San Juan 2025 Draft

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MikeB
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San Juan 2025 Draft

#1 Post by MikeB »

SAN JUAN COQUI 2025 DRAFT


San Juan General Manager Mike Best seemed satisfied after completing his first draft. “We didn’t really get to the filler guys I thought we would so I guess that is a good thing. Guys we thought had an outside chance to make it and were higher on our board remained there late in the draft.”

Other than the first round, the Coqui picked ninth in each round. GM statement in quotes. Unsigned players in italics.


ROUND 1) Outfielder Wally Glasser at #13 was the only five-star player the scouting department had in the draft. He had a couple injuries that closed out his senior year but still put together a 25-game hitting streak and had a 28-game one in 2023. “His numbers dropped slightly over his high school career but he intentional walk numbers were up suggesting he was being pitched around.”

ROUND 3) Catcher Mike Carlson was drafted in the same round three years ago by Manchester but chose Tulane instead and became one of the most feared hitters in the USCBA. He slugged 50 home runs (and another 7 in the postseason) to go with a .324 batting average. As a junior this year, he hit .351 and led the USCBA in Slugging Pct., OPS, WAR, wOBA and RBI and was the Regionals MVP en route to Tulane’s championship season. “From what I have seen of the league so far if you can grab a catcher that can hit you have to roll the dice on him...Kid also got robbed by finishing 2nd in the USCBA Most Outstanding Hitter voting.”

ROUND 4) There were some character concerns about second baseman Ken Gonzalez but scouts believed he was a 2nd round talent that slipped and thus justified the pick. “Good fielder, though limited to second base, and has potential to be a run producer.”

ROUND 5) Makeup concerns also applied to pitcher Bryan Scott. He also lacks a big league fastball (88 mph) but opponents hit just .179 against him in his high school career. He has good control and an assortment of pitches but it was reported there were some afterthoughts in the war room afterward. “The feeling was that we need to take pitchers early in this draft as we had very few on the back end of the board.”

ROUND 6) Compensated with next two picks, taking guys with hard work ethics. Intelligent righthander John Sullivan, who went 7-2, 1.54, his senior year at East Carolina (USCBA)

ROUND 7) Outfielder Kelsey van Wingerden had a fractured thumb his last year at Hosei (ICOL) but hit .304 with a .498 slugging pct. over his college career. The injury was a bad fall for him because he was drafted in the 3rd round last year by Neo-Tokyo after a decorated season but failed to reach a deal on his bonus.

ROUND 8 ) Another player from Tulane’s championship team, speedy centerfielder Michael Santana. Santana hasn’t matched expectations yet but, “he’s a smart kid who can run, field and has had a respectable on-base percentage. He can go far with that.”

ROUND 9) Third baseman Jaime “Missing Link” Lopez was the first of two kids chosen from high school who hadn’t played since 2022. Lopez hit .290 that year. Book is good eye at the plate but there are widely differing projections of his power. “He’s a bit shy but a smart kid so it wasn’t a grades thing that kept him off the Barbe High team.”

ROUND 10) Collegiate golden glove winning infielder Joe Thomason had some character concerns but hit .313 and .347 his last two years at Waseda (ICOL).

ROUND 11) Slick fielding infielderJeffrey Rice is a light hitter who posted a career .371 on-base pct. at Memphis (USCBA). “We hope he works a little harder as a pro. But again, a guy who can field and get on base is tough to pass up in the 11th round.”

ROUND 12) Outfielder Tsuneyo Ohayashi was a gold glove winning all-star at the University of Tokyo (ICOL). “He has a knack for drawing walks and is projected to hit for power.”

ROUND 13) The team took a catcher out of need, and a rare fast-running one in Neil Nelson out of Central Florida (USCBA).

ROUND 14) The other high schooler who hadn’t played since 2022 is 3B Stephen Reid. He hit .313 with a .433 OBP as a sophomore and has a reputation as a hustler.

ROUND 15) The team chose Nacho Lopez, a high leader guy who has the fielding talent to learn seven positions and be a versatile minor leaguer. Lopez was a 10th rounder three years ago for Hartford but instead went to the Univ. of Arizona (USCBA), where he struggled to get into the lineup.
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Re: San Juan 2025 Draft

#2 Post by Akira »

My scout didn't rate Glasser very highly and the injury is concerning but I did notice the numbers Mike Carlson was putting up in college. High BA and HR and 63 RBI in 49 games. Pretty impressive. He was definitely on my list, if only he had fallen another round or two. Byron Scott has some interesting potential as well. I'll be watching how they progress.
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Re: San Juan 2025 Draft

#3 Post by Borealis »

Yeah... it was a very interesting draft - my scout thought Glasser had been using Paul Mitchell hair products...
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Re: San Juan 2025 Draft

#4 Post by MikeB »

Borealis wrote:Yeah... it was a very interesting draft - my scout thought Glasser had been using Paul Mitchell hair products...
:lol:
That's bulletin board material someday when we meet in the championship.
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