JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blog

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JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blog

#1 Post by KenH »

Hello! My name is Justice T Buford and I'm a F-Head for life from Atlanta, Georgia.

I'm creating this blog to discuss one of my favorite topics: the Florida Featherheads farm system! I'll tell you this: I'm not exactly the life of parties... unless its a draft party. I find a special kind of joy in knowing about who the next great player is before the common fan. This could be because I'm a pedant or a know-it-all, but it's so rewarding to watch our baby 'Heads grow into the aces and sluggers that we all know and love.

I'm going to use this space for quick write-ups on how I am seeing the teams evolving. This seems especially pertinent in the farm system these days as Ken Hannahs recently started completing overhauling a large portion of the farm. To give an idea of how drastic this overhaul has been, in the past three months since Hannahs took back over, he's released over twenty five players and signed over thirty to minor league deals (including some with major league options)!

In an interview, Hannahs made it clear that he was looking not only to grow his players but to have them compete at every level. As someone who spends far too much money on minor league tv packages, this is a very exciting development. For the past two years, the teams haven't been much fun, but with Hannahs back in the helm, I'm expecting some high drama akin to Game of Thrones. If you have a favorite player who isn't performing, you may well see him off the team at the drop of a hat. He's been a little... dramatic.

In fact, just today we got word that the front office did a "player audit" of the Schmoes and found them to be... well... lacking. What can we take away from this handful of moves? It seems to be largely people who are considered lazy. It makes sense. The team is doing fine, but when you see an outfielder dogging it to a pop-up or an infielder make his best matador impression on a ground ball, you start to lose focus.

I’ve been lucky (or insane) enough to acquire press passes to most of the teams on the farm system and I’m excited to hopefully break new ground for a fan blog, to bring you, my readers, an unparalleled look into the clubhouses of our favorite minor league teams.

In the coming days, I will publishing my interview with Beaufort Loggerdoggers wunderkind Randall Doane and a quick draft overview for what we can expect in the coming weeks. Furthermore, we’ll be diving deeper on each team and what’s been working for them as well as what they need to improve on to capture their individual championships.

Expect coverage that isn’t as “professional” as what you might find in other places. Something that I can provide without carrying the mantle of a large publication like the Jacksonville Gazette is more forthright honesty. I won’t beat around the bush if I think something isn’t working because that’s not really the way I am.

For now, thank you for reading. I think that this is a very exciting time to be a Featherheads fan of any kind, but especially with some of our very exciting pitching prospects on the cusp of hitting the bigs and many others who are doing great things at all levels of our system.

JT Buford, signing off.
Last edited by KenH on Wed Feb 06, 2019 10:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: J Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blog

#2 Post by Vic »

Couple of things:

1). This is fantastic.
2). Baby ‘Heads ... Ha! :lol:
3. Did I mention the fantastic part yet?

Well done, sir!
Last edited by Vic on Thu Feb 07, 2019 1:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#3 Post by Sandgnats »

:clap:
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#4 Post by KenH »

Last week I had an amazing opportunity to speak with none other than breakout star Randall Doane the day after his start against the Inverness Highlanders, the AA club for the Scottish. Doane, a 20 year old Canadian native out of Toronto, shined in his latest outing, going 7.2 innings, striking out 4 and only allowing six runners to reach base. The story is never told completely in a single line, however, as Randall actually went 7.1 innings of three-hit shutout baseball with the last three batters he faced reaching on a homerun, single, and double to end his outing.

After the game, I found Doane lounging in the Loggerdoggers' clubhouse with three large icebags strapped carefully by the team's trainer up his arm to single out the shoulder, elbow and forearm. Still aglow from another fantastic outing, he sported a ratty t-shirt with his favorite band -- Exxxtremely Loud Exxxplosions -- a pair of ratty light washed blue jeans (more holes than a fine swiss cheese) and a pair of Sperrys so beaten up it looked as though they had just finished a tour of duty. I sat down with him on the large, well-worn leather sectional the players affectionately refer to as "The L." It was here that I asked him about his upbringing, his current success, and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.

