2016 Blue Jays Draft Signing Thread

[Krylian]

Is Bo Bichette Dante's son?

 

Biggio also?

 

Both

[King]

Ryan Gold prepared to sign if the Jays meet his bonus demands.

 

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/high-school/article83221172.html

 

Ryan Gold was paying attention to the Major League Baseball Draft and specifically what the Toronto Blue Jays were doing.

 

When the Carolina Forest player’s name was called in the 27th round and the organization had picked only one other catcher in any of the previous rounds, he took it as a positive sign.

 

“It’s a dream come true,” Gold said after the Blue Jays selected him No. 822 overall on Saturday. “It’s a lot of hard work that has paid off. Whatever happens, and whatever I do will be in the best interest of my family. I’m ready to take on whatever comes next. I think for me and my family, I’m pretty sure that we may take the offer that Toronto gives us.”

 

If the range that Gold and his family gave Toronto comes to fruition and a deal is accepted, it would preclude his commitment to Coastal Carolina.

 

Gold signed with the Chanticleers in November, and he said he has already spoken with CCU head coach Gary Gilmore and associate headcCoach Kevin Schnall about the future.

 

“They are very convincing with their arguments. But they are also very supportive for me,” Gold said. “The money isn’t everything for me. I just want to play baseball. The [slotted signing bonus] isn’t the only cash that [the Blue Jays] have. They could save up. Honestly, whatever they have for me – we talked, we’ve given them a range. We’re not 100 percent sure what they’re going to offer.”

 

The choice between professional baseball and a team playing for a spot in the College World Series this weekend presented itself after Gold showed off a rare offensive and defensive skill set in two states.

 

After moving to the area from New Jersey last summer, he took over the Panthers’ starting catcher position and hit .349 with 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 22 RBIs. He helped Carolina Forest reach the Class AAAA Lower State finals and was named to the North-South All-Star game, although he withdrew due to a scheduling conflict.

 

Gold is the first Carolina Forest player drafted directly out of high school since former pitcher Erich Knab (13th round) in 2012 and the third overall in school history. Paul Hazeres was selected in the 39th round in 2001 by the Astros.

 

The area has had a number of other selections, as well, most notably Conway’s Grant Holmes, who was picked in the first round by the Dodgers in 2014, and Dylan Thompson, who was selected in the fourth round last June by the Seattle Mariners out of Socastee. In total, including Gold, the Grand Strand has had 17 players picked straight out of high school in more than a half century of the draft.

 

“Today is a great day,” Gold said. “I’m just going to enjoy it.”

[Krylian]

That's Gold, Jerry..... Gold!!

[FrozenRopes]

Let me know if any of these guys play in the lower mainland of bc. I am a bit of an unprofessional scout paid by myselfmyself.

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

King how many of the new guys have you been stalking on Twitter ?

 

Have any Arrived in Dunedin or signed yet?

 

Any following you on Twitter yet, talking to you?

 

How things with the Twitter gig going?

[Brownie19]

Jake Wilson of NEW LOWELL Ontario was drafted in the 39th round by the Red Sox. That's hamlet of like 500 people just south of Wasaga Beach where I currently play ball. It's not everyday that some kid out of Angus High School gets drafted to The Show.

 

http://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadianbaseballnetwork/2016-draft-list//of-jake-wilson-39th-round-1168th-overall-boston-red-sox

 

http://www.overthemonster.com/2016/6/11/11910236/2016-mlb-draft-results-red-sox-picks-rounds-31-to-40

 

 

I love this write up:

 

"Another high school center fielder, Wilson is committed to Salt Lake Community College, which means he’d be draft-eligible again next year. He’s also unranked and without any scouting reports from either Baseball America or MLB, so make of that what you will."

[Krylian]

Atkins on with the broadcast team on The FAN 590 right now talking draft.

 

Saying he expects the majority of the draftees to new in Florida within the next couple of days and doesn't expect many will be dragging out their decision. Says a lot of work was done up front to be prepared so they could get them going and start playing ASAP.

 

Says there wasn't specifically a College centric philosophy for the draft. Just looking for good players.

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Nothing Happening on this Front yet?

 

Have any arrived in town?

 

What's going down?

 

King save us now!

 

Oh and Shave the f***ing beard! Lol

[Krylian]

Nothing Happening on this Front yet?

 

Have any arrived in town?

 

What's going down?

 

King save us now!

 

Oh and Shave the f***ing beard! Lol

 

You worried?

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

You worried?

 

Nope, craving updates, something or anything!!!

 

Have any arrived, showed up been spotted, twitter'd or tweeted???

