110 replies to this topic

[ehaz]

In 2010 the Red Sox have the 20th pick in the draft as well as 36th 39th and 57th, four pretty solid spots for a team that won 95 games in the first two rounds.

2010's draft class is known for two things: Bryce Harper, and a shit load of high school pitchers.

Who do you want to see the Red Sox draft in 2010, a year after "Ellsbury lite" and what picks can you see being available around #20?

From a few recent mock drafts (the site is mymlbdraft.com, they've predicted the 2007-2009 with some pretty good success so they have a decent track record) the Sox' first round pick has seen the likes of:

Matt Harvey RHP- Junior UNC
Anthony Ranaudo RHP- Junior LSU
Christian Colon SS- Junior Cal State Fullerton

Matt Harvey was picked in the 4th round a few years ago by LAA but instead went to North Carolina. He was seen as a first rounder but dropped due to sign-ability issues. He and Porcello were known as two great HS RHP in the draft and were often compared to each other because they were from the same general areas and both were hard throwing RHP with commitments to UNC. Harvey disappointed in college in his sophomore year but is pitching well so far this year.

Ranaudo was ranked as the second best draft prospect back in January by Keith Law. He was LSU's ace last year, but so far this year he's missed time with an elbow injury and when he's pitched, he's sucked. A lot. He's been sliding from the top 10 to even past the Sox.

Colon's a shortstop who's been a good college player but lacks stand out "tools" according to MLB's scouting video on him. He's not projected to hit for power, plays solid defense and he's a "born leader and winner according to MLB.

Other players near the Sox' pick seem to be Kaleb Cowart, AJ Cole, Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech ace), Brett Eibner, James Paxton.

Edited by ehaz, 25 May 2010 - 07:18 PM.

[Eric Van]

Here's a consensus top 75 I just put together, based on BA's Top 200 list, Keith Law's Top 100, and John Sickels' Top 50 plus 12 alphabetical extra names. I basically took anyone who was in the top 62 of the first two lists, and weighted BA triple (since theirs is already the consensus of 3 editors, each of whom probably has as much info as Law or Sickels.)

The players BA mentioned as possibly falling to the Sox because of signability are in bold. Right now I'm guessing they're dreaming of Cowart (as a P) and Wilson (headed to Stanford and with off-the-charts smarts and makeup). Colon, BTW, is projected as an MLB 2B, and has a similar skill set to Pedroia.

Sheet1 (3)

