MLB 2020 Draft

[Brownie19]

Huh, it's most certainly the money, wood bats break all the time, bro?

 

Sorry - I assumed when they said it was about money that it was the manufacturers making it...not the cost to the NCAA team to buy bats...

[Brownie19]

Well they say it's a cost thing. Wood breaks, the aluminum bats really don't. Break a few wood bats and wood starts to cost more.

 

The manufacturers also have supply contracts and certain complicated relationships with the leagues and teams/coaches. So some coaches kind of support aluminum bats because it's in their contract to support the company that pays the school (or something like that). NCAA is kind of showcase for the aluminum bat manufacturers.

 

Also, the bats they use are now manufactured to be close to wood bats in performance. Look up BBCOR bats.

 

Yeah I'm aware of BBCOR bats (my kids are in youth ball so I'm researching aluminum/composite bats constantly). Just seems like they should switch to wood. I just read up on it a bit and it does sound like the cost of buying bats is the primary reason. That seems bizarre to me.

[Spanky99]

Yeah I'm aware of BBCOR bats (my kids are in youth ball so I'm researching aluminum/composite bats constantly). Just seems like they should switch to wood. I just read up on it a bit and it does sound like the cost of buying bats is the primary reason. That seems bizarre to me.

 

Why, it's pretty expensive?

[Brownie19]

Why, it's pretty expensive?

 

I guess I just assumed that NCAA schools that make a s*** ton of money off their athletes could afford to buy the kids bats. Would manufacturers give bats to the top teams for the marketing exposure?

 

I wonder how many bats a college kid would go through in 1 seasons.

[Spanky99]

I guess I just assumed that NCAA schools that make a s*** ton of money off their athletes could afford to buy the kids bats. Would manufacturers give bats to the top teams for the marketing exposure?

 

I wonder how many bats a college kid would go through in 1 seasons.

 

Not sure about the former, seems Laika knows. As for the latter, I'm sure it would be a lot.

[BlueRocky]

 

 

 

 

Well then.. that’s interesting.

 

Torkelson went 3/5, with a homer, double, and a base hit, 4 RBI, 1 K and played centerfield yesterday.

Edited March 3, 2020 by BlueRocky

[TheHurl]

10 Trending up (BA)

 

Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA (No. 8)

 

Several scouts have called Mitchell one of the best players they’ve ever scouted this spring. The UCLA outfielder could have the biggest upside of any player in the class thanks to his outstanding toolset and that means he should be considered among the top five picks if he continues to perform this spring.

 

Through 11 games Mitchell has hit .372/.472/.512 with six doubles, six walks to three strikeouts and has gone 3-for-4 in stolen bases. Evaluators believe his pitch selection has improved this spring, which is allowing him to take more advantage of the above-average bat-to-ball skills he’s always possessed.

 

With 80-grade running ability, Mitchell’s average should always get a healthy BABIP boost, while he projects to stick in center field with plus arm strength and plus defensive ability as well. With potentially 70-grade raw power in batting practice, it’s hard to find a single tool that Mitchell doesn’t have, but questions about minor injuries and his Type I Diabetes will complicate decisions for clubs this June.

 

Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif. (No. 24)

 

 

Crow-Armstrong entered last summer as the top-ranked player on our 2020 high school draft list, but a disappointing few months with the bat dropped him to the back of the first round. Reports are coming in from him early this spring though and it sounds like the Crow-Armstrong of old is back.

 

He’s been hitting at a high level, using the entire field and crushing baseballs consistently. Crow-Armstrong will always have a hit-over-power game, with some scouts putting below-average future power on him, but he’s been hitting hard line drives everywhere, posting some double-plus run times to first and throwing better than he did over the summer.

 

There’s some chatter that Crow-Armstrong is now in consideration to go among the first 15 picks, but the industry could still have some reservations thanks to how Mickey Moniak and Blake Rutherford have both performed in pro ball. Either way, he’s trending in the right direction after a bit of a disconcerting summer.

 

 

Jared Jones, RHP, La Mirada (Calif.) HS (No. 54)

 

Jones has smoothed out his delivery this spring and, like Crow-Armstrong, is getting more of the underclass hype that made him famous in the first place. While he’s always shown impressive pure stuff, Jones had a tendency to get erratic with his strikes.

 

It sounds like he’s improved in that regard after making some tweaks to his operation. Evaluators always hoped he’d be able to make adjustments thanks to his elite athleticism, and it sounds like that might be the case this year. Jones threw five no-hit innings in a recent start against Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) High, with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

 

He’s an intense competitor and scouts admire that mentality on the mound, though he will need to continue improving the consistency of his slider. His fastball is more than enough to overwhelm high school hitters at the moment, with impressive rising life.

 

 

Kevin Parada, C, Loyola HS, Los Angeles (No. 62)

 

This year’s prep class has some impressive depth at catcher and it seems like every week we are hearing about another backstop who’s impressing. This week it’s Kevin Parada, who seemed to routinely square up baseballs the entire summer and is doing more of the same this spring.

 

He’s raking every time scouts come to the yard, hitting baseballs to all fields—and against all types of pitches—with authority. There’s a chance for a future 60-grade bat with 60-grade raw power as well.

 

While Parada has above-average arm strength, evaluators believe it’s playing down thanks to some length in the back of his arm action and the reviews about his overall defense are less than his offensive game. By the time Parada moves through the minors defensive value could be completely entirely different, and the game will likely trend towards more offensive-oriented backstops. Parada might have to be taken soon to sign out of a Georgia Tech commit, where he could blow up if he makes it to school.

 

 

Hunter Barnhart, RHP, St. Joseph HS, Santa Maria, Calif. (No. 158)

 

We reported last week that Barnhart was rising, and today we have more detailed information on how scouts are seeing the Southern California righty.

 

After initially reporting that Barnhart was up to 96, other evaluators have seen him more consistently in the 90-94 range, though most scouts agree he has a hammer breaking ball that is getting present plus grades. He’s also got a changeup that he’s sprinkled in to keep hitters off-balance.

 

There seems to be a bit of a split-camp within the industry at the moment in terms of Barnhart’s true upside, but he should be a factor at some point late on Day 1 or early on Day 2 given the uptick in stuff he’s shown this spring. Last summer, Barnhart was a polished righty who showed good strike throwing ability and a fastball that was more in the 88-91 mph range.

 

 

Jared Shuster, LHP, Wake Forest (No. 165)

 

Another pitcher who has added stuff this spring is Wake Forest lefthander Jared Shuster. After previously throwing in the 88-92 mph range, Shuster has taken a jump and has been up to 96-97 mph at his best with improved strike throwing as well.

 

Shuster had a strong summer in the Cape, where he posted a 1.41 ERA in 32 innings with 35 strikeouts and five walks, and seems to be carrying over that success. He’s posted a 4.74 ERA over his first three starts and 19 innings, but has a terrific strikeout-to-walk rate, with 30 strikeouts and just three walks. He got hit around a bit in his last outing against Long Beach State, but that sort of stuff and improved control from the left side has scouts interested.

