BlueRocky

BA updated top 300 draft prospect rankings: https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2020-mlb-draft-top-prospects/ I’m not going to post all 300, just the first round. If there’s a name you’re curious about and not on the list just ask.

It’s going to be very hard to pass on Nick Gonzales and Emerson Hancock, it would be a great scenario for the Blue Jays @no 5. Those are potential impact prospects, and somewhat safe picks (and industry consensus picks). But I’ve been looking into guys right behind the big 5 and there’s some really special talent in this draft. If this was a normal college season, Max Meyer’s skyrocketing draft stock could’ve propelled him to top 8 considerations, right now he’s seen as a lock for top 15. With the NCAA season cancelled, there just isn’t enough data on him as a SP. Some really lucky team after us is gonna nab him as a high upside pick. Max Meyer has a triple-digit fastball and probably the nastiest sliders in all of college baseball. And this past off-season he’s worked in a new changeup. Fireballer with nasty 89MPH slider and reliever risk, sound familiar? One knock on wood, his frame is nowhere close to Nate, we’re talking 6-0, 185 lbs. I’m not sure how he’s generating so much velo. If there’s one position player I would consider passing on Emerson Hancock for aside from Nick Gonzales, is Zac Veen. (Assuming Martin and Torkelson are gone). That kid is really special, and actually fits very well with some of the draft philosophies of this front office. His ability to hit, elite prep bat and raw power, potential centerfielder with athleticism, great frame (6-5, 200), love and passion for baseball. He’s been comp’d often to Yelich and Bellinger and practically living on baseball fields since he was 12 years old. He’s projected by multiple sources to be the first prep player taken in 2020.

Austin Martin 2020 Highlights (Vanderbilt):

There’s discussions now about the whole draft process. Everything has turned upside down with the college season cancelled and amateur baseball suspended. They’re suspecting most of the seniors would just graduate and not return for next year. There’s a wack of eligibility and service time issues attached to having just a 4 week season. Players are wondering what will happen to their scholarships during a cancelled season. It’s literally a logistical nightmare if the draft gets cancelled this year. Would guys have to wait till next year to get drafted? Will it be a shortened draft with only 20 rounds? Will it be postponed till fall? Generally there’s amateur scouting that happens over the summer for 2021 draft, will that even still happen? We have no idea at this point. The path of least damage seems to be if they just go through with the draft, despite a lot of names have barely played this season and teams not having as much data on guys. I still don’t think this entire MLB season will be cancelled, things might get rolling in May/June and we have an 80-game season to salvage. But that’s probably best case scenario.

Funny I also rewatched moneyball two days ago on Netflix. Anyone bought MLB The Show 20?

Keith Law’s list is interesting and his top 5 isn’t too farfetched. He’s not too popular around here, but he’s got a lot of inside sources and info when it comes to stuff like the draft. Even in Baseball America, there’s real talk around the draft scene about Asa Lacy’s rising stock. He has turned enough heads during his dominant start to be considered getting drafted before Emerson Hancock. His breaking stuff is just filthy, fastball command has improved from last year, and it helps to be a lefty when teams are nitpicking between two great options. Baseball America has a recent podcast talking about the draft and this pitching class. JJ Cooper not only has Asa Lacy ahead of Hancock, he thinks Lacy is a 1-1 candidate and would draft him as no. 1 overall pick. He cited that rarely in history the no. 1 pick would be a first baseman, even with a really impressive bat like Torkelson. Martin has showed he can play centerfield, and scouts still think he could be a legitimate shortstop with a plus-plus bat, or at the very least a plus-defender at third base and currently the favourite to go no. 1 overall amongst talent evaluators. I’ve talked about Nick Gonzales ad nauseam, so will leave it out here. But Cooper likes what he sees in Asa Lacy and thinks he’s got the stuff to be a frontline starter. Carlos Collazo said Lacy and Hancock are 1a and 1b, with Lacy being slightly ahead. But Cooper refuted that Lacy is currently seen as “in a class of his own.” He throws 94-95, T98 and has multiple filthy off-speed stuff. Has the physicality and easy to project him as a major league SP. The top 5 group is very strong, and even if you shift 10 picks down to the 15th, the names are very interesting from guys like Garrett Mitchell, Reid Detmers, Zac Veen, Austin Hendrick, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Carmen Mlodzinski, Jared Kelley, Mick Abel, Robert Hassell, Heston Kjerstad, Max Meyer, etc. This year’s pitching class is uber strong and goes beyond first round deep, but there’s good position player talent too. There will definitely be some steals in the second and third rounds, teams could potentially nab a really good arm in the later rounds. The scouting scene getting shut down so early will cause a lot of wildcards in the draft pool. We now have arms like Max Meyer turning a lot of heads, touching triple digits while carrying one of the nastiest breaking ball in the class, he might even go top 15 and a two-way player btw. And first round names prev. asterisked due to injury returned healthy right before the COVID-19 lockdown like Garret Crochet. Names like Detmers and Mlodzinski continue to up their stock. Prep guys that have suddenly added a lot of velo and barely got showcased before the lockdown. It’s gonna be a wild draft. I did a podcast recording with Mike recently talking about the draft (coming soon), and I stated I would love Emerson Hancock at the no. 5 pick for the Blue Jays. Still holds true now, and I think it might actually have a good chance of happening.

