2007 Draft Class

[Guest]

Josh Vitters

Birthdate: 08/27/89

 

Are we really at the point where we're going to be drafting/signing kids born in the 90's? I feel old.

 

hey, mephistophles has a girl born in the 90s in his avatar, so why not?

 

She was born in 89, actually.

[bsucubsfan]

Jarrod Parker....

 

I have seen this kid 3 times. He put on 25 lbs of muscle in the offseason. He added 3-4 mph on his fastball since last season. 40 scouts at a recent game. 2 different guns had him touching 98 in the 7th inning. The one thing about him is his coach isn't riding him to the state championship. He knows what his future holds. he pithces once maybe twice depending on how many games they play a week. Being from the same county he attends high school i'd love to see him play for the cubs.

[RammyFanny]

Jarrod Parker....

 

I have seen this kid 3 times. He put on 25 lbs of muscle in the offseason. He added 3-4 mph on his fastball since last season. 40 scouts at a recent game. 2 different guns had him touching 98 in the 7th inning. The one thing about him is his coach isn't riding him to the state championship. He knows what his future holds. he pithces once maybe twice depending on how many games they play a week. Being from the same county he attends high school i'd love to see him play for the cubs.

 

Could you tell if his fastball location was as good as advertised? Anything you noticed on his secondary pitches?

[bsucubsfan]

He relies on fastball alot. But his slider is very good. His changeup works because most kids gear up for the heat, but its his weakest pitch right now. Very good location on his fastball. Throws most pitches close enough you have to protect but can't make good contact. The AD loaded up their schdedule this year. They have faced quite a few bigger and high ranked schools. THey are 22-0 i believe. Very good mound presence and doesn't seem to get rattled.

[C.C.]

Id take Parker over Vitters myself. Although Im not so sure I'd take Parker in the top five picks.

 

Dude, no offense but I never read a word you type because I can't get pass the avatar.

[The Q]

Gota agree with what he said, it's hard to concentrate with that girl in your face...lol. But I'll try.

 

I was born in 85 and I'm feelin old now that people that are younger than my little sister are now getting drafted.

 

I worked with Team USA last year and I was older than every singe one of them....that made me realize how old I am. LOL

[TruffleShuffle]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070516&content_id=1967914&vkey=draft2007&fext=.jsp

 

I'm not a fan of Mayo, but it's worth noting that he has Wieters out of the top 10.

 

this would be so incredibly stupid, i don't even know what to say about it

 

How much value does Wieters have if he moves from catcher? Joe Mauer is the exception to the rule, not the new rule. Wieters doesn't have Mauer's athleticism.

 

First of all, I haven't seen people saying that he'd be forced to switch away from catcher. Second, he's not a really good hitter for a catcher, he's a really good hitter for anybody. He had a these lines:

 

Freshman: 366/470/581/1051

Soph: 355/480/606/1086

Junior: 376/498/639/1137

 

 

Now in case you haven't noticed, the Cubs' offense has not been a house on fire in recent years. One of the bigger problems, believe it or not, has been getting on base. Now if I've got a college guy who has gotten on base almost half his at bats for three years, and hit for plenty of power, I'd probably grab him, even if I had to put him in LF or 1B eventually. I'll take the guy who is a really good bet to rake at the major league level over a high school guy who might turn out to be that good.

[jersey cubs fan]

First of all, I haven't seen people saying that he'd be forced to switch away from catcher. Second, he's not a really good hitter for a catcher, he's a really good hitter for anybody. He had a these lines:

 

Freshman: 366/470/581/1051

Soph: 355/480/606/1086

Junior: 376/498/639/1137

 

 

Now in case you haven't noticed, the Cubs' offense has not been a house on fire in recent years. One of the bigger problems, believe it or not, has been getting on base. Now if I've got a college guy who has gotten on base almost half his at bats for three years, and hit for plenty of power, I'd probably grab him, even if I had to put him in LF or 1B eventually. I'll take the guy who is a really good bet to rake at the major league level over a high school guy who might turn out to be that good.

