2019 MLB Draft | Day 1 Thread - Prepare your overreactions

[jays4life19]

I like the pick though.

[TheHurl]

60 hair with 70 hair ceiling?

[BlueRocky]

Kendall Williams commitment to Vanderbilt.

 

 

No sign

 

If we save a bit on Manoah and punt on a few later picks, there might be an extra million or two floating around for Williams similar to last year with Kloffenstein. Late 1st round level money isn't out of the question. Vanderbilt is a tough commit to break but they probably have a reasonable hope of signing him before making the selection.

[Orgfiller]

Kendall Williams:

 

 

Seeing fastball, changeup, slider and curve in this clip.

[TheHurl]

I looked into sending my son to IMG. $55-60k/year without board. That thought passed quick

 

it is sports heaven though. It's up to $80k now.

[Angrioter]

If we save a bit on Manoah and punt on a few later picks, there might be an extra million or two floating around for Williams similar to last year with Kloffenstein. Late 1st round level money isn't out of the question. Vanderbilt is a tough commit to break but they probably have a reasonable hope of signing him before making the selection.

 

Pre-deal

[Pendleton]

I generally prefer drafting bats early but these both seem like very intriguing arms.

[Abomination]

If we save a bit on Manoah and punt on a few later picks, there might be an extra million or two floating around for Williams similar to last year with Kloffenstein. Late 1st round level money isn't out of the question. Vanderbilt is a tough commit to break but they probably have a reasonable hope of signing him before making the selection.

 

Not necessarily. They may simply like him a lot more than anyone else left on the board. I'm pretty sure we get a pick one below next year if we fail to sign him, so may as well chase the upside.

[glory]

This isn't AA drafting anymore. If Shatkins picked him, then he's probably already a lock to sign.

[Abomination]

I generally prefer drafting bats early but these both seem like very intriguing arms.

 

Especially in a bat-heavy and pitching-poor draft. I'd rather draft bats early, and raw but higher upside pitching late.

[P2F]

Kendall Williams, folks. This breaking ball is f***ing putrid:

 

[Abomination]

My internet connection sucks. I got to see that gif in slow motion.

[Laika]

He might move a bit faster than your typical high school pick. Sounds less than raw.

 

[baubau]

Kendall Williams, the Noah Syndergaard we'll keep. Not Noah in terms of stuff but flow. Thor 2.0.

[BlueRocky]

Especially in a bat-heavy and pitching-poor draft. I'd rather draft bats early, and raw but higher upside pitching late.

 

I agree with this. But if it's any consolation, we've got the top college righty in the draft class.

It would suck if he doesn't pan out when almost everybody else went for bats, but he's got enough reasonable upside.

If his weight wasn't a question mark there's no chance he falls to 11, and I rather take a flyer on Manoah than injury history prospects like Thompson.

 

This isn't AA drafting anymore. If Shatkins picked him, then he's probably already a lock to sign.

 

There's some truth to this. We haven't really failed to sign high profile guys in a while.

[Slade]

This isn't AA drafting anymore. If Shatkins picked him, then he's probably already a lock to sign.

 

No doubt. I bet Anything Matt Bishoff already has a deal in place.

[TheHurl]

Williams and Manoah have 7 pitches between them

[Slade]

If it's any consolation, we've got the top college righty in the draft class.

It would suck if he doesn't pan out when almost everybody else went for bats, but he's got enough reasonable upside.

If his weight wasn't a question mark there's no chance he falls to 11, and I rather have Manoah than injury history guys like Thompson.

 

I think we're overstating the weight thing, he's in no way fat or have a body that resembles Vlad Jr, Rowdy or even Sabathia. As long as he keeps up his conditioning he will be fine.

[P2F]

I think we're overstating the weight thing, he's in no way fat or have a body that resembles Vlad Jr, Rowdy or even Sabathia. As long as he keeps up his conditioning he will be fine.

 

Nobody here would ever do that.

[BlueRocky]

His current weight may not have a huge impact on his future production, he could be an absolute stud despite the frame question marks.

I'll repeat that I will withhold all judgment about this pick until I see him pitch for us, he could turn out terrific and we'll laugh in hindsight.

But there's no question some teams wondered about it and it's affected his stock:

 

BA: Teams will likely be concerned with how well he is able to manage his body moving forward. This list of major league starting pitchers who have had success at or near Manoah’s size is a short one, with CC Sabathia, Aaron Harang, Justin Masterson and Michael Pineda some of the names who qualify.

 

There's no way to know how high he would be drafted if those questions were not there. But top college right-handed pitchers don't normally slide to 11. This could be great value for the Jays but there's some risk there as well, but they were obviously comfortable with the risk or else they wouldn't have picked him.

