2013 Draft Discussion

[Guest]

Hunter Renfroe, 2011 Cub 13th rounder Jacob Lindgren and Mississippi State take on Auburn tonight at 6:30 CT on ESPNU.

[RammyFanny]

Law updated his top fifty:

1 Mark Appel POS: RHPHT: 6-5WT: 215School: Stanford

Analysis: Still clearly the best player in this draft, boasting stuff, command, an out-pitch in his slider, a good delivery and athleticism. If I were the Astros (or the Cubs, picking second, which I think is Appel's floor), I'd try to work out a deal less than the recommended bonus number ($7.7 million for Houston) but more than the figure Appel turned down from the Pirates last year ($3.8 million), with the carrot of a big league callup in September if he throws well after signing. He could pitch in a major league rotation in 2014 regardless.

2 Jonathan Gray POS: RHPHT: 6-4WT: 239School: Oklahoma

Analysis: Boasts more power than Appel, hitting 100 miles per hour and sitting at 94-98 with the fastball and possessing a plus-plus slider of his own. Gray doesn't have Appel's command track record but might have just as high of a ceiling. He's clearly the second-best player in the draft, but after these two guys, you could go in a lot of directions. There is no clear No. 3.

3 Austin Meadows POS: OFB/T: L/LHT: 6-3WT: 200School: Grayson (Ga.) HS

Analysis: Meadows has the best combination of tools among prep players in this draft, but he has had only a so-so spring, and scouts have commented on his lack of energy on the field, questioning how badly he wants to play baseball professionally. While that's often a nonsense accusation, I do wish Meadows played with the kind of fire and intensity that Clint Frazier or Nick Ciuffo display on the field. His upside is still enormous, thanks to his size, raw power and ability to run and cover ground in the outfield.

4) Manea

5) Stewart

6) Bryant

7) Shipley

8 Clint Frazier POS: OFB/T: R/RHT: 6-1WT: 190School: Loganville (Ga.) HS

Analysis: He has the best bat speed in the draft, bar none, and is in the middle of a ferocious spring at the plate. I don't care that he's red-headed -- you'd be surprised the extent to which you still hear that trope, as if we were scouting Kid Nichols and King Kelly out there -- but 6-foot-1 right-handed future corner outfielders have a high bar to clear at the plate. I prefer Meadows -- who plays right down the road -- but if you asked me to drop $100 on which one goes earlier in the draft, I'd put it on the Red Devil.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9177224/mark-appel-jonathan-gray-top-prospects-2013-mlb-draft

 

Fluff piece on Gray:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9184897/oklahoma-jonathan-gray-climbed-mlb-draft-boards-spring-college-baseball

[Cubswin11]

What did he say on Bryant?

[RammyFanny]

What did he say on Bryant?

Analysis: This might be a little aggressive for a guy with maybe a 25-30 percent chance of staying at third, but he's one of the top two or three power bats among college guys (with Hunter Renfroe and perhaps Austin Wilson), is a good enough athlete for right field and has a solid track record of performance. He wouldn't fall out of the top five picks today.

[Guest]

Lots of good stuff from Brett

 

http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/04/19/2013-mlb-draft-bits-gray-and-appel-clear-at-the-top-leverage-and-the-cubs-targets/

[RammyFanny]

One the pieces I read said Gray's fastball MPH have gone up every single season he's been pitching, all we need is two more years of development and he'll be sitting at 105 mph late in games.

[craig]

Gray goes 6, coach said something about protecting him or something, pulled him at 82 pitches. 10K/0BB/2 singles. Hit 100 several times, topped at 103.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Gray goes 6, coach said something about protecting him or something, pulled him at 82 pitches. 10K/0BB/2 singles. Hit 100 several times, topped at 103.

 

http://t.qkme.me/3u0516.jpg

[wekim81]

Saw Manaea today in Bloomington-Normal. I was watching some of the scouts guns the first 3 innings, never saw his FB hit higher than 93. Still, thru the first 5 innings, he cruised. His secondary stuff looked good and he was getting a lot of swings and misses. Struck out 9 through the first 5. 6th inning though, it fell apart. Leadoff runner got on via catchers interference, next guy got a bloop single, then a 3 run BOMB of a home run to right center that wasn't ever in doubt. After that was a single, a walk, then Manaea picked a guy off of 2nd, then a dribbler down the 1B line that went for an infield hit, then a HBP and his outing was over.

 

4 runs ended up scoring that inning. So the line looks bad, but he honestly looked pretty good despite the 6th. Of course, you're looking for a lot better than "pretty good despite..." when you draft top 5. I've seen a lot of college baseball, and I would say overall I wasn't that impressed.

[davell]

Thanks for the report Wekim. I'm to the point now that I'll be disappointed if we go any direction other than Appel or Gray.

