Prospects Thread

[Greg Pappas]

Discussions, questions, comments and concerns involving the prospects for the upcoming 2009 Draft can be discussed here.

I do have an on-going 10-part series, featuring the Top 10 Prospects (in my view) and I'll link those specific threads below: Ages are as of the 2009 Draft...

#1 Stephen Strasburg, RHSP, San Diego State, (20), 6-5/220

#2 Grant Green, SS, USC, (21), 6-3/180

#3 Aaron Crow, RHSP, Fort Worth Cats, (22), 6-2/200

#4 Alex White, RHSP, UNC, (20), 6-3/195

#5 Dustin Ackley, 1B/CF, UNC, (21) 6-1/185

#6 Tyler Matzek, LHSP, H.S (CA), (18), 6-3/185

#7 Kyle Gibson, RHSP, Missouri

#8 Matthew Purke, LHSP, H.S. (TX)

#9 Donovan Tate, OF, H.S. (GA)

#10 Mike Minor, LHSP, Vanderbilt

Let's have some fun all...

[Stotle]

I like your list, Greg. Mine has 8 of the same players, but is shuffled a bit:

1. Strasburg

2. White

3. Green

4. Crow

5. Gibson

6. Matt Davidson, 3B, Yucaipa HS (CA)

7. Matzek

8. Tate

9. Ackley

10. Jacob Turner, RHP, Westminister Christian Academy (MO)

I'd point out, again, that I just want to see Ackley some more in CF before putting him officially in my top 5 (I just don't think his value is there as a 1B and I want to see it in the Spring to be sure). That said, I fully expect him to be top 5 early in the Spring.

As an aside, I had a tough time between Turner/Andrew Oliver/Kendal Volz for #10. Not sold on Minor (in your 10) or Oliver (in BA's top 10) quite yet. Not "in love" with the stuff, though Minor's CH is truly an amazing pitch (even off an upper-80s FB) and Oliver locates well. Volz could jump into the 4-8 range if his changeup comes along this Spring -- right now he projects as a power closer (for me) more in the 14-18 range. I love his FB/SL combo and his frame -- he'd be #11 for me since I still see some starter projection.

[Greg Pappas]

I like your list, Greg. Mine has 8 of the same players, but is shuffled a bit:

1. Strasburg

2. White

3. Green

4. Crow

5. Gibson

6. Matt Davidson, 3B, Yucaipa HS (CA)

7. Matzek

8. Tate

9. Ackley

10. Jacob Turner, RHP, Westminister Christian Academy (MO)

I'd point out, again, that I just want to see Ackley some more in CF before putting him officially in my top 5 (I just don't think his value is there as a 1B and I want to see it in the Spring to be sure). That said, I fully expect him to be top 5 early in the Spring.

As an aside, I had a tough time between Turner/Andrew Oliver/Kendal Volz for #10. Not sold on Minor (in your 10) or Oliver (in BA's top 10) quite yet. Not "in love" with the stuff, though Minor's CH is truly an amazing pitch (even off an upper-80s FB) and Oliver locates well. Volz could jump into the 4-8 range if his changeup comes along this Spring -- right now he projects as a power closer (for me) more in the 14-18 range. I love his FB/SL combo and his frame -- he'd be #11 for me since I still see some starter projection.

Good post... Turner was at #11, Volz at #12 and Oliver at #13 for me.

Again, as always, good stuff.

[DocJJ]

http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/jackson_ryan00.html

http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/green_grant00.html

Sure, they might be 2-3 yrs away, but for a long-term solution one of them might be the answer.

[Mackus]

You're looking for the minors forum. Or the Ammy Draft forum.

[Mackus]

Ah, and we've found it!

Way too early to look at potential picks for next year, IMO. There is still a lot of baseball for these guys to play, I doubt we'll know the names we're looking at for our first few picks next season until a couple months before the draft at the earliest.

[Greg Pappas]

I thought a look back at BA's preliminary top players from October, 2007 would be interesting, as it gives us an idea of how these projections work out.

