The Kumar Rocker/Jack Leiter/Jaden Hill sweepstakes

[Warfarin]

1 hour ago, rafibomb said:

I know drafting a high schooler might not be the most popular choice but it would be hard for me to pass this up if available

 

9. Andrew Painter – RHP

Tall projectable righthander at 6-foot-7 225 lbs with room to still add good weight. Fluid arm action, clean but long, from a three quarters slot. Easy delivery, low effort mechanics, showing ability to repeat. Fastball up to 96 mph and has dominated at just every event. The slider and curveball sit ~2500 RPMs and he’s generally commanded all four pitches well. Also flashes a changeup that can dip into the ~1100 range, falling off the table. One of the few prep pitchers in this class that currently presents very likely first round grade.

Whoever our new GM/President is, they assuredly have to draft a pitcher at #9.  It's our greatest weakness, both in terms of MLB talent and minor league talent.  We're out of the Rocker/Leiter range, and probably fairly likely out of Jaden Hill's range, too.  So whoever the best projectable pitcher is at #9 .. let's go for him.

[arch stanton]

If you go back as far as 2013 the only HS pitchers that have had any impact to date are Soroka, Flaherty, and Ian Anderson. So if you're drafting a HS pitcher, even if you think he's MacKenzie Gore or Riley Pint or even Forrest Whitley, be prepared to wait until at least 2024 or more likely 2025 to get anything out of him.

[Stradling]

1 hour ago, arch stanton said:

If you go back as far as 2013 the only HS pitchers that have had any impact to date are Soroka, Flaherty, and Ian Anderson. So if you're drafting a HS pitcher, even if you think he's MacKenzie Gore or Riley Pint or even Forrest Whitley, be prepared to wait until at least 2024 or more likely 2025 to get anything out of him.

I think very soon you’ll add Dustin May to this list.  

[arch stanton]

Just now, Stradling said:

I think very soon you’ll add Dustin May to this list.  

Great. That ups it to about a 6% chance

[Stradling]

16 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

Great. That ups it to about a 6% chance

My point wasn’t to discredit your point, it wasn’t simply to say very soon May will be looked at similarly.   Your point is extremely valid and I’m not sure Arte will be that patient. 

[Angels in 2030]

2 hours ago, arch stanton said:

If you go back as far as 2013 the only HS pitchers that have had any impact to date are Soroka, Flaherty, and Ian Anderson. So if you're drafting a HS pitcher, even if you think he's MacKenzie Gore or Riley Pint or even Forrest Whitley, be prepared to wait until at least 2024 or more likely 2025 to get anything out of him.

I'm still waiting for any impact from our 2016 & 2019 college drafted position players.  Heck, you can add 2015 in there as well (last 2-3 weeks notwithstanding).  How long Did CJ Cron take to make an impact after being drafted in 2011?  We need pitchers -- plain and simple.  Anything else is a fail imho.

[Angels in 2030]

4 hours ago, rafibomb said:

I know drafting a high schooler might not be the most popular choice but it would be hard for me to pass this up if available

 

9. Andrew Painter – RHP

Tall projectable righthander at 6-foot-7 225 lbs with room to still add good weight. Fluid arm action, clean but long, from a three quarters slot. Easy delivery, low effort mechanics, showing ability to repeat. Fastball up to 96 mph and has dominated at just every event. The slider and curveball sit ~2500 RPMs and he’s generally commanded all four pitches well. Also flashes a changeup that can dip into the ~1100 range, falling off the table. One of the few prep pitchers in this class that currently presents very likely first round grade.

You had me at "Pitcher"  -- xoxo (lol jk)

[arch stanton]

45 minutes ago, Stradling said:

My point wasn’t to discredit your point, it wasn’t simply to say very soon May will be looked at similarly.   Your point is extremely valid and I’m not sure Arte will be that patient. 

You’re right about him and I wasn’t trying to be an ass. Anyway, May was a third rounder so never expected to make it this quickly. I was more referring to the early first rounders

[DCAngelsFan]

1 hour ago, arch stanton said:

Great. That ups it to about a 6% chance

This article is a little dated, but - https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/11/19/mlb-draft-high-school-pitchers-velocity-tommy-john-surgery-problem

There's little chance this guy has a significant MLB career - nothing to do with him personally, other than his age and velocity - just statistically, a bad idea.    

(But of course, the thing that muddies the waters a bit is pitchers drafted out of college and seen as successful were *also* drafted as high schoolers - they just didn't sign.)  

 

[rafibomb]

As of today, there is a dropoff in college pitchers once Rocker, Leiter, and Hill are taken. Even Hill has some question marks that might have him fall to us at number 9. Obviously, a lot can change and will change with it being so early but I wouldn't be surprised if we opted to go elsewhere with the 9th pick of the draft if all three are of the board. The next best college pitcher that is ranked around the 10-15 area is Gunnar Hoglund. It seems like the knock on Hoglund is that he still is sitting in the low 90's in terms of velocity despite growing into his 6'4, 210 lb frame. Once again, it is extremely early and a lot will change from today til the draft (which is pushed back even further).

