This might be slightly unfair in how I set this up, but basically . . . this is a comparison of who the Orioles drafted to who Baseball America thinks they should have drafted with the knowledge of the final asking price. For the 2009 season, I could only go 5 rounds deep as I only had a top 100 prospect sheet. For the 2010 season, I could go 10 rounds deep with the 200 deep prospect sheet. First the O's:
2009
1. Matt Hobgood 4.82 ERA in 84 IP, 6 k/9, 4 bb/9
2. Mychal Givens Rk/A 213/321/255 in 56 PA, injured
3. Tyler Townsend Rk/A/A+ 315/378/536 in 185 PA, injured
4. Randy Henry A-/A 5.87 ERA in 23 IP, 11.7 k/9, 2.3 bb/9, injured
5. Ashur Tolliver A- 5.60 ERA in 35.1 IP, 7 k/9, 4 bb/9, injured
I assumed that the 2MM spent on Coffey and Ohlman were available for use.
BA Draft
1. Alex White A+/AA 2.45 ERA in 150.2 IP, 7 k/9, 3 bb/9
2. Andy Oliver AA/AAA 3.50 ERA in 118.1 IP, 8 k/9, 3 bb/9; 22 MLB innings
3. Zach Von Rosenberg A- 3.20 ERA in 59 IP, 6 k/9, 2bb/9
4. Jason Stoffel A+ 4.63 ERA in 46.2 IP, 12 k/9, 4 bb/9
5. Ryan Jackson A/A+ 268/353/349 in 490 PA, SS
I think I am leaning pretty heavily on the BA sheet. Then again, what Jordan did was bank on guys who were a little rough. It might take another year or two to figure it out. However, right now you have two pitchers in White and Oliver who can make noise on the 2011 roster. Von Rosenberg and Stoffel look like decent options are reliever in a couple years. Jackson might be a UTL guy a few years down the road. I don't know what we have yet in the Orioles draft.
Showing posts with label 2009 Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 Draft. Show all posts
29 August 2010
05 April 2010
Another look at the 2009 draft: budgets
Be sure to click on the following graphic . . . it will become much larger and legible.
It is a graphical representation of spending in last year's (2009) draft with respect to money spent in the first 10 rounds, last 40 rounds, and total expenditure.
What do it all mean for the Orioles? They seem to project their budget to a sort of market slotting. They rank 7th overall, while having the 5th or 6th highest slot allotment. Based on my back of the envelope calculations, they exceeded their slot allotment by about 50-60%. Now, they way they did this was rather unconventional. They devoted 40% of their budget to picks chosen after the tenth round. The Yankees were really the only other team to act in a similar fashion.
After the jump . . . what could this mean?
A major difference between the Orioles drafting and our shadow Orioles draft last year was the after tenth round budgeting. Stotle and I are much more aware of the talent that drops in the first ten rounds, so our draft budgets would probably fall more in the 95% spent in the first ten rounds . . . similar to the A's or Giants. It is a type of strategy you would expect from organizations that might prefer consensus perspectives and not isolated ones.
Joe Jordan acted differently last year and, although somewhat unique in his methodology, it kind of makes sense. If you have a few scouts who are completely sold on overlooked high school talent, then it makes sense to use several of your selections after the tenth and follow those players through summer ball and to offer overslot contract to those you like after a more extended look. This enables the scouting department the opportunity to draft more value. What I mean is this . . . if you are selecting near slot for players in the first ten rounds and then overslot afterward, you are likely to get more overall talent as the base level of talent in the first ten rounds is much much greater than in the final 40. The crux of the strategy is how good your team is at ID'ing solid overslots after the 10th pick.
What is worth more: Max Stassi and Mike Spina or Randy Henry and Michael Ohlman?
I don't know the answer to that. For the Orioles sake, hopefully Joe Jordan does.
What does this all mean for the 2010 draft?
