I really like this pick. Despite being known as a speedster he had some of the highest exit velos at the draft combine this year. https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-mlb-draft-combine-day-2-standouts?t=mlb-draft-coverage
Seems like a guy they knew they could get to sign way under slot so that they could spend that money elsewhere. Just a guess.
Same. I'm assuming he's willing to take an extreme discount. He certainly has the body to be a workhorse, but otherwise leaves a lot to desire. You never know though. Really happy with 1st, 3rd, 6th, & 7th round selections. They might all suck, but intrigued by each of them.
Only 1 Senior in today’s picks. I assume Parker Smith will sign for well below slot. Powell and Howard are underclassmen so they might require overslot bonuses.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5640109/2024/07/15/mlb-draft-astros-college-pitchers/ Third round: Ryan Forcucci, RHP, UC San Diego: “It’s a super explosive fastball that gets on guys at 92-97 (mph) with a hard, power slider and a slot conducive to a good changeup,” Pendino said. “Really athletic. We were really, really excited to get him in the third round where we did.” Fourth round: Parker Smith, RHP, Rice: Smith’s arsenal is predicated around a sinker, slider and changeup along with a cutter he can mix in when needed. Smith said his changeup is his best secondary pitch, but the slider is “right there with it.” Pendino seemed hopeful the team’s player development department could “polish up” Smith’s slider while refining some of his usage strategies and pitch locations. Smith seemed eager to absorb anything the Astros asked him to adjust — and seemed relieved some of his wardrobe won’t go to waste. “Now I’ll be able to wear all my (Astros) stuff and be fine,” he said. Fifth round: Cole Hertzler, RHP, Liberty: “We’ll give him every chance to be a starter, but I think there’s a real bullpen fallback,” Pendino said. “There may be some more velo here. He’s young. He was a two-way guy. He’s got some athleticism. Good fastball, good changeup and we think we can help him with the breaking ball. We think there’s a lot of upside with Cole.” Sixth round: Caden Powell, SS, Seminole State (Okla.): Pendino said the team foresees no signability issues with Powell, who came to one of the Astros’ pre-draft workouts at Minute Maid Park at the behest of longtime scout Jim Stevenson. “He was hitting baseballs very, very hard off the signs in left field,” Pendino said. “He’s a really physical kid. … We knew the performance was strong, but the level of athlete Caden is in tandem with the performance, with real power and a chance to stick on the dirt, it was a pretty attractive package.” Seventh round: Joseph Sullivan, OF, South Alabama: Pendino said the team plans to play Sullivan in center field with the understanding he can easily slide over to a corner. A hamate bone injury interrupted Sullivan’s spring season, Pendino said, but he still managed to slug .531 with 15 extra-base hits in 128 at-bats. Eighth, ninth and 10th rounds: Dylan Howard, RHP, Radford; Ryan Smith, RHP, University of Illinois-Chicago; Ramsey David, RHP, Southeastern University (FL): “It’s a testament to our scouting staff for really going to ballparks outside of the famous SEC, ACC parks,” Pendino said. “I think we’ve had success organizationally with taking guys from smaller schools and they become valuable prospects or big leaguers.” Howard lowered his ERA from 6.99 in 67 frames as a freshman to 4.78 in 69 2/3 innings as a sophomore. David struck out 87 and limited opponents to a .209 batting average across 61 1/3 innings this season. Smith — who was one of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s high school receivers — started his season late while recovering from elbow surgery, but has a fastball and athletic movement down the mound that forms a “template” for the Astros’ player development to tinker. “Every arm that we take, we are taking because we believe that we are primed to improve them developmentally with whatever their relative deficiency is,” Pendino said. “There’s some really attractive traits to each of these different arms we took today.”
How would you say he compares to Jason Castro who was mashing at Stanford when the astros picked him. Obviously a more high profile program (I believe they were either in the finals or close to the finals of the CWS that year), and Castro turned into a fine receiver and ok hitter during his time on some really bad teams.
Strange journey for someone highly rated out of high school. Hopefully pro ball will offer some stability. He throws 99.
Castro was considered a better prospect for sure. Of course the guys in charge of the Astros now are better than then. Also - scouting was a lot different back then.
