Well, I have looked at these two over and over again...and still unsure who to take first overall.  My team plays in Lynx Stadium, so zeroes across the board.  Would you take the pitcher, or the hitter?

Ivan Arias

General & Fielding Ratings
Event	Season	Height	Weight	OV	RA	GL	AS	AA	PC	DU	HE	SP	PA	TP	MK
Current	-	6-4	182	62	9	26	27	69	0	28	60	45	30	43	68
Projected	-	6-5	185	89	9	36	28	90	0	32	72	45	47	43	71

Batting & Pitching Ratings
Event	Season	CN	PW	LH	RH	BE	BR	BU	PP	ST	CT	LH	RH	VE	GB	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
Current	-	16	3	23	8	16	8	45	77	63	63	62	60	42	71	70	68	43	51	30
Projected	-	21	10	35	17	25	8	62	79	84	94	94	85	50	86	86	87	65	63	40

***This was a hitter...in the interests of our draft I have deleted his projections.

 

What do you have in your system already?
College or HS and what's your scouting budget?

14's in both College and HS.  Advanced Scouting budget is also 14

As for in the system, it is a league entering it's first season draft.  I have a couple of starters in the system, but this is just about it:  Vinny Berkmann  

Batting & Pitching Ratings
Event	Season	CN	PW	LH	RH	BE	BR	BU	PP	ST	CT	LH	RH	VE	GB	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
Current	-	21	11	34	23	26	15	65	54	90	79	64	80	92	76	77	74	62	38	0
Projected	-	21	15	34	23	32	21	75	59	91	87	72	92	95	76	89	74	77	43	0

, Alex Casilla

Batting & Pitching Ratings
Event	Season	CN	PW	LH	RH	BE	BR	BU	PP	ST	CT	LH	RH	VE	GB	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
Current	-	17	3	28	13	28	16	59	69	88	71	66	70	80	50	81	66	48	53	44
Projected	-	27	3	28	14	38	19	71	75	88	98	86	96	90	52	95	78	60	74	63

and Joe Williams 

Batting & Pitching Ratings
Event	Season	CN	PW	LH	RH	BE	BR	BU	PP	ST	CT	LH	RH	VE	GB	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
Current	-	26	7	27	15	28	15	70	71	88	70	48	67	47	23	78	63	54	68	43
Projected	-	35	7	27	15	37	15	78	76	88	86	58	76	51	20	91	70	55	79	51

  As for the hitters, picked up a nice IFA Midre Cummings RF (hitting is projected min 75s across the board), and Geromino Rios LF (80s across the board except for v.L).  Otherwise, fairly average...my top 1B in the system isTito Erickson

Batting & Pitching Ratings
Event	Season	CN	PW	LH	RH	BE	BR	BU	PP	ST	CT	LH	RH	VE	GB	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
Current	-	83	43	57	52	69	33	45	64	31	11	1	1	3	22	28	0	0	0	0
Projected	-	100	49	75	61	71	41	61	70	38	17	4	4	4	26	31	0	0	0	0

.  My team is in the NL, so no DH for me!

I guess my concern is, does Arias have the numbers to be a very good starter.  I prefer having a top pitching staff, but are his numbers good enough to outweigh Beck's numbers.

Beck is a good hitting 1B. This one's easy. Take the SP. You can never have enough good pitching... They're hard to find and keep.

With those 3 starters already in your system, I would take Beck. Use Erickson in a trade later on to bolster any holes in your pitching staff you might need for a back-end starter.

However, either way, you really can't go wrong.

Good lord, you picked up Castilla in the Rule 5 draft???

Thanks for the quick response...I totally appreciate it...this is the first time I have had the first overall pick.  Heading out this weekend, so wanted to rank them I head out tomorrow morning.  Seems like a vote both ways.  I always figured it would be easier to find a useable 1b than a pitcher...but his numbers did look good.  I gather then Arias's pitches would still be good enough.  Any other thoughts? 

As for Casilla...yeah, because of it being the first season of this league, I also had the first rule 5 pick.  2 owners it seemed didn't protect all their rule 5 guys even after several reminders in the league forum.  He is 23 though, so hoping he will come at least part-way to his projected and not stall out in the bigs.

Players don't stall out in the bigs; they simply progress more slowly after age 21 or 22.

I can't believe anyone is honestly suggesting NOT to take the SP #1.

It is an easy choice, imho.

At the top of the draft, I will always take pitchers I'd start in a playoff game. If you have 4-5 of those, you will win a boat load of games.

Take the pitcher... a starter of that caliber is so hard to come across, and like iain said, has immense value when it counts (playoffs)

You can also get more in return for a SP vs a 1b in the trade market, so if you decide to trade one of those other pitchers, or the guy you draft 1 some day, you'll get a better return.  Unless that guy played solid enough defense to play SS, CF, 2b or 3b, you've got to take a pitcher like that, baring any signability concerns.

Posted by iain on 7/16/2010 4:22:00 PM (view original):
I can't believe anyone is honestly suggesting NOT to take the SP #1.

It is an easy choice, imho.

+1...I wouldn't pass that pitcher up for a 1B even if he was 100-rated across the board on offense