Giants 2014/15 Draft Recap
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:40 am
Sorry for the delay folks.
1-12 Roberto Baldoquin SS - The poor man's Yoan Moncada (though this one isn't waiting to be unblocked like the other one), Baldoquin is a guy the Angels think has power and will stick at SS. I was really hoping for Castillo (not so realistic, Brandon hit me up after the draft) or Brandon Finnegan (more realistic, but one pick not realistic enough) here. Figured I'd have a pitcher to choose from (really, John didn't take Conforto? He took a pitcher) and almost got distracted by Conforto myself here, but dammit this is the year of the defector and I was getting one! This pick was part of the Stanton trade, so we'll add it to the haul and see what happens. Ideally, Baldoquin flies through the system and I have a logjam of good glove/good bat SS's in 2016. Would likely have taken Trea Turner here if he wasn't in that weird Padres/Nats limbo.
1-15 Max Pentecost C - This pick is a formal acknowledgement that the great and permanent MVP Buster Posey will not be a catcher forever. I really dig the descriptions of Pentecost as words like "best athlete playing catcher", he's got a pretty clear path with the Blue Jays, and I think he'll be a pretty good option by the time Buster moves to an infield corner (I keep dreaming it'll be 3rd). It was good to know that I had pegged Trea Turner's value correctly, and I had my eye on a couple of other guys who I'm pretty sure won't make it to 28, but you can't pass on the head and shoulders above top catching prospect at pick 15.
1-28 Justus Sheffield LHP - My queue went Beede, Adams, Sheffield, really bummed not to get Beede and then to have Adams go right in front, but them's the breaks. Sheffield is an interesting character, obviously we all know his dad, and while he doesn't have a great pitchers frame he does throw with his left hand relatively hard and he has some breaking pitches that work too. Reports say the velocity ticked up in the AFL, and he could be a quick mover. He's also by default the Indians best pitching prospect more or less, and should get every opportunity to be a guy. I'm hoping he gets to pitch in full season ball next year, which would be aggressive but interesting, though it wouldn't surprise me if they hold him back to limit his innings even if they plan to start him in Low A. I see a solid starter for a while if he reaches his potential, and sooner than for the typical high school lefty. This was the other pick in the Stanton trade, so add it to the haul
1-30 Monte Harrison CF - Now here's a home run swing. Monte Harrison is arguably the best athlete in the draft, he was a 4 star WR recruit to Nebraska and he's been clocked at 97 on the mound. That's what we call a toolshed! Unfortunately toolsheds who need a ton of refinement don't tend to pan out, so what really intrigued me about Harrison was the on base percentage in Arizona. The bad sign is the guy who strikes out 1/3 of the time and walks 5% of the time but has a decent number of extra base hits he's run into blind squirrel style. Harrison obviously didn't hit for the power everyone expects, but instead of swinging at everything he took his bases, with 31 walks and only 48 strikeouts it 210 plate appearances (that's a 14.7% BB rate and sustainable 22.8% K rate). He also stole 32 bases and was only caught twice. That says to me this is a guy who maximizes tools and knows how to work, so I'm looking forward to a poor man's Andrew McCutchen upside and a solid 4th OF downside. You just can't teach this kind of athleticism.
2-15 Michael Kopech RHP - It sure looks like the Red Sox bias of this league is no longer a thing. I can't believe I was able to get a Red Sox pick this late with this much upside. Kopech is obviously raw and there's plenty of risk associated with him, but I believe at this point the upside is well worth the pick. Kopech is young for his draft class and throws really hard, but he's got a complicated delivery and people are obviously afraid that it will force him into the bullpen if he can't repeat his delivery. I'm always willing to bet on a big hard throwing Texan kid, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops. Best case scenario he's Kevin Brown, and he has a pretty good shot of being a solid reliever in the worst case scenario.
3-1 Alex Blandino IF - It's always nice to get a first rounder in the 3rd round. When I traded for this pick I was planning to use it on a 16 year old lottery ticket, but I just couldn't pass on the Stanford guy here. Unlike the typical Stanford prospect he bailed on the Stanford swing his last year there, and he hit in Low A and the Cape as well. I buy the idea that he's the long term replacement for Brandon Phillips, defensively it's hard to see him sticking at short and it looks like 3B is taken for a while, but wherever he ends up on the diamond his bat should be legit for the position, and he should move quickly. He should start next year in A+ and we'll see how he hits going forward!
