2015 Cubs Picks Discussion

[Guest]

3rd round: Bryan Hudson, LHP, Alton HS (IL)

 

MLB.com rank: 71

 

Illinois' best high school pitching prospect since the Astros made Mike Foltynewicz a first-round pick in 2010, Hudson is an extremely athletic and projectable left-hander whose stock continues to improve as the Draft approaches. He's a safe bet to go in the top three rounds, with some talk that he could become a supplemental first-rounder. Hudson's best pitch is a 75-78 mph curveball with good depth that should add even more power once he adds strength to his skinny 6-foot-7 frame. He commands his breaking ball well, though he relies on it too often. The Missouri recruit usually pitches at 86-90 mph and tops out around 92 with his fastball. With his arm action and projection, it won't be a surprise if he reaches the mid-90s in the future. He shows the makings of a changeup, though he doesn't trust it yet and doesn't need it much against high school competition.

[Guest]

BA had Hudson at 101:

 

Hudson was the Midwest's popup player, for though he was on scouts' radars, he was not expected to take a leap up draft boards as he had this spring. A Missouri recruit, Hudson had done little nationally in terms of showcases aside from pitching in Jupiter at the World Wood Bat event, and at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, he starred as a center for his high school basketball team. He's learned to leverage his size and has the body control to repeat his delivery, gaining confidence as the spring progressed. Hudson's calling card is his hard breaking ball, a curveball that scrapes the low 80s. His arm action is clean and he throws plenty of strikes, especially for a tall pitcher, with a fastball consistently in the upper 80s that reaches 92-93 mph consistently. Hudson doesn't throw a changeup yet, as he has dominated prep competition with just two pitches. Tanner Houck pitched in the same conference last year and got to Missouri, but scouts don't want to let Hudson get away, and he had plenty of helium as the draft approached.

[Guest]

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[KrisBryantisaBeast]

This Hudson guy sounds like a good pick, if he gets can add velocity to that fastball then he has the potential to be an elite prospect.

[Guest]

Darryl Wilson, high school CF

[Guest]

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[Ding Dong Johnson]

Grinder.

[Guest]

Wilson:

 

BA - 178:

 

Wilson is a favorite of many evaluators who have seen him bring his aggressive, dirt-on-the-uniform approach to the field every day. He's undersized (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) but Wilson projects as an above-average center fielder. He’s an above-average runner (6.6 in the 60-yard dash) whose speed makes an impact on the basepaths and in the field. And unlike most shorter speed merchants, he has some strength to his swing. He shows excellent bat speed, solid contact skills and has some ability to drive the ball. Wilson is committed to attend Vanderbilt, and players his size are often asked to prove it at the college level before teams are willing to cut a sizable check. But his tools and frame draw comparisons to Adam Eaton and Wilson's decision to use wood bats all spring helped scouts in their evaluations.

 

MLB.com – 129:

 

While Chandler Day's stock has taken a downturn, Wilson's is headed in the opposite direction and he has surpassed his fellow Vanderbilt recruit as the best high school prospect in Ohio this spring. Teams that like Wilson see him as a Ben Revere-style player and could select him as early as the third round. Wilson's game revolves around his well above-average speed. He uses a compact left-handed stroke to put the ball in play and use his quickness to beat out hits. His size and approach result in very little power, however, and he struggled at times against better competition on the showcase circuit last summer. Wilson has all the ingredients to be a quality center fielder. He reads the ball well off the bat, covers plenty of ground, has average arm strength and makes accurate throws.

[Guest]

not excited by that pick.

[weis21]

[sneakypower]

not excited by that pick.

OF Pedroia, probably

[jersey cubs fan]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 26s26 seconds ago

Cubs select LHP Ryan Kellogg of ASU with 5th pick.

[sontensei]

Ryan Kellogg looks like a lefty Kyle Hendricks .

 

http://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=303354

[sneakypower]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 26s26 seconds ago

Cubs select LHP Ryan Kellogg of ASU with 5th pick.

he's grrrrrr-eat!

[davell]

Our total draft amount is much less than last years, so even if we do get Happ at under slot, we won't have the ability to give 3 HS arms big overages like we did last year.

 

That said, I'm expecting one anyway and don't think it's Hudson, based on where he was picked. We may be waiting until the 11th to take one though, if we're not covered completely signability-wise now.