 

With an improving breaking ball and a plus changeup, Shuster is pushing himself into Day 1 consideration. He’s added around 10 pounds of weight since his freshman season, and is now listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.

 

 

Zach DeLoach, OF, Texas A&M (No. 172)

 

DeLoach entered last summer as a career .236/.338/.338 hitter, but exploded in the Cape and finished as the No. 14 prospect in the league. He simplified his swing and added a toe tap to help his timing, which helped him hit .353/.428/.541 with five homers.

 

He’s continued that pace through three weekends this spring, hitting .586/.675/.1.103 with four home runs, three doubles and nine walks to just one strikeout. His slugging percentage is good for 13th in the country, while his on-base percentage is good for ninth.

 

DeLoach will be an enigma for teams to figure out if he keeps up this pace against better competition, as they try and square his Cape performance against his previous track record at A&M. He has solid tools as a good runner with solid-average arm strength and some pop in the bat, but scouts with history might be mixed on where he belongs—making him an interesting pick for a team with multiple comp picks which might make the risk more palatable.

 

 

Connor Phillips, RHP, McLennan (Texas) JC (No. 183)

 

Phillips has shown good stuff over three starts, with a fastball that’s gotten up into the 96-98 mph range, a slider that has future plus potential and good feel for a firm changeup.

 

While Phillips has struck out 18 batters in 16.1 innings (9.9 per nine) through three starts this season, he’s also walked nine (5.0 per nine). He’ll need to be more consistent with his strike throwing moving forward, but the pure stuff is impressive and he has life on his fastball in addition to velocity.

 

 

Corey Collins, C, North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Ga. (No. 185)

 

We mentioned Parada above, but there’s another prep catcher who’s getting some attention early this spring and that’s Collins. He might have made more of a name for himself over the summer, but missed time with an injury.

 

Still, he was seen at USA Baseball’s PDP League where he showed strength, bat speed and some ability to barrel high velocity. Collins has a good frame with solid catch-and-throw skills with power potential from the left side.

 

He’s gotten some day one chatter early this spring, but could be a difficult sign. Collins is committed to Georgia.

 

 

Christian Roa, RHP, Texas A&M

 

We’ve now touched on two Texas A&M prospects not named Asa Lacy, which means the Aggies are going to be seen plenty this spring.

 

Roa cruised through his first two starts of the season before running into a strong UCLA team—now ranked No. 5 in the country—last Saturday, but scouts have been impressed with what they’ve seen from the 6-foot-4, 220-pound righty.

 

He throws a fastball that’s regularly in the 92-94 mph range and has been up a few ticks higher than that at his best, lands two breaking balls well and also brings an easy plus changeup to the table. He’s got a lot of starter traits, and a track record of good strike throwing with A&M, though this is his first season as a full-time starter.

 

If he can handle that role with success as Texas A&M moves into SEC play, he’ll move significantly up the board. Through three starts and 15.2 innings, Roa has a 4.60 ERA and 29 strikeouts (16.7 per nine) to five walks (2.87 per nine).

 

 

Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Mississippi

(2021 Class; No. 9 college prospect)

 

 

A supplemental first round pick in the 2018 draft, Hoglund and the Pirates couldn’t agree to a signing bonus, which was good news for Ole Miss. Hoglund had a reputation as one of the best strike throwers in the 2018 prep class and that translated to the college game, as Hoglund walked just 14 batters in 68 innings (1.85 per nine) during his freshman season.

 

Hoglund took the ball for Ole Miss on Saturday against ECU, and while he didn’t show the sort of high-end velocity that he’s shown previously—weather likely suppressed velocity across the board this weekend—he pitched well over six innings, allowing just one unearned run and five hits while striking out eight batters and walking one.

 

Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Hoglund has added about 10 pounds since his high school days, though he still has a good, lean frame with room for additional weight in the future and a strong lower half. Hoglund throws with a fairly clean and easy three-quarter arm slot, with crossfiring action in his lower half.

 

His fastball touched 92 mph early, but he settled into the 87-90 mph range for the duration of his outing. He gets good downhill angle on the fastball and it showed some cutting action to his glove side and running life to his armside as well. He showed good ability to spot the pitch to both sides of the plate, elevating at times when hunting for a strikeout and he also used the pitch to get a few key groundouts and double play balls.

 

His putaway pitch in this outing was an above-average 80-83 mph slider, which had tight spin and no obvious break point. The pitch looked like a fastball out of his hand and dove away from righthanded batters. He generated nine whiffs with the pitch and used it to finish five of his eight strikeouts. Hoglund hung the pitch at times later in the outing, but it was a consistent swing-and-miss offering for the most part and especially effective when he kept it down in the zone, which he did for the most part.

 

Hoglund occasionally used an 80-82 mph changeup in this outing, but it was a distant third offering.

 

The polished righthander did a nice job in this outing and showed impressive control and command. He’ll be one of the better college arms in what is shaping up to be another strong group in 2021 and undoubtedly will show better fastball velocity in most outings, more typically in the low-90s. Over three starts this season, Hoglund has posted a 1.56 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just four walks in 17.1 innings.

 

Anthony Servideo, SS, Mississippi

 

 

Servideo entered Greenville as one of the more interesting 2020 prospects thanks to the offensive growth he had shown in the first two weeks and a number of scouts were bearing down on the 5-foot-10, 175-pound shortstop. He continued to hit over the three-game stretch, going 5-for-11 with five walks to just one strikeout.

 

“He’s always been that kind of table-setter, electric on the base paths, kind of lead-off-type guy,” said Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. “He might not always have batted lead-off for us, but you always knew that he had that. The game has just elevated to where he’ll run it out of the yard if you leave it in the middle of the plate, he’ll take the walk, he’ll hit a double.

 

“He can do so many things offensively… We’re off to a great start, and I think one of the reasons is because of Anthony.”

 

Servideo is a patient, selective hitter who rarely swings at the first pitch and seems to have a good understanding of the strike zone. He regularly spit on close pitches just off the plate in two-strike counts and was happy to simply take his walks when opposing pitchers didn’t challenge him—as evidenced by his team-leading 12 walks.

 

“It just shows the maturity. Not a lot of guys can do that, especially when you’re hitting close to .500 and you’ve got four home runs on the year. We haven’t given him many takes, we’ve just let him go, and it just shows the maturity that he’ll take the pitches out of the zone and get on base.”

 

He showed solid bat-to-ball skills over the weekend, though didn’t show any over-the-fence power and his size doesn’t suggest that will ever be a significant part of his game. He should be able to hit balls into the gaps and use his speed to grab extra bases.

 

Defensively, Servideo showed impressive hands and picked everything that was hit to him. He also made an impressive pick on a one-hopped throw to second base to help catch a runner stealing. However on one difficult play to his backside in the hole, Servideo overthrew first base while on the run moving away from his target.

