Count me on the Matzek bandwagon

[QBsILLEST1]

Actually I have heard on 2 different occasions that Matzek may cost a little bit more money than expected. I believe he is committed to somewhere and it may cost some $$ to pull him away. Someone came on here saying this about a week or 2 ago and at first I thought he was just blowing smoke, but then another more credited report mentioned something similar.....I hope he is around for us to take, but Id be happy with Wheeler also if we were going HS. It now if true looks like the order is Matzek, Wheeler, Miller, Turner and Purke....Purke's stock has taken a hit it seems, while Turner and Wheeler's stock has risen.....

[allstar1579]

Actually I have heard on 2 different occasions that Matzek may cost a little bit more money than expected. I believe he is committed to somewhere and it may cost some $$ to pull him away. Someone came on here saying this about a week or 2 ago and at first I thought he was just blowing smoke, but then another more credited report mentioned something similar.....I hope he is around for us to take, but Id be happy with Wheeler also if we were going HS. It now if true looks like the order is Matzek, Wheeler, Miller, Turner and Purke....Purke's stock has taken a hit it seems, while Turner and Wheeler's stock has risen.....

I haven't heard anything about him costing too much except from one of the "experts" recently, so I don't know that I totally believe it. If there are any money concerns it's more that he knows he's considered the best HS pitcher in a deep pitching draft by a lot of people. I wouldn't worry about him asking for $8 mil or anything though. I think in the end, a Matusz-like deal gets it done, depending on where he goes.

[QBsILLEST1]

I haven't heard anything about him costing too much except from one of the "experts" recently, so I don't know that I totally believe it. If there are any money concerns it's more that he knows he's considered the best HS pitcher in a deep pitching draft by a lot of people. I wouldn't worry about him asking for $8 mil or anything though. I think in the end, a Matusz-like deal gets it done, depending on where he goes.

Where is his commitment to?

[crawdad]

Where is his commitment to?

Oregon, I believe.

[Stotle]

Oregon, I believe.

This is correct -- he's signed on to be a duck.

[allstar1579]

Oregon, I believe.

You sir, are correct.

[Duke2010]

I'm hoping that one of Matzek or Crow are available at 1:5 now. I think our worst case scenario would be to have Stras, Ackley, Matzek, and Crow go 1-4.

[QBsILLEST1]

I'm hoping that one of Matzek or Crow are available at 1:5 now. I think our worst case scenario would be to have Stras, Ackley, Matzek, and Crow go 1-4.

That would still leave us with Wheeler and Scheppers as high ceiling pitchers whom Id like.

[Duke2010]

That would still leave us with Wheeler and Scheppers as high ceiling pitchers whom Id like.

That's true. I like Wheeler's projectability, and I really like Schep's raw stuff. I just prefer the first two guys I named to these two. Also, I still have a soft spot in my heart for Grant Green, and if Crow and Matzek are gone, it would be a tough decision between Green/Wheeler/Scheppers/Gibson.

[allstar1579]

That would still leave us with Wheeler and Scheppers as high ceiling pitchers whom Id like.

You just like the hard throwers, admit it

You can't leave S. Miller out of that conversation, he and Wheeler and neck and neck with Miller a hair better for me.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Really interesting to watch the 2nd vid on the original post -- the one shot from behind him as he pitches in the cage.

He throws with a very easy motion. Unfortunately there's just one FB in this sequence, the first of the vid. I think it's a two-seamer with good sink at the end. I would be interested to see it from the hitter's perspective; his easy motion could make it seem even quicker than it is.

Whatever the absolute velocity, he has good separation between the FB and the offspeed stuff. And, again, so effortless.

allstar, I think he will cost more than Matusz. Maybe quite a bit more. He has the scholarship in his back pocket, and also Matusz signed a major league contract, which would affect his signing bonus. And if he is consistently throwing mid-90s, with his secondary stuff... forget it, that may separate him from the rest of the HS arms.

