2008 Cubs Picks Thread

[TruffleShuffle]

is that really true? we drafted a guy in the 22nd round who can throw 96 mph? pretty much anyone who is a prep and can throw a ball 95 or higher goes in the first round or two - see colt griffin.

[Guest]

I'm sure it's true but I'm sure he's only been clocked once or twice at 96 and is probably more often in the low 90s. Also, it doesn't help that he's listed at 5'8".

[Hosak8]

22nd rounder Tarlandus Mitchell is only 5'8, 190 lbs but apparently he tops out at 96 mph:

 

Corsicana Daily Sun[/url]"]Mitchell to pass on Navarro, drafted by Chicago Cubs

This year, Mitchell led Alto to the quarterfinals in baseball with a perfect 8-0 record. He had 115 strikeouts in 42 innings posting a 1.35 earned run average. Mitchell pitched a no-hitter in the playoffs as Alto finished the year with a 21-5 record.

 

Wait a second. In FORTY-TWO innings, he only had 11 outs happen as something other than a strikeout? Seriously? 115 K's, and 11 "other" outs? (42 innings=126 outs. 126-115=11.)

 

I'm calling BS on this one. Either that, or he's playing against total crap.

[badnews]

22nd rounder Tarlandus Mitchell is only 5'8, 190 lbs but apparently he tops out at 96 mph:

 

Corsicana Daily Sun[/url]"]Mitchell to pass on Navarro, drafted by Chicago Cubs

 

ALTO — A 96-mph fastball is hard to ignore.

 

Football might have to take a back seat for a while.

 

While the Alto Yellowjackets have won two state grid titles, the big news now is baseball.

 

Alto’s starting quarterback in football, Tarlandus Mitchell, is also a standout baseball player.

 

Mitchell was drafted in the 22nd round (the 671st player) by the Chicago Cubs in the recent amateur baseball draft.

 

Mitchell, a 5-8, 190-pound right-handed pitcher, impressed scouts with his 96-mph heater from the mound.

 

“I am tickled to death for him,” said veteran Alto baseball coach John Paul Dixon. Dixon said he thinks Mitchell will sign with the Cubs and forego his pending football scholarship at Navarro College.

 

Mitchell was playing in a select baseball league tournament in Monroe, La. and could not be reached for comment.

 

This year, Mitchell led Alto to the quarterfinals in baseball with a perfect 8-0 record. He had 115 strikeouts in 42 innings posting a 1.35 earned run average. Mitchell pitched a no-hitter in the playoffs as Alto finished the year with a 21-5 record.

 

Dixon, the Alto head baseball coach for the last 19 years, said Mitchell was the first Yellowjacket to be drafted in baseball.

 

“We knew he was doing well and the scouts were interested. We thought if he got drafted, it would be by the Astros. He went to a try out camp for them and threw 96 mph,” Dixon said. “We did not realize he was throwing that hard.”

 

Dixon added, “They’re interested in him as a pitcher. But he’s a good hitter and he has good speed. He could turn out to be an outfielder or something. They have people who are experts and they will determine all that.”

 

He's only the 25th best prospect from Kansas? What kind of numbers did the other 24 put up? I agree with the other two posters, that's pretty suspicious that a high school pitcher who can throw 96 and no one can even put the ball in play against him is the 25th best prospect out of a "hotbed" like Kansas.

 

If you can pitch it doesn't matter if you're that short, you'll be drafted high enough. Shane Nance went in the 10th or 11th round and he was like 5'6.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Mitchell is from Texas.

 

In the scouting video MLB.com had, he wasn't consistently hitting 90.

[CuseCubFan69]

22nd rounder Tarlandus Mitchell is only 5'8, 190 lbs but apparently he tops out at 96 mph:

 

Corsicana Daily Sun[/url]"]Mitchell to pass on Navarro, drafted by Chicago Cubs

 

ALTO — A 96-mph fastball is hard to ignore.

 

Football might have to take a back seat for a while.

 

While the Alto Yellowjackets have won two state grid titles, the big news now is baseball.

 

Alto’s starting quarterback in football, Tarlandus Mitchell, is also a standout baseball player.

 

Mitchell was drafted in the 22nd round (the 671st player) by the Chicago Cubs in the recent amateur baseball draft.

 

Mitchell, a 5-8, 190-pound right-handed pitcher, impressed scouts with his 96-mph heater from the mound.

 

“I am tickled to death for him,” said veteran Alto baseball coach John Paul Dixon. Dixon said he thinks Mitchell will sign with the Cubs and forego his pending football scholarship at Navarro College.

 

Mitchell was playing in a select baseball league tournament in Monroe, La. and could not be reached for comment.

