CONTEST: Guess who the Braves draft.

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The names I keep seeing get mentioned with the Braves are high school players.

Michael Chavis, 3B, Sprayberry HS, Marietta, GA
Spencer Adams, RHP, White County HS, Cleveland, GA
Foster Griffin, LHP, First Academy HS, Orlando, FL
Kodi Medeiros, LHP, Waiakea HS, Hilo, HI
Braxton Davidson, 1B/OF, TC Roberson HS, Arden, NC
Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville HS, Gainesville, GA
Justus Sheffield, LHP, Tullahoma HS, Tullahoma, TN
Forrest Wall, 2B, Orangewood Christian HS, Winter Park, FL
Ti'Quan Forbes, SS, Columbia HS, Columbia, MS
Cody Reed, LHP, Ardmore HS, Ardmore, AL
Cole Tucker, SS, Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix, AZ
Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview HS, Lilburn, GA

NOTE: I've read where Mac Marshall has said he will start summer school classes at LSU if he is not a first round pick, and I was also told that he is a big Braves fan, and that could make a difference if the Braves take him in the first.
 
I will say Foster Griffin if he's there. Both he and Medeiros seem to have some helium right now and may not be there.

Max Pentecost to the Mets at #10, which is well ahead of where most services have him.

I think KB's list contains our pick. Interesting to see if a bat like Chavis falls to our neighborhood.
 
[video=youtube;WkkXCxU2UXo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkkXCxU2UXo[/video]

I love this guy's swing. Don't much like that timing thing he does with his front foot, but the swing is impressive.
 
[video=youtube;gRl-zRydenc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRl-zRydenc[/video]

Absolutely love this guy's swing!! Michael Chavis tops my wish list.
 
I know drafting for need in baseball is a relatively dumb idea, but some of you minor league gurus want to list out some areas where we are pretty thin?

I would think LHP (sp especially), 3B, Cf?
 
Tapate50 said:
I know drafting for need in baseball is a relatively dumb idea, but some of you minor league gurus want to list out some areas where we are pretty thin?

I would think LHP (sp especially), 3B, Cf?
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I think pitching needs to be at the top of the list. There's the old adage that the ratio of solid big-league pitchers is 1:10, that means one productive pitcher for every ten pitching prospects. I just see us as woefully thin throughout the system. I mean, look at the Rome rotation. So I'm expecting a lot of pitching to be drafted. There always is, but I think the top ten rounds are probably going to see a majority of picks being pitchers.

Other than that, my guess is they will look for athletic, higher-ceiling hitters regardless of position. A lot of "bats" move around once they get to the pros. The system has a ton of solid players, but not a lot of them project as sure starters. Of course, they haven't had much luck with toolsy guys lately (thinking Black, Lien, Sanchez), so I could be way off base.

That's my totally amateur take.
 
Tapate50 said:
I know drafting for need in baseball is a relatively dumb idea, but some of you minor league gurus want to list out some areas where we are pretty thin?

I would think LHP (sp especially), 3B, Cf?
Click to expand...

Center is a position where we have a lot of decent second-tier prospects who project as bench players (Cunningham, Lipka, Wren, Oliver, Lien) but no one who really is the kind of prospect who projects as a major league regular. I think if the right player were available it would make sense to pick someone who plays center with one of our first three picks.

The situation at third is similar. We have Salcedo and Kubitza. But neither projects as a major league regular. Drafting Michael Chavis would change that situation.

It should also be noted that our best positional prospect, Jose Peraza, potentially could play all over the diamond. He has mainly played short and second so far, but has the speed to play outfield including center.
 
50PoundHead said:
I think pitching needs to be at the top of the list. There's the old adage that the ratio of solid big-league pitchers is 1:10, that means one productive pitcher for every ten pitching prospects. I just see us as woefully thin throughout the system. I mean, look at the Rome rotation. So I'm expecting a lot of pitching to be drafted. There always is, but I think the top ten rounds are probably going to see a majority of picks being pitchers.

Other than that, my guess is they will look for athletic, higher-ceiling hitters regardless of position. A lot of "bats" move around once they get to the pros. The system has a ton of solid players, but not a lot of them project as sure starters. Of course, they haven't had much luck with toolsy guys lately (thinking Black, Lien, Sanchez), so I could be way off base.

That's my totally amateur take.
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Yeah, you need to reload on pitching every year. That almost goes without saying. The situation in Rome is bad. I find it a bit puzzling because some of the college players we drafted last year have been held back in extended spring training. Maybe they are hurt. If not I wonder why they aren't in Rome given the lack of pitching there.
 
Some of the guys you are mentioning are likely to go much higher than the Braves pick. Chavis could go middle of the first. Fedde seems like a guy the Nats would take.

