Jump to content

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

weams
 Share

Recommended Posts

Recommended

Posted by Tony-OH,

It's not surprising that the draft is looking different than many mock boards due to the lack of 2020 data to go off of due to the lack of games to evaluate. Elias is clearly not afraid to go with a guy with one plus plus tool (power) which is a bit surprising for the #2 overall pick. His hit tool is probably plus as well, but the K-BB ratio prior to his short junior year makes him a bit of question mark when he has to face professional pitching on a nightly basis. Elias and his guys h

Tony's Take

Recommended by Tony-OH

  • Thanks
  • Upvote

4 reactions

Go to this post
MountUrCastle AAA

MountUrCastle

Posted
Posted

I will also say that if drafting has any analogous features across sports, you should never draft someone (especially on the older side of the draft range) who's problems are mental and situation IQ focused and expect them to get better at said IQ-based issue. You can fix speed, you can fix power, you can fix fielding to an extent. If the issue with Kjerstad is he has spent 21 years going power over everything before a pitch is even thrown it is a deep rooted reflex.

I know this may read weird, but it's the one constant across sports drafts (that I have found.)

 

IQ = awareness of what to do and when.

  • Upvote 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 424
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Orioles1954
Orioles1954

As the only Orioles and Razorbacks fan on the planet I am thrilled with this pick. I've watched numerous games with Kjerstad since he came our way from Amarillo, Texas. Beautiful fluid swing, not a lo

interloper
interloper

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.

weams
weams
SteveA Hangout Grand Counsel

SteveA

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, MountUrCastle said:

I will also say that if drafting has any analogous features across sports, you should never draft someone (especially on the older side of the draft range) who's problems are mental and situation IQ focused and expect them to get better at said IQ-based issue. You can fix speed, you can fix power, you can fix fielding to an extent. If the issue with Kjerstad is he has spent 21 years going power over everything before a pitch is even thrown it is a deep rooted reflex.

I know this may read weird, but it's the one constant across sports drafts (that I have found.)

 

IQ = awareness of what to do and when.

You can "fix power" and "fix speed"?   I would disagree.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
spiritof66 Hangout Grand Counsel

spiritof66

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, Orioles1954 said:

From the beginning I thought Kjerstad had the batting makeup of Will Clark, a lot of fellow Hogs fans feel that way as well. WOULD NOT be surprised if the O's select Arkansas infielder Casey Martin at either 30 or 39.

Casey Martin is from near (maybe 10-15 miles) Little Rock. It was a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure that we had real good infielder from Little Rock. I think he may have played third base just before DeCInces. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
24fps Hangout Grand Counsel

24fps

Posted
Posted
40 minutes ago, Three Run Homer said:

When you have the 2nd pick and you pick a guy ranked somewhere between 7 and 17 (that I've seen), you're taking a big risk.  Hobgood was ranked lower going into the draft (mid to late 1st round) but he was taken with the fifth pick.  

Elias is definitely putting his job on the line here.  

I don't think his job is at risk.  But a fair amount of credibility is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bpilktree Hangout Grand Counsel

bpilktree

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

I’d rather have Martin than Kjerstad/Bitsko

Bitsko is the big question mark the last time people saw him he was a sophomore in high school.  He reclassified and skipped a year in high school to get into this class as it was rather weak high school pitching class some believed he has stuff to be top high school pitcher coming out had season ran.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BohKnowsBmore Hangout Grand Counsel

BohKnowsBmore

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, 24fps said:

I don't think his job is at risk.  But a fair amount of credibility is.

We shall see. I will say this, part of being a good evaluator is seeing what others don’t and exploiting that info asymmetry to your advantage. Jury out on the pick, but tough to immediately judge a pro evaluator with track record in a negative light for breaking against public opinion. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Greg Pappas Hangout Grand Counsel

Greg Pappas

Posted
Posted

BTW: Important to see what these tool grades mean.

