2017 MWBL RE-DRAFT – (WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED)

Mid-West Baseball League Commissioner’s Office – Report submitted by Chris DeMecurio – Corktown Cycle. – July 14th, 2024

The rules are simple. I selected a player to draft with each pick in the 1st round of the 2017 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 2019 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. 

I like to start with players who were drafted but did not make it up in time.  This draft didn’t have any real big names. A few big-time prospects that didn’t make it up in time nor develop into anything.   These guys all had to make it up before COVID-19, so the end of the 2019 season.  No bonus babies or extra COVID season yet. The toughest cut for me was P Mike Soroka.   He is still 25 years old, and I was very scared of what I have watched in 2024.  Unless I missed somebody else, there won’t be any controversy whatsoever.  

Rd 2 #31 Braxton Garrett – P MIA – Southbend Lynx
Rd 2 #35 Leody Taveras – OF TEX – Corktown Cycle
Rd 6 #147 Joshua Lowe – OF TB – Corktown Cycle
Rd 7 #172 Hunter Greene – P CIN – Chicago Mobsters

1.  Mesa Solar Sox – (via Coconut Creek) – Juan Soto OF WAS – Almost 100 picks until somebody decided to roll the dice on the best player of our 2017 draft. Following the 2016 season, Barry traded Rasiel Iglesias in a package that landed him the #1 overall selection in the 2017 draft.  Brandon Drury had just come off a decent 2016 season and he was still 23 years old.  Drury was already rostered and did not get enough playing time in 2016 and was forced back into the MWBL draft.   Actual Pick – Brandon Drury 3B ARI (Actual Juan Soto – Rd 4 – #99 to Pittsburgh)

2.  Selkirk Steelers – Ronald Acuna OF ATL – Ken used his lottery luck to snag the best available prospect with JP Crawford here.   What about taking a shot on the 18-year-old Acuna?  The buzz was starting to begin around this time.  Even though it was only 7 years ago, it still felt tougher for a teenager to make it up in time.  So, Selkirk ends up with Crawford.  Ken can continue to dream about an Acuna/Betts OF.   Now, if he can find some magic to keep Acuna healthy. Actual Pick – J.P. Crawford SS PHI (Actual Ronald Acuna – Rd 1 – #14 to Valdosta)

3.  Triple Creek Patriots – Sandy Alcantara P MIA – In 2017 Pat attempted to get his franchise catcher by selecting White Sox Catcher Zack Collins at 3 overall.  We all swing and miss on prospects, so it was tough to argue taking a shot at what many thought was the best catcher in our draft that year..  Sandy is still 28.  Even missing time won’t convince me he is a machine on the mound and belongs in a different era of baseball. Actual Pick – Zack Collins C CWS (Actual Sandy Alcantara Rd 3 – #79 to Fremont)

4.  Virginia Sluggers – (via Southwest Detroit) – Luis M. Castillo P CIN – Just before the draft, Virginia moved up to #4 by giving up picks 12 and 40 and also receiving a late  3rd.  That late 3rd (84th overall)  ends up being Luis Castillo.   As for the Reds organization Robert Stephenson and Amir Garrett were both top 100 arms at that time.  Yet, it was Castillo who emerged as Ace Cincinnati was seeking.   He made an immediate impact in 2007 finishing 8th in the Rookie of the Year race.  Actual Pick – Eloy Jimenez OF CHC (Actual – Luis M. Castillo P CIN Rd 3 – #84 to Virginia)

5.  Southbend Lynx – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. OF TOR – These drafts come at you very quickly.  28 owners with different agendas can throw curveballs at any moment.  In 2017 Brian shocked the early draft world by selecting White Sox pitching prospect Zack Burdi 5th overall.  It personally got me scrambling I ended up scrambling because I was excited a player not on my 1st round radar just went 5th overall.  I’m using that as an excuse for my bad selection. Here comes the best part, Brian redeemed himself by finding a rare talent in the 11th round!  He was Vlady’s teammate Bo Bichett!  One of the best value picks of memory.   Actual Pick – Zack Burdi CWS P (Actual – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rd 1 – #6 to Grand Haven)