[Rob]

This Hudson guy sounds like a good pick, if he gets can add velocity to that fastball then he has the potential to be an elite prospect.

 

I'm not sure he has to add a whole lot more velocity, really. At 6'8", he probably releases the ball closer to home plate than most pitchers. So that should give him a couple ticks of phantom velocity.

[Guest]

Ryan Kellogg, meh:

 

BA – 131:

Kellogg, a native of Ontario, Canada, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 12th round of the 2012 draft, but turned down a chance to sign with his hometown team to go to Arizona State. He quickly found success in the desert and threw a no-hitter against No. 3 ranked Oregon State as a freshman. But this year, much like fellow Sun Devils lefthander Brett Lilek, Kellogg has been inconsistent. He's a tall, big-bodied southpaw whose pitchability outshines his pure stuff. A 6-foot-5 frame allows him to throw from a good, downhill angle, and he's at his best when he keeps the ball down in the zone. Kellogg throws his fastball around 88-91 mph with sinking action. His changeup is his best secondary offering, while his slider and curveball can be inconsistent. Kellogg has some feel for all four of his pitches and earns praise from scouts for his makeup.

 

MLB.com - 171:

 

After a huge freshman year at Arizona State in 2013, it looked like Kellogg was pointing toward being one of the better college lefties in the Draft class of 2015. While he's been effective, he hasn't been quite as dominant as hoped. At the outset, Kellogg looked more like a guy who would pitch in the low 90s with a power breaking ball. He's morphed a bit into more of a pitchability lefty, albeit one with three at least average offerings. His fastball sits more in the 90-91 range with some solid life when he keeps it down in the zone. He can spin a decent breaking ball and he mixes in a changeup that will be at least Major League average as well. Kellogg doesn't hurt himself with walks, but also doesn't miss a ton of bats, pitching to contact. Even if Kellogg didn't develop into the pitcher scouts thought he would be, he still profiles as a starter who really knows how to pitch, a value especially as Day 2 of the Draft unfolds.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Serious question; is unused draft pool money allowed to go toward the IFAs? I ask because I'm not sensing much excitement over any of these guys.

[Guest]

Serious question; is unused draft pool money allowed to go toward the IFAs? I ask because I'm not sensing much excitement over any of these guys.

 

no

 

and even if it were, all it would really do is reduce the monetary penalty we'd be paying (rather than allow us to sign anybody we otherwise wouldn't)

[Little Slide Rooter]

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I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he plays the game the right way.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's a white guy.

[Guest]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's a white guy.

 

maybe half

[sontensei]

mid 80s fastball side armer from ucla - hmmmmmmm

[toonsterwu]

Our total draft amount is much less than last years, so even if we do get Happ at under slot, we won't have the ability to give 3 HS arms big overages like we did last year.

 

That said, I'm expecting one anyway and don't think it's Hudson, based on where he was picked. We may be waiting until the 11th to take one though, if we're not covered completely signability-wise now.

 

I'm very curious how the numbers turn out for Happ and Dewees and certainly, our lack of a big pool makes a big factor with these picks.

 

I'm not disappointed with the draft - I'm just not excited about it. Part of it has to do with the types of guys we're picking. Happ was fine - it's been expected for awhile, so sort of got used to it, though I'm still not enthused. Dewees/Wilson seem awfully similar, but they are probably ideally on two way different timelines (if the Cubs bet right on Dewees, he should be in A ball later this year, with an outside shot at AA at some point next year, considering his age ... Wilson probably goes rookie league, instructs, xst, eugene). Kellogg is meh ... every team drafts a pitchability lefty or two at some point in the top 10 rounds, so we were probably popping one anyways, and the 5th round ended up seeing a lot of pitchability college lefties go off the board. I am intrigued enough with Hudson.

 

I gotta think a guy like Donny Everett is a signability issue now. Thinking about guys that could go in the top 10 rounds, I wonder about a guy like Cole Sands now. They've got to know the family's demands relatively well, and he's "fallen" a bit, so maybe the Cubs are getting their ducks in order on how much money they will need. The Hickman idea as a 6th-10th rounder would be one I would like. Comes down to signability, I guess.

 

As I type this ... Dave Berg. Eh. Well, Raisin gets a UCLA guy in there. Really hope we are simply getting our ducks in order in terms of money and saving up for someone. I've got to think we've saved something so far.

[Guest]

Well, nothing like having your big league team draft your favorite college baseball player ever.