 

Quote

 

Objective Tool Grades

  Tool Is Called Fastball Velo Batting Avg Homers RHH to 1B LHH to 1B 60 Yd Run
80 80 97 .320 40+ 4.00 3.90 6.3
75   96 .310 35-40 4.05 3.95 6.4
70 Plus Plus 95 .300 30-35 4.10 4.00 6.5
65   94 .290 27-30 4.15 4.05 6.6
60 Plus 93 .280 23-27 4.20 4.10 6.7
55 Above Avg 92 .270 19-22 4.25 4.15 6.8
50 Avg 90-91 .260 15-18 4.30 4.20 6.9-7.0
45 Below Avg 89 .250 12-15 4.35 4.25 7.1
40   88 .240 8-12 4.40 4.30 7.2
35   87 .230 5-8 4.45 4.35 7.3
30   86 .220 3-5 4.50 4

 

I couldn't make it smaller, sorry.

  • Upvote 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MountUrCastle AAA

MountUrCastle

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, SteveA said:

You can "fix power" and "fix speed"?   I would disagree.

Sorry, I forgot power and speed is gifted to you upon birth, and not a trained asset. 

I know it certainly seems dumb, but I would argue that raw power and foot speed are some of the easiest things to improve upon in any sport.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Posts

    • baltfan
      Can the O's hit Lugo and Wacha?

      By baltfan · Posted

      Yes, I would rather take my chances with Santander at first and the game tied.  Do you think Erceg was worried about O'Hearn stealing?  Do you think he would have been worried about Holliday?  Holliday's sprint speed is 29.4 ft/sec.  If he isn't on this team to pinch run, I don't know why he is here.  And if you aren't going to pinch run with him, then maybe bunt O'Hearn over.  It's the playoffs.  It's Erceg's first playoff game.  He missed in the middle of the zone a couple of times.  Make him more nervous.  You use a pinch runner here like you use your closer at home.  Make sure he gets in the game.
    • Tony-OH
      Erceg vs Seranthony Dominguez

      By Tony-OH · Posted

      Did you see the points I made at the end?  In this game, the fact the Royals have Erceg hurt us because he came in and shut the door.  But this thread is not about how things would have been different, but rather to show that one, Elias needs to start drafting pitchers higher, and two, he targeted the wrong kind of guy for the back of the bullpen. 
    • sportsfan8703
      Gunnar or Witt try to be impartial? part2

      By sportsfan8703 · Posted

      Good take.  Witt got one pitch to hit and impacted the game.  Gunnar got a couple and failed to capitalize.  
    • gtman55
      Erceg vs Seranthony Dominguez

      By gtman55 · Posted

      Elias is clearly a guy that knows how to build a franchise back to prominence. It's unclear on everything else. I didn't like his excessive drafting of a slew of redundant position players prospects. And I think overall his trade deadline moves since he's been here overall have been a D grade. Having said that, THIS is the big offseason to really judge him. 
    • Tony-OH
      Erceg vs Seranthony Dominguez

      By Tony-OH · Posted

      I completely understand his shortcomings, but I'm far from ready to say Elias should go. 
    • Bahama O's Fan
      Is Matt Wieters >Adley?

      By Bahama O's Fan · Posted

      I really, really, really hope at the end of the season we hear that he was playing hurt for the second half. It's not just his offense, but his defense has seriously declined as well. If he's been healthy, then Basallo may take over faster than we thought. He and Gunnar both started the all star game and haven't been the same since. Gunnar was on route to an MVP caliber season, and then just fell off a cliff. 
    • sportsfan8703
      Does anybody "have" to pitch today?

      By sportsfan8703 · Posted

      I do think you're onto something.  Eflin's O/U today is 15.5 outs recorded.  That's 5.1 IP.  I don't think we let him get into trouble in the middle innings with a Lefty up.  I could see Perez coming into to get the last out of the 5th if it's a lefty up.  

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...