Rnk	Name	BA	Sick	KL
1	Bryce Harper, c, JC of Southern Nevada	1	1	1
2	Jameson Taillon, rhp, The Woodlands (Texas) HS	2	2	3
3	Manny Machado, ss, Brito HS, Miami	3	3	2
4	Drew Pomeranz, lhp, Ole Miss	4	4	4
5	Zack Cox, 3b, Arkansas	6	10	6
6	Deck McGuire, rhp, Georgia Tech	7	13	7
7	Josh Sale, of, Bishop Blanchet HS, Seattle	10	6	8
8	Yasmani Grandal, c, Miami	13	5	10
9	Christian Colon, ss, Cal State Fullerton	9	11	19
10	Karsten Whitson, rhp, Chipley (Fla.) HS	15	9	5
11	Stetson Allie, rhp, St. Edward HS, Lakewood, Ohio	8	8	27
12	Dylan Covey, rhp, Maranatha HS, Pasadena, Calif.	18	7	9
13	Kaleb Cowart, 3b/rhp, Cook HS, Adel, Ga.	12	18	16
14	Michael Choice, of, Texas-Arlington	11	16	21
15	Nick Castellanos, 3b, Archbishop McCarthy HS, SW Ranches, Fla.	17	17	13
16	Chris Sale, lhp, Florida Gulf Coast	5	19	47
17	A.J. Cole, rhp, Oviedo (Fla.) HS	16	12	25
18	Brandon Workman, rhp, Texas	19	14	18
19	Matt Harvey, rhp, North Carolina	20	15	22
20	Alex Wimmers, rhp, Ohio State	21	23	15
21	Austin Wilson, of, Harvard-Westlake HS, Los Angeles	27	21	14
22	Gary Brown, of, Cal State Fullerton	14	24	51
23	Bryce Brentz, of, Middle Tennessee State	28	25	11
24	Asher Wojciechowski, rhp, The Citadel	22	28	28
25	Anthony Ranaudo, rhp, Louisiana State	26	26	20
26	Brett Eibner, rhp/of, Arkansas	23	20	37
27	Justin O'Conner, ss/c, Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind.	24	32	34
28	Kolbrin Vitek, 2b, Ball State	25	34	39
29	Jesse Hahn, rhp, Virginia Tech	31	27	33
30	James Paxton, lhp, Grand Prairie (Independent)	38	33	12
31	Yordy Cabrera, ss, Lakeland (Fla.) HS	30	37	43
32	Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Henderson HS, Texas	44	30	23
33	Barret Loux, rhp, Texas A&M	35	36	48
34	Seth Blair, RHP, Arizona State University	34	40	52
35	Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney HS, Texas	29	29	81
36	Chad Bettis, RHP, Texas Tech	33	50	60
37	Jacob Petricka, RHP, Indiana State	40	HM	36
38	Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Barstow HS, California	59	22	17
39	Kelliin Deglan, C, RE Mountain HS, Langley, British Columbia	51	31	32
40	Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka HS, Illinois	45	38	44
41	Jedd Gyorko, ss, West Virginia	39	43	57
42	Kevin Gausman, rhp, Grandview HS, Aurora, Colo.	43	--	38
43	Peter Tago, rhp, Dana Hills HS, Dana Point, Calif.	36	--	71
44	Christian Yelich, 1B/OF, Westlake HS (CA)	52	--	26
45	Delino DeShields Jr, 2B, Woodward Academy, McDonough, Georgia	55	HM	30
46	Ryne Stanek, RHP, Blue Valley HS, Overland Park, Kansas	42	HM	69
47	Kris Bryant, SS/3B, Bonanza HS (NV)	53	--	29
48	Cam Bedrosian, rhp, East Coweta HS, Sharpsburg, Ga.	56	48	40
49	A.J. Vanegas, rhp, Redwood Christian HS, San Lorenzo, Calif.	47	--	58
50	Jarrett Parker, of, Virginia	41	42	--
51	Ryan LeMarre, cf, Virginia	32	--	--
52	Austin Wates, of, Virginia Tech	64	HM	24
53	Chance Ruffin, RHP, University of Texas	57	46	64
54	Kyle Parker, of, Clemson	37	--	--
55	Sammy Solis, lhp, San Diego	49	35	--
56	Mike Kvasnicka, C, University of Minnesota	63	HM	49
57	Drew Vettleson, of, Central Kitsap HS, Silverdale, Wash.	46	HM	--
58	DeAndre Smelter, rhp, Tattnall Square Academy, Macon, Ga.	72	HM	42
59	Garin Cecchini, ss, Barbe HS, Lake Charles, La.	48	--	98
60	Robert Aviles, RHP, Suffren HS, New York	58	HM	85
61	Micah Gibbs, c, Louisiana State	60	--	66
62	Griffin Murphy, lhp, Redlands (Calif.) East Valley HS	62	--	62
63	Jordan Swagerty, rhp, Aeizona State	61	--	67
64	Jason Adam, rhp, Blue Valley Northwest HS, Overland Park, Kan.	54	--	88
65	Perci Garner, rhp, Ball State	50	--	--
66	Hunter Morris, 1b, Auburn	65	47	--
67	Dave Filak, RHP, SUNY-Oneonta	73	--	56
68	Kevin Munson, RHP, James Madison	82	--	54
69	Chevez Clarke, of, Marietta (Ga.) HS	97	41	46
70	Zach Cates, RHP, Northeast Texas JC	79	39	--
71	Scott Frazier, RHP, Upland HS, California	85	HM	92
72	Addison Reed, RHP, San Diego State	83	HM	99
73	Marcus Knecht, OF, Connors State JC	94	44	--
74	Ty Linton, OF, Charlotte Christian (NC)	101	--	61
75	Reggie Golden, OF, Wetumpka HS, Alabama	96	45	--

[TimScribble]

I've heard the main problem with Wilson is that he doesnt have an agent yet and that he will be very hard to sign away from Stanford. I would think the Sox would have the money to take care of that, but Im skeptical he would make it down to them.

[gammoseditor]

In the mock draft over at PG, they indicate that they don't think Cowart will sign unless he's given a legitimate shot to play 3B. Sounds familiar. They have us taking Castellanos at 20 and Cowart going 22 to the Rangers. They also have Colon going four spots after us to the Giants. They don't have Wilson going in the first round.

Law has a mock draft too. He has us taking Cowart, and saying that most teams like him better as a position player. Castellanos and Colon are both not available for us in Law's mock. He also has Wilson not going in the first round.

http://www.perfectga...px?article=4781 (free)


http://insider.espn....tory?id=5214034 (insider only)

[Mugsys Jock]

AOL's MLB site has UNC pitcher, and Connecticut native, Matt Harvey to Sox at #20. Wilson, Cowart, Colon -- all on the board at #20

CODE

20. Red Sox | Matt Harvey (RHP) | North Carolina
This is just one of those perfect fits. Boston likes to pick big arms like Harvey and would pay the price to get him. Harvey has been linked to a number of teams, even high in the first round, but somewhere in the early 20s seems most likely.

AOL Mock Draft

Edited by Mugsys Jock, 26 May 2010 - 06:06 PM.

[SoxScout]

edit: Mugsys, beat me to that one, Heyman pimped it out yesterday.

Edited by SoxScout, 26 May 2010 - 06:06 PM.

[ehaz]

#35 on that list, Zach Lee is another one of those sign-ability guys. Mayo says his arm belongs with the top high school arms: Taillon, Whitson etc. Extremely advanced for a high schooler, the one problem is this.

From MLB:

Scouting Report
Fastball: Lee has touched 95 mph on the gun and generally sits in the 90-92 mph range.

Fastball movement: He has plus movement. Everything he throws has depth to it.

