I'm not a draft expert - at least, not at the level of Mack or Stephen. I DO, however, follow it (and the subsequent picks) VERY closely, and with great fervor, and have for over 30 years. I am dating myself now, but there was a time (if you can believe it) where you didn't know who any team drafted until weeks, and sometimes months, after the draft was held. Baseball America, which didn't begin publication until 1980, was the ONLY place where you could get at least PART of your team's draft pick list from, and it was still a cloak and dagger process to get simple info on your favorite team's future. Now, with sites like this (and SO many more), it's beyond easy to learn about your team's draft plans, needs, available players, and, finally, who they actually SELECT!!! That's the first reason why I LOVE this draft so much- the ability to actually know a TON about the majority of the top selections, from video to scouting reports, and when a player is selected, it's easier to feel like you know something about this most important addition to your team's roster (and future)!!
The second reason, quite simply, that the amateur draft is so much fun is because it's a total crap-shoot! Let's face it- we know almost 2 years in advance who is going to be a free agent in the bigs. We also know which players are going to be left unprotected in the Rule V Draft. That leaves 2 "unknown territories" as it were- the trade market and the draft. Speculation is one of a baseball fan's favorite past-times, and the draft allows our imaginations a chance to run wild! Will we grab that great college lefty pitcher? The switch-hitting shortstop to make us forget Reyes? The catcher to man the position for 10+ years? The high school flame-thrower who can fast-track it to the bigs? These questions, at least on the surface, will be answered this Monday, when the draft is televised on MLB.com and MLB Network. However, the question as to which of these kids will actually succeed in the bigs won't be answered for years! Let's face it- most Mets fans are drooling at the mouth over the prospects of watching Matt Harvey the top of the rotation for the next 12 years; Mack, for one, still frets over the organization not selecting catcher Yasmani Grandal instead (and Grandal was just promoted to the big leagues with the Padres today). So, even when you "win" you will also "lose" in the eyes of some fans...
Finally, the biggest reason why I love the amateur draft is because it represents a fresh chance to select that next great player, the superstar who is going to put the Mets over the top and bring another, much-deserved title back to Queens. Yes, I'm stretching, but following minor leaguers progress has basically been more exciting over the years than following the plight of the big league club. Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia bring to mind the days of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack, so imagining those 3 taking their place on the mound at CitiField in the near future makes the palms sweat and the mind dance! There's something fresh, unexplored and still somewhat innocent (for lack of a better word) about ushering in new, young faces into the organization, flush with cash sometimes for the first time in their lives, but, more importantly, about to realize their dream of playing in the big leagues. Even though most will never make it to the majors, there's nary a one of us who wouldn't like to switch places with them, at the very LEAST for a day! The hope for the future, both theirs and ours, and the accompanying dreams are what make this such a fun and exciting time. That's not to say it's an "exact science" - in fact, it's quite the opposite. More of our top picks have either failed in a HUGE way or simply didn't come close to living up to expectations. Mike Piazza was the 1,390th player selected in the 62nd round by the Dodgers in 1988, and the Mets selected catcher Steve Chilcott over outfielder Reggie Jackson. It's the DREAM, however, of what MIGHT BE, that still fuels the little kid in me, the one who thought we'd draft another Seaver, Koosman or Matlack every year...the reality check comes to the table soon enough. The draft itself allows for one of the few surprises left in this game that we all love, and that is why we still love it and will tune in with great anticipation on Monday...
Now if only MLB would allow the trading of draft picks and/or draft selections...
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