2018 MLB Draft

chibears55

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Also Javy, Jr. when it comes to plate discipline. What was it in his third year, 200-some plate appearances and 17 walks? It worked out to an OBP about 35 points above his average.

More impress with the K totals...

72 Ks in over 700 PA

304 Avg .351 OBP career

He a pure contact hitter who don't strike out much...

He hit .349 with a .396 OBP lol
How do you worry about walks with those numbers, he only k'd 21 times


He what I was hoping for in a hitter

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beckdawg

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Also Javy, Jr. when it comes to plate discipline. What was it in his third year, 200-some plate appearances and 17 walks? It worked out to an OBP about 35 points above his average.

Nah.... he's not really Javy. I mean sure he doesn't walk but his bb/k rate was 6.3%/9.6%. I have heard Chris Owings comps but i think it's more defensively cuz Owings doesn't have a great hit tool. Offensively think you might be talking something more like Jose Peraza or Dee Gordon. You could also possibly talk about pre-breakout Jose Altuve.
 

CubsFaninMN

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Now we just have to see if the hit tool will play at the next level. I keep remembering, when looking at college performance, the line from Bull Durham, "They got pitchers with insane breaking shit in the Show." Even people who can tear the hell out triple-A pitching can struggle at the highest levels.
 

beckdawg

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Now we just have to see if the hit tool will play at the next level. I keep remembering, when looking at college performance, the line from Bull Durham, "They got pitchers with insane breaking shit in the Show." Even people who can tear the hell out triple-A pitching can struggle at the highest levels.

That's not my real worry. If you're hitting .349 in the pac 12 with a low k rate you can hit. Not to get too stats nerdy here but effectively if you don't k at a high rate and put a lot of balls in play you're probably going to hit around .300. What worries me a bit more is his lack of power. Low power means lower BABIP usually though he does have a 70 run grade according to fangraphs and good speed tends to elevate BABIP.

I honestly think he might be a more interesting CF if he can't stay at SS. He strikes me as a more natural CF/2B than Happ given that 70 speed. I'm not super worried about him though. Honestly he's the type of player I like. You get low K rate guys even if they may not have a ton of power you generally come out well off eventually. And sometimes power comes around more than you expect. If he turns into a 15-20 HR guy rather than the ~10 HR guy he looks like based on his ratings and then he's something like Ian Kinsler.
 

beckdawg

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Carrie Muskat

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#Cubs McLeod says expects more power from @nico_hoerner and that he has elite hand-eye coordination


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#Cubs McLeod on @nico_hoerner: "He's a multi-tool athlete with incredible makeup. He's a leader on the field, he's a leader in the dugout, he's incredibly passionate and all about winning. He's exactly what we're looking to bring into the organization"
 

Diehardfan

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Don't know dick about any of these kids except this one. A friend went on a golfing vacation to South Carolina a couple of years ago and took in a Clemson game. All he could talk about was this Illinois kid named Beer....which of course we all laughed at because of the name. We stopped laughing after we viewed this video. Of course, it's just highlights but he shows power, defense and a cannon of an arm. I would have been happy with this guy. **** Houston.

[video=youtube;IM76oSCys0I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM76oSCys0I[/video]
 

beckdawg

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Don't know dick about any of these kids except this one. A friend went on a golfing vacation to South Carolina a couple of years ago and took in a Clemson game. All he could talk about was this Illinois kid named Beer....which of course we all laughed at because of the name. We stopped laughing after we viewed this video. Of course, it's just highlights but he shows power, defense and a cannon of an arm. I would have been happy with this guy. **** Houston.

[video=youtube;IM76oSCys0I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM76oSCys0I[/video]

He's a DH only. I asked the fangraphs guys how he compared to Schwarber defensively and they said he's more like Vogelbach ie you hope he can play 1B but more likely he's just a DH. He also struggled a bunch with wood bats. Interesting guy for sure but there's reasons he went that late to an AL team.
 

JP Hochbaum

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So he seems to have the exact hit tool of Almora. Not a high walk rate but great k rate and hits for contact.

Almora has actually increased his walk rate this year to a level he hasn't had in his lifetime. This kind of hit tool can go in many different directions, and most of them are good.
 

beckdawg

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Two HS pitchers still on the board with big time stuff are Cole Wilcox(fangraphs #14) and Kumar Rocker(#29). If cubs did go underslot they have the slot money to work around these sorta guys. I'm thinking a number of the teams with a bunch of money to play with have already used it seemingly.
 

CubsFaninMN

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I'd love to see the Cubs manage to draft Alek Thomas -- a decent CF prospect. And son of the White Sox conditioning coach... :D
 

CSF77

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Not really shocking that they went best bat with the pick. The system is hitting starved and this kid becomes the best hitter instantly.

2nd pick I still believe that they aim at best talent available. If 2 are equal they most likely go hitting. Pitching wise the system is stronger than hitting right now.
 

CubsFaninMN

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D'you think some of these higher-ranked HS players are hanging around because the teams are convinced they're going to give the draft a pass and head for college?
 

CubsFaninMN

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"There are Draft prospects who are polished and show now tools, then there are ones who scouts have to dream on, projecting what tremendous raw tools might become. Davis, a one-time two-sport athlete, fits into the latter category with a high ceiling, but a long way to get there. A former basketball standout who was the Arizona 6A Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, Davis gave up the sport to focus on baseball. The result has been a better swing than had been seen previously and a body that's starting to transform because he's had time to spend in the weight room. There is still a crudeness to his offensive game, but there are flashes of the ability to hit for average and with power to come as he continues to add strength to his long, lanky frame. Right now, he has to sell out for that power and has instead focused on improving contact. A 70 runner normally, Davis dealt with a hamstring issue that slowed him some this spring, but that plus speed should allow him to steal bases and cover a ton of ground in center field, where he has a very strong arm. Davis will be a project for any team that tries to sign him away from his Miami commitment. But teams that love raw tools may look off into the future and see an Adam Jones or Lewis Brinson type if it all comes together."
 

CubsFaninMN

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Yeah -- sounds like the kind of project the Cubs could really cash in on.
 

beckdawg

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

There are Draft prospects who are polished and show now tools, then there are ones who scouts have to dream on, projecting what tremendous raw tools might become. Davis, a one-time two-sport athlete, fits into the latter category with a high ceiling, but a long way to get there.

A former basketball standout who was the Arizona 6A Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, Davis gave up the sport to focus on baseball. The result has been a better swing than had been seen previously and a body that's starting to transform because he's had time to spend in the weight room. There is still a crudeness to his offensive game, but there are flashes of the ability to hit for average and with power to come as he continues to add strength to his long, lanky frame. Right now, he has to sell out for that power and has instead focused on improving contact. A 70 runner normally, Davis dealt with a hamstring issue that slowed him some this spring, but that plus speed should allow him to steal bases and cover a ton of ground in center field, where he has a very strong arm.

Davis will be a project for any team that tries to sign him away from his Miami commitment. But teams that love raw tools may look off into the future and see an Adam Jones or Lewis Brinson type if it all comes together.

So here's why I love this pick. He's got a big frame(6' 4 175 lbs) who should be able to add muscle and he's a big time runner. He's got a shot to stay in CF.
 

beckdawg

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I can't remember if I mentioned Davis earlier in may but he was a name I was hoping the cubs would take. There's not many guys who can legitimately play CF and hit for power. Typically anyone who can goes top 10. Davis is obviously a work in progress but he's got big tools.
 

Bigfoot

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I'm excited about the last pick. Wonder if they take a chance on Rocker if he is there with the next pick
 

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