MLB Draft

Even though I missed a week in documenting the race for Bryce Harper, not much has changed atop the leaderboard. To check out the Harper standings from two weeks ago, click here.

Without further ado, here are the current standings in the race for Bryce Harper:

Far be it from me not to value and understand the importance of education. After all, I have a law degree and I’m a practicing lawyer with my own business.

Like most people who write about sports, I also played sports growing up and in high school. And like most people who love sports, if I were good enough to play a sport (any sport) professionally, I would have.

And like most people, if I was so super talented that I was good enough to turn professional at age 18, guess what, I would have.

What were you doing about three months shy of your 22nd birthday?  Better yet, what were you doing in the final days of your senior year of college?

I can't answer either question—don't know the first answer and the second one's not appropriate for innocent eyes (or those of my parents).  I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

Ryan Scoma, who hits the double deuce in September, had several irons in the fire.

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It was destiny. There were few who suggested the Nats may pass on Strasburg but they mostly were trying to add suspense to the biggest no-brainer since LeBron James went first overall to the Cleveland Cav’s in 2003.

The Nationals selected the 6'5" righty out of San Diego State and in doing so may have marked a historic day, and perhaps a turning point in Washington Nationals history.

Strasburg comes to Washington after one of the most successful college career’s in history.

Both of these kids aren't even old enough to drink. One is barely old enough to legally drive by himself.  Stephen Strasburg, 20, and Bryce Harper, 16, are baseball's future. Strasburg, a starting pitcher out of San Diego State University, and Harper, a catcher out of Las Vegas High School, have both been called baseball's saviors.

In this article, I'll get an in-depth analysis of each player's strengths, and then give my opinion of which player I'd rather build a franchise around.

Stephen Strasburg

1. Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, RHP

Jayson Stark sucks.

While this is hardly breaking news, it seemed like an appropriate introduction to today’s diatribe about Stark’s lengthy column on ESPN.com this afternoon in which he dedicated nearly 2,000 words to discussing the problems with Major League Baseball’s player-drafting system but failed to include even one mention of the system’s largest flaw: the exclusion of foreign players.

In Seacaucus, NJ, Matt Vasgersian highlights the big plays in last night's games. Harold Reynolds weighs in with his opinions on players in slumps or pitchers who are dominating. The tile on the floor shines with newness as Victor Rojas walks across to his office.

It's baseball heaven.

It's been a long road here, to Seacaucus, for some young players. It will be soon that they will participate in the beginning event of their budding Major League career, the Amateur Player Draft of 2009.

It’s all but obvious that the Mariners will draft Dustin Ackley in the upcoming amateur draft with the second overall pick. However, the team also holds picks 27 and 33.

Jack Zduriencik has been diligent in acquiring left-handed power hitters, speedy outfielders, and middling starting pitching prospects, so the bottom of the first round could be a field day for the GM.

Ackley has high value because he may be able to play center field, and recently some have begun to project him at second base. Supposedly Zduriencik likes the idea of Ackley at second.