Hard to believe he falls too far though. I don't see the Dodgers nabbing him with their first pick, but the second is reasonable. I just could see one of the teams ahead of us with a terrible farm system pounce on him(like the Angels).
Most of what a lot of the experts are thinking is that we're probably going college righty again for our first pick.
Going to be updating this thread throughout the day. Btw, Baseball America has us picking Robert Tyler with the #20 pick. College righty who has been shut down in the last three years and a lot of scouts believe is better in the bullpen. Same, good stuff though. Command needs work. Great article, we might be able to grab someone that slips that we thought we had no shot at.
I will be so pissed if they waste another fucking first round pick on a college arm destined for the god damned bullpen.
These are the top 5 guys I like for pick #20. This isn't a predictor of course. Just top five I like. Outside of Seager and Holmes, I haven't been a huge fan of our 1st round selections. Nolan Jones Matt Thaiss Joey Wentz Josh Lowe Will Benson
Nolan Jones High School Infielder MLB Scouting Report: The last time the state of Pennsylvania had a hitter get drafted in the first round was back in 2007, when Devin Mesoraco was taken by the Reds. This year, there could be two high school bats selected in the opening round, Alex Kirilloff near Pittsburgh and Jones, a talented infielder outside of Philadelphia. Jones' senior year started slow as he tweaked his back and missed the beginning of the season. As he returned, he was getting a lot of looks as he was thought to be one of the better pure high school bats in the country. Jones has good bat speed and excellent raw power from the left side. An average runner who might have slowed down a tick as he's added weight to his lanky frame, Jones has good hands and actions for the infield, though most see a move from shortstop, his high school position, in the future. Some feel the 6-foot-4 Virginia commit will profile well at third. But while he throws in the low-90s off of the mound, his arm action has others thinking that perhaps he'd profile best as a big offensive-minded second baseman or perhaps a left fielder. There might be teams who feel Jones has a chance to stick at short, but even if he has to move, his bat and offensive upside should get him off the board at some point in the first round. Baseball America Report: In the summer leading up to his senior year, Jones was a wiry 6-foot-5 shortstop. Scouts watched him transform into a prospect throughout the summer. Jones made steady adjustments to his swing and caught up to quality pitching. He showed plus raw power and his arm receives above-average to plus grades from scouts. At shortstop, Jones showed smooth actions and promising glove work during the summer, but 6-foot-5 shortstops don’t often stick at the position long term. Jones had not been in a weight room prior to August, and he added roughly 30 pounds of good weight. He showed exceptional power during a strong week at the WWBA tournament in Jupiter, likely cementing himself as a day one draft pick. Jones has also received some draft interest as a pitcher, though he sees himself as a position player. Jones also has a hockey playing background, and his older brother is a legitimate hockey prospect and will attend Penn State next year. Video:
Matt Thaiss College C MLB Draft Report: There isn't a lot of college hitting in this year's Draft class, and the college catching crop is particularly thin. But Thaiss's ability with the bat, coming from a strong Virginia program, has him poised for early-round consideration. Thaiss has long impressed with the bat. His 10 home runs as a sophomore, while playing in a pitching-friendly home park, led the Cavaliers as they won the College World Series. He has an advanced approach at the plate and solid power, especially on the extra-base front, though he should have some over-the-fence pop at the next level. He's continued to be very consistent at the plate as a junior, though there are many questions about his ability to stay behind it as a pro. His catching skills are quite raw, with a fringy arm and rough receiving skills. Teams might want to send Thaiss out as a catcher; those that do might consider him in the opening round. But his bat alone -- and he has played first base at times -- should make him a day one selection. Baseball America: When Thaiss came to Virginia from Jackson (N.J.) Memorial High, he wasn't proficient enough behind the plate to catch every day and played sparingly his freshman year. Injuries forced the Cavaliers' hand in 2015, and Thaiss became the primary catcher, where he's been for two springs. He has more than enough arm for the position, but many scouts aren't sold on his receiving and blocking skills despite the work he's put into both. Thaiss' lefthanded bat is his most lucrative tool; there's little doubt he'll hit. He's been a force in the middle of Virginia's order for two seasons, spraying line drives and packing above-average power into his 6-foot, 195-pound frame. Thaiss has excellent feel for the strike zone and rarely strikes out. Through his first 182 at-bats this spring, he struck out just eight times to 32 walks. Thaiss' bat will get him drafted, but he could go early to a team that believes in his catching ability. Video:
(NOTE: I think he's long gone before #20) Joey Wentz High School LHP MLB Scouting Report: Traveling the showcase circuit last summer as a first baseman because he had a dead arm, Wentz showed enough power potential to go in the top three rounds and belted a 543-foot shot (with a souped-up metal bat) in the Junior Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game festivities in Cincinnati. His arm has bounced back so well that there's no longer any question whether his future is brighter as a hitter or a pitcher, and he now projects to go in the upper half of the first round. He opened his season by not allowing a hit in his first four starts and finished it by leading Shawnee Mission East (Prairie Village) to the Kansas 6-A title with a homer and a two-hit shutout in the semifinals and two key RBI in the championship game. Wentz's fastball topped out around 90 mph before his hiatus from the mound, but after getting on a throwing program and nursing his arm back to health he has operated at 90-95 mph this spring. There