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I guess we will see, but more than likely his starting point is 2B with a move to 3B in the very near future.
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JP Hochbaum
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I am exhibit A of this. Had a few articles locally, written about my no-hitters when I was 14. Then my arm fell off at 15, all from throwing curves and sinkers.
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Soler pulled out the game after making a catch. He limped off the field. I have read anywhere from hamstring to just cramps. We will see.
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Maybe he borrowed Derrick Rose's knees for the day and forgot to give them back :dunno:
chibears55
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theberserkfury
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:tongue:
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My favorite teams
Hopefully it's just cramps for Soler..
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Hamstring tightness
MRubio52
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I wasn't overly impressed with Blackburn when I saw him last night.
Command/control profile, works quick, has a good arm slot for the curve to improve, but even then it's a slurvvy pitch with good spin. Works in the low 90's and the change isn't all that. It's a backend profile for me with a max out ceiling of a #3.
The slurve right now is v. loopy and he hung it a lot. I want to see him at least one more time before I do a report but this was very meh. I like Tseng much, much better.
Command/control profile, works quick, has a good arm slot for the curve to improve, but even then it's a slurvvy pitch with good spin. Works in the low 90's and the change isn't all that. It's a backend profile for me with a max out ceiling of a #3.
The slurve right now is v. loopy and he hung it a lot. I want to see him at least one more time before I do a report but this was very meh. I like Tseng much, much better.
MRubio52
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Didn't like Skulina all that much either. Bad arm action, slow arm swing, slow arm action. Changes his slots between the curve and the fastball. Fastball works in the high 80s. It's a bad package.
Carlos Penalver is a slick shortstop down at Kane County. I don't believe in the bat all that much. Might be able to hit .240 but I'm skeptical there. Has good fielding actions, smooth range, strong arm, and MLB average speed. He's a UTL player but he's fun to watch. Venezuelan so he's polished quite a bit.
Carlos Penalver is a slick shortstop down at Kane County. I don't believe in the bat all that much. Might be able to hit .240 but I'm skeptical there. Has good fielding actions, smooth range, strong arm, and MLB average speed. He's a UTL player but he's fun to watch. Venezuelan so he's polished quite a bit.
Boobaby1
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Been following Kyle Freeland in my backdoor area in Evansville, and let me tell ya, he is something to watch. 6'3", lefty, and reminds me of Glavine with his pin-point control, only he throws near the mid 90's.
Good arm swing and action combo, and provides a filthy curve ball that makes hitters knee's buckle.
A definite person to watch in the draft, and I hope he falls into the Cubs hands. He won't take long to hit the majors, and whoever gets him, is going to have a real good pitcher on their team.
Good arm swing and action combo, and provides a filthy curve ball that makes hitters knee's buckle.
A definite person to watch in the draft, and I hope he falls into the Cubs hands. He won't take long to hit the majors, and whoever gets him, is going to have a real good pitcher on their team.
theberserkfury
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Falls into the Cubs hands at #4 or further down?
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He will be there at 4. Even with some of the injuries, I still think the Cubs take a pitcher. Which one? No idea. We have to see how they fall. I dont see them taking a HS arm. But, who knows, we dont know how they have them ranked on their board. I think they go BPA and that should be a pitcher. I dont like the bats in the top 10.
CSF77
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Wouldn't be mad if they took the Catcher #4. System wise that is a dry well.
beckdawg
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There's some talk that teams may have soured on Rodon because he's not been stellar this year(not saying bad just not amazing) and the fact he's a Boras guy. There's also talk of someone potentially taking a bat in the top 3. In either case, the cubs would then have an option of one of the top 3 pitchers as well as the majority of the hitters. As such, seems likely they will have an obvious choice rather than a top end bat vs the remainder of the pitching prospects.
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Truthfully, we kind of got fucked with Hoffman getting injured. I wish there was a trade out option to get more picks, but we are stuck with 4.
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Best tools in the 2014 draft
May, 19, 2014
By Christopher Crawford & Keith Law | ESPN.com
Over the past two weeks, we have discussed the players with the most upside as well as the "safest" players available for the 2014 draft.
This week, we break things down a little further and take a look at the players with the best individual tools in this year's class. While one skill doesn't make a prospect, it can be a major deciding factor for teams that are looking for any way to separate players in a muddled draft class.
