I will be glad when the first pick is over

[Frobby]

I don’t know if anyone else is feeling this way, but I’m pretty sick of the topic of who our pick will/should be.  I feel like the same arguments for and against the top candidates have been made over and over and over since at least March.  And it’s clear the pundits have zero inside information on who we’ll pick and yet we hang on every mock draft as if it actually means something.  It doesn’t.  

So, I’m looking forward to having 1:1 over and done with and then seeing what Elias & co. do with the rest of the draft.   I really haven’t paid any attention to who we might choose with those picks, since it’s kind of pointless to try to guess in advance who will be available and who we might choose.  There’s way too many permutations.  I didn’t know anything about Henderson, Westburg, Mayo or Stowers before we picked them, either.   So the part of the draft where our non-1:1 picks are revealed will be fun and interesting.  

As to 1:1, I’m looking forward to finding out who it is, and then of course there will be the rehashed arguments we’ve been hearing for four months about who it should have been and why Elias is an idiot or a genius.   It happens that I’ll be out at dinner with my family when the pick is made, which is probably a good thing.   Reading the threads here a few hours after the pick should be amusing.  

I’m also looking forward to the portion of the season where our picks actually play some professional baseball and we can get some early impressions of how we did.   I like that much better than the discussions in the weeks leading up to the draft.  


 

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t know if anyone else is feeling this way, but I’m pretty sick of the topic of who our pick will/should be.  I feel like the same arguments for and against the top candidates have been made over and over and over since at least March.  And it’s clear the pundits have zero inside information on who we’ll pick and yet we hang on every mock draft as if it actually means something.  It doesn’t.  

So, I’m looking forward to having 1:1 over and done with and then seeing what Elias & co. do with the rest of the draft.   I really haven’t paid any attention to who we might choose with those picks, since it’s kind of pointless to try to guess in advance who will be available and who we might choose.  There’s way too many permutations.  I didn’t know anything about Henderson, Westburg, Mayo or Stowers before we picked them, either.   So the part of the draft where our non-1:1 picks are revealed will be fun and interesting.  

As to 1:1, I’m looking forward to finding out who it is, and then of course there will be the rehashed arguments we’ve been hearing for four months about who it should have been and why Elias is an idiot or a genius.   It happens that I’ll be out at dinner with my family when the pick is made, which is probably a good thing.   Reading the threads here a few hours after the pick should be amusing.  

I’m also looking forward to the portion of the season where our picks actually play some professional baseball and we can get some early impressions of how we did.   I like that much better than the discussions in the weeks leading up to the draft.  


 

The best thing about the post draft threads is going back years later and reading them.

[seak05]

Agreed, at the end of the day Elias and co have far more information and baseball experience then I do.  I will just root for whomever we pick.

[Sports Guy]

The later in the season draft sucks.  Definitely be glad when it’s over.

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

The best thing about the post draft threads is going back years later and reading them.

Always good for laughs.

[hutchead]

I'll be glad when it's over as well as I look forward to watching whoever it is at Delmarva.

[Sports Guy]

3 minutes ago, hutchead said:

I'll be glad when it's over as well as I look forward to watching whoever it is at Delmarva.

Definitely think it’s important to get them to Delmarva this year.

We have seen these guys start at the FCL to get their feet wet and while that’s fine for a few games, I want to see them in Delmarva this year, no matter who the pick is.  Probably feel the same way about the next few picks, especially if any of them Are college kids.  (Obviously if they go with any of the injured pitchers, this isn’t the case)

No matter who they take, whether you like the pick or not, they will be getting a very good player and someone who is advanced, so there is no reason not to expect them to be in low A pretty much immediately.

[RZNJ]

Anything is possible but HS players typically don't go to Low A after being drafted and usually just play in the FCL.    I would expect a college player to be treated like Cowser was last year.

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Anything is possible but HS players typically don't go to Low A after being drafted and usually just play in the FCL.    I would expect a college player to be treated like Cowser was last year.

I don’t disagree but these are all advanced HS kids.  I mean, I don’t want Johnson to be the pick but he’s obviously an advanced bat.  

[Frobby]

17 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Anything is possible but HS players typically don't go to Low A after being drafted and usually just play in the FCL.    I would expect a college player to be treated like Cowser was last year.

Is there a “usually?”   Until 2019 we had short-season A at Aberdeen and our top HS guys sometimes made it there.   Now that doesn’t exist.  

[Teddy OBP]

The rankings are so all over the place - even though Jones seems to be everyone’s #1, the pundits put enough caveats in the write ups ( e.g. can Jones hit?) to give themselves outs if it doesn’t work out. 

I know it’s a crap shoot but I do like seeing Rocker as Law’s #33. Would be a gutsy pick.

It will be interesting to see if Elias takes the “close to the majors” arms approach later in the draft in anticipation of competing in 23/24.

[RZNJ]

Just now, Frobby said:

Is there a “usually?”   Until 2019 we had short-season A at Aberdeen and our top HS guys sometimes made it there.   Now that doesn’t exist.  

I don't think any HS ever started at Aberdeen.   Perhaps they got a little time at the end of the season.   Maybe Rowell did.   I would have to go back but I'd say that almost all started at FCL (Gulf Coast) and the great majority spent their first season there.     Perhaps way back when we had Bluefield, some may have gone there.

[OriolesMagic83]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Is there a “usually?”   Until 2019 we had short-season A at Aberdeen and our top HS guys sometimes made it there.   Now that doesn’t exist.  

I thought short season ball was a good level for HS and some college picks to get their feet wet.  I guess the FCL replaced it.  No doubt just a cost saving move. 

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, pdiddy said:

The rankings are so all over the place - even though Jones seems to be everyone’s #1, the pundits put enough caveats in the write ups ( e.g. can Jones hit?) to give themselves outs if it doesn’t work out. 

I know it’s a crap shoot but I do like seeing Rocker as Law’s #33. Would be a gutsy pick.

It will be interesting to see if Elias takes the “close to the majors” arms approach later in the draft in anticipation of competing in 23/24.

I don't think any Elias picks have anything to do with competing in 23.   I think he's looking to get the best players in the system and just create as much depth (pipeline) as possible.    Heck, I'm not even sure where Lee fits in for sure.    If Mateo can put together a decent 2nd half, you've got a talented 27 year old SS with years of service time left and you've got Henderson, Westburg, Vavra coming up, not to mention the possibility that Norby and Prieto enter the picture and Hernaiz is not far behind.   From a needs perspective, Jones makes more sense as the O's don't really have a true CF after Mullins and Jones would be coming up (3 years if he's what they say) just when we'd need a CF.

We've seen J.J. Abrams, Witt, and others come up pretty fast.   I think the college vs HS timeline is being overblown a bit.   A top HS guy should be up in about 3 years if he's what is expected.

[MurphDogg]

22 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

I don’t disagree but these are all advanced HS kids.  I mean, I don’t want Johnson to be the pick but he’s obviously an advanced bat.  

None of the first ten high school picks last season played at a level higher than the complex league.