Slider: It's nice and short, a plus breaking ball thrown 79-81 mph.

Changeup: It's Major League average now and projects to be a plus pitch in the future. He's not afraid to throw it when behind in the count.

Control: He's got better command and feel for pitching than you expect a two-sport star to have.

Poise: Shows plus mound presence.

Physical Description: Also a top quarterback recruit, Lee is strong and athletic with a large frame. He's more developed in the lower half, and there's room for growth in his upper body.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Excellent athleticism to go along with great feel for pitching. Three above-average to plus pitches he can thrown for strikes.

Weaknesses: As an elite football recruit with a commitment to play two sports at LSU, some think he's unsignable.

Edited by ehaz, 26 May 2010 - 07:39 PM.

[mabrowndog]

Theo was scouting some top talent yesterday in Chillicothe, Ohio:

The 2010 MAC Tournament kicked off in grand form. Not only were two great teams who were separated by just one game squaring off, the game which started bright and early at 9 AM was taken in by a special visitor. In many circles Ball State junior Kolbrin Vitek is the conference’s number one prospect and expected first round draft pick. That sentiment was cemented today in a big way. Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Boston Red Sox Theo Epstein was on hand to take in the Bowling Green-Ball State contest to get a close and personal look on the MAC Player of the Year.

As noted in the chart posted upthread by EV, Vitek's a second baseman but he's also an RHSP (here's his BSU player page). This season he put up a .368/.452/.713/1.165 line with 17 HR and a 36/32 K/BB in 263 PA. He worked from the mound in 15 games (13 starts, 2/2 in save opps), logging a 3.27 ERA, 72 H, 57 K and 20 BB (2.85 K/BB) in 74.1 IP, and holding batters to a .255/.331/.340/.671 line. Notable for a guy who's displayed such great control were the 12 batters he hit (one per 6.20 IP). He only threw one wild pitch, which indicates he's unafraid to exert ownership of the inside half of the plate. Granted he's not really being viewed as a top-tier pitching prospect, but it says a ton about his attitude.

He's a lot bigger than Pedroia (6-3, 195) and seems to profile more as a 3B long term. From Pat Hickey's recent scouting report:

Baseball America's Jim Callis tweeted a week and a half ago that the Padres, who have the ninth selection this year, are very high on Ball State second baseman/third baseman Kolbrin Vitek -- high enough that they could be willing to take him with their first pick.

Undrafted out of high school, Kolbrin Vitek burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore at Ball State University, hitting .389/.465/.736 and swiping 17 bases. He also showed promise as a pitcher, where he utilized a low-90's fastball on the mound. It is, however, his bat that will propel him to being selected in the first couple of rounds in 2010. In a draft class light on college bats, Vitek stands out with an intriguing power/speed combination. Vitek has a lean, athletic frame with good body control and flexibility. The biggest thing that stands out about him are his hands. Not only are they lightning quick, but he also understands how they work and uses them to his advantage. Vitek shows excellent balance through contact and rotates his hips well with a strong front side. His swing plane is fairly level, but he does get good lateral tilt and uses the entire field for easy plus power potential. Vitek has plenty of bat speed and extends well through the zone. Last summer at the Great Lakes League All-Star Game, Vitek ran a 6.6-second 60-yard dash. In 2009, he was 17 for 26 on the base paths, but has improved to 13 for 16 so far this year. Defensively, I think the consensus is that he profiles best at third base. He's got the arm strength, but he will need the repetitions to improve footwork and understanding of the position. As a second baseman this year, Vitek has shown he has the hands and agility to make plays to both sides of him. As good of an athlete as he is, he shouldn't have trouble developing into a serviceable to above average third baseman.

Pat also makes the following observation (and a valid one, IMO) regarding players from smaller schools and mid-majors:

A lot of times, these players don't see the same level of competition that players in the SEC and ACC face day in and day out. While there certainly is no denying that, I think one thing that is overlooked with position players is the lack of protection that hitters of the caliber like Vitek get in a line-up. I covered Indiana University baseball this spring, and I asked Coach Tracy Smith what their approach was going to be against him. Obviously, he said they weren't going to give him anything good to hit. Sure enough, Vitek ended up going 2-5 with a double and a home run.

BSU video feature:


CB360 interview:


2/19/2010 @ Arkansas


5/12/2010 vs Ohio State


Another short video here.

Hard not to like his eye, his swing mechanics, and how he carries himself. Definitely appears to fit the Epstein mold.

Edited by mabrowndog, 27 May 2010 - 08:12 AM.

[Eric Van]

I've heard the main problem with Wilson is that he doesnt have an agent yet and that he will be very hard to sign away from Stanford. I would think the Sox would have the money to take care of that, but Im skeptical he would make it down to them.

Oh, I was thinking that he would last out the first round for exactly that reason, and that he could be a target with any of their later picks.

Here's a rundown of guys they signed who fell significantly based on their BA rankings because of signability. The last column gives the signing bonus according to that year's slot recommendations. Note that BA later acknowledged that they had Westmoreland way too low at 113; you can argue that he belongs second on the list after Lars (except for the fact that a lot of teams were probably unaware of just how good he was) .

