2014 MWBL RE-DRAFT – (WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED)
Mid-West Baseball League Commissioner’s Office – Report submitted by Chris DeMecurio – Corktown Cycle. – July 9th, 2021
The rules are simple. I selected a player to draft with each pick in the 1st round of the 2014 MWBL Draft from the players that were selected somewhere in that draft. Minor league players had to make it up by the end of the 2016 season or it would be a waste of a pick no matter how good they were. Remember, it’s impossible to know what each owner would have done with a chance to re-draft, so I did my best to mix the player’s actual MLB career with their MWBL career and remaining potential. Let’s keep in mind this was for fun. With that said, go ahead and share your thoughts, and rip on some of my re-draft picks, but more importantly feel free to call out owners for their actual picks.
Image how different the MWBL could have been if the guys listed below had made it up in time. But, they did not, so they’ve automatically been eliminated from the redraft because they obviously would not have been worth it. Keep in mind, the redraft is not perfect. It is just a different way to look at what could have been. This is 12 rounds worth of players and 28 teams. This is more to show how difficult it is to manage the chaos of Draft Day. Since I had not been in the league yet in 2014, it makes it easy for me to laugh at your picks. My day is coming though.
1. Motor City Muscle – Mookie Betts – 2B – BOS – This was the draft where we had a couple of international players that we all knew had high expectations. While nobody was actually going to take Betts here the actual pick was Jon Gray. Before the 2014 season, MLB had Gray as a top 12 prospect, which isn’t something that is usually available in the annual MWBL draft. I think Jim got flack for this pick because he went for a pitcher in a high-altitude environment. Gray was not a complete bust. Although, seeing the rest of the players on this list may make you think differently. Prospects are just tough to hit on. Betts is a no-brainer after the dust has settled 4x SS, 5x GG. Actual Pick- Jon Gray – P – COL – (Actual Betts: Rd 2 – #44 to Long Beach)
2. Manhattan Project – Jose Ramirez – 2B – CLE – Back to back 2B to kick things off. Ramirez never projected into the great 3B player he is today, but what a career he has had. The 3 time Silver slugger already has 139 Home runs and 131 Stolen bases and is still only 28 years old. In 2016 Jose Ramirez was packaged with Justin Verlander, Trevor Rosenthal, and others as part of a monster MWBL trade that returned a young Noah Syndergaard. But, 1 season later was flipped once again in a package that landed Jose Quintana, Howie Kendrick, and Kyle Kendrick. Like the drafts, I love looking back at old trades. Actual Pick – Masahiro Tanaka – P – NYY – (Actual Ramirez: Rd 3 – #75 to Chicago)
3. Dallas Cougars – Jose Abreu – 1B – CWS – It rarely happens where I select the actual player that went in this spot, but I was juggling around 3 players and was heavily leaning toward Abreu anyway, so I found it fitting that Jarl gets to keep his All-Star 1B. Although his defensive card has never been stellar, he more than makes up for it with his bat. It seems like now more than ever the 34-year-old former MLB MVP, ROY, and 3-time Silver Slugger is just killing it. Actual Pick – Jose Abreu – 1B – CWS 
4. Bethesda Bandicoots – George Springer – OF – HOU – What makes this one tough for Nik, is not just missing Springer, but the fact that he was likely high on his board considering he went 5th overall. I was surprised to see Springer is already 31, but his past value, combined with what he is still capable of doing in Toronto has landed him here at 4. Actual Pick- Zach Lee P LAD (Actual Springer Rd 1 #5 to Long Beach)
5. Long Beach Dirt Bags – Aaron Judge – 1B – NYY – Rookie of the year, silver slugger, and usually has a good OF card. (Currently 3/36) It’s really hard to imagine Judge slowing down anytime soon. This would be one of the largest jumps as he was originally selected 180th overall by Clovis. They decided to deal him at the deadline to go grab JJ Hardy. Hardy proceeded to bat .200 with 2 HR to finish off the season. John got the credit and was rewarded long-term. Actual Pick – George Springer – OF – HOU – (Actual Judge Rd 7 #180 to Clovis)
6. Selkirk Steelers – Aaron Nola – P – CLG – Taking a chance on a collegiate pitcher can be fun to find out which team he ends up getting drafted by. Then you see them go to a home run friendly park like Philadelphia and you may start to regret the decision. However, Nola is just too good. Nola gives you consistency with his good numbers. (Sergio loves him some college players!) Only made one MLB all-star game and finished 3rd in the Cy Young that year. But, my favorite number is 28. That is how old Nola is as he enters his prime. Some may say what Jake Arrieta has done (next pick) may never be matched by Nola, but if I get a floor of a #3 starter with a ceiling of an ace for 10 years, I’ll take the gamble. Actual Pick- Danny Salazar – P – CLE (Actual Nola Rd 3 #71 to Detroit)