I'm pretty sure that he is a Boras kid, which is good if you want the O's to have a shot at him. Otherwise, if the reports of the increased velocity are true, the chances of him getting to 1:5 are probably not good.

[Stotle]

Really interesting to watch the 2nd vid on the original post -- the one shot from behind him as he pitches in the cage.

He throws with a very easy motion. Unfortunately there's just one FB in this sequence, the first of the vid. I think it's a two-seamer with good sink at the end. I would be interested to see it from the hitter's perspective; his easy motion could make it seem even quicker than it is.

Whatever the absolute velocity, he has good separation between the FB and the offspeed stuff. And, again, so effortless.

allstar, I think he will cost more than Matusz. Maybe quite a bit more. He has the scholarship in his back pocket, and also Matusz signed a major league contract, which would affect his signing bonus. And if he is consistently throwing mid-90s, with his secondary stuff... forget it, that may separate him from the rest of the HS arms.

I'm pretty sure that he is a Boras kid, which is good if you want the O's to have a shot at him. Otherwise, if the reports of the increased velocity are true, the chances of him getting to 1:5 are probably not good.

I find it hard to believe Matzek has been hitting 98 with little effort. I agree that Matzek in the mid-90s makes him the best HSer, and I think it's a wide margin. So my question would be, how could it be true? Were it true, wouldn't all of the "national draft media" be slotting him second or third in the draft by now?

I'd love Baltimore to get him, and if I had to guess I'd say he'll be available.

[allstar1579]

Really interesting to watch the 2nd vid on the original post -- the one shot from behind him as he pitches in the cage.

He throws with a very easy motion. Unfortunately there's just one FB in this sequence, the first of the vid. I think it's a two-seamer with good sink at the end. I would be interested to see it from the hitter's perspective; his easy motion could make it seem even quicker than it is.

Whatever the absolute velocity, he has good separation between the FB and the offspeed stuff. And, again, so effortless.

allstar, I think he will cost more than Matusz. Maybe quite a bit more. He has the scholarship in his back pocket, and also Matusz signed a major league contract, which would affect his signing bonus. And if he is consistently throwing mid-90s, with his secondary stuff... forget it, that may separate him from the rest of the HS arms.

I'm pretty sure that he is a Boras kid, which is good if you want the O's to have a shot at him. Otherwise, if the reports of the increased velocity are true, the chances of him getting to 1:5 are probably not good.

I find it really hard to believe he'd be hitting 98, because in generally he's a softer tossing guy, sitting around 91-92mph with his fastball. A jump isn't impossible, but to jump 7-8 mph, he'd be sitting in Strasburg territory, and there would be question which one would be no. 1 overall.

[Arthur_Bryant]

I find it hard to believe Matzek has been hitting 98 with little effort. I agree that Matzek in the mid-90s makes him the best HSer, and I think it's a wide margin. So my question would be, how could it be true? Were it true, wouldn't all of the "national draft media" be slotting him second or third in the draft by now?

I'd love Baltimore to get him, and if I had to guess I'd say he'll be available.

Whether it's true, I have no idea.

For an 18-year-old to find 2-3 MPH in his senior year season is not beyond the realm of possibility (though going from 92 to 95 is a lot harder than going from 82 to 85).

As to how long it would take for that upgrade to percolate to the "NDM," you probably know better than I.

I agree that 98 with little effort is highly improbable. That would put him into Verlander territory.

[Stotle]

Whether it's true, I have no idea.

For an 18-year-old to find 2-3 MPH in his senior year season is not beyond the realm of possibility (though going from 92 to 95 is a lot harder than going from 82 to 85).

As to how long it would take for that upgrade to percolate to the "NDM," you probably know better than I.

I agree that 98 with little effort is highly improbable. That would put him into Verlander territory.

Yeah, I could buy Matzek in 92-96 range. I'll go ahead and say that if he has been hitting 98, and multiple scouts have clocked this, word would be all over the place.