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

[ISU94]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think that if you have a 60+/60+ bat than the other teams will be actively pitching around you, which should lead to some walks.

Not for young kids who lack discipline due to age/wanting to crush every ball that comes in.

Very few young hitters don't have plate discipline/walking issues.

[weams]

 

[wildbillhiccup]

2 minutes ago, ISU94 said:

I don't think people remember this is the MLB draft.

Guys rise/fall all the time. Signability and having the opportunity to pay more for premium talents that fall due to $ demands is a thing. They still took a guy with an elite power tool with a good hit tool that was viewed by plenty as a top 7-10 prospect in this class.

Why'd Miami and KC pass on Martin? Acting as if he doesn't have his own questions regarding his tools or his ultimate upside/position...

I think people are just a little sensitive about this possibly being a "penny pinching" type move by an organization that has one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball. 

[accinfo]

The kid put an Oriole hat on right after he was picked so he knew what was going to happen.  I suspect his contract has been agreed upon.  You have to look at this on what combination of talent they can draft and sign by going underslot with this pick to evaluate this pick.  Any way you look at it as Ken Weinman said it will be 3 more years before we know anything for sure.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, wildbillhiccup said:

I think people are just a little sensitive about this possibly being a "penny pinching" type move by an organization that has one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball. 

If they end up not spending their whole allotment folks will be upset.

I fully expect them to spend it all (assuming they all sign).

[Es4M11]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

You got Appel.

He flat out bombed.

Not trying to dog Elias and Co. here, just trying to point out to the other poster that just because these guys are thought of as good evaluators, doesn't mean they didn't screw this one up. I'm not saying they did, but to get a guy who was at best thought of as a top 10 guy, when we picked second kinda makes me take pause for a moment. I understand that this may be setting something up at #30, but IMO whghen you;'re picking at the very top, teams shouldn't try to get cute - get the guy who is most likely to make an impact.

[Greg Pappas]

From MLB.com, who had him as the 10th best overall prospect:
 

Quote

AGE: 21
BATS/ THROWS: L/R
DOB: 02/12/1999
HT / WT:  6' 3"/ 220

Scouting Grades/Report (20-80 grading scale)
HIT: 45
POWER: 60
RUN: 45
ARM: 55
FIELD: 50
OVERALL: 55

A 36th-round pick by the Mariners as a Texas high schooler in 2017, Kjerstad teamed with fellow top prospect Casey Martin to lead Arkansas to back-to-back College World Series appearances in their first two years of college. His 14 homers in 2018 broke the school freshman record of 13 set by eventual first-rounder Zack Cox in 2009, and Kjerstad encored with 17 as a sophomore. He offers the best left-handed power in the 2020 college class and only potential No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson has more pop among collegians.

Kjerstad's strength and bat speed give him well above-average raw power to all fields. He has a complicated swing that features a big hand circle in his load, so he has to be precise with his timing to make it work -- but he has done so in college and was the top performer in the U.S. collegiate team's lineup last summer. He's an aggressive hitter who always will accumulate strikeouts as a tradeoff for his pop.

Though Kjerstad records below-average running times out of the batter's box, he displays average speed once he gets going. He's not a threat on the bases but plays a capable right field. His huge power and solid arm strength fit the profile for the position.

So the comment I made earlier was based on another scouting site, who had his arm at 50 and speed at 40. 

[ISU94]

2 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Guys rise and fall all the time but there were better projected players between #2 and where Kjerstad was expected to be taken.  

Again, in a year where baseball hasn't been played analysts for media outlets put together big boards/rankings.

Even then he was considered by most a top 10-12 guy.

Martin wanted above slot. Several "underslot" guys would've been minimal. I'm sure they discussed $ with several of them they viewed as worthy of #2. This is who they landed on and feel best about in totality.

[wildbillhiccup]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

If they end up not spending their whole allotment folks will be upset.

I fully expect them to spend it all (assuming they all sign).

I just don't like the idea of going quantity over quality (if that's what they did) when you have such a high pick. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, accinfo said:

The kid put an Oriole hat on right after he was picked so he knew what was going to happen.  I suspect his contract has been agreed upon.  You have to look at this on what combination of talent they can draft and sign by going underslot with this pick to evaluate this pick.  Any way you look at it as Ken Weinman said it will be 3 more years before we know anything for sure.

That really isn't true.

Guys have managed to crash and burn in under three years (Josh Hart anyone?).

[accinfo]

4 minutes ago, Philip said:

(Cough Cough Chris Davis Cough Cough)

I was waiting how long the Chris Davis comparison will take.  LOL

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Es4M11 said:

Not trying to dog Elias and Co. here, just trying to point out to the other poster that just because these guys are thought of as good evaluators, doesn't mean they didn't screw this one up. I'm not saying they did, but to get a guy who was at best thought of as a top 10 guy, when we picked second kinda makes me take pause for a moment. I understand that this may be setting something up at #30, but IMO whghen you;'re picking at the very top, teams shouldn't try to get cute - get the guy who is most likely to make an impact.

I'm not disagree with you, I just don't like folks using Aiken as an example.  No way they could have seen that coming and they didn't sign him.

[Philip]

12 minutes ago, weams said:

 

I miss Camden Depot. So much better than so many of the other options available. I’m very glad we still have the hangout.

[Moose Milligan]

2 minutes ago, ISU94 said:

Again, in a year where baseball hasn't been played analysts for media outlets put together big boards/rankings.

Even then he was considered by most a top 10-12 guy.

Martin wanted above slot. Several "underslot" guys would've been minimal. I'm sure they discussed $ with several of them they viewed as worthy of #2. This is who they landed on and feel best about in totality.

Again, I get that he was considered a top 10-12 guy.  And I'd be cool with this pick if we were picking in that range.

I get that Martin wanted above slot, however there were several better projected players at #2 that they could have signed.  You can't convince me otherwise.  

[PaulFolk]

4 minutes ago, accinfo said:

The kid put an Oriole hat on right after he was picked so he knew what was going to happen.  I suspect his contract has been agreed upon.  You have to look at this on what combination of talent they can draft and sign by going underslot with this pick to evaluate this pick.  Any way you look at it as Ken Weinman said it will be 3 more years before we know anything for sure.

I wouldn't assume that at all. He probably had hats from like 10 different teams at the ready.