Just a basic numbers approach would suggest a draft budget of 9.5 to 10MM. That value would not be able to draft either Harper or Taillon in addition to the rest of the draft class (around 2.5MM at slot). It may be possible that MacPhail has budgeted in extra money in case they do need to expand the money in order to fit in one of these players. Most industry sources think Matzek is superior to Taillon, but we have received every indication that the Orioles thought Hobgood (and Wheeler) were better than Matzek. Would the O's be willing to pay Taillon 3-4x as much as they did Hobgood while also not considering him to be an elite talent? Probably not. Though, they may very well have an opinion that is more in line with consensus on Taillon.
It is a graphical representation of spending in last year's (2009) draft with respect to money spent in the first 10 rounds, last 40 rounds, and total expenditure.
What do it all mean for the Orioles? They seem to project their budget to a sort of market slotting. They rank 7th overall, while having the 5th or 6th highest slot allotment. Based on my back of the envelope calculations, they exceeded their slot allotment by about 50-60%. Now, they way they did this was rather unconventional. They devoted 40% of their budget to picks chosen after the tenth round. The Yankees were really the only other team to act in a similar fashion.
After the jump . . . what could this mean?
A major difference between the Orioles drafting and our shadow Orioles draft last year was the after tenth round budgeting. Stotle and I are much more aware of the talent that drops in the first ten rounds, so our draft budgets would probably fall more in the 95% spent in the first ten rounds . . . similar to the A's or Giants. It is a type of strategy you would expect from organizations that might prefer consensus perspectives and not isolated ones.
Joe Jordan acted differently last year and, although somewhat unique in his methodology, it kind of makes sense. If you have a few scouts who are completely sold on overlooked high school talent, then it makes sense to use several of your selections after the tenth and follow those players through summer ball and to offer overslot contract to those you like after a more extended look. This enables the scouting department the opportunity to draft more value. What I mean is this . . . if you are selecting near slot for players in the first ten rounds and then overslot afterward, you are likely to get more overall talent as the base level of talent in the first ten rounds is much much greater than in the final 40. The crux of the strategy is how good your team is at ID'ing solid overslots after the 10th pick.
What is worth more: Max Stassi and Mike Spina or Randy Henry and Michael Ohlman?
I don't know the answer to that. For the Orioles sake, hopefully Joe Jordan does.
What does this all mean for the 2010 draft?
Just a basic numbers approach would suggest a draft budget of 9.5 to 10MM. That value would not be able to draft either Harper or Taillon in addition to the rest of the draft class (around 2.5MM at slot). It may be possible that MacPhail has budgeted in extra money in case they do need to expand the money in order to fit in one of these players. Most industry sources think Matzek is superior to Taillon, but we have received every indication that the Orioles thought Hobgood (and Wheeler) were better than Matzek. Would the O's be willing to pay Taillon 3-4x as much as they did Hobgood while also not considering him to be an elite talent? Probably not. Though, they may very well have an opinion that is more in line with consensus on Taillon.
19 March 2010
The 1st Rd of the 2009 Draft by John Sickels and Baseball Prospectus
The following graphic is a summation of the John Sickels and Baseball Prospectus lists. Be sure to click on the image to get a larger picture that is quite a bit more legible.
As Orioles fans may note, it appears that neither of these sources think very well of the Hobgood pick. Hopefully, he proves them wrong.
Nothing after the jump.
As Orioles fans may note, it appears that neither of these sources think very well of the Hobgood pick. Hopefully, he proves them wrong.
Nothing after the jump.
11 February 2010
How did 2008 DNSers Fare in the 2009 Draft?
In the first ten rounds of the 2008 draft, these players were drafted, did not sign, and reentered into the 2009 draft:
Aaron Crow 1:9
Tanner Scheppers 2:48
Scott Bittle 2:75
Chris Dominguez 5:167
Billy Morrison 9:282
Kyle Thebeau 9:285
Chris Herrmann 10:296
Trevor Holder 10:298
Kevin Castner 10:303
William Wilson 10:311
Nathan Newman 10:312
Of these eleven draftees, four went on to receive greater signing bonuses, one wound up with the about the same, three wound up with significantly less, and two were not drafted at all. As a population, supposed income (assumed as slot if actual team offered value is not found) was 5.74MM in 2008 while resultant sum of the signing bonuses in 2009 was 5.52MM. Although, these differences do not appear greatly different, less than half were helped by not signing.
