steveno89

I'm a little surprised how down on Walker many seem to be. He has improved each season at Oklahoma, and was one of the best bats in the conference this past season. He may not have a true plus tool beyond his hitting, but the other tools aren't bad by any means. He certainly fits the mold of player we have been looking for as an advanced college bat, and could profile as a regular in the outfield. I do not necessarily see a center fielder profile, but having more outfield depth is not a bad thing.

I'll trust that a guy with a 65 hit tool will end up figuring out how to hit roughly 15 home runs per year due to the quality of contact he makes. Power may not be his calling card, but scouting reports indicate he is not merely a slap hitter. I expect Madrigal to sign quickly after his season is over for slot money.

Pilkington was a really good pick in the third round. His career numbers are solid in the tough SEC and he's a lefty with remaining upside. He won't turn 21 until September and has a solid 6'3", 225 lb frame. Can't complain about getting a player that has #3/4 starter ceiling in the third round.

Zero chance Wilcox signs

Wade would likely be a significant over slot target. Not sure how much room we have left?

Scouts seems to feel the hit tool is good enough that he will likely be able to hit around 15 home runs per year due to barreling up so many balls. He's unlikely to ever have plus power, but he's not exactly a slap hitter either. His plus speed and plus defense will be a huge asset in the field and on the basepaths as well.

I'm not professional scout, but his mechanics seem to fly open and are not very consistent. This likely causes him to have below average control.

put up a .918 OPS this season, not too shabby for a catcher. Likely will sign cheap.

Seems to be a really good pick in the 5th round. Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45 Stiever wasn't a high-profile recruit as a Wisconsin high schooler in 2015, but has developed into Indiana's best pitching prospect since the Brewers made Eric Arnett a first-rounder in 2009. He became the Hoosiers' Friday-night starter as a sophomore, ranking 11th in NCAA Division I in walk rate (1.1 per nine innings) and 14th in K/BB ratio (6.3), and has been even more effective, if not quite as precise, this spring. Stiever usually sits in the low 90s with his fastball, which peaks at 96 mph and plays above its velocity thanks to its run, sink and plane. He has advanced feel for an upper-70s spike curveball, which he'll turn into a harder slider on occasion. His changeup works as well, serving as at least an average third pitch to keep left-handers in check. Though Stiever is a little smaller than desired for a starter at 6-foot-1, there are no concerns about his ability to stay in the rotation. The athleticism that helped him earn Wisconsin all-state recognition as both a wide receiver and defensive back translates to the mound, as he generates quality strikes and maintains his stuff deep into games. He also earns praise for his competitiveness.

Sox target Adam Wolf gets snagged just before us ?

I like the direction that they have gone so far in the draft. 1) Madrigal - great pick, arguably best college position player in the NCAA. Plenty of upside, high floor 2) Walker - Enough upside to be a potential regular in the OF, solid contact skills and has shown some power. 3) Pilkington - Young college lefty that has shown flashes. Could have the ceiling of a backend innings eater. Adds left handed depth to the farm. 4) Delgado - Toolsy HS SS/3B, provides depth for our low minors and a quality raw project. Risks like this are important to take now and then.

Agreed, but with the glut of OF prospects we now have we should be able to scrounge together a solid core of at least two starters from: Jimenez, Robert, Rutherford, Basabe, Gonzalez, Walker, Adolfo, Call, Fisher, Polo, Booker, Cordell, let alone any of the guys on our current mlb roster?

I'd prefer to keep Madrigal in the infield where his plus defense and speed can be an asset. Moncada might be able to profile at third base with his plus arm strength and more reps there? Right now it's too early to change anything.

Very odd Right now I'd slot Madrigal as our #4 overall prospect and in between Willy Adames and Franklin Barreto as the #5 overall SS/2B prospect. He should be top 50 overall.

How good would adding a player like Nander De Sedas to our low minors look for example? Depth throughout the system is key.

I understand the philosophy in taking less risky college players, but I do wish the organization would roll the dice a bit more on high school talent. Depth throughout our entire system should be the goal as we look to create a farm that can continue to supply talent year after year.

Any speculation on who the Sox are targeting in rounds three and four? I see us sticking with the college player route, possibly a pitcher? Although I would like us to take some risks and try to stock our lower minors with high school talent.

While still having considerable upside, Madrigal seemingly has one of the highest floors in the draft. The bat, speed and glove appear to make him at least a 2 WAR type of player moving forward, with plenty of potential for more. True 60/70 grade hit tools are a rarity, especially combined with above average speed and fielding skills.

I have no clue how any Sox fan could be upset with the Madrigal selection. The draft is such a crapshoot, and grabbing and elite up the middle college talent cannot be faulted.

I don't see them pushing Rutherford to AA over Basabe, who is repeating high A ball after a rough 2017. Gonzalez really should be pushed to high A, opening up a spot for Walker in Kannapolis. Eloy and Polo/Fisher to AAA Booker or Call to AA Robert and Gonzalez to A+

These are all good problems to have as our system was sorely lacking depth as recently as a year ago. Competition is only a good thing and the best players/prospects will get playing time. Positional versatility will be key.

Huh???? Flawed college player? You do realize that Madrigal was the best college position player by a considerable margin, right? Players like Albies, Altuve, Biggio, Pedroia, Hernandez, etc. are all similar sized to Madrigal and are/were excellent. Rank Name Pos Age Hit Game Raw Speed Field Arm FB SL CB CH CT CMD Sits Top If you look at his profile, we should be very excited about the player he can become. Also, how does a high school pitcher in Stewart or position player in Groshans fit into our window? 1 Casey Mize RHP 21.1 60 / 60 50 / 55 55 / 60 60 / 65 45 / 50 92-96 97 2 Nick Madrigal 2B 21.2 40 / 70 30 / 50 40 / 45 70 / 70 55 / 60 50 / 50

My board: 1) Mize 2) Madrigal 3) Bart 4) Bohm 5) Singer In that order

Sox have had plenty of time to evaluate players and make the correct decision here. I'm hoping we can trust them to not screw up a very important draft for the franchise. Who we select will immediately become a key part of the rebuild.

Dustin Pedroia?