A series of solid drafts has left Minnesota’s prospect pool in good shape, even with most of the cream of the crop already playing in St. Paul. A couple of playoff runs have forced the Wild to draft a little later than it’s become accustomed to (though that’s hardly a bad thing), but its scouting staff has still managed to get good results each year.
2014 NHL Draft Grades: Central Division, Part II Read Post »
What once appeared to be an embarrassment of riches for the Astros has turned into flat-out embarrassment. Aiken will not don an Astros uniform after a failed post-Draft physical sent everything spiraling and the Astros never got him signed before the deadline. That will put more significance on the development of their other top picks, including Fisher, a fast-improving hitter who was a sixth-round pick by the Rangers in 2011.
2014 MLB Draft Team Grades: AL West Read Post »
The Blackhawks never seem to have to make very many moves in the offseason to stay competitive. A good reason why is because of how well they draft. Even in a draft class that was considered weak this year, Chicago made good use of its nine picks, fortifying prospect depth with the selections of two centres, four wingers, two defensemen and a goaltender.
2014 NHL Draft Grades: Central Division, Part I Read Post »
By the looks of it, Gentile is a solid stash player for Houston. As long as he can develop some sense of how to play defense, he may be able to someday turn out some good minutes in the NBA.
2014 NBA Draft Grades: Southwest Division Read Post »
As a Western Hockey League rookie, the dynamite Russian winger led all freshmen in goals, assists and points and was easily Saskatoon’s leading regular season point scorer with 28 goals, 50 assists and 78 points.
2014 NHL Draft Grades: Atlantic Division, Part II Read Post »
The Pirates’ first rounder from 2010 is still only 22, so we maintain our belief in him as a top 10 prospect despite this setback which derails any value he might have had this year. Now, we’ll have to wait until 2015 before this talented hurler is unleashed on the majors. This kid has the potential to average better than a strikeout per inning, and the valuable experience he accrued at Double-A last year should allow him to hit the ground running as soon as he’s healthy. Taillon hasn’t put together impressive won-loss records in the minors, but we’re not worried. A mid-season Eastern League All-Star last year, he really helped alleviate our worries about home run issues last year — and that was the one weakness he had. Every other part of the towering 6’6″ righty’s game should translate well into the bigs when he arrives.
2014 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Top 65 Prospects, Part VI Read Post »
Now that the 2014 NBA Draft is complete, it’s time to analyze things and offer up grades for each team. We’ll start with the Eastern Conference.
2014 NBA Draft Grades: Eastern Conference Read Post »
