Pick 33: Nick Noonan
Pick 63: Nick Schmidt
Pick 99: Fernando Cruz
Pick 129: Justin Miller
Pick # ? : Bruce Billings
Pittsburgh 2007 Draft Class
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Pittsburgh 2007 Draft Class
Last edited by Cardinals on Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:59 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Nick Noonan
Nick Noonan, 2b/ss Born: May 4, 1989 ï B-T: L-R ï Ht: 6-0 ï Wt: 180
Drafted: HSóSan Diego, 2007 (1st round supplemental) ï Signed by: Ray Krawczyk
Nick NoonanBackground: The 32nd overall pick in June, Noonan turned down a Clemson scholarship and signed quickly for $915,750. He earned Arizona League all-star honors and was the darling of the Giants' instructional league camp, hitting over .500 for most of October.
Strengths: Noonan made a brilliant first impression with his sweet lefthanded swing and polished baseball acumen. He quickly earned a reputation for having the best pure hitting skills and soundest strike-zone judgment in the system. He makes steady, line-drive contact in the mold of Robin Ventura, and he's also an excellent bunter. Despite a loopy stride, Noonan has above-average speed, especially going from first base to third, and his fine instincts helped him steal 18 bases in 21 pro attempts. There's a smooth quality to everything he does on the field.
Weaknesses: Though some scouts have compared him to Chase Utley, Noonan doesn't have the same power potential. He prefers to play shortstop but fellow supplemental first-rounder Charlie Culberson has a stronger arm, so Noonan will move up the ladder at second base. He has a stiff-armed delivery but his throws have good carry. He's still working on his skills around the bag, especially turning the double play.
The Future: After his strong debut, Noonan could advance quickly. For a high schooler, his offensive approach and game awareness are off the charts. Along with Charlie Culberson and Angel Villalona, he'll help form a supremely young and talented infield at Augusta in 2008.
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Nick Noonan offers a promising package of baseball instincts, speed and hitting ability. He has a quick, balanced and short swing. This helps him generate good bat speed and allows him to make consistent hard contact. He has been compared to Derek Jeter for his tools and feel for the game. Nick has outstanding arm strength as a middle infielder and has also pitched for his Francis Parker High School team. As a freshman, Nick helped lead Francis Parker to the City Section Division IV title as he batted .376 with 28 RBIÃs and 11 stolen bases. Last season Nick batted .419 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIÃs. He also showcased his speed throughout the year as he went 22-for-23 in stolen bases. Nick was named the San Diego Section Division IV and Southern Coastal Conference Player of the Year.
Nick Noonan, 2b/ss Born: May 4, 1989 ï B-T: L-R ï Ht: 6-0 ï Wt: 180
Drafted: HSóSan Diego, 2007 (1st round supplemental) ï Signed by: Ray Krawczyk
Nick NoonanBackground: The 32nd overall pick in June, Noonan turned down a Clemson scholarship and signed quickly for $915,750. He earned Arizona League all-star honors and was the darling of the Giants' instructional league camp, hitting over .500 for most of October.
Strengths: Noonan made a brilliant first impression with his sweet lefthanded swing and polished baseball acumen. He quickly earned a reputation for having the best pure hitting skills and soundest strike-zone judgment in the system. He makes steady, line-drive contact in the mold of Robin Ventura, and he's also an excellent bunter. Despite a loopy stride, Noonan has above-average speed, especially going from first base to third, and his fine instincts helped him steal 18 bases in 21 pro attempts. There's a smooth quality to everything he does on the field.
Weaknesses: Though some scouts have compared him to Chase Utley, Noonan doesn't have the same power potential. He prefers to play shortstop but fellow supplemental first-rounder Charlie Culberson has a stronger arm, so Noonan will move up the ladder at second base. He has a stiff-armed delivery but his throws have good carry. He's still working on his skills around the bag, especially turning the double play.
The Future: After his strong debut, Noonan could advance quickly. For a high schooler, his offensive approach and game awareness are off the charts. Along with Charlie Culberson and Angel Villalona, he'll help form a supremely young and talented infield at Augusta in 2008.