Over Slot Fallers

Name	BA	Drafted	Diff	Ratio	$
Anderson, Lars	41	553	512	13.5	41
Younginer, Madison	45	228	183	5.1	31
Middlebrooks, Wil	36	174	138	4.8	31
Parthemore, Renny	150	558	408	3.7	164
Hansen, Craig	8	26	18	3.3	2
Volz, Kendal	92	288	196	3.1	66
Kalish, Ryan	95	283	188	3.0	60
Bailey, Austin	176	504	328	2.9	108
Weeden, Ty	196	493	297	2.5	91
Rozier, Mike	174	365	191	2.1	17
Bard, Daniel	15	28	13	1.9	18
Renfroe, David	67	107	40	1.6	24
Kelly, Casey	19	30	11	1.6	3
Westmoreland, Ryan	113	174	61	1.5	11
Keowen, Kade	196	294	98	1.5	184
Mailman, David	171	234	63	1.4	58
Federowicz, Tim	169	232	63	1.4	177

Casey Kelly was a bit better regarded than Wilson and went at 30; WMB was a bit less well-liked and lasted till the 5th round. So it's hard to say where Wilson will go.

[ehaz]

Theo was scouting some top talent yesterday in Chillicothe, Ohio:
As noted in the chart posted upthread by EV, Vitek's a second baseman but he's also an RHSP (here's his BSU player page). This season he put up a .368/.452/.713/1.165 line with 17 HR and a 36/32 K/BB in 263 PA. He worked from the mound in 15 games (13 starts, 2/2 in save opps), logging a 3.27 ERA, 72 H, 57 K and 20 BB (2.85 K/BB) in 74.1 IP, and holding batters to a .255/.331/.340/.671 line. Notable for a guy who's displayed such great control were the 12 batters he hit (one per 6.20 IP). He only threw one wild pitch, which indicates he's unafraid to exert ownership of the inside half of the plate. Granted he's not really being viewed as a top-tier pitching prospect, but it says a ton about his attitude.
Hard not to like his eye, his swing mechanics, and how he carries himself. Definitely appears to fit the Epstein mold.

Oh yeah I would love to have Vitek at number 20... the problem is that many believe he'll be picked before 20. Jim Callis was asked on ask BA to compare Vitek and Zach Cox, another college bat, possibly the best, and Callis said they were both very similar as they were both the two best college pure hitters in the draft. Callis considered Choice to have more power, but Cox and Vitek to be better overall hitters. Also, I think I've heard more about Vitek going to the outfield than 3rd base.

EDIT: Here it is:

Ryan Hall (Abingdon, MD): I know that one hits right handed and the other left handed, but how would compare Zack Cox and Kolbrin Vitek as hitters?

Jim Callis: Very similar. Very good pure hitters, average power, also plus arms on defense. Cox has a better chance to play 3B than Vitek, who becomes an OF, maybe a CF.

Edited by ehaz, 27 May 2010 - 03:29 PM.

[someoneanywhere]

AOL's MLB site has UNC pitcher, and Connecticut native, Matt Harvey to Sox at #20. Wilson, Cowart, Colon -- all on the board at #20

CODE

20. Red Sox | Matt Harvey (RHP) | North Carolina
This is just one of those perfect fits. Boston likes to pick big arms like Harvey and would pay the price to get him. Harvey has been linked to a number of teams, even high in the first round, but somewhere in the early 20s seems most likely.

AOL Mock Draft

I saw him here, against Clemson, about a month ago -- a complete game, in fact. Unconscionably, he was left in to throw about 160 pitches in that one, somewhat (as I heard) to the displeasure of Harvey's father. It was abusive, even if it was a Carolina win.

But that only makes the point: Harvey is bulldoggish in the Lackey mode; whatever his father might have thought about it, Harvey himself seemed to have no problem going out there, and even wanted to finish, even though he was well over 100 pitches by the 7th. And he got a bunch of Ks looking all night, which is tough to do against a free-swinging Clemson club.

He was throwing as hard or harder in the 9th as he was in the 1st.

[ehaz]

Yeah Harvey's really turned it around... he straight up sucked last year but 3.10 ERA, 9.3K/9 this year

[gammoseditor]

Kevin Goldstein offered some opinions on the draft in today's chat:

Neil (NJ): Ruben Amaro reportedly visited with Austin Wilson's family. Where there's smoke there's...?

Kevin Goldstein: Where's there are giant tools guys, there is Phillies interest.

Colin (Chicago): Do you see the Cubs going with a guy like Kolbrin Vitek if he's available? What kind of player is he projected to be?

Kevin Goldstein: I think he's among the most over-rated players in the draft, putting up big numbers at a small school in a hitters park. Not a lot of tools, and not much to offer defensively at any position.

Rob (Alaska): Kind of curious about Ranaudo. Does he climb back into the top 10 or do the money/medical/etc. questions drop him into the hands of the Red Sox/Yankees or similar? Any chance the Rays would roll the dice on him at 17?

Kevin Goldstein: After Wednesday's outing, everyone is curious about him again, I don't think he gets into top 10, but I do think he might get into the teens and therefore NOT fall in a late picking team's lap.

