Richmond
With the 12th pick, Richmond selected a junior college pitcher, Timothy Taylor. There's an abundance of both good and bad news here. Taylor's starting with some very good ratings for a 19-yo - control, vL, P1, P2. And he's starting with some bad ratings: P3-P5, especially. How far with that vR take him? I don't have a clue (not scouted). If it can grow 20 points to 67, I suspect he'll end up being a #3 starter, maybe even a #2. But there's a fair chance it stalls out at 57-62; if that's the case his vR and bad pitches will make him no better than a LRB or even a AAAA pitcher. Grade: C+
Florida
Isaac Saunders, a high school 2B/CF, was Florida's pick at #17. Saunders looks like a very raw prospect with a lot of room to grow in some key attributes. He's starting with...very nice range and a sure glove, so that gives him a chance to make the Bigs as a defensive-replacement/utility type at minimum. Decent raw speed, but abysmal baserunning instincts. Pretty nice power for an 18-yo infielder/CF. Can his hitting develop enough for him to hold his own in the Majors? Given that he's a switch-hitter and his vR and eye are starting at a decent level...60% chance he can grow into a .250/25 HR ML hitter. Grade: A-
New Orleans
At #8, the Voodoo get a power threat in high school LF/1B Ajax Peterman. The good: he's a switch-hitter (my opinion is that HBD overstates lefty-righty advantages, just as it overstates park effects) with excellent power for his age, and he looks like he'll be pretty good both on defense and the basepaths. The bad: no matter how you read the combination of contact, split and batting eye ratings, he's going to be deficient at reaching base. Maybe too deficient to reach the Bigs. The upside would see him hit a vR of maybe 52 and be a .240/35 HR guy. Just depends on how he develops. Grade: C (because there were likely surer ML bets available).
Montgomery
The Scotts get a HS C/DH, Marlon Walton, at 26. Walton starts his career with the unusual combo of very good contact and power, and he hits righties quite well for a RH hitter. He'll certainly chase the wayward offering, and lefties tie him up regularly. I think he'll be able to play catcher - but not well - at the ML level. It's also hard to see him thriving as a DH in the Show. Still, he'll probably be able to fill either role for a few seasons as a low-salary placeholder. Grade: B (because this late in the draft anything that can sniff the Majors is a decent pick).
No comments:
Post a Comment