Well the first day of the MLB draft had some highlights and some lowlights for the Oak Ridges Posse. The best news of the day came with four Oak Ridges Posse being taken in the first round, with Tim Beckham leading off the round to Tampa Bay and Casey Kelly closing out the round to Boston.
Beckham going to Tampa Bay is very good news. The Rays have a very good young team and will probably move Beckham quite quick. He is a natural shortstop that should end up batting around #2 in the lineup with protection from the like of BJ Upton, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.
Posse management is ecstatic to have Kelly going to Boston. The Red Sox have been a great drafting organization the last few years and will be willing to buy Casey out of his Tennessee scholarship. He will have a ton of shortstop competition in Boston against the likes Jed Lowrie and Oscar Tejeda.
In between those two the Posse had two other players go in the first with Kyle Skipworth going to the Florida Marlins and Aaron Hicks going as an OFer to the Minnesota Twins. Skipworth to the Marlins was a very pleasant surprise as they do a great job developing their youngsters, and there are no obstacles at catcher for Skipworth. The same could be said for Hicks as he will now stay in the OF, probably in RF, where the Twins will try and develop the toolsy star. There are no obstacles out there for Hicks, except with the Twins checkered past for developing prep players. For every Joe Mauer (who no one could screw up) there has been a Eduardo Morlan, Kyle Waldrop, Danny Rams, Chris Parmelee and Michael Restovich.
For all the positives there were some negatives as well. As expected, prep pitcher Alex Meyer proved to be a nearly impossible sign and has gone undrafted. He will most likely attend University of Kentucky and be the #1 rated college freshman. Also joining UofK's pitching staff will be fellow undrafted prep pitcher Daniel Webb. Third baseman Harold Martinez saw his stock tank in the last couple months and it looks like he will be heading to University of Miami. There is still a chance that both Webb and Martinez could be drafted, but a team will most likely have to go about slot to keep them from college.
The biggest surprise in my opinion was Isaac Galloway, who has gone undrafted. There has been no noise of him being a difficult sign and I really thought he would go in the second round. He did not and it will probably take a team willing to go above slot to buy him away from San Diego State. Come on Boston, New York, Anahiem or Chicago!!!
One player that did slide to the second round was Tim Melville. Melville was drafted by the Kansas City Royals...who had a great first day. He is going to want top 15 money and it sounds like the Royals are willing to pay it given they used an early second rounder on him.
The last player on the draft board for the Posse is JUCO outfielder Devin Shepherd. Shepherd was a top 2006 prospect who was considered a tough sign for Minnesota. He went to Oklahoma, left the team half way through the year. Then he committed to North Carolina State only to back out and spend 2007-8 at College of Southern Nevada. After a rough start to the year he came on strong at the end hitting for .343 with good on base. What has not developed is his power (which should be there) and his maturity. In November Devin committed to Oregon State only to be rumored to change his mind and commit to UC Santa Barbara. I really expect Shepherd to slide in this draft now and he will attend college again.
Showing posts with label Tim Melville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim Melville. Show all posts
Friday, June 6, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Looking toward tomorrow's MLB Draft
As is the case every year, one of the Posse managements favorite days of the year is the MLB draft. Each year, the Posse have a good group of prospects in the draft and this year is no different.
This year the Posse expect to have at least four players chosen in the first round, including a couple in the top ten selections. The number in the first round could reach as high as six if signability concerns decrease.
Leading the charge this year is shortstop Tim Beckham. Beckham is a probable top five pick in this draft and could go as high as first overall. He brings a complete game to the field with very strong defensive skills and a complete game with the bat. Posse management see Beckham competing with Justin Jackson as the future after Derek Jeter.
Also expected to go in the top ten selections is recently drafted Kyle Skipworth. Skipworth will be drafted as a catcher and brings a very strong bat to the field. He has the ability to hit for both average and power. He also has very good defensive abilities and the only concern with him sticking at catcher is whether he gets too big for the position. Posse management hopes he can stay at catcher and compete with Chris Snyder as the successor to Jorge Posada.
The third of the first round probables is pitching prospect Tim Melville. Melville is probably the top rated high school pitcher in this draft with both a plus curveball and plus fastball which he delivers cleanly from hit 6'5" body. Historically teams do not like to take prep pitching prospects in the first round, but that mold was shattered last year with eight selected last year and many of them are seen as top of the rotation starters.
The next four prospects will be really interesting to see where they end up, and for very different reasons. Aaron Hicks leads that group as probably a first round candidate as a toolsy outfielder or a first round candidate as a power pitcher. The question is not whether he goes in the first round but whether he is drafted as an outfielder or pitcher. Posse management is hoping as an outfielder, and that Hicks will have a future role in either centerfield or right field.
Casey Kelly could go in the first round or could go completely undrafted. Kelly brings great defensive skills at shortstop and also brings a potential power bat to the position. He is a great athlete, which is part of the problem as he is also a highly recruited quarterback and could go to Tennessee as a starting shortstop and quarterback. Posse management is hoping he could become a third shortstop prospect with Jackson and Beckham.
