2021 MLB Draft Thread

[beautox]

I could see the sox draft going a number three ways, #1 being BAP with who ever drops, #2 Frelick as hes multisport and has more than one tool and power won't be an issue for the future line up & #3 Henry Davis as it an organizational need, lines up with Grandal's eventual exit and is a Louisville connection that can possibly be a bit under slot.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

18 minutes ago, beautox said:

I could see the sox draft going a number three ways, #1 being BAP with who ever drops, #2 Frelick as hes multisport and has more than one tool and power won't be an issue for the future line up & #3 Henry Davis as it an organizational need, lines up with Grandal's eventual exit and is a Louisville connection that can possibly be a bit under slot.

That's a very dangerous assumption to make.

[bmags]

I don't think BAP exists as a concept in baseball drafts or is even how you should operate.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

59 minutes ago, bmags said:

13. Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College
Gatorade's Massachusetts High School Football Player of the Year in 2017, Frelick also starred in baseball and hockey as a prepster. While he's not overly physical at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, he could have three plus tools in his bat, speed and center-field defense, and he might develop average power.

I kinda think it might just be college player that the college baseball media scouts all love that they aren't getting great feedback on from team-side evaluators they just would put on the white sox because the love college. Or maybe the jeren kendall year was just too influential on me.

I'm trying to think who he is.  Is he Travis Swaggerty?  I think Swaggerty had more power when he came out and he might turn out to be a fine player but I'm sure Pittsburgh would love a do over on that one.  

[bmags]

7 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I'm trying to think who he is.  Is he Travis Swaggerty?  I think Swaggerty had more power when he came out and he might turn out to be a fine player but I'm sure Pittsburgh would love a do over on that one.  

When a college player is projected high because of high athleticism so rare in college, but not world-beating numbers, I think the assumption should be that they struggle to put the athleticism. I say this for position players, for pitchers it's mostly what I look for because they could have had terrible college coaches.

Athleticism is great, it brought Adam Engel to where he was and allowed him to tap into every bit of hitting talent he's had. But especially the "college shortstop, pretty athletic, hasn't tapped into their power" woof. woof woof woof. 

 

 

[bmags]

Round 2 guy:

Joshua Baez.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

4 minutes ago, bmags said:

When a college player is projected high because of high athleticism so rare in college, but not world-beating numbers, I think the assumption should be that they struggle to put the athleticism. I say this for position players, for pitchers it's mostly what I look for because they could have had terrible college coaches.

Athleticism is great, it brought Adam Engel to where he was and allowed him to tap into every bit of hitting talent he's had. But especially the "college shortstop, pretty athletic, hasn't tapped into their power" woof. woof woof woof. 

 

 

When talking about that type of athletic/projectable player I prefer the big strong guy who already has avg to plus raw power but the hit tool is a little behind.  That guy could get his swing/approach locked in and turn into a superstar.  It's very difficult for a smaller guy to get to avg power power when he doesn't have that big solid/strong base to build from.  I just think you can find that type of player later in the draft.  

[bmags]

???

Jackson Jobe

Heritage Hall HS, Oklahoma City, Okla.SS/RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R
Commit/Drafted: Mississippi
Age At Draft: 19.0

 

One of the top two-way prospects in the 2021 class, Jobe may have been thought of as a primary shortstop entering the summer, but teams are enthralled with his athleticism, arm strength and feel for spin after seeing him pitch over the last few months. A 6-foot-2, 185-pound righthander committed to Mississippi, Jobe has shown a solid four-pitch mix with a fastball up to 95, but his slider is the main event. The pitch is among the higher spin rate breaking balls in the class and has gotten into the elite, Carter Stewart 3,000-plus rpm range. The pitch is an easy future plus offering in the 80-84 mph range and has two-plane break with plenty of depth and power when he hits on it. After that, Jobe has a curveball in the upper 70s that’s solidly behind his slider and a low-to-mid-80s changeup that has good fading life down and in to righthanded hitters. Jobe has shown solid control with most of his pitches and works with a simple delivery. He has plenty of arm speed and throws from a three-quarter slot and scouts have praised the crispness of his actions on the mound. MLB clubs love the idea of putting an athlete like Jobe on the mound, so most likely have his pitching upside in front of his position player upside for now, but he’s a real pro prospect as a hitter as well.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

*cough* make up issues *cough*

[bmags]

well that sucks

[bmags]

wait wtf was this posted before or after I said my peace

 

[Harold's Leg Lift]

[Dominikk85]

Give me an athletic hitter with a real chance to stick up the middle. No more "maybe he can stick at that position but might be a DH guys".

 

 

[bmags]

Alright one more "watch with intrigue" this year if college baseball plays:

Gavin Williams, Eastern Carolina

"At his best he has touched 100-101 mph and should again be right at the top of the hardest-throwing arms in the 2021 draft class. He gets to that velocity with ease in the delivery and has good natural feel to spin a breaking ball with flashes of an above-average changeup. Considering the pure stuff, Williams’ upside is tremendous."

naturally, control is an issue. 