 

Servideo likely fits somewhere in the middle of Day 2 and could push himself higher with sustained offensive performance that might allow evaluators to overlook a poor summer in the Cape (.149/.277/.228) and his previous Ole Miss track record.

 

Alec Burleson, LHP/1B, East Carolina (No. 179)

 

A solid college player with a track record on both sides of the ball with ECU and Team USA, scouts wonder what Burleson’s ceiling is in pro ball. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff on the mound or the power you’d like to use to profile at first base, but has hitting ability and a four-pitch mix.

 

Indiana roughed up Burleson in his Friday start, as the 6-foot-2, 212-pound lefty lasted just 2.2 innings while surrendering eight hits and six earned runs. He struck out two batters and pitched with an 86-88 mph fastball that didn’t miss many bats.

 

Burleson showed a curveball and a slider, the former in the mid-70s and the latter in the low-80s, but his best offering was a 76-79 mph changeup that mirrored the sink and running movement of his fastball. He used the pitch to get four whiffs in the first inning alone, but

 

Burleson’s fastball got hit around too much in the ensuing innings for him to be effective.

 

At the plate, Burleson showed some bat-to-ball skills, but he frequently was out in front on off-speed offerings and had a pull-heavy approach. Perhaps his best at-bat of the weekend came when he turned on an 88-mph fastball that was in on his hands, pulling a low line drive down the right field line.

 

Over the weekend, Burleson went 4-for-13 with a home run on Sunday against High Point.

 

Doug Nikhazy, LHP, Mississippi

(2021 Class; No. 31 college prospect)

 

 

Ole Miss' Friday starter, Nikhazy threw 5.2 solid innings against High Point, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out five batters and walking one.

 

A short lefthander who's listed at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Nikhazy showed a four-pitch mix including a fastball that sat in the 87-90 mph range in this outing. Nikhazy throws from an over-the-top slot and has some tilt in his delivery, with slight crossfiring action and some head whack as he delivers, but lands balanced in good fielding position.

 

He showed solid ability to locate his entire arsenal, particularly a big breaking curveball in the 70-77 mph range that featured plenty of depth. While the shape is impressive, the pitch humps out of his hand and lacked power in the finish at times, and Nikhazy generated just three whiffs with it. He also threw a slider in the 77-80 mph range that had more lateral movement and a changeup in the 76-79 mph range that showed some fade to the armside, though his arm did slow on the pitch at times.

[Vdubfan]

Mitchell proving worthy of a top 5 selection sure would be great for the Jays! Never draft based on positional need, but if the board lines up with a positional need, bonus!

 

10 Trending up (BA)

 

Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA (No. 8)

 

Several scouts have called Mitchell one of the best players they’ve ever scouted this spring. The UCLA outfielder could have the biggest upside of any player in the class thanks to his outstanding toolset and that means he should be considered among the top five picks if he continues to perform this spring.

 

Through 11 games Mitchell has hit .372/.472/.512 with six doubles, six walks to three strikeouts and has gone 3-for-4 in stolen bases. Evaluators believe his pitch selection has improved this spring, which is allowing him to take more advantage of the above-average bat-to-ball skills he’s always possessed.

 

With 80-grade running ability, Mitchell’s average should always get a healthy BABIP boost, while he projects to stick in center field with plus arm strength and plus defensive ability as well. With potentially 70-grade raw power in batting practice, it’s hard to find a single tool that Mitchell doesn’t have, but questions about minor injuries and his Type I Diabetes will complicate decisions for clubs this June.

 

Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif. (No. 24)

 

 

Crow-Armstrong entered last summer as the top-ranked player on our 2020 high school draft list, but a disappointing few months with the bat dropped him to the back of the first round. Reports are coming in from him early this spring though and it sounds like the Crow-Armstrong of old is back.

 

He’s been hitting at a high level, using the entire field and crushing baseballs consistently. Crow-Armstrong will always have a hit-over-power game, with some scouts putting below-average future power on him, but he’s been hitting hard line drives everywhere, posting some double-plus run times to first and throwing better than he did over the summer.

 

There’s some chatter that Crow-Armstrong is now in consideration to go among the first 15 picks, but the industry could still have some reservations thanks to how Mickey Moniak and Blake Rutherford have both performed in pro ball. Either way, he’s trending in the right direction after a bit of a disconcerting summer.

 

 

Jared Jones, RHP, La Mirada (Calif.) HS (No. 54)

 

Jones has smoothed out his delivery this spring and, like Crow-Armstrong, is getting more of the underclass hype that made him famous in the first place. While he’s always shown impressive pure stuff, Jones had a tendency to get erratic with his strikes.

 

It sounds like he’s improved in that regard after making some tweaks to his operation. Evaluators always hoped he’d be able to make adjustments thanks to his elite athleticism, and it sounds like that might be the case this year. Jones threw five no-hit innings in a recent start against Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) High, with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

 

He’s an intense competitor and scouts admire that mentality on the mound, though he will need to continue improving the consistency of his slider. His fastball is more than enough to overwhelm high school hitters at the moment, with impressive rising life.

 

 

Kevin Parada, C, Loyola HS, Los Angeles (No. 62)

 

This year’s prep class has some impressive depth at catcher and it seems like every week we are hearing about another backstop who’s impressing. This week it’s Kevin Parada, who seemed to routinely square up baseballs the entire summer and is doing more of the same this spring.

 

He’s raking every time scouts come to the yard, hitting baseballs to all fields—and against all types of pitches—with authority. There’s a chance for a future 60-grade bat with 60-grade raw power as well.

 

While Parada has above-average arm strength, evaluators believe it’s playing down thanks to some length in the back of his arm action and the reviews about his overall defense are less than his offensive game. By the time Parada moves through the minors defensive value could be completely entirely different, and the game will likely trend towards more offensive-oriented backstops. Parada might have to be taken soon to sign out of a Georgia Tech commit, where he could blow up if he makes it to school.

 

 

Hunter Barnhart, RHP, St. Joseph HS, Santa Maria, Calif. (No. 158)

 

We reported last week that Barnhart was rising, and today we have more detailed information on how scouts are seeing the Southern California righty.

 

After initially reporting that Barnhart was up to 96, other evaluators have seen him more consistently in the 90-94 range, though most scouts agree he has a hammer breaking ball that is getting present plus grades. He’s also got a changeup that he’s sprinkled in to keep hitters off-balance.

 

There seems to be a bit of a split-camp within the industry at the moment in terms of Barnhart’s true upside, but he should be a factor at some point late on Day 1 or early on Day 2 given the uptick in stuff he’s shown this spring. Last summer, Barnhart was a polished righty who showed good strike throwing ability and a fastball that was more in the 88-91 mph range.

 

 

Jared Shuster, LHP, Wake Forest (No. 165)

 

Another pitcher who has added stuff this spring is Wake Forest lefthander Jared Shuster. After previously throwing in the 88-92 mph range, Shuster has taken a jump and has been up to 96-97 mph at his best with improved strike throwing as well.

