MLB Draft 2017

[John_Havok]

I went with this one actually.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/get-to-know/

 

My spin was leaving off that he was coached by Aaron Hicks and Anthony Gose.

 

Gose struck out the side in his first inning on the mound in extended spring training. Tigers had him at 92-95 with the fastball, also throwing a curve and change

[King]

Brendan McKay hit 4 dingers today. Not making the 1st pick conversation easy

[TheHurl]

Brendan McKay hit 4 dingers today. Not making the 1st pick conversation easy

 

Adam Duvall 2.0

[Boxcar]

"Bukauskas drawing in cross checkers and scouting directors by the dozen, but they’ve been wowed by Beck, who has returned from a torn ACL to show premium tools, with potential 70 power, speed and defense with a plus arm."

 

That right there tells it all, it's still early.

 

They will cross check him to make sure the arm is durable

[baubau]

MLB has released their top 100 for the draft:

 

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2017?list=draft

[Nafro]

What's at the top of the 2018 draft? Looks like this may be relevant to us at some point.

[baubau]

What's at the top of the 2018 draft? Looks like this may be relevant to us at some point.

 

A lot can change by the time 2018 draft rolls around. I don't watch prospects but I have been reading / following names for this draft. J.J. Schwarz was touted to be a potential no. 1 or at least top 5-10 pick for this year's draft a year ago. Now he isn't even isn't even projected for the 1st round. The most interesting names to watch are probably Seth Beer, Brady Singer (previously drafted by the Jays) and Tristan Pompey (Pompey's younger brother). There is a lot more resource online that you can find then I could provide lol.

[strochez]

Oregon Pitcher David Peterson struck out 20 yesterday while allowing 4 hits and 1 walk in a CG Shoutout on 123 pitches. His delivery and arm angle reminds me of Andrew Miller, although Peterson's breaking ball seems more like a Bumgarner type slider rather than a sharp-breaking Miller slider. Could be a target for the Jays at 28 as MLB.com has him ranked at 31, although some pre draft helium could force the Jays hand at 22.

 

Here's a link to the game highlights from yesterday:

[baubau]

BA has a podcast on the mock draft/prospects: http://www.baseballamerica.com/viewpoint/mock-draft-podcast-april-21/#kSCBPtRXUJ0OQQP5.97

 

Edit: Talk about Jays around 36 min mark.

Edited April 30, 2017 by baubau

[Spanky99]

I'd love to get Burger at our spot.

[baubau]

Hero Sports posted their 150: http://herosports.com/mlb-draft/top-125-prospects-bukauskas-haseley-canning-heatherly-c6c6

Baseball America top 200: http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2017-top-200-mlb-draft-prospects/

[Terminator]

Oregon Pitcher David Peterson struck out 20 yesterday while allowing 4 hits and 1 walk in a CG Shoutout on 123 pitches. His delivery and arm angle reminds me of Andrew Miller, although Peterson's breaking ball seems more like a Bumgarner type slider rather than a sharp-breaking Miller slider. Could be a target for the Jays at 28 as MLB.com has him ranked at 31, although some pre draft helium could force the Jays hand at 22.

 

Here's a link to the game highlights from yesterday:

 

Gotta love college coaches.

[Daniel Labude]

I'd love to get Burger at our spot.

 

So would I...have a feeling we may be drafting a pitcher though

[Spanky99]

So would I...have a feeling we may be drafting a pitcher though

 

BPA would be best.

[Daniel Labude]

BPA would be best.

 

Agreed

[baubau]

BPA would be best.

 

Maybe Hurly (TheHurl) can share his thoughts but is this possible in baseball? For example, if the Twins rank Hunter Greene as the BPA in the draft yet he flat our refuses to sign with them and tells them ahead of time, would they not go with someone else? Or if a team isn't able to distribute their slot funds properly based on the players demand?

