4 S2 Draft Prospects I Love

Can you feel it in the air? It's finally draft season - the most exciting time of the year. With the SBL season coming to a close, and the Invaders coming out on top, all eyes are on next year as the other three squads attempt to keep pace with Indianapolis. The draft is a great place to start, as a new crop of talented youngster hope to forge their career at the next level. With several top candidates already declaring for S2 draft eligibility, I wanted to take a quick look at five of my personal favorites:

1. Wade Landry, RF

Can't be a list of top prospects without mentioning the presumed SBLM MVP. Landry is an elite talent who will likely be situated among the top of each team's draft board. He's a quintessential five-tool player who can fill several holes. The Mohawks deployed Landry as a lead-off hitter, and he responded by being one of top on-base guys in the league as well as a premier base-stealer. He's shown he can hit for power, having slugged 25 homers in his minor league career. Landry has a decent glove and could potentially play in either of the outfield spots moving forward. Had some reverses splits last season after seeing his batting average drop nearly 60 points when facing left-handed pitching, but he fares well against all types of pitching regardless. Through and through, a pure baseball player who will be a top star for years.

MLB Comparison: Jacoby Ellsbury

2. Gustav IsRealDaddy, 1B

Landry is the best athlete and most well-rounded player in the draft, but IsRealDaddy may stake a strong claim as being the draft's best pure hitter. The switch-hitting first baseman has a natural, sweet swing coupled with excellent bat speed. He was the main run producer on an anemic Chicago offense, and still managed to hit over .300 from both sides of the plate while being responsible for the fourth-most runs created in the league. IsRealDaddy is also no slouch on the base paths. Unlike many of his first base counterparts, IsRealDaddy has wheels having swiped 96 bags in his minor league career. His power-speed combo and switch-hitting versatility will make him an exciting player to watch.

MLB Comparison: Paul Goldschmidt

3. Chien-Ming Wang, SP

They couldn't figure him out in the minors, and I don't think major league hitters will have much better luck either. As soon as Wang's name is called during the S2 draft, he will instantly become one of the top ace's of the SBL. He has absolutely filthy stuff highlighted by a sinker/slider combo which has made even the most polished batters look downright silly. Though he wasn't known as a strikeout pitcher early on, Wang ranked among the leaders in K's this past season - finished No. 1 in total strikeouts (217) and third in strikeouts per nine innings (8.6).

MLB Comparison: Hyun-Jin Ryu

4. Ezekiel Bridges, SP

The fourth spot was tough for me, and there were plenty of strong options to choose from. Bridges stood out just a bit more among the potential candidates due to his sheer talent and competitive nature. Bridges plays with an edge each time he steps onto the mound. Though he doesn't reach the velo levels of some of the more hard-throwing prospects, he has excellent commando of the plate and some filthy off-speed options. Like Bauer, Bridges' curve is arguably his best pitch. When he gets that going with his two different fastball variations - a mid 90's fastball with a slower cutter - he can really get nasty.

MLB Comparison: Trevor Bauer