2008 Cubs Picks Thread

[Guest]

badnews - you have some interesting points and arguments, but it is sometimes difficult to see them in the over-the-top sarcasm and hyperbole.

 

that goes for everyone.

[wvcbxl]

Agreed, this draft has the potential to be a very good draft. Wilken has drafted some very intriguing prospects.

 

Intriguing is probably the correct word for the Cubs' draft so far.

[Guest]

No, it was assumed that they had Vitters as the BPA.

Well then that was a terrible chart they were using.

 

Really? I'm sure you extensively scouted both of them.

Yeah you are right, it is obvious that he is a much better prospect than Matt Wieters. Thank you so much for setting me clear on that one. I can't wait until he hits his first professional homer or collects his tenth hit.

Furthermore you express your opinion on the draft at all times, do you scout all the players you talk about?

 

Nope, I haven't scouted which is why I'm willing to give teams who've invested the time and assets some benefit and a couple of years before going crazy (especially on players who are consensus top 5 picks). My opinions are clearly based on reading scouting reports and stats and I know enough to know that that isn't enough to get too worked up over guys that don't sound that great (unless it's dude like Darwin Barney in the 4th round...ugh).

[UK1679666180]

The three major college programs in the state, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Oral Roberts, all had high-profile transfer catchers join their programs this spring and Flores was the best of the three. He played at Houston for two seasons, splitting time between the mound (1-1, 6.10) and behind the plate (.263-9-24), with mixed success. Though he was 6-0 at Houston as a freshman with a lively 90-mph fastball, Flores gave up pitching this spring to concentrate on his catching duties, although he did throw a couple of mop-up innings. As a catcher, Flores is an intense competitor with great baseball savvy. His arm strength was among the best in the country, and he is a quick, agile receiver despite his strong, blocky build. Offensively, Flores flashed raw power occasionally, but is best when he’s working counts and using what the pitcher gives him. He hit .299-5-31 with 39 walks this year (entering NCAA regional play), consistent with his previous output. He’ll be drafted because of his defensive and leadership skills.—DAVID RAWNSLEY

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Player                 AVG  GP-GS    AB   R   H  2B  3B  HR RBI   TB  SLG%  BB HBP  SO GDP   OB%  SF  SH  SB-ATT   PO   A   E  FLD%
7 Flores, Luis.....  .298  57-56   188  44  56  11   1   5  31   84  .447  39   4  30   2  .425   2   6   0-0    421  34   3  .993

[UK1679666180]

Leverton entered Texas Tech as a first baseman/outfielder and started as a freshman, hitting .285-5-35. He and his high school teammate, Roger Kieschnick, looked like they would key the Tech lineup for three years. But when Leverton didn’t improve on his offense as a sophomore, especially his power (.290-3-25, only 10 extra-base hits), the decision was made to put his strong left arm on the mound, where he had dabbled a bit out of the bullpen. Leverton was an immediate success this season as a set-up man to teammate Zach Stewart, going 2-3 with a team-leading 3.70 ERA in 31 appearances. Scouts were frustrated following him because Leverton rarely threw more than an inning on a staff that had a 6.34 ERA, and it was difficult getting a good read on him, especially considering his lack of pitching background. What they did see, though, was a loose-armed lefthander who would pitch at 89-91 mph, touching 92, with an upper-70s slurve-type breaking ball. He also had a pretty good idea how to throw strikes and get hitters out, too. Leverton turned 22 in May and scouts feel that he needs to get out this year as a junior and develop his pitching skills as a professional.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Player                 ERA   W-L   APP  GS  CG SHO/CBO SV    IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  2B  3B  HR   AB B/Avg   WP HBP  BK  SFA SHA
Leverton, James.....  3.86   2-3    31   0   0   0/1    1  32.2  27  15  14  12  27   6   2   2  119  .227    1   1   0    1   1

 

Why are we taking middling college relievers in the 8th round? Is he coming off injury? Regardless this looks like a horrible pick.

[RammyFanny]

Don't know much on him, but the tools sound nice. Good arm, should be able to stay behind the plate, good raw power, good eye. Not bad.

[Guest]

Round 7: C Luis Flores, Oklahoma State

 

Luis Flores may not hit enough to be a regular in the major leagues, but his catch-and-throw skills and leadership should allow him to at least carve out a career as a backup. He's a tremendous receiver and teams rarely challenge his arm. Flores, who spent his first two college seasons as a two-way player at Houston, focused on catching after transferring to Oklahoma State. He hit just .302 with five homers in hitter-friendly Stillwater, though scouts like his bat better than that of Jackson Williams, a surprise sandwich-round pick out of Oklahoma by the Giants in 2007.

 

Round 8: LHP James Leverton, Texas Tech

 

James Leverton was more of a first baseman in his first two seasons at Texas Tech, not pitching at all as a freshman and working just three innings as a sophomore. He has focused almost solely on the mound this spring and will get drafted as a lefthanded reliever in the first 10 rounds. He has a strong 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame, and he throws strikes with an 88-91 mph fastball and a slider that ties up lefties.

[RammyFanny]

Did we just draft a loogy? :D

[RammyFanny]

We just got that judge from American Idol...

[justlikethecubs]

Did we just draft a loogy? :D

 

Yes and we just drafted one of the judges from American Idol..

