I watched the game last night and he looked really good. That was the first time I've seen any of these guys play and it looked like he wanted to make a strong case for the #1 pick. I have the same concerns about how much mileage there already is on his arm though. I read somewhere that one game Stanford let him throw around 140 pitches, that's insane. Sounds like a potential Mark Prior 2.0 scenario.
I wouldn't worry about Appel's pitch count so much. It would be one thing if he were a max effort, 5'11" guy throwing his velocity, but that's not the case. He's gone over 120 only twice this year. Once in an epic showdown vs. Rice at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto. Here's a link to a guy who watches for pitcher abuse in college... http://www.boydsworld.com/data/pitchcount.html
hotly disputed the now legendary quote from Tom House was that Prior's mechanics were flawless, but others claim otherwise
My business partner coaches some select/elite level teams and went out to California for House's clinic on teaching coaches to coach pitching. He's wildly unorthodox...I'm not sure what to make of him, frankly. The old rule that you shouldn't be throwing curves until you're in high school...he says that's bunk. That it's not a problem at all. Definitely taught some good drills for mechanics...but I think he says stuff just to be out there a bit to draw attention. Not sure...just seems that way.
Too much to cut-n-paste ... 2012 MLB Draft Profile: Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy Videos, multiple third party reviews, etc.
But he's a college level prospect who has talent, but wasn't enough to be a top 5 pick in the draft. He likely wouldn' have been top 5 this year either as well. You need to take a risk on the young guy who COULD put everything together and be destined for greatness. Appel is the penultimate SAFE pick... who is one arm injury away from being a completely different pitcher.
According to BA, Springer would be in contention to be picked number one overall this year. Last year's draft was one of the strongest in a long time and he still went eleven overall. Appel is anything but safe. He hasn't even been a starter for very long and still has room to fill out. He still has upside. But he is safer than Buxton or Correa.
Put me on the Correa Bandwagon as well. The Astros have never had a power hitting SS and very, very few power hitting 3B
Top 100 Baseball Draft Prospects for 2012 Here is my current take on the Top 100 Prospects for the 2012 draft. These reflect my personal opinions; this is not a mock draft or a prediction. Your mileage may vary, especially in the lower slots of the list. I am constantly tinkering but at some point I need to hit the "publish" button. This draft isn't as good as 2011 certainly, but it isn't as bad as some people say. Strengths include high school position players with upside, and a whole bushel of guys who project as impressive relief arms. College hitting is the biggest weakness. 1) Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico HS: Excellent hitter, yet chronologically young for his class. Even if he moves to third base, he's elite. Stellar makeup. University of Miami commitment. 2) Kyle Zimmer, RHP, University of San Francisco: Very athletic, throws hard, throws strikes, good secondary pitches, good delivery. What's not to like? 3) Kevin Gausman, RHP, Louisiana State University: Opinions about his breaking ball vary, but fastball/changeup combo impresses me and I think his breaking ball will come around. 4) Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford University: Appel is pitching closer to expectations now and the stuff has always been there. The three college pitchers should really be seen as 2A, 2B, and 2C. They are extremely close. 5) Byron Buxton, OF, Georgia HS: Blazing fast, cannon arm, grade A tools but I have enough questions about his bat to put him behind Correa. University of Georgia commitment. 6) Albert Almora, OF, Florida HS: Tools aren't quite as good as Buxton's, but a much more polished and instinctive player. University of Miami commitment. 7) Mike Zunino, C, University of Florida: Stock has dropped a bit but still a Top 10 guy as a strong defender with impressive power, great makeup. 8) Max Fried, LHP, California HS: Ultrasmooth lefty with great makeup, three strong pitches. UCLA commitment. 9) Lucas Giolito, RHP, California HS: Difficult to rank given the uncertainty regarding his health, would have ranked #2 behind Correa for me without the elbow injury. UCLA commitment. 10) Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke: His height is not an issue for me.
YES! Love the pick if it is true. Based on Luhnow's record it was obvious who we would have picked. I wouldnt have been mad with him, or Buxton.
Same here. I was coming around on Correa, but the Astros can't afford to miss with this pick and need pitching depth in the upper minors. Appel fits with Jeff's STL history. Plenty of high-upside HS bats that can be found a bit later.