7. Fremont Cannons – Jake Arrieta – P – CHC By this time the entire league seemed to have given up on Arrieta. But, from here on out, Jake had 4 dominant seasons, and a 5th we could call pretty good. Jake was on top of the league and APBA owners of Arrieta everywhere were loving it. Nik and his Bandicoots know what I’m talking about as he rode Arrieta to 4 consecutive NL East titles including the 2016 World Series trip where he lost to Aaron Nola and Detroit. Actual Pick – Khris Davis – OF – MIL (Actual Arrieta Rd 3 #77 to Bethesda)
8. Tempe Tempers – (From Valdosta) – Trea Turner – OF – CLG – Its honestly scary to think what Chris would do with a guy like Turner and his 184 stolen bases, career .296 avg, great D, and flexibility. Tempe’s 4 NL titles (2 World Series titles) since that time bring no fear though :). Tempers went with Evan Gattis here who was in no way a bust. Very different player to Turner, that’s for sure. Actual Pick – Evan Gattis – ATL – OF (Actual Turner rd 2 #37 to Yonge Street)
9. Yonge Street Stalkers – Marcus Semien – SS – CWS – This may not be a flashy pick, but I went with him over the other CWS SS Tim Anderson because his overall body of work is better. Anderson had a couple of seasons that have been better than any single season for Semien, but it’s impossible to deny the consistency Semien brings. A career WAR of 25+, and his defense has immensely improved and has been getting an 8 rating almost every year recently. 133 home runs and 75 stolen bases. Corktown made a rookie mistake and lost him to lack of playing time. Actual Pick – Kole Calhoun – OF – LAA (Actual Semien Rd 1 #20 to Iron City)
10. Chicago Mobsters (From Coconut Creek) – Tim Anderson – SS – CWS – As mentioned in pick 9, Anderson could really be a vital member of a championship team, as he has won a batting title. Anderson is in the prime of his career at 28 and looks to be surrounded by some powerful bats in Chicago for some time. Tim Anderson was a major part of a trade that sent Jacob deGrom to Motor City from Mesa after he entered the league. Mesa also received a 1st and Steven Matz. We will save what happened with that first (Kyle Zimmer) for another redraft season. Chicago would love to have a guy like Anderson, but let’s be honest, he would have been dealt at some point. If I know Stray, who traded up for this pick he would probably roll the dice and let it ride with Urias in this redraft, and I wouldn’t fault him. Actual Pick – Julio Urias – P – LAD (Actual Anderson Rd 3 #58 to Motor City)
11. Virginia Sluggers – Julio Urias – P – LAD – To have a kid that just turned 25 years old in a redraft 7 years down the road is a very rare circumstance. The fact that Urias hasn’t pitched more than 88 innings in a single year really made it tough for me to select a spot for him. If we run this redraft in 2034 or even 2024 Urias could easily be top 5, but he could also fall. It’s just too early for him, so when I run a redraft of the redraft in 10 years, we will see how I did. What we do know- 3.40 career ERA in 330 innings pitched. He is averaging 1 strikeout per inning and is projected to be a starter for a team with a ton of talent. Chicago took a chance on him as a 17-year-old and was called up in May of 2016. Actual Pick – Kohl Stewart – P – MIN (Actual Urias Rd 1 #10 to Chicago)
12.Clovis Wheat Kings – Tyler Glasnow – P – PIT – Very similar to Urias, Glasnow has only pitched 1 season with 111 innings and it wasn’t his best. To make matters worse, Glasnow just can’t seem to stay healthy. So, another tough position because when he is on his game, it looks like Glasnow is a top pitcher in the game. I do my best to balance what a player has provided to an MWBL team and mix that with what they still can do. His latest injury really has me nervous taking him here at 12, but when I watch this guy who is still 27 years old pitch, he looks too good. Before getting hurt in 2021 he has 123 K’s in 88 innings and a whip of 0.93. Interestingly, Sacramento selected Glasnow by using a draft pick originally owned by Pittsburgh who judging on his history and love for the Pirates wouldn’t have passed on a Pittsburgh prospect as talented as Glasnow. Actual Pick – Alex Torres – P – SD – (Actual Glasnow Rd 1 #14 to Sacramento)
