2021 MLB Draft Prospects Thread

[DCAngelsFan]

16 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

So let's be realistic and say that we should have gotten one of those guys.  So your expectation of that being a generational draft is wildly unrealistic even if we did better.  18 of the first 50 picks didn't even make it to the majors.  Another 16 of the 50 have put up less than 1 WAR.  That's 34 of the top 50 with less than 1 WAR.  From the time the halos picked at 18 it's even worse. 

 

 

I know what you're saying - I mean, it's unlikely that instead of that crop of nothings we drafted that year, we'd have drafted all of Yelich, Snydergaard, Simmons, Castellanos

But if we drafted, say, Yelich.  Do we still sign Hamilton?  

If we don't sign Hamilton, we don't lose a pick to Texas - and maybe we draft Aaron Judge with our natural pick. 

So, in some universe, there's an Angels team that had an outfield of Yelich, Trout, and Judge.  

Say we drafted Simmons - do we still sign Baldoquin?  Why would we?  

So, do we keep our powder dry and wait for Vladito the next year?

So, yeah, it's all butterfly effect stuff.  

But fun - or annoying - to think about... 

 

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, DCAngelsFan said:

I know what you're saying - I mean, it's unlikely that instead of that crop of nothings we drafted that year, we'd have drafted all of Yelich, Snydergaard, Simmons, Castellanos

But if we drafted, say, Yelich.  Do we still sign Hamilton?  

If we don't sign Hamilton, we don't lose a pick to Texas - and maybe we draft Aaron Judge with our natural pick. 

So, in some universe, there's an Angels team that had an outfield of Yelich, Trout, and Judge.  

Say we drafted Simmons - do we still sign Baldoquin?  Why would we?  

So, do we keep our powder dry and wait for Vladito the next year?

So, yeah, it's all butterfly effect stuff.  

But fun - or annoying - to think about... 

 

a butterfly effect assuming that we're the smartest team in baseball year after year and so much so that we'd be head and shoulders above every other team.  We had a historically good draft in 2009.  Over a ten year period I can see good teams being considered as such because they might get 1 extra player every other year.  Speculating that we'd be 2-3 players better than everyone else every year is just unrealistic.  I know it's semantics but the to me it's important because of how little the draft usually yields in terms of impact players on a yearly basis.  

[DCAngelsFan]

8 hours ago, Dochalo said:

a butterfly effect assuming that we're the smartest team in baseball year after year and so much so that we'd be head and shoulders above every other team.  We had a historically good draft in 2009.  Over a ten year period I can see good teams being considered as such because they might get 1 extra player every other year.  Speculating that we'd be 2-3 players better than everyone else every year is just unrealistic.  I know it's semantics but the to me it's important because of how little the draft usually yields in terms of impact players on a yearly basis.  

You're right, the actual hit rate on drafting players in MLB is shockingly low, same with internationals.  

And it might just all be pointless wishful thinking to think about such things - but I think it can be instructive to remind yourself of your mistakes, so you don't allow that mindset to make the same error - anyone that signed GMJ should have never traded for Wells, nor signed Hamilton.  Those were all idiot moves on their face - that's not revisionism or hindsight.  Yet somehow this org had learned nothing.   

And taking a look back to see what you might have been able to do is to remind yourself what's possible if you can improve your success rate by even a little - when a small improvement can have  large downstream impacts.   (If I were in the front office - I'd have someone examining every past draft pick, the mistakes and the successes, to see where we went wrong, or right - and how to get better.)

There's are reasons this team hasn't won a playoff game in over a decade, despite its huge payroll.  And it starts with our ability to draft and develop talent.

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, DCAngelsFan said:

You're right, the actual hit rate on drafting players in MLB is shockingly low, same with internationals.  

And it might just all be pointless wishful thinking to think about such things - but I think it can be instructive to remind yourself of your mistakes, so you don't allow that mindset to make the same error - anyone that signed GMJ should have never traded for Wells, nor signed Hamilton.  Those were all idiot moves on their face - that's not revisionism or hindsight.  Yet somehow this org had learned nothing.   

