2013 Draft Day Thread + Cubs Picks Discussion

[Guest]

So when and where do you guys figure we'll see him playing? Daytona?

 

Report to Mesa, play there for a week. Bump up to Boise for about a month. End up at KC. Start next year at Daytona.

[KingCubsFan]

I expect some heated debate over whether Soler or Bryant is a better prospect, with Soler winning at first but evening out once Bryant gets some pro time under his belt.

 

our top 4 hitting prospects are pretty insane

Vogelbach is still the best hitter in the system.

At this point, I think Soler has shown he is.

[Guest]

I expect some heated debate over whether Soler or Bryant is a better prospect, with Soler winning at first but evening out once Bryant gets some pro time under his belt.

 

Yeah, I was just getting ready to pose the "Rank our top 4 prospects" question.

 

I go:

Bryant

Soler

Almora

Baez

 

But I could easily be swayed to flop the first two. It's very close.

 

Soler is 7 weeks younger than Bryant. Given all his wonderful peripherals, I need to see Bryant on a professional field before I think about him over Soler. I'm apparently higher than Almora than most, but I think he and Bryant are pretty level at this point.

I don't think Almora ever has the power to be special.

[Guest]

he pick: Kris Bryant, third base, University of San Diego

 

His stats: Bryant led all college players in 2013 with 31 home runs, 10 more than the next player. He also hit .329 with a .493 on-base percentage. He's a finalist for the Golden Spikes award given out to the top amateur baseball player.

 

His background: Bryant, 21, grew up in Las Vegas. The Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 18th round in 2010 but Bryant chose to go to college where he's played the last three seasons. His dad, Mike, was Bryant's coach for much of his life after being a minor league player in the Boston Red Sox organization.

 

ESPN draft guru Keith Law's take: Bryant's kind of right-handed power is very hard to find, and even if he ends up in right field he's athletic enough to be good there. He sets up with a very wide base and has no stride, just a toe-tap for timing. It's a quiet swing overall, with excellent hip rotation for power, but his bat speed is just average or a tick better and I worry about his contact rates when he's consistently facing guys throwing 90-plus in pro ball. He can murder a good fastball but I'm not sure how he'll react to better off-speed stuff in the pros.

 

What it means: With third base still a thin position at the major league level -- especially in terms of power -- Bryant could be the answer to the Cubs woes at the hot corner. Some have compared him to Mike Schmidt. That's lofty praise, but even if he can produce a fraction of what Schmidt did, the Cubs could have their answer at third. He could also end up in the outfield, so defensively it's unclear what level he'll reach. But if there is a no-doubter at the plate in the draft, it's Bryant. As for when he would be ready to play in the majors, Bryant said Thursday afternoon in a radio interview, "Watching big-league games I feel like I could hit big-league pitching now."

 

Hope this isn't a repost

[KingCubsFan]

I expect some heated debate over whether Soler or Bryant is a better prospect, with Soler winning at first but evening out once Bryant gets some pro time under his belt.

 

Yeah, I was just getting ready to pose the "Rank our top 4 prospects" question.

 

I go:

Bryant

Soler

Almora

Baez

 

But I could easily be swayed to flop the first two. It's very close.

 

Soler is 7 weeks younger than Bryant. Given all his wonderful peripherals, I need to see Bryant on a professional field before I think about him over Soler. I'm apparently higher than Almora than most, but I think he and Bryant are pretty level at this point.

Agreed. I'd probably put Almora ahead of Bryant at this point.

[Guest]

There's no way he's 6'1"

 

Are you talking about Clint Frazier?

 

If so, I agree. He doesn't look like 6'1".

 

He's really 5'9" - it's one of the reasons he wasn't in consideration to go higher.

[Guest]

I expect some heated debate over whether Soler or Bryant is a better prospect, with Soler winning at first but evening out once Bryant gets some pro time under his belt.

 

Yeah, I was just getting ready to pose the "Rank our top 4 prospects" question.

 

I go:

Bryant

Soler

Almora

Baez

 

But I could easily be swayed to flop the first two. It's very close.

 

Soler is 7 weeks younger than Bryant. Given all his wonderful peripherals, I need to see Bryant on a professional field before I think about him over Soler. I'm apparently higher than Almora than most, but I think he and Bryant are pretty level at this point.

Agreed. I'd probably put Almora ahead of Bryant at this point.

If so, it's likely because of BABIP.

[Guest]

I expect some heated debate over whether Soler or Bryant is a better prospect, with Soler winning at first but evening out once Bryant gets some pro time under his belt.

 

Yeah, I was just getting ready to pose the "Rank our top 4 prospects" question.

 

I go:

Bryant

Soler

Almora

Baez

 

But I could easily be swayed to flop the first two. It's very close.

 

Soler is 7 weeks younger than Bryant. Given all his wonderful peripherals, I need to see Bryant on a professional field before I think about him over Soler. I'm apparently higher than Almora than most, but I think he and Bryant are pretty level at this point.