 

Lol

[KevinGregg]

It's difficult to get too excited over any of these guys. bump this thread in 2 years and we'll see what we have

[Spanky99]

It's difficult to get too excited over any of these guys. bump this thread in 2 years and we'll see what we have

 

You can say this every year, hell bump it in 3 or 4 depends where these kids come from.

[King]

It's difficult to get too excited over any of these guys. bump this thread in 2 years and we'll see what we have

 

Thanks for informing us.

[Pendleton]

It's difficult to get too excited over any of these guys. bump this thread in 2 years and we'll see what we have

 

Oh darn, was expecting half them to be September call ups. Thanks for the heads up!

[Spanky99]

Thanks for informing us.

 

So much dumn.

[KevinGregg]

point was, why is he craving updates on something so insignificant. 90% of these kids will sign. then we will never hear about most of them again

[King]

point was, why is he craving updates on something so insignificant. 90% of these kids will sign. then we will never hear about most of them again

 

Some people like following prospects dude.

[Krylian]

point was, why is he craving updates on something so insignificant. 90% of these kids will sign. then we will never hear about most of them again

 

I'm glad you're not our closer anymore.

[Pendleton]

point was, why is he craving updates on something so insignificant. 90% of these kids will sign. then we will never hear about most of them again

 

Go visit any forum for any pro sports team and you'll find someone getting excited over prospects.

[flafson]

It has been a few years since we started to follow those drafts on this board, maybe we can look back on the earliest one and see what people think vs the comments we all posted back then.

Problem is, not sure if it's long enough period of time to actually come to any meaningful conclusions.

[Krylian]

Retweeted 13 times

Jim CallisVerified account ‏@jimcallisMLB 24h24 hours ago

8th-rder Kyle Weatherly signs w/@BlueJays for $250k (pick 252 value = $174,700). Grayson (Texas) CC RHP, FB to 95, SL plus at best @MLBDraft

[King]

Jim CallisVerified account ‏@jimcallisMLB 20h20 hours ago

3rd-rder Zach Jackson, @BlueJays agree on $540k (pick 102 = $585,100). Arkansas RHP, 93-95 to 97, hammer brk ball is even better. @MLBDraft

 

Zach Jackson signs for underslot. 540k

 

Here's a Spencer van Scoyoc post draft interview: http://www.kcrg.com/content/sports/Sunday-Night-Spotlight-Spencer-Van-Scoyoc-382647241.html

 

Greg Thompson ‏@gregthompson27 Jun 12

Just spoke with #Telecom alum & 4th round pick Josh Palacios - says he'll be signing, leaves for #BlueJays extended spring training tomorrow

Palacios is signing.

 

 

Jim CallisVerified account ‏@jimcallisMLB 9m9 minutes ago

7th-rder Andy Ravel signs w/@BlueJays for $186,900 (pick 222 value). Kent State RHP, mixes four pitches, SL is his best. @MLBDraft

 

Ravel signs for slot value.

[King]

Winckowski is waiting to see what the Jays offer before deciding.

 

http://www.naplesnews.com/sports/high-school/baseball/prep-baseball-estero-pitcher-winckowski-drafted-by-blue-jays-in-round-15-341005de-6b0c-17b3-e053-010-382591041.html

 

In a surprise to almost everyone but himself, his adviser and the team that took him, Estero right-handed pitcher Josh Winckowski was the first local player to be taken in this year's three-day Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft that concluded Saturday with Rounds 11-40.

 

The Toronto Blue Jays made Winckowski (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) the 462nd overall pick, tabbing him in the 15th round.

 

"Talking to my adviser, this is kind of where I was projected, 12 to 15th" said Winckowski, a Florida SouthWestern State college signee. "I think I did surprise a few people, but I think I threw well in front of the right people at the right time. I flew under a lot of radars. Perfect Game didn't even have me ranked within the top 500, so I think a lot of people missed out on me."

 

Gulf Coast third baseman Drew Puglielli (5-11, 175) was picked by the Chicago White Sox in the 40th round (1,196th overall).

 

Puglielli batted .478 with 16 RBIs last season.

 

Meanwhile, Barron Collier catcher Marc Coffers (6-0, 180), the Naples Daily News Player of the Year who was projected to be drafted during Friday's Rounds 3-10, spiraled all the way out of the draft, probably because he signed with Mississippi State, an SEC program with which he can much improve his stock.

 

Winckowski's mom, Colleen, mostly did the keeping up while home with her son.

 

They had a big hug at the news.

 

"Really nice moment," Winckowski said.

