WHEBO

Preview: 2021 First Year Player Draft

The regular season is over; a new champion has been crowned. Now is the time when the league’s 24 GM’s look toward the future and drafting those college and high school players to their minor league systems in the hope that, one day in the near future, those players can help their team achieve the lofty goal of a WHEBO championship.

While the 2021 draft pool is not filled with the elite talent of a Jose Garza, there is still plenty of talent to be found for first round selections…and beyond. Here are the top 30 players available this year.

SP Ernesto Gutierrez (20/75)

22-year-old Gutierrez projects to be the likely #1 overall selection this year, and with good reason. He has above-average pitching ratings and his fastball/changeup combo is among the best in the league regardless of player age. He has two more solid backup pitches and projects to be hitting the high 90’s with most of those pitches. The only possible drawback is the changeup development bug within the game.

RP Miguel Chaverria (20/70)

            As the highest rated right-handed reliever, Chaverria shows a lot of upside. The 21-year-old has elite stuff and above average movement and control potential. He can throw his fastball consistently around 100 mph and his curveball is the perfect compliment to his power game. He may see time as a closer, which wouldn’t be a surprise, but he looks more destined to be a successful setup man.

CL Zaire Hobson (20/70)

            Florida State junior Hobson has had an exceptional college career and looks to make the move to the big league soon. The 21-year-old possesses above average movement and control ratings and exceptional stuff potential. His 100+ mph fastball is a thing of beauty and he uses his high-end curveball skillfully when needed. Although the curve stills needs a bit of work, he is projected to be a solid closer for most teams, although he does have quite a bit of trouble holding runners near base.

SP Edward Pearson (20/70)

            The junior starter out of Miami of Ohio projects to be high in the rotation of whatever team he ends up with. Although he has some control issues, he more than balances that out with his powerful pitches and elite stuff. His curveball is a nice change-of-pace pitch to counter his fastball/cutter/splitter repertoire and his high work ethic should help him develop nicely.

RP Ricky Salas (20/70)

            The 21-year-old Salas is seen to be the best left-handed reliever in this year’s draft. While he still needs to develop his control, he has elite stuff and a great fastball/splitter combo that will account for an exceptionally good K/BB ratio. He is another pitcher who will throw in the high 90’s and elicit many ground balls from hitters. He also shows intelligence on the field and can keep most runners in-check while on the mound.

SS Danny Sanchez (20/70)

            This 17-year-old high school senior from Puerto Rico definitely falls into the “prospect” category, as he has plenty of room to grow into a productive member of a team’s offense. He possesses the potential to be a quality hitter, possibly managing a .325-.350 batting average throughout his career in addition to showing good gap power and above-average home run potential. Add to that solid defensive skills and we have the makings of a high draft pick.

SP Ronald Wilson (20/70)

            18-year-old Wilson hails from Aruba and is the highest-rated lefty starter in the draft. He projects more as a control type pitcher with very solid movement and control (although the control needs a great deal of work) and he has three above-average pitches to work with. His lack of a possible changeup shouldn’t hinder his development into a #2 or, at worst, mid-rotation starter.

SP Salvatore Berumen (20/65)

            Hailing from Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, this 22-year-old hurler shows above average pitching ratings and an exceptional fastball/slider one-two punch. He has good endurance and high hold runners potential, however, the changeup is suspect. This would make him an emergency starter at best, and most likely he would work out of the pen in long relief situations. Even if that is the case, his ability to throw near 100 mph will benefit his team.

SP Seth Campbell 20/65

            The first thing that may catch a GM’s eye about the 21-year-old Campbell is his elite stamina. Given good production, he could become a league-leader in complete games during a WHEBO season. The next thing may be a fully developed yet below-average slider and a likely non-existent changeup. His fastball/splitter combo and a potential to throw 100+ mph heat may just eliminate the slider/changeup concerns.

SP Sean Capone (20/65)

            Capone is another pitcher with a below-average slider and questionable changeup. However, the 21-year-old does possess three other “plus” pitches and the potential to throw in the high 90’s. He is a groundball pitcher but may need a quality arm in a catcher to counteract is rather low hold runner potential. He is still likely an ace on some squads or at worst, a #2.

