Minor League Ball

2012 Community Mock Draft: National League East Review

2012-05-27T23:00:24Z

More reviews of the 2012 Community Mock Draft, moving ahead with the National League East.

2012 Community Mock Draft National League East

Atlanta Braves
1-21) D.J. Davis, OF, Mississippi HS
2-85) Adrian Simpson, RHP, Bellevue CC (Wa)
3-116) Dan Langfield, RHP, University of Memphis

John's Take: Davis' stock has been rising since he's showing more power to go with blazing speed, and I think that's a realistic pick. Simpson is a Tommy John survivor with a three-pitch mix and one of the top JC arms in the draft. Langfield also has three strong pitches but won't go in the first round due to lack of height and some control issues. He could be a steal in the third round, though.

Miami Marlins
1-9) Lance McCullers, RHP, Florida HS
3-104) Kyle Hansen, RHP, St. John's
3S-127) Max Foody, LHP, Florida HS

John's Take: Two live arms with major league bloodlines. I think McCullers' position in real life will depend on if teams see him as a starter or a reliever down the road. He does seem like the kind of guy the Marlins would be interested in either way. Foody is an intriguing, big lefty with a Florida State commitment, a labrum injury on his resume, and a low-90s fastball.

New York Mets
1-12) Courtney Hawkins, OF, Texas HS
1S-35) Clint Coulter, C, Washington HS
2-71) Brian Johnson, LHP, University of Florida
2-75) James Ramsey, OF, Florida State University
3-107) Josh Elander, C, Texas Christian University

John's Take: I like it. Hawkins and Coulter are two of the best high school power bats in the draft, though both have enough rawness in their game that they aren't sure-things. Lots of upside though. In contrast, Johnson, Ramsey, and Elander are all very polished college players who can move through a farm system quickly. Fill in with some pitching in the middle rounds, and this would be a great class in my opinion with strong balance.

Philadelphia Phillies
1S-40) Trey Williams, 3B, California HS
1S-54) Adam Brett Walker, 1B-OF, Jacksonville University
2-77) Brett Mooneyham, LHP, Stanford
2-95) Duane Underwood, RHP, Georgia HS
3-125) Tomas Nido, C, Florida HS

John's Take: This looks like a Phillies draft, featuring two physical power hitters, although Williams could have a signability issue, then a pair of somewhat raw physical pitchers with power arms. Nido is also raw but has a strong arm and a power bat. The two college guys would need more development time than the typical college pick. I think this group has a high bust potential, but also very high upside.

Washington Nationals
1-16) Gavin Cecchini, SS, Louisiana HS
2-80) Alec Rash, RHP, Iowa HS
3-111) Chase DeJong, RHP, California HS

John's Take: You won't get a quick impact from this group, but it is promising. Cecchini can stick at shortstop and has a chance to be a solid hitter, although it isn't a sure thing and opinion about his bat is mixed. Rash is a loose, high-upside Midwest arm who deserves more press than he gets and would look very nice in the second round. He'll probably have to go that high to avoid college at Missouri. DeJong might not be signable away from Southern Cal for third-round slot money, but on talent he fits well there.

2012 Community Mock Draft: American League East Review

2012-05-27T20:00:36Z

Moving forward with the 2012 Community Mock Draft Reviews, with the American League East.

2012 Community Mock Draft Review: American League East

Baltimore Orioles
1-4) Kevin Gausman, RHP, Louisiana State
2-65) Mitch Nay, 3B, Arizona HS
3-99) Tim Cooney, LHP, Wake Forest
John's Take: Gausman is a realistic and reasonable pick at fourth-overall with dominating upside. Questions about Nay's defense keep him out of the first round, but he has enormous power and could/should be signable away from Arizona State in the second (though probably not any lower than that). Cooney is a safe guy who lacks big upside but should get to the majors at a reliever at least. This looks Orioley to me.

Boston Red Sox
1-24) Matt Smoral, LHP, Ohio HS
1-31) Tanner Rahier, SS, California HS
1S-37) Chris Beck, RHP, Georgia Southern
2-87) D'Vone McClure, OF, Arkansas HS
3-118) Alec Asher, RHP, Polk County JC (Fl)
John's Take: This looks Bosoxy to me. Smoral's been injured all spring and has North Carolina beckoning him, but is considered signable in the first round from what I've heard. Rahier has solid tools, plays like his shoes are on fire, and is also considered signable in this spot. Beck's stock has slipped some this spring with some velocity decline but is a reasonable supplemental choice that fits recent Red Sox patterns, while McClure is raw, risky, but talented. Asher is one of the best arms in the JC ranks. Overall, looks solid to me.