 

A Daily News All-Area performer, Winckowski was 5-3 with a 1.41 ERA and a save last season. He had 85 strikeouts against only 18 walks. He threw "a couple of times" in front of Blue Jays representatives and "threw really well."

 

It's not a done deal that Winckowski will go pro before next season. He's looking for a certain signing bonus — he declined to say how much — and plans to make a decision on whether to go with the Blue Jays or with Florida SouthWestern State's second-year junior college program. That will probably come within the week.

 

"I'm not quite sure yet," Winckowski said. "There's a chance I could go to college. They've got a really nice field (City of Palms Stadium). They struggled a little bit last year (22-28), but I feel with myself and a couple other pitchers and position players, we could make an impact. The 2016 signing class is really solid. We've got a couple of really big arms coming in."

 

Florida SouthWestern State sophomore left-handed pitcher Willie Rios was taken in the 16th round (481st overall) by the Baltimore Orioles to become the Buccaneers' first-ever draftee.

 

Cape Coral-Island Coast second baseman Anthony Churlin was taken in the 16th round (472 overall) by the Oakland A's. Churlin (6-1, 185) batted .357 with 30 RBIs and three home runs last season. He had 34 steals.

 

 

 

Interview with Connor Eller. He's in Dunedin right now and has signed.

http://www.foxsportsarkansas.com/minor-league-pitcher-connor-eller/

 

 

 

 

Mike Ellenbest is in Dunedin and has signed.

 

http://www.valleyvanguardonline.com/svsu-ace-ellenbest-drafted-toronto-blue-jays/

 

For the first time since 2012, the SVSU baseball program had a player taken in the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Redshirt sophomore and ace of the Cardinal pitching staff Mike Ellenbest was taken in the 24th round by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, June 11, 2016.

 

Ellenbest, who has been living and playing baseball in Wisconsin for the Green Bay Bullfrogs, was at practice when he found out for himself.

 

“I knew I’d be drafted Saturday, I just didn’t know what round other than that it would be after the 10th,” Ellenbest said. “I was at the field and we were taking batting practice, and I was on the draft tracker online just looking. The 24th round came up and it was (the Blue Jays) pick and there was my name.”

 

A few minutes later, Ellenbest got a call from the Blue Jays to inform him of the news. Toronto was considering taking Ellenbest in the 19th round, and then told him it would either be the 23rd or 24th round that he would be selected.

 

“It is a great feeling to get a guy to the next level,” SVSU head baseball coach Chris Ebright said. “It shows everyone involved that the hard work we put in does pay off.”

 

Ellenbest will have very little time to take it all in before diving into professional baseball. He leaves Monday for the Blue Jays spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, where he will participate in a three day minicamp with the other Blue Jay draftees, before being sent to either Vancouver, Canada (Short-Season Single A), or Bluefield, West Virginia (Rookie Ball), to begin his minor league career.

 

Ellenbest could have chosen to come back to SVSU for his redshirt junior season, but felt the opportunity was too great to pass up on.

 

“It totally depended on the situation, what they gave me and how high I got drafted,” Ellenbest said. “It would’ve had to have been a very different scenario for me to go back to school. I was comfortable with what they gave me. I couldn’t say no.”

 

In his two years at SVSU, Ellenbest turned himself into one of the top pitchers in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). As a redshirt freshman, he was named the GLIAC’s freshman Pitcher of the Year, along with being Second Team All-GLIAC. This past season, he tallied a 5-4 record, striking out 53 in 69 innings with an ERA of 3.52, and was First Team All-GLIAC.

 

“He has worked very hard to get where he is,” Ebright said. “He has done everything us coaches have put in front of him, including lifting and conditioning. He has been a dominant pitcher in our conference, and has won GLIAC awards each of the past two seasons, where every coach in our conference voted for him.”

 

Assistant coach Jordan Schwellenbach, who serves as SVSU’s pitching coach and worked very closely with Ellenbest had high praise as well.

 

“Every time Mike was on the mound we had a chance to win,” Schwellenbach said. “During his scoreless inning streak this season there was no better pitcher in Division II baseball. Mike works extremely hard and has been rewarded by the Blue Jays. Mike is also a very good teammate who spends a lot of time working with our younger pitchers.”

 

Ellenbest’s repertoire features four pitches, including a fastball that has jumped from the mid-eighties when he arrived at SVSU to as high as 93 mph this season. He also throws a curveball, slider and changeup.

 

“His greatest strength is that he can throw all four pitches for strikes in any count,” Schwellenbach said.

 

So far this summer, Ellenbest had been dominant for the Bullfrogs. In two starts for Green Bay he allowed only nine hits and one earned run, boasting an ERA of just 0.81.

