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UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

Next up in our draft recap is the St. Cloud Chargers, who alternated between the 7th and 10th picks, respectively.

St. Cloud Chargers
The Chargers used their first pick in the draft on 28 year old right fielder Tim Edwards(77/77). Edwards is an elite hitter, and has the talent to hit above .300 most years. He also packs a punch, and will hit quite a few homers, but strikes out a bit too often. Defensively, Edwards is a good right fielder, although he is a little slow. All in all, a good pick by St. Cloud. The Chargers went with a pitcher for their 2nd round choice, drafting Randy Hunter, a 27 year old SP(76/78). Hunter is one of the best pitchers in the league, and will no doubt be an effective ace for St. Cloud. In the 3rd round, the Chargers picked up a slugging third baseman, 28 year old Tim Hudson(60/61). Hudson isn't likely to hit for spectacular average or steal many(if any) bases, but he is definitely top tier when it comes to power. He is also a very skilled defensive third baseman, but the rest of his skills are lacking some. In round 4, St. Cloud picked up free-swinging 34 year old veteran center fielder, Paul Rios(61/61). Rios is an average defender, and has little to no power, but is a good runner and is excellent at avoiding strikeouts and hitting for contact. The Chargers drafted a young hurler, 23 year old Tad Albert(60/61) in the 5th round. Albert is a hard thrower, and has good movement on all his pitches, but struggles with control issues and has battled injuries in the past. However, he is still a capable #2 starter for St. Cloud. The St. Cloud minor league system ranks as the 4th best in the UBL.


RF Tim Edwards was the first round pick of St. Cloud, and looks to bat at the heart of the lineup this year for a solid Chargers team.

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

Coming to you third in our draft recap is the team that had the number one pick in the draft, but then had to wait until the 16th pick of the second round to draft again.

Rochester Raiders
The Rochester Raiders were selected to have the first pick of the draft, and had all the options in the world. They decided that 29 year old first baseman, Steve Ward(80/80), is the best player in the draft, and took him with their pick. Ward is an incredible hitter, excelling in both contact and home run power. He isn't the best runner or defensive player, and doesn't draw as many walks as a team may like, but his batting is top notch, and he is one of the few that deserved to go number 1. In the second round, Rochester took another power hitter, Ernesto Rivera(68/68), the 27 year old left fielder. Rivera's strengths are gap power, home run power, and plate discipline, but struggles to make contact at times, and is also prone to strikeouts. He is an average defender, but he's very slow. The next pick in the draft also belonged to Rochester, and they took another slugger, 30 year old third baseman Jim Lucas(71/71). Lewis is a decent contact hitter, and is just barely above Ernesto Rivera in the power department. Like Rivera, Lucas is an okay fielder, but is slow. In the 4th round, Rochester finally picked a starting pitcher, going with 28 year old lefty Mark Dennis(63/64). Dennis isn't seen as ace material, and is more of a mid-rotation guy. Rochester looks like they'll provide plenty of run support with their power hitters, however, so a lackluster pitching staff may be able to win a few more games than they should. In round 5, Rochester took another left handed starter, 32 year old Antonio Sanchez(63/63). Sanchez is also seen as a middle of the staff guy, and he is known to rely on his fastball too much. Rochester has a relatively weak starting rotation, so their offense will have to put up plenty of runs to keep the team afloat. There's more bad news for Rochester in the minor league system, as their farm system is rated second to last, at 15th in the league.


Steve Ward, the #1 pick in the draft, will have to help Rochester's offense produce plenty of runs to support the Raiders' weak pitching staff.

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

Up fourth in the draft recap is our hometown team, the La Crosse Crusaders! The Crusaders alternated between picking 3rd and 14th.