After the jump, a more detailed list of who gained and who lost.
Draftees who benefited from not signing:
Chris Dominguez 165k -> 411k
Chris Herrmann 75k -> 135k
Trevor Holder 75k -> 200k
William Wilson 70k -> 408k
Draftee who lost from not signing:
Aaron Crow 3.5MM -> 3MM
Scott Bittle 550k -> 75k
Kevin Caster 65k -> ~10k
Nathan Newman 65k -> ~10k
Players not drafted the following year:
Billy Morrison
Kyle Thebeau
Just from this list, it appears that players who benefit most from not signing are players from rounds 8-10 or so. Players in a situation like Aaron Crow's have very little incentive in delaying the signing.
08 February 2010
2009 Draft Did-Not-Sign Players
Every draft there are a handful of players in the first ten rounds who are drafted and do not sign. In the past, a draft and follow strategy would allow teams to sign draftees up until the night before the draft. This was how the Orioles were able to secure Adam Loewen when they countered his desire for more money with a slot on the 40 man roster, which would hurry him to the majors. Nowadays, draft and follow no longer works with rule changes with compensatory picks being issued instead for did not signs for the first three rounds.
This year those will go to:
Tampa (picks 31 and 79 for not signing LeVon Washington, who will be eligible this year, and Kenny Diekroger, who will be eligible in 2012)
Toronto (picks 39, 69, and 112 for not signing James Paxton, eligible this year, Jake Eliopoulus, who is also eligible, and Jake Barrett, who is not)
Chicago White Sox (pick 113 for not signing Bryan Morgado, who is eligible)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (pick 114 for not signing Josh Spence, who is eligbile)
After the jump, we will list players who did not sign last year and are eligible this year along with rankings from PNR Scouting.
2009 Draft (top ten rounds) DNS Eligible for 2010 Draft:
Levon Washington rank:12
Drafted 30th overall in the first round, Washington turned down a 1.1MM deal from the Rays, which was just around slot. It may work out for Washington as he is in line to double his signing bonus. As a high school player, he most likely has not delayed his development by attending a JuCo for a year. This is important as it means that any potential free agency is unlikely to be delayed (as opposed to DNSer Aaron Crow who not only received 500k less from the Royals than from the Nationals . . . but also will probably have his free agency delayed a year because of the hold out.
James Paxton rank: 25
Paxton was one of the non-signs of the Blue Jays 2009 draft failure. He turned down a 1MM contract and is not embroiled in a legal fiasco with the NCAA in an attempt to pitch for Kentucky in 2010. The ranking suggests that he would see a raise in his signing bonus of 250k, but the bet he is making is that his senior season will be good enough to elevate his worth into the from half of the first round.
Jake Eliopoulus rank: 115
PNR Scouting is not favorable on Eliopoulus who went 68th overall (2nd round) to the Blue Jays last year. I was unable to find any reports on the negotiations between the Jays and Eliopoulus. If that ranking changes matches a change in draft slot, then he would be looking at a decrease from 520k to 225k.
Bryan Morgado rank: 29
White Sox selected Morgado in the third round with the 102nd overall pick. I cannot find any information on the negotiations, but the going rate at 102 is 330k whereas a 29th selection would be roughly 1MM. If he can stay around the backend of the first round or better, not signing will have been a solid move.
Josh Spence rank: 78
Spence was chosen by the Angels last year in the third round with the 110th pick. The going rate for a 110th pick was 320k while a 78th pick would see about 450k. It probably makes sense for someone at this level to try to raise the price.
Damien Magnifico rank: 215
Magnifico was drafted in the fifth round last year (164th overall). Signing bonuses were going for about 150k at that point. Again, I have no knowledge of the numbers they were discussing. Magnifico decided to go to college and will be eligible again. A signing bonus around 215th overall would be around 125k. For a pitcher, it seems any drop would result in a minimal loss of the bonus. The hope for him is to perform well enough to see him move up to the second or third round.
