Jim Callis of BA's 5/18 mock draft

[birdtown]

It is true that Detweiler may not be pitching in the SEC, however, he did excel for Team USA and in the Cape Cod league last summer. I can guarantee you that is TOP competition!

[odogs101]

Here's Jon Mayo's latest O's pick from his Top 20 yesterday.

5. Baltimore Orioles: Ross Detwiler, LHP, Missouri State

Rumors continue that they might make a big splash and if Wieters did fall to here, they wouldn't pass him up. I still have a hard time believing that ownership would sign off on that and the college lefties' names keep coming up in conversations about the Orioles. Detwiler is mentioned more than Moskos, so we'll continue to put him in this spot. He'll pitch Wednesday at the Big 12 tournament with plenty of people watching.

Last week's projection: Detwiler

Other notables, he has the Cubs taking Jarrod Parker and Vitters going to Pitt.

Washington taking Weiters, Moustakos at 9 to the Dbacks, and heyward down to 12 to the Marlins.

[AgentOrange]

Price pitches in the SEC. Detweiler pitches in the Missouri Valley Conference. There is a significantly greater amount of talent in the SEC than the MVC. I'd be willing to bet an All Star team from the MVC couldn't beat the 4th place SEC team(whoever that might be). Now if you are willing to believe a MVC pitcher with good stats can be projected into a #1 or 2 starter in the AL East, OK. I just happen to think there is a huge leap of faith in that logic.

We should expect greatness with this pick. Not just goodness.

Wow, I would bet against that one. There isn't that much of a drop off in talent from each league. You are talking about amassing the best players from a whole division to play against a 4 place team in a confrence...

Maybe a D3 league, but not a D1.

[Jammer7]

This is a major question in baseball. Very good chance he doesn't develop.

The same can be said about ML free agents, especially the ones we seem to sign. As an organization, we have to have the approach that we can cultivate our own players. Draft the best players you can, pay the price and coach 'em. The returns on your money on the ones that make it will be over a longer period of time than the FA market; and it's cheaper.

[ghogan]

Just for anyone wondering who should be the first pick in the draft, Price is now perfect through six innings in the second game of the SEC tournament.

http://live.secsports.com/ba/games/game06/

[Chollie Eckman]

Wow, I would bet against that one. There isn't that much of a drop off in talent from each league. You are talking about amassing the best players from a whole division to play against a 4 place team in a confrence...

Maybe a D3 league, but not a D1.

You can't possibly be serious. I'd even give you odds.

[Chollie Eckman]

Here's Detweiler's stats. (BTW - he hasn't beaten anyone of significance this year)

Player era w-l app-gs cg sho sv ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr ab b/avg wp hbp bk sfa sha

Detwiler,Ross 2.22 4-5 14-14 0 0/1 0 89.0 64 30 22 38 110 10 0 6 324 .198 5 7 1 0 5

Here's the MVC's top three pitchers.

Individual Pitching g era w-l sv ip h r er bb so

Venditte, Pat CU 35 1.87 8-2 4 82.0 51 17 17 20 80

Detwiler,Ross MSU 14 2.22 4-5 0 89.0 64 30 22 38 110

Mancuso, Ben CU 12 2.25 9-2 0 64.0 65 18 16 17 46

It can be argued that Venditte(who?)is a better pitcher.

HMMMM, alot of low ERA's in that conference. Maybe they don't have any hitters in that conference. Concept.

[davearm]

Here's Detweiler's stats. (BTW - he hasn't beaten anyone of significance this year)

Player era w-l app-gs cg sho sv ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr ab b/avg wp hbp bk sfa sha

Detwiler,Ross 2.22 4-5 14-14 0 0/1 0 89.0 64 30 22 38 110 10 0 6 324 .198 5 7 1 0 5

Here's the MVC's top three pitchers.

Individual Pitching g era w-l sv ip h r er bb so

Venditte, Pat CU 35 1.87 8-2 4 82.0 51 17 17 20 80

Detwiler,Ross MSU 14 2.22 4-5 0 89.0 64 30 22 38 110

Mancuso, Ben CU 12 2.25 9-2 0 64.0 65 18 16 17 46

It can be argued that Venditte(who?)is a better pitcher.