6.  Grand Haven Gators – Bo Bichette SS TOR – Former MWBLer Steve went with a Blue Jay prospect who was the son of a former big leaguer.  So, I am going to do the same in this redraft.  Because Vladdy goes 1 spot ahead of him at 5, this time he gets Bichette. Bichette has 3 MWBL All-Star appearances compared to 2 in MLB.  With more spots in MLB, it is usually the opposite.  Bo knows ABPA.  Actual Pick – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Actual Bo Bichette Rd 11 – #283 to Southbend) 

7.  Corktown Cycle – Brandon Woodruff P MIL – The 3rd player in this redraft who is currently out for the 2024 season.  You can not deny what Woodruff has done in the past. I’d like to think a bounce back in his early 30s with his stuff is extremely possible. Career 3.10 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP.   Corktown would take anybody that can make it to the field over Rutherford. Actual Pick – Blake Rutherford OF NYY (Actual – Brandon Woodruff Rd 3 – #72 to Long Beach)

8.  Rosemere Renegades – (via Windy City dispersal draft) – Teoscar Hernandez OF HOU – This two-time Silver Slugger has hit 175 career home runs since entering the league in 2016.  Sometimes the best players in the draft are carded rookies who had a decent year.   They may not look as good on paper come draft time, but I often find myself writing about them come redraft time.  Actual Pick – Robert Gsellman P NYM (Actual – Teoscar Hernandez Rd 3 – #64 to Pittsburgh)

9.  Jersey Nor’Easters – Whit Merrifield 2B KC – This may seem boring on paper, but Whit is a 3-time all-star with 3 seasons of 30+ stolen bases.  He played multiple positions throughout his career.  He may be at the tail end of things, but he was still an All-Star in 2023 and has a career WAR of 18. Another carded player that went underlooked.  Actual – Pick Dan Straily P MIA  (Actual – Whit Merrifield – Rd 5 – #124 to Virginia)

10.  Tijuana Bottle Rockets – J.P. Crawford SS PHI – Myers was trying to go for it, so drafting a good carded player like Devenski made a ton of sense in 2017. There was some potential as he also had a good 2017 MLB season. Since Tijuana did not win the World Series in 2017, I believe Crawford and his 17+ career WAR is the correct selection on this redraft.  Actual – Pick- Chris Devenski P HOU (Actual – J.P. Crawford Rd 1 – #2 to Selkirk)

11.  Fremont Cannons – Rhys Hoskins 1B PHI – Casey’s instincts were correct by taking a Philadelphia First Baseman, Joseph did have 43 home runs in two seasons, then played no more seasons.  Hoskins came in and dominated that seat for many years.   Actual – Pick Tommy Joseph 1B PHI (Actual – Rhys Hoskins Rd 4 – #89 to Selkirk)

12.  Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas – (via Virginia) – Jordan Montgomery P NYY – Montgomery seems like one of those players who has been in the league much longer than in 2017, but he was drafted as a prospect and debuted in 2017.  He is supporting a very nice 3.84 career ERA.   Never jumps off the map as an ace, but is a consistent arm.  Pitched his entire career for Southwest Detroit, so Miz knows exactly what he brings. Once a part of that rebuilding core that is now in a heated divisional race. Actual – Pick Ryon Healy 3B OAK (Actual – Jordan Montgomery Rd 2 – #54 to Southwest Detroit)

13.  Coconut Creek Crushers – (via Mesa – Tyler O’Neill OF SEA – I enjoy when players go back to the teams who drafted them but in no way will I go out of my way to do so. I guess you can say I am taking what the draft is giving me and it is falling back into place.   O’Neill fits my formula of what he has done vs what he is still capable of doing. Cliff doesn’t need my help in these redrafts as his players are usually well-represented.  Actual Pick – Tyler O’Neill OF SEA

