Shrewd draft-choices have turned the Arizona Diamondbacks from the laughing stock of the National League to a World Series contender in a mere four years. In the 2008 draft, the Diamondbacks seek to sustain this upward rise.
With a young roster stocked with position player talent, the Diamondbacks will likely continue to stock up on pitching talent. Their last two draft choices have both been pitchers (Max Scherzer and Jarod Parker), and one can expect more of the same.
- B/R Ticket Guide
The best pitching talent available will be taken, be it a high school or college player. Gerrit Cole comes to mind as a possible fit. Coming out of high school, Cole has an electric fastball similar to Scherzer. Due to his violent delivery and representation by Scot Boras, it is likely he will still be available late in the first round.
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6 months ago
Arizona took Daniel Schlereth with the 26th pick. I like this pick. He will be a set-up man in the Bigs.
He was taken by Oakland last year in the 8th round, but didn't sign and opted to return for college. This year, his fastball is between 93-96 mph. He has good fastball movement, but it can't really improve in the minors. He can get 85-87 mph on his slider.
His control isn't great, and he doesn't have a changeup yet. He may not need one as a set-up man, but it is always a good idea to have a third pitch.
I will get into their other picks later.
from 6 months ago
Lol, the only thing is that he hopes to be in the Bigs by September. Good luck with that, buddy.
For the rest of the picks, you hit it right on. Arizona focused on pitching until the 138th pick. Let's review the picks:
Wade Miley, LHP, Southeastern Louisiana
He has the potential to be a number four starter in the Bigs, with a possible three plus pitches. He has a "slow" fastball, 89-91 mph, a good curveball, and a great breaking ball. Miley is a great strike thrower, and has the sixth most strikes thrown in the country.
Bryan Shaw, LHP
He wants to be a closer, but his stuff is probably not good enough for that. He could be another set-up man in the Bigs. He has two pitches right now, a low-90s fastball, and a slider. Baseball America says he could potentially reach the majors quickly.
There are more picks, but I don't want to go into them right now.
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