Aside from Matusz, which draftee(s) are you excited for?

[Jarman8675]

I'm excited about any of them that do well. I'm very curious to see how Avery does. I also think Miclat could turn out to be a very good pick.

I'd have to say Avery as well because everyone on the board seems to be against him, I want to pull for the underdog on this one. Also I am pulling for the local picks.

[hoosiers]

I'd have to say Avery as well because everyone on the board seems to be against him, I want to pull for the underdog on this one. Also I am pulling for the local picks.

I too am very interested in Avery. I think people here "toolsy" and they think the guy can't make consistent contact and strikes out a lot. That may not be the case here.

[Captain_Cool007]

Two words baby SPEED THRILLS:D

[Jammer7]

I've been really busy the last few days and haven't had time to get into things on this board recently. Unlike many of you, I really like this draft. I think Matusz was the right pick since Tim Beckham, Hosmer and Alvarez were gone.

I really like Avery, who may end up being one of the top talents to come out of this draft if they can sign him and keep him away from football. He's explosive and the ball jumps off his bat.

Hoes is another outstanding pick. I really like his balance at the plate. I see him being able to hit for more power as he matures. Very good speed, but not in the class of Avery or Hudson.

Hudson was curious, but they must think they can make some adjustments to get more power out of his swing. They'll get him to drink a few protein shakes and eat a few cheeseburgers and maybe he could put on ten pounds of muscle. If he focuses on baseball, I'd bet on him becoming much better than people are giving him credit. His arm will get stronger and stretch out the further he gets away from football.

Miclat will be an outstanding pick. His arm may be just fine for SS if he can get it to return to pre-surgery strength. Speedy, heady baseball rat.

I really like the picks of Zagone, Bundy, Haughian, Thomas, Landers, Martin and Welty as well. All could have gone much higher, but didn't for a variety of reasons.

This draft was a departure from years past where they were looking for depth in the minors and they took a bunch of lower ceiling solid college guys. This was a draft where they emphasized athleticism and projectability. They must believe they are ready to develop players. We'll see if they can get them signed and coach 'em up, but I like the direction of things. We needed LHP's and athleticism badly.

[Big O]

Agree with most of the pick called on this thread thus far, but I have to add Kevin Brady and Xavier Lopez. I really hope we can sign these two.

[Runs2the1Show]

Between 3rd round pick Jerome Hoes (2B) and Greg Miclat, who has the better glove?

Well, Hoes played center for almsot his entire hs career (a little 3rd too). So, it would be difficult to judge him as a second basemen so far. However, as a CF, he had GREAT range and had a very strong arm. Hope that translates over to second with him. He isn't a burner in terms of speed, but he is very very fast. THink adam jones, maybe a little faster.

[DennisTheOsFan]

Was Hoes drafted with the intent to convert him to 2B? I thought I read that somewhere, or heard someone say that.

I didn't realize this, but Xavier Avery was a high school preseason All-American 1st team, Jarret Martin was a 2nd teamer, and LJ Hoes made the 3rd team. That list was put out in February, which means even as little as 4 months ago, he was looked at as one of the nation's very best high schoolers.

I'm not sure what to think of him. If he was an infielder, I think I'd be ecstatic about him. But as an outfielder, unless he hits for a high average and steals a ton of bases, I'm stuck thinking of the type of player he'll become. At 6 feet, I don't think he'll be that much of a longball threat. And if we stick him in LF, would he have more value, than say, Nolan Reimold?

[fischbowl]

Really just Hoes and Bundy will pan out

[sector7g]

http://mlbdraftsource.wordpress.com/

I have no idea how reputable this site is but these guys have some interesting views on our draft. Are they just making this up or is Keating really a steal in the 34th round? (He's already signed btw).

Baltimore Orioles

First-rounders: Brian Matusz (1, 4) is a polished lefthander with a three-pitch mix and excellent command. He offers a low 90s fastball and an above average curve and changeup. The O’s will tweak his mechanics, but Matusz will be one of the first ‘08 draft picks to reach the big leagues, as early as 2010.

Late-round gem: T.R. Keating (34, 1016) is a control specialist who has minimized his walks and home runs allowed. Pitching in the thin air of Greeley, Colorado, Keating has allowed a home run every 11 innings and has struck out 3.6 batters for every one he’s walked.

Hometown heroes: Brian Conley (17, 506) graduated from nearby Towson (Md.) University. Chad Durakis (37, 1106) graduated from the University of Maryland after a standout career at St. Paul’s School in nearby Brooklandville, Md. Oliver Drake (43, 1286) pitches at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Kevin Brady (44, 1316), is a senior righthander at Gaithersburg (Md.) High School in suburban Washington, DC.

Tough sign: Drake is a draft-eligible sophomore from a service academy. Bobby Bundy (8, 236) saw his draft stock and fastball velocity drop this season. He is committed to Arkansas.

Top 100 talents: Matusz, Keating, Xavier Avery (2, 50).

Summary/Grade: B-. Matusz is a nice first-round pick who should be a staple in Baltimore’s rotation for years to come. The O’s focused more on athleticism and less on performance and hitting ability. Hoes is a reach in the third round and Kyle Hudson (4, 116) has hit one home run in three seasons. Keating and Eddie Gamboa (21, 626) are good value picks with great control and a feel for pitching.

[DennisTheOsFan]

Things I like about Avery:

-he has a quick and compact bat. His hands are a bit low in his stance, and he has a weird pause while he's trying to recognize the pitch. But still seems to make good contact. Again, he's got a quick bat.

-he's very quick out of the box and he gets into top speed after only a few steps.

Maybe he'll be a doubles machine with his speed out of the box, even legging out a good amount of triples.

He doesn't seem to have a good throwing arm, which may take him out of CF. If he's a LF'er, he's got to score a ton of runs, steal tons of bases, and get lots of extra base hits, since he's not going to jack a lot of homers.