Value Hunting #3

Newer "experts" mock draft over at Mock Draft Central. Here are some good values:

Ryan Zimmerman (Round 9, Pick 101) - I have Zimmerman down for 102 R, 29 HR, 104 RBI, 3 SB, .290 AVG. As I've said before, he could very well have a David-Wright-minus-the-steals-type season. The ninth round is too late for Zimmerman to be drafted.

Billy Wagner (Round 10, Pick 111) - I had a tough time finding good values among pitchers in this draft but Wagner stood out. He's a very good pitcher on a very good team and should rack up plenty of saves. Plus, his K/9 rate remains among the best in the game (10.5).

Matt Kemp (Round 11, Pick 123) - Currently, I have Kemp ranked 15th among outfielders and worthy of being picked in the first five or six rounds. I have him projected at 26 HR, 21 SB and a .302 batting average. The only threat here is that the Dodgers give too much playing time to Juan Pierre and Andre Ethier. They're not that stupid, are they?

Geovany Soto (Round 15, Pick 170) - I've already written a little bit about Soto, but let me just reinforce it: this guy has legit power. 29 HR in 128 games last year between AAA and AAAA (the National League). He'll easily outperform a good chunk of the catchers taken ahead of him.

Evan Longoria (Round 20, Pick 233) - I might orgasm if Longoria falls this low in any of my drafts. Of course, he won't because I will have already taken him five or six rounds earlier. I've projected Longoria to hit 28 HR in the middle of the Tampa order, leading to RBI and runs aplenty. Is that too optimistic? Possibly. But he is a rare talent who I think will adjust very quickly to major league pitching. He stands a good chance of being a top 50 player heading into 2009.