La Crosse Crusaders
La Crosse's focus coming into the draft was to form a strong starting rotation, and it looks like they have done that, even though it may take a few years for it to come together. La Crosse's first round pick was 24 year old starting pitcher Javier Martinez(76/78). Martinez is seen as one of the top 2 young pitchers in the league, and should be able to lead the Crusader's rotation for years to come. In the second round, La Crosse went after some offense, picking up 26 year old 3B Michael Barnes(75/76). Barnes is a team leader, and one of the better defensive third basemen in the league. Offensively, Barnes is a slightly above average contact hitter, with plus-plus power. He's very selective at the plate, but isn't exactly the quickest guy. La Crosse got another young pitcher in the 3rd round, with 22 year old Danny Stritch(63/68). Once Stritch fully develops, he is expected to be a front of the rotation starter, and is nearly there now. Stritch's scouting report reads; above average stuff, top notch movement on all of his pitches, and shows good command. Not too shabby! In round 4, the Crusaders picked Dennis Phillips(69/70), a 26 year old shortstop. Phillips is borderline elite offensively, and is consistently solid. He has above average contact, gap power, plate discipline, defense, is average at avoiding K's, and is a good power hitter on top of it. In round 5, La Crosse picked another young pitcher, Dave Blankenship(39/69), who is 23 years old. Blankenship isn't as developed as La Crosse's other two top 5 pitchers, but it looks like he will get there soon. He is projected to be a front of the line pitcher, but may start this year in the minors or the end of the Crusaders' rotation. His scouting report reads very similar to Stritch's, he just isn't that far along yet. La Crosse has the 2nd best minor league system, falling just behind 1st place Waterloo, and leaps and bounds ahead of the 3rd place team. Alejandro Reyes and Dave Hartley are just two of the La Crosse minor league starting pitchers who look to have bright futures.


Javier Martinez is expected to be the ace of a young but talented La Crosse pitching staff.

Shit team brah

Or maybe it's a good team. I can't really tell

Interesting that you got a player as good as Phillips with the 14th pick of round 4.

I have noticed that middle infielders seem to be undervalued in OOTP fantasy drafts, though.

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

Up next in the recap is the Eau Claire Badgers. The Badgers switched between having the 11th and 6th pick in the draft.

Eau Claire Badgers
Eau Claire had the 11th pick of the 1st round, and took 28 year old center fielder Pali Ciftja(76/77). Ciftja is speedy, a good defender, and is also an excellent contact hitter. With his talent, he should be one of the top leadoff batters in the game. In round 2, they picked up starting pitcher Harry Arnold(75/76), a 27 year old. Arnold is a well rounded young pitcher, and is a good guy to lead a team's rotation. In the 3rd round, the Badgers took 27 year old second baseman Marlon Von Meister(75/76). Von Meister doesn't really excel in anything except for plate discipline. He has good power too, but is one of the best in the league at telling balls from strikes. He draws a lot of walks, which leads to a good on base percentage for him. Eau Claire drafted another pitcher in the 4th round, a 30 year old starter, James Harris(69/69). Harris is another well rounded pitcher, and is described as "borderline-ace material." The Badgers got one of the UBL's premier power hitters in the 5th round, with veteran 34 year old left fielder, Tim "The Natural" Moore(80/80). Moore slipped to the 5th round most likely due to his age, but he is no slouch. He is a very good contact hitter as well, with the ability to hit .300 most years. Moore makes his money on the long ball, though, and has explosive power. He has a good eye and is a competent fielder, but isn't as quick as he used to be. Eau Claire's minor league system is ranked 13th in the league, which isn't exactly great news for the club.


Marlon Von Meister, the Badgers' second baseman, is not only a local fan favorite, but is also one of the most popular players in the league. Fans flock to the park to see him play. They just can't get enough of Marlon!

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

The Davenport Jaguars are now on the clock of the UBL inaugural draft recap. They flip-flopped between the 9th and 8th pick.

