cmb0252

According to major league baseball's rookie status rules he is a prospect. While stupid, that is how it works.

Definitely an odd grade. I trust Law's grade.

Definitely seems to be the popular name right now. Super athlete with a good bloodline. Crawford has a draft chat tomorrow so I will get in a question about Gordon/Twins to him. Here are Law's future grades for Gordon: Hitting:50 Power: 55 Running Speed:60 Fielding Range:60 Arm:70 MLB.com definitely have different numbers: Hitting:55 Power:40 Running speed:60 Fielding range:60 Arm:60

Haha, maybe. Mayo also linked Gordon to the Twins.

Few more Law questions: Where do you see Kyle Freeland fitting into the MLB Draft? I know he wasn't on your most recent rankings, but earlier on you had mentioned him as a first round candidate. I've read some really glowing reports about him recently in other sources, so trying to get a handle. Klaw (1:08 PM) He came on over the last 4-5 weeks - one scout said he was a top 15 pick, then compared him to Chris Sale, which would say to me he should be the first overall pick, no? - although I know there are still concerns about him starting between the delivery and heavy use of the slider. Been up to 96 as a starter and holding low 90s through his outings. Is Alex Jackson going to end up in the outfield or is there a chance he can stay at c/3b? Klaw (1:12 PM) I believe he'll end up at 3b/rf. I think he could catch, but the team that drafts him will likely take the Myers/Harper route.

I meant to put 60 for the arm not 70. Not sure what i was thinking. Mlb pipeline has his hit/power both at 60 and arm at 55. Law has his future tools at 65 hit/60 power/60 arm. Matt Garrioch suggests he has 30+ HR potential which would put his power well above 60. Here is what Crawford reported one scout had to say after seeing Jackson: "I think Jackson is the best hitter in the class," an NL scout said. "He had some timing issues early in the year, but he's impressed me with the way he's made adjustments. I think you're looking at a guy who can hit .300 and give you 25-30 homers during his best seasons, and I don't see any other hitter with that kind of potential this season at either the college or high school level. I think he's going to end up in right field, and he should be an All-Star there." This scout also suggests 25-30 HR power that would put his power tool at 65+. Maybe I'm dreaming on him but with a little work on his mechanics I can see a 65 hit/65 power RFer.

If Hoffman doesn't pitch again before the draft he would have a serious arm issue. Without knowing what it is it is hard to say. As for poor performance as long as his stuff is still top notch I would still look at taking him at 5. I would explore both options but would prefer to move him to RF if his bat is as good as advertised. 65 hit, 65+ power, with a 70+ arm is a potential all star even in RF.

My current top 10 by tier is the following: Tier 1: 1. Aiken 2. Kolek 3. Rodon Tier 2: 4. Hoffman (if healthy could be moved to tier 1) 5. Jackson Tier 3 6. Holmes 7. Beede (could move up or fall depending on his next couple starts) 8. Gordon 9. Zimmer 10. Freeland

Gordon is a solid prospect and he should at least be in the conversation at 5. Personally I have him in the tier below Jackson. It is interesting that both Mayo/Callis have the Phillies taking Gordon a year after drafting J.P. Crawford.

Callis and Mayo took a crack at the top 10 and both ended up having the Twins draft Jackson. It was one of four picks they agreed on. Here is the link: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/mlbpipelines-first-year-player-draft-experts-update-top-10-draft-projections?ymd=20140430&content_id=73746266&vkey=news_mlb

Great write up. Definitely agree.

I believe you definitely can but I'm not a professional scout so feel free to disagree. Part of the fun of following the draft/prospects is building your own board and discussing how you got there. Even if we all had the exact same information we might not reach the same opinion. My info points to Zimmer and Freeland being nothing alike but maybe your info does.

Keith Law's scouting report for Zimmer (#10 prospect to start the year): "Zimmer will show you two 70-grade pitches in addition to his 93-97 mph fastball -- a yellow hammer curveball with depth and angle, and a mid-80s changeup with great arm speed and some late action to it. He's an outstanding athlete, as you might expect from a converted position player, and has less mileage on his arm than most college products. He does use a fourth pitch, a below-average slider that he needs to junk or at least limit to just a few pitches a game.... Zimmer finished his season on fire, punching out 63 and walking eight in his last eight starts of the summer, half of them after a promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and as long as his shoulder is happy he should move quickly to Triple-A. He's the future ace the Royals have been trying to develop since they traded Zack Greinke." While Freeland has a better mix of pitches and command he doesn't have a single one that is a potential 70 pitch. Zimmer has 2. Also, Zimmer's main secondary pitch is a big curve. You could definitely be right about the delivery. I haven't seen Zimmer pitch in a year. On a different note....how lucky are his parents for having two potential top 10 pick sons? I'm a huge fan of younger brother Bradley Zimmer. Wish he had at least one plus-plus tool so I could make a legit argument that the Twins should draft him at #5.

I don't see the comparison. One is lefty while one is a righty. One is a freak athlete while the other is average. While they both are draft risers it is for different reasons. Zimmer had, has, significantly better "stuff" then Freeland but not the control. Zimmer has ace potential while Freeland has #2 potential but a better chance to reach it. If you get a #2 pitcher at #5 in the draft not only would it not be a bad thing but a success. While I wouldn't be upset with Freeland but I would not be excited. I personally have 9-10 prospects ahead of him. Also, I'm not sure if you would get much if any of a discount taking him #5.

