2020 MLB Actual Draft Day(s) Thread

[Named After Maddux]

Sigh. Eric’s new mock.

 

16. Chicago Cubs – Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State

As the draft approaches, Bailey is the one college hitter who appears to be slipping down the board, and I think a team with a track record of drafting safe college players will just take him. I also have the Cubs attached to Alika Williams, though I’m not sure if they’d cut for him here or if that’d be in Round 2.

 

Abel, Bitsko, Hendrick and Mitchell all were available.

 

I'm a hard pass on that. The Cubs seem like they've been connected to a wide variety of players. I'm hoping they're just keeping everything close to the vest and it's all conjecture. Eric's statement in the mock even make it seem like that. If we're going to reach for an ASU infielder, give me Gage Workman.

[Hrubes20]

Sigh. Eric’s new mock.

 

16. Chicago Cubs – Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State

As the draft approaches, Bailey is the one college hitter who appears to be slipping down the board, and I think a team with a track record of drafting safe college players will just take him. I also have the Cubs attached to Alika Williams, though I’m not sure if they’d cut for him here or if that’d be in Round 2.

 

Abel, Bitsko, Hendrick and Mitchell all were available.

 

I'm really hoping that Williams blurb doesn't come to fruition. I don't want a faster Darwin Barney as a mid-1st round pick.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

This guy is with Prospects Live. First time I’ve seen Jones mentioned with the Cubs.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://twitter.com/keithlaw/status/1270812880745697281?s=21

 

Keith Law updated his mock just now. Went from Foscue this morning to PCA.

 

16. Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) School

 

I was told Detmers wouldn’t get past the Cubs, and if he and Crow-Armstrong are gone, they might go with Justin Foscue. They’re also one of the teams most linked to Abel. It’s worth noting that the Cubs haven’t taken a high school pitcher in the first round since 2005 (Mark Pawelek), and haven’t taken any high school player in the first round since 2012 (Albert Almora), but they’ve changed scouting directors this year and appear to have a new approach to the draft.

[Hrubes20]

 

This guy is with Prospects Live. First time I’ve seen Jones mentioned with the Cubs.

 

I like Jones a good bit, as far as prep RHPs go. He would be a really nice option if there in the 2nd.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[toonsterwu]

Garrett Mitchell’s junior year fall reminds me of Trea Turner’s. Both were well regarded, athletic prospects who fell due to injury/health issues and swing concerns.

 

No one knew what Trea Turner's ultimate position was going to be and most scouts had doubts he could stick at SS.

 

Yeah, some similarities for sure. Turner is the better athlete, but Mitchell is also very good athletically. I don't know if the Padres or Nats did anything to his swing or if he just got stronger naturally? I'd have to ask.

 

Off the top, I don't recall a huge swing change for Turner. I'm sure there's been tinkering, but I think the biggest change was that he made a concerted effort to improve his approach and discipline at his plate. I recall a few articles about that.

 

Reading some of the reports on Mitchell and youtube clips, it's an odd comparison, but the first thought (since I follow the program a bit more) is a more disciplined Jarrett Parker, who had a similar gap approach due to Davenport. Of course, a more disciplined Jarrett Parker opens the door to other comparisons. Parker, with the Giants, tried to adjust for power, and struggled, but his struggles were due to the awful discipline that led to K rates at around 30%.

 

I'd be fine with Garrett Mitchell, but don't love it.

[Regular Show]

WOW... The Orioles took Heston Kjerstad this high? That could be a mistake, maybe a big mistake in a few years.

 

In their book Future Value, they mention some of the poor decision-making of the Houston Astros and how they almost took Max Fried #1 over Carlos Correa in 2012.

 

The Orioles GM comes from the Astros and has the same mindset -- try to be aggressive at the top and save money when you have similarly ranked prospects at the very top. I don't think Heston Kjerstad is as good as Austin Martin, but we'll see. I think it was a big mistake IMO.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Regular Show

[toonsterwu]

Honestly, I'd love a Bitsko gamble, as much as a part of me hopes he somehow slips out of the first round and heads to UVA. That said, I'm not really expecting it. Don't know if I really buy this sudden switch to HS picks, particularly this year. Also, I don't recall Kantrovitz's run in St. Louis as being heavy on HS upside early. I could see them go with someone who comes cheaper, maybe Foscue, and trying to take a gamble in the 2nd.

That said, I don't know who my preference is in the first. I actually sort of like the Pete Crow-Armstrong nod, and Kantrovitz was in charge when the Cardinals picked Flaherty from Harvard-Westlake.

 

Dunno, I wonder if they end up going for a college arm, maybe someone like Beeter.

[toonsterwu]

WOW... The Orioles took Heston Kjerstad this high? That could be a mistake, maybe a big mistake in a few years.

 

Wasn't that a late rumor, though? That Kjerstad could be in the mix to save money to spend big later?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I expect Baltimore is just saving money to go overslot later. But I don’t trust Miami to not be pinching pennies.

[Regular Show]

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Lol

[Post Count Padder]

Two big surprises early. How much of this is trusting their scouts and how much is saving money?

[Regular Show]

I have Austin Martin as my #1 prospect over Spencer Torkelson in my rankings, so I find this all really weird...

 

Zac Veen is still my top ranked HS bat and I'm really surprised how this draft has proceeded.

[toonsterwu]

I expect Baltimore is just saving money to go overslot later. But I don’t trust Miami to not be pinching pennies.

 

The one thing I'll say on that Meyer pick is that he sort of seems to fit the mold of athletic arms that they've tried to go after. It's entirely possible that they are pinching pennies, as with the Marlins, it's show me before anyone buys it, but I can sort of rationalize in my head that they thought he fit their mold and his strong showing this year was enough as an upside nod. This isn't to say I love it, but I can sort of see an upside nod here. Hancock doesn't particularly fit their mold, and I don't know, but I never really got on board the Asa Lacy hype (partly because I don't follow as much as before). If they wanted an arm, it sort of makes sense.

[Regular Show]

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Mayhem indeed.

[Cubswin11]

The Jays have 2014/15 Cubs like position player potential

[toonsterwu]

The Jays have 2014/15 Cubs like position player potential

 

It's a devastating group, if they all develop. I wonder what the plan with Martin is ... I'm thinking long range 3rd. That said, they probably didn't expect him there.

[Cubswin11]

The Jays have 2014/15 Cubs like position player potential

 

It's a devastating group, if they all develop. I wonder what the plan with Martin is ... I'm thinking long range 3rd. That said, they probably didn't expect him there.

Yeah, I’d assume they’d try SS/CF because of positional value. But maybe they just Zobrist him from the start.

[Cubswin11]

If Veen gets to 12 or so I’m gonna start getting excited

[Regular Show]

If Veen gets to 12 or so I’m gonna start getting excited

 

We're not getting him unfortunately. I'd be ecstatic, but it isn't happening...

[Regular Show]

My top 3 HS bats:

 

Zac Veen

Tyler Soderstrom

Robert Hassell

 

I'm a big fan of Hassell, but I'm not sure about the power or how much power he develops. I think he can stick in CF.

[Regular Show]

Well, there goes my favorite HS bat and maybe the player with the highest upside in this draft.

 

[Regular Show]

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Damn it.

 

Well, I heard the White Sox were targeting him too so at least they don't get him.

[Cubswin11]

My top 3 HS bats:

 

Zac Veen

Tyler Soderstrom

Robert Hassell

 

I'm a big fan of Hassell, but I'm not sure about the power or how much power he develops. I think he can stick in CF.

Soderstrom or Mitchell at 16 hopefully