Info for today's White Sox draftees

[Cerbaho-WG]

I know there is a draft thread which is pinned, but I wanted to make everything run a little smoother here and devote a thread to scouting reports/news stories/stats of the White Sox draftees today and tomorrow. The reason being that the draft thread ALWAYS gets cluttered with a metric f***ton of posts saying, for example, "D-Rays take Price," followed by 20 posts of opinion, analysis and impacts throughout the draft. And when the Sox finally pick, I'm surprised that the message board even functions due to an overflow of comments like, "WHITESOX TAKE WHOMEVER," "s*** pick," and "What exactly is an anal fissure?" So, to alleviate these problems, I think it's a good idea to have one thread dedicated SPECIFICALLY to information about the players the Sox select, nothing more. No discussion on whether you think it's a good or bad pick, just things relating to the players. And after being around on draft day for about four years+ now, I can guarantee you that wading through 80+ pages of a thread to find one link is a MASSIVE pain in the ass.

 

So, once the draft starts and the Sox start selecting, I ask everyone to put links you have in this thread to help everyone who is curious about our new draftees. It will help out everyone and save them a lot of frustration and time.

[danman31]

Aaron Poreda USF profile

Junior season stats: 99.2 IP, 40 R (32 ER), 2.89 ERA, 66 K, 18 BB, 93 hits, 7 HR, .252 opp avg, 7-6 record

 

Ranked 37 by Baseball America

Scouting Report: Poreda wasn't on the radar screen in high school; he focused more on football as a defensive end/tight end. He did pitch a bit, even tossing a no-hitter, but was awkward and had suspect arm action. In three seasons at San Francisco working with pitching coach Greg Moore, however, he has developed into a first-round candidate and one of the nation's hardest-throwing lefthanders. Poreda works off the fastball almost as much as UC Riverside's James Simmons (No. 47), and like Simmons, it's his only above-average pitch. While his fastball was flat and 89-90 mph in his 2007 opener, he has been consistently in the low 90s since then, touching 96-97 and regularly hitting 94. He throws plenty of strikes (though he lacks true command), and with his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame, he should prove durable. He doesn't pitch as downhill as he should at his size, in part because of his low three-quarters arm slot. Poreda's arm action and lower slot make his breaking ball a fringe-average pitch at best, though it has improved. He has the makings of a changeup but hasn't thrown it much, sticking to his fastball. He had experimented with a higher slot to aid his breaking ball, but the move cost his fastball some of its late life and was back to his old slot.

 

Fastball: Poreda's only true pitch, but it's plus-plus. He gained 6-7 mph on it this season and was throwing it comfortably at 95-96 mph.

FB Movement: His fastball sinks and runs and he's able to throw it for strikes.

Slider: He has one, but it's way behind the fastball.

Changeup: Just like the slider, Poreda's changeup needs a lot of work.

Poise: Poreda's poise was fair, at best, but will come as he has more success on the mound.

Physical Description: Big, strong left-hander with projectable frame that has already filled out some from last year.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Plus, plus fastball with above-average movement and the ability to throw strikes consistently.

Weaknesses: His secondary stuff. The slider and changeup will have to come a long way. Even though he's a lefty, he's not good at getting left-handed hitters out.

Summary: Poreda is one of those pitchers who is new to being good. Players who come out of nowhere like he has (with the jump in velocity, especially) have to get used to being dominant. Once he grows accustomed to that, his poise should improve by leaps and bounds.

[Whitewashed in '05]

This organization loves football/baseball players.

[CWSGuy406]

More Poreda stuff here:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/ev...x.jsp?mc=poreda

[CWSGuy406]

Griffith tidbits and video:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/ev...jsp?mc=griffith

[SoxFan1]

Bit more on Griffith:

 

Nevin Griffith interview:

 

"Nevin Griffith is an awesome high school pitcher from Tampa, Florida. The 6’4” righty has shot up draft boards this spring with his projectable, athletic body and great stuff – including a fastball that touches 96, good sinker and plus slider. Griffith should be drafted very highly on Thursday, perhaps even creeping into the first round. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nevin via e-mail, and here is what he had to say

 

PerfectGame.org

 

First off, start by telling everyone where you grew up, how you became interested in baseball and a little about your prep baseball career.

I grew up in Brandon, FL. My older brother played baseball, so the game was introduced to me early in my life. My first time out of the house as a newborn baby was actually to the baseball field - to one of my brother’s games. Naturally, I was interested in the game and when I was four years old, I enrolled in tee-ball. In high school, my coach decided I was going to be a pitcher.

How would you describe yourself as a pitcher to someone who hasn’t seen you pitch? What pitches do you thrown? How do they rank? How do you like to attack hitters? Write your autobiographical scouting report!

I pitch to get outs. That is not my main focus as much as it is my only focus. I throw a fastball that usually sits around 93-95 MPH and a sinker around 91 MPH. My slider is my out pitch and it’s usually in the range of 82-84 MPH. Those three pitches are my bread and butter in the course of a game. My curveball and change-up are usually used later in the game as a surprise pitch. I like to stay away from hitters most of the time unless they are a strong hitter then I’ll come inside. I mostly throw outside to lefties and like to backdoor them with my slider.