[Dominikk85]

18 minutes ago, bmags said:

Alright one more "watch with intrigue" this year if college baseball plays:

Gavin Williams, Eastern Carolina

"At his best he has touched 100-101 mph and should again be right at the top of the hardest-throwing arms in the 2021 draft class. He gets to that velocity with ease in the delivery and has good natural feel to spin a breaking ball with flashes of an above-average changeup. Considering the pure stuff, Williams’ upside is tremendous."

naturally, control is an issue. 

I would like that too at 22, maybe they can get another crochet type with ace starter ceiling and closer "floor" (actual floor of course is career ending injury or performance bust, but I'm talking maybe like 40th-50th percentile outcome or so).

 

Either that or a true CF or SS HS prospect.

Edited December 16, 2020 by Dominikk85

[Harold's Leg Lift]

It's incedible. These arm strength guys are popping up all over the place.  It's going to be interesting to see if they have the same velocity in the spring and how long they can hold that velocity.  And of course the million dollar question will be if they are capable of throwing it anywhere near the vicinity of the strike zone.  

[bmags]

27 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

It's incedible. These arm strength guys are popping up all over the place.  It's going to be interesting to see if they have the same velocity in the spring and how long they can hold that velocity.  And of course the million dollar question will be if they are capable of throwing it anywhere near the vicinity of the strike zone.  

Here's my pro level scouting from reading paragraphs on human beings:

Prep:

upper 90s + mature build = bad
lower 90s + projectable + athletic = good
lower 90s + projectable + athletic + feel for spin = excellent
Feel for changeup = i'm in
Small RH = no

College:

Upper 90s + effort = bad
Upper 90s + low effort + no secondaries = meh, maybe later!
Upper 90s + low effort + promising slider = i'm listening
"89-91 mph, no plus offering, can locate 4 pitches, friday night starter" = kill me.
Short right hander + "upper 90s + low effort + promising slider" = I can deal in 2nd round or later
"throws a screwball" = draft immediately

[Harold's Leg Lift]

46 minutes ago, bmags said:

Feel for changeup = i'm in 
 

Feel for spin I'm in

47 minutes ago, bmags said:

Upper 90s + effort = bad

I wouldn't say bad I'd say reliever profile.  

48 minutes ago, bmags said:

Upper 90s + low effort + no secondaries = meh, maybe later!

I'm out

49 minutes ago, bmags said:

Upper 90s + low effort + promising slider = i'm listening

I'm all in.

 

49 minutes ago, bmags said:

"89-91 mph, no plus offering, can locate 4 pitches, friday night starter" = kill me.

If he has some projection left I'm listening.

50 minutes ago, bmags said:

"throws a screwball" = draft immediately

I couldn't be more out. 

[bmags]

Hector Santiago for life.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

Did Hector throw the screwball as an amatuer or did he develop it as a pro? I don't thnk I've ever heard of an amatuer who threw a screwgy.  I've certainly never seen one. Instead of throwing it you'd save the kid a lot of time if you just hit him in the elbow with a hammer.  

[Texsox]

18 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Did Hector throw the screwball as an amatuer or did he develop it as a pro? I don't thnk I've ever heard of an amatuer who threw a screwgy.  I've certainly never seen one. Instead of throwing it you'd save the kid a lot of time if you just hit him in the elbow with a hammer.  

That made me laugh. As a high school coach (different sport but the analogy fits) I find myself telling a kid, when you become desperate to save your career you can do X. Until then, let's try the conventional approach. 

[bmags]

Maybe if we had them throw it at an earlier age we'd weed out the weak baby arms.

I just want one of these

 

[Harold's Leg Lift]

49 minutes ago, Texsox said:

That made me laugh. As a high school coach (different sport but the analogy fits) I find myself telling a kid, when you become desperate to save your career you can do X. Until then, let's try the conventional approach. 

Kudos.  I wish more coaches would take that approach.  

[Texsox]

16 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Kudos.  I wish more coaches would take that approach.  

At least here in San Antonio baseball is going the way of tennis, golf, volleyball, soccer, etc and private clubs and their coaches are more influential on a kid's training than the high school coaches.  In some cases that's a good thing. A buddy of mine from Chicago runs a couple baseball facilities here in San Antonio that provide really good instruction. 

[Harold's Leg Lift]

3 hours ago, Texsox said:

At least here in San Antonio baseball is going the way of tennis, golf, volleyball, soccer, etc and private clubs and their coaches are more influential on a kid's training than the high school coaches.  In some cases that's a good thing. A buddy of mine from Chicago runs a couple baseball facilities here in San Antonio that provide really good instruction. 

It's going that way everywhere.  Parents have to do a better job of informing themselves on where they send their kids for instruction.  There are a lot of bad dudes out there stealing money by selling some crazy ass shit. I can't believe what some of these guys are teaching kids.