Hrbowski

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/70e192a02b221e84a84e5485d108121a4c0e0c0a/c=0-14-3600-2722&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/Nashville/Nashville/2014/05/17//1400368355000-NAS-SIG-VANDYBASEBALL0518-01.JPG Arizona Diamondbacks-#1 Dansby Swanson - Shortstop - Vanderbilt Same pick as last week, and I’m not going to change this since there are so many rumors, and Swanson is the most reasonable one. Houston Astros-#2 Alex Bregman - Shortstop - LSU Last week I had them take Fulmer, but this week I’m going to have them take Bregman, who they really like, but Fulmer is still in play here. Colorado Rockies-#3 Brendan Rodgers - Shortstop - Florida High School Last week I had them take Benintendi, and I think that there is a good chance that he does get picked by them, but Rodgers has the highest ceiling, so I think he goes here, but Jay and Fulmer will be players to watch. Texas Rangers-#4 Dillon Tate - Right Handed Pitcher - UC Santa Barbara With Bregman gone I think that the Rangers will take Tate, but Fulmer could be in play here as well, plus someone told me they like Buehler. Houston Astros-#5 Kyle Tucker - Outfield - Florida High School I’m staying with my pick from last week, but Fulmer, Jay, or Cameron could be in play. Minnesota Twins-#6 Brady Aiken - Left Handed Pitcher - IMG Academy (Florida) The Twins want Rodgers, but the rumors of him falling have become quiet, and with the top five players gone the Twins will roll the dice no matter who they take, whether it is Cameron and the shenanigans about him going to school, Kolby Allard, or potential relief pitchers in Fulmer or Jay. If I got to pick here I would probably take Fulmer, but I’m hearing that Aiken’s medical issues aren’t as bad as they were made out to be, and that he should go in the top ten, plus Aiken was at the top of the Twins board last year, so there is no reason not to take Aiken, given who else is on the board. Boston Red Sox-#7 Carson Fulmer - Right Handed Pitcher - Vanderbilt The Red Sox drafted Fulmer out of high school, and they still like him, but they also like Benintendi. Chicago White Sox-#8 Tyler Jay - Left Handed Pitcher - Illinois I think that this would be a lock if it plays out like this, but this class is unpredictable. Chicago Cubs-#9 Andrew Benintendi - Outfield - Arkansas The Cubs like college hitters, and if Benintendi is available they might be tempted to take another one. Philadelphia Phillies-#10 Daz Cameron - Outfield - Georgia High School Once again I’m gong BPA with the Phils, but this week it is Cameron. From #11 to #26 I’m only going to give the name, position, and school of who I think the teams will pick. Cincinnati Reds-#11 Jon Harris - Right Handed Pitcher - Missouri State Miami Marlins-#12 Garret Whitley - Outfield - New York High School Tampa Bay Rays-#13 Walker Buehler - Right Handed Pitcher - Vanderbilt Atlanta Braves-#14 Tyler Stephenson - Catcher - Georgia High School Milwaukee Brewers-#15 Kolby Allard - Left Handed Pitcher - California High School New York Yankees-#16 James Kaprielian - Right Handed Pitcher - UCLA Cleveland Indians-#17 Ashe Russell - Right Handed Pitcher - Indiana High School San Francisco Giants-#18 Mike Nikorak - Right Handed Pitcher - Pennsylvania High School Pittsburgh Pirates-#19 Trenton Clark - Outfield - Texas High School Oakland Athletics-#20 Ian Happ - Outfield - Cincinnati Kansas City Royals-#21 Phil Bickford - Right Handed Pitcher - College of Southern Nevada Detroit Tigers-#22 Kyle Funkhouser - Right Handed Pitcher - Louisville St. Louis Cardinals-#23 Nathan Kirby - Left Handed Pitcher - Virginia Los Angles Dodgers-#24 Michael Matuella - Right Handed Pitcher - Duke Baltimore Orioles-#25 Cornelius Randolph - Third Base - Georgia High School Los Angeles Angels-#26 Kevin Newman - Shortstop - Arizona

When Escobar is making contact he is consistenly making good contact, not just weak ground outs and pop ups like you might expect with a .228 average, plus he is using the whole field well. His .228 average has been a result of bad luck.

I didn't say that Escobar was a power hitter, I said that he was a quality hitter, and that Vargas wasn't hitting for power.

So we can get rid of him? Polanco is at AA, not even AAA, if you get rid of Santana and Escobar the best option would be Doug Bernier.