 

Shuster had a strong summer in the Cape, where he posted a 1.41 ERA in 32 innings with 35 strikeouts and five walks, and seems to be carrying over that success. He’s posted a 4.74 ERA over his first three starts and 19 innings, but has a terrific strikeout-to-walk rate, with 30 strikeouts and just three walks. He got hit around a bit in his last outing against Long Beach State, but that sort of stuff and improved control from the left side has scouts interested.

 

With an improving breaking ball and a plus changeup, Shuster is pushing himself into Day 1 consideration. He’s added around 10 pounds of weight since his freshman season, and is now listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.

 

 

Zach DeLoach, OF, Texas A&M (No. 172)

 

DeLoach entered last summer as a career .236/.338/.338 hitter, but exploded in the Cape and finished as the No. 14 prospect in the league. He simplified his swing and added a toe tap to help his timing, which helped him hit .353/.428/.541 with five homers.

 

He’s continued that pace through three weekends this spring, hitting .586/.675/.1.103 with four home runs, three doubles and nine walks to just one strikeout. His slugging percentage is good for 13th in the country, while his on-base percentage is good for ninth.

 

DeLoach will be an enigma for teams to figure out if he keeps up this pace against better competition, as they try and square his Cape performance against his previous track record at A&M. He has solid tools as a good runner with solid-average arm strength and some pop in the bat, but scouts with history might be mixed on where he belongs—making him an interesting pick for a team with multiple comp picks which might make the risk more palatable.

 

 

Connor Phillips, RHP, McLennan (Texas) JC (No. 183)

 

Phillips has shown good stuff over three starts, with a fastball that’s gotten up into the 96-98 mph range, a slider that has future plus potential and good feel for a firm changeup.

 

While Phillips has struck out 18 batters in 16.1 innings (9.9 per nine) through three starts this season, he’s also walked nine (5.0 per nine). He’ll need to be more consistent with his strike throwing moving forward, but the pure stuff is impressive and he has life on his fastball in addition to velocity.

 

 

Corey Collins, C, North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Ga. (No. 185)

 

We mentioned Parada above, but there’s another prep catcher who’s getting some attention early this spring and that’s Collins. He might have made more of a name for himself over the summer, but missed time with an injury.

 

Still, he was seen at USA Baseball’s PDP League where he showed strength, bat speed and some ability to barrel high velocity. Collins has a good frame with solid catch-and-throw skills with power potential from the left side.

 

He’s gotten some day one chatter early this spring, but could be a difficult sign. Collins is committed to Georgia.

 

 

Christian Roa, RHP, Texas A&M

 

We’ve now touched on two Texas A&M prospects not named Asa Lacy, which means the Aggies are going to be seen plenty this spring.

 

Roa cruised through his first two starts of the season before running into a strong UCLA team—now ranked No. 5 in the country—last Saturday, but scouts have been impressed with what they’ve seen from the 6-foot-4, 220-pound righty.

 

He throws a fastball that’s regularly in the 92-94 mph range and has been up a few ticks higher than that at his best, lands two breaking balls well and also brings an easy plus changeup to the table. He’s got a lot of starter traits, and a track record of good strike throwing with A&M, though this is his first season as a full-time starter.

 

If he can handle that role with success as Texas A&M moves into SEC play, he’ll move significantly up the board. Through three starts and 15.2 innings, Roa has a 4.60 ERA and 29 strikeouts (16.7 per nine) to five walks (2.87 per nine).

 

 

Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Mississippi

(2021 Class; No. 9 college prospect)

 

 

A supplemental first round pick in the 2018 draft, Hoglund and the Pirates couldn’t agree to a signing bonus, which was good news for Ole Miss. Hoglund had a reputation as one of the best strike throwers in the 2018 prep class and that translated to the college game, as Hoglund walked just 14 batters in 68 innings (1.85 per nine) during his freshman season.

 

Hoglund took the ball for Ole Miss on Saturday against ECU, and while he didn’t show the sort of high-end velocity that he’s shown previously—weather likely suppressed velocity across the board this weekend—he pitched well over six innings, allowing just one unearned run and five hits while striking out eight batters and walking one.

 

Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Hoglund has added about 10 pounds since his high school days, though he still has a good, lean frame with room for additional weight in the future and a strong lower half. Hoglund throws with a fairly clean and easy three-quarter arm slot, with crossfiring action in his lower half.

 

His fastball touched 92 mph early, but he settled into the 87-90 mph range for the duration of his outing. He gets good downhill angle on the fastball and it showed some cutting action to his glove side and running life to his armside as well. He showed good ability to spot the pitch to both sides of the plate, elevating at times when hunting for a strikeout and he also used the pitch to get a few key groundouts and double play balls.

 

His putaway pitch in this outing was an above-average 80-83 mph slider, which had tight spin and no obvious break point. The pitch looked like a fastball out of his hand and dove away from righthanded batters. He generated nine whiffs with the pitch and used it to finish five of his eight strikeouts. Hoglund hung the pitch at times later in the outing, but it was a consistent swing-and-miss offering for the most part and especially effective when he kept it down in the zone, which he did for the most part.

 

Hoglund occasionally used an 80-82 mph changeup in this outing, but it was a distant third offering.

 

The polished righthander did a nice job in this outing and showed impressive control and command. He’ll be one of the better college arms in what is shaping up to be another strong group in 2021 and undoubtedly will show better fastball velocity in most outings, more typically in the low-90s. Over three starts this season, Hoglund has posted a 1.56 ERA with 27 strikeouts and just four walks in 17.1 innings.

 

Anthony Servideo, SS, Mississippi

 

 

Servideo entered Greenville as one of the more interesting 2020 prospects thanks to the offensive growth he had shown in the first two weeks and a number of scouts were bearing down on the 5-foot-10, 175-pound shortstop. He continued to hit over the three-game stretch, going 5-for-11 with five walks to just one strikeout.

 

“He’s always been that kind of table-setter, electric on the base paths, kind of lead-off-type guy,” said Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. “He might not always have batted lead-off for us, but you always knew that he had that. The game has just elevated to where he’ll run it out of the yard if you leave it in the middle of the plate, he’ll take the walk, he’ll hit a double.

 

“He can do so many things offensively… We’re off to a great start, and I think one of the reasons is because of Anthony.”

 

Servideo is a patient, selective hitter who rarely swings at the first pitch and seems to have a good understanding of the strike zone. He regularly spit on close pitches just off the plate in two-strike counts and was happy to simply take his walks when opposing pitchers didn’t challenge him—as evidenced by his team-leading 12 walks.

 

“It just shows the maturity. Not a lot of guys can do that, especially when you’re hitting close to .500 and you’ve got four home runs on the year. We haven’t given him many takes, we’ve just let him go, and it just shows the maturity that he’ll take the pitches out of the zone and get on base.”

 

He showed solid bat-to-ball skills over the weekend, though didn’t show any over-the-fence power and his size doesn’t suggest that will ever be a significant part of his game. He should be able to hit balls into the gaps and use his speed to grab extra bases.

