Need help in fresh AL only minor league draft

[celtics464]

Who would you take. I'm on the clock. so far Longoria and Chamberlain have been taken. Anyone not accumulating 130 IP or 300 ABs are considered available in this draft. I can;t decide who to take. I'm thinking Buchholz, Hughes, or Ellsbury. Is there anyone else that I might be forgetting? My pick is due in soon so this is somewhat of a rush. Any help would be great. thanks for the help.

[San D]

I'd grab Jay Bruce. Most sites have him the #1 prospect. He's likely a midseason callup unless Cincinnati makes some trades though. If you want someone who is definitely starting full-time in the bigs to start the season, it would be Hughes, Ellsbury, and Buchholz in that order since there is a slight (very slight) possibility that Boston opens with 4 outfielders and a better possibily that Buchholz starts in AAA. However, if you don't mind waiting until midseason, my order would be Bruce, Buchholz, Hughes, Ellsbury.

[Koby Schellenger]

I'd take Clay Buccholz.

EDIT: I didn't see the innings requirement and was assuming it was the standard 50. In light of that, I'd take Phil Hughes for sure.

[Steve-o]

If Hughes is somehow available in your prospect draft, then I would take him.

Otherwise I take Buchholz well before Ellsbury.

[Seattle Squirrels]

Hughes is above Buchholz, and I wouldn't even consider Ellsbury ahead of guys like David Price, Travis Snider, or even Rick Porcello when upside is considered.

[Omaha Red Sox]

Bruce
Hughes
Buchholz
Price
Snider
Porcello


Ellsbury

Let someone reach for Ellsbury. I'm a huge fan of Jacoby, but he's not going to be as valuable fantasy-wise as those above him on that list.

[celtics464]

because of the way scoring is handled i went with ellsbury. hitters are good for 6 categories while SP is only good for 4/6 on their end with holds and svs being counted as well. thanks for the help guys

[Steve-o]

because of the way scoring is handled i went with ellsbury. hitters are good for 6 categories while SP is only good for 4/6 on their end with holds and svs being counted as well. thanks for the help guys

I don't know what your 6 hitters cats are, but no way that Ellsbury contributes in all of them. You just hope his SB outweigh his lack of HR and or RBI/OPS production.

On a random tangent, I don't understand all the fantasy love for Jacoby. I just don't think he is that good. I don''t know, maybe if your league counts defensive metrics like FRAA or HBT's zone rating as a cat. Here's some more info:

Physicality, Health, and Tools
Ellsbury: Ellsbury is a 6-1, 185 pound lefthanded hitter and thrower, born September 11, 1983. An outstanding athlete, he is an excellent defensive outfielder, although his arm is below average in strength. His speed plays well on the bases. He's shown sound contact hitting ability and gap power as a pro, along with very good strike zone judgment. His home run power is just average right now, but should improve at least slightly as he gets older. He's had no major health problems worth noting.

Performance and Polish
Ellsbury: Ellsbury's career mark is .306/.391/.427 with 64 steals in 146 games, including .308/.387/.434 last year in half a season of Double-A. His BB/K/AB ratio is excellent at 73/73/581, showing strong plate discipline. He's quite polished in most phases of the game, needing only additional power development. His MLE OPS last year was about .760 with about 30 steals and strong defense.

Projection
Ellsbury: Although some people compare him to Johnny Damon, I don't think Ellsbury will have that kind of home run power. I expect he'll develop into a .280-.300 hitter with a high on base percentage, plenty of speed, lots of doubles and triples, 10-15 homers, and strong glovework. PECOTA upside VORP is 78.6.

[05worldserieschamps]

Jay Bruce is probably the best prospect now. So I would grab him. But, if your looking for pitching, I think Hughes still edges Bucholtz. Ellsbury isnt quite as good as these guys, but he is a very safe pick.

[BigLeagueFutures]

Bruce
Buchholz
Hughes
Kershaw
Rasmus
Maybin

just to name a few.