Draft update

[BuccoFla]

Bryce Harper Tidbit


http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=olney_buster&id=4971336




Saturday, March 6, 2010
Doubts about phenom Bryce Harper

Tim Tebow must haunt some NFL evaluators these days. He is the draft-eligible quarterback who promises to make you look either really smart or really dumb, because he is so well-known to casual fans, because his athleticism and his leadership skills are so well-known, and because his mechanical flaws have been so detailed.

Imagine if you're running the Jacksonville Jaguars and you pass on a couple of opportunities to take Tebow in the draft -- and then, in a couple of years, he cleans up his throwing motion and becomes a star in the NFL, a Tom Brady-like figure. Forever more, you will have to listen to this: How in the world could you pass up Tebow? Everybody knew he was a monster athlete and a leader of men?

And, on the other hand, if you are running the Jags and you reach to take him, and he fails to develop, then you will get wrecked in the court of public opinion with this: What, are you an idiot? Everybody knew his throwing motion was a problem.

Well, in June, some baseball general managers and scouting directors are going to face their own Tim Tebow quandary, and his name is Bryce Harper.

The young slugging catcher made the cover of Sports Illustrated last year, and given his set of tools and skills, there was an attempt to co-opt the notion that Harper, and not Stephen Strasburg, was the LeBron James of amateur baseball. Because of Harper's tremendous bat speed, his size, his raw power.

But with Strasburg, as with LeBron James, there was no doubt: He was the best pitching prospect anybody could remember. Harper, on the other hand, has become a figure of great debate in the scouting community. Yes, the tremendous bat speed is there -- and yes, scouts are noting privately that Harper tends to swing and miss a whole lot more than great young hitters usually do. So far this spring, while playing at Southern Nevada, a junior college, he's got 15 strikeouts in 56 at-bats, and is hitting .356.

Joe Mauer's swing, as a high school kid, was smooth, easy, natural. Harper's swing, some scouts are saying, is violent, with the mechanics of his legs and hips a concern.

The scouts see how hard he plays; one scout compared his playing style to that of Kirk Gibson. But they wonder if he will be a guy who tries too hard, and whether he will cope with the inherent failure in baseball, given the pressure that he will face.

Yes, he is big -- but the scouts wonder if he is too big, and if the hype about him came too quickly.

Scouts see reasons why the Washington Nationals could take him with the first pick in the draft. But on the other hand, scouts also see reasons why they would pass. "Last year, at this time, there was no doubt -- Strasburg was far and away the best player in the draft," said one talent evaluator. "I don't think that's the case here."

In truth, Harper scares some evaluators -- to the point that some teams are hoping that some other team, like the Nationals, takes him early in the draft. Because they recognize the possibility that Harper could become a star, and they don't want to listen to years of second-guessing for their decision to pass on him.

He figures to go somewhere in the top 10 picks in the draft. He might go first; he might fall. And as with Tebow, someone is going to look very smart or very dumb, because his potential strengths and flaws are all on the table for everyone to see. • Speaking of Mauer: His agent continues to negotiate with the Twins, as La Velle Neal and Joe Christensen write. It's as if we're waiting for puffs of white smoke to rise over the Twins' complex.

But you know what? The Mauer negotiations might be the most important issue in baseball right now, because they will be read as one barometer for evolving issue of the Haves Vs. The Have Nots. It would be good for the image of baseball for Mauer to re-sign with the Twins.

• Yogi Berra asked Evan Longoria for an autograph. I've written this here before: Yogi is one of the biggest fans of baseball in the game; he is very well-versed on the current generation of players, in a way that you don't usually hear from former stars. I remember bumping into him six years ago and hearing him rave about Indians catcher Victor Martinez, in great detail.

[aso513]

Kris Bryant, HS 3b out of Nevada, says that the Pirates and O's have shown the most interest in him. Probably a 2nd round prospect, huge power but a project.

[markson33]

Here's the link to the story on Bryant.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/06/all-eyes-bonanza-slugger-kris-bryant-likely-first-/

[81omar]

   Harper playing a doubleheader today went 7-8 with 2 doubles and 2 homers. One of the games yesterday he went 1-2 with 2 runs scored. Their announcer didnt make the road trip so its tough getting updates. Whatever he did in the other game,it wont matter much,he pretty much crushed the ball

[BuccoFla]

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=mlb_draft&id=4971574



Saturday, March 6, 2010
Class strengths and weaknesses

I send out feelers to at least a half-dozen talent evaluators to get their thoughts on what they saw that very night, and like we did a bit last spring, I'll occasionally send out a poll-type query. This week the inquiry was as follows: Rank the areas of depth in this year's class, weighing the impact talents within four categories: college bats, college pitching, high school pitching, high school bats.