 

Defensively, Servideo showed impressive hands and picked everything that was hit to him. He also made an impressive pick on a one-hopped throw to second base to help catch a runner stealing. However on one difficult play to his backside in the hole, Servideo overthrew first base while on the run moving away from his target.

 

Servideo likely fits somewhere in the middle of Day 2 and could push himself higher with sustained offensive performance that might allow evaluators to overlook a poor summer in the Cape (.149/.277/.228) and his previous Ole Miss track record.

 

Alec Burleson, LHP/1B, East Carolina (No. 179)

 

A solid college player with a track record on both sides of the ball with ECU and Team USA, scouts wonder what Burleson’s ceiling is in pro ball. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff on the mound or the power you’d like to use to profile at first base, but has hitting ability and a four-pitch mix.

 

Indiana roughed up Burleson in his Friday start, as the 6-foot-2, 212-pound lefty lasted just 2.2 innings while surrendering eight hits and six earned runs. He struck out two batters and pitched with an 86-88 mph fastball that didn’t miss many bats.

 

Burleson showed a curveball and a slider, the former in the mid-70s and the latter in the low-80s, but his best offering was a 76-79 mph changeup that mirrored the sink and running movement of his fastball. He used the pitch to get four whiffs in the first inning alone, but

 

Burleson’s fastball got hit around too much in the ensuing innings for him to be effective.

 

At the plate, Burleson showed some bat-to-ball skills, but he frequently was out in front on off-speed offerings and had a pull-heavy approach. Perhaps his best at-bat of the weekend came when he turned on an 88-mph fastball that was in on his hands, pulling a low line drive down the right field line.

 

Over the weekend, Burleson went 4-for-13 with a home run on Sunday against High Point.

 

Doug Nikhazy, LHP, Mississippi

(2021 Class; No. 31 college prospect)

 

 

Ole Miss' Friday starter, Nikhazy threw 5.2 solid innings against High Point, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out five batters and walking one.

 

A short lefthander who's listed at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Nikhazy showed a four-pitch mix including a fastball that sat in the 87-90 mph range in this outing. Nikhazy throws from an over-the-top slot and has some tilt in his delivery, with slight crossfiring action and some head whack as he delivers, but lands balanced in good fielding position.

 

He showed solid ability to locate his entire arsenal, particularly a big breaking curveball in the 70-77 mph range that featured plenty of depth. While the shape is impressive, the pitch humps out of his hand and lacked power in the finish at times, and Nikhazy generated just three whiffs with it. He also threw a slider in the 77-80 mph range that had more lateral movement and a changeup in the 76-79 mph range that showed some fade to the armside, though his arm did slow on the pitch at times.

[Laika]

10 Trending up (BA)

 

Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA (No. 8)

 

Several scouts have called Mitchell one of the best players they’ve ever scouted this spring. The UCLA outfielder could have the biggest upside of any player in the class thanks to his outstanding toolset and that means he should be considered among the top five picks if he continues to perform this spring.

 

Through 11 games Mitchell has hit .372/.472/.512 with six doubles, six walks to three strikeouts and has gone 3-for-4 in stolen bases. Evaluators believe his pitch selection has improved this spring, which is allowing him to take more advantage of the above-average bat-to-ball skills he’s always possessed.

 

With 80-grade running ability, Mitchell’s average should always get a healthy BABIP boost, while he projects to stick in center field with plus arm strength and plus defensive ability as well. With potentially 70-grade raw power in batting practice, it’s hard to find a single tool that Mitchell doesn’t have, but questions about minor injuries and his Type I Diabetes will complicate decisions for clubs this June.

 

Jesus H. Christ. The college stats certainly don't look like they support 80 speed, 70 raw power...

 

106 games, 6 HR, 23 SB and 8 CS, .323/.388/.477

[max silver]

10 Trending up (BA)

 

Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA (No. 8)

 

Several scouts have called Mitchell one of the best players they’ve ever scouted this spring. The UCLA outfielder could have the biggest upside of any player in the class thanks to his outstanding toolset and that means he should be considered among the top five picks if he continues to perform this spring.

 

Through 11 games Mitchell has hit .372/.472/.512 with six doubles, six walks to three strikeouts and has gone 3-for-4 in stolen bases. Evaluators believe his pitch selection has improved this spring, which is allowing him to take more advantage of the above-average bat-to-ball skills he’s always possessed.

 

With 80-grade running ability, Mitchell’s average should always get a healthy BABIP boost, while he projects to stick in center field with plus arm strength and plus defensive ability as well. With potentially 70-grade raw power in batting practice, it’s hard to find a single tool that Mitchell doesn’t have, but questions about minor injuries and his Type I Diabetes will complicate decisions for clubs this June.

 

 

Mitchell sounds very intriguing, but the diabetes is scary for me. Past diabetics for the Jays include Brandon Morrow and Dustin McGowan, both guys had a hell of a time healing up from even seemingly minor injuries. That certainly adds a layer of risk to this player compared to some other guys that will be available.

[Spanky99]

Mitchell sounds very intriguing, but the diabetes is scary for me. Past diabetics for the Jays include Brandon Morrow and Dustin McGowan, both guys had a hell of a time healing up from even seemingly minor injuries. That certainly adds a layer of risk to this player compared to some other guys that will be available.

 

Exactly what I thought with the type 1 diabetes, but care for the disease has come a long way. Who knows... Max Domi seems to be going well in the NHL with it as an example.

[BlueRocky]

Carlos Collazo does a great job with these weekly prospect updates.

 

Texas A&M products OF Zach DeLoach and RHP Christian Roa may be a nice pickup in the 3rd or 4th rounds (if they even reach that far down). They’re currently tied for 3rd in the SEC West (10-3).

*Asa Lacy’s teammates.

 

 

It’s not just the numbers, it’s also they’re playing in the SEC which is the strongest conference in college. They represent 9 of the top 25 baseball teams in college (most of any conference), ranked by BA.

 

Both the East and West SEC are stacked with powerhouse teams, but it seems the East has tipped the balance this year with teams like Florida (12-0), Tennessee (11-0), *Georgia (11-1), and **Vanderbilt (10-3) leading the charge.

*Emerson Hancock’s team

**Austin Martin’s team

 

Update: Zach DeLoach is hitting .472/.615/.889, OPS 1.504. 1 K / 13 BB, 4 HR and 5 stolen bases.

He’s murdering baseballs now, but his numbers the last two years were mediocre. Still not sure he’ll fall too far down though if this keeps up.

 

Christian Roa, 3 GS, 15.2 IP, 4.6 ERA, 29 K / 5 BB, .230 OBA.

Numbers are pretty typical for a college pitcher projected to go day 2, a little bit skewed by getting mashed by UCLA where he gave up 5 ER, 7 K / 4 BB in 4.2 IP.