[metafour]

Maybe Hurly (TheHurl) can share his thoughts but is this possible in baseball? For example, if the Twins rank Hunter Greene as the BPA in the draft yet he flat our refuses to sign with them and tells them ahead of time, would they not go with someone else? Or if a team isn't able to distribute their slot funds properly based on the players demand?

 

Of course its possible, but the Twins can offer more money than anyone else, therefore the likelihood of ANY player declining to sign at #1 overall is extremely low because it means taking less money.

[Spanky99]

Maybe Hurly (TheHurl) can share his thoughts but is this possible in baseball? For example, if the Twins rank Hunter Greene as the BPA in the draft yet he flat our refuses to sign with them and tells them ahead of time, would they not go with someone else? Or if a team isn't able to distribute their slot funds properly based on the players demand?

 

What matafour said.

[John_Havok]

BPA would be best.

 

I agree, but as you know it usually comes down to BPA who's willing to sign. Every year you have lists of HS guys that tell teams they wont sign unless its top 5 money because they think they can go higher in 2 years.

[jays4life19]

BA's updated top 100 draft prospect list...

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/2017-top-100-mlb-draft-prospects/#F3ZcTx4GVkBryPEL.97

 

If anyone wants scouting reports from the top 50 I have them.

 

Seth Romero seems pretty intriguing to me.

 

"On pure talent, Romero is a top 10 prospect and among the top college pitchers in this year’s draft. He’s a lefthander with a chance to have three quality pitches: a 93-96 mph fastball, a slider and a changeup. Romero’s plus fastball is his primary weapon. Throwing from a low three-quarters slot, he does a good job of getting in on the hands of righthanded hitters and is capable of locating his fastball to either side of the plate. His low slot makes his fastball even tougher for lefties. His slider has excellent bite and is also a plus pitch. He uses his changeup less often, but it has deception and the potential to be at least average. Romero has shown a consistent ability to pound the strike zone while generating swings and misses. He was leading Division I with 15.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 2017. For his college career, he struck out 11.5 batters per nine while walking only 2.8 per nine. But as teams line up their draft boards, they’re surely spending as much time talking about questions about Romero’s makeup as they are discussing his swing-and-miss stuff. Romero was suspended during the 2016 season for what Houston termed a violation of team rules. He was suspended again this April, reinstated and then kicked off the team just a week after his reinstatement. Romero also had surgery during high school where a screw was inserted in his elbow. Scouts will have to feel comfortable that Romero’s problems stem more from immaturity than anything else, but at some point, likely in the first round, a team will view his talent as worth the risk, because he’s a three-pitch lefty who could move quickly. After throwing less than 50 innings for Houston, his limited workload makes it easier for a team to let him throw significant innings in his first pro season. And he has the stuff to potentially help out a big league club in the bullpen this fall."

[Bobthe4th]

If anyone wants scouting reports from the top 50 I have them.

 

Seth Romero seems pretty intriguing to me.

 

"On pure talent, Romero is a top 10 prospect and among the top college pitchers in this year’s draft. He’s a lefthander with a chance to have three quality pitches: a 93-96 mph fastball, a slider and a changeup. Romero’s plus fastball is his primary weapon. Throwing from a low three-quarters slot, he does a good job of getting in on the hands of righthanded hitters and is capable of locating his fastball to either side of the plate. His low slot makes his fastball even tougher for lefties. His slider has excellent bite and is also a plus pitch. He uses his changeup less often, but it has deception and the potential to be at least average. Romero has shown a consistent ability to pound the strike zone while generating swings and misses. He was leading Division I with 15.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 2017. For his college career, he struck out 11.5 batters per nine while walking only 2.8 per nine. But as teams line up their draft boards, they’re surely spending as much time talking about questions about Romero’s makeup as they are discussing his swing-and-miss stuff. Romero was suspended during the 2016 season for what Houston termed a violation of team rules. He was suspended again this April, reinstated and then kicked off the team just a week after his reinstatement. Romero also had surgery during high school where a screw was inserted in his elbow. Scouts will have to feel comfortable that Romero’s problems stem more from immaturity than anything else, but at some point, likely in the first round, a team will view his talent as worth the risk, because he’s a three-pitch lefty who could move quickly. After throwing less than 50 innings for Houston, his limited workload makes it easier for a team to let him throw significant innings in his first pro season. And he has the stuff to potentially help out a big league club in the bullpen this fall."

