Rangers and Astros draft picks

Discussion in 'Baseball' started by Chop, Jul 13, 2021.

  1. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    Texas Rangers

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    1 - Jack Leiter - RHP - Vanderbilt
    2 - Aaron Zavala - OF - U. of Oregon
    3 - Cameron Cauley - SS - Barbers Hill, TX HS
    4 - Ian Moller - C - Wahlert, Iowa HS
    5 - Mitch Bratt - LHP - Georgia Premier Academy HS (FSU commit)
    6 - Chase Lee - RHP - Alabama
    7 - Bradford Webb - RHP - VCU
    8 - Larson Kindreich - LHP - Biola U.
    9 - Liam Hicks - C - Arkansas State
    10 - CJ Widger - LHP - Rowan College at Gloucester (betcha never heard of that one before...)
    11 - JoJo Blackmon - OF - Escambia, Florida HS
    12 - Jackson Leath - RHP - Tennessee
    13 - Thomas Ireland - RHP - Polk State
    14 - Tucker Mitchell - C - State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota
    15 - Evan Elliott - RHP - Lethbridge College (in Canada)
    16 - Ryan Ure - LHP - Eaton, Colorado HS - 6'7" 230 lbs - OSU commit
    17 - Michael Alfonso - RHP - Key West, Florida HS
    18 - Kyle Larsen - RHP - TNXL Academy, Florida HS
    19 - Will Taylor - OF - Dutch Fork, South Carolina HS
    20 - Joseph Mantalvo - RHP - Central Pointe Christian Academy, Florida HS

    Texas Rangers select RHP Jack Leiter with pick No. 2 at MLB Draft
    Rangers take Aaron Zavala in second round
    Rangers take Texas HS SS Cameron Cauley in the third round
    Texas Rangers fourth through tenth round picks
    Texas Rangers 11th-20th round draft picks

    Rangers Select RHP Jack Leiter With No. 2 Pick In MLB Draft
    Rangers Select Oregon's Aaron Zavala In 2nd Round of MLB Draft
    Rangers MLB Draft Day Two Recap: Rounds 2-10
    Rangers MLB Draft Day Three Recap: Rounds 11-20

    We all know about Leiter - a great pick if you ask me. Here's some stuff on a few of the other pitchers.

    Bratt:

    "Bratt operates with an athletic delivery and starter’s repertoire of a three-pitch mix. Has loose and quick tempo actions with delivery out of a three-quarter slot and the ability to throw strikes with his entire arsenal. His fastball works to both sides and will pitch up in zone. Attacks early with it in the 88-90 mph range while flashing some 91s. Spins the ball well and curveball will act as a putaway pitch while the changeup is still developing but will use in game and throw with confidence."

    https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBRDraft-League-Spotlight-Mitch-Bratt-0457192386

    Kindreich:

    "Larson Kindreich, LHP, Biola: Kindreich is a big lefty, checking in at 6’4 and 210 pounds. He was impressive in the shortened 2020 season, not allowing a run in 30 innings. That shot him up the prospect board, but 2021 did come with its highs and lows: he can strike people out, but he does lose his command at times. Kindreich has a nice three-pitch mix with a low-90s fastball, a changeup that touches 81 and a slider that sits in the high-70s. He tossed just six innings in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, striking out eight and walking four."

    2021 Atlanta Braves MLB draft preview: DII baseball players to watch

    Lee:

    "He began his Crimson Tide career as a walk-on who didn't make the team. Coach Brad Bohannon gave him the advice to become a sidearm pitcher if he wanted to join Alabama's team down the road. Lee then started by playing for the UA club team in 2018. He improved and became a reliable reliever for the Crimson Tide. Lee made 22 relief appearances for the Crimson Tide, which reached their first NCAA tournament since 2014. He finished 7-0 with seven saves, tied for sixth in the SEC. He also had a 1.33 ERA, leading Alabama relievers with 51 strikeouts. He received recognition as third-team All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2021."

    Texas Rangers pick Alabama baseball's Chase Lee in sixth round of 2021 MLB draft

    Webb:
    Webb is something of a mystery man, as there is very little in the way of scouting reports, etc. on him.
    "The right-hander excelled in college at keeping hitters in the ballpark. In 119 1/3 career innings at both Hampden-Sydney College and VCU, Webb only allowed seven home runs (0.53 home runs per nine innings). Webb also cut his free passes in his last two years in college, allowing just 2.11 walks per nine innings."

    Rangers' Day 2 crop led by Ducks OF Zavala


    Ure:
    "Ure looks the part of a future weekend starter with a long, athletic frame and the ability to run a fastball into the low-90s, with more on the way. He counters that with feel for a solid breaking ball and changeup, and could develop into an elite arm over time. Ure pounds the zone with his fastball, and his arm action and lower half sync up efficiently, at a low effort, especially for a player of his size and stature."

