PriortoTheoIhadWood

I say this thread shou survive and thrive until someone even close to as good comes out of the Cubs system again. Edit: ^ There's a good sentence.

Nice pick.

Is this game on WGN? Reply quickly so I can run home! When I checked the paper in the morning they said it was MLBNetwork.

I like him a bit. I think he's got #3 starter upside. He wasn't in BA's most recent Top 60 but I think he'd be a nice pick at 43. Little crazy by BA...lefty who hits 95 with a breaking ball AND he's no dumby? That's at least a top 50 talent....I know Stanford has a stigma (BA actually has an article on this but it was about their bats IIRC), but sounds like a good time to buy low then because there's some strog talent on that roster.

Nice thanks...better athlete than Tucker. I'm just going to be pumping out questions and bs in this thread all Spring...Thoughts on Brett Mooneyham? There's an arm I'd like at 43...

2-3 years ago. Dallas Beeler intrigues me like he intrigues everyone. Timmers and a couple guys used to talk about him as a sinker/slider guy, but I've never read a full scouting report. Does he throw hard (guess - 88-91 with some 93s)? How good is his breaking pitch? Love that he gets ground balls, but this is his age 23 season so how optimistic should I be? Seems like a guy who might be a BOR type arm, BUT also seems like he's a notch up from the other BOR types in the system. Quick Google tells me that BA said he had the best control in the system....that's good considering he's not truly a junkballer (though he's probably close). 90-93. Probably has a #3 ceiling. Jake Westbrook type ceiling? I've used that comp for Ben Wells, but in Wells' favor he's bigger and probably has the ability to throw harder if things go well. Oh and I forgot about this video...much funnier with the sound off than on:

Not a huge bonus baby so much as the Cubs taking an upside HS faller who signed for above slot. Realistically speaking it's hard to find big bonus babies past the first comp (off the top of my head - feel free to correct because I can't think of a player example) unless the prospect is just a big time faller...either for signing reasons or something physical.

Mostly interested in O'Brien for catching depth, particularly since his bat is better than Gibbs. Wasn't aware of his glove issues, but now that you mention it when I saw him his glove didn't stand out. Not too big on Tucker either, BUT same thinking with the senior sign. Plus, he's a better senior draftee than most for sure IMO...His bat is interesting-ish. I guess as we get closer I'll learn more about upside guys who I want to take past (and well past) round one.

I should really use the fact that I signed up there and beg for Jeffry Baez updates in the XST game logs. I hold out hope that he's athletic/toolsy enough to back my urge to follow his prospect career after his quietly solid performance in the DSL last year.

2-3 years ago. Dallas Beeler intrigues me like he intrigues everyone. Timmers and a couple guys used to talk about him as a sinker/slider guy, but I've never read a full scouting report. Does he throw hard (guess - 88-91 with some 93s)? How good is his breaking pitch? Love that he gets ground balls, but this is his age 23 season so how optimistic should I be? Seems like a guy who might be a BOR type arm, BUT also seems like he's a notch up from the other BOR types in the system. Quick Google tells me that BA said he had the best control in the system....that's good considering he's not truly a junkballer (though he's probably close).

Oh wow kinda sad I missed another "Cliff Lee is amazing" performance. I'll have to wait 5 more days, amirite? Anyway, in his and Halladay's case I'm pretty pissed Philly can't hit a lick. Even Soriano might sound appealing to them...maybe? Hopefully?

True true....OTOH, the Cubs landed at least 3 tough HS signs past round one (Golden, Wells, and the lagging behind Reed) and the Padres in 2011 made 6 picks between rounds 1 and 2.

Yep, thats who I meant. Definitely heard some good things about Piscotty but there goes that. I like O'Brien more than Diekroger just on the numbers, but at 43 Diekroger becomes interesting because of the talent and all powerful P word. How do you think Buxton compares to those other pretty big name HS OF prospects?Do you think that long term he's a CF?

How does he compare to say a Jason Heyward as a prospect? First little clip of Heyward had me thinking stud, and I'm not sure I see the same for Buxton. I'm not even sure I like him as much as Starling, BUT I'll admit my feel is off on the HS guys this year. Most frequent comp I've seen is Justin Upton. I've also only seen him compared favorably to Starling. The only knock I've seen on Buxton so far is his level of competition. Iunno an Upton comp is high praise (I've read it too somewhere)...J Upton as a HS prospect was considered in the AROd/Griffey class of prospect...Probably one of the most well scouted and known HS players ever, and one that was a no doubt #1 overall...Not sure I get that vibe from Buxton but I certainly couldn't complain if he was the Cubs' pick. From just the clip I saw I'm not even sure I liked him as much as Austin Wilson or even Josh Bell out of HS, and I already mentioned Heyward. Not even sure if he's quite the athlete Starling is/was. Maybe I severely underrate...it's entirely possible considering I'm just some dude working off of YouTube clips...which btw as a side went from overrated to underrated when it comes to checking out draft talent in any sport for the amateur. Still prefer the pitchers if they fall but I always will...since Baez is the only really electric bat in the system and runs are so scarce nowadays I can see where the want for a super athletic big upside bat talent comes from. Who are the hitters who'd be interesting at 43? The Miami C? Preston Tucker as a LF bat prospect? Is there a chance the two interesting Stanford position guys are there?