I am eying Marshall, that is who I would guess. I wish we had our first and Pentecost dropped a couple slots, he's the perfect pick.
 
gilesfan said:
Some of the guys you are mentioning are likely to go much higher than the Braves pick. Chavis could go middle of the first. Fedde seems like a guy the Nats would take.

I am eying Marshall, that is who I would guess. I wish we had our first and Pentecost dropped a couple slots, he's the perfect pick.
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I understood the need to sign Santana when we lost Medlen and Beachy, but the price was pretty high, considering the lost pick. Would have been great to get a hitter and a pitcher within the first 32 picks. Still holding out some hope Santana pitches well enough we can recoup the pick next year.
 
Question: If Hoffman or Fedde drops to us, should we consider taking them?

What about Nick Howard? We've had some success converting college relievers to starters.
 
gilesfan said:
Some of the guys you are mentioning are likely to go much higher than the Braves pick. Chavis could go middle of the first. Fedde seems like a guy the Nats would take.

I am eying Marshall, that is who I would guess. I wish we had our first and Pentecost dropped a couple slots, he's the perfect pick.
Click to expand...

Of all the professional sports drafts, baseball's is the most fluid. It will likely become a bit less fluid with the budget ceilings, but, along with hockey, it's a draft that features both college and high school players and trying to differentiate and gauge development arcs is truly a challenge. Thus, the mock drafts are all over the place. I've seen Chavis taken in the early-20s and I've seen him available to the Braves in the variety of drafts that are out there. Only thing I think one can discern from the mocks--especially at the plugged-in outlets like mlb.com, BA, and Perfect Game, is that you get an idea of which guys might have the most buzz and the two guys I want for the Braves--Griffin and Medeiros--appear to be rising on the board and will likely be gone once the 32nd pick rolls around.

Pentecost would be pretty much the perfect pick for the Braves, but I doubt he lasts past 16.
 
Yeah, good point 50. There is certainly a chance that the guys I mentioned drop. I just am stating that I think they will be gone.

The Santana deal isn't terrible (like signing Glavine was), but I will be a bit frustrating if the catcher is available at the slot the Braves would have picked bc the stars couldn't have aligned any better in terms of a perfect selection.
 
nsacpi said:
Question: If Hoffman or Fedde drops to us, should we consider taking them?

What about Nick Howard? We've had some success converting college relievers to starters.
Click to expand...

I would have no reservations taking injured guys as long as the Docs don't think it's career threatening. It's similar to the Nats getting Giolito. In no way, shape, or form should he have been available to them and now they have one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
 
Baseball America says that rumors surrounding the Braves and prep bats are strong. They have projected Ti'Quan Forbes to Atlanta.
 
nsacpi said:
Question: If Hoffman or Fedde drops to us, should we consider taking them?

What about Nick Howard? We've had some success converting college relievers to starters.
Click to expand...

I'm no doctor, but I hope they avoid taking guys who have had major surgery. We're currently rolling the dice with Wood and maybe their experience with Wood makes them more comfortable in selecting guys with an injury history. I just don't like it, but I'm not the one calling the shots.
 
KB21 said:
Baseball America says that rumors surrounding the Braves and prep bats are strong. They have projected Ti'Quan Forbes to Atlanta.
Click to expand...

What is the word on Forbes in terms of likelihood of him staying at short?
 
50PoundHead said:
I'm no doctor, but I hope they avoid taking guys who have had major surgery. We're currently rolling the dice with Wood and maybe their experience with Wood makes them more comfortable in selecting guys with an injury history. I just don't like it, but I'm not the one calling the shots.
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Chances are whoever they draft is going to need major arm surgery anyways.
 
nsacpi said:
What is the word on Forbes in terms of likelihood of him staying at short?
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The general feeling is that he will eventually move positions, either to third base or to the outfield, as he grows into his 6'4" frame. Right now, he's about a 6.58 runner in the 60, so they feel like he will lose some athleticism and flexibility as he grows.
 
KB21 said:
Baseball America says that rumors surrounding the Braves and prep bats are strong. They have projected Ti'Quan Forbes to Atlanta.
Click to expand...

I don't follow this like I used to, so I don't have a handle on these guys, but Forbes looks like a very high risk/somewhat high reward guy. He does fit my tools predilection though.

The only thing that doesn't make a ton of sense here is that it appears the Braves made an aggressive push in Latin America last summer and signed some hitting prospects they seem intent on pushing. Jay is our resident Latin American follower and maybe he could shed some light on that.

Despite what some in here believe, I think the farm system has fallen dramatically and we need to beef it up across the board. Working hard and smart on the draft and in the international market is the way to do that.
 
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