Draft starts at 6pm ET on MLB Network and MLB.com Rounds 1-3 will take place today. The Astros hold the 21st, 69th, 100th, and 111th pick today. Post any articles, mocks or wants concerning the Astros 2009 draft. Day 1: 21 - Jiovanni Mier(HS) 6'2 175lbs R/R SS 69 - Tanner Bushue(HS) 6'4 180lbs R/R RHP 100 - Telvin Nash(HS) 6'1 230lbs R/R LF/1B 111 - Johanthan Meyer(HS) 6'1 195lbs S/R 3B/C Day 2: 131 - BJ Hyatt(South Carolina Sumter) 6'4 205lbs R/R RHP 161 - Brandon Wikoff(Illinois Champaign) 5'9 170lbs L/R SS 191 - Enrique Hernandez(Military Academy) 5'11 170lbs R/R SS 221 - Dallas Keuchel(Arkansas Fayetteville) 6'2 180lbs L/L LHP 251 - Brandt Walker(Stanford) 6'3 185lbs R/R RHP
Yahoo Sports Mock: Houston Astros: Chad James, Yukon HS, Okla. A high school left-hander with huge upside, James fits into the mold of recent Astros first-round picks. He is using his commitment to Oklahoma State as leverage, but should be an easier sign than Purke, the other high-profile left-handed high school pitcher available. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...4?slug=sh-mockdraft060909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Fastball: James throws his fastball up to 93-94 mph. Fastball movement: It has pretty good life when in the zone. Curve: Flashes a power breaking ball, with a 3/4 tilt and some depth, but it's inconsistent. Changeup: Has shown a changeup in the pen, but didn't throw one in the game. With a decent feel for pitching, he should be able to develop it. Control: Command is inconsistent as he sometimes misses up and and out of the zone to his arm side. Poise: He is a big and physical presence on the mound. Physical Description: James is a big, strong left-hander, kind of a Jon Lester type. Medical Update: Healthy. Strengths: Good athlete who also bats third in his lineup and runs well; chance to have good power aresenal with three pitch mix; projectability and upside. Weaknesses: Command isn't always there; flashes above-average pitches, but not consistently. Summary: Projectable and young left-handers are always a hot commodity and as a result, James should get plenty of buzz as the Draft draws near. He's big, physical and athletic with the chance to have a pretty good power aresenal from the left side. With some work, he could have a good three-pitch mix, and there's some upside there to get scouts excited. His command and stuff is a little inconsistent, but with plenty to work with teams that like high school arms might jump at the chance to take him early. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp?content=james
http://www.mlbdraftsite.com/ has us taking Matt Hobgood. Fastball: Hobgood threw his fastball in the 89-92 mph range and went right after hitters with it. Fastball movement: Has heavy, hard life. Curve: A plus pitch, 11-to-5, true curve, thrown 74-79 mph. It has the chance to be the best high school curve in this class. Slider: It's slurvy at 80 mph, and is a usable pitch. Changeup: Didn't show a changeup and may lack a feel for it. Control: Has average high school command, but was throwing to the radar gun a bit too much. Poise: Exceptional. He challenged hitters, daring them to try and hit him. He has a little mean streak on the mound. Physical Description: Hobgood is a big, physical animal -- like a Josh Beckett type. Medical Update: Healthy. Strengths: Size, strength and durability. Also has two plus pitches now, with the intangibles to be a front-of-the-rotation starter. Weaknesses: Doesn't show a feel for a changeup. He lands a little hard and will have to soften his front side a little to hone command. Summary: Hobgood is a big, strong right-hander with two plus offerings in his heavy fastball and outstanding curve. Some small tweaks to his delivery should help him find even better fastball command. If he can add a changeup to go along with his other offerings and his tremendous mound presence, he has the chance to be a front-of-the-rotation starter in the future.
