Xavier Avery article

[mikezpen]

A tools guy like that is someone you take when you're drafting low; then you may as well reach with the pick and hope you strike gold. But the Orioles were drafting fourth from the top, and they could have-should have-taken somebody with skills a lot more projectable. What he looks like from here is somewhere between a Joey Gathright and a Cory Patterson, neither of which the team needs.

[Cire]

I questioned drafting a HS player in the 2nd round, but the article is a pleasant read to learn a little about him.

I hope he proves to be very rewarding for the Orioles.

[RVAbird]

A tools guy like that is someone you take when you're drafting low; then you may as well reach with the pick and hope you strike gold. But the Orioles were drafting fourth from the top, and they could have-should have-taken somebody with skills a lot more projectable. What he looks like from here is somewhere between a Joey Gathright and a Cory Patterson, neither of which the team needs.

I'm not sure you're using the term "projectable" correctly. Avery is quite projectable, as most young toolsy players are. I think you mean they should have picked someone a little less projectable who was more polished and closer to their upside.

I'd prefer them to go after the best talent available since the goal is long term success. It's a bit shortsighted to rule out high-talent guys early in the draft because they are raw, toolsy types. But talent level being equal, of course I'd go for the more polished or more "baseball player" type.

I think Avery was a bit of a reach at 2.4 but obviously Jordan saw something in him that he liked. We'll have to wait a couple of years before we really know whether it will pay off.

[OsEatAlEast]

Not to state the obvious, but being smart doesn't make him a "high-character" guy. It just means that he's smart, and/or works hard in school. I've known plenty of those people who have no character. BTW, don't take this as a knock on Avery, I have no idea what kind of person he is.

You might want to read the article in the first post.

Avery, who got a $900,000 signing bonus with the Orioles soon after being drafted and is renewing a contract with Under Armour, hasn’t just been working out at the school. He has also been giving back.

Harper said that Avery paid between $1,200 and $1,500 in dues for some the school’s football players who could not afford to pay the $325 fees, and he has also donated Under Armour clothing and merchandise to the team.

“That just lets you know what type of person he is,” Harper said.

When pressed for information about his donations, the modest Avery admits that he also donated Christmas gifts to a Carver-Atlanta High School student and hopes to help the baseball team gets new uniforms before their season kicks off on Feb. 24.

“It’s just a part of giving back,” he said. “This is just some stuff to help [football coach Ray Bonner] out because he helped me all these years. “

Before he heads to Florida, Avery said he plans on helping the baseball team by showing them some things he learned while playing for the Gulf Coast Orioles in the Gulf Coast League.

“I’m going to give them some advice on learning how to hit, get better technique,” he said.

I like this kid!

[OsEatAlEast]

Avery’s work ethic made him a three-sport standout and got him a football scholarship offer to the University of Georgia last February, before he became a professional baseball player. He said he began picking up the intensity of his workouts this month, after Orioles trainers told him not to throw or hit a baseball in December.

Wonder why? Are they trying to get baseline stats on bat speed and arm strength or are they trying to cut down on wear and tear?

[hoosiers]

Cory Patterson was taken with a top 5 pick, IIRC, in the 1st round. Anyone taken after the 2nd round is pretty much a high risk. Just look at 2nd rounders drafted every year in see the low success ratio of guys who even make it to the majors, let alone make it big. Cory Patterson was a tick away from being a star type player. If Avery has a similar tool set, I'd be thrilled. Some make. Some make it big. And most don't make it at all. I'd rather take a shot at the guy who could make it big.

Agree 100%. Take a few chances on some high upside HS guys - especially after taking a very strong, polished college pitcher with the first pick.

Toolsy HS guys who fall past the fifth round have major holes in their game unless they are bonus babies who slipped in which case there would be no discount.

Avery is a lot more than the toolsy stereotype that people want to box him into here. He has tremendous raw-speed. His biggest drawback on draft day was a lack of polish (as in quality instruction) and lack of competition to push him in HS. At the showcase events, he performed very, very well.

[Old Beta]

If he got a 1420 out of 1600, thats phenominal.

It is exceptional, but they also recalibrated the scoring in the 90s, I think, and a 1420 now isn't worth what it was 20 or more years ago.

[mikezpen]

I'm not sure you're using the term "projectable" correctly.

You may be right.What I meant to say was that they should take someone who's skills and their upside are easier to measure.

Just because we took a college pitcher in the first round doesn't mean we shouldn't stay with an older player on the second.The team already had 2/3 of a great, young toolsy outfield already in place, plus Nolan Reimold a year away.

We have almost nothing in the way of infield prospects in the minors. Couldn't they have found a hitter someplace? For example, someone who could play left or first and who can pound the ball? Heck, another college pitcher wouldn't be bad.

Maybe Avery was the best still on the board according to the scouting services, but how much worse would we have done to go after somebody at a position we desperately need? There are plenty of quality "more sure thing" candidates left because we're weak in a lot of of positions.When your system is starved for good positional talent and you're drafting #4 round 2, take somebody who can make it. You take an Avery in the 5th or 6th round when you and everybody else are just guessing anyway-a Kieron Pope as it were.If Avery's gone by then, take another one.

[mikezpen]

I'm not sure you're using the term "projectable" correctly.

You may be right.What I meant to say was that they should take someone who's skills and their upside are easier to measure.

Just because we took a college pitcher in the first round doesn't mean we shouldn't stay with an older player on the second.The team already had 2/3 of a great, young toolsy outfield already in place, plus Nolan Reimold a year away.

We have almost nothing in the way of infield prospects in the minors. Couldn't they have found a hitter someplace? For example, someone who could play left or first and who can pound the ball? Heck, another college pitcher wouldn't be bad.

Maybe Avery was the best still on the board according to the scouting services, but how much worse would we have done to go after somebody at a position we desperately need?

[JTrea81]

You may be right.What I meant to say was that they should take someone who's skills and their upside are easier to measure.

Just because we took a college pitcher in the first round doesn't mean we shouldn't stay with an older player on the second.The team already had 2/3 of a great, young toolsy outfield already in place, plus Nolan Reimold a year away.

We have almost nothing in the way of infield prospects in the minors. Couldn't they have found a hitter someplace? For example, someone who could play left or first and who can pound the ball? Heck, another college pitcher wouldn't be bad.

Maybe Avery was the best still on the board according to the scouting services, but how much worse would we have done to go after somebody at a position we desperately need?

Smoak in the 1st and Melville in the 2nd would have been a much better choice IMO...

[Frobby]

Smoak in the 1st and Melville in the 2nd would have been a much better choice IMO...

It is interesting how many teams passed on Smoak. There were what, 4-5 teams that chose after the O's and drafted a position player other than Smoak? So far, Smoak is making it look as if those teams were foolish. But as to the O's, I'm perfectly comfortable with their decision to go for the pitcher who was the consensus best pitcher in the draft.

As to Avery, he could either be a steal or a bust as a 2nd round pick, and we won't really have much of an inkling as to which he is until after the 2010 season.

[O'sFan31]

Where do you guys think Avery and Hoes will start the year? Delmarva?

[ThisIsOurHouse]

Avery is only going to be as good as his coaching. If he recieves great coaching then we will definatly get a hit. If our coaching is questionable then he will properly end up a bust. Sounds like he has a great work ethic and gives back to his community. The good news is we won't have any charecter problems with him. I think we made the right selection in him.

How is the coaching in our low minors?

[Saintbird]

Where do you guys think Avery and Hoes will start the year? Delmarva?

Wouldn't it be awesome if they both made it big and we could say... "Hoes them down cause Avery just burnt em!'"