We're Number Five! We're Number Five! - The 2016 MLB Draft Thread

[beekay414]

Can you go more in depth about Nolan Jones?

The knock on him has always been "can he hit for power" and he's proving that he can with his senior season. Before this year, it's always been just plus raw power, we never actually saw it on the field. Rumor going around is that he's already gained 15 lbs of good muscle and it's translating with the bat so imagine what could be added in a professional S&T environment. He's incredibly flexible in the field too. Can play SS (for now until he outgrows it) or move to 3B/2B depending on what you need in the system (with Diaz in the system, you'd think we'd keep him at 3B). He's got the arm for 3B, no question (throws in the low 90s as a pitcher). He's never going to win a gold glove but he's not a liability either.

 

I'd have no qualms with him being the pick at #5 should Perez, Pint and Groome all be gone. Same goes for Moniak.

[sfl2hnq17]

Saw a tweet from Keith Law tonight about DS being in Kansas to check out Pint.

[MrTPlush]

Riley Pint hit 100mph today...high school...kid...100mph.

[Jenkins5]

Only way Pint falls to 5 is if: Puk goes beast mode rest of season (putting Pint #3 pitcher in draft, Perez cements himself as premium player in top 4, & one team loves the college bats Ray of Senzel. Maybe Rutherford slips in top 4 as well. All possible of course

 

Big thing is that his mechanics & velocity scare teams (Mark Rogers type prospect) great thing is his parents sheltered his arm a ton so it's pretty fresh with few miles on it.

[paul253]

You mentioned Rogers. He was also a hard throwing righty and I believe we picked him at #5. How does Pint compare to Rogers?

[DHonks]

Just curious, but have any of the HS kids that threw 100 ever amounted to anything? Colt Griffin...who else? That's a lot of stress and torque on a still-developing body.

[Jenkins5]

Jeremy Jeffress is now a lights out closer.... He threw 100 in high school... That's all I got lol

 

The only real thing I can compare for Rogers & Pint are the huge 97-100 mph fastball & worry about mechanics. Rogers arm was also not as abused as other pitchers & still didn't help him avoid injuries. Both have a really nice 2nd pitch. Rogers had a nice curve coming out, change lacked a little bit. Pints change sounds to be encouraging. Ping is an outstanding athlete and may be an all state type basketball player if I remember right. Rogers was not the same dynamic type athlete

[MrTPlush]

Except Riley Pint is 6-4 and with room to bulk up. Riley Pint looks more like a true starter vs. some other past HS flamethrowers similar to Jeffress. Pint already has a really good breaking ball and he also has a solid change-up he can improve on.

 

The one huge concern with Pint is probably the injury risk. Too me it seems he has a lot of high effort in his delivery(notably his arm). I don't know I really question if he can survive and get to the majors healthy. Hard to predict injuries, but they do seem to hit guys like Pint a lot.

 

Someone will take a chance on him since the potential is probably higher than anyone in the draft. If the dominos all fall right you probably end up with one of the great pitchers in the game. The floor is scary low too though...like Mark Rogers injury train low. I would be surprised if he wasn't taken in the Top 3 and I don't think there is any way(aside from an injury) he gets outside the Top 5. Hard to say what team that will be, but I just don't think 5 teams will pass on that arm.

[ZBTMP]

Pint is an outstanding athlete and may be an all state type basketball player if I remember right. Rogers was not the same dynamic type athlete

 

Rogers was an all-state soccer player, and an NHL draft prospect with D1 hockey offers. He was a pretty dynamic athlete.

[Jenkins5]

Pint is an outstanding athlete and may be an all state type basketball player if I remember right. Rogers was not the same dynamic type athlete

 

Rogers was an all-state soccer player, and an NHL draft prospect with D1 hockey offers. He was a pretty dynamic athlete.

 

Thanks, didn't remember that about him. So I'll def say I was wrong on that one haha

[DHonks]

Zbtmb, hanks for looking it up. I thought I remembered him a 4-sport athlete in HS with D1 offers in other sports.

[DHonks]

And I don't recall any reports of Jeffress throwing 100 in high school

[ZBTMP]

I don't know if Jeffress threw it in high school, but he did in rookie ball that summer.

Jeremy Jeffress' professional debut was highlighted by a game in which he relieved Ben Sheets, who pitched a game for the Arizona Brewers in a rehab assignment. In that game, with several members of the Brewers front office in attendance, as well as big-league manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Mike Maddux, Jeffress reportedly hit 101 miles per hour on the radar gun numerous times. None of his fastballs in that outing were clocked at less than 97 mph.

Link

 

I don't know if it is fair to compare Pint to Rogers or Jeffress. Certainly shows the volatility of taking high school pitchers, but Pint has a taller frame and seems to have better control.

 

I'm starting to hope for a Kyle Lewis pick.