 

Not only will Ellenbest benefit greatly from being drafted, the SVSU baseball program should reap the benefits as well.

 

“As for recruiting, it will definitely help,” Ebright said. “We tell our recruits that it doesn’t matter if you are Division I or Division II, scouts will find you if you are good enough and Mike is a great example of that. We have been out recruiting the past two years finding these types of players. Hopefully through more hard work we can get a few more to the next level.”

 

As for Ellenbest, after the hoopla of being drafted, planning his trip to Florida, and beginning a unique step in an athlete’s life, he will soon be able to get back to what he is most comfortable with: stepping on the mound and competing with some of the world’s top hitters.

[bronson44]

Didn't see this one up on your board

 

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisMLB 2h2 hours ago

2nd-rder J.B. Woodman signs w/@BlueJays for $975k (pick 57 = $1,124,000). Mississippi OF, leads SEC w/14 HR, solid speed, maybe CF @MLBDraft

[King]

Ryan Gold changed his twitter bio to "Catcher in the blue jays organization" and has apparently signed in Dunedin.

 

[King]

Didn't see this one up on your board

 

Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisMLB 2h2 hours ago

2nd-rder J.B. Woodman signs w/@BlueJays for $975k (pick 57 = $1,124,000). Mississippi OF, leads SEC w/14 HR, solid speed, maybe CF @MLBDraft

 

Nice. Searched Woodman... didn't see that though. Underslot too!

[King]

Blake Ebo is open to signing.

 

http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/2016/06/14/baseball-ebo-benefits-change-scenery/85881934/

 

PHILADELPHIA - It’s amazing what a change of scenery did for Blake Ebo.

 

After spending his first three years at Paul VI High School, the instability of its baseball program combined with a family situation saw the Lumberton native move to Hamilton in Mercer County. He transferred to Trenton Catholic Academy and put together a tremendous senior season.

 

In one year with the Iron Mikes, Ebo took his game to another level and now finds himself with a major decision to make.

 

College or professional baseball?

 

A 6-foot-5 outfielder, Ebo was selected in the 28th round of last week’s MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He’s also committed to the University of the Pacific, a Division I program in Stockton, California.

 

“The coaching changes … There were three in my three years (at Paul VI) and it just wasn’t stable,” said Ebo, who started in right field for Burlington County in Tuesday’s Carpenter Cup Classic first-round game against the Philadelphia Catholic League, a 4-3 loss. “I knew the coach at TCA because of summer ball, so that helped. I definitely worked hard but wasn’t given the opportunity I needed.

 

“I needed to develop and the opportunity would be there at TCA. Keith Naylor, our coach, really helped get me where I am now.”

 

Ebo said he probably would have left Paul VI even if he wasn’t forced to move. He played on the freshman team and then JV as a sophomore. He did play varsity in his junior year, but he needed something more.

 

So, how did Ebo go from someone under the radar to a draft pick in one year? What didn’t happen at Paul VI that happened at TCA?

 

“That’s what people are trying to wrap their head around,” he said.

 

“Keith Naylor took me in and always said I had it. He just had to unlock it, and he did that this year.”

 

Ebo batted a team-leading .508 (33-for-65) for Trenton Catholic. He also led the team in doubles (10), triples (3), home runs (2) and runs scored (28), while stealing 12 bases and collecting eight walks.

 

Things all began to come together at the end of last summer.

 

“Something just clicked,” Ebo said. “I started driving the ball. I got faster. … Everything just got better.

 

“I’m a late bloomer. Some scouts said if they found me sooner and I developed sooner, I probably would have been a Top 10 rounder. Everything happens for a reason.”

 

Ebo said the Blue Jays, Padres, Brewers and Braves were the teams that showed the most interest. Toronto was the first to show significant interest beginning last summer.

 

“It was just a matter of when and who,” he said of the draft process.

 

Ebo said he and his family will sit down with Toronto officials soon.

 

“It’s amazing. I had a lot of doubters,” he said. “It was always in me, but it was on me. Dream big and work hard. You can’t allow anyone to tell you you can’t do something.

 

“My dream is to play Major League Baseball. If the opportunity is there, I have to take it.”

[King]

Andrew Deramo has signed

 

[Krylian]

Jays Journal and 1 other Retweeted

Chris Cotillo ‏@ChrisCotillo 7m7 minutes ago

Source: Blue Jays should complete deal with 1st-rdr. TJ Zeuch by the end of the week.

23 retweets 20 likes

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Things really starting to hum and seems we are getting some signings now too!!! Yes Yes Yes !!!

 

King do we have a Money tracker ???

 

How are we doing plus minus wise so far?