Justice T Buford: Thanks so much for taking the time for an interview Randall. I know I and all of my tens of readers really appreciate your willingness to speak with the F-Head faithful.

Randall Doane: Of course, my man. I'm always excited to talk to people -- especially when we get to talk about me. (Laughs)

JT: Absolutely! I know a lot of us are very interested to learn more about your journey to where you are now -- ostensibly on the cusp of a promotion to AAA to join other top prospects in Chesapeake Van Dam and Kim in their rotation. I think I'd like to start off talking a little about your childhood -- how you came to be a ballplayer.

RD: For sure. So, I was actually a hockey player growing up and I played baseball really as a lark. It was something to do during the summers, really. It wasn't until high school when my coach sat down with me and said that I could be either a great winger or a great pitcher but that either one was going to require all of my attention if I wanted to see what I could really do.

JT: So you surprised everyone and chose baseball?

RD: (Laughs) Kind of, yeah. To be honest, I got tired of the cold. That's the thing about baseball -- you don't have to play it on a giant f*cking ice cube!

JT: So you chose baseball. How did that conversation go with your family?

RD: Oh, they were always for whatever I wanted to do. My dad was surprised I think. He always saw me making my way through to the professional Global Hockey Champions League or some such thing, but I don't think he was upset or anything.

JT: Your dad played professional hockey didn't he?

RD: Yeah, for Toronto. Back around 2005 I think. Only for a season. Wasn't around then but one of my night shirts growing up was one of his jerseys. I wore that thing until it basically dissolved.

JT: So back on track here... you actually signed a contract out of high school with Florida in what was basically a walk-on assignment which is a little unexpected for someone who grew up in Toronto. Tell us a little about that experience.

RD: Sure, so that was weird set of circumstances. It was basically a bet... kind of like a kid thinking that he's tough sh*t. A little bit of background here: I was, like, totally done with school. I had actually dropped out of school after my sophomore year and had been working construction and living in my parents' basement. I had a row with the pops who was, obviously, frustrated that I wasn't doing all the stuff I could. Wasn't living up to my potential and all that. So, in my teenage loser arrogance, I said I could go walk on on any team in PEBA. He laughed in my face and told me to prove it, so I sought out a Florida scout in particular. I wanted a prestigious team in a warm climate. Made sense for me to go to Florida first. About two weeks later, I spent an afternoon trying out for a spot at the international complex on a shitty little field in downtown Toronto with more cigarette butts than grass. The scouts literally signed me with a two thousand dollar signing bonus the same day and told me to pack my bags for the complex in Key West. I was leaving in a week.

JT: Wow, that's an amazing story.

RD: Yeah, came home ready to gloat to my dad, too. When I told him, he broke down cried and hugged me and I broke down, too. Realized right then what kind of ass I'd been. We've grown a lot closer since then.

JT: So then you made it down to the international complex. Tell us a little about that.

RD: (Smiles) Warm! All the time! Honestly, the staff down there is awesome and I learned so much about how to take care of myself -- eating right, stretching, weight lifting. Stuff I never really thought about too much before. When I was there, baseball was every day. Watching film, studying the physics behind how my energy would shift from my drive leg, through my hips, up to my shoulder, and explode through the pitch. It was really like learning to throw all over again.

JT: And then Kyung-Suk Kim, Luppe Van Dam, and Juan Acosta all came on board, too..

RD: Yeah, I was there for about a year before Luppe and Kyung-Suk came in and Acosta was just a few months later. The four of us actually shared a suite together in the 2024 off-season, I think. That was a real eye-opening experience for me, Kimmy, and Juan! All three of us had blown our two thousand dollar signing bonuses immediately on used cars or, in Juan's case, just absolutely hilariously over-priced shoes. Safe to assume we thought we were really cool. So it was only natural that we were pretty salty when this dutch kid sauntered in after a season of Short A ball that the GM just paid seven million dollars for.

