2021 Draft Thread

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

That assessment roughly mirrors my own view and thus, I am fond of it.

Yep.  Essentially he is saying, it’s not bad but why go with the lesser talent early if you aren’t loading up later.  

[Sports Guy]

Law:

 

Baltimore Orioles

For the second year in a row, Baltimore reached for a college bat, which I presume was meant to save money at that pick for over-slot selections later. Outfielder Colton Cowser (1) was one of the best college bats in the draft class, ranking 14th on my Big Board for his bat. He doesn’t miss fastballs and hits all manner of pitches, with a swing that looks geared for hard contact but maybe just 55 power. He’s a corner guy but profiles as an above-average regular there. He became the highest-drafted player in Sam Houston State history and just their second first-rounder ever (Glenn Wilson, 1980, also the school’s all-time WAR Leader). East Carolina infielder Connor Norby (2) hit .415/.475/.688 this spring, finishing with a strong showing against the power arms of Vanderbilt thanks to a compact swing and a whole-field approach. He has a fringy arm that limits him to second base but is solid defensively at that spot. I thought he was also a first-round talent, so the Orioles walked away with two guys ranked in my top 30.

Centerfielder Reed Trimble (2A) hit 17 homers for Southern Miss, but chases too many pitches out of the zone, especially changeups; all but three of his homers came on fastballs, the others on hanging sliders/curves. He’s definitely strong, and can really drive the ball when he gets his arms extended, but I question the pitch recognition here. He’s an above-average runner who should stay in centerfield.

I heard Kentucky outfielder John Rhodes’ (3) name mentioned several times in the same category as Norby, Tyler Black, and other college position players who might slip into the top two rounds, but Rhodes, unlike those other guys, didn’t perform: he hit .251/.397/.508, and even that’s misleading due to 18 HBP. (Deduct those HBP from the top and bottom and his OBP drops to .347.) There’s no power from his legs in his approach right now, so while his plate discipline is fine, he’s not getting hits on balls in play like an elite college hitter should be. He’s an average runner and will probably play a corner outfield spot. He’ll turn 21 in August.

Arizona outfielder Donta’ Williams (4) and Texas-Arlington right-hander Carlos Tavera (5) are both college seniors, with Tavera turning 23 in October. Williams is a 55/60 runner who lets the ball travel at the plate and walked more than he struck out this year and last year pre-lockdown. If he stays in center he has a chance to be a soft regular. Tavera has a decent slider at 82-84 and missed a lot of bats this year with all three of his main pitches, enough to send him out as a starter with a little back-end starter potential. He’s the first guy I’ve ever come across who started at a four-year school, transferred to a JUCO (Weatherford), and then returned to the same four-year school to finish up. Good for him.

Collin Burns (6) is a plus runner with a slappy swing that never resulted in any production until this year, when he hit .353/.410/.571 for Tulane. He’ll go out as a shortstop, at least, but I’d like to see a lot more patience given how little power he’s likely to show. The one high school player they took in the entire draft was Creed Willems (8), an unathletic catcher from Texas with some raw strength but a no-stride approach. He was committed to TCU but has already said he’ll sign with the O’s. Fresno State third baseman/left fielder Ryan Higgins (9) is interesting — he can clearly hit, and has some pop, but has no position. So, if they’re really saving cash on Cowser, and took college seniors in the fourth and fifth rounds, where did all the money go?

 

https://theathletic.com/2709381/2021/07/16/keith-laws-al-east-draft-recap-yankees-red-sox-marcelo-mayer-orioles-blue-jays-and-rays-breakdowns/?source=user_shared_article

[TheWall]

I'm really curious to see how the money breaks down. I like a lot of the picks -- just wish they would have gone with one or two higher upside guys following Cowser and Norby. The lack of early pitching was definitely a concern. 

[7Mo]

Interesting to see some very low dollar signings coming in. 

Cubs signed their 6th round pick for $1,000. Dodgers signed both their 9th and 10th round picks for $2,500. Braves signed their third round pick for 1/5 the slot value ($122,000 on $604,000). Pirates paid their 6th rounder $7,500.