The amateur draft is now three weeks and two days away, and we're going to start hearing some more rumblings about teams targetting maybe not specific players, but a group of three or four players. Here's the latest…
- Baseball America's Jim Callis posted his first mock draft, and has the Pirates taking UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole first overall. That link is free for all, but subscribers can see an in-depth analysis of each pick.
- Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (on Twitter) that Pirates' GM Neil Huntingon was on hand to scout Virginia RHP Danny Hultzen last night. Click here for Ben Nicholson-Smith's interview with Hultzen, and here for a little more about the team's draft strategy.
- ESPN's Keith Law says (on Twitter) that Diamondbacks senior vice president of scouting and player development Jerry Dipoto was scouting Hultzen as well. The D'Backs hold the third and seventh overall picks. Click here for the full draft order.
- Sources tell Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports that an international draft "remains extremely unlikely for the next collective-bargaining agreement," but a hard slotting system that assigns fixed bonuses to each pick is something "MLB will not concede without a fight."
If the Pirates take Hultzen I think my head will explode. Rendon, Starling and Cole, in that order.
Oh and BTW, Mike. Hultzen is a LHP.
I think it’s crazy that Jackie Bradley Jr (I know he has an injury) has fallen out of the first round. If teams pick true to this mock, someone will get a real steal in the compensation round.
I’m trying to figure out what is so great about Gerrit Cole. Statistics-wise, he isn’t even clearly the best pitcher for UCLA??? Statistically, Trevor Bauer, also a Junior, is the better pitcher. I’m not sold. Hultzen and Bauer both seem like better pitchers and I’m trying to understand the Cole hype.
I know that drafting for current needs is silly, but I look at the Pirates system and I see many potentially good pitchers. In addition to Pitt pitchers who are doing well this year at the Major League level, Justin Wilson, Brad Lincoln, Rudy Owens, Bryan Morris, Jeff Locke, Aaron Pribanic, etc, etc, etc… What we don’t have are legitimate batting threats, particularly with power. For that reason, I’m leaning toward Rendon. I understand the injury potential and if it is deemed to be a problem, then that’s fine.
yeah. all other things being equal, drafting for need isn’t actually silly. it’s just that all other things (players) are not usually anywhere close to equal. at the top of this draft though they may just be. and if that’s the case, drafting for need makes perfect sense for the pirates
Rendon should go first. Top hitting talent trumps top pitching talent if the decision is close and I don’t think Cole is head and shoulders over Rendon.
I was reading a draft chat at Perfect Game which mentioned that Rendon’s bat speed has diminished due to his shoulder injury.
Taking him #1 overall seems a reach in this talented draft.
Jim has Bubba at #9?
I disagree.
purke going all the way to 32? oh how nice it would be for the rangers to pick him and actually sign him this time.