Assuming Strasburg, Ackley, and Matzek are gone who do you take?

[McNulty]

I'm really quite shocked how many people are jumping on the Scheppers bandwagon. What am I missing here? I know the talent is down this year, but he wasn't really a top 5 guy last year BEFORE the injury.

Can someone explain to me what I'm missing?

[Stotle]

Anyone know when Scheppers and Crow are gonna start again? It should be today or tomorrow you'd think? Any good websites that monitor the indy league box scores and stats etc....

SCheppers threw yesterday. Still in mid-90s touching the 97 range.

[Stotle]

I'm really quite shocked how many people are jumping on the Scheppers bandwagon. What am I missing here? I know the talent is down this year, but he wasn't really a top 5 guy last year BEFORE the injury.

Can someone explain to me what I'm missing?

Scheppers was top 10 pre-injury last year. He wasn't considered top 5 during most of the season (I think) in part due to the fact that he wasn't there pre-season. He was definitely a top 10 talent last year -- this is a weaker class.

Not a great explanation...sorry.

[Duke2010]

Scheppers because he has decent command and a huge fastball and a good breaking ball.....IMO aside from Strasburg, he will be the best pitcher available... I do not know anything though about how good his 3rd or 4th pitches are(if he has 4).

or

Crow because he has excellent raw stuff, along the same lines as Scheppers but with a good change up that will possibly end up being a plus pitch. He has a big time fastball and breaking ball and maintains his velo deep into games. He is reported as having a bulldog mentality, coming right at the hitter, an attribute that Trembley tagged Arrieta with in ST. Between the two to me its a toss up, but it wouldnt be a bad thing having the top 2 pitches from the 08 draft.....

The bad on Scheppers: He had a shoulder injury last year that put him on the shelf for the draft which enabled him to be dropped to the 2nd round. Is his arm completely healed? I do not know about his 3rd pitch, but since I have not heard one mentioned much I am guessing it needs a bit of refinement, so how much development will his 3rd pitch need to be a successful pitch?

The bad on Crow: He has a tweak in his delivery that MAY lead to injury, but also may not. Also, he may be a bit rusty after a year's worth of no competition at a higher level.

I got my money on the O's taking Crow, but with Schep being a major candidate as well.....

I agree with most of this. Both Scheppers and Crow could be signed at a decent rate, as I'm sure that both guys want to get their bonuses and get started. With Scheppers health risk, I can't see him going unsigned, and I really can't see Crow wasting any more time than he already has.

While Crow and Scheppers have, IMO, the potential to be right at the top of the list of pitching prospects in our organization, they both carry substantial risks. Scheppers unknown injury scares me, but if he proves his health, his potential is too intriguing. Same with Crow. I feel that with his arm action, he could be a ticking timebomb, but sometimes odd deliveries work for guys. I'd be a happy camper with either of these guys, and I highly doubt that we'd have to break the bank to sign them, and then we can overslot the later rounds.

And one more thing about Crow. He was pretty devastating with his FB/CB in college, and I don't remember a lot being said about his change, and I'd guess that its far behind his top two pitches. Only recently an article came out saying that Crow had been working on it in the offseason, so I wouldn't be so quick to call it a plus pitch.

[LookinUp]

Wouldn't teams have access to Scheppers medical documents prior to drafting him? If not, they won't draft him.

[Stotle]

Wouldn't teams have access to Scheppers medical documents prior to drafting him? If not, they won't draft him.

Yes, but I don't.

[Duke2010]

I'm guessing that Scheppers injury is a public unknown, right? I remember him getting injured, but did he ever have exploratory surgery to find the problem? Based on his recent reports, his shoulder obviously is not holding him back, and if he sustains his performance over the next month, I would have a hard time passing on him at 1:5.

[QBsILLEST1]

I agree with most of this. Both Scheppers and Crow could be signed at a decent rate, as I'm sure that both guys want to get their bonuses and get started. With Scheppers health risk, I can't see him going unsigned, and I really can't see Crow wasting any more time than he already has.

While Crow and Scheppers have, IMO, the potential to be right at the top of the list of pitching prospects in our organization, they both carry substantial risks. Scheppers unknown injury scares me, but if he proves his health, his potential is too intriguing. Same with Crow. I feel that with his arm action, he could be a ticking timebomb, but sometimes odd deliveries work for guys. I'd be a happy camper with either of these guys, and I highly doubt that we'd have to break the bank to sign them, and then we can overslot the later rounds.

