Importance of a Top Draft Pick

[AlSoxfan]

I found this article very interesting an thought I'd share it. I'm somewhat guilty of doing as the author calls winning the losers battle in hoping we'll get a protected top 10 draft pick. I find it hard to do though. I loved sweeping KC in KC and I'm not big on Cleveland either so I'm rooting for another sweep. Still the article has some interesting stats of success rates for various draft picks.

http://outfieldflyrule.com/2015/09/01/the-...top-draft-pick/

[BamaDoc]

Good find. He expresses the feeling correctly and the analysis is confirmatory.

[kitekrazy]

If you don't believe your team has good scouting and developing like it really matters. Drafting the same position over and over doesn't work. Ask Matt Millen. Look at some of the misses on position players. Kenny seemed to like multi sport athletes. They were athletes but not baseball players. If the Sox were an NFL team they would draft every guy who looks good at the combine. They would get receivers who run a 4.3 but poor hands and bad at running routes. Then they think they can fix those deficiencies when you really can't at that level of performance.

They need better scouts and coaches.

[YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES!]

The Sox can't develop hitting anyway, even if they had the #1 pick.

[southsideirish71]

The Sox can't develop hitting anyway, even if they had the #1 pick.

 

They seem to do okay with pitching prospects.

 

[AlSoxfan]

If you don't believe your team has good scouting and developing like it really matters. Drafting the same position over and over doesn't work. Ask Matt Millen. Look at some of the misses on position players. Kenny seemed to like multi sport athletes. They were athletes but not baseball players. If the Sox were an NFL team they would draft every guy who looks good at the combine. They would get receivers who run a 4.3 but poor hands and bad at running routes. Then they think they can fix those deficiencies when you really can't at that level of performance.

They need better scouts and coaches.

I realize the success rate stats are for all of MLB. We have not done well drafting position players but we seem to do a lot better with pitching. Pitching is an important part of baseball. Also winning or acquiring a protected pick means little if you're not signing a FA with a QO attached to him. I'm not sure if the FO has any intentions of signing any. IMO we need to and or trade from our strong suit of pitching. I really don't want to give up any of our pitching but I see few options otherwise. When/if Shark leaves we'll have 2 picks in the first round. A few here (including myself) have been watching our protected list standings. A few others have moaned about not trading Shark. In any case the stats show a pretty good success rate for players drafted in the first round making the big leagues. This is what we have like it or not. I just found the numbers surprising.

[harfman77]

The Sox can't develop hitting anyway, even if they had the #1 pick.

 

It would help if they drafted some hitters sometimes. It is an easy trap to fall into to say they can't develop hitters, but when have they really even tried? Yes Jared Mitchell and Keenyn Walker have been flops, other than that the Sox hitters have developed about as good as anyone else, the difference is that the Sox draft fewer hitters with top selections than the majority of teams. The Sox have been really good at drafting pitching though and have stuck with it, however, they are going to need to turn some of those pitchers over for hitters for the strategy they are employing to work successfully.

[NorthSideSox72]

If you don't believe your team has good scouting and developing like it really matters. Drafting the same position over and over doesn't work. Ask Matt Millen. Look at some of the misses on position players. Kenny seemed to like multi sport athletes. They were athletes but not baseball players. If the Sox were an NFL team they would draft every guy who looks good at the combine. They would get receivers who run a 4.3 but poor hands and bad at running routes. Then they think they can fix those deficiencies when you really can't at that level of performance.

They need better scouts and coaches.

While the last sentence may be true, the rest of this post wholesale ignores the past few years of history. You have a different crowd making most of the decisions now, and you can see in who they've drafted that their style has changed noticeably.

 

[southsider2k5]

While the last sentence may be true, the rest of this post wholesale ignores the past few years of history. You have a different crowd making most of the decisions now, and you can see in who they've drafted that their style has changed noticeably.

 

It also ignores the now 3 new hitters we have on the roster who were completely developed by the White Sox, and who aren't even our top prospects.

[oldsox]

While the last sentence may be true, the rest of this post wholesale ignores the past few years of history. You have a different crowd making most of the decisions now, and you can see in who they've drafted that their style has changed noticeably.

Same head scout Laumann for several years until a few months ago.....