Below is their scouting report on Hoglund, as written by Jonathan Mayo:

Ranked No. 66 on our 2018 Draft Top 200, Hoglund was selected in Competitive Balance Round A by the Pirates that June as a bit of a pop-up guy from the Florida high school ranks. He scuffled as a freshman, but was dominant out of the gate as a sophomore, with a fastball that touches the mid-90s with very good breaking stuff and a changeup that has improved.

Edited September 29, 2020 by rafibomb

[Vlad27Trout27]

It's way to ealry to determine the top proecpts, we'll see guys falling and rising. 

Now regarding us drafting a high school pitcher, i think it'll depend on 2 things for me personally!

1. is the Main roster's rotation stablized? 

   - are Bundy and heaney, atleast pitching under a 4 era! are we able to sign bauer? what canning, can he repeat and can he improve? By the draft we'll have a good idea where our rotation stands

2. The depth in the farm? 

    - Is Detemer's living to the hyper of being 3, or better did his ceiling increae (2/3)

    - One of the younger pitchers, have shown and the ability and have break out. Where rodriguez would be the closet to reaching major! 

   - Due we have enough depth, to get in a quality starter from the minors to the mlb?

If we can have atleast an an ok these questionmarks, i would not mind taking a risk with the 1st pick, only if there isn't a college pitcher with a good ceiling (2/3) or a college position player with a safe and high floor. Than on the next pick, i would looks for college pitcher that profiles has 3/4. 

[rafibomb]

1 hour ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

It's way to ealry to determine the top proecpts, we'll see guys falling and rising. 

Now regarding us drafting a high school pitcher, i think it'll depend on 2 things for me personally!

1. is the Main roster's rotation stablized? 

   - are Bundy and heaney, atleast pitching under a 4 era! are we able to sign bauer? what canning, can he repeat and can he improve? By the draft we'll have a good idea where our rotation stands

2. The depth in the farm? 

    - Is Detemer's living to the hyper of being 3, or better did his ceiling increae (2/3)

    - One of the younger pitchers, have shown and the ability and have break out. Where rodriguez would be the closet to reaching major! 

   - Due we have enough depth, to get in a quality starter from the minors to the mlb?

If we can have atleast an an ok these questionmarks, i would not mind taking a risk with the 1st pick, only if there isn't a college pitcher with a good ceiling (2/3) or a college position player with a safe and high floor. Than on the next pick, i would looks for college pitcher that profiles has 3/4. 

I agree there's a lot to take into consideration and there's also a lot that can change. Emerson Hancock was the unanimous number one choice at one point then fell to the Mariners at number 6. There's always a handful of players that jump into the top 10 with a lot of helium as well.

Edited September 29, 2020 by rafibomb

[rafibomb]

Anyone with a BA subscription can check who BA has us taking in their first mock? Do you still have one @Chuckster70?

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by rafibomb

[sportstr44]

9

Colton Cowser

Sam Houston StateOF

Notes:

 

Like Wilson, Cowser could get knocked for playing in a smaller conference. Unlike Wilson, Cowser has track record with Team USA on his resume and scouts came away impressed with his swing and ability to control the strike zone after watching him as a rising sophomore with the team in 2019. The No. 6 prospect in the college class, Cowser has a projectable frame with above-average speed, solid instincts and solid hitting ability and power.

 

Los Angeles could be a wild card in the draft after firing GM Billy Eppler after the 2020 season and the team is also picking in a range where the board tends to open up.

[sportstr44]

Also, they had Leiter dropping to the DBacks at #6.

[rafibomb]

43 minutes ago, sportstr44 said:

Also, they had Leiter dropping to the DBacks at #6.

It also looks like they had us passing on Jaden Hill who went to the Mets with the 10th pick

[rafibomb]

2021 Draft order to be determined by only the 2020 standings. The Angels will be picking 9th overall.

 

 

[rafibomb]

 

 

[Warfarin]

https://prospects365.com/2020/11/09/ian-smiths-2021-mlb-mock-draft-1-0/

 

Another mock draft.  It is odd that both his one and the BA one project us taking an OFer.  I mean really, of all positions?  We are stacked in the OF.  

[rafibomb]

 

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by rafibomb

[rafibomb]

 

 

[rafibomb]

 

 

[rafibomb]

I know it is early, but it is starting to look like a good draft to be picking in the top 10 and needing a top pitcher. Other guys that have been flying up draft boards other than Rocker, Leiter and Hill are Ryan Cusick and Eric Cerantola. Cusick might have the highest graded fastball in the entire draft and Cerantola touches 98 with a plus-curveball.

 

 

 Also Ty Madden is a guy that has been consistently hovering around the top-10 for the past year

 

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by rafibomb

[DCAngelsFan]

Usually very much a  "best player available" fan - whatever the position.  

But this year, unless there's huge drop-off, it's going to go with  "best college pitcher available" with that first pick.  

Found some other clips of Cerantola - at least in those, while he needs to clean up his delivery -  I'm impressed with what he was putting up.  In addition to that CB, he showed a pretty flithy changeup and has good run on his fb.  Looks very athletic, with a free and easy motion.   Worth keeping an eye on ...

 

 

 

[Vlad27Trout27]

it's early and not of guys may drop or rise. But at the moment, it sounds like Kumar and Leiter may be out of our reach, which sucks but isn't the end of everything. 

We still might have a shot at Hill or Madden. 

Cerantola, would not mind getting with our 2nd pick.