The Kumar Rocker/Jack Leiter/Jaden Hill sweepstakes

[rafibomb]

3 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

I think you guys have to stop including Shohei Ohtani in the potential pitching depth chart for the next 3 years.  As depressing as that is to say

I agree which is why I included 7 guys in the potential "rotation" for next season if we get the #1 pick. Rocker/Leiter, Rodriguez, Bundy, Detmers, Heaney, Canning, and Ohtani.

[Angel Oracle]

We need to remember that Rodriguez has only pitched 9.1 innings above A ball.

Doesn't he need at least 2 more minor league seasons to be ready? 

[Inside Pitch]

@Chuckster70

Rocker is Beastly, Leiter is IMO the more polished guy -- but much lower ceiling.   

You gotta look at Leiter as being a coaches kid, he grew up with a Dad and Uncle that both pitched, but as far as stuff..    Dude is 6'0' and I dont believe he's expected to get any bigger.  Spin rates were middle of the road, FB sits 91-93 -- he was said to have hit 96 once, but only once.   What he does have is a shit ton of vertical movement and about 4-5 inches of run on his FB...  also a good curve..   He's not consistent with the pitch itself, it can be loopy or kinda tight, the only spin data I've seen on it had it around 2300 which would be a bit below average but, he pairs it really well with his heavy FB.   He's got pitchability for days.

Rocker...  6'4 250+.   Sits 95 all the time, touches 97 consistently and has been clocked at 100.   Like Leiter, the vertical movement is 10+ inches and he's got 5+ inches of run.  So, he's basically got all the same movement and 5+ MPH on Leiter.   The real kicker is that as tall as he is, he gets nearly 7 feet of extension which makes the FB play up..  It can be pretty unfair.   Sounds awesome right?   Well, his FB is his second best pitch.  Rocker's slider is ridonkulous.  Check it out 

That's a Scherzer level slider ..  RIGHT NOW.    

He doesn't spin it all that well but he gets straight down movement as opposed to the more common horizontal break -- it's whats called a gyro spin slider.   Normally a ball that moves like that is a curve, but this spins the opposite way, by that I mean a curveball spins end over end while Rocker's slider spins like a football does.   Basically this guy can spin that break regardless of whether he's in AZ, CO, or thicker air climates.   Try getting ready for that FB only to get that Slider instead... lol..

But wait -- there's more...  Dude also throws a change -- also with a ton of vertical movement -- it's not yet a plus pitch but it's going in the right direction.   He's got a curve too, but seems to stick with the other three pitches.

If he's got any real downside it's that he can miss with his FB at times, or it just gets away from him.  But he's got the body, he's got the stuff.  He's got the genes -- Dad and uncle played in the NFL.   Athleticism is there.  Probably the best SP prospect to come around in a while.

[southpaw]

Of course the assumption is the Angels would pick Kumar Rocker if they were given the first pick overall, but knowing this organization, they will probably draft a Catcher or another outfielder.  Could see them bungle that.

[Angelsjunky]

I like our chances.

[Angel Oracle]

What would be good recent comps for Rocker and Leiter?

[rafibomb]

7 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

What would be good recent comps for Rocker and Leiter?

I can't think of a Rocker comp but Leiter reminds me a bit of Sonny Gray.

[rafibomb]

Jaden Hill looks like he could be a good consolation prize if we don't draft in the top 2-3.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by rafibomb

[TroutCron]

On 8/23/2020 at 8:09 PM, RendZone said:

I hope Eppler is better than Elgin Baylor with first picks.

Do you really think that Eppler will still be the GM for the next draft? Five straight losing seasons and a total lack of depth at the upper levels of the organization should lead to Eppler being unemployed. 

[Angels in 2030]

Love it - more options since I see us winning too much at the end for no good reason. Like finishing last 15 with a record of 10-5 or so and ending up with a pick around 5-8.  

[Angel]

57 minutes ago, Fourts said:

Love it - more options since I see us winning too much at the end for no good reason. Like finishing last 15 with a record of 10-5 or so and ending up with a pick around 5-8.  

Yeah once this offense locks in, we are going to win games regardless of pitching.  As much as I want this team to tank purposefully, they won't and they'll probably still attempt the postseason even after being statistically eliminated.  I am hopeful for top 5, this awful start puts us on that trajectory.