13. Columbus Explorers – Jose Berrios – P – MIN – Aside from his rookie campaign where he only threw 58 innings Berrios has a sub 4.00 ERA in every season. That includes where he is at currently. He is still only 27 years old. He has never had a mind-blowing APBA grade, but he would always fit well into a rotation. Getting a solid rotation guy at pick 13 with a bright future ahead still sounds pretty good to me. Bill is another who did not miss with his original pick though. Gary Sanchez was drafted here, and it won’t be long until his name surfaces in this redraft. Actual Pick – Gary Sanchez – C – NYY (Actual Berrios Rd 5 #126 to Iron City)
14. Sacramento Capitals (From Pittsburgh) – Matt Olson – 1B – COL – Matt Olson has already hit 20+HR in his 2021 MLB season. But, it’s his average that is starting to look scary. If Olson can hit around .300 this is just way too low a spot for him. I went with a run on pitchers as actual drafts love to go on pitcher runs. Meanwhile, a successful owner like George sits back and swipes a guy capable of swatting 36+ HRs. Actual Pick – Tyler Glasnow – P – PIT (Actual Olsen- Rd 5 #125 to Columbus)
15. Detroit Crime – Edwin Diaz – P – SEA – What better team to select a Relief Pitcher than Detroit? Sergio is always looking to bulk up in the pen and his team is ready to win now. Out of the 6 seasons Diaz has pitched in the league he has been dominant in 4 and another season was very good. We know the normal roller coaster ride of a reliever, but still 27, Diaz has a lot left in the tank. Actual Pick – Scott Kazmir – P – OAK – (Actual Diaz Rd 6 #143 to Bethesda)
16. Tijuana Bottle Rockets (From Jersey) – Gary Sanchez – C – NYY – Sanchez came into the league like a bat out of hell blasting HR. A power-hitting catcher is considered a gem no matter the league. After some injuries and inconsistent seasons, Sanchez may be back on track with those big power numbers. Catchers always seem to go very early in the MWBL draft, but not as much in the annual redraft. This time, Myers gets the guy he currently owns and gets the catcher he actually wanted (Drafted another C at 19). Tempe originally drafted and lost Sanchez from the 2011 draft. Columbus drafted and traded him to Tijuana along with Scott Schebler (Who had a lot of upside) for Shin-Soo Choo, Darren O’Day and picks went both ways. Actual Pick – Rougned Odor – 2B – TEX – (Actual Sanchez Rd 1 #13)
17. Sacramento Capitals (From Iron City) – Kenta Maeda – P – JAP – Maeda has just been a consistently clean pitcher. Good K/BB rate and always a good WHIP. In 2021 he is having a forgetful season like the entire Twins organization. I went with him over another Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka due to the fact that Maeda is still pitching in the league. Actual Pick – Jonathan Singleton – 1B – HOU – (Actual Maeda Rd 6 #160 to Hollywood)
18. Traverse City Crusaders – Masahiro Tanaka – P – NYY – If actual owners were redrafting for the past, there is no doubt Tanaka goes much higher again. I really don’t want to take anything away from him at all, but the fact is he has no future. Tanaka was better than solid in 2 of his first 3 seasons. You can also say he went out nice on his last season (Covid 2020). With a career MWBL WHIP of 1.05, he has earned a spot in this redraft without a doubt. I wonder if Shawn knew that Hoffman would be drafted by the Rockies would have still gone with him in this spot. Actual Pick – Jeff Hoffman – P – CLG – (Actual Tanaka Rd 1 #2)
19. Tijuana Bottle Rockets – Alexander Reyes – P – STL – The last pick (Tanaka) was what he has done, this pick (Reyes) is what he has the ability to do. It’s really tough not to like what this kid brings. If he can stay healthy he has one of the best late-inning arms in the game. Honestly, if he can put it together he may be the best RP in the game for years to come. Dave Myers gets himself a really nice, still young player here at 19 that he can trade to Stray and get himself a king’s ransom! Reyes has a little control issue, but he is still young enough to figure it out, and the Cardinals know that by placing him as their closer. Currently, he has 20 saves with an ERA
under 1.00. Actual Pick- Josmil Pinto C MIN (Actual Reyes Rd 2 #48 to Chicago)
20. Iron City Yinzers (From Roseville) – Kevin Kiermaier – OF – TB – I do not see or feel star power with Kiermaier, but his defense and base running makes it too tough to continue to overlook. I feel like 20 is a good spot for a guy who brings the 3/37 almost every year. The thing that stood out the most was his career 28+ WAR. It almost seemed like a typo. 3-time gold glove and Platinum glove winner. Good thing we don’t have Jonathan Mayo in the league plucking these guys in the mid-late rounds anymore. Actual Pick – Marcus Semien – SS – CWS – (Actual Kiermaier Rd 6 #157 to Iron City)
