MLB Draft Thread

[asuhoopsnut]

Wow! What a great draft plan. They are really loading up on pitching. They have drafted a pitcher in 15 of the first 18 rounds of the draft. They are now starting to draft other positions. I am very impressed with Ray Montgomery and his staff. It looks like they have done a stellar job in their first draft.

 

[Gaddabout]

You can never really go wrong by focusing on pitching early. It costs money to get those guys in, but if you go 2 for 5 on those picks each year, the farm system suddenly becomes fruitful and abundant. Position players are so hit-and-miss with the high picks, but you feel pretty good when you're working with 10 pitchers with good size and great fastballs.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Want to go back to Bauer for a sec. Man do I love this pick. A couple weeks ago when I first started reasearching the draft for the Dbacks, I looked at Bauers stats (they compare favorably to Strasburgs) and saw that he was projected as a Top 10 pick rather then the runaway # 1 and figured he must have average stuff.

Then I found out he regularly throws 96 and has been clocked as high as 102. And has like 5 out pitches. And then I realized the reason he wasn't the runaway #1 pick is because the "church of baseball" felt he was too unorthodox.

Whats hilarious is that Cole getting drafted #1 is a) typical of the Pirates and how they continue to bust out on highly rated arms (you woulld think they would change the strategy at some point) b) typical of whats wrong with the drafting process in every sport across the board.

How a team looks at Cole and Bauer on the same team, and takes cole is beyond me. But I am sure glad they did. I was one of the few fans of Josh Byrnes but it is safe to say that guy was in over his head and Kevin Towers has been a god send. And credit to Dipoto and his staff as well as from what I can tell, this looks to be the type of draft that sets an organization up for years.

I am ecstatic about our pitching depth!

 

[AsUdUdE]

It comes back to build...

Cole is 6"4 and built to throw 200 innings a year in the traditional sense... The general consenses on him is he will be a better pro pitcher than college, and this year Coel tried to throw from a 3/4 angle, something that left his fastball flat and not a lot of movement with his curve as was the case in previous years....

add that to the fact that he can still touch 100 regularly and in the 7th inning or later and the pirates were sold...

That is not to say Bauer can't to the same thing or even better, but he is a lot smaller, and there is concern he can keep his awesome pitching up...

 

[Gaddabout]

That is not to say Bauer can't to the same thing or even better, but he is a lot smaller, and there is concern he can keep his awesome pitching up...

There is some concern Bauer will have any cartilage in his shoulder in four years. This is why the Pirates didn't choose him -- the kid is testing fate with his workout regimen.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

There is some concern Bauer will have any cartilage in his shoulder in four years. This is why the Pirates didn't choose him -- the kid is testing fate with his workout regimen.

Well if he gets us a ring and 2 Cy Youngs in his first 4 years like the Freak, consider me okay with that outcome.

 

[AsUdUdE]

I can't help but to keep thinking about Webb...

The question is if he becomes Webb, (gives us 3-4 elite years, but then may never pitch again) is that worth the #3 pick...

I think it is worth the risk at the very least...

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

I can't help but to keep thinking about Webb...

The question is if he becomes Webb, (gives us 3-4 elite years, but then may never pitch again) is that worth the #3 pick...

I think it is worth the risk at the very least...

Getting Brandon Webb like production for 4 years is worth about a half dozen 3rd overall picks (and to be fair, Webb gave us six big years). Just look at the guys who have been picked 3rd in the last 30 years or so, only a handful of big names.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?overall_pick=3&draft_type=junreg&