Escobar makes good contact, hasn't done anything to deserve being taken out of the lineup, therefor he is a quality hitter, I didn't say phenomenal hitter. I would rather have Pinto be playing everyday at AAA than being on the bench in the big leagues, as Pinto isn't as good as Suzuki. And one final note, Vargas is striking out a lot at AAA.

I think that this article was a bit rediculous. Molitor is going with his best options, and it is working, so I don't see why you called the article "When Will Molitor Start Making Adjustments?" He has made his adjustments, moving Hunter out of the cleanup spot, moving Santana out of the leadoff spot etc. Eduardo Escobar is a quality hitter, he has proven himself that he deserves to be in the lineup everyday, plus he is better than any of Molitor's other options. Vargas was not hitting for power, and Suzuki was once again Molitor's best option, unless you want to put Eduardo Escobar there, or you could call Eric Fryer, who is doing way better than Pinto, and make Fryer the everyday catcher, but I don't think you want that. Josmil Pinto is hitting .247 at AAA, and his power has not been above average, plus Hicks did not deserve to make the opening day roster, hence him staying in the minors for six weeks. And Molitor is once again going with his best option in batting Mauer 3rd, and just to let you know, first base is just as valuable a position as shortstop, as the first baseman can save the other infielders of an average of 5 errors a year, and when you start stereotyping how someone should hit because what position they play is rediculous also, look at Joe Maddon, he was hitting his catcher leadoff for awhile, and it worked, when you start expecting someone to hit 30 home runs a year because of a position switch once again you are being rediculous. I thought that you were giving Molitor criticism for things that are out of his control, and that you were being unfair to a lot of people.

Can't believe you think that Tucker will strikeout a ton, I have Tucker as a 70 hit and 60 power.

That can change pretty quick, and if a team did that the good players won't be happy being drafted by you, and then you will be forced into drafting the Daniel Moskos of the draft.

If you don't sign the first pick you loose the money that was alloted to you for that pick, plus next years draft isn't all that strong, according to some people, and who knows what injuries accur to make it weaker? It is a really poor strategy. And those player's agents also represent free agents etc. All you do is make people mad, and that won't help.

The Astros didn't draft Mark Prior, that was the Cubs. The Astros took Mark Appel.

Tucker is getting drafted because he can flat out hit, plus he has a great arm, so I think that right field would be his best fit, but he has good instincts, so the team that drafts him might want to try him in center.

http://presidiosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dillon-Tate-Pitcher.jpg Dansby Swanson is considered by most to be the top college position player, and is probably the most advanced, plus he is the best fielding shortstop in the class. Swanson won't be a power threat, but he has a solid hit tool and can run, plus he is a great guy, making scouts and coaches like him even more. Brendan Rodgers is the best high school player in the class, and sits at the top of my prospect rankings. Rodgers should also stick at short, but some scouts think he will move to third, where his bat will profile well, but he has good up the middle instincts. Dillon Tate was a closer in college until this year, and when he moved to the rotation and pitched well he skyrocketed up draft boards, but he has slowed down some at the end of the year, and now some consider Carson Fulmer ahead of him. Tate has a dominating fastball to go with a great slider, and he also throws a fringe curve, and a changeup that is slightly above average, giving him the stuff to stay in the rotation. The Twins will love it if any of these players fall to them, and Tate is the most likely to fall, but there is no chance that Swanson falls, and Rodgers will likely be gone, but I did have Rodgers fall to them in my mock draft, but I have heard that the Rockies and Astros are zeroing in on him, so that will likely not happen, but the Twins will likely be closely looking into Rodgers and Tate leading up to the draft.

My two prospects...