 

Tell us about your pre-game preparation and what you do on the days you're not pitching. What routine do you go through when you're on the mound that day. What do you do after the game, when you're done pitching? Do you ice? Stretch? How often do you throw on your off days?

First off, I try to throw everyday whether it is just a short toss or flat ground to a long toss and a bullpen. I like to long toss before I pitch and run just two poles. After the games I pitch, I don’t ice as many pitchers do. My arm usually feels good so I run about four miles the day after just to get all of the lactic acid out of my arm built up from the game.

 

You've had a prestigious prep baseball career. Please talk about some of the travel teams you have been on and showcases that you have played in.

I have played for many travel teams and summer clubs but the team that outranks all of those teams is Chet Lemmon’s Juice - they are the real deal.

What player have you played with or against that makes you say, "That guy is going places!"?

I went to Atlanta for an East Cobb Showcase and I played with this shortstop named Derek Deitrick - now that guy is really going places!

 

On a related note, you've had some intense battles against Michael Burgess - another player from Tampa that will be a high draft pick in a couple weeks. Tell us about those.

I went at Mike like he was just an ordinary batter. He got no special treatment because of his name. I treated him like a strong-hitting lefty, so I stayed in on his hands and used the slider outside to back door him. I used the sinker and the curveball to keep him off balance.

Do you have a favorite MLB team?

No.

 

Who is your favorite pro baseball player? Is there a pitcher that you try and model your game after?

My favorite baseball player is Dontrelle Willis, but hopefully it will be myself pretty soon. LOL. But I try to model my pitching after Roger Clemens because in his prime he went for the win with his all and he has two power pitches, like me.

What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career?

When I threw my first perfect game this year. It was memorable because the fans for the other team were actually rooting for me.

Do you have any superstitions? If so, how did they develop? I always associate #23 with Michael Jordan - is that why you chose that number, or are there different reasons?

I have no superstitions, but I always have the number 23 because that was the date I was born - March 23rd. There’s no sense in having a number that means absolutely nothing, so I decided that my number would be 23.

 

We’ve now heard about Nevin Griffith, the ballplayer, but tell us about Nevin Griffith, the person. What do you like to do when you’re not playing baseball? What is something unique about you?

When I’m not on the field, I’m just a regular 18-year-old young man that likes to go to the movies, play spades and halo with his friends. Something unique about me is that I hate pizza but love sushi.

 

Favorite Movie? Music group/artist? Book?

“300”, Lil Wayne & To Kill a Mockingbird."

[CWSGuy406]

Here's a clip of Griffith going up against 49th overall pick (WASH) Michael Burgess. It's from a bad camera angle, but you can see some of Griffith's breaking stuff and his (apparent) velocity in the 92-93 range.

 

[29thandPoplar]

Here is the dirt on Leroy Hunt from BA:

 

167. Leroy Hunt, rhp

School: Sacramento CC. Class: So.

B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 220. Birthdate: 11/28/87.

Scouting Report: The Reds drafted Hunt in 2005 as an outfielder out of high school and followed him to Sacramento City College. He had enormous raw power as a hitter but never seemed to get comfortable at the plate against good velocity, so Sac City moved him to the mound to take advantage of his arm strength. While he remains raw, Hunt has one of the best fastballs in the state. It has heavy sink and boring armside run, and Hunt throws it in the 90-94 mph range, touching 95 at times. His secondary stuff (slider, changeup) is almost nonexistent, but that didn't stop him from a 40-inning scoreless streak this spring, including a pair of outings against better-regarded Matt Thompson of Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College. Hunt needs to develop either his slider or changeup to have a second pitch, a concern because he hasn't shown much aptitude so far. He's committed to Oral Roberts, but should be an easy sign. With his intimidating size (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) and fastball, he profiles as a power reliever.

 

W L ERA G SV IP H BB SO

7 3 1.87 15 1 72 50 22 76

[Cerbaho-WG]

From Whitesox.com

 

CHICAGO -- The first incarnation of Aaron Poreda's athletic career would have made him a more likely first-round pick for the Chicago Bears, as opposed to the White Sox.

Poreda actually stood out on the gridiron for Campolindo High School in California, earning second team All-Conference honors in 2004 as a defensive lineman. But as of his junior year, Poreda decided baseball was the career path best-suited for him to follow.

 

On Thursday, shortly after 3 p.m. CT, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound southpaw completed the climb from a walk-on hurler at the University of San Francisco to an individual who could be contributing on the South Side of Chicago as a Major Leaguer in the next year or two. The White Sox selected Poreda with the 25th pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, sounding after the selection as if they were quite satisfied with the addition.

 

"One of the things we were emphasizing for this particular ballpark, which is pretty much of a home run hitters ballpark, is someone who can sink the ball and put the ball on the ground," said Duane Shaffer, the White Sox senior director of amateur scouting, who was part of the front office brain trust arriving at the Poreda pick.