Nine responses, one from a scouting director on the West Coast, revealed a strong tilt toward prep pitching. One reply began with a caveat. "It's kind of even, including at the very top of the draft, but the first day may be filled with these high school arms, but I'm not sure a lot of them go early."

Another response came back with a shot at the bats in this class. One scouting director said "it seems all of these guys have pretty major questions, aside from [Bryce] Harper, who is basically a high school kid for us. [Arkansas' Zack] Cox may or may not play third, he strikes out, and [Virginia Tech's Austin] Wates ... I'd like to get the chance to see if he can play center, he's played everywhere but there so we haven't got the look we want yet. There's no safe bet this year [in terms of college hitters]."

It's somewhat strange, but the college hitters may be the weakest link in this year's draft, at least if Harper, a college freshman, is considered a different type of player. Even the high school bats appear to be stronger, starting with Seattle-area 1B/OF Josh Sale, Bonanza High School infielder Kris Byrant and Ft. Lauderdale 3B Nick Castellanos, all first-round talents that are likely to remain in the range of the top 20 as we rank the talents periodically all spring.

But one thing is clear: Pitching rules the class. "It sure does," said another scout who covers an area with so many worthy high school pitchers that his club has brought in help from another area and their cross-checker is as busy as ever.

On the diamond

• In a battle of mid-major colleges, outfielders Bryce Brentz and Todd Cunningham faced off, with Cunningham winning Round 1, despite both hitters going yard. The Jacksonville State left fielder singled and doubled to go with his four-bagger and also drew two walks hitting out of the leadoff spot. Brentz added a single and a couple of strikeouts to his performance. The long ball was his first of the year, as the right-handed hitter improved to .343/.452/.543 on the season, while Cunningham sits at .308/.386/.641 with seven extra-base hits.

• Left-hander Chris Sale bounced back from a mediocre outing last week to fan 11 in six frames versus Wichita State. He walked one and allowed two earned runs on five hits. In three starts, Sale has posted a 21-3 K/BB ratio and has surrendered just eight hits in 13 innings.

• James Madison closer Kevin Munson fanned four in 2 1/3 innings of work Friday, picking up his first save in the process. Munson has yet to yield an earned run in four appearances in 2010.

• Eastern Illinois right-hander Josh Mueller, who had a solid showing in the Cape Cod League this past summer, struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings Friday, but needed 104 pitches to get that deep into the game. Due to the level of competition he will face this spring, Mueller, who typically sits at 89-91 with his fastball, will need to show better command of his pitch mix, but he does stand a very projectable 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds.

• Kentucky lefty Logan Darnell tossed a complete-game shutout over Sammy Solis and the University of San Diego. Darnell struck out just four, but walked only one and scattered eight singles. He needed just 90 pitches to earn win No. 2.

• Keith Law has more on Cal State Fullerton's Gary Brown and Christian Colon this weekend, but Brown went 3-for-6 with a triple and a home run to raise his numbers to .432/.447/.784 for the year. But he still has yet to draw a walk.

• Ole Miss southpaw Drew Pomeranz went six strong, striking out six while giving up two earned runs on six hits. "He's yet to dominate, but it's early," said an area scout. Pomeranz owns a 28-4 K/BB ratio in three starts.

• According to one scout in attendance, North Carolina right-hander Matt Harvey finally looked like a workhorse and the pitching line he produced was his best as a Tar Heel. The former third-round pick punched out 11 versus Michigan Friday, allowing three hits and three walks in eight shutout innings. Eighty of his 120 pitches were strikes, and "he battled through a couple of rough spots when he wasn't controlling his fastball, but his stuff was solid tonight. He stayed focused through the last pitch, too. That was impressive."

• Georgia Tech right-hander Deck McGuire went eight strong versus Rutgers, striking out nine and allowing six hits and a walk. McGuire is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA with a 25-3 K/BB ratio in three starts.

• Justin Grimm struggled for the third time in as many starts, mostly with command of his above-average stuff. On Friday, the Georgia junior allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks. He did strike out seven, but faced 25 batters and needed 85 pitches to get through his four innings of work. Grimm served up three homers and his opponent batting average is at .279 for the season.

• Brett Eibner went 0-for-4, but Andy Wilkins and Zack Cox led the Razorbacks again, combining for three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored. Wilkins went deep for the fourth time and is hitting .444/.605 with a 1.000 slugging percentage in eight games.