HMMMM, alot of low ERA's in that conference. Maybe they don't have any hitters in that conference. Concept.

Have you not heard of Pat Venditte?

If not you're definitely going to want to

. Trust me on this.

[AgentOrange]

You can't possibly be serious. I'd even give you odds.

I played College ball for a D3 team and played against D1, it is not as big of a difference as you think it is.

[Chollie Eckman]

Have you not heard of Pat Venditte?

If not you're definitely going to want to

. Trust me on this.

I like Venditte.

Add some "earned runs" to Detweiler and he's not even in the top 5 of the MVC in ERA and we're taking him as the 5th best player in the country? What a joke. He should be dominating that conference to be even considered at #5. Not to say that he won't be a serviceable MLB pitcher, but it doesn't look like he's a #1 or 2 starter in the AL East.

[Chollie Eckman]

I played College ball for a D3 team and played against D1, it is not as big of a difference as you think it is.

So if a HS ballplayer from Illinois had a choice between the Big 12, Big 10, or the Missouri Valley Conference it wouldn't matter where he went because the competition is basically the same? The fields are just as nice? The crowds are the same size? Facilities are equal? Please. So if a guy had the same pitching stats in the PAC-10 as Detweiler they both would basically project the same? I doubt it.

[AgentOrange]

So if a HS ballplayer from Illinois had a choice between the Big 12, Big 10, or the Missouri Valley Conference it wouldn't matter where he went because the competition is basically the same? The fields are just as nice? The crowds are the same size? Facilities are equal? Please. So if a guy had the same pitching stats in the PAC-10 as Detweiler they both would basically project the same? I doubt it.

Again, it sounds like you have no clue. I am telling you the drop off in talent is not near as big as you think it is. Just because a school has a good name, doesn't mean the talent is above and beyond better. This isn't college basketball.

The competition is so close it really doesn't matter, and when you take into account the use of aluminum bats, pitchers are at the disadvantage, in any league.

[Mackus]

So if a HS ballplayer from Illinois had a choice between the Big 12, Big 10, or the Missouri Valley Conference it wouldn't matter where he went because the competition is basically the same? The fields are just as nice? The crowds are the same size? Facilities are equal? Please. So if a guy had the same pitching stats in the PAC-10 as Detweiler they both would basically project the same? I doubt it.

Please find the place where AO says its the same level of competition?

He only says the difference isn't as wide as you would think. Considering he played, I'd say he has a lot better idea of the competition levels than you, unless you've got some history that you haven't mentioned.

[Chollie Eckman]

Please find the place where AO says its the same level of competition?

He only says the difference isn't as wide as you would think. Considering he played, I'd say he has a lot better idea of the competition levels than you, unless you've got some history that you haven't mentioned.

If so, how wide is it? It's not a stretch to believe that bench players in bigger conferences are starters at MVC schools? Is that wide enough? University programs in bigger conferences or traditional schools like CSF or Wichita State are much better than minor conference teams like Missouri State or Indiana State and that all stats being equal the players from the better teams in bigger conferences are better.

If you want to believe Detweilers' stats are legit and comparable find us a top 25 team he has beaten in his illustrious Missouri State career. He's lost to both Minnesota and Wichita State this year.

[geschinger]

If so, how wide is it? It's not a stretch to believe that bench players in bigger conferences are starters at MVC schools? Is that wide enough? University programs in bigger conferences or traditional schools like CSF or Wichita State are much better than minor conference teams like Missouri State or Indiand State and that all stats being equal the players from the better teams in bigger conferences are better.

If you want to believe Detweilers' stats are legit and comparable find us a top 25 team he has beaten in his illustrious Missouri State career. He's lost to both Minnesota and Wichita State this year.

I'm sure there are a lot of starters on MVC teams who would start for schools from bigger conferences. And I have no doubt that the best teams in the MVC would be competetive and probably finish ahead of several of the teams in those so called major conferences. I've seen a lot of college baseball down here in SoFla and I don't see a huge gap between a team like the Sunbelt conference FAU owls and the ACC's Miami Hurricanes and Conference USA's Central Florida, and the SEC's Univeristy of Florida.