We’re just over a month away from the 2015 amateur draft, and here’s the latest about some of the players and teams who will be in the news on June 8…
- Florida high school shortstop Brendan Rodgers tops Baseball America’s latest ranking of the top 100 draft prospects. Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson, UC Santa Barbara righty Dillon Tate, Louisville righty Kyle Funkhouser and LSU shortstop Alex Bregman round out the top five.
- The ranking aside, this year’s draft class has even more difficult than usual to evaluate, as Baseball America’s John Manuel writes. Several of the top prospects have thin or unconventional track records, while others have seen their draft stock drop due to injuries.
- “Expect the Braves [to] buck that [industry] consensus early and often,” Manuel writes. This will be a big draft for Atlanta, as the Braves have six of the first 89 picks and the fourth-highest draft bonus pool of any club.
- The Diamondbacks have had discussions with right-hander Garrett Whitley and catcher Tyler Stephenson about making either high schooler the first pick in the 2015 draft, Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel reports. Whitley, Stephenson and outfielder Daz Cameron (another high schooler) are named by McDaniel as the co-favorites to be the #1 pick, with Tate and Swanson as longshot options. While Whitley, Stephenson and Cameron aren’t at the top of most draft boards, the D’Backs may be looking to take an unconventional choice ifrst overall and then sign the player to a “cut rate” contract at below slot value. This would free up more draft pool money for Arizona to spend on their later selections. McDaniel speculates that Whitley or Stephenson could accept a deal worth less than half the $8.616MM slot value for the first overall pick since they otherwise might not be taken in the top seven.
- Rodgers, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to be an option for the D’Backs, as McDaniel reports that the team haven’t scouted many of his games.
Funkhouser. What an awesome name. Reminds me of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Very reminiscent of the late 70’s player and Commodores fan Kirby Brickhouser. He was mighty mighty letting it all hang out.
I was thinking the same thing. Who wouldn’t want to buy a jersey with the name Funkhouser on the back?
Another example of the D’backs not knowing exactly what they are doing. Why would you not take Rodgers? I believe he is the only kid with a future value grade of 60 in this weak draft. Not going after one of the top five talents would be an unwise decision, and one that is not entirely surprising coming from the D’backs. I won’t complain too much, it just gives the Red Sox a better chance at drafting a higher-rated prospect.
I wonder if Rodgers or Tate could fall to the Sox
I highly doubt either of those guys fall that low. Funkhouser or Bregman could fall that low if the D’backs don’t draft a top 5 talent, though I’d guess the Twins would then end up drafting the fifth best of those guys listed. It is probably gonna be Fulmer for the Red Sox, or perhaps Aiken or Allard.
I think Bregman to the Sox
They have been connected to him quite a bit and I believe they drafted him out of high school and he didn’t sign. I just don’t see him getting past the Twins though.
Rankings don’t translate to the draft order a lot of the time
No way, Rodgers doesn’t get past Houston and no way Tate falls past Texas, Colorado, Minnesota ( all teams that like taking pitching early on and can use it) or Housons second pick. The Sox will get a real good pick out of this year but no way either of them Falls to #7. ( but there’s always that weird possibility too) but highly unlikely.
Houston doesn’t want Rodgers
Why wouldn’t they? correa probably won’t slot at SS for the long haul, Rodgers could. shift Correa over and Rodgers at SS. With two picks i highly doubt they don’t go Rodgers and then go underslot the second pick.
The Twins may very well take a pitcher but they are very unlikely to draft based on need. Besides their farm system is pretty well stocked with quality arms but is severely lacking position players in the lower minors.
DJ Stewart belongs in a Braves uniform
Maybe
He reminds me of a shorter Klesko batting stance is similar too, DJ has more bend in his knees though. They are both more athletic than they looked too.
In which pick would you want to draft him in? I wouls rather have him as our 2nd pick if possible, but not first
Yes the comp pick #28, I wouldn’t be surprised if the first pick is Matuella if he is available Hart has not gone away from TJ guys. Matuella’s back problems are worrisome though more so than his TJ.
I would hate it if we get Matuella because he seems injury prone. I would rather have the Braves get a better OF prospect. And for Stewart, thats what I also thought- the compensation pick.
Why would you waste the top pick in the draft on weaker talent when the draft is already extremely weak? It doesn’t make any sense to do so when the player you draft probably won’t end up with the ceiling of a player you could have drafted.
Because they want quantity and quality over just pure quality. Go underslot the first pick and go above later in the draft. Gets better quality throughout the draft instead of the D-backs class being top heavy.
It sounds like maybe they don’t feel like there’s a huge gap between the players being talked about as top of the draft players and those later in the round.
Every organization has their own take. They don’t care diddly squat about scout grades. Its what their own guys think…
Its a good plan. Underslot the 1st, save $ for later rounds, have a better draft top to bottom…
I suppose. I just don’t see much point in doing so when this draft is being regarded as weak. If this was like most drafts, then it would make more sense to me to take that approach. It seems like it is gonna be hard to get a quality player lower in the draft this year.
It may or may not be a good plan.
Just because they don’t believe there’s a gap, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
weaker means not enough top talent. Compared to last year. Dillion Tate probably would have went 8 last year. He could go 2-4 this year. The guys in the later of the first round kinda blend together. There’s not enough talent that sticks out. There will be good players from this draft, just it’s not as good as the previous 5 drafts in terms of Top 10 talent.