SP Victor Delgado (20/65)

            Another youngster from “South of the Border,” 17-year-old Delgado has above average pitching ratings, great endurance, solid hold runners potential, and a decent curveball/cutter combo. That being said, his downfall is an average slider and questionable changeup. His good work ethic and intelligence may offset the lack of the changeup so he should find some success if he develops even close to his potential.

CF Carlos Rodriguez (35/65)

            Rodriguez wins the coveted “Most Likely to Start on the ML Level” Award for this draft pool. His batting ratings are all above average and he has a great knack for average, hitting the gaps, and avoiding K’s. All those skills play directly into his running game, which is elite, to say the least. Add the final bit as an exceptional defender in the outfield or at 1B, and you have the makings of a potential Rookie of the Year candidate whether he starts this year or down the road a bit.

3B Hoalohalani Weema (20/65)

            Winner of the “Most Likely to Need a Nickname” Award, 18-year-old Weema looks to be a solid investment from the power outlook. While he’s likely to not hit for a great average every season, he should have a lion’s share of his team’s extra-base hits and, if used in the right lineup spot, RBI’s. His defensive ratings are decent, although his low rating in double plays may force him into the position at first base, where he will likely see more at-bat possibilities in the long run. And if you didn’t notice, he has good relief pitching skills to boot. This might jump him up on some GM’s draft boards.

SP Ruben Cabrera (20/60)

            University of Arizona senior Cabrera has above average pitching ratings and a nice three-pitch arsenal with an exceptional cut fastball, a very good slider, and a nice changeup. He’ll garner his fair share of K’s during his career throwing high 90’s heat while only struggling with walks against the most elite of WHEBO hitters. He might be another pitcher who needs a solid backstop to help lower the potential for stolen bases.

3B Chris Delgado (20/60)

            A power over average guy, the 21-year-old Delgado projects to post solid numbers in extra-base hits and RBI’s while keeping his average in the .250-.260 range most seasons. He has an elite infield arm but will need to develop the rest of his defensive skill set for it to be a major asset. His major weakness is that he possesses no real skill at baserunning and has basically no speed on the basepaths. He may hit a few triples in a season, but his main production value will be from doubles and home runs, which don’t require the extra running speed.

SP Jose Escandon (20/60)

            22-year-old Escandon doesn’t come right out and blow GM’s away with his pitching potential, except maybe for a high 90’s mph fastball and great stamina. He’s an above-average pitcher who could easily exceed expectations with a strong offense and solid defense supporting him. His control needs work, as does his slider, but he projects to end up in the middle of someone’s rotation within 3 or 4 years.

1B Dave Flores (20/60)

            Flores is one of those left-handed power hitters that some teams love to have at first base of as a DH. The 23-year-old senior from Pepperdine showed his power with 16 doubles, 22 HR’s, and 65 RBI in 2021 and will look to latch on with a ML team in need of a power boost. He won’t hit for a great average each season but should supply a solid number of extra-base hits and RBI’s for his team. He has a high work ethic so his development may be quicker than normal, allowing him to make the move to the WHEBO ML level sooner rather than later.

3B Ramon Lebron (20/60)

            18-year-old high school senior Lebron has shown some great potential early in his baseball career hitting .507 in his 48 starts at Juneau-Douglas High School in Juneau, Alaska. His weakness at the plate is his discipline, but with outstanding contact potential, he’s still a candidate to hit around .350 during a given season. He has just enough power output to worry mid-level pitchers. His defensive skills are solid but he needs to develop his fielding to add to his value as a WHEBO player.

RP Nelson Lira (20/60)

            Left-handed Lira is a nice-looking reliever with elite stuff, exceptional pitches (fastball and slider), and potential to hit 100 mph on the radar gun. His major weakness is his below average control, although his work ethic and intelligence on the field may counter the control issue. He looks to be either a setup man or possible closer and should see success in either position.