There's some more draft stuff, but nothing that could be related to the Sox. I wonder if Ranuado could be this year's Kyle Gibson.

[E5 Yaz]

There's some more draft stuff, but nothing that could be related to the Sox. I wonder if Ranuado could be this year's Kyle Gibson.

Jim Callis has Ranaudo to the Red Sox in his mock draft

http://www.baseballa...g/draft/?p=2199

[shoosh77]

Interesting site to monitor, just because of the number of rounds they project/mock for:

http://www.draftsite...ndex.php?page=1

[Butch Hobsons elbo chips]

MATT SZCZUR - Villanova Catcher/Outfielder/Football All-American/LIFESAVING HERO

After the Red Sox draft him this year, the Patriots can take him next year....LOL

The following is courtesy of ED from VUHoops.com....
The Courier Post reports that Villanova’s “Matt Szczur may quit football if he is drafted by Major League Baseball. Szczur led the Big East Conference in batting average (.443) and triples (seven). He led Villanova (29-23) with 77 hits, 39 RBIs, a .667 slugging percentage, a .487 on-base percentage and was second with 40 runs in 39 games this season. [Editor’s Note: This despite missing ten games as a bone marrow donor.] “The right fielder’s statistics have caught the attention of MLB scouts, which means Szczur could be a high pick in the June 7-9 First-Year Player Draft. Said Szczur, “Scouts are saying that if I focused on baseball the whole year, the sky is the limit. A lot of guys are looking at a lot of potential in me because I only played baseball four months out of the year. I could get drafted pretty high and maybe say goodbye to football. I love football, but baseball could be a longer career. I could stay a little bit healthier on the baseball field than football. The draft is June 7, and I’m excited for it.”

Baseball Draft Report picks Szczur as the fifth best catcher prospect in the draft saying “Szczur’s scouting credentials include the following: really impressive hit tool, good speed (not just good for a catcher, either), plus arm, plus athleticism, rapidly emerging power, championship pedigree, worthwhile positional versatility (3B and corner OF collegiate experience, above-average at all three spots), and, as a long-time two-sport star conditioned to split his training two ways since junior high, vast untapped potential on the diamond. I won’t profess to know Szczur’s ultimate upside as a ballplayer, but I have a hard time watching him play and seeing anything but a young man on the cusp of a long big league career.”

Szczur, 20, actually missed some of the baseball season because he donated bone marrow to a 19-month old girl with leukemia earlier this month. The initial procedure was scheduled for Dec. 16, 2009, but was pushed back.
Approximately 20 million people around the world are registered as potential marrow donors, but only about 250 matches are found each year, making it a 1-in-80,000 chance that a registered donor will be a match. Szczur was thrilled to be one.
"It was unbelievable to finally do it, just because it was postponed two times," Szczur said of the procedure, which was performed at Hahnemann Hospital. "I wanted to get it over with. I wanted to try to help this little girl as fast as I could. I don't know why it was postponed or delayed. I can't wait to hear some results, hopefully.
"I missed about four weeks in baseball because I had to have recovery time after the procedure and get my spleen back to a normal size. Nobody on the team gave me a hard time. They kind of accepted it because it was a great thing to do."
Szczur is thankful for the support he received all season from his coaches and teammates.

[Bigpupp]

Just curious what the people smarter than me thought of HS RHP Stetson Allie....

Baseball America has him listed as the 8th best prospect who tops out at 98-99 with a hard slider, yet they (and many other mock drafts I've seen) don't have him being drafted until the mid 20 range.

Injury history, sign-ability problem, or anything else am I missing here?

[cwright]

Anyone have an opinion on Amherst LHP Kevin Ziomek? This site (referenced above) has him going #127 overall, which strikes me as too early. Obviously I'm rooting for the local kid, though. Low 90s fastball, good breaking pitch (curve or slider?), and I've been impressed with his poise as a HSer.

(It's about 99.9% certain he'll go to college, though, so it's probably a moot point.)

[Eric Van]

Just curious what the people smarter than me thought of HS RHP Stetson Allie....

Baseball America has him listed as the 8th best prospect who tops out at 98-99 with a hard slider, yet they (and many other mock drafts I've seen) don't have him being drafted until the mid 20 range.

Injury history, sign-ability problem, or anything else am I missing here?

In Callis's mock draft, the second HS pitcher doesn't go until the Cubs take Karsten Whitson at 16 (Whitson and Allie are ranked 10 and 11 in my consensus rankings). So the initial slide is due to drafting team's needs in terms of position and timetable, especially the White Sox and Brewers targeting college pitchers.

Callis thinks Allie could go 18 to the Angels, and after that he and other HS pitchers again appear to slide because of positional / timetable preferences. He has Allie ultimately going 26 to the Rockies.

With this year's draft, it looks like HS pitchers can slide if they're not good enough to go in the first 5-10 picks, because the teams in the middle of the first round will be looking for quick-fix college talent to turn them into contenders. But this has not been the case in the past. Last year there were 7 HS P taken in the first 19 picks and the next 2 were 40 and 53 before there was another run on them starting at 65. Two years ago there was only 1 HS P in the first 27, at 15.