14.  Valdosta Snappers – Ryan McMahon 3B COL – Pretty good value here at 14 overall. The guy gets to play half his season at Coors every year, and that has given him 4 20+ HR seasons and he is well on his way to a 5th this year.  McMahon is really in the prime of his career right now at 29. I’d love to know what Jim would do now if he had to pick between this great value of a player at 14 in McMahon or keeping his original selection. Actual Pick – Ronald Acuna OF ATL (Actual Ryan McMahon Round 2 – #40 to Southwest Detroit)

15.  Pittsburgh Lumber Company – Mitch Keller P PIT – This is truly a coincidence as I had my eye on a few arms in this slot.  Went with Keller as my guy due to his current potential.  Keller has always had great swing-and-miss stuff and his career K/BB rate is solid. Can’t imagine former MWBLer John going any other direction here as he was known to chase the Pirates.  Actual Pick – Mitch Keller P PIT

16.  Long Beach Dirt Bags – Seth Lugo P NYM – The Mets toyed with Lugo as a starter, and the results weren’t too bad.  However, he was used as a reliever most of his time in the Big Apple and put up nice numbers.  The past two seasons at SD and now KC he has been back in the starting role and has done very well.  Makes you wonder if the Mets kept him in that role. Actual Pick – Bradley Zimmer OF CLE (Actual – Seth Lugo Rd 1 – #24 to Tijuana)

17.  Yonge Street Stalkers –  Eloy Jimenez OF CHC – Maybe I am being a little unfair to Eloy based on his recent results and the hype that surrounded him.  He is very deserving of a redraft spot somewhere in the double-digit spots, with time to move up.  He is only 27 years old and has already hammered 94 home runs. Actual Pick – Cam Bedrosian P LAA (Actual – Eloy Jimenez Rd 1 – #4 to Virginia)

18.  Manhattan Project – German Marquez P COL – .Another case of taking the correct position and team, but the incorrect player.  German Marquez and Tyler Anderson were both better Rockies options for Bob at 18. For Marquez, playing his career with the Rookies sure didn’t help.  3.80 Road ERA+1.181WHIP vs a 5 plus ERA with a 1.395 WHIP at Coors. How well will Marquez be after Tommy John?  We will find out very soon, as his return could come later this month. Actual – Pick Tyler Chatwood P COL (Actual – German Marquez Rd 1 – #24 to Grand Haven)

19.  Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas (via Motor City) – Harrison Bader OF STL – Bader reached the bigs in 2017, and looking at the Chihuahuas draft, which featured a lot of picks in the top 100, it seems like Miz was gathering a lot of young talent that had either had a taste of MLB experience or was on the cusp of making their debut.  I have a feeling Miz would have had Bader all typed out and ready to hit send the second Stacy prompted him here.  Actual Pick – Dominic Smith 1B NYM (Actual – Harrison Bader Rd 6 – #167 to Manhattan)

20.  Tempe Tempers – Tyler Anderson P COL – The Rockies arms keep coming in this draft!  This is not something we are accustomed to seeing in the first round.  Anderson 4.04/1.307 ERA/WHIP while playing at Coors.  Career WHIP of 1.22.  What was nice about owning Anderson is he did have a couple of solid seasons that could have helped boost a playoff team.  Let’s see how his 2024 playoff run with a major contender in Selkirk goes.  Actual Pick – Junior Guerra P CWS (Actual – Tyler Anderson Rd 2 – #44 to Long Beach)

