Potential 1st over pick info: Druw Jones - HS

[Tony-OH]

Go ahead and post info you find on how Drew Jones is progressing. He's beginning to look like the odds on favorite to be the best player available for this years 2022 draft. 

https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=451995

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1125319408007733

 

[ChuckS]

We know the current regime likes outfielders.  But do they like high school players?

I would take the best player available at 1.  But if it's a toss up, I rather have a pitcher or a SS. 

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

He’s the pick but like the last 2 drafts, Elias will fumble the football trying to prove he’s smarter than everyone. Still pissed about Lawlar.

[Moose Milligan]

Hope it's a Vlad Sr/Vlad Jr situation where the father was plenty good but the son turns out better.  Or Griffey Sr./Jr. type deal.

I suppose if we take him with the #1 pick, he'll be ready for Baltimore by his age 30 season.  Looking forward to it!

[Vandy]

Starting off this thread by misspelling his name is probably a bad omen for us. 

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Vandy said:

Starting off this thread by misspelling his name is probably a bad omen for us. 

People need to always be special nowadays when naming their kids.

[Sports Guy]

As things stand today, there is no other logical choice.  Let’s hope we don’t go for a cheaper option so we can get an overslot with our 7th rounder.

[Frobby]

54 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

As things stand today, there is no other logical choice.  Let’s hope we don’t go for a cheaper option so we can get an overslot with our 7th rounder.

It depends on the opinion of the professionals who evaluate him for the Orioles.  Not Jim Callis.  Not Keith Law.  Not Eric Longenhagen.  If the Orioles believe he’s clearly the BPA, they will draft him.  If they think it’s highly debatable, they might do something else.  “Logic” hinges on their professional evaluation of the player.   

[Sports Guy]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It depends on the opinion of the professionals who evaluate him for the Orioles.  Not Jim Callis.  Not Keith Law.  Not Eric Longenhagen.  If the Orioles believe he’s clearly the BPA, they will draft him.  If they think it’s highly debatable, they might do something else.  “Logic” hinges on their professional evaluation of the player.   

I don’t care so much about what Keith Law thinks.  I care about what his sources around the game thinks. Scouts, etc…
 

Those guys are just reporters telling you what they are being told by those in the game.  Those opinions matter and the kid is obviously a tremendous talent.

But yea, if the Orioles differ from everyone in and around the game, I suppose they will do something different.

[DocJJ]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

As things stand today, there is no other logical choice.  Let’s hope we don’t go for a cheaper option so we can get an overslot with our 7th rounder.

Disagree.

 

Perfectly valid arguments can be made for Termarr Johnson or Elijah Green as "logical choices".

 

Green looks just as good, and his tools are plus-plus across the board...

[ShoelesJoe]

He's listed at 6'4" and 180 lbs right now, so I'm guessing he'll be somewhere around 6'5" / 200 lbs by the time he reaches the majors. That's about Cody Bellinger size, and he doesn't seem to be hurting the Dodgers in CF. Have to admit I'd be happier if we were to draft him as a SS, though. 

[Sports Guy]

8 hours ago, DocJJ said:

Disagree.

 

Perfectly valid arguments can be made for Termarr Johnson or Elijah Green as "logical choices".

 

Green looks just as good, and his tools are plus-plus across the board...

No, there aren’t valid arguments as of today.  The arguments existed 3-6 months ago but they don’t now.  Will that change?  I guess it’s possible but it doesn’t seem likely.

Green might have the talent to match but the floor is lower.  The risk is higher.  

Johnson is small and is basically set to play second base.  Not as premium a position as SS or CF.  Not as athletic.  
 

None of the college guys are on this level.  Doesn’t mean there aren’t good players but the ceiling isn’t there like it is for Jones, again by all accounts from those in and around the game.

By every single report, Jones is distancing himself from everyone else.  The Orioles already have a very good system and they already have a lot of guys with that very solid/borderline AS potential.  They need more elite talent.  

Throughout the history of the draft, for the most part, the elite, HOF caliber talent that has been drafted at or near the top of the draft has been HSers who play premium positions.  Jones is the best player in this draft that fits that description.

 The Orioles should be swinging for the fences with this draft and with the draft pool they have and the idea that they have 5 of the top 75 picks, they can do just that.

[btdart20]

I agree with SG.  IMO, it feels like Jones has distanced himself between the others.  If that's true for the O's staff as well, then this isn't the year to go with the under-slot strategy with 1.1.  

We need top-shelf talent with a higher probability of success.  We can play the under-slot game with the other 4 picks in the top 75.

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

Elias will pass on Jones like he did Lawlar & Lacy and people will clamor to make excuses and say “we gotta wait”. Then ten years later those posters will make up a different excuse. Elias is highly overrated and my guess quite arrogant thinking he’s smarter than everyone else. Picking corner OFer in the first round for a rebuild…genius. Fires me up. We will likely be awful for another 10 years as the result of these poor decisions.

One thing I want to add to the SG discussion and talking about analysts/Keith Law, etc. Let’s say we took Martin (I wanted Lacy) instead of Kjerstad. And you think Elias should have taken Kjerstad. You can use that high profile prospect as the Blue Jays did in trading Martin, to  acquire other pieces. So even if you thought Martin/Lacy were bums, they still were valuable. We wouldn’t know because Elias doesn’t acquire talent to help our major league club. He just says we need another year or two more, rebuild behind schedule, need more talent in the system (so it can be lost in the rule 5 I guess). 
 

People keep falling for this nonsense, wake up. He’s not awful but needs to be held accountable when he makes bad moves or he will just keep doing it.

[Big Mac]

Have you checked in on Asa Lacy since he's pitched in pro ball?  It's pretty ugly. 

If Kjerstad didn't come down with Myocarditis he likely would have had just as much trade value as Martin or Lacy too.  I didn't love the pick but it really just has been a case of bad luck.  I'm not a Martin fan at all, I think he's a utility guy ultimately.  Lacy looks like he might be Tanner Scott.