Keith Law’s Top 30 prospects for the 2020 MLB Draft https://theathletic.com/1670438/2020/03/16/keith-laws-top-30-prospects-for-the-2020-mlb-draft

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/why-drafting-as-scheduled-could-be-the-best-move-for-baseball/

How’s the spread on virtual horse racing?

Episode 41 - Are We Supposed to Just Go to Bed? 0:42 Alan got caught 1:45 Discussing COVID-19’s impact on sports. Will the baseball season be cancelled? 13:00 Alan’s punishment, was it worth it? 16:05 José Canseco as MLB commissioner? 18:05 John Havoc scouting reports down in Florida (feat. Pearson, Vlad, Zeuch, Kirk) 28:11 Eno Sarris MLB stadium beer rankings on The Athletic 39:20 Alan still in denial he’s becoming an alcoholic 41:35 Roster cuts in spring training 43:48 More Nate Pearson discussion 47:50 Julian Merryweather getting stretched as a starter? 50:50 Danny Jansen vs Alejandro Kirk? 52:02 Reviewing Fangraphs Blue Jays Prospect rankings, did Winckowski get snubbed?

One of the funniest episodes since the John & Drunk Alan episode (ep 32 expos didn’t win). Interesting beer discussions and John scouting Nate Pearson in Florida. Good stuff guys

SARS was @10%, COVID-19 is nowhere near as deadly (@3.4%-3.7%). The most vulnerable demographic are seniors and those with compromised immune systems. The typical healthy individual infected can and will get better in two weeks with no vaccine. The problem is the two week incubation period and people can spread it while experiencing no symptoms.

The recent ATL podcast with Pearson interview was very interesting.

Fair enough. And I don’t mind Biggio getting OF reps in spring training. Just don’t want to see it turn into a circus act during the season. His bat is good enough you don’t want to mess around his routine for no reason.

Did they hire Mr. Beans as the surgeon?

Will the Orioles and Marlins notice a difference?

Biggio actually is graded way above average in base sprint speed and OAA at 2B. He’s graded around average in RF and below average in LF (small samples) based on statcast and savant. His arm is actually a bit underrated too, as he can make a decent throw from RF to 3B. But he’s just going to be a serviceable outfielder at best, I’d rather keep him at second. It’s never a bad thing Biggio can play all OF and INF positions, but I just don’t see why you’d move a second baseman, off second base, when he’s graded as a plus asset there. He barely tapped into his power last season, I could see him getting 25-30 HR with a .350 OBP and 3-4 WAR in a full season. Moving Biggio around the field just to get other people ABs (Shaw? Panik? Drury?), when those other options are probably not worth it, just doesn’t make much sense to me. I see some potential in Shaw though. Now down the line, if they’re preparing Biggio to move off second to make room for Groshans, Orelvis, Hiraldo, or Nick Gonzales that’s a different story.

I know a couple guys on Radioscouts were very high on him. I hear he’s solid at CF and arm could be comparable to Griffin Conine (which has a ridiculous OF arm). The speed is also plus, so the bat really just has to catch-up.