3rd round pick - Tyler Townsend, 1B - FIU

[jdwilde1]

Like this pick...Anyone seen anything about his defense?

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/T/Tyler-Townsend.shtml

He looked good last year as well....Baseball Cube rates him highly.

Baseball Cube actually rated his speed as "1" on a scale of 100. He's 21 years old. How on earth can he be a "1"? Has anyone ever seen this low of a rating for any category?

[Mackus]

Baseball Cube actually rated his speed as "1" on a scale of 100. He's 21 years old. How on earth can he be a "1"? Has anyone ever seen this low of a rating for any category?

Ignore Baseball Cube's ratings, they aren't a scale of how fast he is, just a sum of how many bases he's stolen.

[sisko7gwu]

Helton is a good comparison for his speed... its not going to be part of his game but if the short stop or third baseman boots the ball hes fast enough to run that out.

[Mackus]

Hopefully, inculding his future debut

And hopefully it won't take him until 2013 to make the bigs like Nolan did (2005 pick, 2009 debut).

[BaltimoreFan]

And hopefully it won't take him until 2013 to make the bigs like Nolan did (2005 pick, 2009 debut).

That is what I was going to say; although I like Nolan's potential, I really hope that Townsend doesn't take Reimold's route to Baltimore.

[Roll Tide]

Townsend, who turns 21 Thursday, weighed 240 pounds as a freshman, but has since dropped 25 pounds.

I wonder if weight will be a concern....25 pounds is a lot of weight for a 20 year old athlete to lose in mu opinion.

[sisko7gwu]

4 years is average... 1 year to get used to the wood bat in Short Season Single A another year to get used to the long season in Single A. Then you move them up to AA to face good pitching and if you light those guys up you'll get the call up in that third year but most guys don't gain the patience at the plate and game plan management until their second year at AA. 2012 would be my guess, sign Huff to a 2 year extension and hold Townsend's place.

[Mackus]

4 years is average... 1 year to get used to the wood bat in Short Season Single A another year to get used to the long season in Single A. Then you move them up to AA to face good pitching and if you light those guys up you'll get the call up in that third year but most guys don't gain the patience at the plate and game plan management until their second year at AA. 2012 would be my guess, sign Huff to a 2 year extension and hold Townsend's place.

No way they resign Huff. 1B next year will either be Wigginton or Snyder. Hopefully Snyder for the foreseeable future. Townsend is gonna have a hard time supplanting Snyder, who I expect to be good. He may have a chance to be our future DH after Scott's time here is up (after 2012).

Obviously this is all highly speculative, but Snyder is a hell of a hitter, if Townsend makes us question whether he or Snyder is the better bat, it'll end up being a fantastic 3rd round pick.

[sisko7gwu]

25 pounds in 3 years is nothing to be concerned with... if anything its good that he dropped the weight it makes him much more athletic.

[ChaosLex]

Anyone else think his swing looks a little odd?

Keep in mind that I'm not a good judge on these things, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong. :laughlol:

[Mackus]

Anyone else think his swing looks a little odd?

Keep in mind that I'm not a good judge on these things, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong. :laughlol:

One still photograph is all the evidence you have right now?

[sisko7gwu]

its a pic of an off speed pitch that he was apparently fooled on and he is still gonna foul that pitch off... strong front side, head down has his hips cleared, it isnt a powerful swing but its pretty good for a pitch he didnt read well

[Lucky Jim]

One still photograph is all the evidence you have right now?

That's more than he usually goes on.

[ChaosLex]

One still photograph is all the evidence you have right now?

Um... yeah.

That's more than he usually goes on.

What the hell's that supposed to mean?

[Moose Milligan]

4 years is average... 1 year to get used to the wood bat in Short Season Single A another year to get used to the long season in Single A. Then you move them up to AA to face good pitching and if you light those guys up you'll get the call up in that third year but most guys don't gain the patience at the plate and game plan management until their second year at AA. 2012 would be my guess, sign Huff to a 2 year extension and hold Townsend's place.

IIRC, I read somewhere last night that he had a great performance in a wood bat league somewhere, so perhaps the switch might not be that hard for him.

Snyder is still killin it and I think he is our 1B of the future. Perhaps Townsend and Snyder can swap off at 1B/DH like SG suggested earlier...that'd be nice to see.