Dang man you seem really mad about this, take it easy I have no idea at all who the best player is, I don't study college and high school baseball, I coach high school football and wouldn't have the time to scout all those guys if I wanted to I've never ever said I know who we should take, not on the correa pick or the Appel pick. I'm just saying I want this pick to be about taking the best player with no other issues playing a role You can disagree with that if you want, but not sure why my post set you off
Yeah sorry about that. I guess my frustrations being an Astros fan is being taken out on fellow Astros fans. Reading through this forum it just seems like everyone expects some magical improvement or for the front office to be 100% successful on picks/trades/signings/etc... People are armchair-GM'ing every single move and it gets old after awhile. Again sorry Beard; my bad.
I completely agree man. It's tough being an Astros fan right now, tough Most longtime fans aren't even following anymore, and those of us who still follow are getting frustrated We have a very deep system right now, just have to hope that enough of those guys eventually develop to get us heading in the right direction. Another bomb by Springer tonight, looks like he might be over the nerves and ready to go
With the draft being such a crapshoot, I'd want to hedge my bets unless there is a consensus top player. Get as many "lottery tickets" as possible to improve your chances of one of them hitting. The approach with Correa, McCullers, and Ruiz in 2012 was just genius. Great way to take the advantages of picking 1.1 with the new slot values and draft allocations. We'll see Miami doing something similar this year, I'd imagine. p.s. Luhnow was out to watch Rodon on Friday night. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Carlos Rodon's 7 4 1 0 1 9 Friday vs. Wake Forest was in front of Jeff Luhnow and Dan Jennings</p>— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/statuses/465180933084434433">May 10, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yea, that is a popular option without a doubt. I just think we have great depth in our system already, so when it's time to pull the trigger on the pick whoever they say is the #1 player on the board is the one I want them to take. And yea, the draft is certainly a crapshoot. We could easily have Jose Fernandez and Michael Wacha leading our rotation right now, would still have a top farm system and things would look a lot different . . .
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>MLB Draft 2014: Keith Law projects Brady Aiken to Astros at No. 1 overall <a href="http://t.co/a6NF4Tg4wy">http://t.co/a6NF4Tg4wy</a></p>— Mr. Crawfish (@CrawfishBoxes) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrawfishBoxes/statuses/466973890728570880">May 15, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Spoiler 1. Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State, 2009 Drafted: No. 1, Washington Nationals Strasburg was considered a once-in-a-generation talent coming out of San Diego State, showing two plus-plus pitches in his fastball and curve, with the fastball being a legit 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He had plus command of those pitches and a changeup that flashed plus as well. He’s had to overcome Tommy John surgery and he’s battled consistency issues at times in the pros, but no pitcher in baseball has better pure stuff than Strasburg. He’s one of the true dominant No. 1 pitchers in the game when he's healthy and locked in. 2. Bryce Harper, C, College of Southern Nevada, 2010 Drafted: No. 1, Washington Nationals It’s still amazing to me that the Nationals were "fortunate" enough to be so bad that they had an opportunity to take one of the best -- if not the best -- starting pitching prospects ever to enter the draft (see above), then follow that the next year with the best offensive prospect of the past decade. Harper showed legit 80 power from the left side with a chance to have a plus hit-tool grade, and a cannon of an arm behind the plate. Washington moved Harper to the outfield approximately eight seconds after the draft. When he’s been healthy, he’s been one of the best young outfielders in baseball, showing that power and more than holding his own in the outfield. I just wish he hustled a little more. 3. Matt Wieters, C, Georgia Tech, 2007 Drafted: No. 5, Baltimore Orioles Wieters lasted to the fifth overall selection in the draft, but that had more to do with his bonus demands than his talent. The Georgia Tech catcher showed a 65 to 70 hit-tool grade from both sides of the plate, with plus power as well. There were concerns about whether he could stick behind the plate because of his 6-foot-5 frame, but there were no doubts about the arm, which graded plus-plus. While it would be foolish to call Wieters a bust in the majors, he certainly hasn’t become "Joe Mauer with power" as so many thought he would, posting a career .739 OPS coming into the 2014 season. He appeared to be having his breakout season this year, hitting .308/.339/.500, before going down with an elbow injury that will keep him out until July. There’s still time for him to become a star, but "Mauer with power" is probably never going to happen. 