Early 2021 Top Draft Prospects

[hoosiers]

Folks should read El-Dude's list above.  It gives a pretty good run-down of the top 10 prospects for the 2021 draft - as of Dec 15.  As I have noted for years, these early lists tend to be skewed toward college players and we have here eight of 10 as college guys.

The top guys are summarized below:

 - three top college pitchers should go early plus one more - Rocker, Leiter and Jaden Hill have perhaps separated themselves, but Ty Madden gets a top 10 nod by Callis in the list above.

 - college bats - Del Castillo - college catcher with the coveted more XBH and more BBs than Ks through his first two years at Miami.  Fabian - college OFer at Florida.  McClain - shortstop and best pure hitter; Binelas - 3B - Louisville - big time power in lefty bat, may be some risk of moving to the OF

 - HS hitters - Lawlar - top HS shortstop, Marcelo Mayer - another top HS shortstop with Seager comps

It will be interesting to see where we go.  The top 10 could go through a shuffling - which would not be unusual.  

Would Elias add a top pitcher to join GrayRod and DL Hall - who both made a recent cbssports list of 30 top Fantasy SPs.

Would Elias add another top college bat to join AR and Kjerstad - like Del Castillo (a C though like AR), Fabian or Binelas (very intriguing to add a top college bat that currently profiles at 3B IMO?  Or go with a top college SS a year after taking Westburg and two years after taking Henderson in McClain?

Or plant a future seed with one of the two HS SSs listed above - though Lawlar seems likely to be gone at 5?

Would Elias sign another below slot deal for one of the names above or someone else?

[Can_of_corn]

I think an underslot deal is a lot less likely this year as he will have a significantly smaller pool to play with.  Last season they had the largest pool out of all the teams.

[wildcard]

12 hours ago, El_Duderino said:

5. Orioles: Jaden Hill, RHP, Louisiana State
Hill pitched just 21 2/3 innings in his first two years at Louisiana State because of a strained elbow in 2019 and the shortened season last spring. Yet he's similar to Rocker with less slider but more changeup, nearly as much physicality and better athleticism.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mock-draft-first-10-picks-for-2021

 

Can't see Elias taking a pitcher that as had arm problems with the 5th pick overall .   His history with Brady Aiken just makes that very unlikely IMO.

[El_Duderino]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

Can't see Elias taking a pitcher that as had arm problems with the 5th pick overall .   His history with Brady Aiken just makes that very unlikely IMO.

Good point. If the first four picks to the way Callis has it, then I’d draft Lieter. This org needs some high floor pitching prospects.

[Jammer7]

2 hours ago, El_Duderino said:

Good point. If the first four picks to the way Callis has it, then I’d draft Lieter. This org needs some high floor pitching prospects.

He is not a physical guy at 6'-00", but he is polished and cerebral with great bloodlines. If he takes a pitcher in an early pick, this is the kind of profile I think Elias may go for. I'd like a little more physicality, but so be it. Watching his Q & A session the other day, I noticed he spoke about what he has learned about pitching prospects. Makeup was #1 trait for him.

Don't sleep on Brady House 3B (Ga. HS). He pressed some over the summer, but has a long track record of mashing good velo against the best competition. The Binelas kid has defensive concerns that he is probably a LF, but he rakes and we know Elias likes LH power hitters. 

[Hazmat]

On 12/16/2020 at 2:04 PM, Jammer7 said:

He is not a physical guy at 6'-00", but he is polished and cerebral with great bloodlines. If he takes a pitcher in an early pick, this is the kind of profile I think Elias may go for. I'd like a little more physicality, but so be it. Watching his Q & A session the other day, I noticed he spoke about what he has learned about pitching prospects. Makeup was #1 trait for him.

Don't sleep on Brady House 3B (Ga. HS). He pressed some over the summer, but has a long track record of mashing good velo against the best competition. The Binelas kid has defensive concerns that he is probably a LF, but he rakes and we know Elias likes LH power hitters. 

There's a video of Leiter out there on the interwebs pitching in shorts.  The dude has tree trunks for legs.  I'm no expert but I think it bodes well for Leiter and perhaps takes some concern away from the fact that he's not 6'4".

[Jammer7]

1 hour ago, Hazmat said:

There's a video of Leiter out there on the interwebs pitching in shorts.  The dude has tree trunks for legs.  I'm no expert but I think it bodes well for Leiter and perhaps takes some concern away from the fact that he's not 6'4".

Yeah, I remember that he has very strong legs. I believe he also has elite extension out front at his release point and his stuff is out of the same tunnel as well. All of that does bode well. The downward plane angle , meh, we'll see. It isn't ideal, but the rest of it might make up for that. 

[sportsfan8703]

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/
 

Looks like it’ll be tough to stick with the grow the bats, mitigate risk, approach that Elias appears to have taken so far with the draft. 
 

The best hope for us is that Lawler falls to us. I don’t think McClain is enough value with the #5 pick. 

[Just Regular]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-draft-prospects-2021-ranking-top-50-players-in-the-class-with-jack-leiter-at-no-1/?fbclid=IwAR0B2WrpmtaAMffEbp6mEMb0vXDjIk8vZfwiTPRt6X-4_9VS94Ge60H3Ef8

Nice summary going 50 deep with Friday Night starters taking their 1st turn (Rocker or Leiter for Vandy?) in three days.

[Sydnor]

It’s early for Leiter, but the velo was up 

 

[Just Regular]

2 hours ago, Sydnor said:

It’s early for Leiter, but the velo was up 

 

I liked a line I saw yesterday about "Most Highly Anticipated Monday Doubleheader in NCAA History"!

I saw one comp of Louisville 3B Alex Binelas to Kjerstad with respect to notable bat-to-ball skills.   I've seen that observed enough in Kjerstad reports I'm half looking for him to be Hanser Alberto with lefty power whenever we get to seeing him play.   If Arizona Fall League back to normal in October, he might fit well there with a decent season.

[murph]

Kumar Rocker had a nice debut as well.  Striking out 8 in 4 innings.  No idea on velocity, but guessing it was good.

https://wsuraiders.com/sports/baseball/stats/2021/vanderbilt/boxscore/6857

 

[Chuck A]

If the O's were to draft Leiter, we would hear too much about how "the ball looks so fluid out of Leiter's hand ... "

I'll be here all week, try the fish.

[Moose Milligan]

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN has:

1.  Jordan Lawlar HS SS

2.  Jack Leiter Vandy RHP

3.  Kumar Rocker Vandy RHP

4.  Jaden Hill  LSU RHP

5.  Matt McLain. UCLA SS

6.  Marcelo Mayer. HS SS

7.  Brady House. HS SS

8.  Gunnar Hoglund Ole Miss RHP

9.  Adrian Del Castillo Miami C

10.  Kahlil Watson HS SS

I'm not sure how you'd have a HS SS above Leiter or Rocker. 

 

 

[Sports Guy]

2 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN has:

1.  Jordan Lawlar HS SS

2.  Jack Leiter Vandy RHP

3.  Kumar Rocker Vandy RHP

4.  Jaden Hill  LSU RHP

5.  Matt McLain. UCLA SS

6.  Marcelo Mayer. HS SS

7.  Brady House. HS SS

8.  Gunnar Hoglund Ole Miss RHP

9.  Adrian Del Castillo Miami C

10.  Kahlil Watson HS SS

I'm not sure how you'd have a HS SS above Leiter or Rocker. 

 

 

So hoping that Lawlar falls to us.  Highest upside on this class.  Will be so pissed if Boston gets him.