 

Before that he had a 6.0 IP game, 3 H, 2 ER, 12 K / 1 BB

And 5.0 IP game, 3 H, 1 ER, 10 K / 0 BB

 

Report say the stuff is good though. 6-4, 220lbs RHP that throws 94mph and has potentially three above avg to plus offspeed/breaking pitches.

Edited March 4, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

[BlueRocky]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2020-mlb-draft-prospects-chat-352020/

 

Andrew (Alberta):

Thoughts on Garrett Mitchell's start to the season? Is his stock rising/falling/status quo?

 

Kevin (Oregon):

Love Garrett Mitchell as a prospect and enjoyed the piece about him in draft risers but I’m curious on how teams view his draft stock being a type 1 diabetic and if that will have an effect on where he lands come June?

 

Ken (San Diego):

Good afternoon CC! Thanks for your time and insight. A lot of talk about UCLA's Garrett Mitchell having the largest tool box in the draft - a true 5 tool player. Have you seen any grades regarding his Hit, Power, Run, Defense, Arm??? Any player comps? Maybe Byron Buxton?

 

Carlos Collazo: Lots of Garrett Mitchell questions, so thank you guys for reading Stock Watch! If you didn't, you can get some dope on ten players who are rising, including Mitchell. So to tackle these questions: 1) Yes, I think his stock is "rising" but he was already pretty high on the board and can't go too much higher, so it's more like he's playing well and getting good reports than jumping into 1-1 favorite status.

 

Carlos Collazo: 2) The diabetic issues is probably the most complicated part of the puzzle with Mitchell, because I'm not sure every team views it the same way. The scouts I've talked to are concerned about how he's going to hold up over a full season and point to the fact that he has a limited summer track record. Sam Fuld is a guy that people point to, but Mitchell is in an entirely different phylum of prospect. It is a real concern though.

 

Carlos Collazo: 3) He's a legit five tool player, with the hit tool being the biggest question. As for grades, we've heard 80 runner, 70 raw power, 60 defense, 60 arm. I guess the bat is going to be different depending on who you talk to, but 55 seems reasonable given his bat-to-ball skills. I would imagine his speed inflates his average, but there are questions about how much of that raw power Mitchell will tap into in-game. He's never shown great ability to do that going back to his high school days, but players change and get better. Immense upside with him.

 

 

Lucas (Canada):

What is the best case scenario for the Blue Jays at #5? Or better yet, what do you think their top 5 rankings would be? Anyone not in the top 5 that would be of interest for them? Thanks!

 

Carlos Collazo: I think in previous years I've had a tongue in cheek answer and said something like "the best case scenario is they look up in ten years and realize they took the best player in the class with that pick." So that holds true still. The top five we have currently sounds like the top five most teams are dealing with, at least with the scouts I've spoken to to this point. I think it's a pretty good year to pick fifth because there's not a ton of separation with those top five players IMO. Wouldn't shock me if Mitchell or Zac Veen pushed into that range, though I don't know who they love specifically just yet.

 

 

Dave (IL):

Seems like Zac Veen is shooting up the boards. Any chance he is available for Cubs at 16?

 

Tom (Canada):

How high do you think Veen can raise his draft stock? Seems like there's a lot of buzz building.

 

Ian (Florida):

Is there a good chance the Zac Veen could end up as the first Prep off the board in June?

 

Carlos Collazo: As far as I'm aware, we've been on the Zac Veen train as long as anyone, going back to his days as a junior when he was hitting home runs every other day. 1) I do not expect him to be available at 16 at this point, no. 2) He sounds like a top 15 prospect from most people I talk with, though I have had conversations with some scouts who are more skeptical of his bat than others. 3) Yes, pretty good chance Veen is the first prep off the board.

 

 

ron (indiana):

Where would Lodolo go in this draft class? Seems like 4-5 pitchers in this class would be taken before him or am I crazy?

 

Carlos Collazo: You're not crazy. That's about right. Last year was a dreadful class for college arms and this year's class is terrific, in despite the Ginn injury. I would guess Lodolo is a middle or back of the first round kind of arm in this class, not the seventh player taken. But what do I know?

 

 

James (Iowa):

Where do you think this draft class ranks in the last 10 or so drafts? It seems like it's right up there with 2011 in terms of the top 30-40 prospects?

 

Carlos Collazo: I would hesitate to put with the 2011 group at this point, that class was loaded. But maybe the best since 2015? I've had that class brought up to me in conversations with smarter people about this very question. That was the Swanson, Bregman, Rodgers class, if you've forgotten.

 

 

James (Iowa):

Cole Wilcox has performed pretty well this season so far is he now in the top 10-15 range for where he might get drafted?

 

Carlos Collazo: He's doing well, but there are still a number of guys who have him in the second half of the first now. If he keeps doing what he's already done against SEC competition though and maintains this level of success I would be surprised if he's not pushing closer to the range you mentioned. Just has to keep doing it.

 

 

Pete (The Bronx):

What is optimistic view of Austin Martin's upside? A shortstop with 20 homers and 20 SB and great on base skills? Is he worth the first overall pick if he ends up in the outfield and falls short of those offensive expectations?

 

Carlos Collazo: I've had scouts tell me that he has the most upside of anyone in the draft thanks to the hit tool, speed and athleticism and potential for an impact defender at a premium position. So I think so. The bat is special and even if he's a center fielder... that's an incredibly valuable position. I probably think CF defense is closer to SS defense than most, in terms of the value of the positions, but either way I think he's talented enough to warrant being the No. 1 pick. If he falls short of his offensive expectations he still has a better chance to return value than Nick Gonzales or Spencer Torkelson if those two were to also fall short of their offensive expectations.

 

 

Drew (Neosho,MO):

Can you tell us more about Sam Weatherly?

 

Carlos Collazo: I can! Talked with a scout about him recently. He's trending in the right direction. Clemson lefthander who performed well in a big matchup against South Carolina and RHP Carmen Mlodzinski last weekend. He's got two plus pitches in a fastball and slider and strikes out loads, but he also has a poor track record of throwing strikes. He's cut his walk rate through three starts this year... but it's still 10 walks in 17 innings, which is no bueno. There are starter/reliever questions that need to be answered.

 

 

DH (PA):

What would Nick Gonzales have to do to improve his draft stock? He was already a top 5 guy after the Cape Cod league but is there any way to know if this is real? The better he does, the less I trust it. A 2.000 OPS? Really?

 

Carlos Collazo: Idk put a ball into orbit? What do you want the guy to do? He's hitting .500/.652/1.354 with 12 home runs in 13 games. That is twice as many home runs as Garrett Mitchell has hit in over two years of college baseball. That's absurd. And he hit .351/.451.630 with seven home runs in the Cape. And he hit .432/.532/.773 as a sophomore. And he hit .347/.425/.596 as a freshman. All Nick Gonzales has ever done in his career is hit. And hit and hit and hit. He is a good hitter. I promise you it is real. I don't care if he's playing on the moon.

 

Carlos Collazo: All future "is Nick Gonzales real?" questions are hereby banned in the chat. I won't stand for this blasphemy.

