Jump to content

BA's First 2009 Mock Draft


Recommended Posts

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/column/2008/266975.html

01) Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, rhp, San Diego State

02) Mariners: Grant Green, ss, Southern California

03) Padres: Dustin Ackley, of, North Carolina

04) Pirates: Alex White, rhp, North Carolina

05) Orioles: Tyler Matzek, lhp, HS/Mission Viejo, Calif

The Orioles landed the best pitcher in the 2008 draft (Brian Matusz) and they could grab the top prep pitcher in 2009, giving them a pair of frontline lefthanders. Matzek's fastball and curve have become legitimate plus pitches since he cleaned up his mechanics.

06) Giants: Donavan Tate, of, HS/Cartersville, Ga

07) Braves: Matt Purke, lhp, HS/Spring, Texas

08) Reds: Aaron Crow, rhp, Fort Worth Cats (American Association).

09) Tigers: Kendall Volz, rhp, Baylor

10) Nationals: Kyle Gibson, rhp, Missouri

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 31
  • Created
  • Last Reply
http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/column/2008/266975.html

01) Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, rhp, San Diego State

02) Mariners: Grant Green, ss, Southern California

03) Padres: Dustin Ackley, of, North Carolina

04) Pirates: Alex White, rhp, North Carolina

05) Orioles: Tyler Matzek, lhp, HS/Mission Viejo, Calif

The Orioles landed the best pitcher in the 2008 draft (Brian Matusz) and they could grab the top prep pitcher in 2009, giving them a pair of frontline lefthanders. Matzek's fastball and curve have become legitimate plus pitches since he cleaned up his mechanics.

06) Giants: Donavan Tate, of, HS/Cartersville, Ga

07) Braves: Matt Purke, lhp, HS/Spring, Texas

08) Reds: Aaron Crow, rhp, Fort Worth Cats (American Association).

09) Tigers: Kendall Volz, rhp, Baylor

10) Nationals: Kyle Gibson, rhp, Missouri

I would be happy for what the orioles would get in that mock draft. Even though there is no Greene, we still can get a good pitcher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An awful lot of pitching in that top 10. Wouldn't mind adding another college arm, whether it be a Crow, White, Gibson, or Volz.

Agreed, and I think we've seen the method that MacPhail has gone on, drafting the best college talent and getting someone to be bigs as soon as possible. I think he will stick to some "harder to sign, definite talent" guys this year like Matusz and Wieters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, and I think we've seen the method that MacPhail has gone on, drafting the best college talent and getting someone to be bigs as soon as possible. I think he will stick to some "harder to sign, definite talent" guys this year like Matusz and Wieters.

I don't think Matusz was considered a difficult sign at the time of the draft. In fact, I'm sure he wasn't.

And he didn't draft Wieters. Tellingly, his next picks after Matusz last year were HSers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, and I think we've seen the method that MacPhail has gone on, drafting the best college talent and getting someone to be bigs as soon as possible. I think he will stick to some "harder to sign, definite talent" guys this year like Matusz and Wieters.

There is no grounds for this statement. The 2007 draft where we selected Wieters happened before MacPhail came on board, and Matusz was believed to be an easy sign on draft day - it just didn't turn out that way.

MacPhail may indeed lean towards college players, but I think he's a "best-player available" type guy first, so Matzek could very well be the best guy for the O's to take in '09. A college arm that could put himself that high (at the O's #5) is Kyle Gibson, but I think the differences in ceiling between Gibson and Matzek keeps the highschool lefty higher on the draft board. When talking ceiling, Crow is a "college" pitcher to watch, but what of signability and his playing time this year? Time will tell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no grounds for this statement. The 2007 draft where we selected Wieters happened before MacPhail came on board, and Matusz was believed to be an easy sign on draft day - it just didn't turn out that way.

MacPhail may indeed lean towards college players, but I think he's a "best-player available" type guy first, so Matzek could very well be the best guy for the O's to take in '09. A college arm that could put himself that high (at the O's #5) is Kyle Gibson, but I think the differences in ceiling between Gibson and Matzek keeps the highschool lefty higher on the draft board. When talking ceiling, Crow is a "college" pitcher to watch, but what of signability and his playing time this year? Time will tell.

Beat you by this much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.baseballamerica.com/online/prospects/column/2008/266975.html

01) Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, rhp, San Diego State

02) Mariners: Grant Green, ss, Southern California

03) Padres: Dustin Ackley, of, North Carolina

04) Pirates: Alex White, rhp, North Carolina

05) Orioles: Tyler Matzek, lhp, HS/Mission Viejo, Calif

The Orioles landed the best pitcher in the 2008 draft (Brian Matusz) and they could grab the top prep pitcher in 2009, giving them a pair of frontline lefthanders. Matzek's fastball and curve have become legitimate plus pitches since he cleaned up his mechanics.

