Hold off! Maitan is putting up a lusty .574 OPS in the Midwest League. Performance issues aside, he is over two years younger than the average player in the Midwest League at this point. Of the guys we lost, Juan Carlos Negret appears to be doing the best, though not so good. All these guys are striking out a ton.
We talk a lot about "upside," but the way I tend to conceptualize that is to ask if the player has a path to being a useful contributor even if everything doesn't go right for him. Any of these guys can succeed if everything breaks their way and they develop perfectly, but I like to see players who can justify their draft positions even if some skills don't develop as expected.
I think that's my big concern with Langeliers, though respect for a guy named after an underrated Stephen King novella. What's his best case scenario - a defensive whiz with an OPS in the low to mid 700's? That's definitely useful, and a (I assume) well above-average result for the ninth pick. But does that leave much margin for error? If the bat doesn't develop, he's a defense-only backup catcher, which is basically the platonic ideal of a replacement player. If his defense turns out not be all it's cracked up to be (and remember, Christian Bethancourt was supposed to be a defensive savant, and then he actually reached the big leagues), is the bat enough to carry him? And if the bat and defense are both a notch or two below expectations, there's not really much there at all.
cajunrevenge (05-25-2019), jpx7 (05-26-2019), Super (05-27-2019)
Has there EVER been a statement and question a certain someone should absolutely never have made and asked publicly more than...
Kinda pathetic to see yourself as a message board knight in shining armor. How impotent does someone have to be in real life to resort to playing hero on a message board?
Considering we're all internet scouts and have seen nothing other than a few highlights from any of those guys, my guess is that it's best to defer to the folks that have actually seen them play. They don't get discussed in that range unless more than a couple people think pretty highly of them - all of them.
Has there EVER been a statement and question a certain someone should absolutely never have made and asked publicly more than...
Kinda pathetic to see yourself as a message board knight in shining armor. How impotent does someone have to be in real life to resort to playing hero on a message board?
I think the distinction between players with multiple paths to success and those with just one path is worth making
i think of the former as having at least 2 of these 3 attributes:
1) potential to be at least average at a premium defensive position at the major league level
2) above average hit tool
3) above average power tool
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."
Langeliers is a player with multiple paths to success. But that is not what I would focus on for our two first round picks. For those picks I would look for the guy with the biggest upside.
For our second and third round picks I would look for guys who maybe dont have the loudest tool but have multiple paths to success. This draft is deep in middle infielders and I think we will take at least one with our second and third round picks.
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."
Jaw (05-26-2019)
jpx7 (05-26-2019)
In terms of draft strategy I think we should explore 2 options:
1) try to get Abrams or Bleday to drop to us. Given their backgrounds they may prefer to play for the Braves. We obviously would have to go over slot with the #9 pick to do that and move $ from later picks.
2) If we cant swing option 1, I would move in the opposite direction. Go under slot with one of the first round picks as part of a plan to get enhanced value in rounds 2-4.
Last edited by nsacpi; 05-26-2019 at 01:17 PM.
"I am a victim, I will tell you. I am a victim."
"I am your retribution."
jpx7 (05-26-2019)
The thing with Carroll is the knock against him seems to size and/or power potential. With the new baseball being used in AAA/MLB, it’s making power grades very hard to project.
Maybe Carroll is a bit underrated considering the grades being hung on all his other tools. If he and a high upside arm are the picks at 9/21, I won’t complain at all.
The only poor strategy I’ve seen presented by any mock draft are the ones that have the Braves selecting 2 RHP at 9/21.
The thing with Carroll is the knock against him seems to size and/or power potential. With the new baseball being used in AAA/MLB, it’s making power grades very hard to project.
Maybe Carroll is a bit underrated considering the grades being hung on all his other tools. If he and a high upside arm are the picks at 9/21, I won’t complain at all.
The only poor strategy I’ve seen presented by any mock draft are the ones that have the Braves selecting 2 RHP at 9/21.
Enscheff:
I think he (Teheran) finishes with a FIP ~3.3. -CrazyTrain 3/35/2019
3/35/2019?
The "If I Were Running the Braves Pick," based on nothing more than reading the tea leaves before the draft and a gut feel (which is certainly unscientific, but probably not too far from what actually happens in reality once the picks move from about the top 5 anyway):
9: Gunnar Henderson: SS, bats left throws right. Very young player who has a month before turning 18. Late helium. Probably early for his projected slot so shouldn't be a money problem. From Alabama and supposedly a Braves fan. Braves save a little money.
21: Matt Lugo: SS, RH/RH. Also very young player who just turned 18. Probably a 2B or 3B. Braves save a little money.
60: Spencer Jones: 1B/LHP, LH/LH. Two way guy who is committed to Vandy and will cost above slot. Also young, just turned 18. Braves use money saved at 9 and 21 plus whatever else they need.
Go college SR heavy the rest of the way as necessary.
Last edited by Horsehide Harry; 05-27-2019 at 03:38 PM.
Jaw (05-27-2019)
Keith Law's mock out now: http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/stor...-mock-draft-20
The important stuff -- Jackson Rutledge at 9 and notes that he recently threw at Suntrust for our front office. His list of others in the mix is Bishop, Carroll, Manoah and Langeliers.
At 21, he has us taking Brennan Malone and says we're linked to many other prep arms there. The most interesting note is he lists Georgia Tech catcher Kyle McCann as our target for pick 60.
McCann is hitting .298/.471/.693 this year at Georgia Tech with 12 doubles and 23 homers. He's striking out 25% of the time and walking 21% of the time.
Jaw (05-28-2019)