***Official 2009 Draft Thread**** (1 Viewer)

[Drunken Cowboy]

I suspect Pittsburgh is going to draft somebody they can sign cheap and save money for Sano.

 

[Drunken Cowboy]

Pirates have a deal in place to draft Sanchez.

Link

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Tigers will likely take a High School pitcher and it will most likely be a pitcher at #9 regardless. Jacob Turner (HS) and Aaron Crow (#9 pick last year who didn't sign and is playing independent ball) are the two names I've seen mentioned more than once. Crow might be gone by the time they pick but I'd guess he'd be their guy if he was there.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

From BA:

These eight picks look fairly certain:1. Nationals: San Diego State righthander Stephen Strasburg. 2. Mariners: North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley. 3. Padres: Georgia HS outfielder Donavan Tate. 4. Pirates: Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez.5. Orioles: California HS righthander Matt Hobgood.6. Giants: Georgia HS righthander Zack Wheeler.7. Braves: Vanderbilt lefthander Mike Minor.8. Reds: North Carolina righhander Alex White.The Tigers are deciding whether to spend big (California HS lefthander Tyler Matzek, Missouri HS righty Jacob Turner), smaller (Texas HS righty Shelby Miller) or a little smaller (Arizona State RHP Mike Leake). Stay tuned.

 

[proninja]

Only two posts in here?

I'm somewhat annoyed the M's decided to win some games toward the end of last year and lose the #1 pick to the Nationals - but I've loved everything I've read about Ackley, even if he can't end up playing 2B, and I'm really hoping he's the M's pick assuming hell doesn't freeze over and Strasburg goes #1.

 

[Bogart]

Texas will stick with BPA. Most likely a ton of pitching, mixing prep with college arms. Nolan himself scouted Shelby Miller.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I wonder where Matthew Purke will go? Nats are said to have interest at #10 but this guy is gonna want some big bones. We'll see.

 

[JZilla]

Should have taken Crow again

Get the marbles out of your mouth, Selig

 

[proninja]

:waitingfor27:

 

[JZilla]

There you go Crow, go rot in KC. I'm sure they'll throw you 20 mil

 

[Doctor Detroit]

There you go Crow, go rot in KC. I'm sure they'll throw you 20 mil

Probably not but he might have to pitch in the Independent League again which means bus rides and fat chicks. I'm guessing he'll take less. Tigers took Turner, I like it.

 

[JZilla]

There you go Crow, go rot in KC. I'm sure they'll throw you 20 mil

Probably not but he might have to pitch in the Independent League again which means bus rides and fat chicks. I'm guessing he'll take less. Tigers took Turner, I like it.

In for Independent League

 

[MrPhoenix]

Last Royals draft pick to become an All-Star: OF Ken Harvey, 1999

Oof.

 

[MrPhoenix]

Another high school pitcher for the Cardinals. Thank goodness they have a track record of high school pitchers becoming superstars.

 

[strykerpks]

:waitingfor27:

GL GBJack Z did a helluva job drafting for the Crew the past few years.

From JSOnline

Some players who still might be on the Brewers' draft board when they make the 26th pick of the first round:

PITCHERS

RHP Eric Arnett, Indiana

LHP Garrett Gould, Maize (Kan.) HS



LHP Chad James, Yukon (Okla.) HS

RHP Kyle Heckathorn, Kennesaw (Ga.) State

LHP Andy Oliver, Oklahoma State

LHP James Paxton, Kentucky

RHP Drew Storen, Stanford

POSITION PLAYERS

3B Matt Davidson, Yucaipa (Calif.) HS

OF Brett Jackson, California

OF A.J. Pollock, Notre Dame

OF Jared Mitchell, Louisiana State

C Max Stassi, Yuba City (Calif.) HS

OF Mike Trout, Millville (N.J.) HS

OF LeVon Washington, Buccholz (Fla.) HS

 

[JohnnyU]

First-round selections

Pick Player Team Position School

1 Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals RHP San Diego State University

2 Dustin Ackley Seattle Mariners 1B/OF University of North Carolina

3 Donavan Tate San Diego Padres CF Cartersville High School (GA)

4 Jorge Sanchez Pittsburgh Pirates C Boston College

5 Matt Hobgood Baltimore Orioles RHP Norco High School (CA)

6 Zach Wheeler San Francisco Giants RHP East Paulding HS (GA)

7 Mike Minor Atlanta Braves LHP Vanderbilt University

8 Mike Leake Cincinnati Reds RHP Arizona State University

9 Jacob Turner Detroit Tigers RHP Westminster Christian Academy (MO)

10 Drew Storen Washington Nationals[Compensation 1] RHP Stanford University

11 Tyler Matzek Colorado Rockies LHP Capistrano Valley HS (CA)

12 Aaron Crow Kansas City Royals RHP Fort Worth Cats

13 Grant Green Oakland Athletics SS USC

14 Matt Purke Texas Rangers LHP Klein HS (TX)

15 Alex White Cleveland Indians RHP University of North Carolina

16 Bobby Borchering Arizona Diamondbacks 3B Bishop Verot HS (FL)

17 A.J. Pollock Arizona Diamondbacks[Compensation 2] OF University of Notre Dame

18 Chad James Florida Marlins LHP Yukon HS (OK)

19 Shelby Miller St. Louis Cardinals RHP Brownwood HS (TX)

20 Chad Jenkins Toronto Blue Jays RHP Kennesaw State University

21 Jiovanni Mier Houston Astros SS Bonita HS (CA)

22 Kyle Gibson Minnesota Twins RHP University Of Missouri

23 Jared Mitchell Chicago White Sox OF Louisiana State University

24 Randal Grichuck Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim[Compensation 3] OF Lamar HS (TX)

25 Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim[Compensation 4] OF Millville Senoir HS (NJ)