CF Bobby Ortega (20/60)

            Ortega enters the draft as a college junior where he has shown great extra-base production in his two seasons. He is an above-average contact man, so will likely not be having too many seasons at .300, but a .275 average is within his means. He has great skill hitting to the gaps and exceptional power as a pull hitter. The 21-year-old is a burner on the basepaths and also shows excellent potential defensively.

3B Lorenzo Rivera (20/60)

            21-year-old Rivera is by far the best contact hitting prospect in this year’s draft. Add to that above average gap power and avoiding K’s and you have the makings of a quality high WHEBO hitter. He will need development defensively to increase his value to any team but even as a possible DH, he should shine brightly at the plate. He has below average skills on the basepath but may manage to steal a few bases each year.

SP Luis Rivera (20/60)

            Another lefty starting prospect, although that may be questionable, is 22-year-old Rivera. His fastball/curveball combo is among the best of the pitchers available, but he is another who may have to deal with the “changeup curse.” His pitching ratings are above average, he has great stamina, and he will keep runners close to base. Even if he ends up working out of the pen or in a possible follower role, he should find success in the WHEBO.

RF Hector Rodriguez (20/60)

            Possessing above average contact, gap power, and homerun power, 19-year-old Rodriguez appears to be destined for some success once he makes the major league level. He will look to develop his positional ratings in the outfield to match up more closely with his above average defensive potential. He also has great skill on the base paths using his elite speed and great baserunning skills to be a scoring threat any time he is on base.

2B Hector Salazar (20/60)

            Salazar has many of the potential qualities GM’s look for in a middle infielder. Defensively he has decent range and can turn a lot of double plays. Offensively he has above average skills across the board meaning that he will have plenty of quality at-bats with chances to score runs. He’s solid on the base paths as well with great instincts and enough speed to make pitchers keep a close eye on him.

RP Julio Sotelo (20/60)

            21-year-old Sotelo is another of those left-handed pitching prospects who is equally likely to end up as a setup man as he is a closer. He has elite stuff, throws fireballs at around 100 mph, and uses his above average movement/control well with his fastball and curveball to build a high number of strikeouts and low number of base-on-balls. He does need some work on the control, but that will come in time given his high work ethic.

SP Ivan Torres (20/60)

            With a nickname like “Grave Digger,” hitters might be a bit intimidated by 20-year-old Torres. While he does possess decent potential as a pitcher, he is most likely to be coming into games from the pen due to his undeveloped changeup. Even with that possibility, he throws in the high 90’s, keeps runners close, and has great stamina. If the changeup develops even to half its potential, he will at the very least be a follower in the mid- to late-rotation.

CF Duane Archer (30/55)

            22-year-old Archer is another player with an outside chance of seeing early ML time this season, especially because of his elite speed and baserunning skills. Otherwise, he’s an average contact guy with a bit of pop to the gaps and the fences. He’s going to be a great fielder with exceptional range and a decent arm. He might not be right field material but could easily slide into left or center with little problem.

SP Bob Atley (20/55)

            Canadian Atley is very similar to Wilson (above) in most instances. He’s another that needs to develop his control to become a WHEBO pitcher and his circle-change is likely to not develop properly. But the 18-year-old does have an undefeated career as a high-schooler (25-0) and an amazing ERA of 0.63. He will likely garner a lot of looks from GM’s in the middle of Round One.

SP Roberto Becerra (20/55)

            Becerra is an average WHEBO pitcher with the possibility of doing better than expected with a strong offense behind him. The 18-year-old’s high school career might be the outlier in his baseball career with 13 K’s/9 and 1.5 BB/9, which his potential pitching skills don’t show as highly likely. He does have a nice fastball which he can work into the mid 90’s and his stamina is high. He looks to be a backend rotation man, or possibly a long reliever of the future.

1B Antonio Canche (20/55)

            21-year-old Canche is an interesting prospect as he is a first baseman with good base running skills. He’ll likely use those skills often as he has above average contact, gap power, and home run power potential. As his defensive ratings improve with practice, he may be able to learn another position, depending on how his range develops. His work ethic, intelligence, and adaptability only enhance his overall game.