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Post by The Duke on Jun 15, 2017 8:05:40 GMT -5
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Post by Lark11 on Jun 18, 2017 11:10:55 GMT -5
m.mlb.com/news/article/236744566/jim-callis-2018-mlb-draft-top-10-projection/?topicid=151437456Early 2018 mock: Another SoCal SS at No. 1?By Jim Callis / MLB.com | @jimcallismlb | June 16th, 2017 + 11 COMMENTS The Twins opened the 2017 Draft by taking a California high school shortstop. Whoever gets the first choice in 2018 figures to do the same. Minnesota made Royce Lewis, whom many scouts believe may move to center field, the No. 1 overall selection on Monday. At this point, Brice Turang is the favorite to headline the 2018 Draft. "He does everything better than Royce Lewis," one evaluator said, "except Lewis is going to hit for more power." Here's our way-way-too-early projection for the first 10 picks next June, basing the Draft order on the big league standings through Thursday's games. 1. Phillies (22-43): Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (Corona, Calif.)Said the evaluator of the son of former big leaguer Brian Turang: "He's like Christian Yelich, the swing is very similar, but with more speed and he can play shortstop." 2. Giants (26-42): Brady Singer, RHP, FloridaThe Cape Cod League's top prospect last summer, he follows A.J. Puk and Alex Faedo as the latest Gators ace with designs on going No. 1. 3. Padres (27-40): Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha (Wis.) West HSThe latest gem from Wisconsin stands out most for his advanced hitting skills but also has true five-tool ability. 4. A's (28-36): Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Bogart, Ga.)The top prep pitcher is extremely physical, already reaches the mid-90s with his fastball and flashes a nasty slider. 5. Reds (29-36): Joe Gray Jr. OF, Hattiesburg (Miss.) HSHe has the best raw power in his Draft class, as well as the speed and arm strength to play anywhere in the outfield. 6. Braves (29-36): Seth Beer, 1B, ClemsonAfter loading up on pitchers with recent first-round picks, Atlanta gets 2018's best college power hitter. 7. White Sox (29-36): Tristan Casas, 1B/3B, American Heritage HS (Plantation, Fla.)Reclassified from 2019 to 2018 in January, he'd give Chicago another basher to go with 2017 first-rounder Jake Burger. 8. Marlins (29-35): Luken Baker, 1B, Texas ChristianYet another slugger, he's missing the Horned Frogs' College World Series run with a broken arm. 9. Pirates (30-36): Konnor Pilkington, LHP, Mississippi State2018's top southpaw has a strong frame, a fastball that reaches 95 mph and a pair of potential solid secondary pitches in his curveball and changeup. 10. Cardinals (30-35): Nick Madrigal, 2B/SS, Oregon StateThe sparkplug of the 54-4 Beavers' No. 1-ranked team may be just 5-foot-7 and 161 pounds, but he hits line drives, steals bases and is a sure-handed defender. Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow @jimcallismlb on Twitter. Listen to him on the weekly Pipeline Podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Post by redskoolaiddrinker on Jun 18, 2017 13:25:36 GMT -5
If I'm looking at the standings correctly, the Reds are now in the #4 position. Starting rotation gets healthier and that should improve (if that's how you're looking at it).
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Post by redsfanman on Jun 19, 2017 16:14:43 GMT -5
Of course last year the Reds headed into the final week looking headed towards the #8 pick or something, and only slid into the #2 pick with the final 162nd game of hte season. So, I'm not really going to speculate on where the team will fall - #4 today would be meaningless. Whether a team wins 60 or 80 games, what ultimately matters is how the other teams do. So, just for some perspective. I think the Reds will do better when their starting pitching comes around, but so might the other losing teams for various reasons.
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Post by redskoolaiddrinker on Jun 19, 2017 18:13:22 GMT -5
Of course last year the Reds headed into the final week looking headed towards the #8 pick or something, and only slid into the #2 pick with the final 162nd game of hte season. So, I'm not really going to speculate on where the team will fall - #4 today would be meaningless. Whether a team wins 60 or 80 games, what ultimately matters is how the other teams do. So, just for some perspective. I think the Reds will do better when their starting pitching comes around, but so might the other losing teams for various reasons. Yeah no need to speculate in a 2018 MLB Draft thread. What fun would that be?
