Let's be honest, baseball doesn't have the best athletes in sports by any means. Suspend your disbelief for a second and imagine each team had to draft an athlete from a different sport. Some teams would benefit from the boost in athleticism while others would fill holes where necessary. I simulated what this draft might look like and some of the results might surprise you...
Before I begin, let me state that I had to make a few assumptions. I first assumed that every one of these players can put a bat on a ball. Given that the hardest thing in sports is to hit a baseball, it's a pretty large assumption. Secondly, I didn't give much credit to NFL running backs. I don't think they have much place in baseball since they are mostly brutes who run through holes, and that doesn't really translate to a skill-based sport. Third, I don't think hockey or soccer players could cut it, either, because of the whole skating thing and the fact that soccer players never use their hands for anything.
The results (worst record to first, as of 9/26):
Nationals- Lebron James
Pirates- Larry Fitzgerald
Orioles- Tiger Woods
Royals- Ussain Bolt
Indians- Jamarcus Russell
Summary of picks 1-5:
The first five picks in any draft are the most impactful. The Nationals jump at Lebron for his overall athleticism and global appeal. He's a physical beats who I imagine could play any sport well. Larry Fitzgerald goes 2nd as a future Gold Glove outfielder. His speed, ball-tracking, and jumping ability would put him right with the game's best defensive outfielders. Tiger goes #3 to the O's--an athlete so technically sound that I could see him playing the left side of the infield quite well. With as disciplined as Tiger is about his swing, I'd pencil him in for 30 homeruns as well. Ussain Bolt goes 4th to the Royals and is an instant force on the basepaths. Lead him off, teach him to bunt, and swiping 100+ bases every season. The biggest surprise of the first five picks is Jamarcus Russell to the Indians at 5. He's built in the same mold as former Indian CC Sabathia, and his frame is conducive to a heavy workload. Combined with his unbelievable arm strength, Russell fits right into the Tribe's rotation...and he won't even have to do any running!
Mets- Drew Brees
Diamondbacks- Kevin Durant
Blue Jays- Andre Johnson
Astros- Kobe Bryant
Padres- Jay Cutler
White Sox- Chris Paul
Reds- Phillip Rivers
A's- Darren Sproles
Brewers- Aaron Rodgers
Rays- Steve Smith
Highlights from picks 6-15:
Drew Brees' canon arm makes him a shoe-in as a starting pitcher for the Mets. Durant, Kobe, and CP3 are all selected on the basis of their overall athleticism. Andre Johnson becomes another freak outfielder like Larry Fitzgerald and A's select scrappy Darren Sproles to fit into their type of station-to-station baseball. Rivers' and Rodgers' powerful arms work in the Reds and Brewers rotations, respectively, and Steve Smith's speed makes him a dynamo on the basepaths which suits the Rays' style.
Mariners- Randy Moss
Twins- Joe Flacco
Cubs- Peyton Manning
Giants- Dwyane Wade
Marlins- Ed Reed
Tigers- Michael Phelps
Braves- Floyd Mayweather, Jr
Rangers- Antonio Gates
Rockies- Derrick Rose
Phillies- Tom Brady
Cardinals- TJ Houshmandzedah
Angels- Dwight Howard
Red Sox- Quentin Jammer
Dodgers- Tony Gonzalez
Yankees- Matt Schaub
Highlights from picks 16-30:
Peyton Manning falls all the way to the Cubbies at #18 because it wouldn't be a draft if the Twins didn't select someone years away from his potential instead. Ed Reed is a steal at 20 for the Marlins because of his ability to cover a ton of ground in cavernous Landshark Stadium. Gates and Tony Gonzalez are taken late because of overall athleticism, the BoSox take Quentin Jammer to patrol rightfield in place of JD Drew's 94 year-old knees, and the Yanks take Matt "The" Schaub as a young promising arm to add to the bullpen or fill the back end of the rotation. Tom Brady brings leadership to the Phils and gives them another option at closer with the demise of Brad Lidge.
So there you go; a meaningless exercise for Tuesday. It's fun to think about and to compare the most highly-skilled and most athletic players in each sport. I know I'm missing some of the world's best, so shout them out if you feel they would translate better than some of the ones I've chosen.
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