[Laika]

I agree with this. But if it's any consolation, we've got the top college righty in the draft class.

It would suck if he doesn't pan out when almost everybody else went for bats, but he's got enough reasonable upside.

If his weight wasn't a question mark there's no chance he falls to 11, and I rather take a flyer on Manoah than injury history prospects like Thompson.

 

I believe I read that Manoah was the best statistical college pitching prospect in the draft, based on production (K, BB rates, batted ball profile, same handed batter and opposite handed batter profile)

[BlueRocky]

D-Backs

16. Corbin Carroll

26. Blake Walston

33. Brennan Malone

34. Drey Jameson

56. Ryne Nelson

74. Tommy Henry

75. Dominic Fletcher

 

That is a disgusting first two rounds for Arizona. Nice way to start a rebuild if everybody signs.

[BlueRocky]

Dodgers took Jimmy Lewis with pick 78

[P2F]

Noah Song to the Blue Jays at #88, please.

[Slade]

Noah Song at #88 to the Blue Jays, please.

 

I like Song a lot but I think his military status is unclear. Doesn't he have to serve before joining the pro ranks?

[P2F]

I like Song a lot but I think his military status is unclear. Doesn't he have to serve before joining the pro ranks?

 

Yes, two years. But I think that's why he's dropped to this point. His numbers this season were videogameish.

[BlueRocky]

Kendall Williams, the Noah Syndergaard we'll keep. Not Noah in terms of stuff but flow. Thor 2.0.

 

https://www.southsidesox.com/2019/6/1/18623943/kendall-williams-draft-prospects-you-should-know-kendall-williams?utm_campaign=southsidesox&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

 

Kendall Williams

IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher

Age 18

Bats Right

Throws Right

 

Rankings

Baseball America 41

MLB 53

FanGraphs 82

 

At 6´6´´ and 208 pounds, Williams has quite the projectable build. The prep righthander throws from a high three-quarter arm slot, and has a repertoire consisting of a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, changeup and breaking pitch. His fastball topped out at 95 mph on the summer showcase circuit according to Perfect Game. Williams throws his two-seamer on the inside half of the plate to right-handed batters and on the outer half to lefties. This season, Williams has been working on throwing a backdoor two-seamer to right-handers. His low-to-mid 70s curveball has 11-5 tilt bordering close to 12-6, but his changeup is still a work in progress as he slows his motion down when delivering it.

 

MLB Pipeline grades Williams’ fastball and curveball at 55, changeup, control and slider at 50. Williams, a Mississippi native, is verbally committed to Vanderbilt.

 

For his size and youth, Williams’ control is actually quite good. Facially, he looks like Noah Syndergaard, or a pre-haircut version of Michael Kopech. However, Williams doesn’t have the hard heater of either flamethrower. His closest White Sox comp nonetheless may be Lucas Giolito due to Williams’ size, velocity, and repertoire.

 

Baseball America ranks Williams toward the end of the first round, MLB Pipeline the second, and FanGraphs has him ranked just after the White Sox’s third round selection. Prep pitchers, by their very nature, are considered huge risks; this is especially the case for a risk-adverse team like the White Sox. Thus, it seems unlikely the Sox would risk a second round selection on him. If Williams falls to the third, they may perhaps be interested in signing him. However, if interested, the team would likely have to pay an above-slot bonus in order to pry Williams from his strong commitment to Vanderbilt.

 

Well then.

[Bobthe4th]

Blue Jays opt for two pitchers on Day 1 of Draft

 

Manoah has 3 pitches not 2 according to the Jays’ scouts.

 

“Alek’s got a really good feel for his changeup, [he] doesn’t use it quite as much as the slider,” Sanders said. “This year we saw primarily a two-pitch attack with his fastball and his slider, but he did mix the change in occasionally and it’s a really effective third pitch.

We really love what Alek brings to the table in his now stuff but do see room for him to continue to develop and to continue to improve. He’s got a really well-rounded three-pitch mix that’s going to play at the next level.”

[Abomination]

I think we're overstating the weight thing, he's in no way fat or have a body that resembles Vlad Jr, Rowdy or even Sabathia. As long as he keeps up his conditioning he will be fine.

 

Unless he's somehow hiding a hell of a lot of muscle in those videos, he's definitely overweight, and probably borderline obese. I'm actually fine with pitchers being slightly on the overweight side in general, provided it doesn't affect their throwing motion. I suspect, without evidence, that it forces them to use their legs more and probably reduces injury risk a little. He may be pushing it. Hopefully he'll get on a better diet / exercise program in the minors and convert at least a little of that into muscle and he should be fine.

 

I still don't like the pick though.

[Terminator]

Rob Longley can suck a fat dick for his s*****, misleading tweet.

 

 

Longley is Fake News. We need to open up the libel laws.