21. Tijuana Bottle Rockets (From Elyria) – Michael Conforto – OF – CLG – I think we keep waiting for Conforto to have that “Break out” season. Last year he slashed .322/.412/.515…….a shortened season. He is still 28, and the potential is still there, so I do have him here over a couple of guys I’d personally take first. But, sometimes in the draft we panic and make a move we didn’t think we were personally capable of making. Sometimes it pays off. Maybe this is my panic move. The 3rd player in the last 5 picks for Dave Myers, and he is 2 picks away from being done in this draft. Actual Pick – Tanner Roark – P – WAS – (Actual Conforto- Rd 6 #163 to Camarillo)
22. New York Outlaws – Max Muncy – 1B – OAK – After being drafted in the 2014 MWBL draft by Coconut Creek he was traded twice and let go by Coconut Creek. Guys like Muncy is all of our hope when we hold onto a player for too long, and pray it doesn’t happen when we do let them go. Muncy totaled 5 home runs while batting under 200 in his first 2 seasons in Oakland. The Dodgers took a chance, a couple of injuries opened the door for Max and the rest is history. Back to back 35 home runs and he reemerged in the MWBL draft once again. Southbend selected him 5th overall in the 2019 draft. Actual Pick- Juan Uribe 3B LAD (Actual Muncy Rd 6 #165)
23. Camarillo Quest – Mitch Haniger – OF – MIL – Haniger is probably the best player on the board both from the past and the future. Already 18 home runs before the break-in MLB, Haniger can swing it. in 2019 Manhattan benefited from a .306 avg and 30 HR All-Star season for his MWBL squad. Actual Pick – Junior Lake – OF – CHC – (Actual Haniger Rd 4 #102 to Traverse City)
24. Southbend Lynx – Khris Davis – OF – MIL – I knew Davis had some pop, but I was surprised to see he had 3 seasons (All in a row) over 40 HR. This alone is enough to draft him as a 1st round pick. In the history of baseball, I am pretty sure nobody has had a more consistent batting avg. Davis had 4 consecutive seasons batting exactly .247. These were full seasons of solid ball. He may be higher on this list, but he is currently struggling to stay on a big-league roster. Actual Pick – A.J. Cole – P – WAS – (Actual Davis Rd 1 #7 to Fremont)
25. Tijuana Bottle Rockets (From Sacramento) – Tanner Roark – P – WAS – There are clearly better starting pitchers remaining as far as the future, but Roark did have 4 nice seasons to begin his career. As Myers continues to collect players, he gets to grab one of his guys in the process. Roark also has a couple of MWBL Gold Gloves with the Bottle Rockets and has pitched very well in some post-season games for them. Roark has a career WAR of 18.6. Actual Pick – Stephen Piscotty – OF – STL -(Actual Roark Rd 1 #21 to Tijuana)
26. Tempe Tempers (From Hollywood) – Kevin Pillar – OF – TOR – We already gave Tempe an OF in this draft, but let’s double down and give him the right-handed version of Kevin Keirmeier. Pillar has stellar glove and arm. A career .262 hitter and can hit the long ball as well. Pillar with his defense and base running is what a championship-caliber team would want late in the 1st. 90 career SB, 90 career HR. Actual Pick – Carl Edwards – P – CHC – (Actual Pillar Rd 6 #145 to Long Beach)
27. Iron City Yinzers (From Chicago) Kyle Schwarber – C – CLG – There is a handful of players left that deserve to make the first-round redraft. Unlike most years, where I feel like I’m digging to find a few. Schwarber can not go un-RE-drafted. He has the potential to hit. As we see with his new home in Washington he already has 25 HR at the break. He has never hit above .250, so that is concerning, but the power makes up for that a bit. Actual Pick – Braden Shipley – P – ARZ – (Actual Schwarber Rd 7 #183 to Detroit)
28. Tijuana Bottle Rockets (From Tempe) – Jorge Polanco – 2B – MIN – Polanco gets the final spot mostly based on his potential but did finish 13th in the MVP race with a great season in 2019. He gets the last slot over starting pitchers Robbie Ray, Anthony DeSclafani, and even the actual #1 overall pick Jonathan Gray. DeSclafani was taken #282 overall by Motor City and would have been the highest selection to make this redraft. He really has looked good in SF this year too. Cole Calhoun was originally in this spot during my first draft with an impressive 15 WAR. I also really considered Yusmeiro Petit, who is a very good reliever and did deserve to make this list. Actual Pick – Neal Cotts – P – CHC – (Actual Calhoun Rd 1 #9 to Yonge Street)
There were not many players that have been successful that did not make it up in time for their franchise in this draft. They include the following.
J.P. Crawford- Rd 5 #123- Virginia
Eloy Jimenez- Rd 3 #79 to Camarillo
Dominic Smith- Rd 4 #103 to Tempe
My favorite pick was in round 12 #313 Miguel Tejada KC – Who can forget Tejada doing the powder blue Royal jerseys?