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Post by redsfanman on Jun 19, 2017 22:35:18 GMT -5
Sorry. I'm just pointing out that who the top draft targets are and at what spot the Reds will draft are separate debates.
I'm excited to learn about and read peoples takes on these players over the next year. But slot predictions are pretty meaningless until sometime in mid-to-late September.
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Post by Lark11 on Jun 19, 2017 22:38:24 GMT -5
I'd be very excited to see Seth Beer available, whenever it is that we pick.
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Post by The Duke on Jun 20, 2017 5:56:04 GMT -5
I'd be very excited to see Seth Beer available, whenever it is that we pick. He's probably a 1B or DH. He's slow now and is going to get slower as he fills out.
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Post by kinsm on Jun 20, 2017 6:33:15 GMT -5
I'd be very excited to see Seth Beer available, whenever it is that we pick. He's probably a 1B or DH. He's slow now and is going to get slower as he fills out. Joey Votto isn't going to play forever and prospects can be traded. Take the best available, don't care where they'll eventually play. 20 year old's with a .500 OBP & a .650 SLG in 125 games with an ACC school don't grow on trees.
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Post by The Duke on Jun 20, 2017 7:29:27 GMT -5
He's probably a 1B or DH. He's slow now and is going to get slower as he fills out. Joey Votto isn't going to play forever and prospects can be traded. Take the best available, don't care where they'll eventually play. 20 year old's with a .500 OBP & a .650 SLG in 125 games with an ACC school don't grow on trees. His numbers were also down pretty much across the board from his freshman year. FR: .369/.535/.700/1.235, 18 HR, 62 BB, 27 K, .330 Iso-P SO: .298/.478/.606/1.084, 16 HR, 64 BB, 35 K, .303 Iso-P Votto isn't going to play forever, but he is going to be here the next 7 years. In the next 2-3 years we should take a 1B out of high school who can just mash and give him 4-5 years to develop al all around game. I'm not diametrically opposed to drafting Seth Beer, but I'd feel a lot better about it if he could handle a corner OF spot, because he isn't going to need 6 years in the minors. And traditionally 1B prospects hold less value than up the middle guys in trades. He's got plenty of arm so if he could handle LF or RF for 3-4 years and then shift to 1B, I suppose that could work.
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Post by Lark11 on Jun 20, 2017 8:46:49 GMT -5
I'd be very excited to see Seth Beer available, whenever it is that we pick. He's probably a 1B or DH. He's slow now and is going to get slower as he fills out. Yeah, I don't care. The dude can rake. He's a threat in all three slash line components. His performance was down this year, but he's got another year to solidify his draft status. If his performance level is still down, then he might not be the pick, but I buy the swing mechanics and ability to control the strike zone.
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Post by Lark11 on Jun 20, 2017 8:47:37 GMT -5
Joey Votto isn't going to play forever and prospects can be traded. Take the best available, don't care where they'll eventually play. 20 year old's with a .500 OBP & a .650 SLG in 125 games with an ACC school don't grow on trees. His numbers were also down pretty much across the board from his freshman year. FR: .369/.535/.700/1.235, 18 HR, 62 BB, 27 K, .330 Iso-P SO: .298/.478/.606/1.084, 16 HR, 64 BB, 35 K, .303 Iso-P Votto isn't going to play forever, but he is going to be here the next 7 years. In the next 2-3 years we should take a 1B out of high school who can just mash and give him 4-5 years to develop al all around game. I'm not diametrically opposed to drafting Seth Beer, but I'd feel a lot better about it if he could handle a corner OF spot, because he isn't going to need 6 years in the minors. And traditionally 1B prospects hold less value than up the middle guys in trades. He's got plenty of arm so if he could handle LF or RF for 3-4 years and then shift to 1B, I suppose that could work. He can handle a corner outfield spot better than Kyle Schwarber.
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Post by oldschoolstyle on Jun 20, 2017 9:39:49 GMT -5
He sounds like an AL draft pick all day. Joe Gray Jr. Is actually who I would want as of today. Best raw power and will play CF? Yep.
