The 2018 Draft

[Chimpton]

Just read this article;

Each organization's best pick from the 2018 MLB Draft

It sums up everything about the Front Office and scouting of this organisation. It identifies Nick Madrigal as our best pick from the 2018 Draft, when we were supposed to be stocking up on top talent during the rebuild that would bring 'years of challenging for success'. Madrigal the top White Sox pick was sent down to AAA last week by the Cubs. And what did that top pick bring the White Sox? Half a season of Madrigal, then a trade for Kimbrel, who achieved nothing, who was traded for Pollock , who achieved nothing. So the top pick in 2018 brought the White Sox nothing.

But it doesn't stop there apart from Romy Gonzalez not one of the 2018 Draft is currently on the MLB squad, and none of the rest are anywhere near contributing or are still at the Sox. So all in all the 2018 Draft was a complete waste for the Sox either through bad scouting, bad player development or a combination of the two.

[South Side Hit Men]

It's OK to judge college players from 2018 at this stage, but a high school prospect is only 23, or 1-2 + years before a typical chance at a MLB role.

People need that in mind before judging a player like Colas or Sosa, who needed more time in AAA, especially Colas who the Sox were slow rolling last year to the point he played 7 AAA games last year, and was then named starting RF this year and set up for failure. Similar occurances for Sosa and Vaughn a few years back.

The biggest failures aren't this particular draft class or set of players, but the mindset that everything is a panic fire drill. These hair brained schemes rarely work. Compare and contrast to teams with steady streams of successful prospects over the years, like Saint Louis, Tampa Bay, the Dodgers and others.

Their management of injuries are similar, panic, throw a clearly injured guy out there and hope he contributes something, anything. Let them linger for weeks in limbo, postpone surgeries most teams would have encouraged straight away. This is why Sox fans can't have nice things.

[Timmy U]

Yikes. The fact that Madrigal, a disaster of a pick at 1-4, is considered their best pick really tells you how they got into this mess.  Being worse at scouting erodes depth to the point where you are always chasing smart orgs like the Dodgers and Rays.  They have to bring in a new leadership group or this will be a never ending cycle of futility.

[Balta1701]

5 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

It's OK to judge college players from 2018 at this stage, but a high school prospect is only 23, or 1-2 + years before a typical chance at a MLB role.

People need that in mind before judging a player like Colas or Sosa, who needed more time in AAA, especially Colas who the Sox were slow rolling last year to the point he played 7 AAA games last year, and was then named starting RF this year and set up for failure. Similar occurances for Sosa and Vaughn a few years back.

Neither Sosa nor Colas were obtained by the 2018 MLB draft. It seems extremely odd to bring them up as examples of why we shouldn’t be down on that draft yet.

[reiks12]

Madrigal has more WAR than the 2015-present first round picks combined. Although I still consider that draft a complete disaster, I find it strange how nobody questions the decision to draft the mighty Andrew Vaughn. Hahn's drafts have been puke worthy

Edited June 1, 2023 by reiks12

[Harold's Leg Lift]

[Timmy U]

27 minutes ago, reiks12 said:

Madrigal has more WAR than the 2015-present first round picks combined. Although I still consider that draft a complete disaster, I find it strange how nobody questions the decision to draft the mighty Andrew Vaughn. Hahn's drafts have been puke worthy

Neither Madrigal nor Vaughn fits the ideal profile for a top ten pick. They lack, as Ryan Poles would say, outstanding traits. The difference is Vaughn is a year younger and still in the majors. The chances that Madrigal reaches his ceiling of "David Fletcher 2" are rapidly dwindling. For Vaughn, while there's life, there's hope.

[The Kids Can Play]

27 minutes ago, reiks12 said:

Madrigal has more WAR than the 2015-present first round picks combined. Although I still consider that draft a complete disaster, I find it strange how nobody questions the decision to draft the mighty Andrew Vaughn. Hahn's drafts have been puke worthy

I've questioned the draft picks of Hahn several times in here and documented the insanely stupid picks of Sheets in 2017 #49, when you had Abreu,  Madrigal in 2018 when they could have taken 2B India who went #5 to the Reds and starts for them. Then again in 2018 taking Vaughn at #3 and still had Abreu and Sheets. 

