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“Padres-Draft–Adding Another One”

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If this is the final time the Padres will be drafting high in the June draft, then the pick they wound up with was exceptional.

When you lose like this franchise has lost, you get high draft choices, and thus last year’s miserable (66-96) season, netted the Friars the 6th pick in the draft.

They didn’t get what they needed, but they got a good player.

Meet teenage shortstop CJ Abrams from Roswell, Georgia, the Padres top pick last night.

The Friars #1-ranked farm system has lots of talent, headlined by a truckload of really good kid pitchers. They have infielders and catchers too stockpiled up and down the chain.

But what they are lacking, power hitting bats, they missed out on.

They really wanted Vanderbilt University’s big long ball hitting outfielder JJ Bleday. The Commodores bomber hit (.345) with an NCAA leading 26-homers this spring in college baseball.

But he went 4th to the Miami Marlins.

What San diego got, was exceptional.

Abrams is a wiry, fast, slap hitting, base stealing shortstop.

When he was done the spring in high school ball, he recorded a (.431) batting average. and he had 105-stolen bases in his career. He is a contact hitter and a long strider on the bases. His video is really impressive.

The Padres settled on the highest rated player on the board when pick six came up. And they got talent.

Of course, they have talent lots of places in the shortstop position, starting with this year’s phenom Fernando Tatis, off to a fast start before being sidelined with a hamstring.

The list of shortstop prospects in the system beyond Tatis is staggering.

They drafted two last summer, and both are doing well in the farm system, Xavier Edwards and Owen Miller.

Two years ago, they signed Cuban prospect Jody Barley..

Three summers ago, in the Cuban signing spree, they paid a big price to get Luis Almanzner, also doing well in the system.

They inked Kevin Melean, a hot prospect set free by MLB because of signing violations by the Atlanta Braves.

So deep at the position, the Padres have already moved some players to other positions.

Yes, they might consider moving Abrams to 2nd base to start his career, but there’s a traffic jam there.

Luis Urias is waiting int he wings to be the 2nd baseman of the future, ripping it up in AAA-El Paso, after a slow start in San Diego. He could be the starter there next season.

High pick Hudson Potts, taken two years ago, is plying his trade 2nd base in Amarillo.. Estuary Ruiz, who came in trade from Kansas City, is at second also in the lower system.

If not short, if not second, then this talent Abrams might be ticketed for center field.

Can you say a Willie Wilson talent? Can you compare his style to Billy Hamilton, the bright young flychaser who dazzled the Cincinnati Reds?

Abrams could be that in the outfield, if not in the infield.

They didn’t get a power bat, but from all scouting reports, they got a gifted player.

Now all CJ Abrams has to do is live up to his advanced billing.

Looks like the Padres added another one, a really good prospect.

Something good coming out of all this losing at Petco Park.

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