After going with solely hitters on Day 1, the Dbacks turned the tables on Day 2 and drafted seven pitchers to begin the day before finishing off with a catcher. The strategy is that if you are committed to hitters on day one, then the best way to get quality pitchers is to get as … Continue reading 2018 Draft Day 2: All the Pitchers
Draft
2018 Draft: Bats Early, Bats Often
The first day of the second draft with Hazen as the leader was quite similar to the that of the first. The team emphasized hitters, but they did not exclusively pick collegiate hitters as they did last year. Through the regime's first six day one picks, they have yet to draft a pitcher, and the organization has not drafted an arm in the first or second round since Alex Young in 2015. Pitchers are risks in the first round (the highest-drafted hitters tend to reach the MLB more often and perform better overall than their pitching counterparts), a trend partially caused by their tendency to break.
Evaluating the 2008 Draft
The 2018 Dbacks are in a very similar situation to the 2008 Dbacks. Both were surprise teams to reach the postseason the year prior, and the future for both teams is unclear on draft day. The 2008 team was extremely lucky to have made the playoffs in the year prior, and their collapse was nigh; the 2018 team is more talented, but a rough May and end-of-season departures cast a shadow over the future. If there is a lesson we can learn from the 2008 Draft...
Roof and Panels Open 