2020 1st round pick (2): Heston Kjerstad - OF - (Junior) (Arkansas)

[weams]

6 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Is Boras asking for the whole draft allotment for Martin?

He was asking 1/1 reportedly.

[interloper]

No one has picked Martin still.

[scOtt]

2 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

Kjerstad (pronounced Kur-stad) is a good player... maybe .280 with 30 HR power, and about an .800 OPS or better.  HOWEVER, he is yet another merely decent fielding corner outfielder who is a plodder with 40-tool speed. I care who we get at 30 and 39 with the savings, but I think years from now we will lament not taking Austin Martin at #2. Frankly I was yelling at the screen in anger. Anyway, welcome to Baltimore, Heston... hope you are great for us.

Toronto grabbed him.

[interloper]

Now he goes.

[eddie83]

12 minutes ago, interloper said:

Elias and team deserve waaay more benefit of the doubt than saying he's "saving money" at this stage. We have some of the game's best evaluators and analytics. Let's just see! Interesting.

I do agree with this. I guarantee they say this is who they liked the most.  

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, weams said:

He was asking 1/1 reportedly.

He would have backed down from it.

They almost always do in the end.

Honestly, I'd be OK with picking 1-3 and having a monstrous draft pool in 2021.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, eddie83 said:

I do agree with this. I guarantee they say this is who they liked the most.  

I agree that is what they will say.

Does any GM not say that?

[eddie83]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

He would have backed down from it.

They almost always do in the end.

Honestly, I'd be OK with picking 1-3 and having a monstrous draft pool in 2021.

Not like he is going to go back to school.  

[catjuggler]

How does underslot value work, have we already negotiated with him and the number he would agree on? 

[Greg Pappas]

SMH... Martin to an AL East team. 

[eddie83]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

I agree that is what they will say.

Does any GM not say that?

Maybe he is telling the truth here.  

Maybe, but it’s hard to understand this. 

[weams]

7 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

OPS'd 1.300 in 78 PA's (7 W 9 K's) this year before the season stopped, so there's that. They must have really liked what they saw in those 78 PA's.

 

[Orioles1954]

Fantastic article on the Hogville (Arkansas fan site).

 

https://d1baseball.com/columns/drivelines-anatomy-of-a-prospect-arkansas-heston-kjerstad/

[Three Run Homer]

Joe Jordan went against the industry consensus when he picked Matt Hobgood.  It didn't work out and Jordan wound up getting fired.  

Elias has taken a similar risk here.  On paper, Kjerstad is not considered to be as good a prospect as Martin.  Maybe Elias knows something and is comfortable going against the grain.  He'd better be right.  If Martin turns out to be the next Tony Gwynn and Kjerstad turns out to be a good major league RF, I'll be ok with the pick.  I wish Kjerstad the best.  

[interloper]

Well I'm all in. Martin is no surer thing than Heston IMO. We have no lefty power bat in the system really.