 

Would you mind posting Jake Burger's please? Cheers mate.

[jays4life19]

Would you mind posting Jake Burger's please? Cheers mate.

 

 

19 Jake Burger 3B Missouri State

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/2 210 R/R Never drafted

 

Much like Wake Forest third baseman Will Craig in 2016, Burger is the bad-bodied but big hitting third baseman whose track record of excellent offensive production will be hard for teams to ignore if they are looking for the safety of picking a college hitter. Burger’s power is some of the best in this draft class. He’s a fastball hitter with above-average bat speed who can catch up to premium velocity, but he’s also aware enough of the strike zone and has the pitch recognition to lay off tough off-speed offerings to put himself in fastball counts. Much like Todd Frazier, his swing includes an arm bar, but he’s been strong enough to make it work. In pro ball, his swing means he’ll likely sacrifice batting average for power. As of mid-May, he had 19 home runs, meaning he’s likely to reach 20 home runs for the second straight season and he does it while hitting for average (.344 career batting average) and while walking more than he’s struck out this season. Whether Burger can stick at third base will depend on how much work the team that drafts him is willing to do. His feet work relatively well and his arm is average and accurate, but he lacks a quick first step and is limited in his range.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

[metafour]

If anyone wants scouting reports from the top 50 I have them.

 

Evan White, Keston Hiura, Logan Warmoth

[Pendleton]

What are they saying about former Jays pick RHP Tanner Houck?

[jays4life19]

What are they saying about former Jays pick RHP Tanner Houck?

 

 

29 Tanner Houck RHP Missouri

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/5 218 R/R Blue Jays ’14 (12)

 

Houck has been one of the best pitchers in the Southeastern Conference since he arrived in 2015. He was also a stalwart for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team for two summers. Early this season, Houck’s stuff was a tick softer than it had been in the past. But as the weather warmed up, Houck started to return to form. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander’s unconventional delivery has long led to debates among scouts. He has plenty of arm speed, but he throws from a low arm slot and throws across his body–his front foot lands pointing somewhere between home and third base. He then spins off toward first base in his finish. It’s anything but direct to the plate, but that also helps make him deadly against righthanded hitters. They struggle to pick the ball up out of his hand and his 90-94 mph heater has outstanding sink. It’s a plus pitch and some scouts give it a 70 grade thanks to its movement. His slider garners average grades, and he’s started to develop his fringe-average changeup as he’s thrown it a bit more. But scouts are still trying to figure out what Houck will be. Some see the delivery and his sinker-heavy approach and see a future one-and-a-half pitch reliever. Others believe he’ll end up as a solid No. 3/4 starter who has enough of a changeup to keep lefties honest while his above-average control and sinkerball beats up righthanders.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

[jays4life19]

Evan White, Keston Hiura, Logan Warmoth

 

 

43 Evan White 1B/OF Kentucky

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/3 200 B/L Never drafted

 

White is not your typical college first baseman. Usually college first baseman are players who can’t handle another position. White, who wears number 19 because it’s Joey Votto’s number, is athletic enough and fast enough (he’s an above-average runner) to play in the outfield and his plus arm would fit in right field. But White is such a gifted defender at first base that Kentucky has kept him in the dirt. He’s a 70 defender at first on the 20-to-80 scouting scale with range, the hands to scoop balls out of the dirt and excellent flexibility. He’s shown himself to be an adequate corner outfielder when he got some time in the grass while playing for USA Baseball’s College National Team last summer. And he has a long track record of hitting–he hit .318 as a freshman, hit .376 as a sophomore and was posting similar stats as a junior, having shaken off hip and hamstring injuries that sidelined him early in 2017. White projects as an above-average or even plus hitter. But scouts do understandably wonder about White’s power. He generally earns fringe-average power grades from scouts and he’s never reached double digits in home runs at Kentucky. As a righthanded hitting, lefthanded throwing first baseman/corner outfielder White is going to have to hit for at least average power in pro ball. He does have some athleticism and the frame to add some more weight.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

