Baseball Prospectus Q&A with Scouting Director Bruce Seid

[battlekow]

I missed this yesterday. It's free, so check it out.

 

DL: Your other supplemental pick was Kyle Heckathorn.

BS: Kyle has… I want to be careful when I say this. His stuff is really good. This is a big, physical horse who has thrown hard and harder. Kyle has a few issues in his delivery to work out, and once he does that he will be able to make big strides in pro ball. He throws strikes too. His slider, at times, is plus. His changeup he throws at 88 mph. He's got to figure out a few things about how to use those pitches, and again, a good changeup can be dominant. If he is able to make some adjustments and find a way to use his changeup with less velocity, combined with his fastball and slider… you know, Kyle could be pretty good. I've got to tell you, when he gets in a groove, he is really good.

 

[TheCrew07]

Excellent Q&A, I found this really encouraging as is most Mark Rogers news is these days.

 

DL: Mark Rogers fit that profile when he was drafted in 2004, but there were also questions about his mechanics. Should that have been more of a concern than maybe it was?

 

BS: The more things you have to change in a pitcher, obviously, the bigger the task. But Mark is a gifted athlete. His delivery was somewhat of an issue back then, but I will say this: After seeing him this past year, he has really made strides. It's been a long, arduous type of program for him, and whether or not he winds up being the guy that we always hoped he'd be… well, he’s got terrific tools. The kid can throw up to 98 mph and he has three plus pitches, so it's just unfortunate that he's had two surgeries. But you've got to give Mark a tremendous amount of credit for where he's at based on where he's been. So yeah, we're going to look at delivery issues. There's no doubt. The more things you need to fix, the harder the task is going to be.

[Tbadder]

Great article. Bruce seems like a knowledable, flexible guy who has more than just a plan. Gives you real hope. I like his down to earth but well-considered approach to the questions. Very nice indeed.