And taking a look back to see what you might have been able to do is to remind yourself what's possible if you can improve your success rate by even a little - when a small improvement can have  large downstream impacts.   (If I were in the front office - I'd have someone examining every past draft pick, the mistakes and the successes, to see where we went wrong, or right - and how to get better.)

There's are reasons this team hasn't won a playoff game in over a decade, despite its huge payroll.  And it starts with our ability to draft and develop talent.

What’s crazy is that was 3 different GMs that made those decisions.

[Dtwncbad]

Maybe the information is out there but I wish I knew exactly how aggressive the Angels were (if at all) in trying to attract Andrew Friedman.  He was one of those guys that seemed like such an obviously good choice to run your team.

I am not saying the Angels could just snap their fingers and get him as he could always simply choose to be employed somewhere else, but I would be glad to know the Angels put their best foot forward.  It would at least tell me they are better at identifying the right people.

[Angel Oracle]

How about at least trying to find the next Farhan Zaidi.   Look at his work with the Dogs and Giants.

[Cosmo_Kramer]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

What’s crazy is that was 3 different GMs that made those decisions.

How many owners?

[Angels in 2030]

30 minutes ago, Cosmo_Kramer said:

How many owners?

I think it was three -- but i'm not sure if I have them all (maybe more):

Artie Moreno

Artie Morono

Fartie Moreno 

[failos]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

What’s crazy is that was 3 different GMs that made those decisions.

[Stradling]

23 minutes ago, foolios said:

People don’t actually think Arte told them to go get GMJr or Wells, right?  

[failos]

20 minutes ago, Stradling said:

People don’t actually think Arte told them to go get GMJr or Wells, right?  

I’m not privy to what happens inside the clubhouse or GM/Owner’s office, so I do not know. I’m just perpetuating a commonly used joke on AW.

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, foolios said:

I’m not privy to what happens inside the clubhouse or GM/Owner’s office, so I do not know. I’m just perpetuating a commonly used joke on AW.

I get it. But at some point GMs just make some bad decisions, just like they make good decisions.  

[failos]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I get it. But at some point GMs just make some bad decisions, just like they make good decisions.  

No doubt--I agree. But to answer your previous question, it's very obvious that many people here blame Arte for the FA signing blunders. 
 

I believe in blame-free workplaces. If there is a pattern of blunders then there is something wrong with the processes of that organization.

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, foolios said:

No doubt--I agree. But to answer your previous question, it's very obvious that many people here blame Arte for the FA signing blunders. 
 

I believe in blame-free workplaces. If there is a pattern of blunders then there is something wrong with the processes of that organization.

I don’t disagree. 

[DCAngelsFan]

3 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

Maybe the information is out there but I wish I knew exactly how aggressive the Angels were (if at all) in trying to attract Andrew Friedman.  He was one of those guys that seemed like such an obviously good choice to run your team.

I am not saying the Angels could just snap their fingers and get him as he could always simply choose to be employed somewhere else, but I would be glad to know the Angels put their best foot forward.  It would at least tell me they are better at identifying the right people.

We definitely talked to him after Regains uh, "stepped down", and there seemed to be a lot of mutual interest - and then it fizzled out, and we hired Dipoto instead.  

I guess I'd be morbidly curious to know what actually happened - like Friedman asked for something - like partial ownership, or a particular operating budget increase, or to bring certain staff with him - something that caused us to say "no."  Or maybe, just maybe, it was Arte choosing Dipoto over Friedman b/c he was the new hotness with all his "analytics."  Which, I mean - tbh, it took awhile to realize Dipoto was salting the earth of our farm system.  

It's "morbidly curious" because there's no answer that would make things right - I just want to know if this club is making poor decisions (and who's making them), are underfunding the operations side (I definitely smell smoke here - it's not hard to believe Dipoto's inability to draft talent was due at least in part to someone else short-changing his scouting budget), or if it's just all bad luck?    