 

"This guy had the best sinker we saw all year from a college left-hander," Shaffer said. "This was a guy we focused on and we were fortunate enough to get at 25."

 

Asked to describe himself as a pitcher during a Thursday evening conference call with the Chicago media, Poreda defined his style as "a big lefty that loves to throw strikes and force contact." His fastball tops out around 97 mph, but usually ranges from 91 to 96 mph.

 

A slider and changeup complete his repertoire, although Poreda added that he has been working on a cutter. Confidence also seems to play a crucial role in Poreda's success, judging by his comments made in regard to his Major League preparedness at the present time.

 

"Physically, I would be ready to compete at the Major League level," said Poreda, who doesn't have much more filling out or physical growth to do, based on his current size. "I need to critique a couple of pitches and work with the White Sox coaches. Whenever they want to bring me up, I'm more than ready.

 

"I need to develop full command of my slider, but it has been a great pitch for me already. Every day, it seems to be getting better and better. My changeup has been a great pitch, but if I throw it more and more, it will be there. My fastball is Major League ready."

 

As a junior starter for the Dons during the 2007 season, Poreda finished 7-6 with a 2.89 ERA over 14 starts. Poreda struck out 66 and walked 18 in 99 2/3 innings, and although he led the San Francisco staff in strikeouts over the past two years, he has the makings more of a control pitcher than a power arm.

 

"He's a ground ball pitcher, at least that's what I think," Shaffer said. "He's a guy who can pitch with his fastball, he can pitch to contact and he's going to get a lot of outs that way because his ball sinks so much."

 

This strong effort as a junior from Poreda followed a sophomore campaign, marking his first time moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation, in which he posted an 8-5 record with a 2.49 ERA. Shaffer watched Poreda pitch three times personally this year, in January, March and during his last game in May, and the White Sox saw Poreda 15 times cumulatively.

 

Assuming Poreda signs quickly, and he gave every indication Thursday that he planned to be part of the White Sox family, Shaffer felt Class A Winston-Salem would be a good starting place for the left-hander. Poreda said he hadn't watched a White Sox game recently and being from the East Bay area, he actually thought the Giants might have selected him with the 22nd overall pick.

 

"I thought that I had a good shot of going to the Giants, but now that I'm a White Sox, I have a new favorite team," said Poreda, who was teammates at San Francisco with Stefan Gartrell, the White Sox 31st-round pick in 2006. "I can't wait to have the White Sox tell me where I'm going to go so I can get this process started."

 

Pitchers have been the White Sox top selection in each of the last three drafts, with Poreda following Lance Broadway (2005, 15th overall) and Kyle McCulloch (2006, 30th overall), marking the first such stretch since the team's drafts from 1974-76. But Poreda appears to be a bit less polished than the two previous hurlers, who practiced their craft at Texas universities.

 

But the White Sox made clear over the past few weeks that they were looking for the best available talent, a player who could be a little rawer in regard to baseball skills, but could develop into something special at the Major League level. The White Sox seemed to hit their target via the one-time defensive and offensive lineman turned frontline pitcher.

 

"We were always looking for the best player, the highest-ceiling athlete, the All-Star type guy," said Shaffer, who mentioned there was a position player of interest available with Poreda, but the White Sox opted for the pitcher. "He can pitch with his fastball. His secondary stuff, it needs some work.

 

"There's no question about that. You don't get a 6-foot-6 lefty, who throws 91-to-95 [mph], unless there's a glitch here and there. But we think we can work that out fairly quickly and get him on his way."

 

Other White Sox Day 1 selections:

 

RHP Nevin Griffith, Middleton (Tampa, Fla.) High School (second round, 89th overall)

Originally projected to go quite a bit higher, possibly as a sandwich pick, the White Sox just might have picked up a steal with the hard-throwing righty.

 

"[He's] tall, lean and he can throw the heck out of the ball," said Shaffer of Griffith, who has signed with Florida International University.

 

Griffith's fastball checks in currently between 90-94 mph. But with plenty of room to grow, the White Sox project out Griffith to throw even harder when he gets bigger and stronger.

 

RHP John Ely, Miami of Ohio (third round, 119th overall)

The Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) High School graduate won 18 games over the past two seasons for Miami of Ohio. According to Shaffer, he's another pitcher with a fastball between 90-95 mph. He also has a good breaking ball, good control and the all-important sink.

 

"Sink and power arms, that was an emphasis," said Shaffer of the five pitchers selected on Day 1, with 45 rounds coming Friday. "We were fortunate enough to get them."

 

RHP Leroy Hunt, Sacramento City College (fourth round, 119th overall)

A former outfielder, Hunt presents a little different look with his three-quarters delivery. Hunt finished 9-4 with a 1.99 ERA last year and held opposing hitters to a .199 average.

 

"He's a guy who can move fairly quickly if he throws enough strikes," Shaffer said.

 

RHP Nathan Jones, Northern Kentucky (fifth round, 179th overall)

Jones is another power arm out of Northern Kentucky, with a fastball topping out at 96 mph