Moustakas quick profile.

[Eric]

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...p?mc=moustakas
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/new...t=.jsp&c_id=kc

Biographical Data

Player Name: Mike Moustakas
Position: Shortstop/Third baseman
School: Chatsworth HS, Chatsworth, Calif.
School Type: High school
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 06/10/85
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 03/22/07
Game(s): Granada Hills
Scouting Video:

Focus Area

Comments
Hitting Ability: Moustakas can flat-out hit and has potential to hit for average and power.
Power: He's a left-handed hitter with serious power. He homered three times in this game.
Running Speed: Moustakas is a below-average runner.
Arm Strength: Moustakas has an above-average cannon for an arm.
Fielding: He plays shortstop for his high school team, with fellow draft prospect Matt Dominguez at third, but Moustakas profiles as a third baseman in the future. He's not bad around the bag at short currently.
Range: Moustakas has limited range, a reason why he'll probably move to third as a pro.
Physical Description: Moustakas, a one-time catcher, has cleaned up his body quite a bit and is more athletic than he's been in the past as a power-hitting lefty.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: His bat and his arm strength.
Weaknesses: His defensive range.
Summary: While Matt Dominguez gets most of the publicity at Chatsworth HS, Moustakas -- a former Team USA member -- has been just as hot. He made teams pay when they tried to pitch around Dominguez. Both have the chance to be special hitters.

[Chief Chief]

I think it's an awesome pick! Moose (yep, I hereby claim to be the first Royals fan to dub him with that nickname which will resonate around the K everytime he homers) has played at catcher, 3rd base, shortstop, and left field so the Royals can possibly plug 'n' play him basically anywhere on the left side of the field or behind the plate. At least we have a solid power hitter to eventually replace Sweeney when we trade him in July to a playoff contender.

NOTE: The thread post describes his running speed as below average while SI has it at slightly above average.

[HolmeZz]

Originally Posted by Chief Chief

I think it's an awesome pick! Moose (yep, I hereby claim to be the first Royals fan to dub him with that nickname which will resonate around the K everytime he homers) has played at catcher, 3rd base, shortstop, and left field so the Royals can possibly plug 'n' play him basically anywhere on the left side of the field or behind the plate. At least we have a solid power hitter to eventually replace Sweeney when we trade him in July to a playoff contender.

NOTE: The thread post describes his running speed as below average while SI has it at slightly above average.

He's slow. Probably a 1st baseman. Not going to be replacing Gordon with him in the field.

[tyton75]

The SI article makes me feel a little better about him...

[Eric]

http://www.minorleagueball.com/story.../1/14749/53533

Thinking about Mike Moustakas

Baseball America's John Manuel told me on XM Radio this morning that Moustakas has really moved up on the draft boards and is ahead of Josh Vitters for some teams now. Like Vitters a California high school star, Moustakas has a much stronger arm and is a better athlete and potential defender than Vitters, although he lacks speed. Vitters has a bit more present power and plate discipline, but Moustakas is not raw and has plenty of pop himself. He also has the advantage of being a left-handed hitter. He's put up better statistical performance than Vitters this spring, but he's also been healthier, and high school stats are highly problematic in any event.

Personally I think I like Moustakas slightly better than Vitters myself, as I think he'll be easier to fit on the field defensively and should be a highly effective hitter. Signability is an issue given that he's a Boras guy and has a USC scholarship as leverage.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

I think that Moustakas is a Boras client.

Ouch.

Hope they're not looking at a protracted holdout.

[Pitt Gorilla]

The guy also has a 94 mph fastball.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Infidel Goat

I think that Moustakas is a Boras client.

He set both the single season and career home run records in California.

Hard to say it's a bad pick. Not like we just took the 50th best prospect at the two spot.

Of course, I'm still cursing the Royals for sweeping the Tigers at the end of last season. Had we lost any of those games, we'd have been the team picking David Price.

Heard the first rotates between leagues-NL & AL. Not sure. Another junk Mlb rule if true.

[HolmeZz]

Originally Posted by Eric

Heard the first rotates between leagues-NL & AL. Not sure. Another junk Mlb rule if true.

Tampa Bay selected 1st.

[hawkchief]

IMO, if we were going to deal with Boras, we should have taken the RH pitcher Porcello, that's being compared to Josh Beckett. You'd think the Royals would have learned after the past few decades that great pitching is a lot more valuable than Sweeney/Butler type players. Count me as very disappointed.

[Valiant]

With his name he should be playing for the Twins...

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Eric

Heard the first rotates between leagues-NL & AL. Not sure. Another junk Mlb rule if true.

They dropped that rule a couple years ago.

[siberian khatru]

I wonder if he's gonna wind up at catcher.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by hawkchief

IMO, if we were going to deal with Boras, we should have taken the RH pitcher Porcello, that's being compared to Josh Beckett. You'd think the Royals would have learned after the past few decades that great pitching is a lot more valuable than Sweeney/Butler type players. Count me as very disappointed.

Drafting high school players always is risky... but hitters are a slightly better bet than pitchers (remember Colt Griffin). With the way this draft broke down, all of the top high school hitters were better options than any of the college pitchers or hitters (even Wieters).

I like this pick more than reaching for someone like Detwiler.

[tyton75]

As of now at the 18th pick.. Porcello still hasn't been picked

[shakesthecat]

The more I read about this kid, the more I like him.