4. Justin Upton, SS, Great Bridge HS (Chesapeake, Virginia), 2005 Drafted: No. 1, Arizona Diamondbacks The 2005 draft is considered one of the best ever when you look at the quality and quantity at the top, and Upton was considered the No. 1 prospect in the class by a considerable margin as a player with plus tools across the board. Though drafted as a shortstop, very few thought he would stick there, but no one had any doubts that he was going to be a quality outfielder given his speed and arm. [+] Enlarge AP Photo/Rob CarrPrice went 11-1 in his final season for the Commodores. So far, Upton has had a solid -- if unspectacular -- career for the Diamondbacks and Braves, though it’s very unlikely he’ll end up being the best player from the class (more on that later). The offensive potential is still huge, but he’s not the 35-homer, 25-stolen base guy that so many thought he was going to be at this point. 5. David Price, LHP, Vanderbilt, 2007 Drafted: No. 1, Tampa Bay Rays He may not have been considered the best player in his class by most, but consider that a compliment to Wieters rather than a complaint against Price. To no one’s surprise, Price has been one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball during his time with the Rays, winning the Cy Young Award in 2012 and finishing second in the voting 2010. The only question with Price is where he’s going to be making his living next, since he’s not likely to be a member of Tampa Bay past 2015. 6. Manny Machado, SS, Brito School (Miami), 2010 Drafted: No. 3, Baltimore Orioles Machado was referred to by many as “A-Rod lite,” a wiry, athletic shortstop from Miami who could hit for power. There’s still some work to be done, but Machado has somewhat quietly become one of baseball's brightest young stars, leading the league with 51 doubles last year while playing world-class defense at third base. He’ll need to show more patience at the plate at some point, but this is one of the best young right-handed hitters in baseball right now. 7. Andrew Miller, LHP, North Carolina, 2006 Drafted: No. 6, Detroit Tigers Miller was a heavy favorite to be the first player to come off the board in 2006 immediately after he didn’t sign as a third-round pick of Tampa Bay out of high school in 2003. As a 6-7 left-hander with a fastball that touched 96 mph and a slider that flashed plus-plus with hard, late tilt, many thought he would be an ace. He fell to the sixth pick in 2006 because of his bonus demands, and his erratic command as a professional has prevented him from being anything but a situational reliever. He's the first player in this ranking who could be classified as a major disappointment. 8. Jered Weaver, RHP, Long Beach State, 2004 Drafted: No. 12, Los Angeles Angels Like Wieters and Miller, Weaver was a Scott Boras client who fell because of his bonus demands (reports are that he wanted a record $10.5 million), but he was considered one of the best collegiate pitching prospects of the past 20 years coming out of Long Beach State. The overall stuff wasn’t as good as Justin Verlander’s (more on him later), but Weaver showed 80-grade command of all his pitches to pair with deception and a classic pitcher's build. He’s been one of the most consistent starters in baseball since he became a regular member of the Angels' rotation in 2006. He's finished in the top five of Cy Young voting three times in the past five years. 9. Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA, 2011 Drafted: No. 1, Pittsburgh Pirates The 2011 draft class was widely praised as one of the best ever, and for most of the year Cole was considered the top prospect. He wasn’t as statistically dominant as some of the other pitchers in the class, like UCLA teammate Trevor Bauer, but he showed the best stuff with a plus-plus fastball and changeup, along with an above-average slider that had a chance to be a third plus-pitch offering. [+] Enlarge Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY SportsRendon slugged .801 for the Owls his sophomore year. Cole wasn’t the first pitcher to make his debut from the 2011 class (Bauer) and he almost assuredly won’t be the best (Jose Fernandez), but he has posted a 3.34 ERA since being called up a year ago and could still be an ace. 10. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice, 2011 Drafted: No. 6, Washington Nationals Rendon was the prohibitive favorite to be the No. 1 pick from the end of his sophomore year until late February of his draft year, but inconsistent results, ankle and shoulder problems and the development of Cole caused him to drop a little. However, he was still considered a special offensive player, as a third baseman who drew rave reviews for his ability to work counts in his favor and get on base (along with plus raw power from the right side). He was also a quality defender at third, though because of the injuries to his shoulder many wondered if he would be able to stay there long term. Rendon has split time between second and third base in his time with the Nationals since 2013, and though he hasn’t shown that same plate discipline (39 walks in 560 plate appearances), he has shown bat speed and power, and he looks to be one of the focal points of the Washington offense along with Harper for the next several years. 11. Tim Beckham, SS, Griffin (Georgia) HS, 2008 Drafted: No. 1, Tampa Bay Rays Coming out of high school, Beckham was considered a potential five-tool player who could stick at shortstop, with the bat speed and deceptive raw strength to project to have a plus hit tool and at least above-average power from the right side, possibly more. He needed to improve his footwork, but he had the necessary speed and athleticism to stick at short, which would make him a potential star if everything went right with his development. Instead of everything going right, however, everything has essentially gone wrong. He’s struggled to make contact as a professional and has yet to hit more than 12 homers in a professional season. He’ll miss most (if not all) of the 2014 season after tearing his ACL; there’s little to no chance he'll ever reach the massive potential he showed as a prep, profiling more as a utility player. 12. Dustin Ackley, OF, North Carolina, 2009 Drafted: No. 2, Seattle Mariners Ackley was considered the best hitting prospect in the 2009 draft by a considerable margin, with a swing that stayed in the zone from a direct path and an ability to get on base as well as any collegiate hitter of the past 10 years. There were questions about where he was going to play defensively, but most saw him as a center fielder with plus speed and just enough arm strength to stick in the outfield. Like so many Mariners hitting prospects, Ackley has been disappointing to start his career, with a .246/.315/.359 slash line over his four seasons with Seattle. Like most of the players on this list, Ackley still has time to be a quality hitter at the top of the order, but he’s closer to bust than he is to justifying this ranking. 13. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Oswasso (Oklahoma) HS, 2011 Drafted: No. 4, Baltimore Orioles Bundy showed No. 1 stuff as a prep, consistently touching 98 mph with his fastball and sitting 92 to 95 mph; he also showed a plus curveball and an average changeup. However, his out pitch was his cutter, a pitch that got 80 grades from scouts and was essentially unhittable for prep bats. After dominating the minors in 2012 -- and making his big league debut -- Bundy had to undergo Tommy John surgery last spring and hasn't returned to game action. We’ll have to see how he responds; in terms of pure stuff, no minor league pitcher is more dominant. 14. Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands (Texas) HS, 2010 Drafted: No. 2, Pittsburgh Pirates There was no debate as to who the best prospect was in the 2010 draft (Harper), but there was a debate as to who was No. 2, and Taillon was that player on several team’s boards, including the Pirates. The right-hander showed a 70-grade fastball that touched 98 mph, along with a dominant, yet erratic, breaking ball. Taillon has flashed plus stuff as a pro but hasn’t done it consistently in his three years with the club. He was expected to compete for a spot in the rotation at some point this year, but he’ll miss all of 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in early April. There’s No. 2 potential in his right arm, but as with Bundy, we’ll have to see if he shows the same stuff when he takes the mound again. 