Ryan Woolley rank: 163
According to PNR's preseason ranking, Woolley is right about where he left off as he was drafted only 15 selections behind the ranking. He has another season of college ball if he chooses to punt again. Usually that does not work out well . . . this is probably the last year he will have any significant leverage.
Devin Harris rank: 173
Early in the process last year the Orioles figured out that Harris would be unsignable given their level of interest. He went in the 8th, 236th overall which correlates to about a 125k signing bonus. The goal is for him to break out and, with PNR's ranking, it shows that a breakout is not assumed. Harris will be earning it as is true with most draftees.
San Dyson rank: 43
All indications are that Dyson is healthy and ready to pitch. He was selected in the 10th round last year, but was not offered anything in line with what he could earn by going back. Right now he is pegged as a compensatory round selection if healthy, but he he starts showing more consistency he could peak in the mid teens to late twenties.
25 August 2008
Scouting the Aflac All-American Game
Monday, Aug 11, 2008
The 2008 Aflac All-American Game was held at Dodger Stadium this past Saturday, showcasing some of the top high school talent eligible for the 2009 Draft. As expected, two lefties gave dominating performances on the mound. Among positional players, a 3b continued to set himself apart from the rest of the bats. Here are our top 5 performers and ten more to watch this spring:
Matszek_02_Aflac
1. Tyler Matzek – LHP, Capistrano Valley HS (California). Matzek (pictured right) sat in the low- to mid-90s with his fastball and complimented it with mid- to upper 70s sweeping curveball that showed good depth. He flashed plus-command with both pitches and showed an ability to pitch off of either one. His motion was clean and compact, an impressive feet for the big-bodied lefty. There is still a bit of room in his 6’3” frame to add mass, and velocity. He is a potential top 10 pick in next year’s draft and, along with Matt Purke, will be vying for the title of top left-handed high school arm.
2. Matthew Purke – LHP, Klein HS (Texas). Though Purke was throwing a bit harder than Matzek on Saturday (his fastball sat in the mid-90s with good boring action), his slinging arm motion and Matzek’s larger frame slot Tyler ahead of Matt on our list. Purke is a natural pitcher, utilizing a free and easy delivery to deal two potential plus-pitchers (his fastball and slider), flashing plus command along the way. His slider is a hard sweeping pitch that he located well and threw in the low-80s. It was most effective as a back-door pitch to right-handed hitters. At 6’3” – 170, he has some room to add bulk. He is another potential top 10 pick that many have ahead of Matzek as the top high school lefty.
3. Matt Davidson, 3B/1B, Yucaipa HS (California). Matt Davidson was hands down the most impressive position player at Saturday’s game. He has a balanced approach at the plate and has for potential plus-tools (all but speed). His compact swing generates plus raw power, and he squares up consistently. He has a slight uppercut that should generate good natural loft. Defensively, he has soft hands and good footwork at 3b. His arm will certainly play at the hot corner, as will his ability to charge the ball and make a clean exchange from glove to throw. Davidson has set himself up as one of the better high school bats in the draft, and his solid defensive play should put him in top 15 drat discussions at the end of the summer.
4. Donovan Tate, OF, Cartersville HS (Georgia). Tate (pictured right) is a true five-tool athlete with a Tate_04_Aflacgood baseball skill set. At the plate, Tate can generate plus-raw power and shows a solid command of the strike zone. He projects to hit both for average and for power, and his advanced approach could make him one of the more sought after high school bats in the draft. He has plus-speed and a plus-arm in the outfield. On the bases, he has good instincts and is quick out of the box. In the 9th inning of Saturday’s game, Tate started the East’s rally capping a ten-pitch at bat with an infield single to 3b. Already one of the more physically impressive bodies in the high school draft class (6’3” – 200), Tate still has room to add some bulk and could end up one of the better power bats in the draft when all is said and done.