JT: I can imagine that would be a bit of a humbling experience.

RD: That's... that's the biggest understatement ever, JT. Even though Juan, Kimmy and myself couldn't really communicate super well -- he only spoke Korean at the time and Juan was only speaking a small bit of english -- we actually bonded wordlessly for the first two or three months over our mutual hatred of that Dutch pip-squeak.

JT: I'm guessing that's how Van Dam got the nickname "Terrible"?

RD: (Laughs) I'm honestly so happy that stuck. Literally one of the first words I taught Kimmy was "terrible" because of Luppe. In 2025, we would mumble it to each other as we waited to throw behind Luppe's back and crack up. As we started warming to him, we ended up using it a term of endearment. Luppe's great, but he'll always be "Terrible" to me!

JT: Going back to last year when Kim made the opening day roster for Ewa Beach and you were left at the complex, and Juan had started moving up the rungs the year before. That must have been rough for you.

RD: Yeah, it was a rough time I'm not gonna lie. I'd grown complacent, though. Anyone who was there would tell you as much. I had felt like I was destined to start in EB with Kimmy and we'd just move up together, so it was a real blow when I wasn't invited to come out. But instead of getting all depressed about it, I had a long talk with my dad and I realized I had fallen back into some of the same patterns that had led me to drop out of high school. I course-corrected and, I think, figured out some of my issues.

JT: I think it's safe to assume you definitely impressed the powers-that-be enough to make a totally unprecedented minor league debut -- skipping all the way over short season A and A ball all the way to AA Beaufort. That's a very rare move especially for a 19 year old. What do you think your coaches saw in you to make that jump?

RD: Honestly, I'm not 100% sure I could tell you. I was already throwing the ball about as hard as I throw it now so I'm sure that played into it, but beyond that I was honestly just as surprised as everyone else. Seemed like they were kind of throwing me to the wolves, you know? I didn't think I could do it.

JT: But in Beaufort, you had Luppe Van Dam, Kyung-Suk Kim, and Juan Arias all there, waiting for you.

RD: Yeah, I gotta say that having those guys on the club helped stabilize me and get me to the right place. If I had just got thrown in with a bunch of strangers, I probably wouldn't have had any success in Beaufort last year. But with them, I was able to talk with them and get a better feel for strategy. I can't tell you how many hours we spent on The L going over our next outings. It was totally one of those experiences I don't think I'll ever forget. Those three are my brothers now. No matter what happens, I will consider those guys family. We've been through so much together.

JT: So switching gears slightly to this year. You have come out to what some are considering the strongest start of any prospect in the system. Do you think that that same feeling of being left behind is driving you now? All three of your brothers had already moved up to AAA to start the year.

RD: Man, you don't beat around the bush, do you? No, it doesn't feel the same -- not at all. I have taken all my learnings from them and I approach the games very methodically now. I know that if I keep on performing the way I am, I'll be up with them soon enough... I'm sure just in time to see them off to Jacksonville!

JT: Randall Doane, I want to thank you so much for your time. You've been an absolute pleasure to speak with. It's fair to assume that everyone in F-Head nation can't wait to see what you do next.

RD: Thanks!

JT Buford, signing off.
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#5 Post by Borealis »

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Awesome Ken!!!
:bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#6 Post by Fishermen »

I'm glad to have started what could become a new tradition in the PEBA, the minor league blog ;-D This is a great start to this one Ken and long may it continue
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#7 Post by Vic »

This is a thing of beauty. I wouldn’t mind kicking back and shooting the breeze with the boys on the L ...
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#8 Post by KenH »

Thank you for the kind words! It's fun flexing those writing muscles again. After writing a whole novel back in the day I haven't done a ton since. Seeing all the really good writing going on in the league right now is definitely giving me a spark of creativity! Let's keep it going :)
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#9 Post by Fishermen »

