2014 Draft Discussion

[Guest]

BP Draft Ten Pack: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22896

[Guest]

NC State has shifted its rotation so Rodon will pitch Saturday against UCLA instead of tomorrow.

 

It's not injury, they're just shifting him to face the better team this weekend in a tournament.

[Guest]

@kileymcd: Looks like the secret is out about Florida prep RHP Garrett Cave. About 40 scouts here tonight. 6'4 righty turned high 80s into low 90s.

 

@kileymcd: Garrett Cave mostly 90-91 through the first 2 innings, hit a 93. Breaking ball was inconsistent early but sharper than this summer.

[Guest]

Hoffman is off to a great start.

 

@DanMKirby: Kyle Freeland finishes: 9 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 9 K/0 BB. 98 pitches, 71 for strikes. Has 20 K/1 BB over 18 IP on season. #MLBDraft

[Guest]

@FPilierePG: ECU righty Jeff Hoffman with 14 strikeouts thru 8 one run innings tonight. Only 1 walk #mlbdraft

 

@KendallRogersPG: #TCU LHP Brandon Finnegan struck out 11 this afternoon, but also allowed five runs in 6.2 IP. Topped out at 95, CB plus at times. #MLBDraft

 

@keithlaw: Tyler Beede 92-95 in a 1-2-3 first for @VandyBaseball

 

@VandyBaseball: Final line for Beede: 7 IP, 3 H, 1R/1ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 99 pitches

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

@FPilierePG: ECU righty Jeff Hoffman with 14 strikeouts thru 8 one run innings tonight. Only 1 walk #mlbdraft

@keithlaw: Tyler Beede 92-95 in a 1-2-3 first for @VandyBaseball

@VandyBaseball: Final line for Beede: 7 IP, 3 H, 1R/1ER, 3 BB, 6 K on 99 pitches

http://i.imgur.com/dyRsx0o.gif

[Guest]

South Carolina C Grayson Greiner hit a grand slam tonight. I really like him as a prospect and think he's a first rounder but I keep seeing him on draft boards (BA, Kiley McDaniel, etc) at the level of a second rounder. I'd really love to see the Cubs take him with their second rounder.

 

@aaronfitt: SC coach Chad Holbrook on his special catcher: "I feel like I learn from Grayson Greiner every day. Not many kids I can say that about."

 

@aaronfitt: Listening to Greiner talk to reporters, it's so apparent immediately that he has the "it" factor. Reminds me of Trea Turner. Insightful.

[Guest]

Friday rundown: http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/03/the-rundown-february-28/

[Guest]

Rodon and North Carolina State vs UCLA at the Team USA Baseball Complex today at 3:30 PM CT.

 

Can't find a video stream but the NC State audio will be here: http://wknc.org/listen/ and if that doesn't work, I know the UCLA audio will: http://www.uclabruins.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?type=live&db_oem_id=30500

[Guest]

Some more tweets from yesterday:

 

@KendallRogersPG Another great start by #RebsBSB RHP Chris Ellis: Struck out five, allowed 1R in 7 IP, as #Rebels found way to beat #UCF 4-3. Surprising 9-1.

 

@FPilierePG And to amend that the one run Hoffman surrendered was unearned. By all accounts a brilliant outing

 

@FPilierePG Word I get from Hoffman's outing is his curveball was all the way back to top form tonight. No inconsistency issues this week - 65 pitch

 

@DanMKirby Kennesaw State C Max Pentecost 2-for-3 today. Now hitting .400/.449/.578 over 11 games. #MLBDraft

 

South Carolina CF Tanner English (he's a junior) is probably the only guy in college baseball player faster than Trea Turner:

 

@aaronfitt Tanner English drove in the fifth run with a perfect drag bunt. He got up the line in 3.5 seconds from right side. That's cookin'.

[Guest]

On the latest Fringe Average podcast, Jason Parks said Kolek has been linked to the Marlins at 1.2. I've heard that elsewhere too but not sure where. It makes sense too, the Marlins love their prep arms. Tyler Beede's release point is inconsistent (duh).