"The whole package is obviously more important," an NL Central scout said. "But knowing that a guy has that one standout tool is a huge benefit. If you're debating between two players and you know that the pitcher has that ridiculous changeup or that the shortstop is going to be able to play plus defense, it makes it easier to justify taking a guy early.
"I wouldn't call it specialization, but having an idea that a player has at least one thing that can allow him to be an effective big leaguer is definitely valuable."
Here's a look at the players with the best individual tools of the 2014 class.
Best fastball
College: Nick Burdi, RHP, Louisville -- Burdi has easily the most dominant fastball in the collegiate class. It's a heater that routinely touches 100 mph and sits 97-99 with late life.
Also considered: Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina; Sean Newcomb, LHP, Hartford; Michael Cederoth, RHP, San Diego State
Prep: Tyler Kolek, RHP, Shepherd (Texas) HS -- Kolek is a massive human being, with a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, and he uses that size and his arm strength to sit 94-96, touching 100 mph over the summer.
Also considered: Jacob Bukauskas, RHP, Stone Bridge HS (Ashburn, Virginia); Grant Holmes, RHP, Conway (South Carolina) HS; Touki Toussaint, RHP, Coral Springs Christian HS (Miami)
Best breaking ball
College: Carlos Rodon, LHP, NC State -- When Rodon's slider is at its best, it's an unhittable pitch for both left-handed and right-handed hitters, sitting in the mid-80s with tremendous tilt and bite.
Also considered: Hoffman; Jacob Lindgren, LHP, Mississippi State
Prep: Touki Toussaint, RHP, Coral Springs Christian HS (Miami) -- No pitcher in the class has a curveball with more downward movement, and when he gets ahead of hitters it's a true swing-and-miss breaking ball with tremendous spin and break.
Also considered: Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic HS (San Diego); Holmes
Best changeup
College: Aaron Nola, RHP, LSU -- Nola can throw his change for strikes or out of the zone for swings and misses. He generates a lot of deception by throwing the pitch with the same arm speed he uses for his fastball.
Also considered: Luke Weaver, RHP, Florida State; Austin Gomber, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Prep: Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic HS (San Diego) -- Aiken has outstanding arm speed on his change from a delivery that's already deceptive, and it's one of his three pitches that grade out as plus.
Also considered: Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview HS (Lilburn, Georgia); Foster Griffin, LHP, First Academy (Orlando)
Best hit tool
College: Michael Conforto, OF, Oregon State -- Though Conforto does have a great deal of swing-and-miss to his game, his ability to work counts into his favor is unparalleled by any collegiate hitter, and his swing stays through the zone to give him a chance to hit for average.
Also considered: Derek Fisher, OF, Virginia; Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Wichita State; Mike Papi, OF, Virginia; Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco
Prep: Alex Jackson, C/RF, Rancho Bernardo HS (San Diego) -- He is one of the smarter hitters in the class -- college or prep -- and has excellent bat speed. Jackson has also shown a willingness to work counts into his favor and hit to opposite field.
Also considered: Nick Gordon, SS, Olympia HS (Orlando); Michael Chavis, 3B, Sprayberry (Georgia) HS
Best power tool
College: A.J. Reed, 1B, Kentucky -- Reed has put up power numbers that have gone unrivaled in all of college baseball, and he uses all of his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame to generate leverage and hit moon shots to right and right-center field.
Also considered: Kyle Schwarber, C/1B, Indiana; Conforto; Fisher
Prep: Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis (California) HS -- When Gatewood doesn't open his hips up too early, he's capable of hitting some absolute monster shots from the right side, thanks to a wiry 6-foot-4 frame and loads of strength.
Also considered: Jackson; Braxton Davidson, 1B, TC Roberson (Ashville, North Carolina); Bobby Bradley, OF, Harrison Central HS (Gulfport, Mississippi)
Best run tool
College: Trea Turner, SS, NC State -- No, it's not 80 (on the 20-80 scouting scale) speed anymore, but Turner still moves very well and has shown the ability to steal 30-40 bases a year, assuming he gets on base enough to get the opportunities.
Also considered: Greg Allen, OF, San Diego State; Bobby Boyd, OF, West Virginia
Prep: Jeren Kendall, OF, Holmen (Wisconsin) HS -- There are several plus-plus runners who could go early in 2014, but the Vanderbilt commit moves the best of all of them both on the bases and with excellent range in the outfield.