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Nick Noonan offers a promising package of baseball instincts, speed and hitting ability. He has a quick, balanced and short swing. This helps him generate good bat speed and allows him to make consistent hard contact. He has been compared to Derek Jeter for his tools and feel for the game. Nick has outstanding arm strength as a middle infielder and has also pitched for his Francis Parker High School team. As a freshman, Nick helped lead Francis Parker to the City Section Division IV title as he batted .376 with 28 RBIÃs and 11 stolen bases. Last season Nick batted .419 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIÃs. He also showcased his speed throughout the year as he went 22-for-23 in stolen bases. Nick was named the San Diego Section Division IV and Southern Coastal Conference Player of the Year.
Last edited by Cardinals on Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nick Schmidt
Nick Schmidt, lhp Born: Oct. 10, 1985 ï B-T: L-L ï Ht: 6-5 ï Wt: 220
Drafted: Arkansas, 2007 (1st round) ï Signed by: Lane Decker
Nick SchmidtBackground: A polished, durable lefthander who was a No. 1 starter in the rugged Southeastern Conference since he was a freshman, Schmidt lasted until the 23rd pick, where the Padres took him and signed him for $1.26 million. He logged 117 innings during his sophomore seasonóafter which he won the championship game at the World University Games in Cubaóand 124 more as a junior. Schmidt bypassed the short-season leagues after signing, but tossed just seven innings for low Class A Fort Wayne before being shut down with elbow soreness.
Strengths: While he doesn't have a swing-and-miss pitch, Schmidt is adept at using his 6-foot-5 frame to drive his pitches down in the zone. He can touch 91 mph, but more often pitches at 86-89, and backs it up with an above-average curveball and solid-average changeup. What he lacks in stuff, the competitive Schmidt makes up for with control and the ability to change speeds. He also has an advanced feel for reading opposing batters' swings.
Weaknesses: The condition of Schmidt's elbow did not improve with rest as the club had hoped and he had Tommy John surgery in October. Schmidt has some effort to his delivery and he shows the open face of his glove to the batter before he delivers his pitches. He stays online to the plate well, however, and his delivery quirks do add deceptiveness.
The Future: Schmidt joins Tim Stauffer, Matt Bush and Cesar Carrillo as recent Padres first-round picks who've gone down with injury. While Schmidt will miss the 2008 season, he shouldn't require much minor league time before he's a candidate for the big league rotation, where he profiles as a No. 3 starter.
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Schmidt was a second-team Preseason All-American, but he has since bypassed such pitchers as Jake Arrieta and Wes Roemer who rated ahead of him. He doesn't have wow stuff, but he's a big, durable lefthander who has been a No. 1 starter in the rugged Southeastern Conference since he was a freshman. His stock took a mild hit last summer, when his stuff was down a notch with Team USA. That was mostly the result of being tired after working 117 innings as a sophomore at Arkansas, but it didn't stop Schmidt from winning the championship game at the World University Games in Cuba--a tribute to his competitive nature. He was a workhorse again this spring, exceeding 100 innings before the end of the regular season. Schmidt pitches off an 88-92 mph fastball and backs it up with a solid changeup and curveball. While he doesn't have a swing-and-miss pitch, he does a fine job of using his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame to drive his pitches down in the strike zone. He won't be a No. 1 starter but should become a good No. 3 for the club that gets him toward the end of the first round.
Nick Schmidt, lhp Born: Oct. 10, 1985 ï B-T: L-L ï Ht: 6-5 ï Wt: 220
Drafted: Arkansas, 2007 (1st round) ï Signed by: Lane Decker
Nick SchmidtBackground: A polished, durable lefthander who was a No. 1 starter in the rugged Southeastern Conference since he was a freshman, Schmidt lasted until the 23rd pick, where the Padres took him and signed him for $1.26 million. He logged 117 innings during his sophomore seasonóafter which he won the championship game at the World University Games in Cubaóand 124 more as a junior. Schmidt bypassed the short-season leagues after signing, but tossed just seven innings for low Class A Fort Wayne before being shut down with elbow soreness.