 

 

James (McHenry, IL):

How early do you think Nick Gonzales will go and what do you think are the odds he will stay at shortstop?

 

Carlos Collazo: Top five right now; I think he's a second baseman.

 

 

James (McHenry, IL):

How confident are you that Emerson Hancock will be the first pitcher selected in June, and are there any pitchers that you feel could surpass him?

 

Carlos Collazo: Asa Lacy could go in front of him and I wouldn't be shocked. Asa Lacy is a very good pitcher.

 

joe (kent):

It seems like this years draft is very top heavy college in the early 1st round and maybe thru the 2nd. Do you think that will lead to many top highschoolers heading to college ? Especially if they dont get the dollar figures they might have wanted ....

 

Carlos Collazo: I can definitely see that happening. I'll be interested to see how many of the draft-eligible sophomore college prospects go back or get over-slot deals as well. It's a competitive class. Every year we see a few of the top prep guys go to college though.

 

 

Zack S (Virginia):

Can you give an update on Jordan Walker? There seem to be a lot of parallels between him and Rece Hinds. It's an easy comp because of the size/handedness/big power/hit tool questions, but I'm curious as to where you think Walker's bat, particularly as it pertains to swing and miss, compares to where Hinds was a year ago. Thanks.

 

Carlos Collazo: Not a bad comp. I think I had a conversation a few weeks ago with an evaluator about just this. Hinds was more physically impressive for me and had better raw power (he still has the most impressive batting practice I've ever seen live from an amateur) but Walker has a significantly better current hit tool and less swing and miss concerns than Hinds did. Both are probably going to wind up being first base or corner outfielders IMO.

 

 

Pete (Denver):

Do you think Jordan Walker or Blaze Jordan end up going to college rather than signing?

 

Carlos Collazo: I think both will be tough signs, and I haven't heard much just yet about either of them skyrocketing up draft boards. It sounds like Jordan might be scuffling a bit. I could see them both getting to school and mashing and doing very well for themselves in a few years. You never know, plenty of time for one or both of them to really turn it on, and I admit I don't know how badly either wants to play pro/go to college.

 

Big Ern (Compton):

Best power in the draft belongs to??

 

Carlos Collazo: Spencer Torkelson

 

 

Nicholas C (Pennsylvania):

outside of Austin Hendricks, is there any other Western PA players worth keeping an eye on as potential Top 5 round picks?

 

Carlos Collazo: Hendrick (no S) would also be the answer for best power in the HS class for me. I guess Nick Bitsko is eastern PA, so no I don't think so.

 

Kyle (Idaho):

Do you think Veen or Jordan Walker could sneak into the top 6?

 

Carlos Collazo: I think Veen is in a different tier entirely than Walker currently. We don't see Walker in that range and I haven't talked to a scout yet who does. He's a very good player. But top six seems rich for him given the feedback we have.

 

 

Max (Seattle):

It sounds like scouts feel Wilcox's fastball is too hittable. Have you heard the same?

 

Carlos Collazo: I have heard from scouts who think his FB has played down from what you'd expect given the velocity. Whether that's a command/deception/spin question I think is the interesting question. I'm not entirely sure.

 

 

Kyle Weatherly (Florence, South Carolina):

Do you think Nick Gonzales could be making a case to be the #1 overall pick?

 

Carlos Collazo: Yes, but barring good feedback on his defense at shortstop that's a tough profile to go 1-1. Rickie Weeks went No. 2 in 2003 and after that the highest-drafted college second basemen are Todd Walker (OK then) in 1994 and Keston Hiura in 2017. Walker went 8th and Hiura went 9th.

 

 

Mike Rotch (Moe's):

Just curious, how long does it take to see a doctor in this country? I would guess 14-16 days.

 

Carlos Collazo: getroman.com/BA

 

Carlos Collazo: Shoutout to all of the podcast listeners! We thank you.

 

 

Michael McDermott (Gilbert, AZ):

If there is a run on college arms early in the draft, is there a possibility that some of the top prep talents such as Mick Abel, Pete Crow-Armstrong, or Ed Howard slides to Arizona at 18?

 

Carlos Collazo: Yep.

 

 

Robert (Los Angeles):

How can you say UCLA’s Garrett Mitchell has plus power....did he even hit an HR in high school and he has less than double digits in his college career.

 

Carlos Collazo: plus RAW power is key. He has shown exceptional power in batting practice. The key is obviously translating that into games. But the power is in the tank. I don't believe I've ever said he has plus game power, but if I have I apologize.

 

 

William (Greenwich):

Is this one of the best Prep Outfielder classes you have seen in recent history?

 

Carlos Collazo: It's one of the deepest that I've seen, for sure. Does that mean best? I don't know, it gets tricky. Jarred Kelenic looks like a monster and Riley Greene/Corbin Carroll is an impressive duo as well and that's just last year.

 

 

Brad (NJ):

There cannot be a 2020 draft chat without a Blaze Jordan question. How high could he go in the draft and what comp would you put on him?

 

Carlos Collazo: I think we're batting 1.000 on Blaze questions in the chat this year.

 

 

Justin (Albuquerque):

Carter Kieboom a good comp for Austin Martin?

 

Carlos Collazo: I don't think so.

 

It was long, I left out some of the less relevant ones.

Edited March 6, 2020 by BlueRocky

[Laika]

Great content

[Laika]

This draft seems stacked. Give me any of the top 5 and I’m happy.

[Krylian]

This draft seems stacked. Give me any of the top 5 and I’m happy.

 

What are the chances the Jays try to get cute and take someone else (to sign under slot and use the money for some higher end prep player in the 2nd/3rd rounds)?

[BlueRocky]

What are the chances the Jays try to get cute and take someone else (to sign under slot and use the money for some higher end prep player in the 2nd/3rd rounds)?

 

I’ve put some thought into this recently. This class is exceptionally deep even in the late 1st/early second, so it’s a plausible strategy. It’s kinda like what they did with Groshans/Kloff in 2018.

We’ll be essentially trading the 5th pick for 12th + 25th (The second guy will likely be an over-slot 2nd/3rd that was a projected 1st rounder that dropped). Bottom line, it really depends which of the big 5 end up not getting picked.

 

 

First of, there’s no chance Austin Martin is getting past the Marlins and Royals, so we can rule him out.

 

It’s also hard to believe Torkelson will get passed 4 times, but let’s say there’s a slim chance.

If either Tork, Nicky G, or Hancock is there at 5, you pretty much take it and run.

 

The two guys that could go 5, but I have mild reservations about Asa Lacy (some pitchability concerns, reliever risk, and funky mechanics) and Mitchell (offensive tools, power is raw, type 1 diabetic), both have their tremendous upside but also flaws to nitpick.

 

 

If we do go under-slot at #5, we’re basically looking at what we would draft at a typical year where we pick 11 to 12.

