2015 MLB draft

[Al Bundy]

Official thread for this.

[Saul Good]

Damn...

[Anyong Bluth]

'Instant analysis' on Watson:

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Now there's a team that can sign Daz.

Great picks. Go Astros!

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

Now there's a team that can sign Daz.

Great picks. Go Astros!

Astros keep winning the draft.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I'm sure all of you have properly evaluated video of all of these kids and can give valuable insight.

I can on Jon Harris, Matt Hall, and Tate Mathney.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

Now there's a team that can sign Daz.

Great picks. Go Astros!

Are they going to keep following the Cardinal roots and keep building through the draft or start going crazy and trading all that young talent?

[KChiefs1]

Another pitcher at 64?

[alnorth]

2nd round pick: College RHP

[alnorth]

He throws 100, probably a power reliever, not a starter

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by alnorth

2nd round pick: College RHP

Josh Staumont, RHP, Azusa Pacific: Junior, another impressive power arm, mid/upper-90s and has a power breaking ball. Also has command issues and results don’t always match stuff, 3.67 ERA with 109/54 K/BB in 69 innings, 36 hits. TT: Third round, but could go higher; coaches would have to love getting a hold of this arm.

Another interesting one is Division II pitcher Josh Staumont of Azusa Pacific, who features on of the easiest and hardest thrown fastballs, but whose command has been severly lacking. Who gambles on his upside?


51.San Diego Padres - Josh Staumont RHP Azusa Pacific
San Diego GM A.J. Preller comes from Texas and the Rangers were all about taking big risks with early picks. Staumont has big velocity, hitting 101 but the command has been troubling: 54 walks in 68 innings. He has been linked to a lot of teams early. He could start because of size and delivery but I would bet against it his command is one of the worst of any college pitcher with an early grade and he doesn’t have a usable third pitch.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

54 walks in 69 innings. Holy ****. Saying he has command issues is being nice

[KChiefs1]

Josh Staumont:

Summary

Josh Staumont is a well built 6'2" with simple mechanics and a fastball that touches 100 MPH. Josh Staumont is a projected second-to-third round pick. Those two statements seem to clash, but Staumont is a good example of why stuff isn't all that matters when evaluating pitching prospects. In the case of Staumont, his present command is not capable of carrying his plus stuff, which has limited his success as a college pitcher. However, some major league teams will see a live, talented arm that they can sculpt into a star hurler.

Mechanically, Staumont is in pretty good shape. He employs a very upright delivery with minimal lower body involvement. He generates the majority of his velocity with plus arm speed- his mechanics are somewhat similar to those of Jon Gray when he was at Oklahoma. Staumont's arm action leaves a little bit to be desired, but it is not a huge red flag. He could get his arm set earlier, but timing in the cocking phase of his delivery doesn't seem to be the source of his problems.


Staumont sits 94-97 with his fastball, touching as high as 100 MPH- keep in mind he is a starting pitcher, his velocity could be considered plus-plus. He also shows a good curveball with some swing and miss potential- a sharp 11-5 breaker that gives him a legitimate second offering but lacks depth sometimes. He also shows a split change on occasion, but in game action he rarely strays from his fastball/curveball combination.

Staumont's biggest issue is his command, which is very suspect at this point. He has a tendency to overthrow, losing pitches down and to the glove side, and has trouble commanding pitches to the lower arm side. He lives up and in and down and away to RHBs, but often catches too much of the plate. DII competition hasn't capitalized much on these flaws since most hitters at his level can't catch up to his velocity, but his extremely high walk rate (48 BB in 63.1 IP) backs up the command concerns that his game film raises; just as his 100 strikeouts in the same number of frames indicate just how good his stuff really is.

A tough evaluation, Staumont has a very wide range of potential outcomes as a prospect. The development of his command could determine whether he starts or relieves, or even whether he is a setup man or closer. Due to his high talent level and relatively clean mechanics, a team is likely to fall in love with Staumont and make him a top 100 pick to bring along slowly.

MLB Projection

I see Staumont as a reliever in the long term, but one with closer potential.

Projected Draft Round

I expect Staumont to be drafted in the third round, but could go as high as the supplemental round if a team falls in love with talent.

[KChiefs1]

Royals area scout Mike Farrell, whose territory includes Indiana, was a busy man this spring

The Royals made rival right-handed pitchers from Indianapolis — Ashe Russell and Nolan Watson — their first two selections in the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday.

Russell, who played for Cathedral High, was selected 21st overall. Watson, from North Lawrence High, was selected 33rd.

North Lawrence defeated Cathedral 5-3 for the state sectional championship in May, although neither Royals draft selection pitched in that game.


“We were trying to get as much quality pitching as possible,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “As far as being from the same area, that’s coincidental, but Mike Farrell does a terrific job.”

Russell, a 6-4, 205-pounder went 5-1 with a 1.05 ERA. In 41 innings, Russell struck out 67 and walked nine. He was chosen the Indiana Gatorade player of the year in 2014 and 2015.

Russell committed to Texas A&M. His fastball sits at 92-95 mph and he has a biting slider, according to scouts.

“I try to work at a fast tempo, control the game at my own pace,” Russell said. “I have a low, three-quarters delivery.


“What the scouts like most is my slider. It’s a good swing-and-miss pitch.”

The slot for the 21st selection is a bonus for $2,184,200. Russell said he’ll discuss the signing with his family but sounded as if he’s ready to become a pro.

“It’s going to come down to a family decision and money,” Russell said. “I’m ready to play baseball at this point. I’m happy to say it’s with the Royals.”

The 6-2, 200-pound Watson went 6-1 with a 0.68 ERA in 51 2/3 innings. He struck out 81 and walked 10.


Watson, whose fastball sits in the low 90s, committed to Vanderbilt. He was a considered a late riser on the mock selections, working his way into several first-round projections.

The 33rd draft position carries a $1,825,200 bonus. The Royals picked in that spot as compensation for losing James Shields to free-agency after last season.

Moore described Russell as a power pitcher and “a future Garrett Richards and extremely competitive.”

Watson, Moore said, is “very polished and commands his fast ball very well.”

Moore said he envisions both starting at the Royals’ Class A team in Lexington, Ky., next season.

The 21st position was the latest the Royals had selected in the draft since 1986. They have had success in the first round in recent years.

On the current roster, Alex Gordon, Luke Hochevar, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Christian Colon were first-round picks.

Last year, the Royals hit pay dirt with their first selection, left-handed pitcher Brandon Finnegan from TCU.

Finnegan made his major-league debut late in the season and became the first player to play in the World Series and the College World Series in the same year.

Representing the Royals at the draft were Art Stewart, senior adviser to Moore and a legendary scout, and former Royals outfielder Johnny Damon.

The draft continues Tuesday.

[Anyong Bluth]

..

[Demonpenz]

I was at buzzard beach chatting it up with Art Stewart. After he got done making out with this lady at the foozball table he gave me some inside tips on our draft. Later he snorted coke outside of Panera and sped off in his Mercury Tracer