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Yeah, it's good if Appel falls and we can get him cheaper, I guess. But he's clearly the No. 1 guy at this point.

I want Gray. I love velocity.

 

But there's more to pitching than just velocity and Appel appears to have an advantage in most other categories will having good velocity himself.

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LSU (2014's Aaron Nola) at Texas A&M will be on ESPNU Thursday at 8 pm CT.

 

Jonathan Gray will be pitching on ESPNU Friday at 7 pm CT vs Oklahoma State.

 

North Carolina's whole weekend series will be available - Friday and Saturday on ESPN3, Sunday on ESPNU.

It looks like Gray is pitching on Saturday. Damn

So much for going to that game.

 

Dammit, I was gonna try and go tomorrow, but I'm not driving to OKC.

 

Official confirmation from Baseball America:

 

Aaron Fitt[/url]"]The Sooners will get star lefthander Dillon Overton back this weekend—he’ll start Sunday, with Jonathan Gray going Saturday and Jake Fisher going Friday. OU coach Sunny Golloway said Fisher goes in the opener because the Sooners seem to play better “with Gray on deck, so to speak.”

 

Pretty disappointing. We don't even get Overton as a consolation prize.

illiniguy Knoxville Smokies

illiniguy

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Yeah, it's good if Appel falls and we can get him cheaper, I guess. But he's clearly the No. 1 guy at this point.

I want Gray. I love velocity.

 

But there's more to pitching than just velocity and Appel appears to have an advantage in most other categories will having good velocity himself.

Oh, it's irrational. I'm cool with either guy.

jersey cubs fan GOAT

jersey cubs fan

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Yikes. This guy says Frazier is the best player in the draft and says so matter-of-factly. Also says being a prep position player is one of the reasons he won't go 1.1. Yeesh.

 

Similar thinking as the guy from perfect game that TT posted a couple weeks ago.

 

Jerry Ford, Perfect Game President

 

As always, my theory is to take a chance on high school kids. If I'm right, I will store up a lot of Major League All-Star caliber players/pitchers. I would rather take my time building a championship team, than rushing to hurry up to get out of the basement.

 

Because we have the luxury of seeing most all the top draft picks while they were in high school, it makes it a bit easier to compare. My thought is they were all in high school at some point, and if you pick the right ones you get what you want. Of course the college players are the surest bet, but I would always go for the highest ceiling. For the most part, that has proven to be high school kids. Just check the All-Star rosters.

 

So keeping with that theory, especially this year where I don't see a consensus sure fire 1-1 pick, I go gambling:

 

1. Clint Frazier: I hate to think what Frazier would do if he went to college. We have seen all the top guys (1-1) in the past. In some ways he is better than most of them and he is similar in other ways. Others may look the part a bit more, but the tools are what separates Frazier from the pack. And he might use those tools as good as any high school player ever. This kid loves the stage and has very unusual skills.

Cubswin11 All-Star

Cubswin11

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WTF is that tattoo that Gray has? Douche chills....

 

 

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/130508203507-jonathan-gray-zuma2-single-image-cut.jpg

 

RammyFanny South Bend Cubs

RammyFanny

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Yikes. This guy says Frazier is the best player in the draft and says so matter-of-factly. Also says being a prep position player is one of the reasons he won't go 1.1. Yeesh.

I'm willing to look past everything he says if the Cubs do in fact have the 21st overall pick as well, like he shows.

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Yikes. This guy says Frazier is the best player in the draft and says so matter-of-factly. Also says being a prep position player is one of the reasons he won't go 1.1. Yeesh.

I'm willing to look past everything he says if the Cubs do in fact have the 21st overall pick as well, like he shows.

 

Am I missing something? He has Tampa with the 21st pick.

RammyFanny South Bend Cubs

RammyFanny

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Bryant's coach has quickly backed off the outfield talk and is now talking him up at 3rd again:

“He’s a five-tool guy and those are very rare finds in college,” San Diego head coach Rich Hill said. “His power is off the charts, but he’s really become a good hitter along with having a lot of power. He’s got great athleticism in the field … he can really defend. I think he’s going to be a big-league third baseman, and that’s really hard to find, too. He’s got good arm strength and good speed. I think he’s got a great career ahead of him in the major leagues.”
“The one thing that really shines through with Kris is character,” Hill said. “His work ethic is off the charts. He’s the guy you want your daughter to marry, and at the same time you want to walk down a dark alley with him late at night.