New York Yankees
1-30) Shane Watson, RHP, California HS
2-88) Dane Phillips, C, Oklahoma City University
2-94) Preston Beck, OF, University of Texas-Arlington
3-124) Alex Young, LHP, Illinois HS
John's Take: I like Watson at the end of the first round or early supplemental and I think he fits well here, with a good balance of upside and safety. Phillips can hit and if you believe in his glove, he's a definitely solid choice in the second round, if not sooner. Beck's power stands out in a weak college class and it wouldn't surprise me to see him go as high as the supplemental round, so I think this is a good pick, too. Young is a projectable cold-weather high school arm but might not be signable away from TCU with third-round slot money. I like his talent, though.

Tampa Bay Rays
1-25) Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State
2-89) Jesse Winker, OF, Florida HS
3-119) Matt Koch, RHP, University of Louisville
John's Take: Marrero's glove will play and we know the Rays have shown an interest in loading up with shortstops. The Rays scouting director disappeared after the first round. I wasn't familiar with his thinking, so I have no idea if the other picks fit into his strategy. I chose Winker because the system needs power and they showed some interest in a similar talent (Josh Sale) in 2010. Koch is a live-but-erratic arm who could move quickly in a relief role, but he's got starter potential too and seems like the kind of guy the Rays coaches could refine effectively.

Toronto Blue Jays
1-17) Lucas Giolito, RHP, California HS
1-22) Lewis Brinson, OF, Florida HS
1S-50) Edwin Diaz, RHP, Puerto Rico HS
1S-58) Jesmuel Valentin Diaz, SS, Puerto Rico HS
1S-60) Christian Walker, 1B, South Carolina
2-81) Nolan Sanburn, RHP, University of Arkansas
3-112) Eddie Butler, RHP, Radford
John's Take: Easily the most controversial of the mock drafts. It seems doubtful that Giolito would sign for 17^th-slot money, so to sign Giolito, it would likely be necessary to undercut Brinson's bonus. I doubt either him or his agent would go along with that. Diaz and JVD have plenty of upside but both of them are related to former major league players, are familiar with the leverage process, and would not be as easy to undercut as Puerto Rican players have been in the past, especially JVD who has an LSU scholarship.
On the other hand, Christian Walker has a long track record and, given the lack of college hitting, could easily sneak this high for a team that needs to save money. I love Sanburn's arm, and Butler has enough upside to be intriguing.
A year ago, this would be a terrific, very Blue Jay draft, but the new CBA makes this hard to pull off. If they really did this, I would expect them to sign Giolito with Brinson and JVD heading to college, or to sign Brinson and JVD, with Giolito heading to college.
It's bold, and boldness can carry you a long way. When it works, you're Heinz Guderian. When it doesn't, you're John Bell Hood.

2012 Community Mock Draft: American League West Review

2012-05-27T18:20:05Z

Continuing with reviews of the 2012 Minor League Ball Community Mock Draft, we look at the American League West.

2012 Community Mock Draft Review: American League Central Division

Los Angeles Angels
3-114) Cody Poteet, RHP, California HS
John's Take: In the old days this would make perfect sense, but with the new system it might be hard to get someone like Poteet to pass up UCLA for slot money, unless he's willing to take a hometown discount, or unless he decides that pitching college ball is too much of a risk healthwise. Talentwise it is a fine choice.
The Angels SD had to stick around through four hours of drafting before making a selection, so kudos to his patience.

Oakland Athletics
1-11) Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson
1S-34) Nolan Fontana, SS, University of Florida
1S-47) Clate Schmidt, RHP, Georgia HS
2-62) Martin Agosta, RHP, St. Mary's
2-74) Daniel Robertson, INF, California HS
3-106) Buck Farmer, RHP, Georgia Tech
John's Take: I like the balance between upside and floor here. Shaffer and Fontana are near-certain major leaguers and both should provide plenty of OBP. Agosta should be a fine reliever and Farmer a back-rotation guy. The upside is with Schmidt and Robertson. I think you could probably sign Schmidt for slot money but Robertson would be considerably more difficult.

