Looking Back at 2007 Draft, How the AL West Fared

Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 11:13PM

I was checking out the top 100 list from Keith Law of ESPN Insider and reading about Jason Heyward of the Braves ranked #1(Keith Law, formerly the special assistant to the general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays, is the senior baseball analyst for Scouts Inc.). 

Law was rambling on about him being a can't miss prospect and he might be in right field for the Braves this year.  It suddenly hit me that the Braves certainly did not draft 1st in that 2007 draft, so I wondered who all overlooked him and chose someone else.  Of course I was hoping the Rangers hadn't taken Blake Beavan, their #1 choice in 2007 before Heyward.

Well, it turns out Heyward went #14 that year, and Beavan was taken at at #17.  Other notables, David Price already with the Rays went #1, and Matt Weiters at Baltimore is for sure all ready up was taken #5.  Heyward should make the Braves' team this year.

Beavan could make it this year, but several things would have to occur, none of which would be good for the Rangers.  Look for him in 2011 or '12, or be in a trade for another player the Rangers might need.  It's fun to look back a wonder what could or should have been.  Like, I wonder if the Mariners are having second thoughts about Phillippe Aumont, Ecole secondaire du Versant Gatineau, Quebec, at #11, or the Indians about Beau Mills Lewis-Clark State at #13 just before the Braves?

Texas was not looking for position players (remember they had committed to building up the pitching), so who's to say (other than Jon Daniels) that Texas would have taken Heyward, even if he had been available.  Heyward is looking to break in with Atlanta this year, but Texas' draftees from that draft that are already with the club include Tommy Hunter (#54) and Julio Borbon (at #37).

Law rated Texas' first round that year as #1.

" The board played into Texas' hands a bit; the Rangers were primed to take some power arms, and ended up with two of the best, Blake Beavan at No. 17 and the somewhat underrated Michael Main at No. 24, a guy I thought could go in the top dozen picks but who slipped because of a poor performance in the state tournament in Florida. They got good value in Julio Borbon at No. 35, since several teams were on him in the first round and he's likely to perform well in the low minors. Tommy Hunter at No. 54 gives them a quick-to-the-majors power set-up guy if they choose to leave him in the pen (which I think is his best role – he has has a reliever's body and a reliever's repertoire). And they took a nice gamble on John Gast, who needs Tommy John surgery but would otherwise have been a top-100 player, in the fifth round."

Oakland's first round was rated #4 by Law, but none of the below prospects show up on their 40-man roster..

"Oakland did the best of the teams that focused on probability over upside. Reliever Sam Demel is a great value in the late third round, and he and fifth-rounder Andrew Carignan should get to the high minors fairly quickly. They got a strike thrower in the first round with James Simmons, who should also get to the majors soon but doesn't project as more than a fourth starter. Second-rounder Grant Desme was a small bargain who slipped because of the wrist injury that ended his season early, and I'm a big fan of Oakland's other second-rounder, UNC shortstop Josh Horton, who does everything in an unorthodox way but could be an offensive shortstop who plays average defense."

Best guys who slipped

1. Rick Porcello, to Detroit at No. 27: Top-five talent slips because of big bonus demands. While Detroit – as predicted – will have to go over slot to sign him, the Tigers have done so several times in the last few years, nearly always with great results.

2. Andrew Brackman to the Yankees at No. 30: Big risk here, since he was off all spring and may have an elbow injury, but the reward here is huge – a 6-foot-10 power right-hander who has shown good command in the past and gets great downhill plane on his fastball.

3. Matt Harvey to the Angels in the third round: Angels director of scouting Eddie Bane may have found another Nick Adenhart, whom the Angels selected in the 14th round of the 2004 draft. Harvey doesn't have Adenhart's stuff, but he's got a solid-average fastball that touches 93 mph, a plus curve and a good pitchers' build; on talent, he should have gone in the last half of the first round.

The full list is below. 

2007 MLB First-Round Draft Order

Texas Summer Heat