2021 MLB Actual Draft Day(s) Thread

[Tryptamine]

I always love what the Blue Jays do in the draft.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Boring:

 

[Bertz]

Boring:

 

 

Yeah, safe and boring. Though I'm not sure anyone else on the board was all that exciting for me so take best value and get some more wow and tools later on.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Love this pick. What’s his name? What position does he play?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

And the White Sox immediately do something fun:

 

[Bertz]

Keith Law

 

13. Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State

 

Wicks is the “safe” college lefty, with a plus-plus changeup and excellent feel to pitch, working to both sides of the plate with the fastball, although he’s been hit a little bit more than you’d like this spring and the breaking ball is a clear third pitch for him.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA ranked him 13th.

 

13 Jordan Wicks, Kansas State, LHP

 

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 220 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.9

RapScore: 47

 

BA Grade: 55 | Risk: High

Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 70 | Control: 65

 

With arguably the best changeup in the draft class, intriguing fastball metrics and a track record of performance, Wicks could easily become Kansas State’s first-ever first-rounder, and the first lefthander off the board in July. The solidly-built, 6-foot-3, 220-pound southpaw has been up to 95 mph in all of his outings this year for the Wildcats, regularly sitting 92-93 with run, cut, and ride to his fastball that allows for incredible deception and disappearing action. His low-80s changeup is his most lethal weapon, and the Arkansas native relies on the plus-plus offering as much as any guy with a 70-grade secondary would. Wicks has improved his slider from being fringe-average at best to flashing plus throughout the 2021 season, and he has a curveball in the upper 70s to round out his repertoire. The lefty has great feel to pitch and extreme competitiveness that have helped him find success in the Big 12 Conference, despite pitching in a hitter-friendly home park in front of a defense that he hasn’t always been able to rely on. Wicks has earned multiple honors in each of his three years at Kansas State, consistently performing and improving. Following up his summer in the Northwoods League, where the 21-year-old posted a 0.45 ERA over four starts and 20 innings with a 29-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, this season for the Wildcats, Wicks made 15 starts and threw 92.1 innings. He posted a 3.70 ERA, allowing 90 hits and an opponent average of .249, walking 28 and striking out 118. In 203 career innings in the Big 12, he walked 58 and struck out 230. Wicks is a high-floor lefthanded strike-thrower with a history of college performance, and there just aren’t many like him in the draft class. Though he’s not a flamethrower, he can’t be labeled a ‘vanilla stuff’ pitcher with his standout changeup and the fact that his fastball plays like an invisiball.

[Hrubes20]

Super meh.

[Derwood]

Rush him to the bigs so that 60% of our rotation are change up experts Edited July 12, 2021 by Derwood

[CaliforniaRaisin]

16 Jordan Wicks LHP, Kansas State

 

Scouting Grades/Report (20-80 grading scale)

 

FASTBALL 55

CURVEBALL 45

SLIDER 55

CHANGEUP 65

CONTROL 55

OVERALL 55

 

Kansas State has never had a first-round pick or a pitcher selected in the top three rounds, but that's on the verge of changing. Wicks is clearly the top left-hander available in the 2021 Draft and has a longer track record of success than most of this year's college pitchers. He won the Big 12 Conference freshman of the year award in 2019, allowed one run in four starts during the truncated 2020 season before posting a 0.52 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings between two summer leagues, then set school records for single-season (118) and career (230) strikeouts this spring.

 

Wicks has the best changeup in the Draft, a low-80s weapon with tumble and depth that he sells with deceptive arm speed, earning plus-plus grades from some evaluators. He sets it up with a fastball that has added about 5 mph since high school, now sitting at 90-93 mph and hitting 95 with high spin rates that give it riding action. He has improved his low-80s slider to the point where it's now a solid offering, and he also can morph it into a harder cutter and mix in an upper-70s curveball.

 

Wicks works with little effort, easily repeating his delivery and pounding the strike zone while working both sides of the plate. In addition to his stuff and command, he earns praise for his competitiveness and inventiveness on the mound. One scout likened him to Reid Detmers, the No. 10 overall choice in 2020 by the Angels, with a changeup rather than a curveball as his dominant pitch.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Oh OK, Wicks is a good quality pick. Similar to Kantrovitz's Marco Gonzales pick except minus a TJ and a little more velocity. Maybe there's a little more velocity in there too

 

Wacha obviously had better velocity but also had a plus changeup.