http://images.maxpreps.com/site_images/editorial/article/7/9/b/79b0787d-b9f9-43b4-a6ad-f4d581a1243f/97be8374-e6de-e411-bef0-a0369f3c1b4c_original.jpg Arizona Diamondbacks-#1 Dansby Swanson - Shortstop - Vanderbilt I think the Dbacks will go with Swanson or Bregman, and Swanson is more likely to stick at short, so I’ll have them pick Swanson here. Houston Astros-#2 Carson Fulmer - Right Handed Pitcher - Vanderbilt After the Dbacks pick Swanson I’m going with another Commodore, and it is going to be Fulmer, who they like, and since he is unlikely to fall to #5 I think they take him here. Colorado Rockies-#3 Andrew Benintendi - Center Field - Arkansas I’ve heard that the Rockies will go college bat if Fulmer is gone, and Benintendi is the favorite here, I could also see them picking Bregman, but they could go with Jay or Rodgers. Texas Rangers-#4 Alex Bregman - Shortsop - LSU If Bregman falls the Rangers would be delighted, as one person said that Jon Daniels has handpicked him, but if he is gone Daz Cameron or Brendan Rodgers would be possibilities. Houston Astros-#5 Kyle Tucker - Outfield - Plant HS (Florida) The Astros will likely pick between Cameron and Tucker here, and since they have a connection with the Tucker family, I think that they will go with the best hitter in the class, but Cameron is the more athletic of the two. Minnesota Twins-#6 Brendan Rodgers - Shortstop - Lake Mary HS (Florida) The Twins love athletic high school hitters, and Rogers is the most complete player in the draft, but he could be gone by then. Other players to watch are Dillon Tate, Tucker, Bregman, Tyler Jay, and Cameron, and if they decide to go underslot James Kaprielian and Donnie Dewees will be players to watch. Boston Red Sox-#7 Dillon Tate - Right Handed Pitcher - UC Santa Barbara With Fulmer, Benintendi, and Bregman gone, the Red Sox will go BPA and take Tate, who has slowed down some, but it is his first year starting, and he should be able to get back on track quickly, but the Sox could take someone like Cameron, Jay, or Jon Harris. Chicago White Sox-#8 Tyler Jay - Left Handed Pitcher - Illinois If the draft falls out like this the White Sox will continue to do what they do and take a lefty with an electric arm, but Harris, Cameron, and Walker Buehler could be in play here. Chicago Cubs-#9 Daz Cameron - Outfielder - ELC Academy (Georgia) I think the Cubs will go BPA, and Cameron would be that in this scenario, but the Cubs might want to strengthen pitching, and if they do Buehler, Harris, and Kyle Funkhouser would be options. Philadelphia Phillies-#10 Jon Harris - Right Handed Pitcher - MSU Nobody knows what the Phillies are doing, including themselves, so I’m going BPA, but they like Buehler and Tyler Stephenson, but this is as good of a guess as any. Cincinnati Reds-#11 Tyler Stephenson - Catcher -Kennesaw Mountain HS (Georgia) The Reds would love it if anybody above fell, but if they don’t Stephenson would likely be the choice, but Ian Happ, Trenton Clark, or Buehler could be options. Miami Marlins-#12 Phil Bickford - Right Handed Pitcher - Southern Nevada JC There are rumors that Loria could dictate this pick, and some say he prefers college pitchers, and Bickford and Buehler would be the best available, but guys like Funkhouser or Brady Aiken could be options. Tampa Bay Rays-#13 Walker Buehler - Right Handed Pitcher - Vanderbilt The Rays have had their big guys in to see Buehler recently, and he seems like a logical pick here, but Happ, Kolby Allard, and Mike Nikorak, and Garrett Whitley will be considered. Atlanta Braves-#14 Cornelius Randolph - Third Base - Griffen HS (Georgia) The Braves want Stephenson, but in this scenario they decide to go with Best Georgian Available, and that would be Randolph, although I hear they like Allard a lot. Milwaukee Brewers-#15 Trenton Clark - Outfielder - Richland HS (Texas) Clark could be gone by now, but if he isn’t I think the Brewers take him, but they could go with Allard or Kaprielian. New York Yankees-#16 Ashe Russell - Right Handed Pitcher - Cathedral HS (Indiana) If it plays out to this the Yankees could go with Whitley, Kaprielian, Funkhouser, or Happ, but I think Russell has the most upside of them, so I’m having the Yankees go with Russell. Cleveland Indians-#17 Garrett Whitley - Outfielder - Niskayuna HS (New York) The Indians want someone like Buehler to fall, but if he doesn’t I think they will go with Whitley, but someone like Funkhouser or Kaprielian would be a nice pickup for the tribe. San Francisco Giants-#18 Kyle Funkhouser - Right Handed Pitcher - Louisville Last year the Giants picked Tyler Beede, and this year’s form of Beede is Funkhouser, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they go with him here, but Mike Nikorkak would also be in consideration. Pittsburgh Pirates-#19 Mike Nikorak - Right Handed Pitcher - Stroudsburg HS (Pennsylvania) People say the Pirates don’t particularly like anyone, so I think the will go with highest upside in Nikorak, or local kid Ian Happ. Oakland Athletics-#20 Ian Happ - Outfielder - Cincinnati I don’t think Happ will slide any further than this, but the A’s could go with someone like Cody Ponce. Kansas City Royals-#21 James Kaprielian - Right Handed Pitcher - UCLA The Royals like a few different college pitchers, and if Kaprielian is available they will probably pick him, but they could go after an injured pitcher. Detroit Tigers-#22 Donnie Everett - Right Handed Pitcher - Clarksville HS (Tennessee) The Tigers like Everett, and would probably take him if Funkhouser is gone, but they could go after Beau Burrows or Chris Betts. St. Louis Cardinals-#23 Nathan Kirby - Left Handed Pitcher - Virginia The Cardinals like college pitchers who fall, and that is what Kirby is, but they could go with Allard or a college hitter. Los Angeles Dodgers-#24 Kolby Allard - Left Handed Pitcher - San Clemente HS (California) The Dodgers would love Allard to fall this far, and if he does it would probably be enough for them to not pick Aiken or Michael Matuella. Baltimore Orioles-#25 Kevin Newman - Shortstop - Arizona With Happ gone, I think the Orioles will go with the best college hitter on the board, but Donnie Dewees could be in play as well, as could Brady Aiken, but the O’s like clean medical records, and Aiken wouldn’t fit the bill. Los Angeles Angels-#26 Blake Trahan - Shortstop - Louisiana Lafayette The Angels have been heavily linked to Trahan, and that seems like the pick here unless someone falls, but they could go with Richie Martin if this scenario plays out.

