Friday, September 23, 2011

The most obvious draft strategy. Ever.

And it comes courtesy of Bobby Heck. With the Astros locking up the #1 pick in the 2012 draft, Bobby Heck discussed the strategy heading into the draft:

“At this point, we’ve got a handful of names of guys who are targets. That group will probably grow throughout the fall as we begin scouting and seeing high school players at showcases as well as visiting-four year colleges on scout days. Hopefully as we get closer to the draft, we’ll start zeroing in on a couple of guys.”

Wait, so let me get this straight:

1. Have a handful of guys in mind.
2. Grow list as scouting begins.
3. Narrow down closer to June.
4. Pick one.

GENIUS.

(That said, he did give a good look into the philosophy:
“Our approach right now is get the best talent pool and get it in the right order. Right now, it’s just going to be talent-driven in evaluating players. Also, be mindful that the best player on draft day is not always the best big-league player or the best long-term big-leaguer. You look at a lot of drafts, and a few later, a lot of those orders would be reverse. The idea is the guy who has the most impact in the major leagues for a long time.”