2013 Draft Discussion

[Guest]

Wish I had ESPN U. How's his stuff looking?

 

Dynamite stuff, the FB and SL have looked good. Still hitting 95 in the 7th as he approaches his 90th pitch. Just struck 7 in a row.

 

The 2 runs he gave up came after the ump screwed him out of a strikeout on the previous pitch.

 

Nice. How good is ASU?

 

Baseball America ranks them #8.

 

8-)

[Guest]

Struggling here in the 7th. Gave up an unearned run so far but his defense and the ump's strike zone isn't helping him.

[RammyFanny]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0504-bits-cubs-reds-chicago-20130504,0,7791673.story

While an organizational pitching shortage suggests the Cubs will use the No. 2 overall pick in next month's draft on the most developed arm they can get, President Theo Epstein consistently has said they will consider hitters as well. Kris Bryant could wind up being their choice.

 

Bryant, a third baseman for the University of San Diego, is in the mix with a month remaining before the draft, along with Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray, Stanford right-hander Mark Appel and Indiana State left-hander Sean Manaea.

 

Bryant hits right-handed and has almost as much plate discipline as power. The Astros, who have the first pick, are scouting him heavily, as are the Cubs.

[RammyFanny]

Gray:

 

8IP/9hits/3runs/2ER/1BB/6K

 

8 FO / 7 GO

[A New Era]

I'd been leaning Gray recently but that changes fast when you get to see the other guy live in HD. Is it just me or does Appel have the body of a greek god? Very tall and slender but still muscular. He just looks like he belongs in Olympus. If you had the talent to carve a statue of a greek god out of stone or clay, your work would be praised as capturing the true essence if it turned out like Appel.

[davell]

Arguello used a very good analogy on the Appel/Gray debate today:Like a boxing match. Appel won the first few rounds, Gray won the middle ones, and Appel just won that one. Far from over. I just want them both to continue pitching well enough that it doesn't force us into looking at Bryant or anyone else.

[Tryptamine]

I'd been leaning Gray recently but that changes fast when you get to see the other guy live in HD. Is it just me or does Appel have the body of a greek god? Very tall and slender but still muscular. He just looks like he belongs in Olympus. If you had the talent to carve a statue of a greek god out of stone or clay, your work would be praised as capturing the true essence if it turned out like Appel.

 

Taiwan Easterling and imb! agree with all of this.

[Guest]

Apparently Manaea was down to the mid-80s by the 4th inning of his start this weekend (there was bad weather).

[mike2482]

Apparently Manaea was down to the mid-80s by the 4th inning of his start this weekend (there was bad weather).

 

I live in the town he plays in, and you would be surprised how little hype there is about this guy. What do you think his ceiling is?

[RammyFanny]

Bryant bomb tonight.

 

Can't wait to see Gray next week.

[davell]

Apparently Manaea was down to the mid-80s by the 4th inning of his start this weekend (there was bad weather).

 

I live in the town he plays in, and you would be surprised how little hype there is about this guy. What do you think his ceiling is?

Heading into this season, his ceiling was an ace. Of course, he's not been all that impressive this season, but weather has been a legit issue in evaluating him.

[Guest]

i know nothing about bryant other than what i read on this board, but i'd be pretty disappointed if we don't come away with a healthy gray or appel.

[RammyFanny]

I'd been leaning Gray recently but that changes fast when you get to see the other guy live in HD. Is it just me or does Appel have the body of a greek god? Very tall and slender but still muscular. He just looks like he belongs in Olympus. If you had the talent to carve a statue of a greek god out of stone or clay, your work would be praised as capturing the true essence if it turned out like Appel.

He reminds me of a Mark Prior and Freddie Prince Jr. lovechild.

[Guest]

Apparently Manaea was down to the mid-80s by the 4th inning of his start this weekend (there was bad weather).

 

I live in the town he plays in, and you would be surprised how little hype there is about this guy. What do you think his ceiling is?

Heading into this season, his ceiling was an ace. Of course, he's not been all that impressive this season, but weather has been a legit issue in evaluating him.

 

Weather and injury. Injury is something you have to worry about with any pitcher but I've read a few times that with his motion and windup, a hip problem was inevitable.

[Cubswin11]

Law regarding Appel's start Friday, fwiw

 

I believe the Astros have four guys here. Hoyer and Bush here from the Cubs. Saw at least three other teams' scouting directors too.

[jersey cubs fan]

Law regarding Appel's start Friday, fwiw

 

I believe the Astros have four guys here. Hoyer and Bush here from the Cubs. Saw at least three other teams' scouting directors too.

 

Is that because McCleod has already seen enough?

[A New Era]

Law regarding Appel's start Friday, fwiw

 

I believe the Astros have four guys here. Hoyer and Bush here from the Cubs. Saw at least three other teams' scouting directors too.

 

Is that because McCleod has already seen enough?

 

I'm not sure where McLeod was on Friday. But he's gotta scout other guys. If the Astros take Appel, it's McLeod's job to find that can't miss future all-star at #2.

[davell]

Jason, Jed, Theo, Madison, Wilken-they all go see players, plus your crosscheckers. They're all going to get multiple looks at all the top guys, so they can compare notes and come to a definitive decision on who they want. In the end, I guess McLeod has the final say, but its good to know we have a very large scouting department at this point. The question I have is how far down the list does this go? My guess is the entire group probably has taken looks at all guys we're targeting for the first few rounds, not just the 2nd pick.

[A New Era]

I'm starting to get a feeling the Astros take Appel. If it turns out we land Gray, where do you think he sits in our top 3? Where is he draft day on mlb's top 100?

[davell]

I figure both Appel and Gray will be in the 15-25 range heading into next year on BA's list.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm starting to get a feeling the Astros take Appel. If it turns out we land Gray, where do you think he sits in our top 3? Where is he draft day on mlb's top 100?

 

Gray would probably be our No. 1, though not unanimously, and I'd say somewhere between 20 and 30 on the top 100s.

[Guest]

I'm starting to get a feeling the Astros take Appel. If it turns out we land Gray, where do you think he sits in our top 3? Where is he draft day on mlb's top 100?

 

Gray would probably be our No. 1, though not unanimously, and I'd say somewhere between 20 and 30 on the top 100s.

That would depend heavily on how Baez & Soler finish out their seasons.

[jersey cubs fan]

Video about a matchup of top NJ pitchers, kind of fluffy and meaningless but you can see a little of each of them throwing. Kaminsky was was ranked 40th on a Keith Law list.

 

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2013/05/video_pitching_aces_mike_shawa.html#incart_m-rpt-2

 

Mike Shawaryn of Gloucester Catholic and Rob Kaminsky of St. Joseph of Montvale, arguably the two best pitchers in the state, faced off in a highly anticipated high school baseball matchup of top-twenty teams at Provident Bank Park in Pomona, N.Y. Gloucester Catholic is ranked No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, while St. Joseph is ranked No. 3. Video by Mike Roy/The Star-Ledger

[Guest]

There's a ridiculously wide spectrum of opinion on Kaminsky - while Law has him at 40, Perfect Game has him as their #2 prep prospect, ahead of guys like Austin Meadows and Kohl Stewart.

[davell]

Hoyer told Bowden they've had people at every Appel and Gray start this year. Also said they've expanded their consideration past those two recently.