Ryan Ripken in 2012 would be draftable.

[Gurgi]

What do you think he does?

His family is loaded. He doesnt need the money. You think he signs if he gets drafted or do you think he goes to college?

Personally I think he is going to college.

Should the Orioles draft him even if he has expressed intent to go to college? Should they use a 5-10 round pick on him even if everyone knows he wants to go to school?

Even if Ryan wants to play baseball do you think it is better for RYAN to go play for another club? One that wont have the mega expectations of the Oriole fanbase?

[Skywalker76]

Personally if I would be him I would not join the O's. Just too much pressure and expectations.

[OsLuvrInKy]

I'd take a flyer on him. I mean just look at who he has been coached by his whole life. Could also be another draw to get Cal Jr to come in and straighten out the player development side of the Orioles.

[Gurgi]

Personally if I would be him I would not join the O's. Just too much pressure and expectations.

Yeah this might be better. Still.

Watching him have a decent career for the RedSox or the Yankees would be just awful to contemplate. Way worse than Texiera.

If he went to KC or Seattle or Milwaukee. That wouldnt be so bad.

[Gurgi]

They say he is already bigger than his dad. And his mother was a basketball star. He plays First base in high school. So he might not be as good as a young Cal was at moving laterally. But I have never seen him.

I have heard pretty nice reports about him occasionally in the local press.

[Stotle]

He isn't ready for pro ball yet -- scouts will check in on him through the spring. Saw him over two days last weekend in Chicago. Good arm strength, needs to get stronger and clean up his swing/timing some. Actions at 1b are clunky, but probably because of the long arms and legs.

Also, I believe he is a pretty highly touted basketball player so he could be destined for college either way.

Video here:

[baseball777]

Stotle What is your evaluation on his swing mechanics? I know he has a lot of filling out to do but I don't see enough lower half rotation at this point. He does have a nice smooth swing but not as "violent" lower half than I would like to see. He seems to use his hands/arms well but more than he should. That may be because of his size and being so "gangly".

Would you agree or correct me? Thanks!

[Stotle]

Stotle What is your evaluation on his swing mechanics? I know he has a lot of filling out to do but I don't see enough lower half rotation at this point. He does have a nice smooth swing but not as "violent" lower half than I would like to see. He seems to use his hands/arms well but more than he should. That may be because of his size and being so "gangly".

Would you agree or correct me? Thanks!

A lot of what you are seeing is because his timing isn't great. He makes contact too far out in front of the plate, which causes him to extend a little early, lose momentum in his barrel, etc. It's also part of the reason that he doesn't consistently square-up better pitching. I don't know that he needs tons of violence -- he has enough natural leverage that balls should begin to jump once he learns to maximize his bat speed by making contact as he's excellerating towards full extension.

I'm also a big balance guy. His set-up is a bit unorthodox, and in his weight transfer he sometimes forces an early transfer out front, which could complicate things when he faces advanced off-speed stuff. All in all, he's the kind of kid that you follow because you see a lot of potential, but he's better suited for college at this point than pro. A lot can change by June, though.

[coe76]

Stotle, another question on Ryan's swing mechanics. He has a very flat bat over his shoulder. I have always felt that leads to a very long swing and therefore difficulty with good fastballs, especially inside. Your thoughts?

[Stotle]

Stotle, another question on Ryan's swing mechanics. He has a very flat bat over his shoulder. I have always felt that leads to a very long swing and therefore difficulty with good fastballs, especially inside. Your thoughts?

I think it's player specific once you get to "elite HS" level. Some kids have the bat speed and hand/eye to barrel up balls even with a little bit of length. Others really need to focus on staying compact in order to maximize 1) time to ID pitches, and 2) repeatability of bat path. Ripken does a good job of staying on plane (though it's a little too flat for a 1b profile that requires some pop). He handles the bat well, but his timing prevents him from squaring things up cleanly. There is definitely potential here, and a lot will depend on how he looks come next May. As of right now, I think he would struggle too much with pro pitching to offer up any kid of significant bonus.

But he's certainly a kid I keep my eye on, because the pieces are there for him to make a jump at some point once he figures things out.