2018 MWBL RE-DRAFT – (WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED)

Mid-West Baseball League Commissioner’s Office – Report submitted by Chris DeMecurio – Corktown Cycle. – July 13th, 202

The rules are simple. I selected a player to draft with each pick in the 1st round of the 2018 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 2020 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 and also include the extra COVID year of 2020.
Cole Ragans P TEX by Dallas at 202 (We will be revisiting this down the road, Jarl)
MacKenzie Gore P SD by Long Beach at 9
Jose Siri OF CIN by Valdosta at 63
Royce Lewis SS MIN to Corktown at 11

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OF THE 2018 MWBL WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED DRAFT 

1.  Southwest Detroit Fighting Chihuahuas – Fernando Tatis Jr. 3B SD- Gleyber Torres felt like the consensus number-one pick in this draft. Still, Miz flipped many draft boards upside down, selecting another highly rated prospect, Brendan Rogers, number 1 overall.  Fernando Tatis didn’t just become an everyday player but ended up being a star.   SWD may have missed on the top pick, but they make up for it with some deep draft research in 2018.  Actual Pick- Brendan Rodgers COL SS (Actual Tatis Rd 1 #3 to Rosemere)

2. Selkirk Steelers – Pete Alonso 1B NYM- This was a case of power bat vs ACE starting pitcher.  The top pitchers in this draft have some injury concerns, but these bats have been consistent.  Ken has a nice scouting report on Pete Alonso as a prospect.  He locked him up early in the 5th round and spent his entire career as a Steeler thus far.  Actual Pick- Gleyber Torres SS NY.  (Actual Alonso Rd 5 #115 to Selkirk)

3.  Rosemere Renegades – Yordan Alvarez OF HOU – Let’s grab the best bat on the board.  Yordan has an amazing eye and continues to rake every year.  A career .295 BA in this era speaks volumes.  Yordan is a clutch hitter with power.  He did it right out of the gate, winning MLB’s Rookie of the Year. A great pick that falls to the bottom of the first round to Stray.  One could argue the Mobsters’ cornerstone piece to his World Series title in 2024, and possibly more.   Actual Pick- Fernando Tatis Jr 3B SD (Actual Alvarez Rd 1 #27 to Chicago)

4.  Fremont Cannons – Corbin Burnes P MIL- Imagine the 2022 World Series champion Cannons coming back in the next few years with an  Ace like Burnes. He is an MLB 4-time All-Star and Cy Young winner and also took home that prestigious award in the MWBL.  Another electric arm that goes beyond the first round in the draft.   We all search for that gem.   I told you to watch out for those Chihuahuas, as they put in some work in 2018.  Actual Pick – Austin Hays OF BAL (Actual Burnes Rd 2 #29 to Southwest Detroit)

5.  Portland Lumber Jax – Shane Bieber P CLE – Let’s bring out another ace.  Portland took Mahle, who showed a lot of promise in the minors.  Also, he was a carded player.   This was back when the prospect spots got very crowded and players didn’t make it up as quickly.  The selection by Chris at #235 goes into the redraft Hall of Fame as one of the greatest picks of all time.  He flipped him to Triple Creek with Brandon Workman for Michael Brantley, Kyle Crick, and a 1st round pick that ended up being Austin Riley. Actual Pick – Tyler Mahle P CIN (Actual Bieber Rd 9 #235 to Tempe)

6.  Dallas Cougars – William Contreras C ATL- If we are giving credit to Tempe for finding Bieber at pick 235, then Southwest Detroit gets just as much for the incredible grab with Contreras at 251. SWD already had the other Contreas, but that shouldn’t take away from nabbing the younger brother, who now has 2 Silver Slugger awards along with having a consistent solid APBA grade.  Dallas could have gone just about any player here, versus Joel Piera, who was a bandage for a couple of seasons.  Actual Pick – Joel Pinera OF SD (Actual Contreras Rd 5 #151 to Southwest Detroit)

7. Chicago Mobsters (Via Valdosta) – Willy Adames SS TB – This is fun because Chicago currently rosters Adames, as he acquired him in a trade a few years back.  Although Chicago probably rostered 90 percent of MLB players at one point or another.   I was surprised at how well Willy Adames has done in his career.  A 20.9 WAR ranks 4th among this draft class.  Despite not settling into his groove at San Francisco yet, he is only 29 years old. Actual Pick – Keibert Ruiz C LAD (Actual Adames Rd 1 #17 to Pittsburgh)

8.  Coconut Creek Crushers – Gleyber Torres SS NYY – Torres may not be that flashy star, but he has had 5 seasons of 20+ home runs, including 38 in 2019 and a career OPS of .777.  Gleyber is a 3-time MWBL All-Star and is still only 28 years old.  He was near the top of everybody’s 2018 draft board and still worthy of a top 10 selection.  Actual Pick – Justice Sheffield P NYY (Actual Torres Rd 1 #2 to Selkirk)