• Redlands East Valley left-hander Griffin Murphy went three hitless frames in a blowout win over San Bernadino, fanning five and walking just one. Law saw Murphy in Compton last month, clocking him in the 89-92 mph range "with some feel for both a changeup and a curveball -- neither pitch was consistent but he threw at least one above-average pitch of each type." Murphy is ranked at No. 30 on the Preseason Top 50.

[houksyndrome]

I really like these updates.  Thanks for posting them!

[JayDub]

Bryce Harper Tidbit


http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=olney_buster&id=4971336




Saturday, March 6, 2010
Doubts about phenom Bryce Harper

Tim Tebow must haunt some NFL evaluators these days. He is the draft-eligible quarterback who promises to make you look either really smart or really dumb, because he is so well-known to casual fans, because his athleticism and his leadership skills are so well-known, and because his mechanical flaws have been so detailed.

Imagine if you're running the Jacksonville Jaguars and you pass on a couple of opportunities to take Tebow in the draft -- and then, in a couple of years, he cleans up his throwing motion and becomes a star in the NFL, a Tom Brady-like figure. Forever more, you will have to listen to this: How in the world could you pass up Tebow? Everybody knew he was a monster athlete and a leader of men?

And, on the other hand, if you are running the Jags and you reach to take him, and he fails to develop, then you will get wrecked in the court of public opinion with this: What, are you an idiot? Everybody knew his throwing motion was a problem.

Well, in June, some baseball general managers and scouting directors are going to face their own Tim Tebow quandary, and his name is Bryce Harper.

The young slugging catcher made the cover of Sports Illustrated last year, and given his set of tools and skills, there was an attempt to co-opt the notion that Harper, and not Stephen Strasburg, was the LeBron James of amateur baseball. Because of Harper's tremendous bat speed, his size, his raw power.

But with Strasburg, as with LeBron James, there was no doubt: He was the best pitching prospect anybody could remember. Harper, on the other hand, has become a figure of great debate in the scouting community. Yes, the tremendous bat speed is there -- and yes, scouts are noting privately that Harper tends to swing and miss a whole lot more than great young hitters usually do. So far this spring, while playing at Southern Nevada, a junior college, he's got 15 strikeouts in 56 at-bats, and is hitting .356.

Joe Mauer's swing, as a high school kid, was smooth, easy, natural. Harper's swing, some scouts are saying, is violent, with the mechanics of his legs and hips a concern.

The scouts see how hard he plays; one scout compared his playing style to that of Kirk Gibson. But they wonder if he will be a guy who tries too hard, and whether he will cope with the inherent failure in baseball, given the pressure that he will face.

Yes, he is big -- but the scouts wonder if he is too big, and if the hype about him came too quickly.

Scouts see reasons why the Washington Nationals could take him with the first pick in the draft. But on the other hand, scouts also see reasons why they would pass. "Last year, at this time, there was no doubt -- Strasburg was far and away the best player in the draft," said one talent evaluator. "I don't think that's the case here."

In truth, Harper scares some evaluators -- to the point that some teams are hoping that some other team, like the Nationals, takes him early in the draft. Because they recognize the possibility that Harper could become a star, and they don't want to listen to years of second-guessing for their decision to pass on him.

He figures to go somewhere in the top 10 picks in the draft. He might go first; he might fall. And as with Tebow, someone is going to look very smart or very dumb, because his potential strengths and flaws are all on the table for everyone to see. • Speaking of Mauer: His agent continues to negotiate with the Twins, as La Velle Neal and Joe Christensen write. It's as if we're waiting for puffs of white smoke to rise over the Twins' complex.

But you know what? The Mauer negotiations might be the most important issue in baseball right now, because they will be read as one barometer for evolving issue of the Haves Vs. The Have Nots. It would be good for the image of baseball for Mauer to re-sign with the Twins.

• Yogi Berra asked Evan Longoria for an autograph. I've written this here before: Yogi is one of the biggest fans of baseball in the game; he is very well-versed on the current generation of players, in a way that you don't usually hear from former stars. I remember bumping into him six years ago and hearing him rave about Indians catcher Victor Martinez, in great detail.

Tries too hard? Too big? 15 K's in 56 ABs?

Olney is a joke.

[dave3BA]

Considering his pace translates to about 160 K's over a full season, I'd say that's a legit concern.  Remember, he was supposed to TEAR IT UP at JC, not just be above-average.  I'd say he's still close to fulfilling those expectations, but not all the way there.

Also, being too big is a concern if he wants to stay behind the plate.  While it may still be true that his bat projects to play at other positions, he's not as enticing if he can't remain at catcher.

