MN_ExPat

True, I imagine it would seem to sort of defeat the purpose of the draft from that vantage point. Until the league can no longer draft HS kids, we will continue to see things like this play out. A top HS kid in the country has a huge amount of leverage going into the draft. At that point they have garnered (usually) a huge amount of interest from colleges and the pros. If they so choose, they can and often do leverage that to get the best deal they can. A LOT of kids coming out of HS really do want to go play in college though and to lure them away from that dream, it usually takes a bit more money (Enlow is a good example in that the Twins went over slot to lure him away from LSU). Another kid I know of who graduated ahead of my son from his HS had a good number of teams really interested in him as an outfielder (Cubs and Red Sox chief among them and they probably would have taken him in the Top 10 rounds). However, he had always wanted to play for UGA and really wanted to honor the offer they had given him. So his thought was, if you want to draft me and have me sign to give up my dream of playing in college, it has to be Top 4 rounds or the equivalent money. Note: I have the utmost respect for this young man and his family. They truly are amazing people. Plus if you watch any UGA games this fall you may see him playing WR this year for the football team (he was freakishly fast coming out of HS). So this (IMHO) is where you see the deals and agreements in place before the draft. Signability becomes a huge issue for both college (D1/Major JUCO) and Pro teams.

All joking aside, while Wallner is actually a very good athlete, just simply transitioning someone to catcher isn't as easy as it sounds. Firstly, I don't know if he's ever even played the position. It's hard enough to jump to it in HS, let alone in college and especially in professional ball. Second, would he even he a willing participant in the switch? I'm sure he would do it if he was told to, but would his heart be in it? Hard to say. You might add, "What about Bechtold? He's doing it?". While this is true (and please correct me if I'm wrong), I believe Bechtold volunteered and added that to his repertoire of positions to increase his chances of advancing and making it to the show.

That ignores the fact that the vast bulk of bases are stolen off the pitcher. Having spent a good bit of time around catchers, I can say with some certainty, Jeffers if just fine defensively. He may not be Pudge, but very few are.

While I agree with the sentiment... unless you're picking Adley Ruschman (spelling?) or Joe Mauer, you go with the best available talent. That just isn't catcher this year (at least at #8 overall).

I will go on record and happily eat crow if I am wrong and I'm not saying the kid doesn't have some potential... but, Lesko is overrated (having seen video of Lesko and Petty.... I would take Petty over Lesko every time). He comes from a Charter HS program that has a HUGE amount of money but plays in one of the weakest Regions (conferences) in Georgia. Yes, he did display his physical talents at various showcases and he passes the eyeball test (height/weight), but his "stats" at those were "good", not great, just good. Because of all of this, he's going to get A LOT of leash and chances to prove he can make it (and I don't begrudge him those chances). However, we should all take his "successes" to date with a grain of salt. A big fastball doesn't equate automatic future All-Star. Does this mean a team shouldn't draft him? No, he's got talent. Just not at as much as many think.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing myself. Something seems "off" with him, and I'm really hoping that it isn't some internal "demons" that he's battling in addition to any possible physical ails. Lord knows those can destroy a player's soul even faster than an injury. I for one will continue to say a prayer for him that he can find himself and stay healthy (mentally and physically) because he seems like a genuinely good kid.

"He consistently produced some of the most consistently high exit velocities in the country in 2022, a trend across recent Twins draft picks. Cross is virtually a lock to go in the first 12 picks on July 17th. If the Twins take him, they’ll be getting one of the most consistently evaluated players in the draft." So....... you're saying he's consistent??

Whoa.... I just realized that Povich pitched for the Savannah Bananas in 2020. Probably doesn't matter to most folks, but they are a college summer ball team that puts on a better show and product than most minor league teams. Not that anyone can get tickets (the waiting list for tickets is somewhere in the realm of 45 - 50K.... and yes that's thousands , they've sold out every single game since 2016), but if you ever get the chance to be in Savannah, GA. during the summer and score some tickets... it's an experience that simply must be seen to be believed. Had the chance to make it to two games, and they are awesome! Plus, all you can eat burgers and dogs and actually reasonably priced drinks help make it 100% worthwhile .

Pedroia, Altuve and Arraez are pretty "ok" comps I would guess . Kid seems like a legit athlete from video.