Well, you've certainly made a good start, just like riding a bike lol
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#10 Post by Sandgnats »

Great job Ken. I can't wait for the TMZ story on Danny Burton.
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#11 Post by KenH »

The rumors were correct. I had seen several people wonder as to my whereabouts on draft day considering how quiet I was -- much to my regular people's dismay. I had a front row seat to what was the most exciting, grueling day I have ever experienced. I was there in the draft room while the Featherheads made their picks. It was all at once intense and highly ridiculous -- punctuated with an interrobang of the end of the day with the Featherheads' owner being carted out of the room on his palanquin being held aloft by unpaid interns.

Being in the room on draft day was an incredible experience. Watching the draft room light up throughout the day as they realized that they were going to get their guys never got old. I was able to talk at length with a number of the scouts present -- all which spent a lot of time beaming from ear-to-ear. "I don't know if we've ever had this good of a draft before," remarked one.

What I wanted to do today is start with a bit of a draft review going over the individual players and what we can expect out of the 16 newest Featherheads.

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1. Mike Thompson (CF) -- An unassuming centerfielder, Mike Thompson has built a reputation as a consistent producer on the college level, with three years of above average offensive production alloyed with the great glove required to stick at center. The Featherheads believe the bat is good enough to stick in the majors. While there had been a sizeable dip in defensive production, scouts believe that Thompson's best days are ahead of him. Comp: Miguel Yanez

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2. Ryan "X-Factor" Tate (SP) -- You know a player is good when their teammates grant you the moniker "X-Factor". Hailing from Mankato, MN, Tate was a strong performer at the college level and entered into the draft a year early with a big price tag as a widely considered top 5 pick. After somewhat surprising fall from the lofty heights of the first round, the Featherheads were all- too-happy to pick up the slack and select Tate. The hard-throwing righty features three above-average offerings, showcasing a change-up that, as described by one scout, "may end up being considered one of the best change-ups in PEBA history." Tate's fastball has a natural fade to it as well, making its trajectory look more like a cutter than a straight four-seam offering. Supposing Tate signs (his demand is on the higher end), Ewa Beach residents can expect a few starts before making his way east to Mexicali to round out the year. Comp: Luis Reyes

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3. Michael Rutherford (RF) -- With their third pick, the Featherheads continued to beef up their offensive offerings with Michael Rutherford. Another left handed bat, Rutherford excells in right field with an absolute cannon as an arm. But the reason Hannahs and Co drafted Rutherford was due primarily to his bat... and his wheels. Over his collegiate career, Rutherford put up a .263/.353/.497 line with a WRC+ of 151. While Rutherford doesn't necessarily have the natural lift that would lead to double digit homeruns, he's no slouch either, slamming 34 over the fence in his four years at Louisville. While Michael didn't utilize his speed too much in college, his 40-yard dash times and innate baseball intelligence, scouts dare to dream on Rutherford being able to put up multiple 20 homeruns and 20 steal seasons while hitting his fair share of extra base hits. Comp: Dewitt Barry

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4. Lou Drewery (SP) -- For their third round pick, the Featherheads made their first high school pick with Lou Drewery. The 6'2 Knoxville native gets good drive from his thick trunk which leads to a seemingly effortless delivery. Drewery features a higher end ceiling than Tate, but of course also carries a higher risk profile with his much younger age. Drewery should thrive in the lower levels due to his four strong offerings -- a slider, changeup, cutter, and forkball. While none of Drewery's pitches carry the "wow" factor the way that Tate's change-up does, with a potential fourth strong pitch in his repertoire, Drewery may be able to more effectively navigate longer stints in games at the higher levels of play. Drewery didn't have quite the year that many expected him to have which could have led to his falling to the third round, however that is not to say it wasn't solid. Drewery gained local fame his sophomore year at Seton Hall Prep which put more pressure on the young gun to perform which could have been at least partly to blame for his down numbers this year. If there was any reservations as to Drewery's prowess from Florida scouts, I didn't see it. The room exploded when they got Drewery in the third. Comp: Kenny Ashley

