Pendleton

Mitchell might be an underslot signing, but doesn't sound like a punt pick.

124 Johnny King LHP, Naples (FL) Bio Stats News Video AGE 17 BATS L DOB 07/26/2006 THROWS L HT 6' 3" WT 210 COMMITTED Miami Video scouting report » Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45 As baseball has raced into the analytics era, one thing that makes a team’s Draft model very happy is a young Draft-eligible player. When that player is a left-handed pitcher with potential plus stuff, that’s even better. King, who was generating a lot of buzz as the spring progressed in Naples, Florida, ticks off a lot of those boxes as a southpaw with electric offerings who will still be just 17 years old when the Draft rolls around. King is tall and athletic with an NFL quarterback kind of build. The 6-foot-4 southpaw could eventually have three plus pitches in his arsenal. He already can miss bats with a lively fastball that sits in the low 90s and will touch 94-95 mph regularly, and it’s easy to envision him throwing harder given his frame and already upward trajectory. He combines it with what is often a nasty high-spin power curve thrown typically in the upper 70s that can be a true out pitch. He will use a harder slurve to finish off left-handed hitters, and while his changeup is developing, he shows feel for it and throws it with excellent arm speed. A terrific athlete who is the best hitter on his team and could be a position player prospect if he focused on that, King does have a lot of energy and effort in his delivery, and not all scouts like his arm action. That can impact his command, though many scouts think the Miami recruit will be able to find a repeatable delivery and throw enough strikes at the next level, with a ceiling as a mid-rotation starter.

Round three gets underway in about fifteen mins

Ranked #11 by both MLB.com and BA

There are specific instances that would make this less than a universal truth, but generally speaking I don't think anyone in sports should be around to fire their underling twice and bring in a third. You get one mulligan to scapegoat someone you hired and then it has to fall on you. The team needs yet another change in the manager position and it just doesn't seem right to let Atkins make his third such move. He needs to go as well. Shapiro needs to find a quality GM, let them make their quality manager hire, and they need to get this thing retooled and on track rather quickly before Shapiro's seat becomes burning hot as well

Callis and Mayo final predictions: 20. Blue Jays Callis: Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky The Blue Jays are casting a wide net for college bats that includes Benge, Waldschmidt, Honeycutt, King, Sam Houston catcher Walker Janek and Louisiana State third baseman Tommy White. Mayo: Seaver King, 3B/OF, Wake Forest Back to the college hitter bucket here, with King the choice over Waldschmidt, White or Janek.

Why would you go and ruin it for everyone?

Kellon Lindsay is the other one who seems really interesting. 80 grade athlete with a feel for hitting

He's my favourite prospect in this draft outside of the obvious top guys

No one tell him he can't see it because he has me blocked, I've been starting way more threads since then

Relievers are weird

Use the open 40 man spot to call up Riley Tirotta and hope he continues his current white hot streak from AAA. Only 81 career PA at the AAA level but he's soon turning 26, hardly rushing at that point. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/riley-tirotta/sa3017078/stats?position=1B%2F3B

Imanaga/Skenes are the two horse race for NL ROY with Yamamoto on the shelf. Luis Gill and Mason Miller seem the current runaway candidates to compete on the AL side.

Speaking of the Astros, Hunter Brown appears to be back on track after his horrendous start. He's been ace level across his last seven starts and gone at least 6 innings for each of his last five. Starting using his sinker back at the start of May, and clearly it's been part of the recipe to get his season turned around. Something about throwing that particular pitch, seems to be helping him command all of his stuff.