If we draft Wheeler or Matzek...

[Sports Guy]

...do you think it is asking too much to think they could move as quickly as Porcello has or was Porcello a more talented pitcher?

[crawdad]

...do you think it is asking too much to think they could move as quickly as Porcello has or was Porcello a more talented pitcher?

Matzek maybe, but not Wheeler in my opinion. Matzek has the secondary pitches to be successful, Wheeler still needs to develop that changeup. Although Porcello has done well in the Majors, typically you want to make sure a player is ready to be successful as opposed to just throwing him in the deep end.

[JTrea81]

MacPhail will never allow it.

That's not the way he manages prospects. Matzek or Wheeler will start in Bluefield and work their way up...

[Greg Pappas]

...do you think it is asking too much to think they could move as quickly as Porcello has or was Porcello a more talented pitcher?

It's asking too much in 99% of the HS cases... so yes, it's asking too much.

Let them develop for a few years until they are ready. If either proves to be Porcello II, then they still may get handled differently than Detroit handled Porcello.

[Arthur_Bryant]

With any luck there won't be room for him in the rotation before 2012 or 2013.

Anyway that's the plan.

Porcello had one full season in the minors before he was promoted to MLB--125 IP. If the Orioles need a 20 YO in the rotation in April 2011, they're probably in deep trouble.

I would also be surprised to see the O's start a 19 YO in full season ball, almost regardless of who he is.

[Sports Guy]

It's asking too much in 99% of the HS cases... so yes, it's asking too much.

Let them develop for a few years until they are ready. If either proves to be Porcello II, then they still may get handled differently than Detroit handled Porcello.

Well, let me just put this another way...Are these 2 as good as Porcello coming out of high school?

That is what I am really getting at.

[crawdad]

Well, let me just put this another way...Are these 2 as good as Porcello coming out of high school?

That is what I am really getting at.

Roughly the same, but Porcello probably has an edge. I think Porcello was ranked in the 20s by BA the year after he came out. I imagine Matzek and Wheeler will come out in the 25-40 range.

[Greg Pappas]

Roughly the same, but Porcello probably has an edge. I think Porcello was ranked in the 20s by BA the year after he came out. I imagine Matzek and Wheeler will come out in the 25-40 range.

I'd agree generally with crawdad here, although I'm unsure about the potential BA rankings of the two draftees. BA is not as high on Wheeler as they are Matzek, although it's pretty close. Either way, I'm excited to see who we grab, no doubt.

[hoosiers]

I think Porcello and Kershaw were of the two very best HS pitching prospects since Beckett. I do not think Matzek or Wheeler are in that class right now.

[section18]

With the 5th pick we need to go for a college player that can make it to Baltimore in two or three years. We can't make a mistake with this pick or with our 2nd round pick. I personally would go for a hitter. Let's use this draft to improve our position players in our system. Hopefully Ackley or Green will be there when we pick 5th.

[allstar1579]

With the 5th pick we need to go for a college player that can make it to Baltimore in two or three years. We can't make a mistake with this pick or with our 2nd round pick. I personally would go for a hitter. Let's use this draft to improve our position players in our system. Hopefully Ackley or Green will be there when we pick 5th.

Why? Why do we need someone to be here in 2 or 3 years? Why don't we need players in 4 years or 5 years? You can't be afraid to miss on your picks or you will go the "safe" route and miss out on most of the better players. In MLB you have the unique problem of having to draft based on potential, not readiness to play like the NFL. If you try to draft for need (especially in a draft SO weak on positional players) you are just going to be lagging behind other teams who are cashing in on the draft's strengths.

I don't know why everyone is so eager to spend the 5th pick on a guy that probably wouldn't have gone in the top 10 last year, and a guy that may not go in the top 15 in a weak positional player year.

[Delduck]

Why? Why do we need someone to be here in 2 or 3 years? Why don't we need players in 4 years or 5 years? You can't be afraid to miss on your picks or you will go the "safe" route and miss out on most of the better players. In MLB you have the unique problem of having to draft based on potential, not readiness to play like the NFL. If you try to draft for need (especially in a draft SO weak on positional players) you are just going to be lagging behind other teams who are cashing in on the draft's strengths.

I don't know why everyone is so eager to spend the 5th pick on a guy that probably wouldn't have gone in the top 10 last year, and a guy that may not go in the top 15 in a weak positional player year.

I would say because most fans do not pay as close attention to how strong the drafts are, either due to interest, the perception that the really good strong info comes from pay sites(my perception) and don't have the extra cash to spend on something they will not use everyday (which goes back to interest), with the NFL, NBA drafts being so high profile we sometimes forget that drafted players do not have instant impact that the rooks have in those sports, so the landscape of the team could change a great deal in the couple years it takes to get the drafted player to the ML club.

[allstar1579]

I would say because most fans do not pay as close attention to how strong the drafts are, either due to interest, the perception that the really good strong info comes from pay sites(my perception) and don't have the extra cash to spend on something they will not use everyday (which goes back to interest), with the NFL, NBA drafts being so high profile we sometimes forget that drafted players do not have instant impact that the rooks have in those sports, so the landscape of the team could change a great deal in the couple years it takes to get the drafted player to the ML club.

Good point, I forget that sometimes when I get frustrated and go off on my rants Thanks for reminding me. BTW, I miss Roxana, it's been quite a while since I've been there, especially fried chicken dinner night.

[ThisIsOurHouse]

If we draft a high school pitcher we should take our time and let them develop secondary pitches. We have a lot of young starting pitchers who could start if they play well. We do not want to rush a high school pitcher up to the majors when in two years we have a shot at contending. When we bring up a guy like Wheeler or Matzek they need to be ready to suceed, not to pitch. Because it is different if we were still in the rebuilding then it may be a different scenerio, but in two years I expect us to be very competitive, and I do not want to start a 20 year old pitcher who will experience growing pains as a pitcher.

[allstar1579]

If we draft a high school pitcher we should take our time and let them develop secondary pitches. We have a lot of young starting pitchers who could start if they play well. We do not want to rush a high school pitcher up to the majors when in two years we have a shot at contending. When we bring up a guy like Wheeler or Matzek they need to be ready to suceed, not to pitch. Because it is different if we were still in the rebuilding then it may be a different scenerio, but in two years I expect us to be very competitive, and I do not want to start a 20 year old pitcher who will experience growing pains as a pitcher.

Absolutely right, but if we draft a HS pitcher, it will be for him to pitch in 3-4 years, not in 2 years. We should be well positioned right now for 2 years down the road, adding more is just going to come at some other pitcher's expense. Adding for the future will ensure that this isn't a one and done kind of run that we have talent for the future to compete long term.