[oldsox]

If you don't believe your team has good scouting and developing like it really matters. Drafting the same position over and over doesn't work. Ask Matt Millen. Look at some of the misses on position players. Kenny seemed to like multi sport athletes. They were athletes but not baseball players. If the Sox were an NFL team they would draft every guy who looks good at the combine. They would get receivers who run a 4.3 but poor hands and bad at running routes. Then they think they can fix those deficiencies when you really can't at that level of performance.

They need better scouts and coaches.

LMAO.

[kitekrazy]

LMAO.

 

Me too in a sad way.

 

[kitekrazy]

While the last sentence may be true, the rest of this post wholesale ignores the past few years of history. You have a different crowd making most of the decisions now, and you can see in who they've drafted that their style has changed noticeably.

 

Please elaborate.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Please elaborate.

Well first, look at the last few (say, 3) drafts. They team isn't drafting Jared Mitchell and Keenyn Walker anymore. They also aren't drafting "safe" college arms in order to sign for slot. And they are doing overslot picks lower in the draft and spending extra money to do so.

 

Also, the new rules have helped the Sox immensely, and they've used basically their full pool (in 2014 they in fact went over) every year. No working to save money for that sake. That's a big change too.

 

Then there are the personnel. Some are the same, some are different. Hostetler, who is not a through-and-through Sox guy, is now basically running the draft. And there are other scouting and front office personnel changes. Coaches in the minors have changed in some cases, though Mr. Bell is still around.

 

This doesn't even touch on the LatAm stuff, which has gone from dead in the water to now starting to churn out talent state-side as the 16-year olds grow up a bit.

 

Point is, the club is doing some very different things now than they were just three years ago (or 2 or 4) on the amateur side. People seem to think the club is still just drafting either Walker/Mitchell types or Broadway types. That simply isn't true.

 

[southsider2k5]

Well first, look at the last few (say, 3) drafts. They team isn't drafting Jared Mitchell and Keenyn Walker anymore. They also aren't drafting "safe" college arms in order to sign for slot. And they are doing overslot picks lower in the draft and spending extra money to do so.

 

Also, the new rules have helped the Sox immensely, and they've used basically their full pool (in 2014 they in fact went over) every year. No working to save money for that sake. That's a big change too.

 

Then there are the personnel. Some are the same, some are different. Hostetler, who is not a through-and-through Sox guy, is now basically running the draft. And there are other scouting and front office personnel changes. Coaches in the minors have changed in some cases, though Mr. Bell is still around.

 

This doesn't even touch on the LatAm stuff, which has gone from dead in the water to now starting to churn out talent state-side as the 16-year olds grow up a bit.

 

Point is, the club is doing some very different things now than they were just three years ago (or 2 or 4) on the amateur side. People seem to think the club is still just drafting either Walker/Mitchell types or Broadway types. That simply isn't true.

 

It is way easier to keep the same meme's then to actually give credit where credit is due.

[LDF]

Well first, look at the last few (say, 3) drafts. They team isn't drafting Jared Mitchell and Keenyn Walker anymore. They also aren't drafting "safe" college arms in order to sign for slot. And they are doing overslot picks lower in the draft and spending extra money to do so.

 

Also, the new rules have helped the Sox immensely, and they've used basically their full pool (in 2014 they in fact went over) every year. No working to save money for that sake. That's a big change too.

 

Then there are the personnel. Some are the same, some are different. Hostetler, who is not a through-and-through Sox guy, is now basically running the draft. And there are other scouting and front office personnel changes. Coaches in the minors have changed in some cases, though Mr. Bell is still around.

 

This doesn't even touch on the LatAm stuff, which has gone from dead in the water to now starting to churn out talent state-side as the 16-year olds grow up a bit.

 

Point is, the club is doing some very different things now than they were just three years ago (or 2 or 4) on the amateur side. People seem to think the club is still just drafting either Walker/Mitchell types or Broadway types. That simply isn't true.

 

excellent post.

 

i think that the sox still does select draft picks that they feel as they can sign. however i think they also manipulate their draft strategy to make it happen, saving money elsewhere to reach the amount they will need to sign the player.

 

this is pretty much what some teams are doing now, but with more fanfare.

 

i just hope they don't fall into a rut in picking safe picks.

 

but i also agree there is no more, not going after specific players whose agent is this person or that person.

 

i think they need to continue to be aggressive in their selections....

 

but either way, i agree with you and again excellent analysis.

Edited September 10, 2015 by LDF

[kitekrazy]

Well first, look at the last few (say, 3) drafts. They team isn't drafting Jared Mitchell and Keenyn Walker anymore. They also aren't drafting "safe" college arms in order to sign for slot. And they are doing overslot picks lower in the draft and spending extra money to do so.

 

Also, the new rules have helped the Sox immensely, and they've used basically their full pool (in 2014 they in fact went over) every year. No working to save money for that sake. That's a big change too.

 

Then there are the personnel. Some are the same, some are different. Hostetler, who is not a through-and-through Sox guy, is now basically running the draft. And there are other scouting and front office personnel changes. Coaches in the minors have changed in some cases, though Mr. Bell is still around.

 

This doesn't even touch on the LatAm stuff, which has gone from dead in the water to now starting to churn out talent state-side as the 16-year olds grow up a bit.

 

Point is, the club is doing some very different things now than they were just three years ago (or 2 or 4) on the amateur side. People seem to think the club is still just drafting either Walker/Mitchell types or Broadway types. That simply isn't true.

 

That is good to know.

 

[Y2Jimmy0]

excellent post.

 

i think that the sox still does select draft picks that they feel as they can sign. however i think they also manipulate their draft strategy to make it happen, saving money elsewhere to reach the amount they will need to sign the player.

 

this is pretty much what some teams are doing now, but with more fanfare.

 

i just hope they don't fall into a rut in picking safe picks.

 

but i also agree there is no more, not going after specific players whose agent is this person or that person.

 

i think they need to continue to be aggressive in their selections....

 

but either way, i agree with you and again excellent analysis.

 

 

Of course they only draft players that they can sign. Why would they draft players that won't sign? This happened around draft time as well. You clamored for them to take all these players that were definitely going to college. That doesn't make any sense.

[LDF]

Of course they only draft players that they can sign. Why would they draft players that won't sign? This happened around draft time as well. You clamored for them to take all these players that were definitely going to college. That doesn't make any sense.

 

and for a long time, they drafted players who they can sign, and forgot about players who had certain agents, those that may wanted a better salary etc.....

 

that has stop b/c of the salary cap but still they still need to be aggressive in their scouting and players/prospects.

[Y2Jimmy0]

and for a long time, they drafted players who they can sign, and forgot about players who had certain agents, those that may wanted a better salary etc.....

 

that has stop b/c of the salary cap but still they still need to be aggressive in their scouting and players/prospects.

 

 

Okay. I agree with that. I think they are doing that though. They signed Rodon.

[southsider2k5]

and for a long time, they drafted players who they can sign, and forgot about players who had certain agents, those that may wanted a better salary etc.....

 

that has stop b/c of the salary cap but still they still need to be aggressive in their scouting and players/prospects.

 

Stop living in the past. Those days are gone. You can't get a better personification of that than Carlos Rodon.

 

[LDF]

Stop living in the past. Those days are gone. You can't get a better personification of that than Carlos Rodon.

 

i am not living in the past, i am explaining my reasons.

 

btw, many posters have posted things that are considered living in the past esp drafting know prospects who can hit.

 

so why did you used that a post to make this ever so superior of a statement.

 

then again, you may learned something.

[LDF]

Okay. I agree with that. I think they are doing that though. They signed Rodon.

 

and thru that circuitous route, that they have always done in this owner tenure, i am saying take the direct approach, even be aggressive from this point on.

[southsider2k5]

i am not living in the past, i am explaining my reasons.

 

btw, many posters have posted things that are considered living in the past esp drafting know prospects who can hit.

 

so why did you used that a post to make this ever so superior of a statement.

 

then again, you may learned something.

 

lol @ learning something. Clinging to the same old outdated cliches isn't going to teach anyone anything. This is the exact mentality that brings us back decades to White Flag any time a trade is made.

[fathom]

and for a long time, they drafted players who they can sign, and forgot about players who had certain agents, those that may wanted a better salary etc.....

 

that has stop b/c of the salary cap but still they still need to be aggressive in their scouting and players/prospects.

 

Boras has very little leverage left with regards to the draft. He tried to get Hahn not to draft Boras according to one report, and as we saw....hahn called his bluff.