One note> Players like Meyer, Melville and Martinez were taken much farther down than their talent merited.

Collegians seem a bit easier to project...

1. Pedro Alvarez 3b Jr. L-R 6-2 225 Vanderbilt (Went #2 overall)

2. Aaron Crow rhp Jr. R-R 6-2 195 Missouri (Went #9 overall)

3. Justin Smoak 1b Jr. B-L 6-4 215 South Carolina (Went #13 overall)

4. Brian Matusz lhp Jr. L-L 6-4 193 San Diego (Went #4 overall)

5. Yonder Alonso 1b Jr. L-L 6-2 215 Miami (Went #7 overall)

1. Tim Melville rhp R-R 6-4 190 Holt High, Wentzville, Mo. (Went #115 overall)

2. Tim Beckham ss R-R 6-1 180 Griffin (Ga.) HS (Went #1 overall)

3. Harold Martinez 3b R-R 6-3 195 Braddock HS, Miami (Went #573 overall)

4. Eric Hosmer 1b L-L 6-3 210 American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla. (Went #3 overall)

5. Alex Meyer rhp R-R 6-7 200 Greensburg (Ind.) HS (Went #622 overall)

[ChaosLex]

How's Crow doing?

[Greg Pappas]

How's Crow doing?

It seems he made just three scoreless relief appearances, all one inning stints.

The season appears over.

[ChaosLex]

It seems he made just three scoreless relief appearances, all one inning stints.

The season appears over.

Thanks Greg.

Perhaps I'm too down on Crow. I mean, it's obvious the kid has ace potential. It's just that I don't like what happened between him and the Nats...

[Stotle]

I thought a look back at BA's preliminary top players from October, 2007 would be interesting, as it gives us an idea of how these projections work out.

One note> Players like Meyer, Melville and Martinez were taken much farther down than their talent merited.

Collegians seem a bit easier to project...

1. Pedro Alvarez 3b Jr. L-R 6-2 225 Vanderbilt (Went #2 overall)

2. Aaron Crow rhp Jr. R-R 6-2 195 Missouri (Went #9 overall)

3. Justin Smoak 1b Jr. B-L 6-4 215 South Carolina (Went #13 overall)

4. Brian Matusz lhp Jr. L-L 6-4 193 San Diego (Went #4 overall)

5. Yonder Alonso 1b Jr. L-L 6-2 215 Miami (Went #7 overall)

1. Tim Melville rhp R-R 6-4 190 Holt High, Wentzville, Mo. (Went #115 overall)

2. Tim Beckham ss R-R 6-1 180 Griffin (Ga.) HS (Went #1 overall)

3. Harold Martinez 3b R-R 6-3 195 Braddock HS, Miami (Went #573 overall)

4. Eric Hosmer 1b L-L 6-3 210 American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla. (Went #3 overall)

5. Alex Meyer rhp R-R 6-7 200 Greensburg (Ind.) HS (Went #622 overall)

Aside from Martinez imploding and Melville not hitting his velo marks, nothing changed too much. BA still expected Melville to go in the first round -- teams just held-off. Meyer would have been 1st round if not for his college commitment.

[wickedwitch]

Thanks Greg.

Perhaps I'm too down on Crow. I mean, it's obvious the kid has ace potential. It's just that I don't like what happened between him and the Nats...

Me neither. And I'm still unsure why he didn't just return to college.

Plus, he still has all the problems he had four months ago.

[Greg Pappas]

Aside from Martinez imploding and Melville not hitting his velo marks, nothing changed too much. BA still expected Melville to go in the first round -- teams just held-off. Meyer would have been 1st round if not for his college commitment.

True... I still think that if we went back year after year and checked the top College players vs HS'ers, that we'd find that its a bit easier to project the more mature collegians. This also goes to demonstrate how good BA is at an early juncture.

[Greg Pappas]

Me neither. And I'm still unsure why he didn't just return to college.

Plus, he still has all the problems he had four months ago.

Which problem(s)?

[McNulty]

Which problem(s)?

His mechanics maybe? I don't know, I am wondering the same thing.