Davenport Jaguars
The Jaguars used their first round pick on second baseman Frank Elliot(80/80), a 26 year old contact hitting specialist. Elliot is one of the best in the game at making contact, and it is extremely rare for him to strike out. He is also pretty quick, and is a competent defender. The only drawback is that he has little to no power, but instead does his damage without home runs. In round 2, Davenport picked up 25 year old left fielder Ken Padgett(72/77). Padgett is a good hiter, both in contact and power categories. He is a solid defender, but is slower than molasses. 25 year old right fielder Jason Paul(58/59) was a questionable pick for the Jaguars in the 3rd round. Paul is just a tick above average offensively and defensively. The only thing that sets him apart is his speed, which still doesn't really justify him being a third round pick. Unless the Jaguars see something I don't, this pick may be a let-down. 33 year old starting pitcher Joe Tidwell(69/69) was selected by Davenport in the 4th round. Tidwell is a control specialist, but has below average stuff and movement. However, his pinpoint accuracy makes him a reasonable #2 starter for sure, but Davenport will look for him to be the #1 guy. The Jaguars picked another SP in the 5th round, going with 30 year old Markus McNiel(58/58). McNiel is slightly above average, and is known to be a bit inconsistent. His pitches have top notch movement, however, which makes it hard for opposing batters to make solid contact. Davenport's minor league system is in the middle of the road, falling in at 9th out of 16.


The Davenport Jaguars left many people scratching their heads after picking questionable RF prospect Jason Paul in the 3rd round.

Eau Claire looks like they're trying to win NOW

They should have a decent shot at it judging on the players you've shown from these six teams

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

The Coon Valley Bandits picked 5th and 12th in the draft, and assembled a solid team.

Coon Valley Bandits
Coon Valley went with 29 year old SS/2B/CF/3B Paul White(79/79) as their first round pick. It appears as if Coon Valley will be using him as their center fielder, but White can play multiple positions well defensively. He is also a good batter, with good contact, plus power, and a flawless plate approach. White is slow though, especially for a center fielder. The Bandits got a solid ace in the 2nd round, in 23 year old SP Ted King(70/71). King is a well rounded young pitcher, and should fare well in the UBL. The Bandits nabbed young 22 year old right fielder Donnie Jenkins(66/72) in round 3. Jenkins has plus-plus contact and supreme power potential, but struggles with plate discipline. He's an average defender, with below average speed as well. Coon Valley drafted a starting pitcher in the 4th round, 28 year old Loren Poole(64/65). Poole is another well rounded pitcher, just not as skilled as King. And in round 5, the Bandits picked another young starting pitcher, 23 year old Alonso Ruiz(63/64). Ruiz has passable stuff and okay control, which coupled with good movement on his pitches, makes him a good #3 pitcher on most any team. Coon Valley also did a good job of stocking the minors, and their minor league system is ranked as 3rd best in the UBL.


Ted King will be the young ace of a very talented Coon Valley starting rotation.

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: North Division

Rounding out our draft recap of the north division is the Appleton Robins. The Robins had the 13th and 4th picks, respectively.

Appleton Robins
The Appleton Robins were one of just 4 teams of the UBL to take a starting pitcher in the 1st round, going with 29 year old Michael Anderson(77/77). Anderson has an outstanding repertoire of pitches, and knows how to use them. He has decent movement on them, and also excellent command. Appleton made another good pick in the 2nd round, taking 27 year old shortstop Jeff Bolden(80/80). Bolden is described as a borderline-elite contact hitter, with above average power as well. Good plate discipline, solid defense, and decent speed make him an excellent value for being drafted in the 2nd round. Appleton found another gem in round 3, picking up left fielder Wilson Castandeda(65/68), a 24 year old. Castaneda is an incredible contact hitter, and has the skills to possibly hit .350 in a good year. His power is around average, but he is lacking plate discipline. He's an average defender and slightly below average runner, but his offensive ability is something all teams should wish for. Round 4 was sort of questionable for Appleton, however, as they chose 35 year old first baseman Edmund Frost(77/77). There is nothing wrong with Frost's ability, it's his age that is a concern. Frost probably won't be in the league too much longer, and this pick seemed to put Appleton in the "Win Now" category. He should be a nice pick for the next couple of years though, as Frost has above average contact and is one of the top 5 power hitters in the league. The drawbacks to his game are his average defense and limited speed. The Robins took their #2 starter, 23 year old Ashton Fuhrman(63/64), in the 5th round. He has average stuff and movement, but his excellent control makes him a good pick. Appleton's farm system has its bright spots, checking in at 7th in the league.