Yes you are 100 percent correct...Hahn has sucked at scouting and drafting prospects among all his other GM deficiencies. 

[The Kids Can Play]

I read this earlier this morning and the article was title "Each organization's best pick from the 2018 Draft."

Why in the hell would they be listing Madrigal for the White Sox? He isn't with us anymore. I don't care what round they had to go back to, but it should have been the best pick from 2018 for each club still with the club. 

MLB network has some pretty stupid writers. 

 

[South Side Hit Men]

40 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Neither Sosa nor Colas were obtained by the 2018 MLB draft. It seems extremely odd to bring them up as examples of why we shouldn’t be down on that draft yet.

They don't have anything to do with that draft, but I'm pointing them out because people say they are busts or garbage but don't take into consideration the fact they are still very young.

Then you have guys like Burger at 27 finally having a few healthy good weeks, and people want to move Moncada to 2B to accommodate him.

[PolishPrince34]

Majority of people on this board was a fan of the Vaughn pick. I was included . The only other option that Sox were considering at the time was CJ Abrams which I would of been also been very happy with. Right now 22 years old Abrams has been rushed and struggling with MLB ballclub. Abrams is still super young and as his body fills out will start producing offensively.  My philosophy is about picking up guys that play up the middle and leaning more towards prep players. The more toolsy the better and their trade value holds up longer. I know Vaughn isn't that type of player. I think the Sox really did a disservice to his development by rushing up quickly to MLB and playing him at a new position. Slowly we are starting to see what type of hitter Vaughn can be recently. If we can get his launch angle up more some of those hits in the gap and warning track will turn into homers. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by PolishPrince34

[Balta1701]

14 minutes ago, South Side Hit Men said:

They don't have anything to do with that draft, but I'm pointing them out because people say they are busts or garbage but don't take into consideration the fact they are still very young.

Then you have guys like Burger at 27 finally having a few healthy good weeks, and people want to move Moncada to 2B to accommodate him.

But specifically on the subject of the 2018 draft it’s difficult to figure out which guys you are hoping will still break out.

The White Sox had 4 high school picks in their first 32 rounds, so it is difficult to say they have lots of young guys still up and coming. Saying that high schoolers wouldn’t be ready yet doesn’t say much when you don’t draft them.

They also traded 4 of their first 6 round picks for the successes of the past couple seasons, so it is also difficult to see them having many high ceiling guys remaining.

A breakout is still possible, but overall, the White Sox’s haul from this draft is Craig Kimbrel, Cesar Hernandez, Nomar Mazara, Romy, and a couple guys who had TJS. 

[LittleHurtCG]

Drafting guys in the top 5 who can barely clear the fences with a metal bat during batting practice is not something you should ever do. 

[chitownsportsfan]

Isn't the trend towards HS kids you can develop in your system and the Sox took 4/32? Of course we buck the trend to our detriment.

[reiks12]

39 minutes ago, LittleHurtCG said:

Drafting guys in the top 5 who can barely clear the fences with a metal bat during batting practice is not something you should ever do. 

Our development team cant get power hitters to clear the fence either. Our organization LOVES slap hitters. See TA, Benintendi as examples.

Edited June 1, 2023 by reiks12

[JoeC]

2 hours ago, The Kids Can Play said:

I've questioned the draft picks of Hahn several times in here and documented the insanely stupid picks of Sheets in 2017 #49, when you had Abreu,  Madrigal in 2018 when they could have taken 2B India who went #5 to the Reds and starts for them. Then again in 2018 taking Vaughn at #3 and still had Abreu and Sheets. 

Yes you are 100 percent correct...Hahn has sucked at scouting and drafting prospects among all his other GM deficiencies. 

The Vaughn pick made sense from a "we need to stockpile the best talent / best bat" strategy.

Unfortunately, that strategy is geared for the most success when you have a comprehensive player development strategy, and also can afford NOT to rush guys to the big leagues (meaning, you actually have a pipeline). That means that sometimes, you sacrifice some of the immediate-term production in favor of keeping a prospect down in the minors for just those extra few months or extra season so that he can live up to something resembling his full potential.

If you're going to treat prospects as disposable assets and constantly throw them into a "sink or swim" environment like the Sox love to do, then you need to draft based on positional depth and needs... not "take the best bat."