…And there wasn’t much rejoining. Draft day 1 produced 3 new prospects and much angst amongst AN’s faithful. Jacob Wilson, Myles Naylor, and Ryan Lasko, selected with picks 6, 39, and 41 respectively, were not who the pundits would have recommended from the available players left at the time, nor did they pass the “real time reactions” test on this very knowledgeable site.
This doesn’t, however, mean the A’s scouts have failed, just that they are in the position of having to prove that their internal board was superior to that of the consensus around them.
Now weigheth in the Blogfather…
Jacob Wilson (6th overall)
First off, in being asked about selecting someone who lacked power, A’s GM David Forst referenced Jason Giambi as an example of players the A’s have drafted who have developed power on their way up to the majors.