Also considered: Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville (Georgia) HS; Carl Chester, OF, Lake Brantley HS (Orlando); Derek Hill, Elk Grove HS (California)
Best Throwing Arm
College: Matt Chapman, 3B, Cal-State Fullerton -- Chapman has been clocked up to 96 mph on the mound, and his arm is easily plus-plus at the hot corner.
Also considered: Zimmer; Dylan Davis, OF, Oregon State
Prep: Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville (Georgia) HS -- Several scouts I spoke with gave Gettys' throwing grade an 80, and he was clocked at 102 mph this summer from the outfield.
Also considered: Gordon; Monte Harrison, OF, Lee's Summit (Missouri) HS
Best defensive outfielder
College: Greg Allen, San Diego State -- Allen doesn't have the best athleticism of the outfielders in this year's class, but he has above-average speed and takes excellent routes, giving him a good chance to be a quality center fielder at the big league level.
Prep: Derek Hill, Elk Grove HS (California) -- In addition to having plus-plus speed, Hill's instincts are better than any other prep outfielder, and if there's such a thing as a lock to stick in center field, it's him.
Best defensive infielder
College: Matt Chapman, 3B, Cal-State Fullerton -- Not only does Chapman have the strongest throwing arm of any infielder in the class, he also has soft hands and can make plays to his left and right despite having below-average speed.
Prep: Milton Ramos, SS, American Heritage School (Miami) -- There are questions about whether or not Ramos will hit enough, but there's no question about his glove as a shortstop with excellent range and footwork.
May, 19, 2014
By Christopher Crawford & Keith Law | ESPN.com
Over the past two weeks, we have discussed the players with the most upside as well as the "safest" players available for the 2014 draft.
This week, we break things down a little further and take a look at the players with the best individual tools in this year's class. While one skill doesn't make a prospect, it can be a major deciding factor for teams that are looking for any way to separate players in a muddled draft class.
"The whole package is obviously more important," an NL Central scout said. "But knowing that a guy has that one standout tool is a huge benefit. If you're debating between two players and you know that the pitcher has that ridiculous changeup or that the shortstop is going to be able to play plus defense, it makes it easier to justify taking a guy early.
"I wouldn't call it specialization, but having an idea that a player has at least one thing that can allow him to be an effective big leaguer is definitely valuable."
Here's a look at the players with the best individual tools of the 2014 class.
Best fastball
College: Nick Burdi, RHP, Louisville -- Burdi has easily the most dominant fastball in the collegiate class. It's a heater that routinely touches 100 mph and sits 97-99 with late life.
Also considered: Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina; Sean Newcomb, LHP, Hartford; Michael Cederoth, RHP, San Diego State
Prep: Tyler Kolek, RHP, Shepherd (Texas) HS -- Kolek is a massive human being, with a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, and he uses that size and his arm strength to sit 94-96, touching 100 mph over the summer.
Also considered: Jacob Bukauskas, RHP, Stone Bridge HS (Ashburn, Virginia); Grant Holmes, RHP, Conway (South Carolina) HS; Touki Toussaint, RHP, Coral Springs Christian HS (Miami)
Best breaking ball
College: Carlos Rodon, LHP, NC State -- When Rodon's slider is at its best, it's an unhittable pitch for both left-handed and right-handed hitters, sitting in the mid-80s with tremendous tilt and bite.
Also considered: Hoffman; Jacob Lindgren, LHP, Mississippi State
Prep: Touki Toussaint, RHP, Coral Springs Christian HS (Miami) -- No pitcher in the class has a curveball with more downward movement, and when he gets ahead of hitters it's a true swing-and-miss breaking ball with tremendous spin and break.
Also considered: Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic HS (San Diego); Holmes
Best changeup
College: Aaron Nola, RHP, LSU -- Nola can throw his change for strikes or out of the zone for swings and misses. He generates a lot of deception by throwing the pitch with the same arm speed he uses for his fastball.
Also considered: Luke Weaver, RHP, Florida State; Austin Gomber, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Prep: Brady Aiken, LHP, Cathedral Catholic HS (San Diego) -- Aiken has outstanding arm speed on his change from a delivery that's already deceptive, and it's one of his three pitches that grade out as plus.
Also considered: Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview HS (Lilburn, Georgia); Foster Griffin, LHP, First Academy (Orlando)
Best hit tool
College: Michael Conforto, OF, Oregon State -- Though Conforto does have a great deal of swing-and-miss to his game, his ability to work counts into his favor is unparalleled by any collegiate hitter, and his swing stays through the zone to give him a chance to hit for average.
