I really am a believer in a lot of our mid and low level prospects but in AAA there are literally 5 guys I care to see any more of. The rest of that team could be replaced from below and nobody would notice. I think that is exactly what should happen and would not be surprised if the team improved as a result of that action. The Astros pushed for streamlining the farm system yet they seem unwilling to take advantage of it. Pushing up everybody you can to get the new guys started will help.
I will trust the Stros developmental staff when it comes to how aggressively they promote guys. Overall they've been very aggressive in promoting guys and have generally been spot on in their evals.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/in...b-draft-american-league-recaps-kiley-mcdaniel Houston Astros It could be telling what new GM Dana Brown, the former Braves scouting czar, did in his first draft for the Astros. Nebraska shortstop Brice Matthews (37) has a plus power/speed combo and probably fits better in the long term at second base. Charlotte RF Cam Fisher (128) has easy plus raw power and gears his whole game around it. Colorado prep SS Chase Jaworsky (NR) was a spring riser with an above-average power/speed combo but a short track record. Texas prep CF Nehomar Ochoa (133) was putting on pre-draft workout shows with plus timed speed and plus power but some swing-and-miss questions. On Day 3, prep center fielders Anthony Huezo (299) and Andrew Duncan (209) were picked, both with above-average power potential. Seems like athletes with power potential is the trend here. UCLA 6-8 righty Alonzo Tredwell (71) was the closer last year but a starter this year after losing his prep senior season to Tommy John surgery. He has a bag of 50- and 55-grade pitches with control to start. Georgetown RHP Jake Bloss (170) showed above-average stuff in his breakout 22-year-old season with enough feel for at least multiple innings. Louisiana Lafayette RHP Jackson Nezuh (NR) works 90-93 mph, touching 94, with good traits and athleticism for projection.
I think athleticism (power/speed combos) is definitely something this front office valued a lot in the draft. Whether that was intentional or just where they felt BPA led them remains to be seen. Houston already has quite a few power/speed/strikeout guys in their system (Leon, Whitcomb, McKenna, Daniels, Brewer, Corona, Stevens, Melton, Cerny, Borden, Whitaker, Cole), so if they somehow figure out how to maximize that profile they will be flush with elite prospects.
This is a top of the draft only strategy ... at least wrt signability. The Astros took 3 HSers in the 10-20 rounds ... but signing them will take some FO magic with the salaries for the 1-10 round picks and maybe only having a shot at 2 of the 3. Still, that leave 15 of the 20 picks that are not consensus high ceiling picks ... but as you mentioned these picks may be seen as more of high floor picks.
With the condition of the Astros system, it was paramount for Brown to add high ceiling, potential impact players. But at the same time he could not afford to have too many flops in his first draft. These players will be very important in determining if he gets an extension when his current contract is expiring.
If by some miracle Houston is able to sign all 5 teenage position players they drafted (Jaworsky, Ochoa, Hueza, Bush, Duncan), it would be the biggest/best group of that type they’ve signed since 2012, and likely one of the 5 best groups of teenagers they’ve ever drafted.
Hmmm...am I bored enough to start researching this? Magic 8 Ball says: 'ask again later' eta for @Snake Diggit: I made it this far https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/draft_team/13/
The drafting from the Astros inception until around '94 is absolutely horrid. That's when I stopped looking.
When they drafted Dierker/Wilson/Cuellar/Billingham, Guisti Morgan, Mayberry, Watson, Cedeno, Geronimo, Rader the scouts did a great job. Unfortunately they traded their talent away back then. Thanks Spec.
I believe, prove me wrong, that every one of those players went to college or was an international signing outside of Dierker.
I am slowly working my way through this draft and I have to say I like it far better than I expected to. We picked a lot of players from schools we have not been to in a long time but they seem well chosen. Not enough of them are from Texas but I can excuse that from a new GM just this once. I write up a short note or two about each selection and grade the selections (not the players) as they fall. I have posted this every year for the last 8 or ten years on the Crawfish Boxes (under new ownership) but I do not spend to much time there any more. I would like to post it here but I need a little help. If there is anyone here that knows how to post a table on ClutchFans please let me know.
I'm familiar with your tables from TCB. Not sure how (or if) you can post a table here, but two possible workarounds: 1. Take a screenshot(s) of the table, and post it as an image here. 2. Post the file on Google drive and post the link here. Once again, not sure about a direct table here, but those could be two possible workarounds. Regardless, I look forward to your post.
It isn’t a coincidence. Dana Brown has said in the past that he really has an eye for prep bats that have strong athleticism. In general athleticism is something he believes in, even with pitchers…. He also has a history of finding guys that bloom late or have misfortune and he rehabilitates them. Gross is someone Luhnow hired and promoted and he lasted through Click (Click really liked him) and now is with Brown - and Gross is similar to Brown in being a big believer in projectable tools and athleticism. Gross is a little different in that he also values some mid ceiling guys that can rise really fast. I haven’t personally always agreed with some of Gross’ draft picks but he wouldn’t have any problems getting another job as scouting director around the league - well thought of.
I agree that sign-ability is an issue with the high schoolers outside the top of the draft - unless it is someone everyone else is sleeping on or if there are circumstances other organizations are not aware of that make a prep more likely to sign. The Astros took enough higher floor guys and upper class men to mitigate some of the risk (but even these guys were often riskier than most similar players as the Astros took players with more extreme outcomes in this draft). The Astros under Brown took 4 high schoolers. They have already signed Jaworski (Who the Dodgers and Rays liked) and Ochoa (who Brown supposedly loves). That leaves two others (Huezo and Duncan). Huezo doesn’t have the physical tools that jump like Ochoa, but he has been playing since he was literally 2-3 years old, works hard, good jumps on the ball and hard worker that has upside with his bat speed. He WANTS to go pro, he said he intends to sign with the Astros. This far it hasn’t happened - but is expected to. Andrew Duncan is a better prospect than Huezo IMO. He is an FSU commitment, so viewed as a hard sign. Astros were surprised he was available at the end of the draft - so they will wait and see if he is possible to sign. Signing Duncan and Huezo would be amazing - or even instead of Huezo would be a great outcome. Most likely outcome is Huezo signs for what the Astros offer and Duncan goes to FSU.
