Originally Posted by
50PoundHead
The rule of thumb on football drafts (where you can conceivably draft for need) is you grade the draft after three years. I think in baseball, that timeline is extended to at least five. I've always thought that you want to have your premium picks in AA by the time a decision has to be made whether or not you put them on the 40-man roster (4 years for college guys, 5 years for all but a few high school guys).
The problem with high school kids--and I still think that's where the focus should be--is that it can be difficult to judge how much physical and/or skill growth you will see. I think this is especially true in the year-round baseball states like Florida, Georgia, Texas, and California. You see a ton of kids whose skills are very polished, but you don't know if they've capped out on their physical growth. They look like men playing against boys in high school because they really have their game down, but when they hit the minors, they may not have the physical tools to compete as the toolsy kids get their games together. I think that was the case with a kid like Troy Cameron, who was a very polished high school hitter.