Mark Franzen (Sausages)
I'll preface this with English was my worst subject and I couldn't have completed this in a readable format without ChatGPT and Grammarly.
The summer draft is a critical aspect of the Billy Martin Players league and the decision-making process that goes into it can greatly impact a team's performance for years to come. As a fan of the game and someone who has been involved in the BMPL on and off since 2011, I've always been fascinated by the way experts and analysts evaluate MLB and NFL draft picks in hindsight. With this in mind, I've decided to take a closer look at the BMPL summer draft history, stretching back to 2015.
I believe that it takes about three years to truly judge the success of an NFL draft pick and longer for MLB. That's why I've chosen to examine the performance of players selected in the BMPL summer draft from 2015 to 2018. With the help of our commissioner, I plan to release my findings in the coming weeks leading up to the start of the new season. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive look at the draft picks and evaluate their performance, as well as identify trends and patterns in the decision-making process of the BMPL managers. Whether you're an OG or a newcomer to the league, I hope that this review will be as fun as it was for me to put together.
The 2016 BMPL summer draft was a good year for many teams in the league, as a ton of talented players were selected. Four players stood out from the rest and earned the highest grade of "A+".
Matt Chapman was selected 43rd overall by the Aces and has since established himself as a top player in the league with a career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 26.3.
The Yellow Jackets (Dallas Rebels of 2023) made a brilliant pick in the middle of the third round, selecting Kyle Tucker who has exceeded expectations and become a standout performer.
The Investors also had a great draft, selecting Edwin Diaz with the 35th pick, one data point of many that will show you that their scouting department is one of the best in the league.
Alex Bregman was selected 3rd overall by the BowTies (Ellsworth Long Bombers of 2023) and has also been a great pick. Top 5 selections aren't always grand slam, but Bregman has been fantastic.
Overall, the 2016 BMPL summer draft had several outstanding selections that have greatly impacted the league.
The team with the best combination of picks was the Vigilantes. Willson Contreras, Tyler O'Neill and Andy Ibanez combined to give the Vigilantes a score of 24 out of a maximum 36. Although the 2016 draft was a successful one for the Vigilantes, it was not the best over the 2015 to 2018 drafts, as they had even better selections in the 2017 draft. I'll dig into that draft in an upcoming update.