Might as well take long walks down the beach with him as well.

Fluff: http://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2013-05-09/all-tools

 

 

 

Speaking of recent Frazier love, this guys definitely on the bandwagon. His pitching scouting reports are actually fairly good reads.

Power: Best raw power in the draft. Elite bat speed and impressive natural strength lead to mammoth shots. Shows off in BP and can already translate to games against inferior pitching. 80 raw to pull side. Has strength and bat speed to show similar raw to opposite field but doesn’t trust hands and tries to pull stuff he should drive the other way. Raw plays down slightly as a result right now. Extremely consistent getting to the zone and can barrel pitches in the upper 2/3 of the strike zone. Lacks ability to go down and get it and drive it. Has good leverage at contact, hitting off a staunch front leg. Lift in the second half of the swing helps him drive it out of the park. Huge raw power that could translate to 40+ home runs at peak. Hit tool should be good enough for 80-raw to come out in games down the line. Grade (raw power) – 70/80
Summation: Twitchy athlete with good present strength and some physical projection remaining. Exceptional power prospect. Absolutely elite bat speed and top-of-the-scale raw power. Hit tool has to develop, including plate coverage, pitch recognition and approach but has the elite bat speed to cover some weaknesses in the overall hitting approach. Potential average hit that should allow 80 raw to play in games. .270-.280 hitter with 40+ home runs at peak. Athletic enough and runs well enough for CF assignment but instincts are not there yet (new to the position). May not get there and may fit better in RF where plus speed will play just as well. Ultra-aggressive player with high energy and good makeup. Potential star-level player with power as the standout tool.
Draft Projection: Arguably the top player available in the draft. Easily the top position player for me. Monster power potential will keep him atop draft boards even with questions about how the hit tool develops and whether he stays up the middle. Excellent talent that is too much to pass up in the top two or three picks.

He does have the hit tool fairly low.

http://baseballprospectnation.com/2013/04/26/scouting-report-clint-frazier-of/

Edited by RammyFanny
RammyFanny South Bend Cubs

RammyFanny

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Yikes. This guy says Frazier is the best player in the draft and says so matter-of-factly. Also says being a prep position player is one of the reasons he won't go 1.1. Yeesh.

I'm willing to look past everything he says if the Cubs do in fact have the 21st overall pick as well, like he shows.

 

Am I missing something? He has Tampa with the 21st pick.

I see it showing a Cubs logo. He talks about the Rays though, so it's an obvious error.

 

But i'll still take the pick.

RammyFanny South Bend Cubs

RammyFanny

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I want Bryant of Fraizer if Appel goes #1, with a slight lean towards Bryant.

Don't really see the upside of taking Frazier over Bryant if we go the hitting route. I love Frazier, but the plate discipline concerns are pretty serious. You have none of those concerns with Bryant, plus the fact that it's against much better competition, plus the fact that Bryant's power potential is likely higher and at worst on par, plus the fact that Bryant has a legit shot to stick at 3rd, plus..... you get the point.

 

Maybe the plate discipline issues won't be a big factor going forward, but it just seems like a risk that doesn't need to be taken when selecting 2. This coming from the Frazier bandwagon driver of a few month ago.

 

Assuming an Appel/Gray/Bryant top 3, I don't see how the Twins could pass on him at 4 though. A Buxton/Frazier/Sano trio would be pretty ridiculous.

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BA's top 100 list is out (free). Surprisingly enough (for me, at least), Jonathan Gray is #1.

 

1 Jonathan Gray, rhp, Oklahoma

2 Mark Appel, rhp, Stanford

3 Kris Bryant, 3b/of, San Diego

4 Clint Frazier, of, Loganville (Ga.) HS

5 Austin Meadows, of, Grayson HS, Loganville, Ga.

6 Kohl Stewart, rhp, St. Pius X HS, Houston

7 Colin Moran, 3b, North Carolina

8 Braden Shipley, rhp, Nevada

9 Trey Ball, lhp, New Castle (Ind.) HS

10 Sean Manaea, lhp, Indiana State

 

