL. With what the Guardians have invested in him, if he pitches well in the AZL don't be surprised if he gets a late season promotion to get a cup of coffee at Lynchburg.
11. Magnus Ellerts - RHP - I think he will start in extended and then pitch in the AZL
12. Jack Jasiak - RHP - I think he will start in Lynchburg
13. Tyresse Turner - SS - I think, surprisingly, he starts the season at Lake County. A lot of this depends on Cairo and Valdes, however, as I think the organization will feature them at Lake County as they are high draft picks who really have to make a jump this year or they becomes organizational guys.
14. Pres Cavanaugh - OF - I see him starting in Lynchburg unless he has a great spring.
15. Adam Tulloch - LHP - I see him starting in extended spring training and then pitching in Lynchburg later in the season.
16. Logun Clark C - He will be in extended and then play on the AZL team
17. Angel Zarate - OF - I see him starting the season in Lynchburg
18. Zach Jacobs - RHP - I see him starting in extended and then pitching in Lynchburg or the AZL
19. Geo Rivera Jr. - RHP - I see him starting the season in extended as they try to harness his control and then playing in the AZL.
20. Shawn Rapp - LHP - I see him starting the season in Lynchburg.
In summary, if you are a Lake County fan you will see some of our 2022 draftees at some point this year with 5 of them starting there. If you are an Akron fan you might see 0-4 of these guys during the year with, realistically, only Campbell and Messick having a chance to play any serious time there. If you are a Lynchburg devotee you will likely, like last year, see a lot of our college draftees from the previous year, especially pitchers. But I think, even more so than last year, the Guardians did not have a draft that will let them push guys. That is why I am suggesting that they will have most of their college draftees at Lynchburg, with their HS draftees and some of their lower college draftees starting on the AZL team.
No comments:
Post a Comment