2012 Draft Discussion

[iowahawkeyes89]

Joeby? Who knows? Personally I'm skeptical. 4th on the big board came from Abty. Definitely talks to scouts, but who knows if what he's hearing is correct info? If I'm not mistaken, his best sources are Royals guys. Marlin though, the real deal, just brought up Almora and he was right on Baez and Simpson, among many others. So, we better all be readying ourselves for Almora. I'm kind of excited personally.

 

I would be fine with Almora. The only thing I question is his power, outside of that I really like his game.

[RammyFanny]

Garrioch actually did another mock yesterday:

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/5/22/3035675/2012-mlb-mock-draft-40-rounds

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Well the first two picks might make Winston possible.

[davell]

According to bbprospectreport, Giolito's flat ground session went well. Showed nice zip and mechanics and was pain free. Some scouts were there, but he didn't name what teams.

[Guest]

Garrioch actually did another mock yesterday:

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/5/22/3035675/2012-mlb-mock-draft-40-rounds

 

Thanks. I saw on Twitter he did a full 40 round mock draft but couldn't find the link. That takes all kinds of patience.

[davell]

It's awesome just to see all the prospects names, but they're just to show a general vicinity of where guys should be picked. He hasn't done one yet. That is based on what he's hearing from scouts yet.

[iowahawkeyes89]

Mayo's second mock draft is out and has us taking Almora

 

He also notes that the word is Cubs will go with a hs bat which will obviously be Correa or Almora

[Guest]

Mayo's second mock draft is out and has us taking Almora

 

He also notes that the word is Cubs will go with a hs bat which will obviously be Correa or Almora

Buxton's going to fall. Don't bust my bubble!

[davell]

Mayo's second mock draft is out and has us taking Almora

 

He also notes that the word is Cubs will go with a hs bat which will obviously be Correa or Almora

Buxton's going to fall. Don't bust my bubble!

 

I've seen a few people say Buxton has the least amount of projectable power out of those 3. It's why at this point, I don't really care which of the 3 we take, if we go that route.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Speaking of Buxton here's fluff piece from SI's Albert Chen:

 

There's a story about Byron Buxton --- you can call him Buck --- that has nothing to do with baseball. It has nothing to do with how fast he runs (he might be the fastest prospect since Bo Jackson). It has nothing to do with how hard he can throw a baseball (his fastball has been clocked at 99 miles per hour). It has nothing to do with how far he hits a baseball (he once hit a ball, in an exhibition, that landed on the top row of the leftfield bleachers at Wrigley Field).

 

The 6-3, 180-pound baby-faced man-child who's being compared to Eric Davis and Justin Upton, will be drafted as an outfielder, and most mock drafts have him going first or second. But as a raw high school talent that plays in rural Georgia, he remains unproven. Buxton is The Risk.

 

But he's also the most intriguing talent in the draft -- perhaps the most intriguing high school athlete in the country. He's hitting .545/.649/.852 and has stolen 35 bases in 36 attempts. He's a big-time hitter that also happens to be a dazzling pitcher ("He's the best pitcher ever at this school, but he's got no real interest in it -- he just does it for us," said Appling County High baseball coach Jeremy Smith), as well as a preposterously talented football player. "We feel that he would have been a big-time Division-I prospect in football at any school he'd want to go to," said Pollack. "His junior year he made all-region as a quarterback, his senior year he made all-state in the writers' poll as a defensive back, in the coaches' poll he made all-state as a receiver.

 

The other day a scout timed Buck's speed going from home to first base. The scout later told the Appling coaches that the time (3.89 seconds) matched Bo Jackson's mark for the fastest out of the batter's box for a right-handed hitter.

 

There's a story about how he scored from second on a sac fly. Psh i did that once and I was like the 10 fastest runner for my HS baseball team.

 

So far this baseball season, Buck has hit only two home runs. This is surprising to some, perhaps even a red flag for teams that question his ceiling and also wonder about the level of competition in rural Georgia. But all you have to do is spend one day in Baxley and you'll see Buck's ridiculous power during BP. Stick around for a game and you'll see that Buck, who hit 14 home runs as a sophomore, doesn't get many pitches to hit. "And he's not going up there, trying to hit home runs," said Smith. "There's no doubt there's power there."

 

I buy that there's power there. I just think they're comparing him to the wrong Upton. He sounds like BJ pre-shoulder injury. Another guy who sounds like my kind of CF prospect...I think I'm joining Tim on the "[expletive] bitches, pick Buxton" wagon or whatever he calls it.

 

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/albert_chen/05/22/byron.buxton/index.html#ixzz1voXTgFWM

[Cubswin11]

From ESPN chat with KLaw today, fwiw

 

Jonesy (San Jose, CA)

 

Corea > Javier Baez?