35 year old Appleton 1B Edmund Frost would surely love to win a UBL championship before he retires, and is one of the core members of Appleton's dangerous squad.

this is awesome so far, solid recap of the draft. makes me want to try out a draft on OOTP.

Robins FTW!

But yeah, they got a really good 2nd round pick!

thanks! It's definitely interesting trying to pick fictional players, and it's fun too.

Yeah, I'm not sure how an 80/80 27 year old shortstop slipped to the 20th pick. I think PPJ was on to something when he said that middle infielders may be undervalued.

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: South Division

Now that we have finished the recap of the North Division, we will begin recapping the South Division. Up first, the Springfield Heroes! Springfield had the 14th pick in the 1st round, which led to them having the 3rd of the 2nd round.

Springfield Heroes
In round 1, Springfield decided to make 26 year old center fielder Tim Wagner(77/78) their first pick. Wagner is an athletic center fielder, with plus-plus hitting ability. He's a good contact hitter, but doesn't have much power. He has the potential to lead the league in walks, due to his fantastic plate discipline. Wagner is an above average defender, and is quick on the basepaths too. After Wagner, the Heroes picked 29 year old right fielder Dave Jarvis(68/68) in round 2. Jarvis may not have been the best pick at that point of the draft, due to his expensive contract, and the fact that there were better players available. However, if Springfield was looking for a power hitter, they got one. Jarvis makes a decent contact hitter with explosive power, and has a good reputation on defense. 29 year old starting pitcher Dustin Franklin(64/64) was taken by Springfield in round 3. Franklin was scouted as a solid number 3. The Heroes will look for him to be the #2 guy, however, behind their 4th round pick, 35 year old SP Mike Morris(71/71). Morris is getting up in years, but can still bring the heat on his fastball and has a good number of pitches and good movement too. Morris has been known to struggle with his control, which may bring up issues with his walk numbers, and he may hang a breaking ball over the plate a little too often. In round 5, the Heroes picked up another 35 year old, this time going with catcher Duncan Wright(74/74). Wright is an average contact hitter, but has exceptional power and a good eye at the plate. However, he is a poor runner, and just okay defensively. If any of these teams make you think "win now", I'd imagine Springfield would be one of them. They do have the 5th best minor league system though, so they may be able to bring in some young guys too.


CF Tim Wagner will be the young star of a well aged Springfield team.

UBL Inaugural Draft Recap: South Division

Jefferson City is second on the list from the South Division. The Capitals had the 8th and 9th picks.

Jefferson City Capitals
The Capitals took 28 year old right fielder Brian Hindman(76/77) with their pick in the 1st round. Hindman is a well rounded offensive player, not lacking in any area, plus plus-plus power. His defense is shaky and he doesn't have much speed, but is a complete package offensively. J-City took another batter in round 2, selecting shortstop Bill Klein(69/69), the 29 year old. Klein is an excellent contact hitter, with modest power and is also hard to fool at the dish. He's been a solid defender at SS, but he's slow. His scouting report literally reads: "No speed." The Capitals drafted 25 year old center fielder Paul Kemp(60/61) during round 3. Kemp is an above average offensive player, with amazing contact potential and is capable of hitting a few homers too. Kemp is an incredible left fielder, but Jefferson City will be playing him in center, which isn't his best position. Round 4 led to the Capitals picking a starting pitcher, 31 year old Ronald Brown(67/67). Brown is a solid top of the rotation guy, and gets outs by relying on his defense. Won't strike many guys out, but he has good control. Jefferson City picked another starter in round 5, 31 year old Mitchell Sullivan(63/63). Sullivan has decent stuff and movement, but has slightly below average control. He's an acceptable number 2 or 3 starter. And in the minors, Jefferson City's system rates as the 6th best.


RF Brian Hindman will anchor Jefferson City's lineup, batting 3rd.