OTWT Mock MLB Draft

The Scouting Staff of OTWT has been locked away in the its bunker for the last couple of days, going over the top prospects in the upcoming baseball draft and coming up with its annual mock draft. Last year, we did it and it did not turn out that well. So here goes.

1 Pittsburgh Pirates: Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA

2 Seattle Mariners: Danny Hultzen, LHP, UVa

3 Arizona Diamondbacks: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice

4 Baltimore Orioles: Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt

5 Kansas City Royals: Tyler Jungmann, RHP, Texas

6 Washington Nationals: Alex Meyers, RHP, Kentucky

7 Arizona Diamondbacks: Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso (Oklahoma) HS

8 Cleveland Indians: Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech

9 Chicago Cubs: Bubba Sterling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton (Oklahoma) HS

10 San Diego Padres: Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA

11 Houston Astros: Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy (Fla)

12 Milwaukee Brewers: Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Spring Valley HS (SC)

13 New York Mets: George Springer, OF, UConn

14: Florida Marlins: Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS (Okalahoma)

15 Milwaukee Brewers: Larry Green, OF, Berrien County HS (Georgia)

16 Los Angeles Dodgers: Tyler Anderson, LHP, Oregon

17 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Brandon Nimmo, OF, East HS (Wyo)

18 Oakland Athletics: Mikie Mahtook, OF, LSU

19 Boston Red Sox: Matt Barnes, RHP, UConn

20 Colorado Rockies: Kolten Wong, 2B, Hawaii

21 Toronto Blue Jays: Josh Bell, OF, Dallas Jesuit HS (TX)

22 St. Louis Cardinals: Javier Baez, SS, Arlington Country Day HS (Fla)

23 Washington Nationals: CJ Cron, 1B, Utah

The Tournament has lost something

On Sunday night the Big Ten Network was showing the Regional Final between St. Johns and Ohio State from a bunch of years ago. While it was fun seeing Scoonie Penn, Michael Redd, Eric Barclay, and Ron Artest play again in college something really stood out to me.

The game was played at Thomspon Boling Arena at the University of Tennessee and you knew this because the court was orange and had all of its marking. But this weekend while watching the games, I kept forgetting what venue the games I was watching was being played at.

A couple of years ago one of the highlights of tournament was seeing all of the different colored courts. Like the one at the Huntsman Center in Utah and Boises State. The one thing that having those different courts was that everyone knew what site they were at , now its hard to tell where they are unless you read the baseline. A couple of years ago the NCAA decided to introduce universal court designs to the tournament and the blue and black courts are kind of cookie cutter and lack any character. That move started to take a little fun away from the tournament.

It seems that a little of the character of the tournament has been taken away by going to these standard courts.
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Only the Nats

Usually when a team gets a #1 overall draft pick, its hope for the future, but leave it to the Nationals to almost take all of that hope away. Last year was tough on Nationals fan, a team the lacked the talent to win at the Triple A level, could not compete at the major league level.

This year #1 overall player is San Diego State Pitcher Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg has been billed as the best pitchers to come out of college in a long time. Check out Strasburg striking out 23 batters vs. Utah. The fastball is amazing and he has a hammer to die for.

Ok so this should be a done deal, the Nats draft him, sign him and then wait for about 18 months and he will ready to pitch at the major league level. But this is the Nationals and its already starting to look like the Nats will never call Strasburg name during the draft later this year.

Reports have come out that Strasburg wants a $50 million contract when he is drafted. Yes that is right $50 million. How are the Nationals going to pay that much for a pitcher, hey last years pick Aaron Crow, a pitcher from Mizzou, never signed with the Nats because of an issue with his signing bonus. So I guess I better not go out and order a Strasburg National Jersey. So instead of having a once in a lifetime pitching prospect, we will draft Grant Green, a shortstop. Wow this is something to look forward to.

Thoughts on the Big Dance

The NCAA Selection Committee has spoken and some teams are happy and others are not going to be happy for some time. Here are OTWT first thoughts on the just released brackets.

• For a team that might have been the last at large in Arizona has a game that no one is going to be scared of Utah.
• I would not be surprised to see Utah State beat a fast sliding Marquette.
  
• For all of the talk of Maryland being on the edge of the bubble, it looks like they were safely in the tournament as a 10 seed.
  
• Wisconsin is the type of team that is going to give Florida State some issues.
  
• Portland State vs. the X-Men. Don't sleep on Portland State. They are the have beaten some good teams this year, including a win at Gonzaga.
  
• This year Western Kentucky beat the number one overall seed Louisville, so playing Illinois will not be that intimidating.
  
• I understand how the Big East has been the greatest conference in the history of the world, but how could three teams be number one seeds. I just don't understand how the third best team in a conferences warrants being a number one seed. Two teams from one conference is hard to take. I think that you should at least win your conference to be considered for a number one seed. I would have love to seen Memphis as the final number one.
• Final Four at first glance: North Carolina, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Louisville.
  
• I do know this. The tournament is always fun and will be again this year.