06) Giants: Donavan Tate, of, HS/Cartersville, Ga

07) Braves: Matt Purke, lhp, HS/Spring, Texas

08) Reds: Aaron Crow, rhp, Fort Worth Cats (American Association).

09) Tigers: Kendall Volz, rhp, Baylor

10) Nationals: Kyle Gibson, rhp, Missouri

It don't have any huge issues with this board. 1-5 is pretty solid, and I guess the rest could be pretty solid, as well. I think Purke and Volz are too high and I can't see why Matt Davidson wouldn't be in the top 10.

I also think Jordan's preferences will have a much greater effect on the BAL draft than anything MacPhail might have to say. Don't get me wrong, I think MacPhail and Angelos have to sign-off, but I don't see why you have a Scouting Director if the GM is going to call the shots on draft day. MacPhail can't possibly keep track of the draft class on top of his other responsibilities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frankly, I would be surprised if the Pirates select a pitcher. If my memory serves me right, their luck with 1st round pitchers is not that great.

Yeah, I think White would go to SDN or SEA, anyway. PIT maybe gets Green or Ackley, depending on bonus demands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With our # 2 pick last year, some said we got the best athlete in the draft. If we were to pick Tate, the H. S. outfielder we would have the best athlete in this draft.* I don't advocate this pick, at this time, and OF are not our priority, but what do you think of this pick, anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With our # 2 pick last year, some said we got the best athlete in the draft. If we were to pick Tate, the H. S. outfielder we would have the best athlete in this draft.* I don't advocate this pick, at this time, and OF are not our priority, but what do you think of this pick, anyone?

Tate has a case for best athlete in the draft. He could be a 2-sport athlete at a major college program (baseball/football). Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he has a great feel for the game and picks up on a lot of nuance whether it's getting reads in the field or timing a pitcher on the bases to get a good jump on SBs (it was almost unfair how great a jump he was getting at the UA All-American game).

It wouldn't surprise me if Jordan ends up selecting Tate as a pretty well-refined too box.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I think White would go to SDN or SEA, anyway. PIT maybe gets Green or Ackley, depending on bonus demands.

I wonder if the Pirates will stay away from any Boras clients this time. Baseball America mentions 6 ; Strasburg, Green, Ackley, Davis, Tate, and Turner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Posts

    • If those signed those 2 guys to a contract today, it would have absolutely zero impact on the payroll this year, next year or 5 years from now.    Those players are already signed for the next several years. They aren’t going anywhere. All the long term extension does is keep them under contract an extra 1-2 years. Thats it.  
    • I don't either.   But I expect Ortiz and Cowser to help the Os this year,  and I don't think Cease is a sure enough of an upgrade to trade them both for him.   In the right deal I'd certainly let them both go as they certainly aren't untouchable.  But I think 2 of our top 6 prospects is too steep a price for Cease.
    • I loved what Wells did in the first half last year.  I loved what he did in the first half of 2022.  I loved what he did in the first half of 2021.  But after three years, here are his career splits: 1st half: 231.2 IP, 3.42 ERA 2nd half: 47.2 IP, 6.61 ERA No matter what role he’s been in, he’s been excellent in the first half and absolutely fallen off a cliff after the all star break, three years in a row.   I’d love to see him prove that he can get through a whole year and remain effective.   But how do you plan for it?  What contingency plan to you have if the same pattern holds for a fourth year in a row?  
    • Ownership issues aside, my preference would be to use resources to extend Gunnar and Holliday through their prime career years if possible rather than sign a highly paid reliever. Realizing that won’t happen, let’s go Hader and try to win while they’re here.
    • The Orioles took Andrew Politi last year when they were expected to compete, so I could see them taking a flier on a potential bullpen arm if they're intrigued enough by them. I just hope if they do they come with more upside than a Politi-type. I never understood that selection since there really wasn't a ton of upside and the stuff was just "bleh".  I don't ever research these guy prior to the draft, especially now that the Orioles will not be picking until late in the first round. They did of course find Tyler Wells in the second round so sometimes there's a diamond in the rough, but that was also after COVID cost teams a chance to look at minor league players for a year and why the Twins may have thought Wells would not be selected or was too raw to stick.
    • Sure, 2-3 years would be great but he will get 4-6 years and even if he would sign for 2-3 years, I’m guessing his AAV will be higher than the Os will spend. Kimbrel, Robertson and Chapman will all get 1 year deals. The Os probably sign one of them. I would rather trade for Kopech and move him to the back of the pen personally. I think his upside is higher than those guys and you can likely acquire him for a “bargain” relative to the cost of established high leverage relievers.
    • I have no interest in having the Tides win another AAA title 
  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...