2015 1st Round (25) - D.J. Stewart - OF - Florida State

[Tony-OH]

I thought the O's were all about pitching & defense.

So they use their #1 pick (25th best amateur player?) on a short, slow, weak armed outfielder.

He is 230 lbs at 21... so let's project him to be 240-245 in a couple of years when/if he makes it to the majors.

How about a list of ML outfielders who are 6' or under and 230 lbs or over?

Just can't see using a #1 pick on a DH

Not that I'm shocked in the least bit that you would be against any pick the Orioles make, but the fact is that by all accounts, Stewart is a pretty athletic guy despite his frame. I doubt his weight will be problem until he gets into his 30s.

[Tony-OH]

Folks lament the lack of position players and potential impact hitters in the system. Well, here you go. About as good a pick as you'll get at #25 to start addressing those concerns.

No doubt. Considering some of the projections of guy getting drafted in this first round (A lot of relievers and guys with nothing more than one or two 6s on their scouting reports) to get an OBP machine with the 25th pick is fine with me.

[Stotle]

Reminds me of Kyle Schwarber, the #2 pick in the draft last year - 6' 240 lbs and had a similar stance. He seems to be moving fast through the cubs system. He has come out of the crouch while in the minors and it seems to have paid off.

DJ Stewart might even be a better athlete than Schwarber. Schwarber had better college numbers, but Stewart played in the better league.

No, Schwarber is a notably better athlete than Stewart. Moves better and lighter on his feet. Better power and hitter, too.

[baltfan]

There are a fairly large number of very good MLB players throughout history who had that fireplug, fullback kind of body type. Hack Wilson. Yogi. Pudge II. Matt Stairs. John Kruk. Jim Traber and Floyd Rayford... okay maybe they're not exactly what we're looking for. But quite a few really good players who'd star on the offseason Orioles rec league football team.

Nelson Cruz, Kirby Puckett

[baltfan]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fsus-d-j-stewart-offers-first-round-tools-in-unusual-package/

"Summation

Teams will appraise Stewart on his bat alone, as he doesn’t field, throw or run well enough to offer any salvage value if he doesn’t hit. But relative to other position players in this year’s class who are considered top-two rounds talents, he offers a high floor as a power hitter with plate discipline and a track record of performance, which isn’t in ample supply in this year’s draft class. Since he’s locked into left field, he’ll need to meet a higher offensive standard to become an everyday player, which I believe he’s capable of doing. Although he lacks the upside I like to see in a first-round pick, that’s what an optimistic team may believe he is."

[Stotle]

Folks lament the lack of position players and potential impact hitters in the system. Well, here you go. About as good a pick as you'll get at #25 to start addressing those concerns.

I don't agree this is "about as good a pick as you'll get", but he is a hitter and may have come off the board in the first 40 picks. So if Baltimore really liked him they did well to pick him a little early.

[Going Underground]

Seems like the Orioles wanted him and thought they might not get him. Who knows?

Per the Sun:

Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich stood by waiting for a media teleconference with new first-round pick DJ Stewart to begin, Rajsich told Stewart he was concerned the Florida State outfielder wouldn't fall to the Orioles at No. 25.

We're thrilled, man. It got a little hairy there for us, Rajsich told Stewart. We didn't know if we were going to get you or not. You were the one we wanted all the way and Im glad you got there.

Later, Rajsich explained to reporters that the way picks were coming off the board, he was concerned that Stewart, who hit 15 homers and had a .500 on-base percentage in 64 games for the Seminoles in 2015, would be snagged by another club.

Some scouts believe his future is in left field, but Rajsich said Stewart can play either corner infield spot well.

I would classify DJ as a corner outfielder, not just a left fielder. There are some in this room that think he could play right field, also. He is a very good athlete. Don't take him too lightly, he's got great feet. We like his defense, Rajsich said. And he can also steal bases. He is a heads-up, smart baseball player. He's got great makeup and he is a leader and all those attributes, that's what we look for and he's got them.

One hurdle is that Stewart is advised by Scott Boras, a tough negotiator. But Rajsich said the Orioles weren't scared off by any potential unsignability. The projected slot bonus for the 25th pick is $2,064,500.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-rajsich-a-little-hairy-waiting-for-dj-stewart-to-fall-to-25-20150608-story.html?track=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Stotle]

But, he led the nation in walks.

So did this guy, with much better raw power:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/choicmi01.shtml

[Stotle]

Sure, try to freak us out.

Haha, no no. Just....tethering expectations?

[Can_of_corn]

Haha, no no. Just....tethering expectations?

Not sure how high expectations should be with the 25th pick in this draft.

How far down would Swanson had dropped if he was say in the 2011 draft?

[Frobby]

Haha, no no. Just....tethering expectations?

I've gotten to the point where I really don't have any expectations for players outside the top 5 in the draft. You just hope to hit on some of them. One thing is clear, the Orioles pick the guys they like regardless of where they are ranked by publicly available sources or what anyone else thinks of them. Those picks puzzle me at times, but we will see.

[Stotle]

Not sure how high expectations should be with the 25th pick in this draft.

How far down would Swanson had dropped if he was say in the 2011 draft?

Good chance to be top 5, I'd think. Seattle might have taken him 2nd if price was right. I'd have to imagine Baltimore would have taken him over Bundy.

Anyway, this is a pretty good draft class to have late-first round/supplemental pick. Baltimore just had misfortune of really wanting bats and having teams ahead of them get ultra aggressive with bats, letting arms drop. Of course, if Stewart was their guy no matter what then it doesn't matter -- they got him.

[SteveO]

I liked the pick in the first given what was on the board.

The ability to judge the strike zone and high OBP are pretty transferable skills.

Think this pick will turn out better than expected

[Redskins Rick]

Every year the draft makes me remember prior drafts like when JTrea absolutely lost his mind when we didn't draft Justin Smoak in 2008 who was the "impact, MOO bat" we so desperately needed. So much time and energy wasted debating something that 95% of us have virtually no useful input when discussing. I don't have a clue who we should pick in what spots which is why I never, ever get involved in analyzing the pick. I like to read the thoughts of those who do know though.

Would of, should of, could of.

We could have skipped Jeffery Hammonds and drafted Derek Jeter and moved Cal to third sooner.

Thank the good Lord, we didn't.

[SteveO]

Every year the draft makes me remember prior drafts like when JTrea absolutely lost his mind when we didn't draft Justin Smoak in 2008 who was the "impact, MOO bat" we so desperately needed. So much time and energy wasted debating something that 95% of us have virtually no useful input when discussing. I don't have a clue who we should pick in what spots which is why I never, ever get involved in analyzing the pick. I like to read the thoughts of those who do know though.

If trying to judge an NFL draft right after it happens is fools play then trying to judge an MLB draft is literally impossible.

I have a few sources I like and read about the guys. I like to watch a few vids but you have to take them with a grain of salt. Everyone looks like a champ in their best of reel.

To me analyzing the picks is more about getting a sense of what kind of player they might be. A kind of getting to know you thing .