[TimScribble]

Almost every mock draft is showing Ranaudo for the Red Sox. I know this could be a case of everyone copying off of each other and that most mock drafts are unable to truly predict the Red Sox and their picks.

So what's the overall thought/consensus on Ranaudo? I know everyone was big on him last year, but due to the elbow injury, his stock has dropped.

Edited by TimScribble, 01 June 2010 - 01:07 PM.

[Bigpupp]

Almost every mock draft is showing Ranaudo for the Red Sox. I know this could be a case of everyone copying off of each other and that most mock drafts are unable to truly predict the Red Sox and their picks.

So what's the overall thought/consensus on Ranaudo? I know everyone was big on him last year, but due to the elbow injury, his stock has dropped.

This isn't really answering your question, but given the fact that we passed on Tanner Scheppers when he was still on the board with our first pick last year it really makes me question the theory that the Sox don't shy away from arm problems. I realize that Scheppers injury was a bit more serious, but there still is a cause for concern with Ranaudo and I think there will be too many good players available for Theo to risk the number 20 pick with him.

[TimScribble]

I guess that's my biggest concern or question about him. I think there are too many question marks around him for Boston to take him at 20. But of course they have more scouts with more knowledge of his issues, so they might see it as not as big of a deal.

[ehaz]

Just curious what the people smarter than me thought of HS RHP Stetson Allie....

Baseball America has him listed as the 8th best prospect who tops out at 98-99 with a hard slider, yet they (and many other mock drafts I've seen) don't have him being drafted until the mid 20 range.

Injury history, sign-ability problem, or anything else am I missing here?

Problem with Allie is that he has awful control. He actually couldn't for the life of him hit his locations for a while. Also, scouts say he can't maintain his velocity deep into his starts, so he'd probably pan out as a reliever. This being said he's been a lot better lately and has been rising up draft boards.

Edited by ehaz, 01 June 2010 - 02:38 PM.

[SoxScout]

SoxProspects put together a predraft report of players that have been linked to the Sox through the media: http://news.soxprosp....linked-to.html

Their daily predraft reports have been phenomenal.

---

It's pretty safe to say that Sean Coyle experienced one of the best days of his life yesterday. Not many high school baseball players can say they were nationally honored and hit some balls over the Green Monster at Fenway Park on the same day.

The Germantown Academy senior was named the 2009-10 Gatorade Pennsylvania Baseball Player of the Year yesterday. After receiving the news, Coyle took a trip to Boston to work out for the Red Sox.

The 5-9 shortstop helped guide the Patriots to a 29-3 record and the Pennsylvania Independent Schools state championship. Entering the playoffs, Germantown Academy was ranked No. 20 nationally by Baseball America. Coyle batted .529 to go with his school single-season record 13 home runs, 50 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 20 attempts.

With the MLB draft starting Monday, the Red Sox brought in Coyle despite his signing with North Carolina. At the workout, he ran the 60-yard dash in 6.49 seconds. He also hit three balls over the Green Monster in batting practice. He is also scheduled to work out for the Phillies on Saturday.

"It was a lot of fun," Coyle said of the workout. "It's such an historic ballpark and to be there knowing that most of the game's greats have played on the same field was special."

Many experts say that Coyle is a second- or third-round type player but if he were 6 feet tall, he would be a solid first-round pick. His combination of speed and power has some making comparisons to Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

http://www.philly.co...er_of_year.html

Edited by SoxScout, 03 June 2010 - 07:38 AM.

[gammoseditor]

Keith Law's latest update had this on the Sox:

• The Red Sox have heavy interest in Harvey or Anthony Ranaudo at No. 20 if either falls to them, and I've heard that both the Sox and the Blue Jays are all over Mel Rojas Jr. in the supplemental round. Both clubs are expected (by agents and other teams' scouts and executives) to be among the highest overall spenders in this year's draft. I've also heard that the Red Sox have interest in pitcher Tyrell Jenkins.

http://insider.espn....m...&id=5245078

[Cy Jung]

Law also mentions (not specifically in reference to the Sox) that Zach Lee is now thought to be signable. I wonder whether there's any interest.

Signed to play quarterback at LSU, Lee has some projection and a promising mix of pitches. He might be attractive in a way similar to Casey Kelly.

[foulkehampshire]

nm, wrong thread

Edited by foulkehampshire, 03 June 2010 - 01:18 PM.

[Metrician]

he ran the 60-yard dash in 6.49 seconds.

Coyle must really move well for a stocky kid. Ellsbury was 6.55 at OSU according to BA. Likely a very tough sign, but we'll see what happens 3-8r.

[InsideTheParker]

Anyone have an opinion on Amherst LHP Kevin Ziomek? This site (referenced above) has him going #127 overall, which strikes me as too early. Obviously I'm rooting for the local kid, though. Low 90s fastball, good breaking pitch (curve or slider?), and I've been impressed with his poise as a HSer.

(It's about 99.9% certain he'll go to college, though, so it's probably a moot point.)

