2016 2nd Round Pick B - Matthias Dietz - RHP - John A Logan CC (IL)

Reaches 98 6'6 220 lbs

Slider, Changeup

Best Junior College pitcher. 12- 1 1.22 ERA

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/vtp_draft/v629012783/draft-report-matthias-dietz-college-pitcher

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This seems like a really solid pick.

We must only have one scout who likes the Midwest guys.

He only needs to stay healthy to be better than Johnathan Hughes. He also must sign. Non-Protected pick.

I was worried they might go total signability since this pick is unprotected. Seems like a legitimate pick.

Dietz started playing baseball in preschool, he said, hitting whiffleballs over his boyhood shed and playing catch with his dad. He played football through his sophomore year in high school and was a 3-hole hitter on his younger baseball teams before putting the bat away three years ago. He was the third-best starter on his high school team when he came to Logan last year, but worked hard on his body and developing the changeup that could help him be a starter.

Scouts flock to see him because he can run his fastball up to 96 miles an hour on a regular basis. They've got about two months to figure out if he's a better starter prospect, or one that could be effective in a relief/closer's role.

"That's one thing the pros are having a hard time figuring out, what is he going to be? Because now that he's picked up that third pitch, you can be a starter now," Halstead said. "Or, he was a hard thrower with a slider. A lot of them, he's going to be a closer, a relief-type guy in the big leagues. Now that he's got the changeup, and he's got confidence in throwing it, they're like 'Oh man.' These guys have seen him five or six times because now they're got to re-evaluate him."

http://thesouthern.com/news/opinion/editorial/hefferman/hefferman-dietz-an-unassuming-pro-prospect-in-your-backyard/article_a840fb80-25c6-5193-b6da-2878a1fb68f5.html

He only needs to stay healthy to be better than Johnathan Hughes. He also must sign. Non-Protected pick.

Yeah thought this might have been easy sign pick because he has leverage and be a spot to get little more money for overslot guy later on.

From MLB.com:

"The best junior college prospect in the 2016 Draft, Dietz likely will fall just short of becoming the highest selection in John A. Logan (Ill.) CC history, a distinction that belongs to White Sox 1994 second-rounder John Ambrose. After the Giants took Dietz in the 29th round last year, he spent the summer adding strength, which has led to more dominant stuff this year. He went 12-1, 1.22 in 13 starts with 117 strikeouts in 103 innings, ranking third in wins, fifth in ERA and seventh in whiffs among national junior college pitchers entering the Juco World Series.

After topping out at 93-94 mph in 2015, Dietz now consistently works at 91-94 mph with his fastball and has hit 98 in short stints. His slider has gotten harder and sharper as well, showing flashes of becoming a solid pitch. He also has made strides with his changeup, enhancing his chances of remaining a starter.

With his 6-foot-6 frame and three-quarters delivery, Dietz creates good angle with his pitches. The Texas Christian recruit has no problem filling the strike zone, though he'll need to improve the command of his fastball and the consistency of his secondary pitches to make it as a big league starter. If he can't, he has promise as a late-inning reliever." VIDEO

Crawford

69. Baltimore Orioles: Matthias Dietz, RHP, Logan CC (IL)

This is a nice pick. Sorry, had to be done. He has touched 98 mph with his fastball, and he'll complement his borderline plus-plus fastball with a solid-average slider. He's probably a reliever, but also probably a pretty good one.

Another nice pick it seems.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another nice pick it seems.

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From Roch Kubatko www.masnsports.com

Dietz, 20, went 12-1 with a 1.22 ERA (14 ER/103.0 IP) and 117 strikeouts in 13 starts with John A. Logan College in 2016. He was ranked as the No. 102 overall draft prospect by MLB.com and No. 96 in Baseball America’s Top 200 Prospects. As a student-athlete at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Ill., Dietz was a 2014 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.

Crawford

Haha @ "sorry had to be done"

Upside as a starter with a floor of a late inning bullpen guy with upper 90's heat? I'll take it in the second round every time.

Haha @ "sorry had to be done"

lol. What was that all about?

These college players should all be on full season clubs next year.