 

This year, Mitchell led Alto to the quarterfinals in baseball with a perfect 8-0 record. He had 115 strikeouts in 42 innings posting a 1.35 earned run average. Mitchell pitched a no-hitter in the playoffs as Alto finished the year with a 21-5 record.

 

Dixon, the Alto head baseball coach for the last 19 years, said Mitchell was the first Yellowjacket to be drafted in baseball.

 

“We knew he was doing well and the scouts were interested. We thought if he got drafted, it would be by the Astros. He went to a try out camp for them and threw 96 mph,” Dixon said. “We did not realize he was throwing that hard.”

 

Dixon added, “They’re interested in him as a pitcher. But he’s a good hitter and he has good speed. He could turn out to be an outfielder or something. They have people who are experts and they will determine all that.”

 

He's only the 25th best prospect from Kansas? What kind of numbers did the other 24 put up? I agree with the other two posters, that's pretty suspicious that a high school pitcher who can throw 96 and no one can even put the ball in play against him is the 25th best prospect out of a "hotbed" like Kansas.

 

If you can pitch it doesn't matter if you're that short, you'll be drafted high enough. Shane Nance went in the 10th or 11th round and he was like 5'6.

 

I know a guy when I was 20 or so I met at a Community College that was 5'7" and he could hit 92. I was young and foolish and caught him without a mask and the ball went right through the webbing of the catchers mitt I borrowed, just missed my face by inches.

[Jehrico]

22nd rounder Tarlandus Mitchell is only 5'8, 190 lbs but apparently he tops out at 96 mph:

 

Corsicana Daily Sun[/url]"]Mitchell to pass on Navarro, drafted by Chicago Cubs

This year, Mitchell led Alto to the quarterfinals in baseball with a perfect 8-0 record. He had 115 strikeouts in 42 innings posting a 1.35 earned run average. Mitchell pitched a no-hitter in the playoffs as Alto finished the year with a 21-5 record.

 

Wait a second. In FORTY-TWO innings, he only had 11 outs happen as something other than a strikeout? Seriously? 115 K's, and 11 "other" outs? (42 innings=126 outs. 126-115=11.)

 

I'm calling BS on this one. Either that, or he's playing against total crap.

Maybe their catcher sucked...

[Guest]

Mitchell is from Texas.

 

In the scouting video MLB.com had, he wasn't consistently hitting 90.

 

That's what I suspected.

[Guest]

Scout.com[/url]"]Chicago Cubs

 

Overall Talent Grade - A-

 

Top Selections - Andrew Cashner, Ryan Flaherty, Aaron Shafer, Chris Carpenter, Matthew Cerda, Justin Bristow

 

Early Selections Overview - One would have to think the Cubs are thrilled with the early haul they got. They landed two of the best pure arms in the draft in Cashner and Carpenter, as well a polished collegiate arm in Shafer. Along with that, they grabbed a very underrated Ryan Flaherty, someone who can move quickly as a shortstop in their organization. Chicago was wise in realizing that the strength of this class was in the college ranks and they exploited that as well as they could.

 

Sleepers/Tough Signings - Josh Harrison is not necessarily a late round pick or a tough signing in all likelihood, but undoubtedly a smart pick. The college second baseman was impressive in the Cape Cod League, showing the ability to hit with the wood bat and play stellar defense, drawing comparisons to Eric Young along the way. In the 27th round the Cubs tabbed possibly the toughest sign in the class. Sonny Gray, a highly regard prep righty, sent a letter to teams prior to the draft that he was headed to Vanderbilt and would not sign. With that in mind, the Cubs have a challenge ahead if they want to land him.

 

Heh, grading a baseball draft class a day after.

[Outshined_One]

Puff Piece on Cerda. Some notables...

 

“At a pre-draft workout, they had me catch a little bit,” said Cerda. “The last time I caught was actually when I was 11 years old, but I think I can make it work.”

 

Cubs Scouting Director Tim Wilken said Cerda has the right ingredients.

 

“He’s got a plus arm. He’s got good feet and we got him behind the plate in a workout just a little while ago,” Wilken said. “We love his athleticism and his agility.”

 

With the bat, the left-handed hitting Cerda (listed as 5-foot-10, 170 pounds) batted .542 in 33 games this season. He hit safely in all but one game, ending the year with a 26-game hitting streak. Wilken described Cerda as a patient hitter.

 

“He lets the ball travel well, and in some of those showcase games like the one in Compton, he hit a lot of the better pitchers well and he hit velocity pretty good,” Wilken said of Cerda, who drew 29 walks this season to six strikeouts.

 

“This guy is not a singles hitter. He’s more of a gap hitter,” Wilken added.