 

_____

 

 

20 Keston Hiura 2B/LF UC Irvine

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/1 188 R/R Never drafted

 

Hiura will be one of the toughest calls in the draft, as one of the top college bats available with projection needed for his defense and future position. Offensively, Hiura has few peers in college, as he hit 14 homers as a prep senior in Southern California’s strong Foothill League, then hit his way onto USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team with two strong seasons to begin his career at UC Irvine. He was one of Team USA’s top hitters while playing DH last summer, then ranked among national leaders in batting, walks, on-base and slugging percentage through early May this spring. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Hiura has a compact swing path, present strength and plus bat speed. Combine that with a feel for the barrel and excellent strike-zone judgment, and Hiura was producing as much hard contact as any hitter in the country. Scouts who like him grade him as a plus hitter with plus power, while others see him above-average (55 on the 20-80 scouting scale) rather than a true plus (60). Hiura has an elbow injury that has kept him from playing in the field since April 2016, and while he had a platelet-rich plasma injection in January that had his arm feeling better, he has not thrown this spring, though he usually takes ground balls in pregame. An average runner who played center and left field in his first two years, Hiura could be an outfielder and could be a second baseman, but most teams believe he’s having elbow surgery as soon as he signs.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

 

______

 

 

25 Logan Warmoth SS North Carolina

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/1 189 R/R Never drafted

 

Warmoth played his travel ball with the Orlando Scorpions as a teammate of Brendan Rogers (No. 3 overall pick in 2015) and Virginia outfielder Adam Haseley, also a likely first-round pick in 2017. A starter since early in his freshman season at North Carolina, Warmoth started to emerge offensively as a sophomore, hit well in the Cape Cod League (.270 with four home runs) and was having an All-America-caliber season as a junior. Warmoth’s older brother pitched for Stetson and Florida State and has reached Triple-A with the Angels, and the younger Warmoth has an accurate, plus arm that rates as his best tool. His arm strength, good hands and solid range give scouts confidence Warmoth can stay in the middle of the diamond, and many believe he’ll stay at shortstop. Other see him as an offensive second baseman, and his offensive performance was pushing Warmoth into first-round consideration. His power is mostly to his pull side, but Warmoth has the ability to use the whole field and has a solid offensive approach, looking for pitches he can drive and showing the ability to make adjustments. Scouts see him as a high-floor, safe bet big leaguer who could exceed his offensive projections.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

[P2F]

David Peterson, Trevor Rogers, and Blayne Enlow, please and thanks?

 

It's a shame Haseley's stock keeps rising, as he's likely pushed himself out of reach of the Jays.

[metafour]

Evan White looks like the most interesting of the college bats we've been on. HR and 2B today, HR and 2B yesterday as well. He's on a tear right now and he's shown real improvement in both power and strikeouts from year to year. He's still got some physical projection as well and apparently there are some that believe he can play CF.

[Daniel Labude]

Evan White looks like the most interesting of the college bats we've been on. HR and 2B today, HR and 2B yesterday as well. He's on a tear right now and he's shown real improvement in both power and strikeouts from year to year. He's still got some physical projection as well and apparently there are some that believe he can play CF.

 

He is a very interesting player...but from what I have seen of him I think I would go with Burger or Hiura

[jays4life19]

David Peterson, Trevor Rogers, and Blayne Enlow, please and thanks?

 

It's a shame Haseley's stock keeps rising, as he's likely pushed himself out of reach of the Jays.