 

I definitely sympathize with your argument. But one thing to consider is he really does have to have a position in the NL. Is there a real good fallback position that he is expected to play at a good level?

 

Also, while those are great numbers on the surface, what do they look like in the context of his competition?

[TruffleShuffle]

I definitely sympathize with your argument. But one thing to consider is he really does have to have a position in the NL. Is there a real good fallback position that he is expected to play at a good level?

 

Can't answer that, but I've never seen him play and he's never been asked to play a position other than catcher and pitcher. He'd have to flop at catcher before he was moved, though.

 

Also, while those are great numbers on the surface, what do they look like in the context of his competition?

 

Not really sure how to answer this. Obviously college numbers are better than pro numbers, but he's had the best OPS every year on what is normally a very good Ga Tech team. The ACC is one of the top baseball conferences in the country. He was first-team ACC and ACC rookie of the year his frosh year, and first/second-team All-American his soph year (depending on which publication you read - though inexplicably he was second-team ACC to a Miami catcher with an OPS that was 200 points lower) and this year he's likely to be first-team All American. Last year he was 2nd in OBP and 7th in SLG in the ACC. This year he's 5th in OBP and 4th in SLG. For conference games, he has the best OBP and second best SLG. That's about the best I can do in terms of putting his numbers in the context of his competition.

[jersey cubs fan]

I definitely sympathize with your argument. But one thing to consider is he really does have to have a position in the NL. Is there a real good fallback position that he is expected to play at a good level?

 

Can't answer that, but I've never seen him play and he's never been asked to play a position other than catcher and pitcher. He'd have to flop at catcher before he was moved, though.

 

Also, while those are great numbers on the surface, what do they look like in the context of his competition?

 

Not really sure how to answer this. Obviously college numbers are better than pro numbers, but he's had the best OPS every year on what is normally a very good Ga Tech team. The ACC is one of the top baseball conferences in the country. He was first-team ACC and ACC rookie of the year his frosh year, and first/second-team All-American his soph year (depending on which publication you read - though inexplicably he was second-team ACC to a Miami catcher with an OPS that was 200 points lower) and this year he's likely to be first-team All American. Last year he was 2nd in OBP and 7th in SLG in the ACC. This year he's 5th in OBP and 4th in SLG. For conference games, he has the best OBP and second best SLG. That's about the best I can do in terms of putting his numbers in the context of his competition.

 

I know I certainly wouldn't be upset if they take him.

 

I go back and forth on draft philosophy. I think it's a huge mistake to always go for the high risk high reward pick early. I think you have to strongly consider both options. If a college hitter truly is a great hitter with a very good shot of being a very good major league hitter, that's hardly a cop-out type of pick. Even if he fails to turn into a hall of fame super star, a perennial all star caliber player still has tremendous value and is more than worthy of an early pick and big financial commitment.

[The Q]

The reason Wieters might fall out of the top 10 is if the Cubs pass, it looks like those teams after them really dont' wanna deal with Boras again. And with the August 15th deadline now approaching, no one wants to deal with his crap anymore.

[Guest]

The reason Wieters might fall out of the top 10 is if the Cubs pass, it looks like those teams after them really dont' wanna deal with Boras again. And with the August 15th deadline now approaching, no one wants to deal with his crap anymore.

 

On the bad side, I've heard a comp between Eric Munson and Wieters - I sure as hell don't want Wieters in that case. You still think he'll stick at catcher?

[Mephistopheles]

The reason Wieters might fall out of the top 10 is if the Cubs pass, it looks like those teams after them really dont' wanna deal with Boras again. And with the August 15th deadline now approaching, no one wants to deal with his crap anymore.

 

 

its worth noting that in the mayo draft despite wieters not going in the top ten, there are two boras guys in it.

[illiniguy]

This is great. We are going to pick Earl Cunningham again when Frank Thomas is sitting there.