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Player                 ERA   W-L   APP  GS  CG SHO/CBO SV    IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  2B  3B  HR   AB B/Avg   WP HBP  BK  SFA SHA

Jay Jackson.........  3.17   9-2    15  15   0   0/0    0  99.1  77  42  35  40  94  13   3   8  356  .216    7   6   2    2   7

[Guest]

9th Round: RHP Randy Jackson, Furman (now known as Jay Jackson)

 

Righthander Jay Jackson had a great summer in the Great Lakes League in 2007 and carried that success into this season. He finished 9-2, 3.17 for the Paladins, mixing his low-90s fastball with a solid slider and true downer curveball to overmatch hitters. An athlete on the mound, Jackson also played center field for Furman and hit .336 with eight home runs. Jackson has a solid frame with room to grow and could potentially gain even more velocity on his fastball. He is also developing a changeup that could make him into a true four-pitch threat.

 

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/furm/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/1982381.jpeg

[UK1679666180]

Regarded as the best overall athlete in the Great Lakes League last summer, Jackson began the GLL season primarily as a center fielder but soon made more of an impact on the mound. His fastball routinely hit 91-92 mph and showed excellent movement. Jackson also threw a solid slider with bite and a two-plane curveball, and began developing a changeup. In 37 innings in the GLL, he went 5-0, 1.96 with just six walks and 38 strikeouts, earning a place on the league all-star team as a pitcher. Jackson also has intriguing potential as a position player, though he hit just .196-2-15 with 28 strikeouts in 102 at-bats last summer (a falloff from the .289-6-31 numbers he posted at Furman in the spring). At the Great Lakes League all-star game, he ran the 60 in 6.5 seconds—the third fastest time posted. He also showed flashes of above-average power.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Jackson was used both ways again this spring for Furman, but his performance on the mound left little doubt about the role he’ll pursue at the professional level. In 90 regular-season innings, he went 9-2, 2.81 with 35 walks and 87 strikeouts. His stuff was similar to what he showed last summer. His delivery was also free and easy, though he is in needs of developing strength in his lower half. Jackson played center field when he didn’t pitch and hit .325-8-30. His athleticism was apparent on both the mound and in the field, and his velocity could climb down the road, possibly to the mid-90s, as he adds strength and concentrates only on pitching.

[CubColtPacer]

Here's a full report on Randy Jackson from the Furman web site:

 

http://furmanpaladins.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/jackson_jay00.html

 

And a quote from John Manuel:

 

"Jackson has a future on the mound despite being a short (6-foot-1) righty...his loose arm allows for some projection and lends movement to all his stuff, and his athleticism allows him to repeat his delivery well...his fastball regular sat around 90 mph and touched 93, and his solid command allowed him to throw not just strikes, but consistent quality strikes...he showed his athleticism by running a 6.6 60-yard dash on scout day."

[Guest]

Sounds like a good pick in the 9th round.

[CuseCubFan69]

The corners can stay back in bunt coverage with this guy!

[mul21]

Did we just draft a loogy? :D

 

Raisin's post kind of makes it sound that way, but the fact that it also says he should have gone in the 1st ten rounds makes me think somebody sees a little more than loogy potential in him.

[RammyFanny]

Sounds like a very nice pick.

[RammyFanny]

William Wilson, P.

[YearofDaCubs]

So far the pick I think sounds like he has the most upside is Chris Carpenter.

[UK1679666180]

Wilson was primed to become an early-round pick in this year’s draft after going 13-3, 3.78 with 143 strikeouts in 138 innings as a freshman at Winthrop, and following up with a solid 6-4, 2.51 record with 97 strikeouts in 111 innings as a sophomore—accomplished mainly on the strength of a fastball in the 92-95 mph range. But those hopes were pretty much dashed when he felt discomfort in his pitching elbow in two brief appearances last summer in the Cape Cod League and subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery. He would have been lost for the entire 2008 season anyway, but he elected to transfer from Winthrop to Texas A&M. He could still be drafted in a prominent round by a team prepared to monitor his progress during the summer, but his immediate future is uncertain. In all probability, he will pitch for Texas A&M in 2009. His loss was the second critical blow for Winthrop as righthander Jason Franzblau, who went 8-4, 3.13 last year as a co-ace with Wilson, chose to transfer to Arizona State rather than return to Winthrop for his junior year—though Franzblau is nowhere near the prospect Wilson is. Wilson’s secondary stuff, a 70-73 mph curve and 79-81 mph slider, is a marginal complement to his fastball. That pitch and his aggressive approach are his strengths.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Wilson has made a quick and strong comeback from TJ surgery and threw a bullpen for scouts in early May where he touched 94 mph. More such bullpens will certainly be thrown leading up to the draft. Wilson has plans to pitch at Falmouth in the Cape this summer and any team drafting him is sure to follow him there to further gauge his health and progress. But the early velocity that Wilson showed is sure to spike interest among scouts who saw him dominate in 2006 and 2007

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Either I'm crazy, or no one with the last name of Wilson, or the first name William/Bill/Willy, played for aTm this year.

[Guest]

Round 10: RHP Will Wilson, Texas A&M

 

Scouts Scramble To See Wilson

 

The biggest wild card in Texas this year is righthander Alex Wilson, who transferred to Texas A&M after starring at Winthrop for two seasons. Projected as an early pick for this year, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder blew out his elbow last summer in the Cape Cod League and hasn't pitched for the Aggies after having Tommy John surgery. In his first bullpen workout in early May, he showed that he hadn't lost any velocity by throwing 90-94 mph. Wilson, who had a hard but inconsistent slider before the injury, plans on returning to the Cape and will be monitored closely this summer by whoever drafts him.