 

 

16 David Peterson LHP Oregon

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/6 242 L/L Red Sox ’14 (28)

 

Peterson was a Top 100 prospect out of a Denver high school thanks to a projectable 6-foot-6 frame, ability to sink his fastball that reached 91 mph and flashes of above-average changeup and slider. A broken right fibula delayed the start of his prep senior season, and the 28th-round pick (Red Sox) didn’t sign, instead heading to Oregon. He proved durable in his first two seasons and pitched for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer, but Peterson didn’t take off until 2017, when he hit it off with new pitching coach Jason Dietrich. Peterson was leading the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio in early May and had six double-digit strikeout games, including 17 against Mississippi State and 20 in late April against Arizona State. Peterson has improved his fastball velocity (up to 94 mph early in games) and command this season. He pitches at around 91 mph. His quieter delivery features better direction to the plate this year and a bit more deception, eliciting swings-and-misses from his fastball. His slider earns plus grades from some scouts, and at times he’ll back-foot righthanded hitters with it all night until they adjust. Then he can locate an average curveball to mix things up, and scouts like his above-average changeup, though he doesn’t use it much. One Pac-12 coach called it his best pitch, with plus tumble and fade, and it allows Peterson to go arm-side with his fastball and change, then glove-side with the slider, slicing up the plate and flummoxing hitters. Peterson stays out of the middle of the plate, pitches with angle and gets groundballs when he isn’t striking out loads of hitters. He has solid athleticism that allows him to repeat his improved delivery, even as he’s filled out physically from 213 pounds as a prep senior to a listed 235 at Oregon. Peterson had pitched his way into the first round.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

 

____

 

 

28 Trevor Rogers LHP Carlsbad (N.M.) HS

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/6 185 L/L Texas Tech

 

Rogers checks a lot of the usual boxes for potential first-round picks while also checking some unusual ones. One of the oldest prep players in the class, Rogers attends the same school that produced big leaguers such as Shane Andrews, Paxton Crawford and more recently Cody Ross. He’s a twin whose family members have very different bodies to Rogers’ wide-shouldered, lean frame, listed at 6-foot-6, 185 pounds last summer in the Area Code Games. One of the top performers in Long Beach last summer, Rogers pumped effortless gas up to 95 mph to go with a slider with intriguing shape and action. He’s been inconsistent against inferior competition all spring, essentially dominating with a fastball around 88-90 mph coming in from his low three-quarters slot that evokes Andrew Miller. When he needs it, he’s shown the ability to go get 93-94 mph heat at will. He commands the fastball very well for his experience level. Rogers’ sweepy 10-to-4 slider can be a swing-and-miss pitch, though its shape gets loopier when he’s working to locate it, and he’ll toy with an effective changeup as well. Already 19, Rogers is old for the class but has the pitcher’s body and loose arm scouts crave. He’s committed to Texas Tech.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99

 

____

 

 

27 Blayne Enlow RHP St. Amant (La.) HS

image: http://www.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bba_video_icon_red.png

bba_video_icon_red 6/4 180 R/R Louisiana State

 

Enlow is the kind of pitcher who sometimes makes it to school, and if he does, blossoms into a potential front-of-the-rotation ace, but his obvious potential may lead a team to spend money now to avoid losing the chance to get him later. The Louisiana State signee is all arms and legs right now, but he has the frame to fill out and become much more physical as an adult. Enlow’s velocity was down early this spring, as he would sit 88-90, touching 92. But by the end of his high school season he was again sitting in the low 90s and touching 94 with an easy delivery, loads of athleticism, a fast arm and a plus curveball. Enlow has excellent feel for spinning the ball and he has more advanced command and control of his fastball than most high school fireballers. He’s toyed with a changeup that looks promising but is a distant third pitch for now. Enlow is a long-time Louisiana State fan who will be tough to sway from his Tigers commitment, but he’s shown enough potential that teams will consider cutting him a very large check.

 

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/top-50-2017-mlb-draft-prospects-scouting-reports/#zFCgV0MCzeulgAT1.99