Thats the second Chad James connection I've seen, Keith Law had us projected taking him as well the other day when they were flashing his mock during the TCU/UT game on Sunday With the way MLB baseball is set up in terms of minors and timetables for people to make appearances, BPA should always be the approach IMO no matter what round. They have made some definate reaches the last couple of years to fill need positions such as Max Sapp and Jason Castro, even though I like Castro and think he'll be a good player.
MLB.com's latest mock: 21. Houston Astros: Jared Mitchell, OF, LSU Mitchell, the best athlete, at least among the college bat drop, still seems like he could fit well in this system. Interesting: 27. Seattle Mariners: Tanner Scheppers, RHP, St. Paul Saints It was too much for them to consider him at No. 2, though perhaps he belonged in that conversation based on pure stuff. But the shoulder concerns could drop him this far, and after taking the bat at No. 2, the Mariners could opt for an arm here. I've seen this guy in alot of top-5's and almost all top-10's. Astros shouldn't pass if he's there
I completely agree. I know Heck and crew have their draft board and keep saying that they are going to draft BPA, you gotta believe that Purke will receive some consideration. I wonder if the Astros have kicked the tires with Purke as far as gauging his "price tag" if he were drafted by his hometown team. I doubt the Astros pick Purke, so my prediction pick is Slade Heathcott.
Here's who we got: Jiovanni Mier, SS, Bonita (Calif.) H.S. Hitting ability: Mier is a bit of a free swinger, but his swing works. He could be a No. 2-type hitter. Power: With added strength, he could be a 10-15 homer kind of guy. Running speed: He has below-average speed. Base running: He has good instincts on the bases. Arm strength: Average but accurate -- so it's playable at short. Fielding: He has average hands now, but they should play as a plus in the future, especially with his tremendous defensive instincts. Range: Average to plus. He makes up for his lack of foot speed with terrific positioning and anticipation. Physical Description: Mier is wiry strong, reminding some of a young Nomar Garciaparra. Medical Update: Healthy. Strengths: Strong overall defensive package, with good skills and plus instincts. Off-the-charts makeup and intangibles with a quiet confidence. Weaknesses: He's a bit of a free swinger and has below-average running speed. Summary: Mier looks like a young Nomar Garciaparra on the field. He's a free swinger that should generate a little pop as he matures. Defensively, he's very smooth and makes up for below-average speed with excellent instincts that should allow him to remain at shortstop. He has a quiet confidence on the field and his intangibles are off the charts. He should be one of the better high school shortstops in this year's Draft class.
Interesting pick...the analysts said he would be a slow comer and brought up slowly among each level. Would have liked to see pitching selected here but I hope he works out.
They made it sound like this was a reach much like last year. It certainly doesn't seem like we took the BPA as Heck said we would do.
keep in mind that this isn't a one-draft fix. they were obviously high on this guy, so i'm not upset that they didnt go pitcher. still plently more rounds/years to draft plenty of them. i trust that these guys know what they are doing.
I'm not sure what you're saying. I got the sense from their reaction that they thought this was a reach and were trying to find reasons to justify it. That's just my reaction to what I heard on TV. I have no knowledge whatsoever about the player. It could be a terrific pick.
i'm just saying that bobby heck saying "we'll take the BPA" means little to nothing. it's not like he's going to divulge anything. that's the most benign thing he could say.
Fair enough. I have no idea. I just reacted to what I heard on TV and offered my fairly meaningless opinion. I hope it turns out to be a great pick.
Astros selected high school shortstop Jiovanni Mier with the 21st pick in the draft. Mier is questionable to last at shortstop, and he probably won't possess the bat to be a major asset anywhere else. He's probably not more than a future 12-homer guy at best, and plate discipline is an issue. He shouldn't have gone in the first round. http://rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=MLB
What makes you think he wasn't the highest rated player on the Astros board? We supposedly reached for Castro and Lyles last year, but those picks look pretty damn good right now.
Once again, I have no idea. I retract my previous statement which was nothing more than a reaction to what I heard on TV. I am totally clueless about the draft.
