Keith Law on Taillon/Orioles

[Frobby]

I wish there were an equally elite bat available to us. But, if it's Taillon, that will be fine.

[Sports Guy]

I don't like the idea of spending a top 5 pick on HS pitcher.

With that being said, if that pitcher is one of those once every 5-10 years, Josh Beckett type guys, then i don't have an issue...especially if, as Frobby said, you don't have a Smoak type bat sitting there as well.

[RVAbird]

The bats really are thin toward the top this year.

I know people are hopping on the Machado bandwagon, and he's a quality talent, but I think at least some of it is the desire to put a positional pick near the top. He is the pride of the HS hitters, but I'm not convinced he's an elite talent.

I generally try to stay away from HS pitchers with a top 5 pick also, but none of the college arms have close to Taillon's upside IMO.

[allstar1579]

I don't like the idea of spending a top 5 pick on HS pitcher.

With that being said, if that pitcher is one of those once every 5-10 years, Josh Beckett type guys, then i don't have an issue...especially if, as Frobby said, you don't have a Smoak type bat sitting there as well.

It's funny you say that because Beckett is the guy I think of when I'm thinking J.T.

[waroriole]

http://www.click2houston.com/video/23424854/index.html

Profile on him by the Houston media. Seems pretty grounded in the interview.

I'd like to see what Stotle or someone thinks of his mechanics...

Thanks for posting. He seems like another high character guy. Pretty impressive family too.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Serious man-crush developing...

His character sounds like he'd fit right in with a lot of the young guys we've been drafting/developing as of late. The talent is there. Good amount of projection, too. I'd be extremely happy with the pick.

Projection on top of a plus high-90s fastball and plus curve is slightly mind-boggling.

[mcgraw238]

I wish there were an equally elite bat available to us. But, if it's Taillon, that will be fine.

Ditto. Unfortunately, the elite bat we really need is Anthony Rendon 3B in the 2011 draft. I suspect he will end up with the hometown Astros as the 1st pick. Although, I will be very happy with Taillon in the current draft.

[byrdz]

All of this in a #3 pick? Are the first and second picks Superman and Batman?

[Can_of_corn]

Thanks for posting. He seems like another high character guy. Pretty impressive family too.

Yes, youngest of four the first three are PhD, MD and law school. Shows some smarts and some serious work ethic in the family.

[Tank]

I'm praying we end up with him.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Incidentally, if the reporter in the video has it right, the family name apparently is pronounced more or less in the French manner:

tie-YAWN

Well that's not exactly how the French would pronounce it, but close enough.

Not that it matters at this point, but from everything I've seen and heard, I'm hoping that he ends up in the organization, and so that in two or three years we will want to be pronouncing it correctly.

[baltfan]

Sickels

Just for myself, I haven't seen them in person, and I know what the scouting reports say, but watching draft video I like Karsten Whitson's videos better than Jameson Taillon's. I don't know if I will rank Whitson ahead of Taillon on my personal board...I won't make a board until later this month...and sometimes when a player gets super-hyped I tend to get annoyed with it and it can cloud my thinking, but am I wrong in thinking that Taillon isn't as far above the other high school pitchers as conventional wisdom says?

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/5/1459544/discussion-question-overrated

I am no expert, but the video I have seen of Taillon is not as awe inspiring as I expected. That being said, I love guys that throw strikes like Hellickson and Matusz, so maybe Taillon is never going to impress me as much as he is velocity whores.

[allstar1579]

Sickels

Just for myself, I haven't seen them in person, and I know what the scouting reports say, but watching draft video I like Karsten Whitson's videos better than Jameson Taillon's. I don't know if I will rank Whitson ahead of Taillon on my personal board...I won't make a board until later this month...and sometimes when a player gets super-hyped I tend to get annoyed with it and it can cloud my thinking, but am I wrong in thinking that Taillon isn't as far above the other high school pitchers as conventional wisdom says?

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/5/1459544/discussion-question-overrated

I am no expert, but the video I have seen of Taillon is not as awe inspiring as I expected. That being said, I love guys that throw strikes like Hellickson and Matusz, so maybe Taillon is never going to impress me as much as he is velocity whores.

Sickels is no more qualified than some people on here to give draft opinions...

[wickedwitch]

Sickels is no more qualified than some people on here to give draft opinions...

Not that there aren't so extremely knowledgeable posters here, but I don't think any of them make their careers in evaluating baseball prospects.

That said, I disagree with Sickels as I love Taillon. I'd be thrilled if we got him.

[mcgraw238]

Sickels

Just for myself, I haven't seen them in person, and I know what the scouting reports say, but watching draft video I like Karsten Whitson's videos better than Jameson Taillon's. I don't know if I will rank Whitson ahead of Taillon on my personal board...I won't make a board until later this month...and sometimes when a player gets super-hyped I tend to get annoyed with it and it can cloud my thinking, but am I wrong in thinking that Taillon isn't as far above the other high school pitchers as conventional wisdom says?

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/5/5/1459544/discussion-question-overrated

I am no expert, but the video I have seen of Taillon is not as awe inspiring as I expected. That being said, I love guys that throw strikes like Hellickson and Matusz, so maybe Taillon is never going to impress me as much as he is velocity whores.

There are some out there that prefer the overall package that Karsten Whitson brings over Taillon.