9.  Long Beach Dirt Bags – Luis Robert OF CWS- I may have looked down on Robert a tad due to recency bias.  Upon further digging, he was a budding star, and at 27 years old, I am not giving up on him, even though we have noticed declining numbers the past year and a half. From 2021-2023, Robert had an OPS of .842  and won a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove. Actual Pick- Mackenzie Gore P SD (Actual Robert – Rd 1 #14 to Mesa)

10.  Jersey Nor’Easters – Sean Murphy C OAK- We see a lot of catchers go in the first round of the MWBL annual draft.   Everyone is looking for that plug-and-play guy so they can focus on other positions.  For the 2nd time in this redraft, we are putting a mid-round catcher in the top 10.   Starting in 2019, Murphy already sports a WAR near 15, and he is just as good offensively (for a catcher)  as he is behind the dish. Jersey went with the carded pitcher out of SD that I know I had very high on my list. Actual Pick – Dinelson Lamet. (Actual Murphy Rd 4 #97 to Virginia)

11.  Corktown Cycle – Christian Walker 1B ARI – I don’t think anybody gets too excited about drafting a 1B.  Especially one that was looking like a bust before this draft took place.  How about grabbing a guy that ends up with 150+ Home runs and 3 gold gloves with the 204th pick?  Whether it be a flyer or just for coverage at the time, what a payoff!  Corktown will take anything over a guy who didn’t make it up in time.  Actual Pick – Royce Lewis SS MIN (Actual Walker Rd 8 #204 to Coconut Creek)

12.  Southbend Linx – Nathan Eovaldi P TB- This is a fun pick.  I don’t even remember Eovaldi in Tampa.  He was coming off his 2nd Tommy John surgery at age 28, and Rosemere decided to use a prospect slot in the 12th round to draft the unknown.  Did it pay off?!    Since that draft, he has sported a 3.76 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 892 strikeouts and 2 All-Star appearances.  At age 35, he hasn’t slowed down.  He is currently having his best season as a pro.  Actual Pick- Brenden McKay P TB (Actual Eovaldi Rd 12 #313 to Rosemere)

13.  Virginia Sluggers – Brent Rooker OF MIN – Virginia Sluggers get a slugger at 13. This is a case of the late bloomer.  Before heading to Oakland in 2023, Rooker was just a body.  Now, he has 30 and 39 home runs in back-to-back seasons and a Silver Slugger award to go with it.  Looking sharp to start 2025, even though he is technically out of Oakland. I’m banking on a few more worthy seasons to redraft him at 13.  Actual Pick – Michal Baez P SD (Actual Rooker Rd 2 #56 to Selkirk)

14.  Mesa Solar Sox – Lourdes Gurriel SS TOR – Nice consistent bat to grab at 14.   He has played a few positions but has settled on OF. Double-digit home runs in every season except 2022, but he still batted with a .291 average.  He loves to swing, so his OBP isn’t much higher overall, but he does hit the ball well.  120 Home runs since 2018.  Actual Pick- Luis Robert OF CWS (Actual Gurriel Rd 4 #106 to Triple Creek)

15.  Yonge Street Stalkers – Ryan Helsley P STL – At 15, let’s grab the best reliever in the draft. Four really solid seasons.  I went with Helsley because he is a lot younger.  With relievers, it always depends on which season you need the better cards.  Actual Pick Brady Singer P CLG (Actual Helsley Rd 4 #85 to Southwest Detroit)

16.  Harsens Island Walleye – Anthony Santander OF BAL- This was Harsens Island’s very first MWBL selection. I’m sure Jamie would have loved to knock it out of the park with the first draft, but getting Santander would have been a nice kickstart.   He would have given them some really good years with a powerful bat that included a 44-home-run season.  Actual Pick Johan Camargo 3B ATL (Actual Santander Rd 5 #124 to Southbend)

17.  Pittsburgh Lumber Company – Kirby Yates P NYY – APBA is all about numbers, and Yates provided them as a reliever pretty consistently since 2018.   Four absolute shutdown seasons while always providing high innings-pitched numbers.  He may never win the awards aside from being a two-time MLB All-Star, but we know how important having a good pen can be.  Actual Pick – Willy Adames SS TB  (Actual Yates Rd 5 #136 to Tempe)

18.  Manhattan Project – Ryan Mountcastle 3B BAL- Mountcastle moving over to 1B may have hurt his stock a little, but he consistently has a good defensive grade.  He took home the Rookie of the Year award in MWBL as well.  Nearing 100 all-time home runs and still under 30.   Actual Pick – Jo Adell OF LAA (Actual Mountcastle Rd 3 #67 to Corktown)

19.  Tempe Tempers (Via Tijuana) – Daulton Varsho C ARI – Varsho has transitioned his great defensive skills into a really solid outfielder, winning a Gold Glove in both MLB and the MWBL.   A career WAR over 15 and only 29 years old.  He is good for double-digit steals as well.  Actual Pick – Mitch White P LAD (Actual Varsho Rd 5 #121 to Long Beach)