This article has info about Ziomek's family history, offer from Vandy's baseball program, and his being scouted by RS scout Ray Fagnant.

Ziomek is projected by most drafting services to be selected in the third round of the Major league Baseball draft next Monday through Wednesday. Perfect Game USA has Ziomek ranked 99th of the top 300 prospects, which includes college players, and 40th for his high school class.

David Price of the Rays has called him to advise going to Vanderbilt, which I bet he will do.

[ehaz]

Almost everyone (Law, Callis, Pilierre, Seiler) has Ranuado or Cowart going to the Sox at #20... Who'd you rather have and why?

[SoxScout]

Sickels Final Mock:

20) Red Sox: Matt Harvey, RHP, University of North Carolina: The Red Sox have been linked with numerous players, including Anthony Ranaudo, Austin Wilson, Kaleb Cowart, and Nick Castellanos. But Harvey's arm is outstanding, he's been much better than Ranaudo this year, and he went to high school in Connecticut. The Red Sox also drafted an erratic Tar Heel with a great arm before (Daniel Bard) with good results.

Falling out of the first round: Kaleb Cowart and Austin Wilson due to signability, Anthony Ranaudo due to injury concerns.

http://www.minorleag...inal-mock-draft

I would still take Ranaudo over any of them.

Harvey pitches tonight at 7 against California, Ranaudo will probably pitch vs UCLA at 8 on Saturday.

Edited by SoxScout, 04 June 2010 - 11:33 AM.

[Metrician]

falling out...Kaleb Cowart and Austin Wilson due to signability,

Great news. Let them fall. Hopefully Theo can get two (not necessarily the above) in 5-12r paying over slot $$.

[ehaz]

Here's something interesting. This recent mock draft has Yasmani Grandal falling all the way to the Red Sox at #20. I would normally just write this off as just another mock draft but BP's Kevin Goldstein is pretty well respected for amateur mock drafts. It'll be interesting to see if he drops this far. He thinks that Grandal will require more cash than most teams are willing to give him, and that the Sox would be a great fit.

With Grandal floating the big price tag, he becomes a big wild card this late. The Mets at No. 7 had shown some interest, but they're unlikely to spend big, and while teams like the Reds (12), Brewers (14), and Rays (17) could call the bluff, the Red Sox just make too much sense here, especially with Ranaudo off the board. While they won't meet Grandal's initial price, they will go over slot, and they've been a fan for years, drafting him out of high school three years ago.

Front Office Fans agrees with Goldstein too.

As Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein pointed out, this one just makes a lot of sense. Grandal fits a big organizational need for the Red Sox, and while his talent has pushed him into conversations for the top-10 picks, his expected price tag has knocked him down far enough to where the Red Sox may be able to get their hands on him.

Edited by ehaz, 04 June 2010 - 04:40 PM.

[Bigpupp]

Here's something interesting. This recent mock draft has Yasmani Grandal falling all the way to the Red Sox at #20. I would normally just write this off as just another mock draft but BP's Kevin Goldstein is pretty well respected for amateur mock drafts. It'll be interesting to see if he drops this far. He thinks that Grandal will require more cash than most teams are willing to give him, and that the Sox would be a great fit.

Front Office Fans agrees with Goldstein too.

I think the comment about being a position of need is a throw away comment, really. The Sox have quite a few interesting catchers in the minors that would be closer to the bigs than this kid anyway....Doesn't mean they wouldn't draft him, but being an "organizational need" isn't one of them.

My question, though....Does Grandal have the arm to be considered a top prospect, or is he just the best catcher (second, if you think Harper will remain a catcher) in the draft?

Edited by Bigpupp, 04 June 2010 - 05:38 PM.

[ehaz]

My question, though....Does Grandal have the arm to be considered a top prospect, or is he just the best catcher (second, if you think Harper will remain a catcher) in the draft?

When Grandal was first drafted by the Sox in 2007, he was known as one of if not the best defensive prep catchers in the draft. The question was whether or not he would hit. In Miami, it looks like he's definitely proven he can hit posting a ridiculous 428/.552/.759 in the ACC. Grandal's always been a defense first kind of guy and he's even said himself that he "always put's defense ahead of hitting". His best defensive asset is actually his arm.

Edited by ehaz, 04 June 2010 - 05:59 PM.

[Bigpupp]

When Grandal was first drafted by the Sox in 2007, he was known as one of if not the best defensive prep catchers in the draft. The question was whether or not he would hit. In Miami, it looks like he's definitely proven he can hit posting a ridiculous 428/.552/.759 in the ACC. Grandal's always been a defense first kind of guy and he's even said himself that he "always put's defense ahead of hitting". His best defensive asset is actually his arm.

I apologize if I'm mistaken. I was basing this thought on the BA write up of him that says:

His throwing arm is his biggest concern, as some scouts have seen more 2.1-second pop times (below-average) than would be expected of a top draft pick.

[ehaz]

I apologize if I'm mistaken. I was basing this thought on the BA write up of him that says:

I don't know what to make of it, maybe his times are slow but he's just so accurate that it doesn't matter.