Seattle Mariners
1-3) Mike Zunino, C, University of Florida
2-64) Nick Williams, OF, Texas HS
3-98) Brandon Kline, RHP, University of Virginia
3S-126) Jeremy Rathjen, OF, Rice University
John's Take: Hard to go wrong by picking Zunino, especially given the strength of pitching the Mariners have in the farm system. Williams is a giant signability risk in the second round, but his talent would be nice there if he signs without busting the budget. Kline is a potential steal as a third rounder given his arm strength, while Rathjen is one of the more interesting sleeper bats in a thin year for college hitting.

Texas Rangers
1-29): Zach Eflin, RHP, Florida HS
1S-39) Dylan Baker, RHP, Western Nevada JC
1S-53) Kolby Copeland, Of, Louisiana HS
2-83) Fernelys Sanchez, OF, New York HS
2-93) Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP, Texas HS
3-123) Patrick Kivlehan, 3B, Rutgers
John's Take: This looks like the kind of thing the Rangers could do, mixing upside and risk. Eflin is a mid-first round talent if he's healthy. Baker has a great arm although his stock dipped a bit after a rough recent start. I like Copeland quite a bit, he gets kind of lost in the shuffle when HS OF are discussed but his tools are impressive and he has more polish than some. Sanchez has been injured all spring but has plenty of upside and only a CC commitment to fall back on. Stankiewicz would be a big signability risk in that slot, while Kivlehan has unusual athletic upside for a college guy without much leverage.

2012 Community Mock Draft: American League Central Review

2012-05-27T17:00:42Z

Today I will take a look at the results for each team in yesterday's Minor League Ball Community Mock Draft, beginning with the American League Central.

2012 Community Mock Draft Review: American League Central Division

Chicago White Sox:
1-13) Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M
1S-48) Jake Barrett, RHP, Arizona State University
2-76) Onelkis Garcia, LHP, No school (from Cuba)
3-108) Andrew Toles, OF, Chipola Junior College
John's Take: With Wacha and Barrett, the White Sox pick two college arms who probably won't need a lot of minor league time, Wacha projecting as a mid-rotation starter and Barrett a hard-throwing reliever. Cuban Garcia is a wild card who could turn into anything or nothing. The White Sox scouting director disappeared for the third round, so on short notice I selected the speedy, toolsy CF Toles, a type of player that has interested the White Sox in recent drafts.

Cleveland Indians:
1-15): Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke University
2-79): Rio Ruiz, 3B, California HS
3-110): Brett Phillips, OF, Florida HS:
John's Take: I think the Indians would be very happy to get Stroman at 15^th overall. Ruiz is a gamble. He was a certain first round pick until being sidelined with a blood-clotting disorder this spring. Would he take slot money, or would he be more likely to head to Southern Cal and try again in the draft in 2015? Phillips is a speed demon with a strong arm but would also present a signability risk. Lots of upside here if they could make the money work.

Detroit Tigers:
2-91) Austin Maddox, RHP, University of Florida
3-121) Logan Vick, OF, Baylor University
John's Take: The Tigers scouting director didn't show up, so I picked a couple of college players that I find interesting, given that Detroit's past tricks of giving high school kids huge overslot bonuses won't work now. Maddox could be in the major league bullpen within two years, while Vick is a solid athlete with a good amount of polish who would help a farm system that could use more position players.

Kansas City Royals:
1-4) Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford
2-66) Kyle Twomey, LHP, California HS
3-100) Kieran Lovegrove, RHP, California HS
John's Take: The Royals scouting director didn't show up, so I handled this one on the fly. I went with a pitching theme in accordance with pre-draft rumors regarding what the Royals want, picking the most advanced college arm, then a pair of highly-promising California prep arms. Lovegrove could go to Arizona State instead of taking slot money, so that one is a risk.

Minnesota Twins:
1-2) Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico HS
1S-32) Mitch Brown, RHP, Minnesota HS
1S-42) J.O. Berrios, RHP, Puerto Rico HS
2-63) Kevin Plawicki, C, Purdue University
2-72) Pat Light, RHP, Monmouth
3-98) Logan Ehlers, LHP, Howard Junior College
John's Take: I did this one and had thoroughly prepped for it. I regard Correa as the best player in the draft, so my plan was to take him if the Astros didn't, switch to high-upside pitching in the supplemental round, then go with signable-for-slot college players afterward. Brown's stock is shooting up pre-draft and I like him as much as any of the other high school pitchers in that slot, plus the Twins like local guys (and so do I). I really like the progress Berrios has made this spring. Plawicki is solid with both bat and glove, Light has a live arm with a great performance record (and was drafted by the Twins out of high school). Ehlers is a slight reach in the third round, but as a signable live-armed lefty from the Midwest (Nebraska) he fits my theme.

