2018 MLB Draft Thread

[nsacpi]

True. But, I'm not talking about spending a lot of money on them or high draft picks or anything.

With the change in baseball emphasizing control of players through their ~30 YO season, but no further, having guys come up when they are 26 or 27 is OK so long as it isn't a primary strategy.

It happens all the time now where guys from Independent Leagues or guys from Japan or guys that have just bounced around the minors for 10 years, suddenly end up on ML teams when they are 28, 29, 30 and play for a few years before fading into obscurity.

I just think its an area that is undervalued and might be exploited, especially by the Braves over the next few years while they are in J2 purgatory anyway.

I would scout janitors and ski lift operators...especially the ones living out of a truck

[Southcack77]

If you want to go above slot in round 2, the better way is to draft a bunch of college seniors with picks 4-10.

Well yes, but nearly 5 million of the 8.2 million is tied up in the 1st pick. So depends on how far you want to go overslot in second round

[CJ9]

Keith Law new mock has us taking Gorman. Also says we are connected to Singer, Liberatore and Carter Stewart.

[CJ9]

Also, Law has Bohm falling to the Padres at 7. Would love to get him at 8.

[50PoundHead]

I've long been for spending big early and letting the later rounds 4+ kind of sort themselves out. I've often thought about why teams don't athletes who have maybe failed at other sports and try to teach them baseball over a 5-6 year period in the minor leagues. For instance, you have a college WR who looks the part but doesn't get drafted. Assuming they've been through 4 years of strength and conditioning and nutrition, that part would already be developed. Then it would be about teaching them the game.

If you think about the process of grade schoolers transforming over time into first round picks or players spending a couple of years in college baseball to develop into an early pick who could be at the ML in a couple of years, I think you could do that with college sports guys from other sports and start at a point where the players are more physically and mentally ready than your average 18 year old.

Think about signing high end, expensive guys in rounds 1-3, then taking seniors for the rest of the draft with no leverage and supplementing those guys with athletic lottery tickets than likely won't pay off for 4 or more years (probably a better gamble than taking 16 year old international guys).

Is that you Chuck Lamar?

[Tapate50]

Also, Law has Bohm falling to the Padres at 7. Would love to get him at 8.

Lib would be a helluva consolation prize

[Enscheff]

Also, Law has Bohm falling to the Padres at 7. Would love to get him at 8.

I've seen a couple mocks lately where Bohm falls to the 6-7 range. At that point he's just a signing bonus promise away from making it to the Braves at #8. Bohm is the guy I want to see the Braves take.

More likely, it comes down to a choice between Stewart/Gorman/Kelenic/Swaggerty/Larnach.

All 5 are FV 50 and would slot immediately in at the end of the Top 100. All 5 would squeeze into the back end of the Braves Top 10, somewhere among Touki/Wentz/Allard.

I would be fine with any of those guys, and as odd as it is to say, I might actually prefer the pitcher in this case. If not Stewart, then I'd like to see a plus athlete position player like Swags or Kelenic. I would prefer not to draft a power prospect who is a below average athlete, but at least Gorman is a position player and is the 12th youngest player of the 131 guys tracked by FG. I haven't heard anything that makes me think a college hitter is even on the table though, so I wouldn't expect Swags or Larny to be real options.

[jpx7]

and as odd as it is to say, I might actually prefer the pitcher in this case.

I don’t know **** about amateur scouting, to be fair, but from everything I’ve read the past couple weeks, I’m in the same strange position of preferring pitching, given what seems likely to be there for the Braves. But after Stewart (and Liberatore, were he to be there), I like the sound of Kelenic, if none of the other top-five position players slide.

[Carp]

Position players I would like to target in the 1st two rounds aside from the obvious are Jake McCarthy, Zach Watson, Nander de Sedas, Will Banfield, Jordyn Adams, Trevor Larnach, Nick Schnell, Triston Casas. Among these, I think Banfield and Sedas are the most likely targets being they are "local" guys and positions we tend to target in the draft.

[Oklahomabrave]

Eric mentioned in his chat yesterday we worked out Swaggerty and he thinks we might draft him even though he still believes it willl be Gorman.

