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The Wright Moves
by Geoffrey Stein on February 25 2008
After another action-packed weekend that included hundreds of full mock drafts at all times of the day, it`s no surprise that Mock Draft Central`s Average Draft Position (ADP) report has a new look come the start of February`s final week.
Most notably is a shakeup within the top-four players selected after New York Mets third baseman David Wright moved past his teammate, shortstop Jose Reyes, to claim the No. 3 spot. The 25-year-old corner infielder now only trails New York`s other third baseman, the Yankees` Alex Rodriguez and Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez in ADP.
It`s no surprise that Wright has moved up from his December ADP of No. 5 overall -- trailing Rodriguez, Ramirez, Reyes and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols -- to his current levels, as many consider him the ultimate five-category player. And it`s hard to argue with that logic, especially when his 2007 stats are taken into account.
On the season, Wright hit .325 with 30 home runs, 107 RBI, 113 runs scored and 34 steals. The only other players with comparable numbers were Rodriguez (.314-54-156-143-24) and Ramirez (.332-29-81-125-51).
While nobody in their right mind is going to draft Wright ahead of Rodriguez, a case can certainly be made for selecting the Mets` star ahead of Ramirez.
The main argument is most certainly the surrounding cast of each of the National League East studs. Wright is joined in the New York lineup by Moises Alou, Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo, Carlos Delgado and Reyes, who have 17 combined All-Star Game appearances. Ramirez has one offensive teammate with an All-Star selection: Dan Uggla, who failed to record an at-bat in the 2006 Midsummer Classic. One certainly has to worry about how teams will pitch the Marlins` star in the post-Miguel Cabrera era; his on-base percentage and steals could increase, but most likely at the expense of home runs, RBI and runs scored.
That -- along with some concern over Ramirez`s surgically repaired shoulder -- could lead to a very interesting final month of the mock drafting season. Can Wright close the 1.21-selection gap and overtake the 24-year-old speedster for the No. 2 overall selection?
The smart money would be on no. But unfortunately for the smart money, it was also on Reyes staying ahead of Wright.
Most notably is a shakeup within the top-four players selected after New York Mets third baseman David Wright moved past his teammate, shortstop Jose Reyes, to claim the No. 3 spot. The 25-year-old corner infielder now only trails New York`s other third baseman, the Yankees` Alex Rodriguez and Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez in ADP.
It`s no surprise that Wright has moved up from his December ADP of No. 5 overall -- trailing Rodriguez, Ramirez, Reyes and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols -- to his current levels, as many consider him the ultimate five-category player. And it`s hard to argue with that logic, especially when his 2007 stats are taken into account.
On the season, Wright hit .325 with 30 home runs, 107 RBI, 113 runs scored and 34 steals. The only other players with comparable numbers were Rodriguez (.314-54-156-143-24) and Ramirez (.332-29-81-125-51).
While nobody in their right mind is going to draft Wright ahead of Rodriguez, a case can certainly be made for selecting the Mets` star ahead of Ramirez.
The main argument is most certainly the surrounding cast of each of the National League East studs. Wright is joined in the New York lineup by Moises Alou, Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo, Carlos Delgado and Reyes, who have 17 combined All-Star Game appearances. Ramirez has one offensive teammate with an All-Star selection: Dan Uggla, who failed to record an at-bat in the 2006 Midsummer Classic. One certainly has to worry about how teams will pitch the Marlins` star in the post-Miguel Cabrera era; his on-base percentage and steals could increase, but most likely at the expense of home runs, RBI and runs scored.
That -- along with some concern over Ramirez`s surgically repaired shoulder -- could lead to a very interesting final month of the mock drafting season. Can Wright close the 1.21-selection gap and overtake the 24-year-old speedster for the No. 2 overall selection?
The smart money would be on no. But unfortunately for the smart money, it was also on Reyes staying ahead of Wright.
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