Why wouldn't it?

What's making his fastball "regress"... ?, is difficulty locating it consistently. Anyone who knows even the smallest minutia about baseball (and pitching specifically) can tell you that if you can't consistently locate your fastball, you're going to struggle. Right now it looks like Pagan is having a bit of a case of the "yips" with the heater. It's baseball, that happens. If he can reign that in, he'll be fine (mostly/probably ?‍♂️). If not, then the FO will have to make a decision before too long.

I think it's like Raindog just said, Blazer just doesn't "look" healthy. Something isn't right with that guy, and I have to wonder what's going on "under the hood" so to speak. He's got to much talent to be struggling like this.

Yes Sir. Still think this is the best way to approach it from this high of a pick (Top 10). At #8, while some of the "obvious" and "can't miss" prospects may be selected already with 1-7, it allows a team to have a pretty good chance to select a player they really like and who has lots of talent and potential upside (arm or bat).

Hey Jamie, just wanted to point out a small correction before continuing on reading the story . It's Ole Miss. NOT Mississippi. No one says that. Ever. Especially down here. This concludes your Southern Manners and Etiquette lesson for the week . "The dust has finally settled on the college baseball season. On Sunday, Mississippi wrapped up their first-ever NCAA Baseball National Championship"

Very true Good Sir, and trust me... we definitely know that.

On point with what you are saying, just with one minor quibble (sorry, my OCD kicked in ). My take on this is yes,,, and no. Having just gone through the recruiting process with my son who is going on to play ball at the D3 level, I can say this is sort of true. A good pitching/assistant coach can absolutely help in recruiting (and fine tuning a pitching staff). However, this really only becomes a factor at the major/D1 college level. Also... there is so much more minutia to recruiting than most folks realize (heck even more than I realized just a couple of years ago). Tennessee may have fallen victim of the CWS #1 Seed Curse, but they have arguably the best overall pitching staff in all of college baseball, and they are ALL young. The rest of the SEC and college baseball has taken notice and we see teams such as LSU (and others) taking steps to "keep up with the Joneses".

or UGA

Living down South and experiencing all that is baseball and football here, I'm pretty sure I can say without any doubt LSU isn't concerned about turning a profit. Since 2000, only 7 non "Southern" teams have won the CWS (and 3 of those were OSU) and 16 total since 1980. Much like football, it has turned into an arms race.

Well, that's a bummer that he's leaving but I think I can understand the move. Something tells me that he is just happier with the college ranks. So while the suddenness of it all feels really awkward (from a professional standpoint I would have preferred him to finish the season... but it is what it is), I wish him well. Also not at all surprised by the report of LSU being really aggressive in the pursuit. That about sums up SEC (and major college for that matter) baseball theses days. Especially with the success that Tennessee has had the last couple of years, I am not at all surprised that LSU went out and hooked a "big fish" pitching coach who has had huge success at every level.

Just updated. Pete Maki (bullpen coach) will be promoted to ptiching coach.

Thanks as always Lucas. Love the write ups about this stuff (ok... maybe not the actual injuries themselves though). It's always super interesting to discuss the details of how something works behind the scenes .

That's probably a fair assessment of Martin this year (at least as far as Julien and Steer having better seasons thus far to date). Although to play Devil's advocate, Martin does have a MUCH higher prospect pedigree and thus will probably have a longer leash than Steer and Julien (that is by no means any knock on the talent of either of the other two at all though). Given how he has performed (offensively) at every level, I have to wonder if he isn't a little dinged up this year. Also, what little I have watched from his games this year, he seems to be "pressing" a bit and that could be affecting him more than we realize.

Poor choice of words then

Dude... It appears that you feel this discussion may be a fool's errand, ok... that's your right to feel that way. But I have to ask, what purpose does it serve to speak thusly? Maybe it is a pipe dream... so what?

"Miller played his high school career in Wisconsin, which can put players at a disadvantage because the weather can impact their playing time as an amateur." This reminds me a funny story. On my son's Official Visit to the school he eventually committed to, his coach joked with us that "if a college coach wants a hitter, you look to the South... if you want and arm, look up North." Admittedly this would be the polar (no pun intended) opposite of that joke, but this just reminded me of that .