1. Jonathan Gray, rhp, Oklahoma

Gray’s metamorphosis from a live-armed but chubby high schooler to a potential No. 1 overall choice is reminiscent of Stephen Strasburg’s. His stuff calls to mind Gerrit Cole, another top overall pick. Drafted in the 13th round out of an Oklahoma high school in 2010 by the Royals and in the 10th round out of Eastern Oklahoma State JC in 2011 by the Yankees, Gray steadily improved before exploding in his second season with the Sooners. After maxing out at 94 mph in high school, he now works comfortably at 94-97 and can hit 100 mph while looking like he’s just playing catch. Gray’s fastball also features heavy life. He shows the ability to dial it down to 92-94 in the middle innings before turning it back up toward the end of games, a la Justin Verlander. He has refined his slider into a wipeout pitch with depth and bite, and he can make hitters look silly with an improved changeup that bottoms out at the plate. Gray has firmed up his frame to a solid 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, and he has his delivery and his pitches more under control than ever. He has maintained a high level of performance all spring, carrying an 8-1, 1.20 record with a 104-16 K-BB ratio and a .166 opponent average through his first 12 starts. If the Astros pass on Gray with the No. 1 selection, it will be an upset if he gets past the Cubs at No. 2.

 

2. Mark Appel, rhp, Stanford

Appel picked up where he left off last year, after he turned down $3.8 million from the Pirates as the eighth overall pick. As a senior, he fine-tuned his stuff and graduated with a degree in management science and engineering. He shows everything scouts look for in a frontline pitcher. He’s 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds with a clean delivery, and he is a solid athlete who played basketball in high school. Appel’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and gets as high as 98 mph, and he holds his velocity deep into games. His slider is a plus pitch that generates swings and misses with its sharp, late break. Under Stanford pitching coach Rusty Filter—who was Stephen Strasburg’s pitching coach at San Diego State—Appel has gotten a little more downhill with his fastball and has improved his changeup as a senior, and it should be at least an average third offering. Appel has improved every year at Stanford and dominated as a senior, and he should move quickly through the minor leagues.

manbearcub First Round Pick

manbearcub

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........

 

Kyle'sTheWorst (Wrigley)

Am I crazy to want Bryant over Gray at #2?

 

Klaw (2:27 PM)

IMO, yes. I prefer Gray.

A great question from an intelligent guy.

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........

 

Kyle'sTheWorst (Wrigley)

Am I crazy to want Bryant over Gray at #2?

 

Klaw (2:27 PM)

IMO, yes. I prefer Gray.

A great question from an intelligent guy.

 

The best part about this is that it could be anyone from any of 5 different sites.

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Amongst BA's top 100, here are the HS kids who they tabbed as *possible* tough signs, for whatever reason (obviously most of these guys are just trying to get leverage):

 

25. RHP Phil Bickford - Cal State Fullerton commit

32. LHP Matt Krook - Oregon commit

33. LHP Connor Jones - Virginia commit; wrote a letter asking teams to not pick him

35. RHP Kyle Serrano - Tennessee commit; son of Tennessee coach

40. OF Cord Sandberg - Mississippi St commit; scholarship for football

57. SS Riley Unroe - USC commit; asking for a 7-figure bonus

63. C Dom Nunez - UCLA commit

65. LHP Garrett Williams - Oklahoma St commit

66. 2B Cavan Biggio - Notre Dame commit; probably unsignable below pick 40

72. RHP Chandler Eden - Oregon St commit

85. LHP AJ Puk - Florida commit

96 RHP Tyler Danish - Florida commit

toonsterwu ACL Cubs

toonsterwu

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Amongst BA's top 100, here are the HS kids who they tabbed as *possible* tough signs, for whatever reason (obviously most of these guys are just trying to get leverage):

 

33. LHP Connor Jones - Virginia commit; wrote a letter asking teams to not pick him

 

It really does sound like Connor Jones is going to UVA. I had my doubts for awhile, but they seem pretty set on him going there. As a UVA fan, I'm happy, although I hope things work out better for him than Kirby (who has been pushed to the pen after doing the same thing last year and opting out of the draft as a top 200 guy ... actually, he was ineligible, IIRC, because he never went through medicals).

 

It'll be a nice get (along with Nicely) for UVA. After a couple years of missing on guys (Mesoraco, Nicolino, Matthews), as a UVA fan, it's great to see the top guys coming in.

 

I guess you never say never, because if a team pops him in say, the first round, who knows.

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Yeah, you're right. Kirby took his name out of the draft by not doing the medical or drug test.

 

A top 100 guy each of the last three years (Fisher, Kirby and now Jones) is a nice haul for UVA.

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