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2015 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5

1992casey
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TooLiveBrew Milwaukee Brewers

TooLiveBrew

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It’s easy to nitpick a pitcher of this caliber, however, and despite these small issues, Kirby is an extremely safe bet to be a middle of the rotation big league starter.

Oh, great. Another low-upside college arm!

Stearns Brewing Co.: Sustainability from farm to plate
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homer MVP

homer

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Betts gone. Time to trade down. :)
"Dustin Pedroia doesn't have the strength or bat speed to hit major-league pitching consistently, and he has no power......He probably has a future as a backup infielder if he can stop rolling over to third base and shortstop." Keith Law, 2006
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homer MVP

homer

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Ponce de Leon!
"Dustin Pedroia doesn't have the strength or bat speed to hit major-league pitching consistently, and he has no power......He probably has a future as a backup infielder if he can stop rolling over to third base and shortstop." Keith Law, 2006
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colbyjack Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

colbyjack

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As much as I like Ponce I do wonder why he fell this far. Here's his detailed PG report:

 

Cody Ponce – RHP

 

Height/Weight: 6-5/235

Bats/Throws: R/R

Birthdate: April 25, 1994

College: Cal Poly Pomona (Division II)

Hometown: Upland, Calif.

Projected Draft Round: 1-1S

 

Even in the most sophisticated of times in the world of scouting, elite talent like Cody Ponce can still emerge from unexpected places. You wouldn’t expect a 6-foot-5 righty with a mid-90s fastball and above average secondary pitches to come from a Division II program, but Cal Poly-Pomona has produced just that in Ponce.

 

Ponce was slowed earlier this spring by some nagging but not serious injuries, but has since showed a quick return to form. And, in top form, in many ways, Ponce can stack up with almost any pitcher in the draft. It’s a cliche to say that consistency will be the key, but it truly is when it comes to this big righthander. On his best days, he has top of the rotation stuff, but he needs to show scouts that the same stuff will show up day in and day out.

 

The Cape Cod League experience was enormous for Ponce, as the scouting world got to get a lengthy look at his on the fly development. But, the league’s All-Star game served as a cherry on top of his breakout summer. He showed flashes of absolute brilliance throughout his summer, but in this game he put all the pieces together to form a pitching prospect that caused some scouts to pull out the name Roger Clemens. Ponce attacked hitters with a 93-96 mph fastball in his All-Star outing, and showed the wipeout, plus slider he had used only sparingly at times throughout the summer. For much of the summer, it really did depend when you saw Ponce when it came to what your evaluation was. He didn’t always show that plus 85-89 mph slider that he broke out in that All-Star game, and his 79-82 mph curveball flashed big plus 11-5 depth in some games, but didn’t show up quite as sharp in others. His solid-average changeup was a constant for him at 81-83 with late fading action, however.

 

What variations in stuff Ponce shows this spring will ultimately determine where he fits in the draft. He will have to improve his command and find ways to bring the entirety of that four pitch arsenal with him to the mound everyday. But, his size, easy righty arm and potential for three plus offerings make him a potential frontline starter if things break right. At worst, he has the attack mode mentality, the demeanor, and clearly the electric stuff to pitch at the end of games. Ponce has to be viewed a little differently than the typical college pitcher, and there is still a world of potential to be tapped into.

 

And YouTube video link:

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TheCrew07 Carolina Mudcats

TheCrew07

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Not as high on Ponce as others, not enough secondary wise for me, but if he can tighten up his secondary stuff who knows? He could be one of those guys who's never really been taught how to throw off speed. It's really tough to say with so little video but he's got all the measurables.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."

- Plato

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."

- Plato

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