Strengths: While he doesn't have a swing-and-miss pitch, Schmidt is adept at using his 6-foot-5 frame to drive his pitches down in the zone. He can touch 91 mph, but more often pitches at 86-89, and backs it up with an above-average curveball and solid-average changeup. What he lacks in stuff, the competitive Schmidt makes up for with control and the ability to change speeds. He also has an advanced feel for reading opposing batters' swings.
Weaknesses: The condition of Schmidt's elbow did not improve with rest as the club had hoped and he had Tommy John surgery in October. Schmidt has some effort to his delivery and he shows the open face of his glove to the batter before he delivers his pitches. He stays online to the plate well, however, and his delivery quirks do add deceptiveness.
The Future: Schmidt joins Tim Stauffer, Matt Bush and Cesar Carrillo as recent Padres first-round picks who've gone down with injury. While Schmidt will miss the 2008 season, he shouldn't require much minor league time before he's a candidate for the big league rotation, where he profiles as a No. 3 starter.
___________________________________________________
Schmidt was a second-team Preseason All-American, but he has since bypassed such pitchers as Jake Arrieta and Wes Roemer who rated ahead of him. He doesn't have wow stuff, but he's a big, durable lefthander who has been a No. 1 starter in the rugged Southeastern Conference since he was a freshman. His stock took a mild hit last summer, when his stuff was down a notch with Team USA. That was mostly the result of being tired after working 117 innings as a sophomore at Arkansas, but it didn't stop Schmidt from winning the championship game at the World University Games in Cuba--a tribute to his competitive nature. He was a workhorse again this spring, exceeding 100 innings before the end of the regular season. Schmidt pitches off an 88-92 mph fastball and backs it up with a solid changeup and curveball. While he doesn't have a swing-and-miss pitch, he does a fine job of using his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame to drive his pitches down in the strike zone. He won't be a No. 1 starter but should become a good No. 3 for the club that gets him toward the end of the first round.
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Cruz has been home-schooled and is a junior by classification, but he has petitioned the commissionerÃs office to enter the draft this year. If he's successful, he not only would add to the trio of premium talent, but he also could be the most talented player of the bunch. "If he's not eligible, he's going to be a first- or second-round follow going into spring of next year," said another AL scout who attended a May combine in Puerto Rico where Cruz had his coming-out party in front of more than 50 scouts. Cruz is more physically mature than most other Puerto Rican prospects, and scouts project him to hit for at least average power with an above-average arm and solid-average defensive skills, profiling at third base.
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One of the more interesting selections was Fernando Cruz, a 6-foot-1 switch-hitting shortstop from Puerto Rico Advancement College. Cruz will not turn 18 until next March 28.
"He wasn't necessarily going to be a player who was going to be eligible, but he just graduated early. He just turned 17, so he is a very, very young 17," Ladnier said. "What stood out with him is that he is young, he has plus power and he has some type of an arm. You could make it plus-plus right now. It's really a powerful arm. He is kind of a gangly kid, so our intent is to move him to third base.
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Fernando Cruz, a 17-year old who was home schooled in Puerto Rico, was declared draft eligible right before the 2007 draft, and the Royals gladly took him in the sixth round and assigned him to Arizona. Cruz was young even for the Arizona League, and he struggled in his first exposure to pro ball, hitting just .210/.254/.265 with one home run in 181 at bats. The Royals expected him to struggle, but they view him as an exciting player with a live body, and they believe he is going to develop physically into a strong offensive player. Though Cruz was drafted as a shortstop, the club moved him to third base, where they expect him to stick. He is obviously still a long way from developing into the player he will ultimately be, but his upside could be considerable.
"He wasn't necessarily going to be a player who was going to be eligible, but he just graduated early. He just turned 17, so he is a very, very young 17," Ladnier said. "What stood out with him is that he is young, he has plus power and he has some type of an arm. You could make it plus-plus right now. It's really a powerful arm. He is kind of a gangly kid, so our intent is to move him to third base.