[Guest]

Yeah, I'm really glad that Gray emerged as a solid option. I'm still hoping Houston goes with Meadows or Frazier and we get our pick, though.

[Guest]

Stanek about to get started on ESPNU against Texas A&M.

[Guest]

at this point i'm just praying appel and gray both stay helathy.

[Cubswin11]

Jaron Madison, director of amateur scouting, was at Kris Bryant's game yesterday in which he went 3-3 with a HR, 2B, and 2 BB.

[davell]

at this point i'm just praying appel and gray both stay helathy.

My thinking exactly.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Jaron Madison, director of amateur scouting, was at Kris Bryant's game yesterday in which he went 3-3 with a HR, 2B, and 2 BB.

 

Due diligence, I guess. Gotta believe the only position player they'd even talk about would be Frazier.

[davell]

Jaron Madison, director of amateur scouting, was at Kris Bryant's game yesterday in which he went 3-3 with a HR, 2B, and 2 BB.

 

Due diligence, I guess. Gotta believe the only position player they'd even talk about would be Frazier.

I hope we're truly down to Gray and Appel. Frazier isn't projectable and has a very good shot at winding up on a corner. Bryant isn't likely to stick at 3B, and Meadows has what some consider contact issues. I think Meadows would wind up being my choice among the hitters, at this point, but I'll be disappointed if we take a hitter anyway.

[Cubswin11]

Bryant with HR #20 today

[Tryptamine]

Bryant with HR #20 today

 

God I wish it was more likely he could stick at 3B, but with a less than 25% chance you just can't warrant using the #2 pick on that.

[craig]

....I hope we're truly down to Gray and Appel. Frazier isn't projectable and has a very good shot at winding up on a corner. Bryant isn't likely to stick at 3B, and Meadows has what some consider contact issues. I think Meadows would wind up being my choice among the hitters, at this point, but I'll be disappointed if we take a hitter anyway.

 

I don't like Meadows much, because he doesn't seem to be a great hitter, either in terms of pure contact amazing-ness or in terms of power.

 

I'm not sure how good Bryant or Frazier project as hitters. But **if** Madison is really sold on them as OBP/slugging machines, I'd not let possible future in corner knock them off my list. If they think one of them can hit like Braun, or Aram, or Matt Holiday, or Jim Edmonds, or Barry Bonds, or Lance Berkman, and they can play a **good** corner (even if it's "only" left rather than right), I'll take that.

 

Unfortunately I doubt either are very safe to be able to hit and mash and get on base like that.

[Guest]

Dillon Overton has elbow inflammation, will miss at least the next few starts.

[Guest]

@KendallRogersPG: Spoke w/ #IndianaState HC Rick Heller. LHP Sean Manaea will meet w/ doctor tomorrow re: hip. Chances are, won't pitch this weekend #mlbdraft

[Tryptamine]

@KendallRogersPG: Spoke w/ #IndianaState HC Rick Heller. LHP Sean Manaea will meet w/ doctor tomorrow re: hip. Chances are, won't pitch this weekend #mlbdraft

 

We are so lucky Gray has come on like he has. Between Stanek, Austin Wilson and Manaea things would be looking a lot bleaker.

[Guest]

MIAMI — Baseball’s amateur draft is six weeks away, but the pitching-hungry Cubs already have narrowed their focus for the No. 2 overall pick to the top two college pitchers in the draft: Stanford’s Mark Appel and Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray.

 

Team sources have said for weeks that they expect one of those power pitchers will be the Cubs’ selection — possibly coming down to whichever one isn’t selected by the Houston Astros with the No. 1 pick.

 

Manager Dale Sveum confirmed as much Thursday when talking about the film he has watched of the Cubs’ top 10 candidates for that pick and his conversations with the front office.

 

‘‘Obviously, the two big boys, Appel and Gray, if those guys keep the velocity where it is and everything’s going good, I think it’s hard not to take one of them guys,’’ Sveum said.

 

It would be the second time the Cubs have drafted a pitcher that high, having also selected Mark Prior at No. 2 in 2001.

 

Appel, a senior represented by tough negotiator Scott Boras, was considered the top pitcher in last year’s draft but refused to sign after falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 8, turning down a $3.8 million offer.

 

New, strict bonus-pool limitations for teams give the Cubs about $10.6 million to sign this year’s draft picks before overspending penalties kick in, with more than $6 million allotted to the first-round pick.

 

The 6-5 Appel has a mid-90s fastball, slider and changeup. The 6-4, 245-pound Gray, who has been drafted in the 13th and 10th rounds previously, has hit triple digits with his fastball and throws a good slider.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/19719803-573/cubs-plan-to-use-no-2-pick-on-mark-appel-or-jonathan-gray.html

[manbearcub]

Going to go watch Tom Windle pitch in a few minutes. Instead of pretending to be a shout I will just say the game will be on BTN at 6:00 c.