Pick 20 – Kansas City Royals Selection: OF Mark Kotsay Some picks feel inevitable. Others feel like arguments with yourself at a whiteboard at 1 a.m.This one was the latter. At No. 20, the Royals find themselves in that tricky borderland where need, value, and philosophy intersect. On one hand, this is a perfectly logical spot to dip back into pitching—Brett Tomko, for example, makes a lot of sense in a vacuum. On the other hand… can...

Pick 19 – Florida Marlins Selection: 3B/OF Fernando Tatis If there’s a franchise in the DBL that appreciates versatility almost as much as the Montreal Expos, it’s the Florida Marlins. This is a club forever shuffling its roster pieces, squeezing value out of every lineup configuration, and finding creative ways to get bats onto the field. So it’s only fitting that they land one of the most versatile position players in the entire...

Pick 18 – Los Angeles Dodgers Selection: C Jason Varitek This is where the draft gets fun—where teams stop chasing ceiling and start solving problems. And the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite adding Bartolo Colón earlier in the round, still had one glaring issue left to fix: catcher. Let’s be fair to Scott Hatteberg:The bat plays.It really does. But the glove?Not so much. Hatteberg’s defensive metrics last season bordered on stunning—in...

Pick 17 – Kansas City Royals Selection: INF Miguel Tejada The Kansas City Royals enter this draft in a familiar position—up against the cap, juggling decisions on several veterans, and somehow still managing to keep almost everyone they actually want. It’s a delicate dance they’ve performed for years, and once again their offseason will hinge on a handful of contract decisions that could meaningfully reshape the roster. But this pick?...

Pick 16 – Chicago Cubs Selection: 2B José Vidro Cubs fans felt the heartbreak. After a miserable start to 1996, Chicago transformed into the hottest team in baseball down the stretch, surging back into contention and ultimately missing the playoffs by the slimmest of margins. Given how the season began, the fact that they were even in the conversation should be celebrated—but try telling that to a fanbase starving for October baseball. If...

Pick 15 – Cleveland Spiders Selection: CF Torii Hunter The Cleveland Spiders return to the clock for their second first-round selection, having already secured some much-needed pitching help earlier in the draft. Now, with the opportunity to diversify their rookie class, the focus shifts naturally to the offensive side of the board. And at Pick 15, the Spiders find themselves in a very clean, very logical spot. With Marquis Grissom hitting...

Pick 14 – Boston Red Sox Selection: SP John Thompson The Boston Red Sox enter this offseason in a state of transition—if not full reconstruction. With the front office openly shopping nearly the entire roster outside of Barry Bonds, Mike Cameron, and Édgar Rentería, this is a club still searching for an identity, a direction, and frankly, a foundation. When a team has this many needs, the draft board is wide open....

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...