 

Since then, he has worked out with former major league outfielder David Justice in Poway, Calif., signed a letter of intent to play college baseball for the University of San Diego, and most recently became the first high school player drafted by the Chicago Cubs, who Cerda says was after him from the moment they first saw him.

 

“They were one of the first teams that were after me,” said Cerda. “I played in the North/South All-Star Game last June and that’s when they first saw me.”

 

Barrett called Cerda “the best player I’ve ever been around.”

 

“If he were 6-foot-2, he’d probably have been a first-round pick,” said Barrett. “He’s got like eight percent body fat. He’s a very compact, athletic kid with great baseball instincts, a great swing, and he is a great offensive player.”

[Guest]

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080610/SPORTS03/806100371

 

"We've been on him for a while. I think some others backed off because of the surgery, but we knew we wanted him," said Brandon Mosley, the Midwest-area supervisor for the Cubs. "Tommy John (surgery) is now to a point where our doctors said they feel comfortable with drafting him and getting him back to where he was."

 

Nagel, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound redshirt sophomore, was the 521st selection of the MLB draft, mostly on the strength of the last two years.

 

After high school, Nagel redshirted at the University of Central Missouri, then transferred to Independence.

 

He was on his way to back-to-back brilliant seasons in the Jayhawk League, going 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 22 innings and six starts.

 

Then his arm popped.

 

"I thought I was done. I was supposed to go really high. I had a chance to make a lot of money. I thought that was all over," Nagel said. "I was in a cast and for (Mosley) to stick his neck out like that means a lot."

 

Instead, the scouts were in love with both of his fastballs, with the four-seamer topping out at 96 miles per hour and the two-seamer with lots of "late movement." They also graded his slider and curveball as good, but his changeup drew raves, one Nagel said was told is close to being a major league pitch.

 

Nagel will rehab with the Cubs in Mesa, he just signed.

[YearofDaCubs]

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080610/SPORTS03/806100371

 

"We've been on him for a while. I think some others backed off because of the surgery, but we knew we wanted him," said Brandon Mosley, the Midwest-area supervisor for the Cubs. "Tommy John (surgery) is now to a point where our doctors said they feel comfortable with drafting him and getting him back to where he was."

 

Nagel, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound redshirt sophomore, was the 521st selection of the MLB draft, mostly on the strength of the last two years.

 

After high school, Nagel redshirted at the University of Central Missouri, then transferred to Independence.

 

He was on his way to back-to-back brilliant seasons in the Jayhawk League, going 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 22 innings and six starts.

 

Then his arm popped.

 

"I thought I was done. I was supposed to go really high. I had a chance to make a lot of money. I thought that was all over," Nagel said. "I was in a cast and for (Mosley) to stick his neck out like that means a lot."

 

Instead, the scouts were in love with both of his fastballs, with the four-seamer topping out at 96 miles per hour and the two-seamer with lots of "late movement." They also graded his slider and curveball as good, but his changeup drew raves, one Nagel said was told is close to being a major league pitch.

 

Nagel will rehab with the Cubs in Mesa, he just signed.

I really like what the Cubs did taking risks on injured pitcher with high upside. Let's hope it works out.

[Andrew Cashner]

Andrew Cashner was named 2nd team all-american by baseball america

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I wish we had a chance to read something like this about our draft.

[RammyFanny]

Just thought i'd throw this out there. I asked a buddy of mine who sees alot more Vandy games than any of us who Flaherty reminded him of, and he said he thinks he will be alot like Carlos Guillen. He said concerns of him having to move off of SS are overblown, and that while he may not have amazing range or anything it's more than acceptable. He said he'll have no problem making the routine plays.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Anyone with a BP Subscription want to help us poor people out with what Goldstein had to say about the Cubs draft?

[TruffleShuffle]

Draft Philosophy: A surprisingly college-centric approach for Tim Wilken, who in past years has focused more on upside and ceiling.

 

First Pick: Andrew Cashner, RHP, Texas Christian (19th overall)

How High He Could Have Gone: As expected, Cashner was the first college closer selected; one rumor had him going as high as No. 15 to the Dodgers.

Path To The Big Leagues: Early indications have the Cubs moving Cashner back to starter, which could be a risky proposition. If he can bring his stuff to the rotation, he’s a monster, but at the same time he was a starter throughout his career before moving to closer this season, and before that move he was no more than a marginal prospect.

