- STARTS TODAY AT 7PM - 2016 June Amateur Draft Discussion

[rico43]

What this boils down to is that there is no one, right answer as to who the Braves will take. I am leaning towards a college hitter; college arms have done little for the Braves as No. 1 picks (Minor, Hursh, Gillmartin, Devine) and they're gonna need hitters in the high minors soon.

 

[smootness]

If Senzel can start to consistently show power, then I'm totally fine taking him as well.

 

[KB21]

A college bat that I know Brian Bridges has scouted is Reid Humphreys from Mississippi State. He had another great night at the plate. This guy is really smoking the baseball right now. He's seeing grapefruits at the plate. He is hitting .359/.435/.641 with 3 home runs, 11 doubles in 78 at bats. The Braves also just traded for his half brother Tyler Moore. Brian Bridges watched Reid in the CCL this summer and was at the MSU/Georgia series this past weekend scouting several players.

 

[KB21]

If Senzel can start to consistently show power, then I'm totally fine taking him as well.

Senzel hit 2 doubles tonight and was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI. On the year, his numbers are up to .374/.504/.626 with 4 HR and 11 doubles in 91 at bats.

 

[smootness]

Senzel hit 2 doubles tonight and was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI. On the year, his numbers are up to .374/.504/.626 with 4 HR and 11 doubles in 91 at bats.

I would still like to see his ISO get up to at least .300. And if I'm taking a college bat at 3, he better get to double-digit HR.

 

[KB21]

Dang! Robert Tyler from Georgia is a potential stud as well. He went 9 against Bama tonight, struck out 9 and allowed only 1 hit. He also walked only 2 after walking 6 against MSU and essentially no hitting MSU for 7 innings last week.

Don't think it will happen, but I would love for Tyler to fall to the 40th pick due to his command issues.

 

[smootness]

Ray hit another HR today, now has 8. That power/speed combo is intriguing, but I don't think he's ever going to walk much.

 

[zbhargrove]

Ray hit another HR today, now has 8. That power/speed combo is intriguing, but I don't think he's ever going to walk much.

That's why I'm a bit hesitant with Ray... that and I wish he were a little bigger. I'm afraid the power won't translate as well to the bigs.

 

[Enscheff]

Does he have any ABs against LHers?

 

[smootness]

Does he have any ABs against LHers?

Ray? Yeah, he's hit at least a couple HR off them this year.

 

[KB21]

Regardless of what you think of his hit tool at the time being, one of the things that scouts love about Buddy Reed is his projectability. They look at him and they see the frame that can add more weight and power as he grows into that frame. They see the speed he has. He is an elite defender in center field. He's probably got the best arm of the outfield prospects. If you look at some of the future grades they give Buddy Reed, he is considered to be a future 60 runner with a 55 hit tool and 55 power, 70 on arm strength, and 60 on fielding.

 

[50PoundHead]

Regardless of what you think of his hit tool at the time being, one of the things that scouts love about Buddy Reed is his projectability. They look at him and they see the frame that can add more weight and power as he grows into that frame. They see the speed he has. He is an elite defender in center field. He's probably got the best arm of the outfield prospects. If you look at some of the future grades they give Buddy Reed, he is considered to be a future 60 runner with a 55 hit tool and 55 power, 70 on arm strength, and 60 on fielding.

I haven't seen him, but he's barely hitting over .300 as a third-year college player. I don't know how to project that.

 

[MadduxFanII]

Part of the conundrum with Reed is that his profile is normally something you see out of a player much younger than he is. It's one thing if your world class athlete, painfully raw outfielder who lacks baseball training is an 18-year-old high school senior, or, even better, a 16-year-old Caribbean kid. When he's a 21-year-old college junior who's played every day for three years for an elite baseball program and he's still painfully raw, that's a bit less appealing. If he still needs three or four years of honing and developing, that really cuts down on what you can expect to get out of him during his prime years.

Still, it's not hard to see the talent and appeal there. He hit a routine two-hopper to second yesterday that he was less than a half-step away from beating out for an infield single.

 

[MadduxFanII]

Puk just left his start with an undisclosed injury in the second inning. Doesn't seem to be anything to do with his arm, at least.

 

[rico43]

Puk just left his start with an undisclosed injury in the second inning. Doesn't seem to be anything to do with his arm, at least.

If it's his arm or his back, Braves will be all over him.

 

[KB21]

Part of the conundrum with Reed is that his profile is normally something you see out of a player much younger than he is. It's one thing if your world class athlete, painfully raw outfielder who lacks baseball training is an 18-year-old high school senior, or, even better, a 16-year-old Caribbean kid. When he's a 21-year-old college junior who's played every day for three years for an elite baseball program and he's still painfully raw, that's a bit less appealing. If he still needs three or four years of honing and developing, that really cuts down on what you can expect to get out of him during his prime years.

Still, it's not hard to see the talent and appeal there. He hit a routine two-hopper to second yesterday that he was less than a half-step away from beating out for an infield single.

There isn't really anything mechanically wrong with his swing either.

 

[MadduxFanII]

If it's his arm or his back, Braves will be all over him.

It is, in fact, his back, though the diagnosis is mild back spams. Doesn't seem to be serious.

 

[smootness]

Part of the conundrum with Reed is that his profile is normally something you see out of a player much younger than he is. It's one thing if your world class athlete, painfully raw outfielder who lacks baseball training is an 18-year-old high school senior, or, even better, a 16-year-old Caribbean kid. When he's a 21-year-old college junior who's played every day for three years for an elite baseball program and he's still painfully raw, that's a bit less appealing. If he still needs three or four years of honing and developing, that really cuts down on what you can expect to get out of him during his prime years.

Still, it's not hard to see the talent and appeal there. He hit a routine two-hopper to second yesterday that he was less than a half-step away from beating out for an infield single.

If you're still that raw at 21, it's extremely unlikely you'll ever put it together. I get the tools, but this is my point. How anyone can justify using a top-5 pick on him is beyond me. He's hitting .287 as 21-year-old in what amounts to high rookie ball or low-A ball.

 

[MadduxFanII]

If you're still that raw at 21, it's extremely unlikely you'll ever put it together. I get the tools, but this is my point. How anyone can justify using a top-5 pick on him is beyond me. He's hitting .287 as 21-year-old in what amounts to high rookie ball or low-A ball.

I wouldn't worry too much about it- I don't see any way we take Reed at 3.

 

[smootness]

I wouldn't worry too much about it- I don't see any way we take Reed at 3.

Oh, we're definitely not. I just don't get some supposed scout's take on him. That fangraphs article essentially calls him a lock to go top 5. That is a hit on their credibility. After their Braves' prospect list, I'm losing confidence in them fast.