1st Round Pick - Matt Hobgood - RHP - HS

[Three RBI Homer]

So Joe Jordan is a liar?

He just said this was a guy they were on all along. do you really think scouting departments read BA and go, "We better draft this guy because they said so?"

Jordan is a straight shooter and if he said he liked the kid then he liked the kid.

Im not saying that money was a total factor, but dont ya think if Matzek and Hobgood would have signed for the same price, he would have drafted Matzek. Id be willing to be he would have.

Plus, do you really think Jordan would come out and say in public, "Instead of picking the best player available, we decided to go with the cheaper option"?

[allstar1579]

I think Jordan would want it no other way.

Yup, and he'll come out fine in the end, even if this kid doesn't set the world on fire, he'll be serviceable and I'll put money down that he'll hit some home runs later in the draft. Jordan has an eye for talent, he wouldn't sign off on him for no reason. I just personally liked a couple other kids better at 5.

[Mizerooskie]

I'm just not understanding how message board posters, who read a few scouting reports and watch a few videos, know more than a scouting staff that has watched a kid all year long.

[TonySoprano]

So Joe Jordan is a liar?

He just said this was a guy they were on all along. do you really think scouting departments read BA and go, "We better draft this guy because they said so?"

Jordan is a straight shooter and if he said he liked the kid then he liked the kid.

Let's be honest, if money were an issue, would it behoove Jordan to say so publicly? It would reflect poorly on him and the organization.

Having said that, I fully trust your assessment of Jordan, and that makes me believe him, despite honest skepticism.

[wickedwitch]

I think I'm okay with this pick. I've said this before, but if players are very closely rated, factoring in signability or position makes sense.

I will be disappointed if we now don't go overslot for several later rounds.

[Shopay]

I'll add this. I just spoke to a friend who is heavily involved in the high school baseball scene in Southern California and speaks with scouts frequently, and he had nothing but good things to say about Hobgood. He said the scouts he has spoken to have raved about Hobgood.

[BringBackMagic]

Im not saying that money was a total factor, but dont ya think if Matzek and Hobgood would have signed for the same price, he would have drafted Matzek. Id be willing to be he would have.

Plus, do you really think Jordan would come out and say in public, "Instead of picking the best player available, we decided to go with the cheaper option"?

I agree with you to a point, but the feeling I get is that after Strasburg and Ackley (maybe Tate when considering pure talent) there was a significant dropoff in talent and the difference between 5 and 25 wasn't much. At this point, signability is a major consideration, especially if it means they can sign more quality players overslot in later rounds

[baltfan]

The description of Hobgood reminds me of Joba Chamberlain, another guy with a bit of a thick waist and nasty steak.

Jordan was waaayyy to adamant that this was who he wanted for this to have been a money saver. Kudos to Jordan for having the guts to go against the grain. I haven't seen anything to suggest Hobgood was going to drop to the Orioles in the second round, so it wasn't an overdraft.

[Hooded Viper]

I will let it play out. It isn't like any of us have scouted the kid and John Hart said that he has arguably the most upside of any of the highschool pitchers. I'll take that along with Tony's nuggets and the faith I have in JJ.

[byrdz]

I keep seeing comments about his size like its a good thing, except that snippet from rotoworld. The kid looks about 20-25 pounds heavy to me. Is he in shape? I hate to think they spent a five pick on a kid that is going to have weight issues.

Colon had weight issues when he won his Cy Young, Sabathia's weight is of Titanic proportions, and Joba Chamberlain is nearly the same size as this guy.

[allstar1579]

Wow . . . that is knowledgeable. I'd prefer Wheeler here, but Hobgood is not out of the realm of reason. I'd peg Wheeler at top 2nd tier because I worry about the conditioning. Seems the O's feel better about him getting that under control.

As usual, same page here. The pick is the pick, it's in the books, so as of 15 minutes ago we are going to smile and say I hope this kid does great things.

[TonySoprano]

Was Hobgood a reach at #5, or was he a slam-dunk first rounder we would have missed otherwise?

[Terps23]

Agreed, he couldn't hear a question asked of him and he responded "Do what?"

Not to crap all over Wheeler, but that's not particularly professional. I'm sure he's just nervous, though.

Lol believe me being smart or dumb or well spoken or whatever has nothing to do with succeeding in MLB, altho I'm sure you know that and are just making an observation... But I work in downtown Baltimore at a bar located close to the stadium. I get a chance to meet a lot of players and coaches- Longoria Burrell, and Garza and the pitching coaching for the Rays whose name I forget, Jim something, the backup catcher for the Tigers whose name I'm too lazy to look up, Joe Girardi, a number of Orioles, etc etc...

Point is, most of em are a bunch of drunk idiots lookin for their next lay (not Girardi tho, I met him outside of where I work, he was a gentleman- had a lot of crap to talk on the Orioles tho).

But the one the that stands out the most is Garza- he may be the dumbest person I've ever met in my life. It was like talking to a brick wall's back. A lot of these guys, especially the ones that didn't go to college (not sure if Garza did or not, he's just an example) are not very adept at handling normal social situations, let alone being 17 and getting drafted in the top 10 picks.

I could care less how a guy talks in an interview- give me the guy who brings it 94 with movement. Most of the guys drafted are going to be extremely raw. I'll take Wheeler any day, especially over that fat lump known as Hobgood.

It'll take a while to get over that pick- at least til his first 20 win season.

[QBsILLEST1]

I dont understand why Tony just came on here saying that the guy touches 98 MPH but on the OH homepage it says that he tops out at 92 MPH. Ive read numerous reports saying he throws mid-upper 90's....Im guessing its not Tony.....

[Tony-OH]

Im not saying that money was a total factor, but dont ya think if Matzek and Hobgood would have signed for the same price, he would have drafted Matzek. Id be willing to be he would have.

Plus, do you really think Jordan would come out and say in public, "Instead of picking the best player available, we decided to go with the cheaper option"?

What I know is that Jordan really, really likes this kid as well as his team of scouts. I was told Matzek was not considered the 1st or even 2nd best high school pitcher by the Orioles so no, he was not rated higher than Hobgood.

I'll talk to Joe over the next few days and he's never lied or misled me before so when I do a wrapup of the top ten you'll get my official thoughts.