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5. Bas Lorentz (SP) -- the first dutchman taken in the draft for the Featherheads is a similar build to Drewery. Both 18 year old lefties bring four pitches to the table although Drewery's do seem to have a higher top end than Bas's. Lorentz is also unlike Drewery in that every year, his stats have improved, culminating in a 1.94 ERA and striking out 65 in 51 innings. Lorentz came into the season looking to improve his draft status and he did so with flying colors. Bas reportedly put on 10 pounds of muscle between his junior and senior years which led to 5 miles per hour on his fastball. Bas Lorentz is expected to spend the entire year with Lou Drewery at Ewa Beach along with Lou Drewery, Ryan Tate, Juan Otero and An-te-hai Tien to create one of the more exciting rotations in recent memory. Comp: Jose Martinez

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6. Jim Est (1B) -- The second dutchman added to the Featherheads fold hails originally from Westvoorne -- a small southern coastal suburb of The Hague. Est is seen primarily as a doubles-type hitter, falling naturally in as a number six hitter or, if all goes according to plan, a number 2. There is reason to suspect that that may be possible as well -- Est saw an enormous growth in his average int he past year primarily working with manager Shigetaka Samurakami to improve his ball to bat contact. While his homers dropped off this year, Est is expected to be able to drive the ball to gaps with authority and, as is the way with Florida, steal bases. After signing, Est is expected to report to Ewa Beach. Comp: Jose Escobido

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7. Bill Navarro (SS) -- As a streaky, glove-first shortstop with the ability to steal 20-40 bases a year, Bill Navarro has\ fashioned himself into a pretty much perfect facsimile of what Florida featherheads scouts get in every draft. Only one year removed from declining San Juan's offer in the second round of the 2027 draft, Navarro took his talents to south beach and the UCSBA World Series champions South Florida Citrus where he started as a freshman at shortstop, showing off his ridiculous range on national TV. When he fell to the Featherheads in the sixth round, I heard many people whispering how this may be the best draft the Featherheads have ever had. Comp: Hikaru Arai

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8. Roy Mayes (P) -- With their seventh round selection, the Featherheads selected Roy Mayes out of Virginia Beach. A huge 6'5, 200 lb hurler, Mayes' ceiling is that of mid-rotation starter, however he may end up primarily in a bullpen role. This is due to his two plus-plus offerings in his fastball and curve. Unless one of his other two pitches -- slider or changeup -- develop, he may be regulated to a pen role... but if that happens, Mayes could be a great anchor for a competing 'pen. With very little mileage on his arm (Mayes was primarily a relief arm for Seton Hall Prep -- same alma mater as Ryan "X-Factor" Tate), many in the organization see Mayes here as a possible major coup. Comp: Bill Gallagher

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9. Matt Orr (P) -- Another left-handed hurler for the Featherheads for their eighth round selection, Orr hails from Cy-Fair Highschool. Used primarily as the team's closer, and is coming off his best year, punctuated by a perfect April in which Orr threw 15 innings over 11 games, striking out 22, walking only 5 and only allowing 2 hits. Orr throws three pitches, focusing primarily on a slider and a cutter, which puts his floor firmly as a lefty specialist but is another candidate whom the scouts believe could be destined for much more success as a back-end starter, given that opportunity. Comp: Victor Latham

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10. Roland Penwarden (2B) -- Penwarden is a Stanford player who will finish his degree online as he begins his professional career. As a cerebral player, scouts rave about Penwarden's penchant for exceeding expectations. As a relatively unknown prospect, Penwarden has advanced his draft pedigree considerably in the past year as the second basemen for the Axe. Getting minimal playing time in his first three years at Stanford, Penwarden turned in an impressive performance as a senior, scattering 12 extra base hits over his 54 games. Penwarden also brings a great defensive presence to the right side of the infield. Penwarden is expected to start opposite Navarro in Ewa Beach. Comp: Sixto Duenas