 

Rest of the First Day:

1. Ryan Flaherty, SS, Vanderbilt: Has great fundamentals and decent tools; maybe a bigger version of Ryan Theriot?

2. Aaron Shafer, RHP, Wichita State: Big-bodied righty who excels at throwing strikes and getting groundballs.

3. Chris Carpenter, RHP, Kent State: First-round arm strength, but he already has two elbow operations in his past.

4. Matt Cerda, SS, Oceanside HS (CA): A monster makeup kid who draws David Eckstein comps.

5. Justin Bristow, RHP, East Carolina: Average stuff, but excellent athlete with some projection.

6. Josh Harrison, 2B, Cincinnati: Monster numbers this year, but nobody likes the tools much.

 

Best Second-Day Selections:

7. Luis Flores, C, Oklahoma State: Great defender, can’t hit, but draws a lot of walks–-similar to the Jays' Brian Jeroloman.

9. Jay Jackson, RHP, Furman: Athletic and smooth with good sinker.

11. Toby Matchulat, RHP, Wabash Valley JC (IL): Tall and skinny with a lot of projection, and can already spin a good breaking ball.

[badnews]

2. Aaron Shafer, RHP, Wichita State: Big-bodied righty who excels at throwing strikes and getting groundballs.

 

Translation, Grant Johnson Part 2? Both guys were "risk" picks who formerly had better stuff. The problem is both of these picks were made with, at least I felt, guys with better stuff on the board. Why do you take such a risk so high? Even the "upside" doesn't sound so awesome.

 

4. Matt Cerda, SS, Oceanside HS (CA): A monster makeup kid who draws David Eckstein comps.

Sounds like an Oakland A's draft guy a few years ago named Matt Sulentic. His career was down but is now up in the California League.

 

As for Carlos Guillen, I hope that guy meant Carlos Guillen in the field, because a Carlos Guillen comparison with the bat seems like a joke.

[Jon]

I'm not so sure how accurate those comparisons are, but there's nothing like having your two top picks at short compared to Ryan Theriot and David Eckstein.

 

And what exactly does "monster makeup kid" even mean? It seems like such an odd term.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Yeah, the Theriot comparison especially is an awful one. He's like Ryan Theriot, except he's bigger, left handed, and can hit doubles and home runs more than once per month.

[badnews]

Yeah, the Theriot comparison especially is an awful one. He's like Ryan Theriot, except he's bigger, left handed, and can hit doubles and home runs more than once per month.

 

I don't understand why people keep trying to make that comparison stick. Ryan Theriot was a smallish guy with no power, an even K/BB ratio, and basestealing prowess who significantly could not hit righthanded pitching but mashed on lefties. How many lefty hitters can't hit righties but mash lefties? It just seems dumb. Like let's call Jemile Weeks Mark Ellis, or let's call Casey Kelly Jed Lowrie, or Jake Odorizzi Ben Sheets, because they're all on the same team/same position or whatever.

[Guest]

Cape Cod League:

 

RHP Alex Wilson (Falmouth) on Wed: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 6 K/0 BB

 

Overall: 10.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 17 K/4 BB, 4.22 ERA

 

---------

 

Coastal Plain League:

 

SS Jordan Petratis (Forest City Owls): 30/103, .291/.408/.505, 16 BB, 19 K, 25 E

 

---------

 

New England Collegiate Baseball League:

 

OF Sean McNaughton (North Shore Navigators ): 25/73, .342/.432/.562, 13 BB, 15 K

 

---------

 

Northwoods League

 

RHP Erik Hamren (Mankato Moon Dogs): 15 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 14 K/12 BB, 1.20 ERA

3B Kyle Wilson (Wisconsin Woodchucks): 19/97, .196/.322/.320, 12 BB, 31 K, 6 E

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Wilson looks healthy to me. Sign him please.

[CuseCubFan69]

Yeah, the Theriot comparison especially is an awful one. He's like Ryan Theriot, except he's bigger, left handed, and can hit doubles and home runs more than once per month.

 

Well...other than that they were spot on.

 

This looks like an interesting draft. Were there any late picks that look like the kids are going to college instead?

[Guest]

Yeah, the Theriot comparison especially is an awful one. He's like Ryan Theriot, except he's bigger, left handed, and can hit doubles and home runs more than once per month.

 

Well...other than that they were spot on.

 

This looks like an interesting draft. Were there any late picks that look like the kids are going to college instead?

 

The big one is RHP Sonny Gray (26th rounder) who was a first or second round talent but actually wrote a letter to MLB saying he was going to Vanderbilt and asking teams not to draft him. RHP Anthony Zych (46th rounder) has a solid commitment to Louisville unless he gets top 5 round money. RHP Hunter Scantling (49th rounder) had said he would go to FSU unless he gets first round money.

 

On the flip side, SS Logan Watkins (21st rounder) was very likely to go to Wichita State but $600,000 convinced him to become a Cub.