Nitro Talks Indy S2 Draft

Indianapolis Invaders starting pitcher Nate Nitro had some thoughts to share on the S2 Draft and how his Indianapolis Invaders organization did.

"You know, it's always tough when we have a huge target on our back. Especially after winning the S1 SBL Championship, it's understandable that everybody wants to target the big dog. In this case, it's us. We are perfectly okay with that status and I think we've rightfully earned it after all of our success and accomplishments in S1. I'm kinda still feeling the high from the title and it only makes me want to want to win more titles! But anyways, you know with everything that's happening through the offseason, there's some new blood coming in. I look forward to seeing those new youngsters come in and help us out, as we'll be holding them to a higher standards than others."

From S1, the Indianapolis Invaders had some areas on their roster that needed to be addressed. Depth among their starting rotation was needed as the Invaders largely rode the success of filler Sandy Beach and R.A. Dick to bolster the backend. Sure, filler pitchers will help you out, but they can only take you so far and their upside is limited. Over time, those fillers' effectiveness will become meaningless, so with a draft class full of a number of talented pitchers, now was a good time as any to address that need. They'd also need a catcher, third baseman and two outfielders to replace the fillers, with the outfield probably being a priority. With just one catcher and one third baseman in the draft class, it would be tough for Indianapolis to address those positions without "reaching" and there are multiple outfielders and styles to choose from. Again, it would ultimately come down to the flow of the draft, dictating where and what needs Indianapolis would address with their four picks.

Indianapolis Invaders S2 Draft Summary
R1-P4: RF Magglio Renteria
R2-P4: SP Ezekiel Bridges
R3-P4: SP Snarky Shaman
R4-P4: SP TJ Maddux

In a draft class of only 7 fielders to go along with 10 pitchers -- a lot of different draft strategies could come into play and the Invaders, sitting in the back of the pecking order each round, would follow the flow of the other teams who dictated the draft. Indianapolis probably nailed their draft on the head as perfectly as any team could have.

With arguably the top two starting pitchers off the board by the time Indianapolis' first pick came around - Indianapolis took right fielder Magglio Renteria, one of the better all-around hitter in the SBLM in order to address one of their fielding needs. By the Invaders' second pick, three more fielders had come off the board -- which presented to them a wonderful opportunity to select one of the most hard-working pitcher in the SBLM the last two seasons, Ezekiel Bridges to complement their two veteran starters in Nate Nitro and Beatrix Ajax. With the Invaders' third pick and more starting pitchers off the board, the Invaders went with another starting pitcher in Snarky Shaman in a clear investment of their pitching rotation over addressing a potential catcher need. With the fourth and final pick, the Invaders opted for the best available player remaining in T.J. Maddux, whose role within the pitching staff is still uncertain. He could become a starter or end up being a super reliever, depending on how the Invaders' offseason pans out.

Ultimately, Indianapolis will probably still be considered the team to beat unless proven otherwise - and their S2 Draft Class will have a lot of say in whether the Invaders repeat as champions this year or not.