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11. Tokaji Ohayashi (1B) -- Let's play a game, shall we? Let's say, for instance, that a player is in college. And lets say that this player has a pretty good year. Let's say that player has a slash line of .337/.382/.454. Pretty good! Let's say that that same player has a four year career where he puts up a career line of .308/.351/.412. What round do you think that player would sign in? First? Third? Possibly fifth? Nope. Tenth. Ohayashi is namazing. I still can't believe it. This 6'5 mountain of a man is not a homerun hitter, but instead trundles around the field, hitting singles and doubles seemingly at will. I'm not convinced Ohayashi doesn't end up hitting homeruns just based on his size, but even if he doesn't Ohayashi could end up being the steal of the draft if he plays well. Comp: Jack Allen

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12. George Springer (OF) – Springer shows as a value signing. While there is a chance that his bat comes around and ends up being serviceable, there’s a real chance that he languishes in the lower minors before being unceremoniously released. When you’re getting to the later rounds, this becomes a more eventual outcome than at any other time, so we shouldn’t dwell too much on it. There is still a chance that Springer can turn in something greater than what is expected of him and become a backup right fielder sometime in the future. One thing that is nice about Springer? He is clutch. He slashes .290/.343/.452 in high pressure situations. Maybe that becomes something that can carry him through. Comp: Gabriel Martinez

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13. Mathew Robbins (P) – Robbins is a bit of a conundrum. Through the first three years of his high school career, Robbins was used as a relief option, however he came up and filled in nicely as a starter. Through 12 appearances, Robbins wracked up 62.2 innings – averaging just over 5 innings per start. His best two outings were right at the end of the year where he pitched 10 straight scoreless innings. Robbins remains a reach primarily due to his signing issues. The young pitcher is assumed to be demanding upwards of 1.4 million which I’m sure the Featherheads brass is loathe to acquiesce considering his relatively poor performance… but weirder things have happened. Comp: John Gillard

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14. Martin Aleman (IF) – This one didn’t make a ton of sense for me. The 6 foot 18 year old has never shown great results, however from what I understand, Martin shows as a smart player who may be seen as a project/bench guy. Still early on this guy. To my readers, I think this was the one miss in the draft. Overriding logic seems to see this guy as an “athlete” sort of player – one not talented at anything in particular but one that does have immense physical gifts. We’ll see with this one. Comp: Joshua Ligonier

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15. Luis Salazar (C) – Salazar was an interesting pick for the Featherheads. A decent 14th round pick, Salazar remains one pick that could end up being more than originally expected. With only one season as a starter with the Houston Shastas, Salazar has had ample time to rest his legs and should be able to come in as a starter without too much trouble. Personally, signing these catchers in the last rounds make a lot of sense – as most people seem to think since 5 of the last 6 picks in the draft were catchers. Comp: Jeff Wolfe

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16. Mike Floyd (C) – For their final pick, the Featherheads took Mike Floyd. Floyd is a purely speculative exercise as he has only started a handful of games throughout his college career. There seems to be some sort of interest as to whether Floyd’s bat can actual make a jump. It should be noted that between Salazar and Floyd, they have started a total of 48 games this year. They should be able to get some ample play time between the two of them. Comp: Chia-Lang Guang

All in all, I'm ecstatic about this draft class. I love how we have such an interesting variety of possibilities. From excersizes in coachability like Martin Aleman and Roland Penwarden, to pure talent acquisitions like Ryan Tate, we have one of the most interesting draft classes that Florida has had in recent memory.

Keep it locked in to JT Buford's Road to the Show for all the updates on the baby F-Heads' trip through the minor leagues!

JT Buford, signing off.
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#12 Post by Borealis »

I love the Comps! Genius call!!
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Re: JT Buford's Road to the Show: A F-Heads Minor League Blo

#13 Post by Sandgnats »

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
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