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

I dont want to win another game this season. I want Rocker. 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Angel said:

Yeah once this offense locks in, we are going to win games regardless of pitching.  As much as I want this team to tank purposefully, they won't and they'll probably still attempt the postseason even after being statistically eliminated.  I am hopeful for top 5, this awful start puts us on that trajectory.

That's my thinking.... I'm betting MLB comes up with some special draft order too...

[Docwaukee]

45 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

That's my thinking.... I'm betting MLB comes up with some special draft order too...

the latter is my guess.  we're gonna get screwed somehow.  

[Angel]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

That's my thinking.... I'm betting MLB comes up with some special draft order too...

There are rumblings of a lottery, I don't feel so hot anymore.

[Inside Pitch]

6 hours ago, Angel said:

There are rumblings of a lottery, I don't feel so hot anymore.

Yep.   To be fair if the intention is to keep it in place and keep teams from tanking moving forward ....I'm good with it.  If its a one and done thing.... F off, Manfred.

[Angel]

5 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Yep.   To be fair if the intention is to keep it in place and keep teams from tanking moving forward ....I'm good with it.  If its a one and done thing.... F off, Manfred.

If the rules are to reward spending tankers Angels should get the 1st and 2nd draft pick lol, or even if we have the 5th worst record we should get the 1st pick.

Rules are rules.

 

[Lou]

2 hours ago, Angel said:

If the rules are to reward spending tankers Angels should get the 1st and 2nd draft pick lol, or even if we have the 5th worst record we should get the 1st pick.

Rules are rules.

 

You are really bad at trolling. 

[rafibomb]

The Pirates won both their games today in the double header

[Angels in 2030]

I was posting in the wrong thread.  Great day today for the angels.  As you mentioned the pirates sweep....and also the Ms getting one win in their SD double header.  We need the bosux to get in a winning streak here soon.  

[rafibomb]

5 minutes ago, Fourts said:

I was posting in the wrong thread.  Great day today for the angels.  As you mentioned the pirates sweep....and also the Ms getting one win in their SD double header.  We need the bosux to get in a winning streak here soon.  

3-game series against Seattle coming up. In all my years of being a fan I've never wanted to lose games especially to division rivals (and especially Dipoto) but wow this team is so bad that I am thinking it won't be the worst thing. That's just how disastrous this team has been and I am so pissed at them for getting me to this level.

[Angel Oracle]

If a draft lottery takes place, and the Halos end up around #4 with Rocker and Leiter both off the board, Jaden Hill would be a great pick.   

Despite limited college innings, and despite a lack of instruction in HS, the LSU pitching coach has reportedly worked well with him and loves his potential.

Sits on 93-95mph and touches 98mph with good movement due to excellent verticality, solid slider and change, and developing a cutter that has good verticality to it.

They also think he will add a couple of mph to the heat.   

[Angel]

26 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

If a draft lottery takes place, and the Halos end up around #4 with Rocker and Leiter both off the board, Jaden Hill would be a great pick.   

Despite limited college innings, and despite a lack of instruction in HS, the LSU pitching coach has reportedly worked well with him and loves his potential.

Sits on 93-95mph and touches 98mph with good movement due to excellent verticality, solid slider and change, and developing a cutter that has good verticality to it.

They also think he will add a couple of mph to the heat.   

The Angels seem to have good success with well-built, big boned or lankey pitchers (Colon, Escobar, Lackey, Weaver Santana etc) Kumar Rocker is the perfect candidate IMO, haven't looked at Hill yet or any of the other prospects.  Red Sox making a hard run at Kumar only .5 game ahead of us.

[Angel Oracle]

14 minutes ago, Angel said:

The Angels seem to have good success with well-built, big boned or lankey pitchers (Colon, Escobar, Lackey, Weaver Santana etc) Kumar Rocker is the perfect candidate IMO, haven't looked at Hill yet or any of the other prospects.  Red Sox making a hard run at Kumar only .5 game ahead of us.

Hill is 6-4/233, similar to Rocker except some 20 lbs lighter.   In fact, some scouts think he has Rocker potential, but is behind him in development. 

Hill's delivery is pretty clean, nothing high maintenance.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Angel Oracle

[UndertheHalo]

On 8/23/2020 at 6:36 PM, Taylor said:

There's a dude named Kumar Rocker? Awesome.

It’s an elite name.  Not quite Raider Uceta but definitely in that territory.