1-12 Roberto Baldoquin SS - The poor man's Yoan Moncada (though this one isn't waiting to be unblocked like the other one), Baldoquin is a guy the Angels think has power and will stick at SS. I was really hoping for Castillo (not so realistic, Brandon hit me up after the draft) or Brandon Finnegan (more realistic, but one pick not realistic enough) here. Figured I'd have a pitcher to choose from (really, John didn't take Conforto? He took a pitcher) and almost got distracted by Conforto myself here, but dammit this is the year of the defector and I was getting one! This pick was part of the Stanton trade, so we'll add it to the haul and see what happens. Ideally, Baldoquin flies through the system and I have a logjam of good glove/good bat SS's in 2016. Would likely have taken Trea Turner here if he wasn't in that weird Padres/Nats limbo.
1-15 Max Pentecost C - This pick is a formal acknowledgement that the great and permanent MVP Buster Posey will not be a catcher forever. I really dig the descriptions of Pentecost as words like "best athlete playing catcher", he's got a pretty clear path with the Blue Jays, and I think he'll be a pretty good option by the time Buster moves to an infield corner (I keep dreaming it'll be 3rd). It was good to know that I had pegged Trea Turner's value correctly, and I had my eye on a couple of other guys who I'm pretty sure won't make it to 28, but you can't pass on the head and shoulders above top catching prospect at pick 15.
1-28 Justus Sheffield LHP - My queue went Beede, Adams, Sheffield, really bummed not to get Beede and then to have Adams go right in front, but them's the breaks. Sheffield is an interesting character, obviously we all know his dad, and while he doesn't have a great pitchers frame he does throw with his left hand relatively hard and he has some breaking pitches that work too. Reports say the velocity ticked up in the AFL, and he could be a quick mover. He's also by default the Indians best pitching prospect more or less, and should get every opportunity to be a guy. I'm hoping he gets to pitch in full season ball next year, which would be aggressive but interesting, though it wouldn't surprise me if they hold him back to limit his innings even if they plan to start him in Low A. I see a solid starter for a while if he reaches his potential, and sooner than for the typical high school lefty. This was the other pick in the Stanton trade, so add it to the haul
1-30 Monte Harrison CF - Now here's a home run swing. Monte Harrison is arguably the best athlete in the draft, he was a 4 star WR recruit to Nebraska and he's been clocked at 97 on the mound. That's what we call a toolshed! Unfortunately toolsheds who need a ton of refinement don't tend to pan out, so what really intrigued me about Harrison was the on base percentage in Arizona. The bad sign is the guy who strikes out 1/3 of the time and walks 5% of the time but has a decent number of extra base hits he's run into blind squirrel style. Harrison obviously didn't hit for the power everyone expects, but instead of swinging at everything he took his bases, with 31 walks and only 48 strikeouts it 210 plate appearances (that's a 14.7% BB rate and sustainable 22.8% K rate). He also stole 32 bases and was only caught twice. That says to me this is a guy who maximizes tools and knows how to work, so I'm looking forward to a poor man's Andrew McCutchen upside and a solid 4th OF downside. You just can't teach this kind of athleticism.
2-15 Michael Kopech RHP - It sure looks like the Red Sox bias of this league is no longer a thing. I can't believe I was able to get a Red Sox pick this late with this much upside. Kopech is obviously raw and there's plenty of risk associated with him, but I believe at this point the upside is well worth the pick. Kopech is young for his draft class and throws really hard, but he's got a complicated delivery and people are obviously afraid that it will force him into the bullpen if he can't repeat his delivery. I'm always willing to bet on a big hard throwing Texan kid, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops. Best case scenario he's Kevin Brown, and he has a pretty good shot of being a solid reliever in the worst case scenario.
3-1 Alex Blandino IF - It's always nice to get a first rounder in the 3rd round. When I traded for this pick I was planning to use it on a 16 year old lottery ticket, but I just couldn't pass on the Stanford guy here. Unlike the typical Stanford prospect he bailed on the Stanford swing his last year there, and he hit in Low A and the Cape as well. I buy the idea that he's the long term replacement for Brandon Phillips, defensively it's hard to see him sticking at short and it looks like 3B is taken for a while, but wherever he ends up on the diamond his bat should be legit for the position, and he should move quickly. He should start next year in A+ and we'll see how he hits going forward!