21.  Windy City Black Sox (via Rosemare) – Cal Quantrill P SD –  Quantrill had a couple of very reasonable seasons to use as both a starter and reliever, including the shortened 2020 season.  He is somebody to keep an eye on as he is in his prime at 29 years old and posting decent numbers with the Rockies.  Interestingly here Moniak was the number 1 overall selection in the 2016 draft and still fell to #21 before Matt thought he found great value. We do our homework in the MWBL.   Actual Pick – Mickey Moniak OF PHI (Actual Cal Quantrill Rd 2 – #33 to Selkirk)

22.  Dallas Cougars – Adam Ottavino P COL – Fresh off the Eastern division title and using an early pick in 2016 on Blake Snell, Jarl is probably looking to bolster his pen for another run.  Ottavino was a guy making a redraft appearance as many relievers do in the MWBL.  His run from 2016 was pretty impressive.  Scoring a WAR rating close to 10.  He has bounced around just a little being involved in 10 MWBL trades!   Actual Pick – Yohander Mendez P TEX (Actual Adam Ottavino Rd 4 – #103 to Motor City)

23.  Grand Haven Gators (via Chicago) – Ramon Laureano OF OAK – If I had done this redraft a couple of years ago he probably would have gone higher.  He was on a nice path to start his career. I selected Laureano here for his defense.  He came out of the gates as a rookie showing off his cannon of an arm.   He is also good for some stolen bases and was an everyday guy for a while. Actual Pick – Christian Arroyo SS SF (Actual – Ramon Laureano Round 2 – #50 to Dallas)

24.  Tijuana Bottle Rockets (via Sacramento) – Brandon Drury 3B ARI – Odd case that Drury was back in this draft to begin with.  Mesa received Drury in a trade with Sacramento in 2016 around the draft.  He didn’t get him enough ABs that season and was forced to lose him to the draft (At the time there was no Rule 5).  Barry, the owner of Mesa,  acquired the 1st overall pick in the 2017 draft by making a trade after the 2016 season and ended up using it to get Drury back.  Actual Pick – Seth Lugo P NYM (Actual – Brandon Drury Rd 1 – #1 to Mesa)

25.  Windy City Black Sox (via Hollywood) – Paul DeJong 3B STL – Doing my work on these drafts I am a sucker for a great value pick.  The selection of DeJong in the 11th round is a very rare one.  Not bad for 131 career home runs while playing a coveted position for APBA at shortstop. Bravo Bill, it’s like you know what you are doing sometimes!  Actual Pick – Tyler Beede P SF (Actual – Paul DeJong Rd 11 – #290 to Columbus.

26.  Tijuana Bottle Rockets (via Columbus) – Dustin May P LAD – This could end up being the ultimate value for the redraft.  At 25, there is way too much talent here to not take a shot, but 5 seasons in May has not pitched more than 56 innings in a given year.   These are always some of the toughest selections for me. Drafts are always about the unknown and taking chances, while redrafts have given information to work with.  Knowing what’s left, I think Myers takes the shot on an electric arm. Actual Pick – Seth Lugo P NYM (Actual – Dustin May Rd 8 – #202 to Hollywood)

27.  Jersey Nor’Easters (via Bethesda) – Ross Stripling P LAD – Not a full season as a starter, but he has had 5 seasons with ERAs sub 4.00.  He could have been used as both starter and RP.  Actual – Pick Ronald Guzman 1B TEX (Actual – Ross Stripling Rd 3 – #73 to Grand Haven)

28.  Detroit Crime – Joey Wendle 2B OAK – Some of us, including myself, tend to undervalue the role of players on an elite APBA roster.  Wendle is a guy a title contender would have loved each year of his career.  Decent average, good fielder, and good stolen base percentages.  The guy played every position that has existed on a baseball diamond.  Wendle did go back into the 2018 draft.  Could he be the first to be on two of my redraft lists? Matt Bush was taken here and it can not be unnoticed it had been 12 years since he was drafted in 2005 as a big-time Shortstop prospect by Motor City.   Actual Pick – Matt Bush P TEX (Actual – Joey Wendle – #184 to Hollywood)