Draft Predictions?

by ortonius on Jun 6, 2006 8:27 AM CDT

Seeing as how the Rangers have a newfound admiration of lefties, I think the Rangers might tab either Kasey Kiker or Brian Anderson in the draft. Kiker is supposed to be polished. Anderson is the son of a coach and has plus plus command of his fastball, curve and change. Both have easy, repeatable throwing motions. BA lists Anderson as having the most polished HS arm and looks like a college pitcher. The knock on both is their height.

From what I saw in the video, I also like Lincecum, Morrow, Reynolds, Bard and Jeffress (who I like a lot and is compared to Dwight Gooden). Jeffress might be a darkhorse pick.

I don't like Scherzer's motion. It's sort of a loopy, flick-ish 3/4 slot motion. It seems to have some effort to it and doesn't look like he repeats it well. With his injury history, I would shy away from him. Drabek looked ok, but wasn't quite as good as I thought he would look.

Any comments? When does the draft start central time?

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it starts at 11

and you can watch it here
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/draft/y2006/index.jsp

by madyp on Jun 6, 2006 8:41 AM CDT reply actions

I would...

if my company's Websense didn't block everything sports...except LSB.

Break out the Transmogrifier...here come the Rangers!

by ortonius on Jun 6, 2006 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

Prediction

I don't think Drabek will fall, but if he does, I think we take him. Barring that I think we take Kiker.

As for what I WANT...

Guys I Want (in order):
-Kyle Drabek (dream big, fellas. From what I've heard/seen he's got ace potential, and that's worth a shot here.)

-Snider (the 1b/of from Washington HS would give us an impact bat, and he sounds like a very high character guy)

-Kasey Kiker (High ceiling HS arms don't scare me, obviously)

-Joba Chamblerlain (Reminds me a lot of Thomas Diamond... plus hes just plain got a cool name:)

Guys I Want No part of:
-Stubbs (Too much bust potential for a top pick... especially following the boom-or-bust Mayberry pick. Reminds me a lot of Jeremy Reed with better power, and, frankly, Jeremy Reed would still suck even if he had better power.)

-Scherzer (I agree with Ortonius on this one, Scherzer has an odd-angle max-effort delivery that I can't imagine will ever let him be a starter... plus he's got injury concerns. Yuck.)

-Lincecum (I don't think you take a college reliever this high unless he's lights-out dominant... and I don't get that feeling from what I've read/seen. And so what if he could potentially "come fast"? What are the odds that he'd be better than Feldman or Littleton over the next year or two anyway?)

I loathe you, Buckles.

by thedirkatron on Jun 6, 2006 10:17 AM CDT reply actions

Chamberlain

He's also a member of the Winnebago tribe. I don't think he's got a huge ceiling, but he looks like a guy that could develop into a solid mid-rotation innings horse.

by RCCook on Jun 6, 2006 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions

Yup

Which is a lot like what I think Diamond will end up being.

I like Joba the best out of the college arms likely to be available at 12 because I think he's the most likely to stick as a starter, and I'm a big proponent of picking starters over relievers when you're picking this high.

I loathe you, Buckles.

by thedirkatron on Jun 6, 2006 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions

This may be unpopular here....

But the MLB draft is pretty much a non-event in my opinion. A vast majority of players taken today will never sniff the majors. Which when there are so many rounds isn't really news. The real issue is how many of the guys taken in just the top few rounds won't either.

I was looking at some previous first rounds this morning and it's astounding how many guys never make it. In the 1997 draft Troy Glaus, Vernon Wells, JD Drew, Michael Cuddyer, Jon Garland, Lance Berkman, Adam Kennedy, Eric Byrnes, Chone Figgins, and Tim Hudson are the only players that have really had decent or better major league careers in the entire first 6 rounds. So basically 10 out of 200.

by LoneStarBallUser on Jun 6, 2006 11:37 AM CDT reply actions

yup

its nowhere near on the level of the nfl draft, where a large portion of the players taking end up atleast playing in the nfl.
its interesting to speculate who the rangers might take,etc...but its really not that big of a deal.
atleast with mlb the first round doesnt take 5 hours

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Jun 6, 2006 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions

I pretty much agree

I wonder if the game will change so that draft picks will have a more meaningful impact more immediately, like Huston Street did last year and Chad Cordero the year before that.

Jackie was a rich punk rocker -- silver spoon and a paper plate

by trza on Jun 6, 2006 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Um

What kind of changes could the game go through to allow more players to have an immediate impact?

Expansion?

I loathe you, Buckles.

by thedirkatron on Jun 6, 2006 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions

you must draft only closers!

by Longhorn on Jun 6, 2006 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions

I have no idea

Other than the observation that generally it has seemed in other sports (NFL especially, and the NBA) that players are being brought into the squad more quickly after being drafted than in the past.

Jackie was a rich punk rocker -- silver spoon and a paper plate

by trza on Jun 6, 2006 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions