Hahn/Hostetler with shot across KW's bow

[caulfield12]

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/183086774/ml...ctions-analysis

 

Read Callis' comments about Collins and Lewis.

 

Clearly, KW is no longer calling the shots. Hostetler basically forecast this is you were reading between the lines, talking about finding refined/professional hitters with good plate discipline...at impact positions.

 

At first, I was pissed off, but then I considered our track record with these types of prospects (other than Trayce) and at least it's NEW direction, even if we might not always agree about taking the "best" (however that's defined) player available.

 

White Sox coaching staff, particularly those with expertise in catching, will be on the job right away in Rookie Ball. Jim Thome will also likely become one of his mentors in a hurry. A little concerned with the comments about his athletic ability being below that of Kyle Schwarber, but we'll just have to wait and see.

 

It's also likely that Lewis wasn't going to be able to stick in CF, more likely ending up in RF. So you have the Sox finally going with the higher floor/lower ceiling guy instead of totally swinging for the fences. Also going with the player from the much more competitive conference, as opposed to Mercer, where Georgia Southern (Beck/Joey Hamilton/Todd Greene) has typically been one of the best teams historically.

 

Finally, let's keep in mind the Braves passed on Lewis, who practically plays in their backyard of Macon. Heck, they had a team in the Sally League in Macon for years and years and years. Hostetler worked for the Braves for quite awhile, so you can be 100% sure that he's familiar with both Lewis and Collins, since all Braves' scouts have mastery over the Southeast Region in terms of their networks/contacts/connections.

 

At any rate, hope it all works out in the end. We desperately need help at catcher, and have failed for decades to develop our own player there....and that position has been a black hole since AJ's prime faded.

 

 

 

 

Lewis may have boosted his stock more in the past year than any college prospect for the 2016 Draft. Undrafted out of a Georgia high school in 2013, he played sparingly as a freshman before nearly winning the Southern Conference Triple Crown and then starring in the Cape Cod League in 2015. He repeated as SoCon player of the year in 2016 while contending for the NCAA Division I lead in batting and home runs, making it a virtual lock that he'll become the first first-rounder ever from Mercer. With his leverage and bat speed, Lewis has easy pop to all fields. His swing is busier than most scouts would like, but his approach is generally sound and he tied for the D-I lead with 66 walks entering NCAA tournament play. Lewis is a fringy runner out of the batter's box, but he has solid speed once he gets going. Some evaluators think he has a chance to stay in center field, but most believe he's destined for right field, where he could develop into a serious home run threat with average or better tools across the board. www.mlb.com

 

NOTICE that Lewis was one of those rare "toolsy" guys who was also leading NCAA Division 1 in walks. And yet they still passed...and one would think a lot of those walks were intentional or pitching around him, which won't happen nearly as much in professional baseball.

Edited June 10, 2016 by caulfield12

[Panerista]

Don't take this the wrong way, but this post is all over the place and hard to read.

 

I'm skeptical he's a big league catcher, but unlike in the NL, we can do a lot with a converted catcher.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Deadpool

[caulfield12]

Main point: KW would take Lewis 98 times out of 100 if he was running the draft. Maybe 99.

 

 

http://m.mlb.com/cws/video/topic/8878818/v...ds-in-the-draft

 

I'll just allow Hostetler to make my point for me, in terms of HIS philosophy approaching the draft...

[kitekrazy]

Don't take this the wrong way, but this post is all over the place and hard to read.

 

I'm skeptical he's a big league catcher, but unlike in the NL, we can do a lot with a converted catcher.

 

Agreed and title is odd. Seems like a typical Sox draftee. Defense is a major weakness. To me that's a William's pick. Another potential DH.

 

[southsider2k5]

Or... And this might be crazy... But the White Sox trust Hostetler.

[Panerista]

Or... And this might be crazy... But the White Sox trust Hostetler.

You and your Occam's razor.

 

Caulfield, I appreciate your enthusiasm either way.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Deadpool

[Hatchetman]

Or... And this might be crazy... But the White Sox trust Hostetler.

 

That IS crazy.

[caulfield12]

Well, right now the projection is a refined, high OBP doubles hitting 20 homer guy who MIGHT end up at 1B/DH and has a fringey arm at catcher.

 

That's fine, nevertheless, if he can consistently put up those numbers. Obviously, MUCH better if he can stick at catcher, though.

 

And the KW philosophy of almost always drafting collegiate players continues. That's been in existence every since the McDowell/Thomas/Ventura/Fernandez drafts.

 

Honel and Jason Stumm were the rare exceptions.

[southsider2k5]

Well, right now the projection is a refined, high OBP doubles hitting 20 homer guy who MIGHT end up at 1B/DH and has a fringey arm at catcher.

 

That's fine, nevertheless, if he can consistently put up those numbers. Obviously, MUCH better if he can stick at catcher, though.

 

And the KW philosophy of almost always drafting collegiate players continues. That's been in existence every since the McDowell/Thomas/Ventura/Fernandez drafts.

 

Honel and Jason Stumm were the rare exceptions.

 

But Hawkins and Barnum weren't? Not Corey Zangari? What about Spencer Adams? Tyler Danish not apply?

[caulfield12]

Hawkins obviously was...but I was referring to first round draft picks for the White Sox, historically.

 

Eddie Pearson or Jeff Liefer maybe? Maybe for Mark Johnson, Kurt Brown, Joel Skinner...catchers. AJ Hinch was second round, ended up going to Stanford if I recall correctly.

Edited June 10, 2016 by caulfield12

[GreenSox]

Collins looks like he has an advanced hit tool. Excited to see what Sox can do with him. Hitter development has gotten an unfair rap. It's improving. Hahn's ongoing mis-evaluation of hitting talent partly to blame for bad rap.

 

Not impressed w/ drafting likely bullpen pitchers that high. If he can start, super.

 

Ability to help this year not important imo either (unless they really are low ceiling guys, and then you take what you can get). I trust they aren't low ceiling.

Edited June 10, 2016 by GreenSox

[ptatc]

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/183086774/ml...ctions-analysis

 

Read Callis' comments about Collins and Lewis.

 

Clearly, KW is no longer calling the shots. Hostetler basically forecast this is you were reading between the lines, talking about finding refined/professional hitters with good plate discipline...at impact positions.

 

At first, I was pissed off, but then I considered our track record with these types of prospects (other than Trayce) and at least it's NEW direction, even if we might not always agree about taking the "best" (however that's defined) player available.

 

White Sox coaching staff, particularly those with expertise in catching, will be on the job right away in Rookie Ball. Jim Thome will also likely become one of his mentors in a hurry. A little concerned with the comments about his athletic ability being below that of Kyle Schwarber, but we'll just have to wait and see.

 

It's also likely that Lewis wasn't going to be able to stick in CF, more likely ending up in RF. So you have the Sox finally going with the higher floor/lower ceiling guy instead of totally swinging for the fences. Also going with the player from the much more competitive conference, as opposed to Mercer, where Georgia Southern (Beck/Joey Hamilton/Todd Greene) has typically been one of the best teams historically.

 

Finally, let's keep in mind the Braves passed on Lewis, who practically plays in their backyard of Macon. Heck, they had a team in the Sally League in Macon for years and years and years. Hostetler worked for the Braves for quite awhile, so you can be 100% sure that he's familiar with both Lewis and Collins, since all Braves' scouts have mastery over the Southeast Region in terms of their networks/contacts/connections.

 

At any rate, hope it all works out in the end. We desperately need help at catcher, and have failed for decades to develop our own player there....and that position has been a black hole since AJ's prime faded.

 

 

 

 

Lewis may have boosted his stock more in the past year than any college prospect for the 2016 Draft. Undrafted out of a Georgia high school in 2013, he played sparingly as a freshman before nearly winning the Southern Conference Triple Crown and then starring in the Cape Cod League in 2015. He repeated as SoCon player of the year in 2016 while contending for the NCAA Division I lead in batting and home runs, making it a virtual lock that he'll become the first first-rounder ever from Mercer. With his leverage and bat speed, Lewis has easy pop to all fields. His swing is busier than most scouts would like, but his approach is generally sound and he tied for the D-I lead with 66 walks entering NCAA tournament play. Lewis is a fringy runner out of the batter's box, but he has solid speed once he gets going. Some evaluators think he has a chance to stay in center field, but most believe he's destined for right field, where he could develop into a serious home run threat with average or better tools across the board. www.mlb.com

 

NOTICE that Lewis was one of those rare "toolsy" guys who was also leading NCAA Division 1 in walks. And yet they still passed...and one would think a lot of those walks were intentional or pitching around him, which won't happen nearly as much in professional baseball.

Unbelievable......

 

KW's drafts were ripped for years for taking the safe high floor guys, before they shifted focus. Now they go back to it and he's ripped again.

 

I think it's JR's administrative assistant again making picks.

[ptatc]

Main point: KW would take Lewis 98 times out of 100 if he was running the draft. Maybe 99.

 

 

http://m.mlb.com/cws/video/topic/8878818/v...ds-in-the-draft

 

I'll just allow Hostetler to make my point for me, in terms of HIS philosophy approaching the draft...

It's a good thing KW has absolutely no say in putting hostetler in his position. Wait Hahn really doesn't do anything but let KW run the show. But then who put Hostetler in this position? JR's administrative assistant?

[caulfield12]

Fwiw, I think that was largely because of that stretch where you had Ring, Poreda (two relievers) and then McCulloch and Broadway, who were always perceived as back end of the rotation guys, especially Kyle.

 

Ring and Poreda, in particular, never made much sense.

 

Now if you're taking someone like a Josh Fogg or Nate Jones in later rounds, great...but not the first.

[caulfield12]

This pick, however, was brilliant. Doesn't matter what happens with him. Will never criticize it. Doesn't matter that OU is my second favorite team of all of college sports.

 

 

Had he been considered signable, Hansen could have been a top-five-rounds pick as a Colorado high schooler in 2013. He turned down the Rockies as a 25th-rounder and headed to Oklahoma, a move that looked like it could pay off with him being selected as high as No. 1 overall in 2016. Instead he has become the biggest enigma in the Draft, still showing ace-level pure stuff but also an utter lack of control that got him banished to low-leverage relief for five weeks and resulted in an overall 3-5, 5.40 record. Hansen still can light up radar guns like few pitchers in this Draft crop, sitting at 94-97 mph and reaching 99 with some running life. He throws both an upper-70s curveball and a mid-80s slider, with the latter more formidable and featuring late tilt. He even has the makings of at least an average changeup. Hansen has exciting raw stuff, but his red flags are daunting. He has little history of throwing strikes because he struggles to repeat a delivery in which his upper and lower halves are often out of sync and he doesn't stay online toward home plate. There also are worries about his long-term health after he took the summer off and then was shut down in the fall with forearm tightness.

www.mlb.com

[caulfield12]

http://www.scout.com/mlb/scouting/story/16...e-kyle-lewis-of

 

This was an interesting scouting report, very detailed...the comp after careful thought at the end was a bit more athletic Jermaine Dye.

 

I'm relaxing a bit more because of our 2nd and 3rd picks, and the fact that he's not going to end up in CF. Something about that swing just scares me against the highest level of competition.

 

OTOH, he was one of the best players on the field during the Cape Cod league, with a wooden bat.

 

 

At any rate, that's the last thing I have to say about this one. We can all watch Collins, Rutherford, Dunn, Perez, Groome and Lewis, and speculate about their futures over the next 3-5 years. And sometimes, the player that takes longer to develop (Mauer, for example, vs. Prior) or now Jonathan Gray with the Rockies...ends up being far and away the best.

 

 

[GreenSox]

Unbelievable......

 

KW's drafts were ripped for years for taking the safe high floor guys, before they shifted focus. Now they go back to it and he's ripped again.

 

I think it's JR's administrative assistant again making picks.

I think the problem with KW's high floor/low ceiling drafting is that it was coupled with reaching (probably due to no fixed slot system).

[caulfield12]

Cardinals getting Perez and Dakota Hudson...why is that not a surprise?

 

Still, will take Hansen over Hudson, all things considered. Of course, the last MSU signee the White Sox had, Bobby Thigpen, wasn't too bad.

[winninguglyin83]

Actually the last Sox draft pick from Miss State was Matt Ginter, but other than me and Mrs. Ginter nobody remembers him.

 

From back in the day when Baseball America loved the Sox farm system and ranked Jon Rauch the top prospect in all of baseball.

 

 

[caulfield12]

Yeah, I actually watched a Ginter start (I think) at the end of 2000...I was also at the game where Jon Rauch supposedly left early or left the clubhouse after he got bombed by the Tigers and ended up getting traded not so soon thereafter by KW. He (Ginter) was either on the US Olympic Team or some kind of All-American list at that time. Never did much at all at the big league level.

 

Biddle

Ginter

L.Barcelo

Kip Wells

Fogg

Garland

Buehrle

D.Wright

Beirne

Myette

Rauch

ETC.

Edited June 10, 2016 by caulfield12

[RockRaines]

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/183086774/ml...ctions-analysis

 

Read Callis' comments about Collins and Lewis.

 

Clearly, KW is no longer calling the shots. Hostetler basically forecast this is you were reading between the lines, talking about finding refined/professional hitters with good plate discipline...at impact positions.

 

At first, I was pissed off, but then I considered our track record with these types of prospects (other than Trayce) and at least it's NEW direction, even if we might not always agree about taking the "best" (however that's defined) player available.

 

White Sox coaching staff, particularly those with expertise in catching, will be on the job right away in Rookie Ball. Jim Thome will also likely become one of his mentors in a hurry. A little concerned with the comments about his athletic ability being below that of Kyle Schwarber, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Kyle Schwarber was heavily recruited to play football by Ohio state. He's an incredible athlete especially when he was in high school. Just because he cannot track a fly ball doesn't mean he's not super athletic.

[Dick Allen]

Don't really care about Collins' 40 time or his vertical at this point. The White Sox drafted a baseball player, not some athlete they are hoping to turn into one.

[caulfield12]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/...le82903562.html

[RockRaines]

Don't really care about Collins' 40 time or his vertical at this point. The White Sox drafted a baseball player, not some athlete they are hoping to turn into one.

At the very least he can move to 1B or DH and be a middle of the order hitter from the left side. That's good enough for me.

[daa84]

been a very clear shift in philosophy in drafting position players this year

Edited June 10, 2016 by daa84