Stupid school gym does not have WGN. OTOH Derek Holland is fun to watch pitch. Some of te best mechanics in the league, period. Even year Beckett not so much.

How does he compare to say a Jason Heyward as a prospect? First little clip of Heyward had me thinking stud, and I'm not sure I see the same for Buxton. I'm not even sure I like him as much as Starling, BUT I'll admit my feel is off on the HS guys this year.

If you really think about it the Cubs actually did what the Padres did with CS last year at 10...Took a college guy with like able tools who might be considered a reach and then splurged on guys after. Do we land upside guys like Wells, Golden, and Reed in 2010 otherwise? That's in doubt. Simpson getting hurt sucks, but like Toonster said only with hindsight is the pick truly a bad one. It was just another way of working the draft really. One that our new DoS used in SD the very next year.

Anyone else completely unimpressed with those names? Sale projects as a LF/DH...Wimmers is eh...Coward didn't want to pitch...Allie has great arm strength but is/was a major project even more than most HS pitchers...Could fault them for guys like Walker, but who saw that coming (not the Cubs scouting department!)? Biddle later on I liked alot, but no one saw him as a mid-first guy....Zach Lee was expensive... Of course there's plenty of ways to drive around or through this (Shark was a multi-sport athlete, yadda yadda waddle doodle), but a huge amount of Cubs fans wrote Shark off really quickly as well. All that defense aside...Shark stayed healthy and Simpson right now is looking like an injury bust...

Done the Porcello thing multiple times here and I stand by what I say: - K's are about the only thing he doesn't do well. He gets groundballs, throws strikes, stays healthy...These are huge and IMO outweigh the lack of strikeouts. This is particularly true since the bulk of his minor league appearances happened as a 19 moved quickly for only 125 innings...context...it's huge when gliding over numbers. Yes, I realize that K's are a pretty damn good predictive stat, but it's not the *only* predictive stat. - If you realize how young he is then you realize that it significantly turns the odds of him becoming a star in the majors in his favor. This is a guy who came up as a 20 year old and won 14 games (and yes, I realize that wins are frowned upon as a real stat) with essentially one pitch (his first two seasons saw him throwing his fastball 70% of the time, it's shrank to 65-68% in the past two years). Not only that but we've seen a steady decline in his xFIP from '09-'11 and through only a couple of starts this year he's beating last year's. We're only now seeing him incorporate more pitches on a somewhat consistent basis, and it's still in the very early stages of that. - Don't know if he'll ever be elite but do think Porcello will be a very good ML pitcher over the long haul, which is what this is all about right now. At his age many of the game's elite were going through the own struggles with their own statistical flaws...I still have a reeeeeeally tough time counting out a guy who's been above average since 20 with (basically) one pitch. I've caught both his starts this year and I fully expect I'll be proven right on this one over the long haul, because he's looked really [expletive] good. That sinker has the chance to be an elite pitch as time goes by...

Cardinals select TE Michael Egnew Missouri Might have went WR but Heap is the best TE on the roster. Egnew is a pass catcher anyway, and Brandon Brooks went one pick ahead (SO close). Has the size to be a complete TE and a help to Skelton/Fitzgerald and the underrated Doucet.

Bullpen Banter did a write up on Zimmer's mechanics: http://www.bullpenbanter.com/rtmenu/746-kyle-zimmer-video-a-breakdown I don't usually like late risers but hes really really interesting. Any interest in Stoman from Duke here? I love the arm but have to say no for the Cubs. Really want one of Gausman, Zimmer, or Appel.

Yeah, almost went with Marvin Jones but just didn't feel the heat. Someone will probably take him but there's just a crap ton of WRs worthy of being drafted this year...still a big fan of Jarius Wright.

Rotfl. Gold.

I think it depends on how Hultzen/Walker/Paxton develop as well as their bats...Ackley and Smoak can be big time players as well. There's the outside shot, but I think they trade him to supplement their new nucleus (if those guys work out). Another young ace to really look forward to...David Price...unless a miracle happens there's little to no chance he stays in Tampa forever. He'll be a FA the same year as Porcello and Upton, after 2015. Like with Upton, they'll trade him. If you don't like Porcello ignore the name drop there for now...but big things a'comin with that guy.

F yeah same here. Btw that VT CB was still on the board? Wow he'll go earlier.