http://www.collegebaseballtoday.com/files/2013/06/LSU-BregmanBarehand.jpg Alex Bregman is a 6'0", 190 pound shortstop out of LSU who was drafted by the Red Sox out of a New Mexico high school in 2012, but did not sign. Bregman's most advanced part of his game is his hitting, and he is the best college hitter in the class, but some scouts think that is his only above average tool. My ratings of Bregman's future tool are 60 hit, 55 power, 55 run, 55 arm, and 50 field, but his fielding tool would be 55 if he moves to second base. Bregman's biggest question is whether he will be a shortstop or second baseman, and that debate has become one of the main debates in this year's draft, but I think that he will stick at short, due to his charging the ball on every play in front of him, and he has improved this year on defense, and should continue. During his swing, he takes a short, unexaggerated step in his swing, and uses a nice, short stroke that allows him to make consistent contact, which could make him a annual .300 hitter, but most scouts think that he will always have below average power, although others think he will be a guy who can hit 15 in a year. Bregman has had a good junior season at LSU, hitting .329 with 9 home runs, 47 RBI, and 32 stolen bases, plus he has walked 33 times to 20 strikeouts. The Twins are hoping that Bregman will fall to them, but it is looking more and more like he won't, as the Astros like him, as well as the Texas Rangers, but if he does they would likely take him, because he is a strong hitter, and would likely make it to the big leagues quickly.

The key for any pitcher is quality pitches. When I'm throwing my breaking stuff I need a good fastball for my curves to be effective, and you can be throwing high nineties, but have an ineffective breaking pitch, so the hitter has an easy time recognizing and catching up. You need all of your pitches to be strong for one of them to work consistently.

http://images.maxpreps.com/site_images/editorial/article/9/1/c/91c84f44-5e39-4f05-af14-5fe0f1808e42/f4212637-a0f1-e311-b4d2-002655e6c45a_original.jpg Kyle Tucker is a 6'4", 175 pound outfielder out of Plant High School (Florida) who some consider to be the best hitter in the class. Tucker is obviously known for his hitting, getting comparisons to Cooperstown greats Wade Boggs and Ted Williams, and his swing definitely shows a resemblance, but of course that doesn't mean that he is going to put up numbers like them. My grading of Tucker's (future) tools are 70 hit, 60 power, 55 run, 45 field, and 60 arm, and I had him ranked 6th on my top 50 prospect list, but I plan on moving him up for my next update. Tucker should hit at any level, both for average and power to all fields, but he will likely have to move to a corner outfield spot. Tucker is committed to the Florida Gators, where his brother Preston played, and if he fell past the Twins I wouldn't be surprised if he chooses to attend college, due to the Gators strong team and recruiting class. Tucker has had one of the best springs of any prep player in this year's class, adding another bonus, but some teams wonder if he will fill out, which would add to his power, but I think that he could add at least 25 pounds to his frame. The Twins would love to have Tucker fall to them, but his brother's Astros pick twice before the Twins, and they are known to be looking at high school outfielders, but if he does fall the Twins would likely take him, unless someone like Dillon Tate was still available, and according to Darren Wolfson they are scheduled to have a private workout with him, but teams usually have workouts with several players leading up to the draft.