Also considered: Derek Fisher, OF, Virginia; Casey Gillaspie, 1B, Wichita State; Mike Papi, OF, Virginia; Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco
Prep: Alex Jackson, C/RF, Rancho Bernardo HS (San Diego) -- He is one of the smarter hitters in the class -- college or prep -- and has excellent bat speed. Jackson has also shown a willingness to work counts into his favor and hit to opposite field.
Also considered: Nick Gordon, SS, Olympia HS (Orlando); Michael Chavis, 3B, Sprayberry (Georgia) HS
Best power tool
College: A.J. Reed, 1B, Kentucky -- Reed has put up power numbers that have gone unrivaled in all of college baseball, and he uses all of his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame to generate leverage and hit moon shots to right and right-center field.
Also considered: Kyle Schwarber, C/1B, Indiana; Conforto; Fisher
Prep: Jacob Gatewood, SS, Clovis (California) HS -- When Gatewood doesn't open his hips up too early, he's capable of hitting some absolute monster shots from the right side, thanks to a wiry 6-foot-4 frame and loads of strength.
Also considered: Jackson; Braxton Davidson, 1B, TC Roberson (Ashville, North Carolina); Bobby Bradley, OF, Harrison Central HS (Gulfport, Mississippi)
Best run tool
College: Trea Turner, SS, NC State -- No, it's not 80 (on the 20-80 scouting scale) speed anymore, but Turner still moves very well and has shown the ability to steal 30-40 bases a year, assuming he gets on base enough to get the opportunities.
Also considered: Greg Allen, OF, San Diego State; Bobby Boyd, OF, West Virginia
Prep: Jeren Kendall, OF, Holmen (Wisconsin) HS -- There are several plus-plus runners who could go early in 2014, but the Vanderbilt commit moves the best of all of them both on the bases and with excellent range in the outfield.
Also considered: Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville (Georgia) HS; Carl Chester, OF, Lake Brantley HS (Orlando); Derek Hill, Elk Grove HS (California)
Best Throwing Arm
College: Matt Chapman, 3B, Cal-State Fullerton -- Chapman has been clocked up to 96 mph on the mound, and his arm is easily plus-plus at the hot corner.
Also considered: Zimmer; Dylan Davis, OF, Oregon State
Prep: Michael Gettys, OF, Gainesville (Georgia) HS -- Several scouts I spoke with gave Gettys' throwing grade an 80, and he was clocked at 102 mph this summer from the outfield.
Also considered: Gordon; Monte Harrison, OF, Lee's Summit (Missouri) HS
Best defensive outfielder
College: Greg Allen, San Diego State -- Allen doesn't have the best athleticism of the outfielders in this year's class, but he has above-average speed and takes excellent routes, giving him a good chance to be a quality center fielder at the big league level.
Prep: Derek Hill, Elk Grove HS (California) -- In addition to having plus-plus speed, Hill's instincts are better than any other prep outfielder, and if there's such a thing as a lock to stick in center field, it's him.
Best defensive infielder
College: Matt Chapman, 3B, Cal-State Fullerton -- Not only does Chapman have the strongest throwing arm of any infielder in the class, he also has soft hands and can make plays to his left and right despite having below-average speed.
Prep: Milton Ramos, SS, American Heritage School (Miami) -- There are questions about whether or not Ramos will hit enough, but there's no question about his glove as a shortstop with excellent range and footwork.
Boobaby1
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#4. There is no way he goes past number 10, and he only approaches that if top pickers start taking HS players. As far as collegiate, he ranks very, very high.
As of May 12th, he was 9-1 with a 1.75 ERA and get this, (111 strikeouts to just 7 walks).
He spearheaded his team on May 15th in winning the Missouri Valley title and going 10-1, striking out 11, walking 2, and dropping his ERA to 1.62.
His 122 strikeouts rank second in the NCAA, and he has fanned double-digit batters in six of his 13 starts. Giving up just nine walks in 94.2 innings pitched, Freeland's 13.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio also ranks second in the nation. The junior left-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in all but one game this season, while also registering four complete games.
Yeah! I want him.
MRubio52
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I think it'll be Alex Jackson and I will be very, very happy with that pick.
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Even if he doesnt stick to catcher?
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