Lewis's line for the season is .437/.568/.852 with nine doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 41 walks, and 25 strikeouts.

Link

That be a pretty nice line for a high school first rounder.

[reillymcshane]

And I don't recall any reports of Jeffress throwing 100 in high school

I remember him being touted as having the ability to throw 100 mph going into the draft (especially after the draft - people analyzing the picks).

 

Here was Kevin Goldstein's analysis of from the 2006 draft for Baseball Prospectus:

 

Jeffress was all over the board as late as this morning, going anywhere between the Dodgers at No. 7 and Boston with one of their two picks towards the end of the first round. Because he's touched triple-digits with his fastball, people have compared him to Colt Griffin, but Jeffress is really a different beast as he's a much better athlete with far better command. The lack of a solid breaking ball prevented him from going higher, but he has steal potential.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5163

 

PS - it's crazy looking at that year's draft list. So many guys bust in baseball - just the nature of things. But then there's guys like Kershaw, Longoria, Lincecum, Scherzer, Andrew Miller. The bottom part of the draft turned out really poorly - I bet from 12 to 30 there's only one guy (Ian Kennedy) that has produced more than 5.0 WAR in his career. In time, Jeffress likely will - but for now it's loaded with busts.

[paul253]

AJ Puk is pitching on espnu right now if anyone is interested in taking a look at him.

[ZBTMP]

AJ Puk is pitching on espnu right now if anyone is interested in taking a look at him.

 

Looks like the game is archived on ESPN3. I might have to look up my credentials tonight and check it out as his mound opponent as fellow likely first rounder Robert Tyler.

Here is the recap. At one point Puk retired 16 in a row before running into trouble in the seventh. Its looking less likely that Puk could fall to us with more starts like that.

[MrTPlush]

AJ Puk is pitching on espnu right now if anyone is interested in taking a look at him.

 

Looks like the game is archived on ESPN3. I might have to look up my credentials tonight and check it out as his mound opponent as fellow likely first rounder Robert Tyler.

Here is the recap. At one point Puk retired 16 in a row before running into trouble in the seventh. Its looking less likely that Puk could fall to us with more starts like that.

 

You are forgetting that there are other players out there too. While Puk is doing some good for his value and possibly getting into the Top 5 talent wise there are a lot of other good players too. There are other players rising their stock and there will probably be many more Top 5 talents than just 5 players.

 

I for some reason doubt 3/4 of the top picks are going to be pitchers with 2 of them being high school kids. Mock drafts might have them all go before us, but when the actual draft day comes I think at least 2 of the teams before us take bats opening up a big time pitcher if we want it. Last time I checked offense is a lot more valuable and becoming quite popular at the top of the draft.

 

Also if 3 of the teams before us take all the headlining pitchers then I am perfectly fine with that. Opens up the door to get on of the best offensive players in the draft.

[Mudville9]

You never really know what is going to happen to some extent up to the pick being made, but at this point I would be very happy one of Groome, Perez, Pint or Lewis. Moniak and Senzel are working their way up a lot of draft boards too. Just sit back and let Ray Montgomery do his job.

[MrTPlush]

Exactly even worst case scenario(is there one?) we end up with a really good player. Pitcher/Hitter they are going to immediately be the brightest young player to enter our system in a long long time.

[Austin Tatious]

Between Puk, Pint, and Groome, IMO all three won't go in the top 4. I think at least one of them could be there at 5 for us.

[splitterpfj]

My pick for the Brewers is in, I select ....

 

Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade College Preparatory

 

There are plenty of players I'd be happy with, the Brewers are in a great spot, but Rutherford has superstar potential, I wouldn't be able to pass him up.

[molitor fan]

Rutherford has been my pick too.....

[QuevedosTongue]

The one report I've heard about the Brewers is that they have been very tight with Rutherford, so I'd be surprised if he wasn't the pick at this point.

[MrTPlush]

The one report I've heard about the Brewers is that they have been very tight with Rutherford, so I'd be surprised if he wasn't the pick at this point.

 

Rutherford could easily be gone by the time we pick. Getting a lot of love recently.

[Jenkins5]

As it has been said, we will end up with one of the elite players in draft. This season there no sure fire, can't miss, type guy (a Bryce Harper), and really the class is just deep. There are probably at least 8-10 guys who all could easily go in top 5 depending on how much a certain team likes them.

 

I think it is almost easier to debate who we hope Isnt there at #5 over who we hope is there. I for one would like to see Ray & Senzel off board. Get ride of from being options. Senzel I could live with. Hitting machine, will probably never offer ton of pop from corner though. Ray is a good ball player but that's the issue, I feel he will always just be good. High floor but ceiling isn't as high as others. I've started to come around on Puk a little bit. Hopefully he isn't just a lefty Jungmann.... Needs to start to command & locate stuff