http://www.fueledbysports.com/2017-mlb-mock-draft/
No obvious #1 here. Some think Schwarz could be it.
Do we take the best player available or continue to value town it?
http://www.fueledbysports.com/2017-mlb-mock-draft/
No obvious #1 here. Some think Schwarz could be it.
Do we take the best player available or continue to value town it?
Wasn't expecting this until at least next May, but if there's nobody head and shoulders "best player," then they should identify need. This selection will also speak to current status of scouting and analytics. Avery and Chipper were the only high end picks to have a very successful careers from the last run of top picks. The others were Tyler Houston, Derek Lilliquist and Mike Kelly, who were a very mixed bag.
You can practically ignore any mock draft being done at this time of year. The people who actually have some idea of what they're talking about won't put one out until late next spring and even then will caution it's way too early.
rico43 (08-21-2016)
If we have the #1 pick then they better go BPA instead of going the value route.
Coach_Chris (08-21-2016), goldfly (08-21-2016)
Hunter Greene.
"On the first day of the event, shortstop/right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene (Notre Dame High School, in Sherman Oaks, Calif.) put his two-way talent on display and made a case for himself as the best player in the field. Scouts already know Greene well, having seen him play last summer as the youngest member of USA Baseball's 18U National Team, which featured 2016 first-round picks Mickey Moniak, Ian Anderson, Will Benson, Forrest Whitley and Blake Rutherford. He also generated buzz within the scouting community earlier this week when he pitched in front of Major League Scouting Bureau evaluators in California and reached 97 mph with his fastball.
Greene, a UCLA commit, has the long, lean and projectable build that scouts look for at a listed 6-foot-4, 197 pounds. Whether he's pitching or playing the field, he plays the game effortlessly with fast-twitch athleticism and impressive polish in all phases. In game action, he combines strength with controlled aggression, and there's an explosive element to everything he does that sets him apart from his peers.
In his one-inning stint on Wednesday, Greene ran his heater up to 95 mph and settled into the 92-94 range. There's a quick tempo to his simple motion, as he takes a pretty clean arm circle into a three-quarters slot with a gentle plant-foot landing. He creates solid angle on his fastball, which features riding life that induced an awkward swing from a right-handed hitter for the second of his two strikeouts. He also showed the makings of an above-average slider that reaches the low-80s with sharp bite and tilt at its best, taking a flatter trajectory when it's not. The size, stuff and pitchability give him a starter's profile at the next level, and his physical projection portends improvement as he adds strength and arm speed.
At the plate, Greene combines a natural, fluid swing with an advanced feel to hit. He showed very good bat speed and extension in batting practice, producing loud echoes off the barrel as he drove a handful of balls over the fence. With athletic movements in the box and exceptional bat control, he has a line-drive swing plane geared for both contact and power. He's a smooth defender at shortstop with solid hands and loose, coordinated actions, moving laterally with easy strides. He has a real chance to stay at the position, but should his physical maturation sap too much of his range, he has the defensive tools to become a well above-average defender at third base.
Greene -- who will still be 17 years old by the time next year's draft rolls around -- is one of the better two-way prospects in recent memory. There's a legitimate debate in the scouting community as to where he should play, and settling that debate will be difficult if he performs as he's expected to on both sides of the ball next spring. Regardless, he has the look of a potential top 10 pick at this very early juncture, offering all-star upside at whatever position his selecting team decides to develop him."
So, not only is Greene a hit or miss pick, you could hit or miss at what position you play him. UCLA commitment likely means there are no bargains to be had here.
"Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon"
To be fair, I'd imagine over the next 10 months it will become more and more apparent where you play him at and if he has what it takes to be a 1-1 guy. From everything I've seen so far, he'll need to add a lot of speed to his game to stick at SS or even in the IF at all. If he shows to be either a corner OF or a SP, I think the decision becomes a lot easier unless the bat can't be ignored.
Hudson2 (08-21-2016)
jpx7 (08-21-2016)
jpx7 (08-21-2016)
I'm a Gator, but count me out on Schwarz. He's not really a catcher, and he was a mess for most of his sophomre season, unable to catch up to any sort of fastball. He'll have a chance to re-coup some of his losses in 2017, but barring a truly monstrous year, I don't see him as a realistic candidate for 1/1.
jpx7 (08-21-2016)
We really didn't get Wentz and Muller with the saved money though, we could have easily just signed seniors instead of Harrington and Walker and signed whoever we wanted at #1 for 5 mil or so. The amount of money we saved with Anderson went more to paying big overslot deals to Cumberland and Wilson anyway.
bravesfanMatt (08-21-2016)
Stud. Total stud. The stuff is maybe not quite sharp enough to justify the #1 overall pick (the slider doesn't bite consistently, and the fastball often sits closer to 90 than to 95), but he'll be a top 10 guy easy- he's got the stuff, the build and the mentality to justify it.
zedsdead (08-21-2016)
I'd argue almost the exact opposite personally. Assuming we're picking first and no one significantly separates themselves from the pack, I wouldn't have any problem following the same strategy once again.
The 2017 draft is expected to be better - as a whole. If someone doesn't step forward and show that they're the slam-dunk #1 pick and you're in a position to add an EVEN BETTER trio than Anderson, Wentz, and Muller, you'd be nuts for not taking advantage of that opportunity.
It's far too early to even think about who you might target if you're picking first at this point, and doing so earlier than late next spring is pretty pointless IMO.
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?