SSG Baseball 2019 Draft – Round 1, Picks 1-5
The real time Baseball runs at the start of June, here in SSG Baseball we run the draft offline and import the results on draft day.
Today (Saturday) saw the start of the offline draft with the number one assigned to the Milwaukee Brewers who won one game less than the New York Yankees in 2018.
Pick 1 – Milwaukee Brewers select P/OF Charlie Maxwell
Maxwell has made his name at Marcus High School, TX as a two way player who struck out 112 batters in 12 games at a 17.2 k/9 clip, and also hit .486 (54 hits) in 123 plate appearances.
Maxwell throws 97 mph, with a fastball, slider, change-up combination. Offensively he is known more as a single/doubles hitter.
It is still unknown if the Brewers will use Maxwell as a two way player, player is asking for slot money.
Pick 2 – New York Yankees select P Ron Lowe
The Yankees select a NY state native with Oakdale born Ron Lowe. Lowe has the potential to be a control pitcher baffling hitters with six pitches, all of them rated above average. The price tag is steep (est $5.5m) but his work ethic attracted the Yankees to making the selection.
Went 11-1 for Albany College striking out 137 in 15 starts.
Pick 3 – New York Yankees select 3B Juan Mendoza
With their compensation for not signing for their first round pick in 2018 the Yankees select Juan Mendoza, a 18 year old Colombian third baseman who was HS eligible from Flagstaff, AZ.
Mendoza looks like he is demanding slot money and it looks a good pick from the Yankees as Mendoza can hit for contact, doubles and power, alongside a highly rated arm to play 3B.
Mendoza had an outstanding HS year, hitting .478, 9 HR in 25 games.
Pick 4 – Arizona Diamondbacks select P Lúcio Pérez
Diamondbacks select fireballer Perez from Baylor College and will expect to spend around $3m to sign him. Perez has three excellent pitches but comes with no fastball in his arsenal who posted a 2.21 ERA in his last college season. Not known to give up the home run, Perez does have issues with walks at times.
Pick 5 – Kansas City Royals select OF Dave Garcia
Picked from under the noses of the circling Marlins Florida native Garcia hit .522 and hit 12 HR’s in just 22 games for Arlington Country Day HS in Jacksonville and will demand a bonus demand of around $3.4m from the Royals.
Garcia has a projection to be an impact player with a combination of speed and power.