 

Klaw (1:12 PM)

 

 

Yes.

[StarlinOnYou]

I am a bit surprised Correa is more highly thought of than Baez. If so, I would love that pick.

[Guest]

I am a bit surprised Correa is more highly thought of than Baez. If so, I would love that pick.

 

I'm not surprised given the scouting reports we've read of Correa compared to Baez last year.

 

Video of Carlos Correa:

 

Video of Albert Almora:

[StarlinOnYou]

Thanks for the vids.

 

Almora has a very pretty looking swing.. I don't know who I want now.

 

Adding Soler + one of Almora or Correa would be a very nice haul for the minors.

[javy knows my name]

I'd like to think they're more interested in Correa bc Soler is a foregone conclusion. Because I like Almora a bit better so far.

[El Duderino]

That video of Almora reminds me of B.J. Upton.

[Guest]

The pigeon-toed stance reminds me a lot of Alou, though Moises wasn't so open initially and had a much different finish. Almora also has quite a high leg lift on some of those pitches and makes me wonder if he'll handle advanced pitching unless he calms that a bit.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

The pigeon-toed stance reminds me a lot of Alou, though Moises wasn't so open initially and had a much different finish. Almora also has quite a high leg lift on some of those pitches and makes me wonder if he'll handle advanced pitching unless he calms that a bit.

 

Yes. When Garrioch made the comp I was all "wtf man" and then I watched some of the Youtube stuff with that in mind and boom it's right there. The guy is like some kind of composite OF, thankfully constructed mostly of CFs past and present.

 

Not worried about the leg kick...He strikes me as the kind of player who will make adjustments.

 

Albert Almora - Smokescreen?

[CyHawk_Cub]

The pigeon-toed stance reminds me a lot of Alou, though Moises wasn't so open initially and had a much different finish. Almora also has quite a high leg lift on some of those pitches and makes me wonder if he'll handle advanced pitching unless he calms that a bit.

 

Yes. When Garrioch made the comp I was all "wtf man" and then I watched some of the Youtube stuff with that in mind and boom it's right there. The guy is like some kind of composite OF, thankfully constructed mostly of CFs past and present.

 

Not worried about the leg kick...He strikes me as the kind of player who will make adjustments.

 

Albert Almora - Smokescreen?

 

I'm wondering if Giolito is in fact the actual target....

[Guest]

It's amusing how different Callis and Law's thought process and info is on Giolito. Callis doesn't believe at this time he will be drafted given the injury questions and perceived bonus demands. Law believes he wants to play pro ball too badly and his bonus demands won't be as high.

[iowahawkeyes89]

MLB.com article on Almora

 

http://mlb.mlb.com//news/article.jsp?ymd=20120524&content_id=32161804&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

 

I'm starting to wonder if he even makes it to us at 6, sounds like someone who will work his a$$ off to be great.

[El Duderino]

dear god, I went to watch the almora video and was ambushed by the Fray. Heads up.

[Guest]

BA's 2nd mock draft: http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/draft/mock-draft/2012/2613463.html

 

Righthander Lucas Giolito, Fried's teammate at Harvard-Westlake HS in Studio City, Calif., remains the draft's biggest wild card after spraining an elbow ligament in March. He hasn't taken the mound since, though he threw on flat ground this week. Teams still don't feel like they have a great read on the health or signability of a player who once figured to be a lock to go in the first three picks. As we did in our initial first-round projection two weeks ago, we're not including Giolito because of the uncertainty surrounding him.

 

1. ASTROS: MARK APPEL

2. TWINS: BYRON BUXTON

3. MARINERS: MIKE ZUNINO

4. ORIOLES: KEVIN GAUSMAN.

5. ROYALS: KYLE ZIMMER

6. CUBS. Chicago is in play on all six names in the top tier. The most likely best-case scenarios for the Cubs are Gausman and Zimmer, and they like Almora and Fried as well.

Projected Pick: CARLOS CORREA

7. PADRES: MAX FRIED

8. PIRATES: DEVEN MARRERO

9. MARLINS: ALBERT ALMORA

10. ROCKIES: COURTNEY HAWKINS

 

I'd love Correa in that situation, he's probably one of my 3 favorite choices overall, along with Appel and Buxton (if you ignore Giolito).

[Guest]

Callis on how teams should draft in the top 10: Our Forecast Of How The Top 10 Should Shake Out

[iowahawkeyes89]

I wont be pissed like Hayden Simpson pissed, but I'll be a little underwhelmed if we go with Zunino. I'll be somewhat relieved if hes off the board by 6.