 

The names I would look at for #5 under-slot (@12 money) would be:

Hitter: Austin Hendrick, Zac Veen, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Casey Martin, Heston Kjerstad, Robert Hassell

Pitcher: Reid Detmers, Jared Kelley, Carmen Mlodzinski, Garrett Crochet, Cole Wilcox

 

That’s not a bad pool of guys, I feel it’s similarly talented to this crop of mid-later 1st round from 2018:

Groshans, Rodriguez, Liberatore, Singer, Larnarch, Naylor, McClanahan, Kowar.

Simeon Woods-Richardson was also taken 48th that year.

 

 

In the 2nd/3rd round we’d be looking at names like:

 

Max Meyer, JT Ginn (elbow surgery), Alika Williams, Blaze Jordan, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Daniel Cabrera, Alejandro Rosario, Dylan Crews, Gage Workman, Slade Cecconi, Cam Brown, Daxton Fulton (TJ)

Edited March 7, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

 

Note: Asa Lacy’s team played played Nick Gonzales’s team.

Texas A&M beatdown New Mexico State 8-3, another dominant start by Lacy.

 

Gonzales’ on-base streak is safe, with one walk no hit. I think it’s 79 or 80 games straight now.

 

 

 

Yes I’m still a fan of Reid Detmers, his curveball is disgusting.

90-93, T95. 4-pitch mix all average to above, curve is plus-plus.

Strikeout machine, college hitters are no match. He led all pitchers in K’s last year and broke Louisville's season record with 167K/33 BB in 113.1 IP.

Edited March 7, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

Emerson Hancock was outstanding, ERA down to 2.87.

 

Here’s more on Hancock and Lacy:

[Spanky99]

You think Ginn would fall to our 2nd pick cause of injury? That'd be sweet, not to mention another player in this drafts top 40+ picks. Edited March 7, 2020 by Spanky99
I'm Dumn

[BlueRocky]

A team willing to roll the dice on JT Ginn’s health could possibly nab him in the 2nd round and offer him 1st round money, sure.

He’s a draft eligible sophomore, with the option to return to college and answer the elbow surgery questions for the 2021 draft. He already rejected the Dodgers offer in 2018 (30th) out of HS thinking he could do better, but he might be regretting that decision.. securing millions and a professional career. It really depends on the person.

 

If Ginn was healthy he’d be a top 15 pick this year. He’d have to have a dominant season and be completely healthy in 2021 and decision makers will still have his elbow surgery on the back of their minds.

But if someone is offering 1st round money now he might just take it, question is does it make sense to roll the dice on an arm & offer a guy 1.5 M over-slot (@2.5M)? The talent is there no question, but Ginn could be another Patrick Murphy situation all over again.

 

But yeah it’s theoretically possible to pass on Asa Lacy @ 5, go a bit underslot on Reid Detmers or Austin Hendrick/Zac Veen then grab a JT Ginn or Daxton Fulton in the 2nd. But you’d only do that if you really like another guy, and not a fan of Asa Lacy.

 

Manoah had similar question marks, dominating college as a 2.5 pitch guy, but he turned out alright. Lacy has the advantage of being a lefty too, but I’ve heard from people that don’t put him in the same tier as Emerson Hancock. And others, think he could get picked before Hancock. The draft projections are still up in the air right now, I think we just finished week 3 of college baseball. A lot can change before June.

Edited March 7, 2020 by BlueRocky

[metafour]

What are the chances the Jays try to get cute and take someone else (to sign under slot and use the money for some higher end prep player in the 2nd/3rd rounds)?

 

I don't see it. This draft has 5 or 6 (with Mitchell) potentially elite college prospects sitting at the top. We're in a very good position sitting 5th. I don't see a need to complicate things and pass up one of those players, especially when the next "group" is filled with HS players who don't match up as well with our current timeline of contention. Normally I wouldn't say to factor in college vs. HS; but in this case I don't think it makes sense to pass up an elite college player who can help sooner to draft a lower tier HS player (or a lower tier college player) to save money.

[FrozenRopes]

I don't see him mentioned much here, but I have watched Abel pitch a few times live. That guy has something special. He is young but you would think he is 29. Roy Halladay anyone?

[metafour]

 

The two guys that could go 5, but I have mild reservations about Asa Lacy (some pitchability concerns, reliever risk, and funky mechanics) and Mitchell (offensive tools, power is raw, type 1 diabetic), both have their tremendous upside but also flaws to nitpick.

 

I don't see any of those "risks" as being legitimate with Lacy. He has proven to be right up there with Hancock. Its three plus pitches (overpowering stuff) from a LHP who has absolutely dominated the best conference in the country. He throws strikes and isn't wild by any means. We're kinda getting into nitpick territory when you start talking "reliever risk" or "pitchability concerns" when the actual data doesn't back that at all IMO.

[BlueRocky]

I don't see any of those "risks" as being legitimate with Lacy. He has proven to be right up there with Hancock. Its three plus pitches (overpowering stuff) from a LHP who has absolutely dominated the best conference in the country. He throws strikes and isn't wild by any means. We're kinda getting into nitpick territory when you start talking "reliever risk" or "pitchability concerns" when the actual data doesn't back that at all IMO.

 

I’m not in the Asa Lacy hate camp, just relaying info.

 

There’s a debate going around the college scene if Lacy should be taken ahead of Hancock. Lacy’s college career has profiled real command issues, as a starter last year he walked 4.4 BB/9 and often get himself into high pitch counts. In 2019 he had 43 BB and 13 HBP in 88.1 IP. His numbers have improved in 2020, thanks to his dominant start. But Hancock has a much more solid track record as of now, we will see in June. His secondaries are lights-out, that’s not a question. But he’s been dominating with two offerings, scouts want to see his curve and changeup a lot more. I’ve also seen concerns about his delivery having a lot of moving parts.

 

This is a good example of his mechanics:

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by BlueRocky

[jaysguy44]

This draft seems like we will be getting whoever falls to #5 from Hancock, Martin, Torkelson, Gonzales, or Lacy.

 

My guess is it will be Lacy

[THANOS]

This draft seems like we will be getting whoever falls to #5 from Hancock, Martin, Torkelson, Gonzales, or Lacy.

 

My guess is it will be Lacy

 

I'm happy with any of those guys. I don't really want to get cute with it and take someone else under slot. I do not want Mitchell either. Those 5-tool guys with the hit tool being the weakest always scare me. They seem to have the highest bust potential it feels.

 

Lacy and Hancock both look like great strikeout artist pitchers. Torkelson looks like a beast 70-80 Hit/Power guy. Gonzalez looks like he'll absolutely rake. I'm probably lowest on Martin, because I don't rate defense nearly as much as hit and power tools. That said, I'm hoping for any of the other 4 first and then Martin if he falls.

[Brownie19]

Lacy's follow through looks like D.Price.

[BlueRocky]

 

 

 

Apparently Austin Martin had some play in centerfield, and pulled a hammy running to 1st.

We have a chance?

Edited March 9, 2020 by BlueRocky