I actually find Olney to be one of the best ESPN writers they have.

[aso513]

Bryce tore it up yesterday thou.

[JayDub]

Considering his pace translates to about 160 K's over a full season, I'd say that's a legit concern.  Remember, he was supposed to TEAR IT UP at JC, not just be above-average.  I'd say he's still close to fulfilling those expectations, but not all the way there.

Also, being too big is a concern if he wants to stay behind the plate.  While it may still be true that his bat projects to play at other positions, he's not as enticing if he can't remain at catcher.

I actually find Olney to be one of the best ESPN writers they have.

Are you kidding?

He has an OBP of .500, he's slugging .831 and you're worried about K rates?  Get your head out of the stats book for a second.  He's killing the ball.

[JayDub]

Bryce tore it up yesterday thou.

There is a practical limit to how good his stats will be before he's getting pitched around.  He's probably close to it.

[dave3BA]

Considering his pace translates to about 160 K's over a full season, I'd say that's a legit concern.  Remember, he was supposed to TEAR IT UP at JC, not just be above-average.  I'd say he's still close to fulfilling those expectations, but not all the way there.

Also, being too big is a concern if he wants to stay behind the plate.  While it may still be true that his bat projects to play at other positions, he's not as enticing if he can't remain at catcher.

I actually find Olney to be one of the best ESPN writers they have.

Are you kidding?

He has an OBP of .500, he's slugging .831 and you're worried about K rates?  Get your head out of the stats book for a second.  He's killing the ball.

Actually, you're the one quoting stats.  I've heard various reports that say he has had some trouble with good fastballs and slow stuff down and away.  Stats-wise, he looks great.  I'd suggest you may want to look beyond the stats, I've already done so.

I'd still be of the mind to take him if I had the chance, but until yesterday he hadn't been above and beyond the best player in his games, especially defensively, where they have been moving him all around the diamond, and perhaps not allowing him to settle into a rhythm.

[gorillagogo]

Considering his pace translates to about 160 K's over a full season, I'd say that's a legit concern.  Remember, he was supposed to TEAR IT UP at JC, not just be above-average.  I'd say he's still close to fulfilling those expectations, but not all the way there.

Also, being too big is a concern if he wants to stay behind the plate.  While it may still be true that his bat projects to play at other positions, he's not as enticing if he can't remain at catcher.

I actually find Olney to be one of the best ESPN writers they have.

Are you kidding?

He has an OBP of .500, he's slugging .831 and you're worried about K rates?  Get your head out of the stats book for a second.  He's killing the ball.

Actually, you're the one quoting stats.  I've heard various reports that say he has had some trouble with good fastballs and slow stuff down and away.  Stats-wise, he looks great.  I'd suggest you may want to look beyond the stats, I've already done so.

I'd still be of the mind to take him if I had the chance, but until yesterday he hadn't been above and beyond the best player in his games, especially defensively, where they have been moving him all around the diamond, and perhaps not allowing him to settle into a rhythm.

Why even bother explaining yourself? It's clear that any criticism whatsoever of St Harper is too much criticism for some people.

[aso513]

Honestly my worst nightmare is the Nats passing on him. I want nothing to do with Bryce Harper because he is more likely to fail then succeed.

[JayDub]

Considering his pace translates to about 160 K's over a full season, I'd say that's a legit concern.  Remember, he was supposed to TEAR IT UP at JC, not just be above-average.  I'd say he's still close to fulfilling those expectations, but not all the way there.

Also, being too big is a concern if he wants to stay behind the plate.  While it may still be true that his bat projects to play at other positions, he's not as enticing if he can't remain at catcher.

I actually find Olney to be one of the best ESPN writers they have.

Are you kidding?

He has an OBP of .500, he's slugging .831 and you're worried about K rates?  Get your head out of the stats book for a second.  He's killing the ball.

Actually, you're the one quoting stats.  I've heard various reports that say he has had some trouble with good fastballs and slow stuff down and away.  Stats-wise, he looks great.  I'd suggest you may want to look beyond the stats, I've already done so.

I'd still be of the mind to take him if I had the chance, but until yesterday he hadn't been above and beyond the best player in his games, especially defensively, where they have been moving him all around the diamond, and perhaps not allowing him to settle into a rhythm.

Are you questioning his bat speed?  That's the first I heard it was an issue.

I wouldn't worry about a 17 year old having trouble with slow stuff down and away.  No one said he is big league ready.  But if we're talking about prospects, he's the clear cut #1 in the draft by a big margin.