15. Josh Vitters, 3B, Cypress (California) HS, 2007 Drafted: No. 3, Chicago Cubs Vitters was considered a can’t-miss prep bat coming out of high school, as a right-handed hitter with tremendous bat speed and enough strength to project to have a plus-plus hit and power tool. Though he was a below-average athlete, he had quality hands and a plus arm, and he looked like a mainstay at the hot corner. Those impressive tools haven’t translated into the professional ranks, due in large part to the lack of plate discipline he’s shown (125 walks in 2,360 plate appearances). At this point, it’d be a surprise if Vitters became anything more than a backup corner infielder; he just doesn’t have the skill to be an everyday player. [+] Enlarge AP Photo/Sue OgrockiIt took Gordon a few years to fulfill the promise he showed in college. 16. Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005 Drafted: No. 2, Kansas City Royals Of the many quality collegiate bats eligible in the 2005 draft, Gordon was considered by many to be the most talented, as a third baseman with a smooth left-handed swing who could hit for both average and power. He had the speed to play a corner outfield position but most saw the former Cornhusker as a third baseman with an above-average arm and quality instincts in the field. Gordon didn’t stick at third, but the bat has played fairly well in the outfield. He was among the best -- and most underrated -- players in baseball in 2011 and 2012, worth more than 13 wins above replacement for the Royals in those two seasons. He’s nowhere close to the best collegiate hitter to come out of that class, but as a defensive stalwart who is routinely among the league leaders in doubles, he’s certainly not a bust by any stretch of the imagination. 17. Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS (Baxley, Georgia), 2012 Drafted: No. 2, Minnesota Twins With all due respect to Carlos Correa, the No. 1 overall pick, Buxton was the prize of the 2012 draft, an outfielder with 60 to 80 tools across the board. The only question was how those tools were going to translate, as he faced poor prep competition in rural Georgia. So far, Buxton has put any doubts to rest, quickly becoming the best prospect in baseball. He’s battled a wrist injury all year, but it’d be a surprise if you didn’t see Buxton hitting near the top of the Minnesota order at some point in 2015. 18. Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford, 2013 Drafted: No. 1, Houston Astros After choosing not to sign with Pittsburgh as the No. 8 pick in the 2012 draft, Appel was the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft, based on the stuff he showed over the previous spring. But the stuff actually took a leap forward in 2013. He always had a big fastball that would touch 98 mph, but his changeup became a true plus-plus offering, with a slider right along those lines. Some believed Appel could make his big league debut this season, but after struggling in high Class-A Lancaster, the right-hander was sent down to extended spring training to work out some of the kinks. The timeline has changed, but he still appears to be a top-of-the-rotation starter who can help Houston's staff, maybe as early as the summer of 2015. 19. Buster Posey, C, Florida State, 2008 Drafted: No. 5, San Francisco Giants Another guy who slid because of signing concerns, Posey was one of the best collegiate catching prospects to enter the draft since Thurman Munson in 1968, with an above-average hit tool from a quick, direct stroke. He could also hit the ball hard to both the pull side and opposite field. And he was a quality defender with a plus-plus arm behind the plate, the only question being whether he was going to hit for power. Though expectations were high, to say Posey has exceeded them is quite the understatement. He was MVP of the World Series-winning Giants in 2012, and he’s become the most complete catcher in baseball. 20. Justin Verlander, RHP, Old Dominion, 2004 Drafted: No. 2, Detroit Tigers Verlander had the best pure stuff of any pitcher to enter the draft in 2004, when he struck out 145 batters in his 99 innings with Old Dominion. He showed the power stuff he has now, but there were some concerns about his command. All Verlander has done in Detroit is be the best pitcher on a team that’s been to the World Series twice; finish in the top five of the Cy Young voting four times; and win both an MVP and a Cy Young in 2011. In other words, he’s good. 21. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt, 2008 Drafted: No. 2, Pittsburgh Pirates Alvarez showed massive power from the left side in his time with the Commodores, thanks to above-average bat speed and an incredibly strong lower half. In addition to that, he got good reviews for his ability to get on base, with most grading the hit tool above average. That power has shown up at the big league level, but the hit tool hasn’t necessarily been there. Alvarez has hit 30 home runs over the past two years but has gotten on base at just a .307 clip in the same time frame. He holds his own defensively at third, but most believe he’ll have to move to first at some point, and it remains to be seen if he’ll hit enough to justify such a move. 22. Tyler Matzek, LHP, Capistrano Valley HS (Mission Viejo, California) Drafted: No. 11, Colorado Rockies Matzek’s strong commitment to the University of Oregon led to his drop to No. 11, but in terms of pure stuff, few if any prep left-handers have shown better pitches and command in the last 10 years. He touched 95 mph with his fastball, and he also featured a filthy slider that could cause lefties and righties to swing and miss. Add in an above-average curveball, an average changeup from a clean delivery, along with an advanced ability to throw strikes, and you have a prospect who, on paper, seemed like a can't-miss star. The control he showed as a prep hasn’t shown up as a professional. Matzek has struggled to throw strikes at every level. His ability to miss bats is undeniable, but until he can show at least average command, he’s likely to end up as a reliever at the big league level. 23. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Long Beach State, 2005 Drafted: No. 7, Colorado Rockies "Tulo" showed outstanding hands and an above-average arm at Long Beach State, and despite not putting up huge power numbers over his three years in college, MLB teams thought the power would be at least above average, even if he had to move to third from shortstop. Many scouts have told me that Tulowitzki was the “safest” prospect they had seen in the decade, so it was a surprise that he fell all the way to the Rockies with the seventh pick. While some of the players who went ahead of him have had very nice careers, Tulowitzki was a steal for the Rockies; the shortstop has been one of the best players in baseball when he’s been healthy. 24. Kris Bryant, 3B, San Diego, 2013 Drafted: No. 2, Chicago Cubs Bryant put up massive power numbers in his time with the Toreros, showing plus-plus power from the right side to all parts of the field. His hit tool wasn’t considered elite, but his ability to work counts in his favor was better than any hitter available in the 2013 draft by a considerable margin. It’s early, but so far Bryant has lived up to that hype and then some. The third baseman has put up an OPS of over 1.000 in his time in the Cubs’ system. There still are questions about where he’ll play defensively, but he appears to be a middle-of-the-order hitter who’s capable of hitting 30 to 35 homers a year. 25. Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton HS (Gardner, Kan.), 2011 Drafted: No. 5, Kansas City Royals In terms of pure athleticism, the only prospect who came close to matching Starling over the past 10 years is Buxton. Starling was a true five-tool player with plus-plus bat speed, raw power from the right side and the speed to stick in center field. He had a scholarship to play QB at Nebraska, which gave him leverage to demand a huge bonus, and also caused him to drop to No. 5. To put it nicely, Starling’s skill set hasn’t translated to the professional ranks. He’s struggled to make hard contact -- or contact, period -- in his three years in Kansas City's system. There’s still a lot of time for the 21-year-old to put it together, but at this point, it looks as if he’s going to end up being a fourth outfielder (at best) unless he can make significant adjustments to his swing and ability to recognize pitches. He's currently hitting .156/.278/.273 for high Class-A Wilmington.
Rodon didn't do too well Friday, but at least DaDakota got the save: http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/2013-2014/vtg51.html
I know the Astros will not take him, but there has not been a better non-MLB pitcher on planet Earth the last 3 seasons than Aaron Nola. I'm not sure what more he could do to warrant top pick consideration. He was awesome again today in the SEC tourney vs Arkansas.
Can someone please answer a question for me... Not about this draft, but didn't want to start a new thread. I was looking at past drafts and noticed that the 03 tigers didn't get the 1st overall pick the following year... I know for a fact they were the worst team that year though, so I looked all over the place for a trade they might have made with San Diego but couldn't find anything. It worked out fine for them, SD drafted a bust and Det got verlander 2nd. Anyone know why they didn't draft 1st overall that year?
I believe they use to just alternate the first pick between leagues and then proceed through rest of round in reverse order from the combined standings.