[UK1679666180]

Josh Vitters 3B Sr. R-R 6-3 190 Cypress HS Anaheim (Arizona State ) 8-27-89

 

SCOUTING REPORT: Over the last year and a half, Vitters has been steadily gaining steam toward his current status as the top draft-eligible player in California . His raw ability with the bat alone makes him a first-round pick. His bat speed and strength combine to give him prodigious power that clearly profiles at the hot corner. However, Vitters has evolved from a raw talent into a very polished, young “professional hitter” that now is projected to be a top five pick overall in the first round—possibly even the first position player selected. His pitch recognition is very good; he knows what he wants to hit, and what he can and cannot hit. When Vitters’ brain says swing, his hands do it and it is a very impressive thing to see. He does need to improve on defense like most young players, but has the tools to be at least an average defensive third baseman, and may even be better than that.

[The Q]

The reason Wieters might fall out of the top 10 is if the Cubs pass, it looks like those teams after them really dont' wanna deal with Boras again. And with the August 15th deadline now approaching, no one wants to deal with his crap anymore.

 

On the bad side, I've heard a comp between Eric Munson and Wieters - I sure as hell don't want Wieters in that case. You still think he'll stick at catcher?

 

Nothing about him makes me thing that he won't be a catcher.

 

Munson's problem was that he had that loooooooooooong aluminum bat swing. And with a -5 (at the time) he really could get away with it. Wieters doesn't appear to have that problem.

[The Q]

The reason Wieters might fall out of the top 10 is if the Cubs pass, it looks like those teams after them really dont' wanna deal with Boras again. And with the August 15th deadline now approaching, no one wants to deal with his crap anymore.

 

 

its worth noting that in the mayo draft despite wieters not going in the top ten, there are two boras guys in it.

 

Oh I dont' doubt it. I just remember reading somethin about Boras expectign Texiera money for Wieters.

[Guest]

Jim Callis | BA First Round Projection (May 18):

 

3. CUBS. Chicago seems like a natural fit for one of Boras’ higher-priced guys, such as Wieters or North Carolina State righthander Andrew Brackman. But the Cubs have been on Vitters since April and their ardor isn’t cooling. They’re also the first team that would consider taking Clemson lefthander Daniel Moskos or Indiana high school righthander Jarrod Parker.

 

• Projected Pick: Josh Vitters.

 

Top 10:

 

1. Tampa Bay: David Price

2. Kansas City: Rick Porcello

3. Chicago Cubs: Josh Vitters

4. Pittsburgh: Beau Mills

5. Baltimore: Ross Detwiler

6. Washington: Max Scherzer

7. Milwaukee: Mike Moustakas

8. Colorado: Daniel Moskos

9. Arizona: Phillippe Aumont

10. San Francisco: Madison Bumgarner

 

Brackman goes 11 to the Mariners, Wieters goes 18 to the Cardinals.

[RichHillIsABeast]

Wow. There's got to be something other than money/signability that's making Wieters fall that far.

[Tedward]

Jim Callis | BA First Round Projection (May 18):

 

3. CUBS. Chicago seems like a natural fit for one of Boras’ higher-priced guys, such as Wieters or North Carolina State righthander Andrew Brackman. But the Cubs have been on Vitters since April and their ardor isn’t cooling. They’re also the first team that would consider taking Clemson lefthander Daniel Moskos or Indiana high school righthander Jarrod Parker.

 

• Projected Pick: Josh Vitters.

 

Top 10:

 

1. Tampa Bay: David Price

2. Kansas City: Rick Porcello

3. Chicago Cubs: Josh Vitters

4. Pittsburgh: Beau Mills

5. Baltimore: Ross Detwiler

6. Washington: Max Scherzer

7. Milwaukee: Mike Moustakas

8. Colorado: Daniel Moskos

9. Arizona: Phillippe Aumont

10. San Francisco: Madison Bumgarner

 

Brackman goes 11 to the Mariners, Wieters goes 18 to the Cardinals.