could be more velocity to come from his projectable frame, and his fastball already plays up because it has armside run and his size creates difficult angle. He has a pair of solid secondary pitches in a curveball with depth and a changeup with fade, and he could have three plus offerings when fully developed. A Virginia recruit, Wentz has good body control for a 6-foot-5 high schooler. His arm action is clean and his athleticism allows him to repeat his delivery and throw strikes with ease. Scouts also laud his competitive makeup and envision him becoming a frontline starter in the big leagues. Baseball America Report: Scouts have been waiting for the day Wentz was draft eligible since he began impressing as a skinny 6-foot-5 sophomore with a low-80s fastball and plenty of room to grow. He's filled out since then to become a power lefty with present stuff and the potential to add even a little more as he reaches his 20s. A first baseman with plus raw power and swing-and-miss issues on the showcase circuit last summer, Wentz is much more intriguing as a 89-96 mph lefthander with a potentially plus low-to-mid-70s curveball and some feel for a changeup. Wentz didn't give up a hit until his fifth start of the season–he had one hit allowed in his first 30 innings. A Virginia commit, Wentz combination of potentially plus stuff and advanced control will likely keep him from pitching for the Cavaliers. Video:
Josh Lowe High School Corner INF/RHP MLB Scouting Report: The most talented two-way player in the 2016 Draft, Lowe almost certainly will be drafted in the first round as a position player. Nevertheless, there are scouts who think he may be the best high school arm to come out of Georgia since Zack Wheeler went sixth overall to the Giants in 2009. The state's Gatorade player of the year, he led Pope High (Marietta) to the Georgia 6-A finals. It's hard to ignore what Lowe brings to the table as a position player. He can be streaky at the plate but his quick, controlled left-handed swing and the leverage in his long frame produce considerable raw power. The Florida State recruit also has plus speed and arm strength, which should translate into solid defense at third base or in center field. While there's more projection involved when evaluating Lowe as a pitcher, it's easy to dream on an athletic 6-foot-4, 190-pounder with a loose arm and relatively clean delivery. He works at 91-93 mph and can hit the mid-90s with his fastball, which plays up thanks to its downward plane, run and sink. Lowe's three-quarters breaking ball lacks consistency, but it has the makings of a solid slider, and he has some feel for a sinking changeup that gets too firm at times. Baseball America: Lowe is one of the best pure athletes in this year's class. He comes from a strong baseball tradition; his father was a fifth-round pick out of high school, and his older brother Nathaniel plays first base for Mississippi State. Lowe showed potential both as a pitcher and as a hitter on the showcase circuit. He has a lean, 6-foot-4 frame with wide, sloped shoulders. Lowe dropped jaws when he displayed his plus-plus raw power during batting practice at the East Coast Pro showcase in August, and hit well in games on the showcase circuit. He does have some swing-and-miss to his game, and has been hot and cold at times this spring, leading different teams to evaluate him differently based on when they've seen him. Lowe is a plus runner and he has plus arm strength at third base, though his defense will need refinement going forward. On the mound, Lowe has shown a promising fastball at 91-94, a plus changeup and a wipeout slider. Some evaluators believe he could be a high draft pick even if he were only a pitcher, but his offensive upside will likely land him in the first round. Video:
(Note: Might be a tough sign) Will Benson High School OF MLB Scouting Report: It's almost impossible to discuss Benson with a scout and not have Jason Heyward's name come up as a comparison. They're both Atlanta-area high school prospects, left-handed hitters with similar builds at the same stage of their careers and outstanding athletes for their size. Benson led The Westminster Schools to the Georgia 3-A championship this spring, the Wildcats' first title since 1975. Benson's bat speed and strength give him well-above-average raw power, and the fact that he's more aggressive than Heyward bodes well for Benson's chances of tapping into it. He's at his best when he uses a short stroke, though he falls into the trap of trying to do too much at times. He hasn't had a great spring with the bat but still has enough offensive upside and all-around potential to go in the first round. A solid runner, Benson led the U.S. 18-and-under team with four steals in 14 games during the summer. Though he plays center field in high school, the Duke recruit will move to right field in pro ball and has the required arm strength for the position. He also has experience at first base. Baseball America: Benson has arguably the best bat speed in the class, prep or high school. He's a lefthanded hitter with a deep load and a barred lead arm in his swing. Benson showed plus-plus raw power throughout the summer, though his ability to get to his power is still a question due to concerns that some scouts have about his hitting ability. Benson does not consistently use his lower half, forcing him to commit to swinging at pitches early. His bat path can be a bit steep, leading to a tendency to roll over pitches and hit them on the ground with topspin. His measurables are solid, with a strong arm for right field and plus speed in the 60-yard dash, though his aggressive swing can cause him to get out of the box slowly, leading to below-average run times to first base. Benson's 6-foot-5 frame and Atlanta-area roots lead to comparisons to Jason Heyward, but the questions on hitting ability make him a boom-or-bust type of prospect. Benson values his academics and is committed to play at Duke. Video:
Because he had the Surgery in late august or september, wouldn't expect him to debut in a game until 2017. Probably for the best, as it will put him almost 18 months post surgery.
Good shit on all this work, this is exactly what I was looking for when I whined for someone to open this thread lol Now I'm getting excited for tomorrow, will be cool to have an off day to be able to analyze all this stuff