http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2014/0605/dm_140605_Astros_Draft_Brady_Aiken_No_11437/dm_140605_Astros_Draft_Brady_Aiken_No_11437.jpg Brady Aiken is a 6'3", 210 pound left handed pitcher for IMG Academy (Florida) who was selected with the first pick of the 2014 MLB Draft, but couldn't work out a deal with the Astros, who claimed he had an abnormal UCL. Aiken has a three pitch mix, a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup, and all of them are above average. Aiken's delivery has some mechanical problems, but he should be able to smooth them out, and he uses his whole body well during his delivery, so his delivery shouldn't be a big issue. Aiken had Tommy John surgery in March, and his health is a big concern, due to what the Astros claim they saw, but notable doctors, including Dr. James Andrews said they think it is just a normal case of Tommy John, which many young pitchers have been effected by, but it is worrying to teams. Aiken's fastball usually sits 91-94, but can throw it as high as 97, and his curveball is probably the best breaking ball in the class, besides maybe Kolby Allard's, and he has a changeup that is also devastating, along with good command. Aiken is the biggest risk in the draft, but if healthy I would consider him a slam dunk 1.1, so he also has potentially the highest reward in this year's class. The Twins supposedly had him at the top of their board last year, and they still could, if his medicals check out, plus his high school teammate Stephen Gonsalves is in the orginization, but the Twins might not be willing to take Aiken at #6, who nobody really knows what is going on with him at this point.

Funk is having trouble getting it into the nineties currently, and his delivery has raised questions, plus his command isn't great.

I'm not that high on Benintendi. I think he will go in the top ten, but I prefer others that will be on the board.

I think if that situation plays out it would be between Tucker, Jay, Allard, and Aiken, and I sure would hate to see Jay, Allard, and Aiken go to rival teams in our division.

http://mlb.mlb.com/assets/images/5/5/8/87502558/cuts/daz_q4y8w58j_va9xsjto.jpg Daz Cameron is a 6'1", 190 pound outfielder for Eagle Landing Christian Academy (Georgia), who has been on scouts radar's for a couple of years. A five tool player, Cameron is the most athletic player in this year's class, as well as having the best instincts, due to his dad, Mike Cameron, who played for seventeen years in the big leagues. Cameron has a 60 hit tool, a 55 power, 55 run, 55 arm, and 60 field, and has potential to improve his arm strength and power. Cameron has good bat speed, that generates hard line drives, and can hit to all fields, plus he should stick in center field. Cameron is committed to Florida State University, and could attend if he falls out of the top five, so teams picking later will definitely be doing their research to see how signable he is. Cameron didn't have the spring that many were hoping for, and has fallen down some draft boards, but still has tons of potential, so teams that are picking in the top 5 still have him on their radar. The Twins are said to like Cameron, and they have gone with toolsy high school players in recent years, but he is represented by Scott Boras, who is asking for a 5-7 million deal, but the Twins don't have the money in their draft pool to sign someone to a deal like that, and if Cameron falls past the Twins, there are few teams that would give money like that, making me think that Cameron will have to sign for less, or go to college, but if the Twins could sign Cameron he would probably be their dream pick.

I will edit it to add them now.

Ty Buck is pretty good, and there are a few pitchers to keep an eye on, including Sean Hjelle.

http://web.usabaseball.com/assets/images/4/6/0/93655460/cuts/Allard_640_3kgu9avi_vni55mie.jpg Kolby Allard is a 6'0", 170 pound left handed pitcher out of San Clemente High School (California) who is considered the top prep lefty in the class. Allard has a really good three pitch mix, a fastball, slider, and changeup. Allard has a loose, easy delivery, and has no problem repeating it, so he should be able to remain a starter throughout his career despite his small size. Allard's stock skyrocketed during last summer's showcases, but he suffered a back injury that set him back this year, and he has not been 100% throwing for scouts. Allard sits at 93-95 mph, but has made 97 look easy, and has consistently shown a plus slider, as well as a change that has potential to be above average. Allard has above average control, and a feel for every pitch, so I think that he is the top high school pitcher in the class, and could become the best overall pitcher in the class, reminding some of a high school Brady Aiken or Clayton Kershaw, making me wonder how high he would go if he was healthy, as his injury could have effect on his pitching. The Twins love Allard, and I have heard since February that he was "Their guy," but this year's draft has been all over the place, and there are other players that have rose up boards, but the Twins usually go best player available, and if Allard impresses the Twins in his workouts, it would be no surprise if they took him.