5. Kayvius Sampson, RHP, Forest HS (Florida). Sampson was the first pitcher of the day to truly “wow” the scouts. While his fastball was not overpowering (sitting in the low-90s and touching 93), he consistently blew it by the West’s hitters – primarily due to a quick arm motion that allows him to get the ball from behind his back to his release point with surprising quickness. His curveball is a solid 2-plane pitch that not only changes the hitter’s eye level, but also serves as a quality offspeed pitch (sitting almost 20mph slower than his fastball). Sampson showed above-average command across the board with his fastball, curve and change. He made an impression on Saturday and could be among the first right-handed high school arms to go next June.
Ten More to Watch for the Spring
Givens_02_Aflac
1. Mychal Givens, SS/RHP, Plant HS (Florida). Givens is a five-tool shortstop that is a little more tool-set than he is polished. Defensively, he tends to swipe at the ball which limits his ability to make a clean and quick transfer. He has a plus-plus arm that touched 96 on Saturday – he only needed two mid-90s fastballs to retire his two batters faced. It may be tough for teams to turn down an arm like that on the mound, but his tools could make him a top 15, whether or not he progresses some more offensively.
2. Brian Goodwin, OF, Rocky Mount HS (North Carolina). Goodwin was Saturday’s MVP, primarily due to his game-winning 2 RBI base hit in the 9th. He showed a great ability to go with the pitch and hit the ball with authority. He has plus-speed that plays on the bases and in centerfield, and a fringe-plus arm.
3. Ethan Carter, RHP, Menchville HS (Virginia). Carter (pictured) flashed plus-command and has the makingsCarter_01_Aflac of three above-average to plus-pitches with a low-90s fastball, a tight upper-70s slider and a low- to mid-80s changeup with good depth. He flies open occasionally but is otherwise fairly consistent in his mechanics.
4. Ian Krol, LHP, Neuqua Valley HS (Illinois). Krol sat in the upper-80s with his fastball, though it played up due to his ability to pitch inside. His changeup was solid and has the makings of an above-average pitch. He was consistent with his sweeping curveball, which sat in the mid-70s and had respectable depth. He won’t blow anyone away, but as a lefty with above-average pitchability he should be one to watch this Spring.
5. Chad Thompson, RHP, Westminister Christian Academy (Missouri). Thompson is a big body that does a good job of getting low and driving towards home. His fastball sat in the low-90s and he flashed a solid low-80s changeup. He also showed an ability to cut his fastball, with decent break and a 3-5 mph dip in velocity. At 6’8” – 215, he has a durable build and could potentially add some velocity down the line.
6. Matt Graham, RHP, Oak Ridge HS (Texas). Graham is a hard thrower, sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, but playing it up by snapping it with an over-the-top delivery and creating a good downward plane. He showed good command over his low-80s changeup, and also flashed a 1-7 CB with good depth. Though he has a solid, durable pitcher’s build, his delivery is a little violent, which could lead to shoulder issues in the future.
7. Zack Wheeler, RHP, East Paulding HS (Georgia). Wheeler works at a very good pace, and has the makings of three above-average- to plus-pitches. He loses energy in his motion during his leg kick wherein he lifts his arms almost entirely over his head – this should be ironed out in short order. His arsenal includes an upper-70s slurvy curveball, low- to mid-90s fastball and a solid low-80s slider. He has room in his frame to add some thickness, and potentially velocity.
8. Slade Heathcott, OF/LHP, Texas HS (Texas). Heathcott (pictured) has a Heathcott_02_Aflacsolid approach at the plate and can spray the ball to all fields. He should hit both for average and for power, and has above-average speed on the bases. Defensively he profiles as a rightfielder with solid defense and a plus-arm. On the mound, Heathcott was a victim of some bad luck on Saturday, but his stuff is there. He pairs a low-90s fastball with a big 11-5 curveball that he throws in the mid- to upper-70s. He is a little too emotional on the mound which can lead to control issues.
9. Richie Shaffer, IF/RHP, Providence HS (North Carolina). Shaffer shows a solid approach at the plate and should hit for average. There is solid gap-to-gap power potential that could improve as he squares-up more consistently. He played a solid shortstop on Saturday making a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch on a ball hit into shallow left-center. He has an above-average arm.