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Fernando Cruz, a 17-year old who was home schooled in Puerto Rico, was declared draft eligible right before the 2007 draft, and the Royals gladly took him in the sixth round and assigned him to Arizona. Cruz was young even for the Arizona League, and he struggled in his first exposure to pro ball, hitting just .210/.254/.265 with one home run in 181 at bats. The Royals expected him to struggle, but they view him as an exciting player with a live body, and they believe he is going to develop physically into a strong offensive player. Though Cruz was drafted as a shortstop, the club moved him to third base, where they expect him to stick. He is obviously still a long way from developing into the player he will ultimately be, but his upside could be considerable.
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Q: Jim from DC asks:
Outside of the Top 10 prospects, who are the position player and pitcher with the highest ceilings?
A: : Good question. I like Fernando Cruz a lot at third base. He's an 18-year-old out of Puerto Rico who might end up being a steal in the sixth round. Could be an above-average hitter and defender.
Best Defensive Player: 3B Fernando Cruz (6) needs to add some first-step quickness as he moves from shortstop to third, but he has the arm, hands and reactions to be a plus defender.
Outside of the Top 10 prospects, who are the position player and pitcher with the highest ceilings?
A: : Good question. I like Fernando Cruz a lot at third base. He's an 18-year-old out of Puerto Rico who might end up being a steal in the sixth round. Could be an above-average hitter and defender.
Best Defensive Player: 3B Fernando Cruz (6) needs to add some first-step quickness as he moves from shortstop to third, but he has the arm, hands and reactions to be a plus defender.
Last edited by Cardinals on Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Justin Miller
One of the nation's best junior college players who's not under control to a big league team from the 2006 draft, Miller offers high risk and a potential high reward. He's a risk because teams didn't get to see him pitch much this spring, just 18 innings because he doubled as Johnson County's right fielder and he came down with a tender arm in mid-April. Miller pitched just once afterward, a two-inning stint in which his fastball parked at 90 mph and he didn't throw a slider. Yet he's intriguing because he's a projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete whose fastball went from 86-87 mph as a high school senior to 88-90 last summer to regularly touching 92-94 earlier this spring. He also showed a mid-80s slider that was inconsistent yet promising. He's not polished and looks like a position player trying to pitch, but the raw material obviously is there. Miller committed to attend Wichita State, but a snafu with his core classes in high school prevented him from joining the Shockers. As a nonqualifier, he can't go to a four-year school until he receives his juco degree, and thus is considered very signable. Few teams got enough good looks to feel comfortable taking Miller as high as his ceiling would warrant, but he still could go in the first five rounds.
RHP Justin Miller (6), who threw seven shutout innings in relief of Withrow, gets exceptional sink on a low-90s heater. The Dodgers have an impressive track record of drafting pitchers, and they're excited about Withrow, Adkins, LHP Michael Watt (2) and Miller.
One of the nation's best junior college players who's not under control to a big league team from the 2006 draft, Miller offers high risk and a potential high reward. He's a risk because teams didn't get to see him pitch much this spring, just 18 innings because he doubled as Johnson County's right fielder and he came down with a tender arm in mid-April. Miller pitched just once afterward, a two-inning stint in which his fastball parked at 90 mph and he didn't throw a slider. Yet he's intriguing because he's a projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound athlete whose fastball went from 86-87 mph as a high school senior to 88-90 last summer to regularly touching 92-94 earlier this spring. He also showed a mid-80s slider that was inconsistent yet promising. He's not polished and looks like a position player trying to pitch, but the raw material obviously is there. Miller committed to attend Wichita State, but a snafu with his core classes in high school prevented him from joining the Shockers. As a nonqualifier, he can't go to a four-year school until he receives his juco degree, and thus is considered very signable. Few teams got enough good looks to feel comfortable taking Miller as high as his ceiling would warrant, but he still could go in the first five rounds.
RHP Justin Miller (6), who threw seven shutout innings in relief of Withrow, gets exceptional sink on a low-90s heater. The Dodgers have an impressive track record of drafting pitchers, and they're excited about Withrow, Adkins, LHP Michael Watt (2) and Miller.
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