2009 MLB Draft looms large for Padres

It's judgement day......June 9th, 2009.....Major League Baseball's Amateur Draft is upon you Padre fans. For an organization that is unable to pay for big time free agents our only chance at success is to have deep drafts year-in and year-out. So today, while it's important to hit on your #1 pick, it is equally as important to stock pile the farm with future major league talent. But it's the 1st rounders that we covet....those are the can't misses, right? Well just look at how recent 1st rounders are doing in MLB today.....

2008 DRAFT
The D-Backs Daniel Schlereth
Padres select...

It's too early to judge last year's draft but Padre fans have witnessed Schlereth in action this last week at Petco. Our pick was Rancho Bernardo/Wake Forest first basemen, Allan Dykstra. Dykstra comes from a great lineage of Rancho Bernardo first basemen, however he has a degenerative hip and lines up behind Adrian Gonzalez and top prospect Kyle Blanks.....hooray!

2007 DRAFT
David Price, Matt Wieters. Rick Porcello Padres select....

While we're hearing a lot about the prominent three names above we opted for a work horse left hander out of the SEC conference. When a college pitcher is described as a work horse....CLOSE YOUR CHECK BOOK AND RUN!!!!! It means he was OVERUSED!!!!! Schmidt blew out his elbow three starts into his career.

2006 DRAFT
Luke Hochevar, Evan Longoria, Andrew Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, Max Scherzer, Ian Kennedy
Padres select....

Look at those names! 20o6 is starting to bear fruit. We opted for a guy who has risen to AAA but can't hit his weight. Antonelli's only impact has been boosting the representation of Italian-Americans who are from Massachusetts and who played hockey in high school. Those traits are not helping the '09 Padres.

2005 DRAFT
Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, Jay Bruce, Jacoby Ellsbury
Padres Select...

WOW!!! Look at those names! Actually Cesar Carillo should be one of those names....I think....but he too blew out his elbow and has slowly worked his way up the ladder to AAA. Who's to say what will happen.

2004.....the touchstone of drafting ineptitude. Enough said.

What does this mean for 2009? Strasburg is going to the Nationals at #1 unless they get courageous. That's right, courageous. The history of #1 college pitchers is so abysmal and at the hi-jacking that Scott Boras is demanding they would be best served to pass on the fella from West Hills HS.

The buzz is that we may take the best college hitter.....Dustin Ackley out of NC, who also happens to play a position we are in great need of.....first base....that was a joke, you can go ahead and laugh.

The word also suggest Donovan Tate who is the finest prep athlete.....five tools and pedigree, with a father who played in the NFL.

Could also be the fella the Nationals couldn't sign last year, Aaron Crowe. He's a pitcher. Petco has proven that mediocre pitchers can excel so why not go for some bats and speed? I could live with it.

This however is where I will blow an absolute HEAD GASKET! The UT reported that the Padres rate this guy more highly than most....

A soft tossing lefty who averaged 134 pitches a start!

Close YOUR CHECKBOOK AND RUN!!!!!!!

I will become an Angels fan if they draft that kid....not really but I'll be pissed.

It should be noted that there are a few guys who are doing alright in our system. Baseball America's Hot Prospect Sheet rates both Mat Latos (P) and James Darnell (3B) in the Top Ten for the week of June 5th.

So we've got that goin' for us...which is nice.