May 27 MILB Gameday Discussion

2012-05-27T16:30:28Z

Several notable arms are slated to toe the rubber throughout the day.

Among them are -

TRIPLE A - Jair Jurrjens, Michael Kirkman, Jeff Locke, Chris Volstad, and Barry Enright

DOUBLE A - Trevor Rosenthal, Trevor May, Brett Oberholtzer, Bobby Bundy, Taijuan Walker, Kyle Lobstein, Sonny Gray, Jake Brigham, Ethan Martin, and Edwar Cabrera

HIGH A - Taylor Jungmann, Erik Goeddel, Jameson Taillon, Chad James, Wilmer Font, Yordano Ventura, Andrew Chafin, and Jesse Biddle

LOW A - Tyrell Jenkins

MILB Scoreboard

2012 Minor League Ball Community Mock Draft After-Action Discussion

2012-05-26T22:00:20Z

Here is a discussion thread....what are your impressions of the 2012 Community Mock Draft?

I will summarize and analyze each team tomorrow.

Minor League Ball Gameday Discussion, MiLB 5/26

2012-05-26T22:00:00Z

Today's minor league baseball notable starting pitchers include - Anthony Ranaudo, Brandon Workman vs. Dylan Bundy (High-A Debut), Casey Crosby, Asher Wojciechowski....

Mike Montgomery, Rafael Montero, Greg Peavey, Brody Colvin, Jose Fernandez, Aaron Sanchez, Shelby Miller, Nate Eovaldi....

Sean Gilmartin vs. Daniel Corcino, Gerardo Concepcion, Barret Loux vs. Chris Dwyer, Alex Colome,Garrett Gould David Holmberg

Good matchup: Trey McNutt vs. Tyler Skaggs

Randomness:

Rymer Liriano has 8-for-8 streak ended in sixth inning but raises his average to .281

Rumor: Cardinals expected to recall reliever Chuckie Fick (3.86 ERA, 21 IP, 19 H, 7 BB, 10 K in AAA).

The Indians aparantly were the last team to have a player make his MLB debut this season.

2012 Minor League Ball Community Mock Draft: Round Three

2012-05-26T21:00:21Z

96. Astros: Jeremy Gelalich, OF, UCLA
97. Twins: Logan Ehlers, LHP, Howard Junior College
98. Mariners: Brandon Kline, RHP, University of Virginia
99. Orioles: Tim Cooney, LHP, Wake Forest
100. Royals: Kieran Lovegrove, RHP, California HS
101. Cubs: Patrick Wisdom, 3B, St. Mary's
102. Padres: Brady Rodgers, RHP, Arizona State University
103. Pirates: Lex Rutledge, LHP, Samford
104. Marlins: Kyle Hansen, RHP, St. John's
105. Rockies: Walker Buehler, RHP, Kentucky HS
106. Athletics: Buck Farmer, RHP, Georgia Tech
107. Mets: Josh Elander, C, Texas Christian University
108. White Sox: Andrew Toles, OF, Chipola JC
109. Reds: Kevin Brady, RHP, Clemson
110. Indians: Brett Phillips, OF, Florida HS
111. Nationals: Chase DeJong, RHP, California HS
112. Blue Jays: Eddie Butler, RHP, Radford
113. Dodgers: Stephen Johnson, RHP, St. Edward's
114. Angels: Cody Poteet, RHP, California HS
115. Giants: Sam Selman, LHP, Vanderbilt
116. Braves: Dan Langfield, RHP, Memphis
117. Cardinals: Matt Olson, 1B, Georgia HS
118. Red Sox: Alec Asher, RHP, Polk County JC (FL)
119. Rays: Matt Koch, RHP, Louisville
120. Diamondbacks: Damien Magnifico, RHP, University of Oklahoma
121. Tigers: Logan Vick, OF, Baylor
122. Brewers: Kenny Diekroeger, INF, Stanford
123. Rangers: Patrick Kivlehan,3B, Rutgers
124. Yankees: Alex Young, LHP, Illinois HS
125. Phillies: Tomas Nido, C, Florida HS

Supplemental Third Round:

126. Mariners (for unsigned 2011 third-round pick Kevin Cron): Jeremy Rathjen, OF, Rice University
127. Marlins (for unsigned 2011 t third-round pick Connor Barron): Max Foody, LHP, Florida HS
128. Rockies (for unsigned 2011 third-round pick Peter O’Brien): Matt Reynolds, 3B, Arkansas