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Post by kinsm on Jun 20, 2017 13:22:18 GMT -5
Joey Votto isn't going to play forever and prospects can be traded. Take the best available, don't care where they'll eventually play. 20 year old's with a .500 OBP & a .650 SLG in 125 games with an ACC school don't grow on trees. His numbers were also down pretty much across the board from his freshman year. FR: .369/.535/.700/1.235, 18 HR, 62 BB, 27 K, .330 Iso-P SO: .298/.478/.606/1.084, 16 HR, 64 BB, 35 K, .303 Iso-P Votto isn't going to play forever, but he is going to be here the next 7 years. In the next 2-3 years we should take a 1B out of high school who can just mash and give him 4-5 years to develop al all around game. I'm not diametrically opposed to drafting Seth Beer, but I'd feel a lot better about it if he could handle a corner OF spot, because he isn't going to need 6 years in the minors. And traditionally 1B prospects hold less value than up the middle guys in trades. He's got plenty of arm so if he could handle LF or RF for 3-4 years and then shift to 1B, I suppose that could work. Beer's BABip was nearly 70 points lower this season, he started a little slow and tore it up. Again, if he's the best available - you take him.
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Post by kinsm on Jun 23, 2017 17:29:15 GMT -5
Everybody Wins By Pushing Draft Back June 22, 2017 By John Manuel Major League Baseball, as recently as 1997, kept draft information secret. In fact, when MLB decided in 1998 to make the 50 rounds of the draft public for the first time (after Baseball America planned to make the list available for a fee), we celebrated with a headline announcing the decision: Baseball America Liberates Draft Information. That same year, 1998, was my first trip to Omaha for the College World Series. That was the last year of the “gorilla ball” era, when bats could be lighter and springier than they are now, and offense was out of control. Nothing illustrated that more than the 21-14 championship-game victory by Southern California over Arizona State that year. It also was the last year of the 48-team NCAA Tournament. The next year, the 64-team field began, introducing super regionals and giving teams around the country more hope that they could make a national splash in a major sport. Since then, both the draft and college baseball have experienced significant growth. The sad part is that they have developed on separate paths. If MLB and the NCAA realized that the growth of one event helps the other, we could have both a better draft and a better College World Series. A few quick fixes could make both events work better, and a Sports Business Journal report reveals MLB is moving to improve the draft’s visibility. The report indicated the potential to move the draft back to July during the all-star break. Also, the draft would move out of MLB Network studios in Secaucus, N.J., likely rotating to the site of the All-Star Game. Hosting the draft while the NCAA Tournament is going on (even during super regionals this year) doesn’t make sense. It’s an anachronism. Baseball has kept its draft in the first (or second) week of June while the college season now lasts three or even four weeks longer than it used to. And it is simply unfair to college baseball to have many of its top players having their attention split between helping their teams get to Omaha while having to deal with the pressure of draft day. Moving the draft to the Monday of the all-star break—one day after the Futures Game, two days before the All-Star Game—would (a) put the draft in the “offseason,” at least for amateur players; (b) give major league teams time to watch all players before meeting to line up their draft boards, and (c) allow MLB to initiate, at the least, a medical combine if not a scouting combine. Take official measurements of players’ heights and weights. Run them over 60 yards and get times to first base for hitters. Pitchers could throw a bullpen, or not—after all, not every quarterback throws at the NFL combine. Most importantly, every player takes a physical. They all have to pass one when they sign anyway, so why not just do it before the draft? Baseball should take note of what a marketing bonanza the NFL combine has become. A combine also could be used for teams to conduct interviews with players and gauge signability. I’d even be open to the idea of MLB clubs evaluating high school players to the point of letting them know which ones really are ready to sign and which ones aren’t. The NBA has an advisory aspect to its dealings with college players, letting them know which ones are likely to be drafted and often counseling them to return to school for more seasoning. This makes sense for baseball as well. Cutting the draft from 40 rounds, perhaps to 25, might help as well. This is especially handy if the combine comes to fruition; teams would have a much better handle on signability of players and should need fewer draft rounds. Teams could draft only the high school players who truly want to sign, then give college players the spots to fill out minor league rosters. These changes would require some shift to how short-season and Rookie-level clubs are currently run, but those should not be obstacles to the growth of the draft, which has more upside than the early season of, say, the New York-Penn League. If MLB and the NCAA worked together to promote baseball at both levels, instead of just worrying about their individual brands, they would both make more money. They also would improve the quality of the draft and the College World Series, which are both wonderful events. Read more at www.baseballamerica.com/columnists/everybody-wins-pushing-draft-back/#6YJKjka7Ib458R5E.99
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