I would also be very....very disappointed if they took Nola. I personally have him 13th on my board. If the Twins are going to take a 6'2 pitcher at #5 with no projection give me Holmes. Not only does he have a better delivery but two pitches that are 65+.

Callis and Mayo are answering draft questions on Tweeter. Will Twins miss out on 4 player top tier? Callis: may not get a shot at Aiken, Rodon, Kolek, Hoffman. Jackson is still a very good option at 5. Who are Twins looking at if Aiken, Rodon, Hoffman, Kolek are off the board, besides Jackson? Mayo: Nola, Gordon. How is Beede? Callis: Beede less consistent recently, not impossible he could fall out of top 10 with quality of arms available. Does Nola have front line guy stuff, or more 3/4 SP? Mayo: Maybe No.2/VG No. 3? Plus pitch ability with good stuff. Can Beede move higher than 6-10? Mayo: right now, I don't see him hitting top 5, but way to go still. Who rates better pre draft between Gordon and JP Crawford? Callis: almost identical, really. Gordon better on mound!

Draft articles from Callis and Mayo: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/much-pitching-talent-in-this-years-mlb-draft?ymd=20140429&content_id=73636490&vkey=news_mlb http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/jonathan-mayo-brady-aiken-tyler-kolek-vying-to-be-no-1-mlb-draft-pick?ymd=20140429&content_id=73423150&vkey=news_mlb

Agreed. Once Buxton/Sano graduate we might not have a single top 100 hitter.

Outside of an injury I have a hard time seeing him fall to us. Too bad because his arm is electric.

Definitely a lot of things I don't agree with on this list but that usually happens when Mayo is involved. Still fun the click through.

Crawford's new mock is up and has the Twins taking Jackson. He s going too host a chat, no sure when, but I will try and push the questions forward. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/04/the-mock-2014-volume-iii/

Crawford had a great quote from a scout on Nola after his worst performance of the year this weekend: "One bad start isn't going to make you not take a guy," an NL West scout said. "But it is a reminder that the margin of error for pitchers who rely more on command than dominating stuff is thin, and that's the case with [Nola]. I still think he's one of the safest college pitchers in this year's class, but if you're expecting anything more than a low-end third starter, you are setting your expectations too high, in my opinion."

On a different note, the HS baseball season is interesting. While Grant Holmes pitched his last game of the season last week several prospects are only in their 3rd or 4th games of the year. I always wonder if finishing too early could hurt a players draft stock because they won't have performances fresh on people's minds. Obviously the opposite could be said too if a player performs bad at the end of the year.

BA wrote a article at the start of the year listing the college players with the best tools. Turner was #1 in speed, hit tool, and SS defense. Problem is Turner hasn't been consistent in a single one of those areas. Several evaluators have downgraded him in not only one of those categories but multiple. That takes a little of the shine away. As for Gordon he has done the opposite and outperformed almost everyones expectations for him. Add in strong bloodlines and the potential ability to move him to the mound if his bat implodes and you have a very interesting prospect. I'm not saying the Twins should draft him at #5 but he is on a short list of about 10-12 prospects I'm following closely before draft day. As for the other top HS position player, Jackson, I think people need to relook at the Myer/Harper comparison. It was never meant to suggest Jackson has the exact same power as either guy (Harper came out as a pure 80 power and Myer a 70) but to bring up the question if you should keep him at catcher instead of rushing his advanced bat. Also worth noting is while he doesn't have as strong of a power projection he has a better hit tool than either Myer/Harper.

QUOTE=Twins Twerp;219965]7. Philadelphia Phillies — Alex Jackson, C/OF, Rancho Bernardo HS (CA) With arguably the top-four pitchers off the board, I think the Twins would go after the best prep bat in the 2014 MLB draft. Jackson is a 6’-2”, 200 pound right-hander with enormous power, excellent bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate. He has all of the tools to stick at catcher, but most feel a move to the outfield is likely because of the offensive upside. Through 20 games, he is hitting .414/.590/.965 with eight home runs and has drawn 16 walks to six strikeouts. He also has been hit by a pitch nine times. Committed to Oregon. That is the write up for the Phillies. I wonder if perhaps the author meant to make Jackson the Twins selection. I just don't see the Twins taking Gordon even with the bloodlines, especially when pitching is so hard to come by (see 48 million for Nolasco). Also, hard to trust a site who can't see a mistake in the top 10, first sentence no less of the number 7 pick...just saying. The site isn't the most credible but no mock draft this early is credible regardless of the source. I wanted to post this one because Gordon, outside of a few fans here who want the Twins to draft a SS, hasn't been talked about as an option at 5. He hasn't only had a great season statistically but scouting. While you can never have enough pitching once Buxton/Sano graduate our system will be lacking in elite bats. Would it be such a bat thing to grab a top 50 talent bat at 5 and then grab an arm in the second round? Also, talking about mocks Crawford is releasing his second one tomorrow.