2017 Draft

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Name: Nick Perry

2017 Draft

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Pick 48 - Greg Deichmann - OF

Age: 22. B-T:: L-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 190. Drafted: Louisiana State, 2017 (2).

One of the best power hitters in the 2017 draft class, the A's second-round pick showed easy lefthanded power in his pro debut, finishing in a tie for third in the league with eight home runs and finishing second to Ortiz in isolated power (.251). He wore down as the season dragged on, but he generally showed confident at-bats, trusting his hands to drive the ball to the opposite-field power alley as pitchers wisely stayed away from challenging him. But when pitchers did try to bust him in, he showed few problems yanking the ball over the right field fence.

Deichmann showed average reads and routes in right field and plenty of arm, continuing the improvement he showed defensively as a right fielder at LSU after playing first base earlier in his career.

Pick 78 - Jacob Gonzalez - 3B

Age: 19 B-T: R-R. Wt: 6-3. Wt: 190. Drafted: HS--Scottsdale, Ariz., 2017 (2).

The most frequent comment from scouts about Gonzalez pertains to his advanced approach at the plate, not surprising since he is the son of 2001 World Series hero Luis Gonzalez and has been around the game all his life. Picked by the Giants in the second round, the younger Gonzalez didn't have to go outside the city limits of Scottsdale to start his pro career.

At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Gonzalez is already bigger than his dad was during his 19-year big league career. While better than advertised at third base, Gonzalez may eventually outgrow the position and move to first. For now he shows plus arm strength, though he is not always accurate. He charges in on balls very well but has trouble ranging to his left.

Gonzalez's bat will be his calling card. He has plus raw power now and advanced strike-zone knowledge. He's a below-average runner. He has a high aptitude for the game and shows the desire to get better. "

"He handles his business," Giants manager Hector Borg said, "He's always asking questions . . . He's got a very good work ethic."

Pick 82 - Spencer Howard - RHP

Age: 22. B-T:: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 205. Drafted: Cal Poly, 2017 (2).

Two bad innings in two bad outings blew up Howard's ERA, but generally he looked more advanced than the league, showing off a varied four/five-pitch mix. Howard doesn't really have a true put-away pitch, but he keeps hitters off-balance by throwing a wide variety of solid offerings.

Howard's 90-94 mph fastball is hard to square as he has some natural deception thanks to a cross-fire delivery and his ability to manipulate the pitch, cutting it or running it as needed. His changeup could end up being a plus pitch while his curveball should end up being at least average. He mixes in a fringier slider as a change of pace and sometimes it ends up dissolving into a true cutter.

Howard does a good job of staying on-time in his delivery and uses his lower half well, giving him a chance to move quickly as a relatively polished back-end starter.

Pick 108 - Ryan Noda - 1B/OF

Age: 21 B-T: L-L Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 217 Drafted: Cincinnati, 2017 (15)

Many clubs had Noda jotted down as a potential top-three rounds pick coming into the 2017 draft, but a lackluster junior year at Cincinnati pushed him to the 15th round. The Blue Jays took a chance on Noda, and he immediately proved to be a potential steal. The Appy League MVP led the league in average (.364), on-base percentage (.507) and slugging (.575) and stood out for his advanced physicality.

Noda derives much of his bat speed from extremely strong and flexible wrists. He's capable of turning on heat and slamming low breaking pitchers. He's a patient hitter who waits for a pitch to crush, and he led the league in walks, with 25 more than the next closest batter. He should develop a hit tool that's at least average. Noda's power grades out to be above-average, but he can be prone to strikeouts because of his passivity.

Despite primarily manning first base, Noda has the athleticism needed to play either outfield corner. He has the requisite footwork, arm strength, and speed to handle right field.

Pick 111 - Trevor Stephan - RHP

Age: 21. B-T:: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 210. Drafted: Arkansas, 2017 (3).

The Yankees' third-round pick out of Arkansas dominated the league. Having thrown 91 innings at Arkansas, Stephan was limited to 60 pitches or less and never threw five innings in a start. But in those shorter stints he was near unhittable. His lone win came when he threw four perfect innings in relief, striking out seven of the 12 batters he faced.

Stephan sat 92-94 mph but touched 95-96 regularly. His slider got plenty of swings and misses thanks to his ability to bury it. His changeup has much further to go and is something he'll have to refine as he faces more advanced hitters.

Pick 117 - Cameron Bishop - LHP

Age: 21. B-T:: L-L. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 215. Drafted: UC Irvine, 2017 (26).

Aberdeen had a very talented rotation, and depending on who you talked to, you could get pretty varied rundowns of scouts' preference lists for their pitching prospects. Bishop slipped to the 26th round, but received third-round money and lived up those initial expectations, packaging a 90-94 mph fastball and a slurvy-ish slider that sits on the cusp between curve and slider thanks to its power. It has more of a top-to-bottom break than a true two-plane slider tilt.

Bishop is a bigger-bodied pitcher, but he has some athleticism to his delivery which gives some hope that his wildness (4 BB/9 innings) will be tamed as he gets more experience.

Pick 138 - Riley Adams - C

Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 225. Drafted: San Diego, 2017 (3).

Adams is in many ways the opposite of fellow NWL catcher Daulton Varsho, who was Drafted 31 spots earlier. Compared to Varsho's smaller stature, pure hitting ability and below-average throwing arm, Adams is much more physical with a plus throwing arm and home run power. He excelled offensively in his professional debut, batting .305/.374/.438, and has raw righthanded power that also comes with some swings-and-misses.

At a chiseled 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Adams stands out behind the plate with a frame similar to Matt Wieters. Scouts had questions about his hands and blocking ability before the draft, but Adams made strides with both throughout the summer and impressed with his ability to call games.

"I can't believe how much he improved defensively," said Vancouver manager Rich Miller. "And it's not like he was bad when he came in."

A righthanded hitter playing in a spacious home ballpark, Adams hit just three homers for the Canadians, but he has potential middle-of-the-order power that should show itself more as Adams moves through the system. Adams does have a propensity to swing and miss (50 strikeouts to 18 walks in 203 at-bats), which he'll need to curtail. Fatigue is likely to blame for at least a handful of those strikeouts, though, as a tired Adams had difficulty catching up to good fastballs late in his first professional season.

Pick 147 -
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