 

Thanks for sharing Raisin. Did he happen to say if PIT was still hot on Vitters at #4 if the Cubs were to pass on him?

[Guest]

Wow. There's got to be something other than money/signability that's making Wieters fall that far.

 

The Boras factor (as Q noted, the whole Aug 15 signing deadline makes thing complicated with the hard signees):

 

18. CARDINALS. Though Wieters is regarded by many as the best position player in the draft, his ties to Boras and the belief that he’ll want a hefty major league contract could cause him to plummet in the first round. St. Louis has drafted several Boras clients in recent years and loves college players with a track record of success at major programs, so the slide could stop here. Scherzer and Florida senior first baseman Matt LaPorta are two more Boras guys who would fit the Cardinals profile. If St. Louis wants a guy who will sign for slot, Arkansas lefthander Nick Schmidt (like Scherzer, a St. Louis area product) is a possibility.

 

• Projected Pick: Matt Wieters.

 

It's not like the Cubs would struggle to sign him, though.

[The Q]

Yes, it did say that Pitt would like Vitters.

 

I still can't believe Arencibia is out of round 1.

 

I didn't think his back problems were that big of a deal. Especially when he was the best hitter on TEAM USA last year.

[Guest]

Woa...a Mark Peel sighting in a draft chat at BA:

 

Q: Mark L. Peel from Arlington Heights, IL asks:

I certainly won't complain if your current draft projection is on the money: I would love to see the Cubs get Josh Vitters. But do you have any suspicion who the Cubs might take if Vitters is off the board?

 

A: Jim Callis: Sorry I was so late (12-year-old birthday party, with restaurantparkingtraffic issues in Chicago), but I'll get to your questions. Thanks to John Manuel for pinch-hitting for a while . . . I keep hearing the Cubs on Vitters. If it's not Vitters, the Cubs had a bunch of people at one of Jarrod Parker's starts, but that might have been a coincidence of proximity to Chicago, too. I also wouldn't rule out Scott Boras clients like Matt Wieters or Andrew Brackman (if healthy).

 

Also:

 

Q: Mike from Hillsborough, NJ asks:

Who do you think has a higher ceiling Moustakas or Vitters?

 

A: Moderator: Glad you asked . . . I haven't seen these guys in person to evaluate them, but the broad consensus is Vitters is 1, and Moustakas is 1A. Moustakas has the power arm that's exciting, but the hit tool is a slight edge for Vitters, and the power tool is either a push or a slight edge Moustakas. For me, I'd take the LH bat (Moustakas) and the Greek (Moustakas), but the scouting consensus is pretty strongly pro-Vitters, even for guys who like Moustakas a lot.

 

Bunch of other draft questions answered, nothing else really specific to the Cubs:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/chat/chat.php?id=2007051801

[TruffleShuffle]

Top 10:

 

1. Tampa Bay: David Price

2. Kansas City: Rick Porcello

3. Chicago Cubs: Josh Vitters

4. Pittsburgh: Beau Mills

5. Baltimore: Ross Detwiler

6. Washington: Max Scherzer

7. Milwaukee: Mike Moustakas

8. Colorado: Daniel Moskos

9. Arizona: Phillippe Aumont

10. San Francisco: Madison Bumgarner

 

Brackman goes 11 to the Mariners, Wieters goes 18 to the Cardinals.

 

This would literally be my worst nightmare... I can't wait.

[Mephistopheles]

21. BLUE JAYS. Toronto will be looking for more infielders and catchers. Backstops such as Tennessee’s J.P. Arencibia and Oregon State’s Mitch Canham should be available in the supplemental round, but the middle-infield talent pool is a lot shallower. The Jays could take Oklahoma high schooler Pete Kozma if they wanted someone who can stay at shortstop, or California prepster Nick Noonan if they wanted more bat and were willing to take a second baseman.

 

• Projected Pick: Pete Kozma.

 

 

for the interested