 

[Stax]

Need to be realist, only ten percent of the guys on a minor league team are going to make it to the MLB, that includes being only September call ups too. So on a twenty five man minor league roster only 2.5 of them are going to progress to the MLB. This does not discriminate against draft position, just high bonus players receive a longer leash.

[Blarg]

On 6/8/2021 at 8:37 AM, tdawg87 said:

Is it bad that I only grade these guys based on possible AO nicknames for them if they suck?

That's why I want Gunner Hogland so every strikeout the batter is Gunned down. We can be in Hog heaven. 

[SoWhat]

Anyone with ESPN+ mind posting who they have going to the Angels? it’d be greatly appreciated. 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/31553650/kiley-mcdaniel-2021-mlb-draft-rankings-30-two-shortstops-lead-race-next-month-top-pick

[Angels in 2030]

I like reading mock drafts.  It’s fun.  But if there is any sport where a mock draft is virtually worthless results wise, it’s baseball.  Fun yes; but not worth a shiny penny.  

[James]

1 hour ago, SoWhat said:

Anyone with ESPN+ mind posting who they have going to the Angels? it’d be greatly appreciated. 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/31553650/kiley-mcdaniel-2021-mlb-draft-rankings-30-two-shortstops-lead-race-next-month-top-pick

This is not a mock draft. Last one I saw had Jobe to the Halos but who really knows? 

[Chuck]

New mock (June 23rd) from MLB.com has us getting Ty Madden. 

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mock-draft-june-23-2021

9. Angels: Ty Madden, RHP, Texas
The Angels hope that one of the top eight slides to them, and the most obvious candidates are Rocker, Jobe and House. Barring that, they'll probably turn to a college arm (Madden or Miami, Ohio right-hander Sam Bachman). A pair of Georgia high schoolers, right-hander/shortstop Bubba Chandler and catcher Harry Ford, are longshot options.

[Second Base]

I may eat crow for this, but Bachman is the best college starter outside of Leiter and Rocker. 

Bachman is Chris Rodriguez with more polish. Ty Madden has way too much Joe Gatto in him.  I do like the extension and size, but his ball doesn't move,  he doesn't hide it, and he doesn't throw particularly hard. 

I think Madden is a good college starter, but without pinpoint control I think he's going to get wrecked in pro ball. But then again,  piebald he gains velo and profiles like Alex Manoah.

 

[Angelsjunky]

29 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I may eat crow for this, but Bachman is the best college starter outside of Leiter and Rocker. 

Bachman is Chris Rodriguez with more polish. Ty Madden has way too much Joe Gatto in him.  I do like the extension and size, but his ball doesn't move,  he doesn't hide it, and he doesn't throw particularly hard. 

I think Madden is a good college starter, but without pinpoint control I think he's going to get wrecked in pro ball. But then again,  piebald he gains velo and profiles like Alex Manoah.

 

Did you read the above scouting report? Madden reached 99 MPH.

p.s. I bet @Lou is bookmarking your post.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Angelsjunky

[Second Base]

18 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Did you read the above scouting report? Madden reached 99 MPH.

p.s. I bet @Lou is bookmarking your post.

From what I've seen so far in ESPN telecasts, he's been more in the 93-94 range.  And I welcome the bookmark.  I think he'll be a top 100 prospect but more of a #4 starter in the major leagues. 

I think Leiter and Rocker are top of the rotation arms, and Bachman isn't far behind.  His stuff is a tick better but he has that possibility of ending up in the bullpen which drives his stock down.  

Edited June 24, 2021 by Second Base

[Chuck]

5 minutes ago, Second Base said:

From what I've seen so far in ESPN telecasts, he's been more in the 93-94 range.  And I welcome the bookmark.  

He's now operating with a 93-96 MPH fastball with sink and bore. I'll take that over a straight 100 mph heater any day of the week. 

I've read somewhere else that when he needs to he can reach back for something extra and has hit upper 90's with his fastball. Kind of like what Ohtani did in his final two innings yesterday. 

He's fanned 129 batters across 107 innings with a 2.42 ERA so he's doing something right.