 

Mike Ferrin said the umps' strike zone really hurt Jeff Hoffman in his game against Virginia a few weeks ago: he wouldn't call the low strike, forcing Hoffman higher into the zone than he wanted and that's when he got hit around. This was mentioned in more detail in this link which was the second post on this page:

 

Hoffman entered the year as the top collegiate right-hander in the draft class, and through two weeks he’s reinforced that standing on stuff, if not production. On Friday, Hoffman was saddled with an umpire that simultaneously would not call the low strike and could not figure out how to call Hoffman’s breaker as a strike in the zone. The result was the curve being all but a non-factor outside of a two-strike chase pitch (Hoffman stopped going to it once it became apparent it was not going to be a useful pitch in the zone). It’s useful for evaluators to see pitchers faced with situations like this, as you get to measure a prospect’s ability to work without his full arsenal at his disposal, and by extension his ability to think outside the box. Hoffman’s focus for the evening centered on mixing an 86-89 mph changeup with good late fade and a plus-plus fastball that reached as high as 98 mph, settling in the 94 to 96 mph range for much of the evening. Brandon Downes accounted for two of Virginia’s runs via solo homers—one a high fly ball off a 96-mph fastball that was carried out by a strong wind to left; the other also a pull-side round-tripper off of a changeup hung waist-high and over the plate. Hoffman wasn’t in mid-season form, but the quality of his arsenal and his athleticism on the mound certainly were readily apparent. He remains one of the top arms in the class with a high likelihood of selection in the first few picks come June.

[imb]

On the latest Fringe Average podcast, Jason Parks said Kolek has been linked to the Marlins at 1.2. I've heard that elsewhere too but not sure where. It makes sense too, the Marlins love their prep arms. Tyler Beede's release point is inconsistent (duh).

 

plzplzplzplzplzplzplzplzplz

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Yeah. but still wouldn't mind Kolek from what I've recently read.

[Guest]

I'm just going to update this post with tweets about Rodon as the game goes on:

 

@NathanRode: Settling in for NC State vs. UCLA. Carlos Rodon vs. Grant Watson. I see three directors and an assistant director so far. #mlbdraft

 

@jimshonerdBA: Underway between #NCState and #UCLA. Rodon vs Grant Watson. Will tweet as long as I can, but can tell my batteries won't last the duration.

 

@jimshonerdBA: Almost everything 93-94 from Rodon in a 1-2-3 1st. Got Brian Carroll looking on a backdoor slider. #mlbdraft

 

@MikeMGarner: First batter for UCLA, @CarlosRodon16 from @NCStateBaseball throws heat, heat, slider. Take a seat. #nastystuff

 

Bruins getting to Rodon in the second. :)

 

@UCLABaseball: Chatterton with a great piece of hitting as he smacks a single down the RF line w/2 strikes to bring in 2! UCLA 2, NC State 0 in B2.

 

@jimshonerdBA: #UCLA doing UCLA things, loading bases without a ball leaving the infield (infield single, error, HBP); scores 2 runs on Chatterton single

 

Tyler Chatterton is a former walk-on.

 

@NathanRode: Trea Turner just showed his 80 speed on defense, chasing a UCLA runner down in a rundown before runner on 3rd could score. #mlbdraft

 

@UCLABaseball: The UCLA side is retired in order in B3. Bruins still leading the Wolfpack 2-0 going to the 4th as Watson returns to the mound.

 

@UCLABaseball: Bono gets hit by a pitch w/2 outs but he is left stranded in B4. UCLA 2, NC State 0 heading to the 5th.

 

@jimshonerdBA: Rodon has settled back in since his rocky 2nd, but Watson is in control against State's bats. Still 2-0 #Bruins, T5

 

Rodon picked off Brian Carroll after walking him:out

 

@UCLABaseball: Carroll draws a 2-out walk for the Bruins in B5 but once again UCLA is held scoreless. Bruins still up 2-0 on NC State going to T6.