[nsacpi]

Looks like there might be some last minute re-ordering of the top picks going on. Not out of the question that Bohm or Madrigal might drop to us.

[SJ24]

Damnit I don't want Gorman

Please be Swaggerty or Bohm or Madrigal

[Horsehide Harry]

I would scout janitors and ski lift operators...especially the ones living out of a truck

With cool nicknames like Godzilla sushi or Oso Blanco

[clvclv]

Damnit I don't want Gorman

Please be Swaggerty or Bohm or Madrigal

Considering how well recent drafts have gone for the Braves, I'm quite happy to have whomever they take with the first two picks.

I really didn't completely realize just how bad the drafts during the Wren era were...

2008 - Brett Devall when Wade Miley, Brandon Crawford, and Dee Gordon were available. (Did back into Kimbrel in the 3rd Round.)
2009 - Mike Minor when A. J. Pollock and Trout were available. David Hale when Wil Myers was available. Robby Hefflinger when Dallas Keuchel was available. Kyle Rose when Paul Goldschmidt was available.
2010 - Matt Lipka when Noah Syndergaard was available. Chasen Shreve when Joc Pederson was available. (Did back into Simmons and Gattis.)
2011 - Sean Gilmartin when Blake Snell was available.
2012 - Lucas Sims when Jose Berrios was available. Josh Elander when Jake Lamb was available. (Backed into Alex Wood.)
2013 - Jason Hursh when Aaron Judge was available.
2014 - Braxton Davidson when Jack Flaherty was available.

Looking backwards at drafts with the benefit of hindsight is always easy, but that's a LOT of talent Wren's crowd missed on - even in the early rounds when it's supposed to be easier.

[CJ9]

Longenhagen on the similarities between Riley and Gorman:

The reasons for the swing and miss stuff are different. With Riley it’s swing length caused by an arm bar, as far as I’m concerned, and with Gorman it’s breaking ball recog and maybe a loopy hand path that needs fixing. But otherwise, yeah. lotta similar concerns

[Jay212033]

Yea just draft Winn, Liberatore or Stewart

[Enscheff]

Longenhagen on the similarities between Riley and Gorman:

The reasons for the swing and miss stuff are different. With Riley it’s swing length caused by an arm bar, as far as I’m concerned, and with Gorman it’s breaking ball recog and maybe a loopy hand path that needs fixing. But otherwise, yeah. lotta similar concerns

IMO, Riley's issues are fixable. Guys change their swings all the time.

Not being able to recognize a breaking ball seems more of an eye to brain to muscle issue that can't be fixed by coaches.

Of course EL could be wrong. I could be wrong. The Braves could be wrong. But I am not super pumped about drafting a power-only prospect at #8.

[CJ9]

Baseball America new mock behind a paywall so I have no idea what it says — https://www.baseballamerica.com/stor...d-projections/

Fangraphs doing a two-round mock today with tons of notes. Will post when I see it.

[nsacpi]

BA's latest mock

1. Mize Tigers
2. Bart Giants
3. Bohm Phillies
4. Madrigal White Sox
5. Singer Reds
6. India Mets
7. Liberatore Padres

and ....drum rolls please....

8. Gorman Braves

and choosing just behind us

9. Kelenic A's
10. Stewart Pirates

I think the Pirates will be very happy if the draft breaks this way.

I would love it if any of Bohm, Madrigal or Liberatore slipped out of the top 7.

[jpx7]

BA's latest mock

1. Mize Tigers
2. Bart Giants
3. Bohm Phillies
4. Madrigal White Sox
5. Singer Reds
6. India Mets
7. Liberatore Padres

and ....drum rolls please....

8. Gorman Braves

and choosing just behind us

9. Kelenic A's
10. Stewart Pirates

I think the Pirates will be very happy if the draft breaks this way.

I would love it if any of Bohm, Madrigal or Liberatore slipped out of the top 7.

I’m admittedly a no-nothing when it comes to amateur ranks, but the risks seem awfully high with Gorman, and I’m correspondingly anxious so many mocks have him going to the Braves.