As good as Grandal has been offensively, he's been even better on defense, according to UM coach Jim Morris.

"He changes game plans because people can't run and they don't try to run off of him," Morris said.

Said Keith Law, ESPN's baseball draft analyst who served as 4 1/2 years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a scout and assistant to the general manager: "The one thing everybody agrees on is that he's an advanced defensive catcher. He can throw and he can call his own game, which very few of these kids can do."

From Keith Law's list of Top 20 Major League Ready Prospects for 2010:

8) Yasmani Grandal, Miami, C - A switch hitting catcher with power and defense could rip through minors

Edited by ehaz, 04 June 2010 - 06:27 PM.

[shoosh77]

Cowart is the pick in the latest PerfectGame mock:

http://www.perfectga...px?Article=4812

[SoxScout]

6i, 4h, 2r, 3b, 9k for Harvey tonight

[Danny_Darwin]

Scratch Grandal off the list?

http://www.kansascit...als-likely.html

[Eric Van]

Looking at the various mock drafts, we can get the list of players who have been linked to the Sox in rumors, are clearly good enough to be picked at 20 but might last longer.

Two look like prime candidates, two are longshots, and two more might slide to a sandwich or later pick.

Nick Castellanos -- going 9 (BP), 14 (BA), and 17 (PerfetctGame) but KLaw has him sliding to 24 and Sickels 32.

Anthony Ranaudo -- BA and Law's guess for us could go as high as 12 (PG) or 14 (BP) or slide right out of the round (Sickels).

Matt Harvey -- BA, Law, and BP had him going 6-7 but KC taking Grandal at 4 might cause him to slide -- but only Sickels has him lasting to 20.

Kolbrin Vitek -- again, only Sickels thinks he'll still be on the board at 20.

Kaleb Cowart -- BP has him at 27 and PG at 20, but the consensus is that signability will cause him to slide. Keep an eye out for him as a later pick.

Austin Wilson -- very similar, with BP having him at 17 and PG at 18 and everyone else having him slide.

Finally, BA mention Brandon Workman (consensus 22-25), Bryce Brentz (22-27), and Brett Eibner (opinions vary from 13 to sliding) as guys the Sox might be interested in.

[ehaz]

I like Harvey, Ranaudo, Castellanos in that order. I feel like even with the past struggles, Harvey's proven this year he's the real deal, best fastball in the draft. Ranaudo's track record and great potential is too much to pass up on, we got picks at 36, 39 in a draft that doesn't show that big of a discrepancy in talent between picks #20-40. I can totally see many of the superior prep players sliding due to sign-ability, so why not draft Ranaudo? You can take risks like that, for a pick with top 10 talent, when you still have the potential to land two late first rounders in compensation picks.

[SoxScout]

Ranaudo is pitching on espn3.com at 9

[Rough Carrigan]

Ranaudo is pitching on espn3.com at 9

Terrible camera angle, worse (even more out toward shortstop) than usual. He seems to have a nice delivery at first glance. Announcers said he sat at 92-94

[ehaz]

Terrible camera angle, worse (even more out toward shortstop) than usual. He seems to have a nice delivery at first glance. Announcers said he sat at 92-94

Yeah they talked a lot about the consistency of his curveball too, echoing what a lot of scouts had said. He's thrown one or two good ones so far.

[SoxScout]

Gammo bust out 2800 words on the draft: http://mlb.mlb.com/n...0...sp&c_id=mlb

[SoxScout]

Ranaudo curves are basically a repeating cycle of: good, bad, slipped, missed by ump

[OCD SS]

Great news. Let them fall. Hopefully Theo can get two (not necessarily the above) in 5-12r paying over slot $$.

The surprise of last year's draft was that guys didn't really fall that far. The biggest slide was Max Ramirez Stassi and he only made it to Oakland in the early 4th round. Signability guys seem to go at the end of the first day and the new draft structure means that teams are starting to grab those guys by the 3rd round. The progression has been to from Lars and Reddick who feel into the mid-teens, to Middlebrooks who went in the 5th round during the first TV draft, to Renfroe who went in the 3rd last year. I'd like to see the Sox snap these guys up in the supplemental rounds, $ be damned. I'm sick of seeing talent like Grandal fall to the Sox only to have them wind up going in the top of the draft 3 yrs later when they can't agree on the price.

Edit: Temple caught me napping and/ or hallucinating.

Edited by OCD SS, 06 June 2010 - 09:33 AM.

[SoxScout]

Ranaudo is at 108 pitches through 5, too bad because he has pretty much settled down. If he pitches the 6th they are going over his pitch limit they set before the game.

He has 8 Ks, his change has looked pretty good too but he hardly ever uses it.

Not the best performance, but if he is there at #20 I probably still take him and shut him down.

Edited by SoxScout, 05 June 2010 - 10:22 PM.

[ehaz]

He's had a weird game. Struggled, but still was able to miss a lot of bats. When he was on the corners and he was throwing his curve well, he was unhittable. He gave up a few walks and got hit hard when his pitches were up in the strike zone, but it's easy to notice his great potential.

Edited by ehaz, 05 June 2010 - 10:36 PM.