And one more thing about Crow. He was pretty devastating with his FB/CB in college, and I don't remember a lot being said about his change, and I'd guess that its far behind his top two pitches. Only recently an article came out saying that Crow had been working on it in the offseason, so I wouldn't be so quick to call it a plus pitch.

I wasnt saying it currently is in its present state, but it is projected to atleast be above average. Last year during the draft it was said that he had a decent change up, now after he had apparently been working on it, it should have improved. Like i said I expect his change to be good which will play up his fastball/breaking ball combo. He can be very very good.......

[Duke2010]

I wasnt saying it currently is in its present state, but it is projected to atleast be above average. Last year during the draft it was said that he had a decent change up, now after he had apparently been working on it, it should have improved. Like i said I expect his change to be good which will play up his fastball/breaking ball combo. He can be very very good.......

I went back and read what you wrote, and I misread your post. I definitely agree with you though, if his change becomes just a ML average to above-average pitch, then he'll have a chance to be a TOR guy, and a scary one at that.

[QBsILLEST1]

I went back and read what you wrote, and I misread your post. I definitely agree with you though, if his change becomes just a ML average to above-average pitch, then he'll have a chance to be a TOR guy, and a scary one at that.

Yes he definately has TOR stuff. I have also read some reports saying his command is above average as well. IMO for a power pitcher like Crow especially the change up would be very beneficial to his development toward his ceiling. The 3 pitches he posesses can carry him as far as his body will allow him to. The change being his 3rd pitch IMO will be much more effective than him using a curve or cutter or splitter (tho a good split is nearly unhittable)

[DocJJ]

It's a shame we have such a high pick in such a shaky draft. The only sure-fire star is the guy going first....everyone else has loads of question marks.

Assuming we'll pay the money, Tate seems like a safe pick. I'm pretty certain Strasburg, Ackley, and Matzek are gone before we pick. That leaves all the guys I mentioned. I have watched White and Gibson pitch this year. They will become solid major league pitchers, but not the superstar ace that the 5th pick should ordinarily get you. In fact, I've been much more impressed with Mike Minor, Zach Wheeler, and most of all Mike Leake. Rex Brothers of unheralded Lipscomb (where the heck is that?) has been stellar and is expected to go top 20 and even he might get some consideration. (He's faced inferior competition, but you can't argue his size, build, and left-handed arsenal of stuff!)

Mychal Givens probably makes a better pitcher than shortstop, but has questions about command and has no secondary offerings. Shelby Miller is probably the top right handed high school pitcher, but he's slender and not as polished as Purke and Matzek.

Maybe we should go with one of the highly rated catchers? I know they'd be blocked by Wieters, but we could always trade for something we don't have....?

[Hutman]

I'm on the Scheppers bandwagon because he is a power arm who should be a pretty easy sign and fairly projectable as a #2 or #3 starter. Add him to the stable of arms we have in Tillman, Matusz, and Arrieta and we have the makings of a very nice rotation by 2011 or 2012. If his medicals are still quesetionable then I'd go Pruke as the next best HS arm.

[Stotle]

I'm on the Scheppers bandwagon because he is a power arm who should be a pretty easy sign and fairly projectable as a #2 or #3 starter. Add him to the stable of arms we have in Tillman, Matusz, and Arrieta and we have the makings of a very nice rotation by 2011 or 2012. If his medicals are still quesetionable then I'd go Pruke as the next best HS arm.

Honestly, a big thing for me is that I think he is signable and BAL could go get two good HSers in rounds 2 and 3, or later. I like the idea of having extra money in the 3-8 range where a good number of HSers should be floating around.

[DocJJ]

Let's assume Strasburg, Ackley, Matzek are gone.

Still lots to pick from: Green, Tate, Purke, Turner, White, Gibson, Scheppers, Crow...

Let's assume Green is gone now.

Tate? Purke? Scheppers? Crow? White? Leake? Me, I'd go with Tate. I suppose that good pitching could be dealt for position players later down the road, so I guess we could try to take White or Scheppers or Crow....

But I think our system is painfully thin on position players....

[crawdad]

Let's assume Strasburg, Ackley, Matzek are gone.

Still lots to pick from: Green, Tate, Purke, Turner, White, Gibson, Scheppers, Crow...

Let's assume Green is gone now.

Tate? Purke? Scheppers? Crow? White? Leake? Me, I'd go with Tate. I suppose that good pitching could be dealt for position players later down the road, so I guess we could try to take White or Scheppers or Crow....

But I think our system is painfully thin on position players....

Tate will require a large signing bonus. The pitchers . . . no so much. I'd prefer to go with a pitcher of similar talent and then use the money saved to go overslot on choices in the following rounds.