Stassi_01_Aflac
10. Max Stassi, C, Yuba City HS (California). Stassi is a plus-defender with a plus-arm behind the plate. Offensively, he has the makings of a plus-hitter with above-average power. He’ll need to improve his approach and work on his weight-distribution, as he tends to hit off of his front foot. He was unimpressive a the plate on Saturday, but his receiving skills and impressive defensive package make him one of the better high school catchers in this year’s draft class.
Our 2009 Draft Page will open sometime this October. For the time being, we’ll cover this year’s class here in our blog.
The 2008 Aflac All-American Game was held at Dodger Stadium this past Saturday, showcasing some of the top high school talent eligible for the 2009 Draft. As expected, two lefties gave dominating performances on the mound. Among positional players, a 3b continued to set himself apart from the rest of the bats. Here are our top 5 performers and ten more to watch this spring:
Matszek_02_Aflac
1. Tyler Matzek – LHP, Capistrano Valley HS (California). Matzek (pictured right) sat in the low- to mid-90s with his fastball and complimented it with mid- to upper 70s sweeping curveball that showed good depth. He flashed plus-command with both pitches and showed an ability to pitch off of either one. His motion was clean and compact, an impressive feet for the big-bodied lefty. There is still a bit of room in his 6’3” frame to add mass, and velocity. He is a potential top 10 pick in next year’s draft and, along with Matt Purke, will be vying for the title of top left-handed high school arm.
2. Matthew Purke – LHP, Klein HS (Texas). Though Purke was throwing a bit harder than Matzek on Saturday (his fastball sat in the mid-90s with good boring action), his slinging arm motion and Matzek’s larger frame slot Tyler ahead of Matt on our list. Purke is a natural pitcher, utilizing a free and easy delivery to deal two potential plus-pitchers (his fastball and slider), flashing plus command along the way. His slider is a hard sweeping pitch that he located well and threw in the low-80s. It was most effective as a back-door pitch to right-handed hitters. At 6’3” – 170, he has some room to add bulk. He is another potential top 10 pick that many have ahead of Matzek as the top high school lefty.
3. Matt Davidson, 3B/1B, Yucaipa HS (California). Matt Davidson was hands down the most impressive position player at Saturday’s game. He has a balanced approach at the plate and has for potential plus-tools (all but speed). His compact swing generates plus raw power, and he squares up consistently. He has a slight uppercut that should generate good natural loft. Defensively, he has soft hands and good footwork at 3b. His arm will certainly play at the hot corner, as will his ability to charge the ball and make a clean exchange from glove to throw. Davidson has set himself up as one of the better high school bats in the draft, and his solid defensive play should put him in top 15 drat discussions at the end of the summer.
4. Donovan Tate, OF, Cartersville HS (Georgia). Tate (pictured right) is a true five-tool athlete with a Tate_04_Aflacgood baseball skill set. At the plate, Tate can generate plus-raw power and shows a solid command of the strike zone. He projects to hit both for average and for power, and his advanced approach could make him one of the more sought after high school bats in the draft. He has plus-speed and a plus-arm in the outfield. On the bases, he has good instincts and is quick out of the box. In the 9th inning of Saturday’s game, Tate started the East’s rally capping a ten-pitch at bat with an infield single to 3b. Already one of the more physically impressive bodies in the high school draft class (6’3” – 200), Tate still has room to add some bulk and could end up one of the better power bats in the draft when all is said and done.
5. Kayvius Sampson, RHP, Forest HS (Florida). Sampson was the first pitcher of the day to truly “wow” the scouts. While his fastball was not overpowering (sitting in the low-90s and touching 93), he consistently blew it by the West’s hitters – primarily due to a quick arm motion that allows him to get the ball from behind his back to his release point with surprising quickness. His curveball is a solid 2-plane pitch that not only changes the hitter’s eye level, but also serves as a quality offspeed pitch (sitting almost 20mph slower than his fastball). Sampson showed above-average command across the board with his fastball, curve and change. He made an impression on Saturday and could be among the first right-handed high school arms to go next June.