 

Bruins squander a 2-on, none out opportunity in the 6th:

 

@CrawfordChrisV: Back-to-back walks by Rodon to start the fifth inning. Command just isn't there yet.

 

@UCLABaseball: A double play and a strikeout end UCLA's threat in the 6th. UCLA 2, NC State 0 going to T7. Watson back out for the Bruins.

 

7th inning: 6-3 groundout (Turner), Turner loses a popup in the sky for a bloop single. K looking (Rodone's 8th). 1-3 groundout. Rodon has only had two 1-2-3 innings.

 

Turner flies out in the top of the 8th. He ends the game 1/3 with a BB (BB, IF single to second base, lineout to RF, flyout to RF).

 

Rodon is done - 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K - his own error led to the 2 runs.

 

UCLA holds on 2-0. I definitely was more excited about this game than any UCLA basketball game this year. Thanks, Alford.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Yeah. but still wouldn't mind Kolek from what I've recently read.

 

Unless someone Manaea's, it seems like right now it's not going to be a huge dropoff from 3 to 4 no matter what.

[RammyFanny]

Yeah. but still wouldn't mind Kolek from what I've recently read.

 

Unless someone Manaea's, it seems like right now it's not going to be a huge dropoff from 3 to 4 no matter what.

Hopefully someone Gray's as well.

[Guest]

@KendallRogersPG: #FresnoState RHP Jordan Brink made it look easy in a 5-0 win over #TAMU. Struck out five and allowed just one hit in seven shutout frames.

[A New Era]

Turner will go before we pick, being the top college bat. But that means Hoffman or Beede will be there for us. With other guys likely in at least a very similar "tier". We seemed to have lucked out these last few years. In 2012 got Almora with an apparent tier of about 7 guys, got Bryant with an apparent tier of 3 guys and 2014 looks like maybe 4-6 guys could be considered tier 1 by draft time.

[Guest]

Turner isn't unanimously the top bat.

 

Not like in past years with Rendon, Zunino and Bryant.

[A New Era]

Turner isn't unanimously the top bat.

 

Not like in past years with Rendon, Zunino and Bryant.

 

Who else is in the discussion?

[Guest]

BA video and write up for Rodon's start yesterday vs UCLA: http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/game-report-unlucky-rodon-outdueled-by-watson-ucla/

 

Rodon’s stuff was the same as it had been in each of his first two outings: very good, with flashes of brilliance and occasionally shaky command. His fastball topped out at 94 mph, and his slider sat comfortably in the mid-80s. There were very few knockout sliders toward the back foot of righthanders, but he did finish two righties with backdoor sliders on the outside corner.

[Guest]

Turner isn't unanimously the top bat.

 

Not like in past years with Rendon, Zunino and Bryant.

 

Who else is in the discussion?

 

A more accurate statement on my part would be that Turner isn't unanimously a top 10 talent. This is a down year for college bats.

 

Chris Crawford has Turner as his 12th best prospect with Kennesaw State C Max Pentecost at 10 and Virginia OF Derek Fisher at 11. Keith Law had Turner in his third tier of draft prospects, just behind Pentecost and immediately ahead of Fisher.

 

I think Turner will get drafted top 10 primarily because of his position but there are definitely smart people with legitimate questions about his bat.

 

Clearly Pentecost appears to be the top challenger to Turner (especially since he's good defensively at another very tough position to fill in baseball. Another name in the mix would be Indiana's Kyle Schwarber but he's hurt by the likelihood he won't stick at C.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

And this is why drafting a college bat over one of the pitchers this year just because of TINSTAAPP is idiotic.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

And this is why drafting a college bat over one of the pitchers this year just because of TINSTAAPP is idiotic.

 

Why? Because of some pundit rankings?

[Guest]

And this is why drafting a college bat over one of the pitchers this year just because of TINSTAAPP is idiotic.

 

Thankfully there are HS bats who look like they'd be worthy of being selected at 1.4 so college bat vs pitchers is a false choice.