The Inaugural Draft
I am going to profile all 12 1st round pics. Obviously there are more great players in the league then just 12, but I want to keep it simple now. As the season starts and certain players start to make a name for themselves, good or bad, I will profile them as well.
I will do each player in the order they were drafted:
Denver Grizzlies:
John Leslie SP:
Leslie is a 24 year old fireballer, his pitches fall in the 95-97 mph range. From Mansfield, Ohio, He was named the number 4 pitcher in the state of Ohio in high school for the 1990s. He attended Ohio State University where he had a solid career; his senior year he earned All-Big Ten honors and helped OSU win a National Championship.
He has a solid fastball and cutter and a decent changeup. He brings good intangibles as well, he was praised for being a great leader throughout his career.
New York Titans:
Jesus "Volcano" Paredes CF:
Born in Mission Kansas, the 35 year old Paredes attended Kansas State University. It was there that he made his claim to fame, and earned his nickname. He was called "Volcano" for his explosive bat. He had power for sure, and known for being a great leader he helped put KSU back on the map and even made it as far as the NCAA tournament Semi-Finals. New York hopes his leadership skills and strong work ethic will pay dividends for the team.
Phoenix Roadrunners:
Namboku Yamada CF
A surprise pick, while the 23 year old is a solid player, many saw Yamada falling to the 2nd or 3rd round. Yamada was born in Tokyo and his claim to fame was in 1999 when he shocked the world when helping lead team Japan over the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He went 5 for 6, hitting 2 doubles and a home run to help lead his team to a championship.
The rest of the first round to come...