Rank the drafts of the Jordan era

[Camden_yardbird]

A successful draft in my mind isn't so much about hitting with the top guy taken but giving the minor league instructors some real raw talent to work with that has the drive to succeed. Obviously you cannot rate the draft on how many succeed because that has a lot to do with coaching.

Because of that I think 2008 has to be the best. We are seeing most of those players succeed at the levels they are at.

[QBsILLEST1]

The thing about the 2009 draft is right now is there does not appear to be any impact players in it. Wieters, Matusz and hopefully Machado appear to be impact players. Since only one or two players in every year become a teams impact players (who play in the majors for a long time at a high level of performance) that kind of defines a draft for me.

2009 seems to have a few players that can make the majors but that would not elevate the draft past a draft with Matusz in it to me.

Do you see impact players in the 2009 draft?

I see a few guys who have a chance to be impact players. JJ really went "value" here, so in order for anyone to really get on the wagon with these guys, they are gonna have to perform. There are reasons that the guys we took aren't very well known as top prospects, whether it be injuries or prospects who hadn't broken out yet.

The reason I got excited about the 09 draft, and still am, is because if you look at the tools that each prospect brings to the table, you will notice that some have a TON of upside. The only thing missing from most of them is a high pedigree.....So, while Hobgood could come out next year and dominate, he would jump back onto the top prospect map, while a guy like Randy Henry will have to prove himself more and string together more than just 1 dominant season to overcome the objections that scouts had on him.

Pretty much by default, while JJ is drafting "value" guys, you aren't gonna think anyone is a "impact" player until your eyes tell you that they are, which will probably take a little while longer than it would for a guy like Hobgood in which a solid K rate/BB rate and good ERA/FIP were originally expected due to his 1st round pedigree in the first place.....