Ten More to Watch for the Spring
Givens_02_Aflac
1. Mychal Givens, SS/RHP, Plant HS (Florida). Givens is a five-tool shortstop that is a little more tool-set than he is polished. Defensively, he tends to swipe at the ball which limits his ability to make a clean and quick transfer. He has a plus-plus arm that touched 96 on Saturday – he only needed two mid-90s fastballs to retire his two batters faced. It may be tough for teams to turn down an arm like that on the mound, but his tools could make him a top 15, whether or not he progresses some more offensively.
2. Brian Goodwin, OF, Rocky Mount HS (North Carolina). Goodwin was Saturday’s MVP, primarily due to his game-winning 2 RBI base hit in the 9th. He showed a great ability to go with the pitch and hit the ball with authority. He has plus-speed that plays on the bases and in centerfield, and a fringe-plus arm.
3. Ethan Carter, RHP, Menchville HS (Virginia). Carter (pictured) flashed plus-command and has the makingsCarter_01_Aflac of three above-average to plus-pitches with a low-90s fastball, a tight upper-70s slider and a low- to mid-80s changeup with good depth. He flies open occasionally but is otherwise fairly consistent in his mechanics.
4. Ian Krol, LHP, Neuqua Valley HS (Illinois). Krol sat in the upper-80s with his fastball, though it played up due to his ability to pitch inside. His changeup was solid and has the makings of an above-average pitch. He was consistent with his sweeping curveball, which sat in the mid-70s and had respectable depth. He won’t blow anyone away, but as a lefty with above-average pitchability he should be one to watch this Spring.
5. Chad Thompson, RHP, Westminister Christian Academy (Missouri). Thompson is a big body that does a good job of getting low and driving towards home. His fastball sat in the low-90s and he flashed a solid low-80s changeup. He also showed an ability to cut his fastball, with decent break and a 3-5 mph dip in velocity. At 6’8” – 215, he has a durable build and could potentially add some velocity down the line.
6. Matt Graham, RHP, Oak Ridge HS (Texas). Graham is a hard thrower, sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, but playing it up by snapping it with an over-the-top delivery and creating a good downward plane. He showed good command over his low-80s changeup, and also flashed a 1-7 CB with good depth. Though he has a solid, durable pitcher’s build, his delivery is a little violent, which could lead to shoulder issues in the future.
7. Zack Wheeler, RHP, East Paulding HS (Georgia). Wheeler works at a very good pace, and has the makings of three above-average- to plus-pitches. He loses energy in his motion during his leg kick wherein he lifts his arms almost entirely over his head – this should be ironed out in short order. His arsenal includes an upper-70s slurvy curveball, low- to mid-90s fastball and a solid low-80s slider. He has room in his frame to add some thickness, and potentially velocity.
8. Slade Heathcott, OF/LHP, Texas HS (Texas). Heathcott (pictured) has a Heathcott_02_Aflacsolid approach at the plate and can spray the ball to all fields. He should hit both for average and for power, and has above-average speed on the bases. Defensively he profiles as a rightfielder with solid defense and a plus-arm. On the mound, Heathcott was a victim of some bad luck on Saturday, but his stuff is there. He pairs a low-90s fastball with a big 11-5 curveball that he throws in the mid- to upper-70s. He is a little too emotional on the mound which can lead to control issues.
9. Richie Shaffer, IF/RHP, Providence HS (North Carolina). Shaffer shows a solid approach at the plate and should hit for average. There is solid gap-to-gap power potential that could improve as he squares-up more consistently. He played a solid shortstop on Saturday making a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch on a ball hit into shallow left-center. He has an above-average arm.
Stassi_01_Aflac
10. Max Stassi, C, Yuba City HS (California). Stassi is a plus-defender with a plus-arm behind the plate. Offensively, he has the makings of a plus-hitter with above-average power. He’ll need to improve his approach and work on his weight-distribution, as he tends to hit off of his front foot. He was unimpressive a the plate on Saturday, but his receiving skills and impressive defensive package make him one of the better high school catchers in this year’s draft class.
Our 2009 Draft Page will open sometime this October. For the time being, we’ll cover this year’s class here in our blog.
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