20.  Harsens Island Walleye (Via Columbus) – Jesus Luzardo P OAK- There is always one player that falls with a ton of potential still left in the tank.  Luzardo is that guy in my redraft.   The early numbers aren’t too bad, but we would have had no problem reaching for him even a few picks earlier.  Only 27 and still a strike-out machine.  Just a little wild at times, and has always had innings that get away from him.  Let’s call this a very easy pick in this redraft to pair with the OF Santander, the Walleye fished out at 16.  Actual Pick – Boog Powell OF PHI (Actual Luzardo – Rd 3 #76 to Long Beach)

21.  Motor City Muscle – Harrison Bader OF STL- Bader’s numbers line up with the everyday player of this era of baseball.   His 100+ stolen bases and gold glove make him very intriguing at 21.   His career WAR of 15+ is by far the highest of anyone left on the draft board.   Southwest Detroit continues to find talent in the 2018 draft.  Actual Pick- Jakob Junis P KC (Actual Bader Rd 2 #55 to Southwest Detroit)

22.  Triple Creek Patriots – Brady Singer P CLG- Before the 2022 MWBL draft it was looking like Singer was the favorite to be MLB’s first pick.  A monster NCAA season for Casey Mize and a little bump for Singer dropped him down in the draft.  Singer still makes it up in time to earn a spot in this draft, and he has been serviceable.  Singer always seems like a guy who will be up and down, but his floor never appears to be that low.  Actual Pick – Keston Hiura 2B MIL (Actual Singer Rd 1 #15 to Yonge Street)

23.  Detroit Crime – Tanner Scott P BAL- This is a fitting pick for Sergio.  He was in the middle of a nice run and seemed to use high picks on top-end relief pitchers.   What he would get out of Tanner Scott would be a nice treat at 23.  His career WHIP currently stands at 1.03.  Scott isn’t just a great RP, he is an innings machine.  High rating who never had to go to the farm. Roliads Reliever of the Year in 2024 and not slowing down.  Actual Pick – Mike Minor P TEX (Actual Scott – Rd 5 #116 to Fremont)

24.  Tempe Tempers (Via Sacramento) – Miles Mikolas P STL- This is an impressive selection.  Mikolas, now an Un-Card, spent seasons in the NPB before returning to MLB.  The Tempers took a chance and found a long-term starter.  4.10 ERA and 1.19 WHIP since his return.  Tempe ended up getting Mikolas with a pick that once belonged to the Capitals.  That is a full-circle selection. Actual Pick – Parker Bridwell P BAL (Actual Mikolas Rd 3 #80 to Tempe)

25.  Hollywood Werewolves – Austin Hays OF BAL – Hays seems to have found a comfortable landing spot in Cincinnati.  All his numbers are up across the board.  He is always going to strike out and not walk very often.  Likely “ is what he is” at this point, but I can imagine another 5 seasons of similar numbers across the board.  Good enough to land late in the first round of this redraft as opposed to the 4th pick overall.  Actual Pick- Gorge Guzman P MIA (Actual Hays Rd 1 #4 to Fremont)

26.  Dallas Cougars (From Bethesda) – Brandon Marsh OF LAA – Nothing major stands out with Marsh as far as numbers.  He is a good defender and can swipe some bags. Double-digit home runs in the past 3 seasons and an OPS of .776 during that time. He is only 27, although I think we know what we’re getting out of him moving forward.  Also want to highlight this selection by Peter since Marsh was taken in the 10th round.  2nd highest in 2018 behind Nathan Eovaldi in the 12th.   Actual Pick – Brent Suter P MIL (Actual Marsh Rd 10 #278 to Long Beach)

27.  Chicago Mobsters – Yusmerio Petit P OAK – We already know the future of Petit.  There is none.  From 2017-2022, Petit was among the elite relievers, and that would suggest he was worth a 1st round selection.  Here is what he provided for a contender during that time: ERA 2.99, WHIP 0.96, and an 8.6 WAR.  Chicago would rather just keep the 2018 first round so they can keep Yordan, but what fun is that?  Actual Pick – Yordan Alvarez OF HOU (Actual Petit Rd 3 #61 to Portland)

28.  Tempe Tempers – Tyler Mahle P CIN – How about the 3rd first-round pick for the champ? There were a few starting pitchers and utility players still on the board here.  Mahle won over the others because he had more good years and an overall ERA of 4.03.  Mahle just came back from Tommy John and looked to be shining in 2025 before another shoulder injury took him out for a while.  Still time when we re-draft the 2018 redraft in another 10 years!  Actual Pick Jorge Matro SS OAK (Actual Mahle Rd 1 #5 to Portland)

By The Numbers – REDRAFT 1st round picks

1- Yonge Street, Virginia, Triple Creek, Southbend, Rosemere, Pittsburgh, Mesa, Corktown, Coconut Creek and Chicago

2-Fremont and Portland

3- Tempe, Selkirk and Long Beach

4- Southwest Detroit