Pick 13 – New York Mets Selection: 1B Derrek Lee The New York Mets were painfully close to a postseason berth in 1996, and the reasons for falling short are obvious: an offense that ran hot and cold, and a bullpen that too often turned close games into losses. The bullpen can—and likely will—be addressed later in the offseason or via trade, but the offense is something they can start fixing right now. And with the board falling the way it...
Pick 12 – New York Yankees Selection: INF Mark Bellhorn The New York Yankees opened their draft with a statement, grabbing Matt Morris and securing a blue-chip arm to headline the future of their rotation. With that crucial box checked, the organization shifts its attention to the lineup—a lineup that, frankly, lagged throughout 1996 and needs all the help it can get. Enter Mark Bellhorn, one of the most versatile and projectable infielders...
Pick 11 – Los Angeles Dodgers Selection: RF Richard Hidalgo How do you follow up drafting Bartolo “Big Sexy” Colón at No. 4? By doubling down on impact talent—and this time, doing it on the offensive side of the ledger. The Los Angeles Dodgers step up at Pick 11 and land one of the most polished bats still on the board: Richard Hidalgo. This is the kind of selection that instantly stabilizes a position of chaos. Last year’s left...
Pick 10 – San Diego Padres Selection: RF Magglio Ordoñez Sometimes patience is the most underrated skill in drafting. And no team in this top ten played the waiting game better than the San Diego Padres. They watched the early picks unfold, saw the expected run on pitching, and stayed calm. And because of that, they walk away with one of the top bats in the entire class: Magglio Ordoñez. This wasn’t an easy decision. In fact, the...
Pick 9 – Florida Marlins Selection: 1B David Ortiz Every once in a while, fortune smiles on a franchise—not with a playoff berth or a breakout star, but with something quieter and equally valuable: a top-10 pick in a draft loaded with impact talent. The Florida Marlins didn’t plan to be here, but they won’t complain. And after two trades that have already added depth to their rotation, Florida enters this draft with a luxury:...
Pick 8 – Washington Senators Selection: SP Tony Saunders The Washington Senators are a machine—well-built, well-run, and well ahead of schedule. They led the DBL in wins, only to see their season end abruptly at the hands of the eventual champions. It was a disappointing finish, but not a derailing one; this is a franchise built on stability, depth, and decisiveness. And Washington wasted no time reminding the league of that decisiveness....
Pick 7 – Cleveland Spiders Selection: SP Scott Woodward The Cleveland Spiders are standing at a crossroads this offseason. Key bats are potentially walking out the door as free agents, and management faces decisions that could shape the next few seasons. Some veterans will return, some won’t—but when you strip away the narratives and look at 1996 objectively, one truth stands out: pitching is the problem. Bob Sebra led the staff in nearly...
Pick 6 – Chicago White Sox Selection: SP Kevin Millwood The Chicago White Sox are a team quietly ascending, and while they don’t command the flash or fanfare of a Washington Senators or a New York Yankees, there’s a method to their madness. Last offseason was filled with noise—smart draft picks, strategic acquisitions, and the headline-grabbing trade for Chuck Knoblauch to stabilize the infield. This is a club on the...
Pick 5 – Baltimore Orioles Selection: 1B Richie Sexson If there’s a unifying theme to the early portion of this draft, it’s this: the teams picking high have holes everywhere. And Baltimore might be the most baffling puzzle of the bunch. For years the Orioles have hovered in that uncomfortable middle zone—too talented to bottom out, too flawed to break through—and now find themselves staring at a roster that needs just about...
From Bay to Desert: How the Former Giants Became the Diamondbacks — and Why Arizona Was the Home They Needed All Along When the final out settled into Tony Gwynn’s glove in Game 5, and the Arizona Diamondbacks spilled out of the dugout as newly crowned champions, the story wasn’t just about a title. It wasn’t just about Rondell White’s heroics, or Scott Karl’s artistry, or the bullpen’s quiet ruthlessness. It was about a team that...