Alex Meyer is probably the one that will fall the most from this group. He is still a first round talent, as the 6'7" righthander has a plus fastball and nasty breaking ball. The challenge is he wants to go to college and many will waste a high draft pick on that risk. Meyer will probably either go undrafted or will be taken with a 5th-10th rounder by a team willing to spend. The only way he will not go to Kentucky is if hr is offered first round money.
Isaac Galloway has long be thought of a first round talent, but some concern over his ability to hit has decreased his stock this spring. Galloway has the tools to be a strong offensive player as he has plus bat speed and typically makes solid contact. Whichever team drafts him will probably have to adjust his swing to bring some power into his game. Defensively, Galloway is a gold glove potential centerfielder. Posse management hopes this Torii Hunter clone can make the necessary adjustments to become their Torii Hunter of the future.
Daniel Webb is a power pitching prospect that currently is a work in progress on his secondary pitches. Webb has the ability of being a top of the rotation starter if he learns to throw some secondary pitches or could end up being a closer. Posse management expect he will be drafted in the second to fifth rounds, will start of as a starter but will eventually make the majors as a reliever.
Oh how one's stock can drop...from the next ARod to the next University of Miami third baseman. That is the story of Harold Martinez. Six months ago Martinez was a first round talent that had the tools to become a top five selection. After a horrible senior season, he will most likely be drafted late and will head to Miami. The only way that path will be changed is if someone believes a few tweaks could take advantage of his raw skillset.
This year the Posse expect to have at least four players chosen in the first round, including a couple in the top ten selections. The number in the first round could reach as high as six if signability concerns decrease.
Leading the charge this year is shortstop Tim Beckham. Beckham is a probable top five pick in this draft and could go as high as first overall. He brings a complete game to the field with very strong defensive skills and a complete game with the bat. Posse management see Beckham competing with Justin Jackson as the future after Derek Jeter.
Also expected to go in the top ten selections is recently drafted Kyle Skipworth. Skipworth will be drafted as a catcher and brings a very strong bat to the field. He has the ability to hit for both average and power. He also has very good defensive abilities and the only concern with him sticking at catcher is whether he gets too big for the position. Posse management hopes he can stay at catcher and compete with Chris Snyder as the successor to Jorge Posada.
The third of the first round probables is pitching prospect Tim Melville. Melville is probably the top rated high school pitcher in this draft with both a plus curveball and plus fastball which he delivers cleanly from hit 6'5" body. Historically teams do not like to take prep pitching prospects in the first round, but that mold was shattered last year with eight selected last year and many of them are seen as top of the rotation starters.
The next four prospects will be really interesting to see where they end up, and for very different reasons. Aaron Hicks leads that group as probably a first round candidate as a toolsy outfielder or a first round candidate as a power pitcher. The question is not whether he goes in the first round but whether he is drafted as an outfielder or pitcher. Posse management is hoping as an outfielder, and that Hicks will have a future role in either centerfield or right field.
Casey Kelly could go in the first round or could go completely undrafted. Kelly brings great defensive skills at shortstop and also brings a potential power bat to the position. He is a great athlete, which is part of the problem as he is also a highly recruited quarterback and could go to Tennessee as a starting shortstop and quarterback. Posse management is hoping he could become a third shortstop prospect with Jackson and Beckham.
Alex Meyer is probably the one that will fall the most from this group. He is still a first round talent, as the 6'7" righthander has a plus fastball and nasty breaking ball. The challenge is he wants to go to college and many will waste a high draft pick on that risk. Meyer will probably either go undrafted or will be taken with a 5th-10th rounder by a team willing to spend. The only way he will not go to Kentucky is if hr is offered first round money.
Isaac Galloway has long be thought of a first round talent, but some concern over his ability to hit has decreased his stock this spring. Galloway has the tools to be a strong offensive player as he has plus bat speed and typically makes solid contact. Whichever team drafts him will probably have to adjust his swing to bring some power into his game. Defensively, Galloway is a gold glove potential centerfielder. Posse management hopes this Torii Hunter clone can make the necessary adjustments to become their Torii Hunter of the future.
Daniel Webb is a power pitching prospect that currently is a work in progress on his secondary pitches. Webb has the ability of being a top of the rotation starter if he learns to throw some secondary pitches or could end up being a closer. Posse management expect he will be drafted in the second to fifth rounds, will start of as a starter but will eventually make the majors as a reliever.
Oh how one's stock can drop...from the next ARod to the next University of Miami third baseman. That is the story of Harold Martinez. Six months ago Martinez was a first round talent that had the tools to become a top five selection. After a horrible senior season, he will most likely be drafted late and will head to Miami. The only way that path will be changed is if someone believes a few tweaks could take advantage of his raw skillset.
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