08 Class:
1.10: Brett Wallace
3.03: Ike Davis
3.04: Rafael Rodriguez
Round 1, Selection 10:
Brett Wallace, 1B/3B
(BA PreDraft Rankings)
BEST PURE HITTER
COLLEGE
1. Brett Wallace, 1b/3b, Arizona State
BEST STRIKE-ZONE JUDGEMENT
COLLEGE
2. Brett Wallace, 1b/3b, Arizona State
BA STL Draft Report Card:
Best Pure Hitter: 3B Brett Wallace (1) hit .398 in his three seasons at Arizona State and has a polished approach that resulted in more walks (103) than strikeouts (97). >> Best Power Hitter: Wallace has raw power and leverage in his swing, giving him above-average present power.
Best Pro Debut: Wallace reached Double-A after mashing his way through the low Class A Midwest League, homered three times in 13 Texas League games and hit .337/.427/.530 overall in 202 at-bats
2008 Draft Class
Moderator: Cardinals
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Cardinals
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2008 Draft Class
Last edited by Cardinals on Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cardinals
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Round 3, Selection 3:
(BA Predraft Ranking)
BEST POWER:
COLLEGE
3. Ike Davis, 1b/of, Arizona State
The son of former big league reliever Ron Davis, Ike was not a scouts' favorite coming into his junior season. A decorated high school career that included a star turn with Team USA's youth national squad and an MVP award at the 2004 Aflac Classic, and his pitching family pedigree, had most scouts regarding him as a pitcher out of high school. He decided to go to Arizona State rather than sign as a Rays 19th-round pick, and he started on the mound and batted cleanup in his first game as a Sun Devil. He struggled with wood in the Alaska League in 2006 and in the Cape in 2007, when he cut his summer short to have right wrist surgery. He returned to the mound as a closer in 2008 and played first base to keep his arm fresh. He also worked to incorporate his lower half more and was having a banner season, leading the Sun Devils in the triple crown categories as well as saves, before missing time with a ribcage injury. Davis has excellent raw power, comparing to former ASU star Jeff Larish, but he's a much better defender with a better swing and better pitch recognition. Davis is above-average at first base and should be able to play an outfield corner as well due to his plus arm; his below-average speed could limit him to left.
Best Pure Hitter: The Mets' top two selections, 1B Ike Davis (1) and SS Reese Havens (1), went in the first 22 picks due to their offensive potential. Both have quick bats and hand-eye coordination that allow them to get the barrel to the ball consistently when they're going well. >> Best Power Hitter: Davis didn't homer as a pro but showed above-average juice at Arizona State once he learned to incorporate his lower half more into his swing.
(BA Predraft Ranking)
BEST POWER:
COLLEGE
3. Ike Davis, 1b/of, Arizona State
The son of former big league reliever Ron Davis, Ike was not a scouts' favorite coming into his junior season. A decorated high school career that included a star turn with Team USA's youth national squad and an MVP award at the 2004 Aflac Classic, and his pitching family pedigree, had most scouts regarding him as a pitcher out of high school. He decided to go to Arizona State rather than sign as a Rays 19th-round pick, and he started on the mound and batted cleanup in his first game as a Sun Devil. He struggled with wood in the Alaska League in 2006 and in the Cape in 2007, when he cut his summer short to have right wrist surgery. He returned to the mound as a closer in 2008 and played first base to keep his arm fresh. He also worked to incorporate his lower half more and was having a banner season, leading the Sun Devils in the triple crown categories as well as saves, before missing time with a ribcage injury. Davis has excellent raw power, comparing to former ASU star Jeff Larish, but he's a much better defender with a better swing and better pitch recognition. Davis is above-average at first base and should be able to play an outfield corner as well due to his plus arm; his below-average speed could limit him to left.
Best Pure Hitter: The Mets' top two selections, 1B Ike Davis (1) and SS Reese Havens (1), went in the first 22 picks due to their offensive potential. Both have quick bats and hand-eye coordination that allow them to get the barrel to the ball consistently when they're going well. >> Best Power Hitter: Davis didn't homer as a pro but showed above-average juice at Arizona State once he learned to incorporate his lower half more into his swing.
Last edited by Cardinals on Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cardinals
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Round 3, Selection 4:
Rafael Rodriguez:
The deal was announced on Rodriguez's 16th birthday, the first day he was eligible to sign. The Dominican hype machine has labeled Rodriguez the second coming of Vladimir Guerrero. John Barr, the Giants' scouting director, said he dislikes such comparisons, but he described a Vlad-type player.
"We felt he was one of the best international players we got a chance to look at," Barr said. "This player is 6-foot-5, 198 pounds. He's shown us really all the tools to play the game. He can run. He can throw. He's shown us power and the ability to take the ball the other way. He's a five-tool player. Adding to that, he has the makeup and work ethic to fulfill his abilities."
Special assistant Felipe Alou also raved about Rodriguez, saying, "I saw him play in a couple of games when I came to the island, and I haven't seen him swing and miss at a pitch yet, against guys four years older than he is. He has a good arm. He runs pretty good, average or better, and he tracks the ball well in right field. He's got a big strike zone but he covers it well. He's a very confident young person."
Like Villalona, Rodriguez will be brought up slowly, playing in the Dominican instructional league this winter. Rules forbid him from playing in minor-league games in the United States until next season.
Rafael Rodriguez:
The deal was announced on Rodriguez's 16th birthday, the first day he was eligible to sign. The Dominican hype machine has labeled Rodriguez the second coming of Vladimir Guerrero. John Barr, the Giants' scouting director, said he dislikes such comparisons, but he described a Vlad-type player.
"We felt he was one of the best international players we got a chance to look at," Barr said. "This player is 6-foot-5, 198 pounds. He's shown us really all the tools to play the game. He can run. He can throw. He's shown us power and the ability to take the ball the other way. He's a five-tool player. Adding to that, he has the makeup and work ethic to fulfill his abilities."
Special assistant Felipe Alou also raved about Rodriguez, saying, "I saw him play in a couple of games when I came to the island, and I haven't seen him swing and miss at a pitch yet, against guys four years older than he is. He has a good arm. He runs pretty good, average or better, and he tracks the ball well in right field. He's got a big strike zone but he covers it well. He's a very confident young person."
Like Villalona, Rodriguez will be brought up slowly, playing in the Dominican instructional league this winter. Rules forbid him from playing in minor-league games in the United States until next season.
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