Team Draft Grades

I grade drafts each year based on a number of factors. Those factors include balance for age and position, talent accumulated, and what I like to think of as execution. That means consistently getting players in a round where you shouldn't. The Nationals and A.J. Cole come to mind with that one.

My grades aren't based on rankings. For example, I don't say that I give out 5 A's every year. It's a static system, where I decide how much I like a particular draft, and I grade accordingly. Grades can be compared year to year, and I'm going to be grading drafts for a long time here.

There's going to be the natural push back from grading drafts right after the draft. First, the signing deadline hasn't come. I adjust grades based on who signs and who doesn't, so these are preliminary grades. Second, fans want to wait to see who turns out well. I want to be the first to say that drafting a player in a good slot has little bearing on whether they become a Major League player. You can't credit a scouting director for a great find in the 17th round, because luck and, most importantly, player development comes into play. Scouts find the players, but it's up to the Player Development department to make them into Major League players. Waiting to grade drafts is a form of Monday Morning Quarterbacking that I absolutely hate, because too many variables come into play from the time a player is drafted to the time that they yield results. Unless you want to blame a Scouting Director for a first round pick's freak injury in any given year, after-the-fact grades are useless except to point to a combined scouting department and player development grade. At that point, you can't credit just one or the other.

That's why I grade now. When the draft is fresh and players are who they are coming out of the draft. I think I have a good feel for the players, so I feel qualified enough to do this.

All that being said, follow the jump to see your team's grade. They are ranked in order of how I compare them this year, but the grade itself is a static grade that can be compared year-to-year. Explanations will come with the larger Draft Reviews over the next 6 weeks.