26 Eric Arnett Milwaukee Brewers RHP Indiana University

27 Nick Franklin Seattle Mariners [Compensation 5] SS Lake Brantley HS (FL)

28 Reymond Fuentes Boston Red Sox OF Fernando Callejo HS (PR)

29 Slade Heathcott New York Yankees[Compensation 6] OF Texas HS (TX)

30 LeVon Washington Tampa Bay Rays 2B Buchholz HS (FL)

31 Brett Jackson Chicago Cubs OF Cal Berkeley

32 Tim Wheeler Colorado Rockies[Compensation 7] OF University Of Sacramento

 

[avoiding injuries]

Hobgood is a 240lb RHP out of HS. I won't pretend to know the first thing about players in this draft, but people over at the Orioles message board aren't too happy about it. This is based upon mock drafts that had him going close to 20th in every one. Not 5th.

Oh well, we'll find out in a few years.

 

[Bogart]

Ranger fans are very happy with Perke at 14 and almost orgasmic with Scheppers at 44. Yes, Scheppers has injury concerns, but in an independent game last night he sat at 95 all night and hit 100 a few times.

 

[rascal]

What a draft by the rockies.

Matzek is better and a more advanced pitcher than Hobgood. I wanted the Rockies to get Hobgood because I didn't think Matzek would drop that far.

Wheeler was one of the safest picks in the draft. He's athletic like you mentioned plus he has a knack for getting on-base. He constantly hustles so you know you are getting a ballplayer with good makeup. Prior to his junior year, the big knock on Wheeler was his lack of power for a corner, but he made strides there this year with 18 home runs. We'll see how he does with the wood bat. Being that he is 6-foot-4, he has some projection as a power hitter.

Brothers was a mid-first round talent, but he dropped in this draft due to his bad mechanics. He's a power arm that could crack the Rockies pen by some point next year. He throws a mid-90s fastball and complements it with a quality slider, an outpitch type. I think he's an impact setup man or closer. The main question is whether he is going to hold up.

 

[rascal]

I'm still incredulous that anyone would even consider handing a pitcher that much money before he's played a single pro game.

The all time winningest number one overall pick - Mike Moore Seattle 1981 - had a career record of 161-176.

The list is truly frightening.

2007 David Price, Rays - The jury is still out, but he looks like a good one.

2006 Luke Hochevar, Royals - Forecasts as a number three MLB SP, at best.

2002 Bryan Bullington, Pirates - Stiff. 33 IP in pieces of three seasons. Now in the Cleveland chain.

1997 Matt Anderson, Tigers - Blessed with a 100 mph fastball, but his pitches lacked any movement, except when some batter turned one around twice as fast the opposite direction. Saved 22 games for the 2001 Tiger club that went 66-96. Last pitched in the Majors in 2005 with Colorado.

1996 Kris Benson, Pirates - 68-73 career record, which makes him elite in this comparison. Last pitched in the Majors in 2006. Still trying to claw his way back into the big leagues, but 90% of the media coverage he gets now centers around his wife.

1994 Paul Wilson, Mets - The Mets rushed him to the Majors in 1996. He started 26 games and got knocked around pretty good. Didn't resurface in the Majors until 2000 with Tampa. Career record of 40-58.

1991 Brien Taylor, Yankees - Signed the largest signing bonus by any draft pick ever. Promptly screwed up his arm in a bar brawl and never pitched in the Majors. Also spells his name funny.

1989 Ben McDonald, Orioles - Another relative success story. 78-70 in his nine year career.

1988 Andy Benes, Padres - 155-139 for five ballclubs in his 14 year Major League career. Unquestionably, the best return on any pitcher selected first overall.

1983 Tim Belcher, Twins - Journeyman starter, who had a pretty solid 14 year career spread over seven organizations. 146-140 in his career.

1981 Mike Moore, Mariners - Mentioned above, his 161 career wins lead all former number one picks. Best described as workmanlike.

1976 Floyd Bannister, Astros - Another journeyman. 134-143 for seven clubs over 15 big league seasons.

1973 David Clyde, Rangers - It took nine years for any team to use the first overall pick on a pitcher before the Rangers selected Kansas City high schooler David Clyde in 1973. Clyde went 18-0 as a senior and he only allowed three earned runs in 148 innings pitched.

The Rangers, on their way to a 57-105 disaster of a season, decided the wisest course of action would be to rush their phenom to the big leagues immediately. Clyde won his pro debut at 18 before the first sellout corwd in Arlington Stadium history. He pitched pretty well in his second start, too. He got knocked around in his final 16 starts and then in 28 starts the following year. He hurt his arm early in 1975 and didn't make it back the big leagues until 1978 with Cleveland. He was done as Major Leaguer after 1979.

You can almost put an asterisk next to his name. Rangers' owner Bob Short essentially sacrificed Clyde's career so he could sell out his stadium a couple times.

 

[Daywalker]

I remember the Mets future of P. Wilson, J. Isringhausen and B. Pulsipher.

 

[pgreenfan]

Ranger fans are very happy with Purke at 14 and almost orgasmic with Scheppers at 44. Yes, Scheppers has injury concerns, but in an independent game last night he sat at 95 all night and hit 100 a few times.

I don't think it could have gone much better for the Rangers than it did. I don't think the Rangers have ever had the number of high end prospects that they do now... Good gracious what is our rotation going to look like in 3-5 years.

 

[=Smackdown=]

I liked both of the Rockies picks in the 1st rd.

For the Mets . . . . I also liked both of their picks so far . . .

LHP Steven Matz at #72 - local kid who can reach 94 mph

SS Robbie Shields at #103

Law had them both ranked much higher than where they were actually drafted.