I don't think Almora ever has the power to be special.

 

I don't think he really needs big power to be a special CF.

[Guest]

There's no way he's 6'1"

 

Are you talking about Clint Frazier?

 

If so, I agree. He doesn't look like 6'1".

 

He's really 5'9" - it's one of the reasons he wasn't in consideration to go higher.

MLB needs to have a combine to get these things right.

[Guest]

I don't think Almora ever has the power to be special.

 

I don't think he really needs big power to be a special CF.

Name me a "special" CF that doesn't have at least 50 power.

[Guest]

I wanted to yell at the radio when Barry Rozner's dumb smug ass was saying there was no way they wouldn't draft a pitcher (right after playing a clip where McLeod talked about how position players are much safer bets early on) on the Score this morning.

[OleMissCub]

Don't follow the farm system much. How are we stacked at catcher? I'd love to see the Cubs take Stuart Turner, Ole Miss' stud catcher.

 

.381/.452/.533/.986 is a pretty ridiculous line for a catcher in the SEC. He also threw out 51% (21 of 41) base runners this year.

[Coach C]

There's no way he's 6'1"

 

Are you talking about Clint Frazier?

 

If so, I agree. He doesn't look like 6'1".

 

He's really 5'9" - it's one of the reasons he wasn't in consideration to go higher.

MLB needs to have a combine to get these things right.

 

I think they meant 6'1" full of grit....

[Guest]

I don't think Almora ever has the power to be special.

 

I don't think he really needs big power to be a special CF.

Name me a "special" CF that doesn't have at least 50 power.

 

I think he can end up a consistent 4 win player. That's special, IMO....but I guess we'd be debating over subjective terminology at that point.

[Guest]

Don't follow the farm system much. How are we stacked at catcher? I'd love to see the Cubs take Stuart Turner, Ole Miss' stud catcher.

 

.381/.452/.533/.986 is a pretty ridiculous line for a catcher in the SEC. He also threw out 51% (21 of 41) base runners this year.

 

We have just about nothing at catcher.

[Guest]

Don't follow the farm system much. How are we stacked at catcher? I'd love to see the Cubs take Stuart Turner, Ole Miss' stud catcher.

 

.381/.452/.533/.986 is a pretty ridiculous line for a catcher in the SEC. He also threw out 51% (21 of 41) base runners this year.

C is the weakest position on the farm.

 

Turner is being projected as a 2nd/3rd rounder.

[Guest]

I don't think Almora ever has the power to be special.

 

I don't think he really needs big power to be a special CF.

Name me a "special" CF that doesn't have at least 50 power.

 

I think he can end up a consistent 4 win player. That's special, IMO....but I guess we'd be debating over subjective terminology at that point.

I don't think he can be a consistent 4 win player unless he learns to walk more or hit for more power.

[Vanilla Ice]

dreaming of a world where all four of them pan out...

[Guest]

Don't follow the farm system much. How are we stacked at catcher? I'd love to see the Cubs take Stuart Turner, Ole Miss' stud catcher.

 

.381/.452/.533/.986 is a pretty ridiculous line for a catcher in the SEC. He also threw out 51% (21 of 41) base runners this year.

C is the weakest position on the farm.

 

Turner is being projected as a 2nd/3rd rounder.

LHP?

[CubsWin]

According to his bio on USD's site, Kris Bryant went to Bonanza High School.

Does that mean his nickname will be "Hoss"? He sure as hell isn't "Little Joe"...

[Fro]

http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs-talk/cubs-select-bryant-no-2-pick

 

“Kris had an incredible season at San Diego, hitting for both power and average,” Jason McLeod, the Cubs vice president of scouting and player development, said in a press release. “He is a big, strong, athletic player, and we feel he has the attributes of someone who could fit into the middle of a lineup at the major league level. He has the ability to hit for average along with power to all parts of the park.”

[OleMissCub]

Don't follow the farm system much. How are we stacked at catcher? I'd love to see the Cubs take Stuart Turner, Ole Miss' stud catcher.

 

.381/.452/.533/.986 is a pretty ridiculous line for a catcher in the SEC. He also threw out 51% (21 of 41) base runners this year.

C is the weakest position on the farm.

 

Turner is being projected as a 2nd/3rd rounder.

 

Would we take a catcher that high?

[Guest]

I don't think he can be a consistent 4 win player unless he learns to walk more or hit for more power.

 

It might be crazy of me, but despite the crazy ridiculously bad start in that dept, I don't think plate discipline is going to be a huge issue with him.

[Guest]

I don't think Almora ever has the power to be special.

 

I don't think he really needs big power to be a special CF.

Name me a "special" CF that doesn't have at least 50 power.

 

Look over the CF WAR leaderboards, you don't need a .200 Iso to be very valuable.

[imb]

man mlb.com is taking a big [expletive] right now, nice feed, losers.