Do you agree with Jordan picking Hobgood at #5?

[Mackus]

How can you say this is a reach pick?? I mean the guy was the HS Player of the Year. BA had him going 11 in their mock draft. Obviously the O's had him in for a workout along with White and Wheeler. The saw some things they liked in him over the other guys. He's a big kid who has played football amongst other sports and not a 100% baseball kid. He loves the game and looks like he wants to sign fairly quickly and get a year of summer ball in, instead of waiting until 8/17 at 11:55pm and miss a whole summer of grooming. While he was not the # 1 guy on my board, whats not to like?

He's a reach because he as a consensus was a mid-to-late 1st round pick. The fact that you can only point to one publication which didn't even have him in the top-10 proves that.

Its fine to take a reach, especially when there isn't any obvious top player left on the board when you pick, as was the case this year. You just have to be ready for the blame that will, deservedly, come your way if it doesn't pan out.

If you take the best player at the time, you either get slight praise or slight criticism, like "He turned out great, but everyone knew he was the best guy left on the board anyway" or "He didn't pan out, but he was the right pick at the time". If you take a reach, you either get heaping praise or damning criticism, like "Nobody else had him that high, but Jordan looks like a genius now" or "He was a huge reach then and has proven to be a wasted pick".

Adam Loewen is an example of a BPA pick at the time that didn't work out. Matt Wieters is an example of one that did.

Nick Markakis is an example of a reach pick that did work out. Chris Smith is an example of one that did not.

[Mizerooskie]

IMO, he was only a reach if no other TEAMS had him that high. I couldn't care less what the "scouting" services say. Most of these services that people are citing cover the MLB, minor leagues, college, and prep kids.

Joe Jordan et al. focus on amateur talent, year-round. I'll trust their opinions of some of these services. They had him #3 on their board, and that's enough for me.

If some of the posters berating the pick can point me to any information indicating other teams didn't have Hobgood in their top ten, I'll change my tune, and say it's a reach.