 

It’s a good pick, it’s good value, it’s just not sexy. Admittedly there’s a lot of high ceiling volatility in the backfields and Myrtle Beach so a bit of safety isn’t the end of the world.

[CubinNY]

I’m going to parrot TT and say I like this pick. Rush him to the bigs in a year or two. I obviously know not what I’m talking about.

[Bertz]

So the command is plus, the changeup is plus plus, and the fastball has average velo (maybe a smidge below), but the good combo of spin/shape/efficiency/whatever that allows it to play well up in the zone, and the slider is meh.

 

Seems like a good fit for an org that has had good luck teaching guys curveballs.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

ESPN/Kiley McDaniel:

 

22. Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State

 

Steady college lefty with an average fastball/slider, but above-average command and a ridiculous plus-plus changeup along with standout makeup.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Fangraphs had him 17th with a 45 FV:

 

Full Report

Wicks has arguably the best changeup in the 2021 draft and his fastball, while not all that hard, has traits that enable it to play at the top of the strike zone, though Wicks hasn't yet worked up there with it. His breaking stuff is mediocre but workable so long as those pitches are located well, which Wicks' general feel for strike-throwing suggests they will be. After the Vanderbilt arms, Wicks is the surest healthy bet to stick in a rotation and move through the minors quickly. If his breaking ball improves, he'll be a mid-rotation starter.

[Hrubes20]

Part of me wonders if this pick was made with the knowledge that the pitch lab could likely add some velo, as it has for so many the past year. I’d like it a lot more if they felt confident there. I wanted to avoid the 2nd tier of college SPs altogether.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Part of me wonders if this pick was made with the knowledge that the pitch lab could likely add some velo, as it has for so many the past year. I’d like it a lot more if they felt confident there. I wanted to avoid the 2nd tier of college SPs altogether.

 

And/or confident in their ability to teach and improve curves.

[CubinNY]

Wicks is having a really good interview on MLB on Serius/XM. Sounds really smart and well thought out.

[Hrubes20]

Part of me wonders if this pick was made with the knowledge that the pitch lab could likely add some velo, as it has for so many the past year. I’d like it a lot more if they felt confident there. I wanted to avoid the 2nd tier of college SPs altogether.

 

And/or confident in their ability to teach and improve curves.

 

Gonna have to dig some more to find out if it was the mediocre heater or the mediocre breaking stuff that resulted in all the hard contact. 9 HRs allowed this year and an ERA of 3.71.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[Post Count Padder]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Bertz]

[toonsterwu]

I don't mind the Wicks pick. I'm not as enthused about Wicks as most as I don't love that he seems to get hit off his fastball too much and his breaking stuff is very average. There's probably a bit more in the tank, hopefully, and the profile is solid. They keep comparing to Detmers, but I still don't get why Detmers was so huge last year, at least relative to where he was picked. To be clear, considering where we picked, I'm not complaining about Wicks. I hope they are right on him, although I just worry that we drafted high floor more than ceiling, which is fine but less exciting.

 

I do like the depth of options in the 2nd/3rd round. I think the Cubs should still find some good options whatever route they go. I thought college arms in that 2nd/3rd range was going to be pretty strong.

 

Picking Wicks likely eats up the slot, so doubtful we take longshot gambles on HS kids unless it's coming in the 2nd/3rd, where you might be able to finagle things around and make it work.

 

I'm obviously biased, but I don't see the huge gap from Wicks to, say, Andrew Abbott, and hence why I sort of preferred skipping on college arms in the first round.

[toonsterwu]

Leaving aside top picks, my favorite pick right now might be Gavin Williams to the Indians. It's the right system, but I believe in Williams, and I think his changeup should get better as he uses it more. He's a big strong kid who's still "growing" into his body in some respects, but has an electric fastball. I think scouting reports put the slider at 55, but he's going to a system that can really mold pitching.

 

All in all, I think it's a fantastic pick and system fit.