    Prep Baseball Report - Player: Ryan Ure


    I'll take a look at the Astros' draft picks soon.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2021
  2. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    :arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up::arrow-up:
    My editorial comment is that Tristan Stevens throws harder, and with much better control, than a lot of the pitchers listed above. IMHO, his slider has enough movement to give him a solid non-fastball MLB breaking pitch, and he could develop a good enough changeup or curve in the minors.

    On the bright side, maybe we'll get him back another year...
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Agree and hope!
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  4. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    Houston Astros

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    1 - no pick
    2 - no pick
    3 - Tyler Whitaker - OF - Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nevada HS (U. of Arizona commit)
    4 - Alex Ulloa - SS - Calvary Christian Academy, Florida HS (OSU commit)
    5 - Chayce McDermott - RHP - Ball State
    6 - Quincy Hamilton - OF - Wright State
    7 - Joey Loperfido - OF - Duke
    8 - Colton Gordon - LHP - U. of Central Florida
    9 - Aaron Brown - RHP - Middle Tennessee State
    10 - Michael Sandle - OF - U. of South Alabama
    11 - Chad Stevens - SS - U. of Portland
    12 - Rhett Kouba - RHP - DBU
    13 - Kobe Kato - 2B - U. of Arizona
    14 - Bryant Salgado - P - Oregon State
    15 - Adrian Chaidez - P - UCLA
    16 - Nick Swanson - P - Northeastern State U. (Oklahoma)
    17 - Justin Williams - 3B - Penn State
    18 - Will Wagner - 2B - Liberty U. (son of Billy Wagner)
    19 - Hector Nieves - SS - Puerto Rico
    20 - Jackson Linn - Cambridge (Mass.) Rindge & Latin School HS (Tulane commit)

    Astros Draft Tracker: All Selections from Day 2
    Astros Draft Tracker: All Selections from Day 3

    Tyler Whitaker:

    "Tyler Whitaker’s main strength is his hitting ability. He has good power for someone his age and has shown an ability to hit for average. Whitaker’s .508 batting average was good enough to tie him for the team lead in high school. Tyler also tied for the team lead in home runs and led the team in doubles, runs batted in, stolen bases, and runs scored. Whitaker also has a great throwing arm in addition to his hitting ability. MLB.com rates his arm as a 60 out of 80, which is excellent for an athlete exiting high school. Overall, potential teams have a lot to work with when discussing Whitaker’s future. He shows great athleticism in the field and his thin, tall frame should allow his body to develop even more power at the plate.

    Most scouts seem to believe that Tyler will most likely play one of the corner positions in the outfield."


    Tyler Whitaker 2021 MLB Draft Profile - Last Word On Baseball

    McDermott:

    "Scouts have long expected velocity from McDermott, but it didn’t really start to show until 2021, as he typically worked in the 89-92 range historically. The fastball started to come on this past year though, and we saw him into the mid-90s with relative regularity. His sturdy 6’3” frame and full-body delivery suggest that he should be able to hold that kind of heat consistently. The fastball also has some pretty solid life to it, hardly a surprise as his overall spin feel is excellent.
    While the potential for command gains and heat go a long way, the separating trait for me with McDermott is the breaking stuff....McDermott has shown enough proficiency with both his slider and curveball that I think both make the cut in the pro game. The curve is an old school 12-6er with tons of depth, and while the command of the pitch still needs work, I think it fits as a tertiary weapon. The slider has more power but still sports good bite, and likely represents the go-to secondary at the next level. He’ll also mix in his share of changeups, and it has shown at least solid average, so I have him as a four pitch guy as a pro."

    "McDermott will need to iron out his fine command a bit to stick in the rotation in the big leagues."


    Astros Select Chayce McDermott at 132nd Overall
     
  5. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    2021 MLB Draft winners and losers: Pirates net talented haul; Astros' sign-stealing punishment concludes

    CBS picks winners and losers

    "Loser: Houston Astros
    As with last year, the Astros had their first- and second-round picks stripped by MLB as punishment for their sign-stealing misconduct. That left Houston with the lowest bonus pool in the league, limiting what it could do once it was finally allowed to make a pick. Getting Tyler Whitaker at 87 seems like a win, just not a big enough one to land the Astros on the right side of the ledger."

    "Winner: Detroit Tigers
    To paraphrase what we wrote in the Pirates section, if you pick third you should come away with a good-looking class. Truthfully, we're not as sweet on Detroit's class as others will be because of the wide error bars on some of the players at the top of their class, but the Tigers did appear to get good value by following up their selection of Jackson Jobe at No. 3 with Ty Madden at No. 32, Izaac Pacheco at No. 39, and Dylan Smith at No. 74. Pacheco is the only one of the four who didn't make our pre-draft top-50, and, even then, he was under consideration until late in the process. "
     
  6. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    TheScore.com on Ty Madden:

    Ty Madden

    "Seen by most as a college arm just barely beneath Leiter and Rocker, Madden plummeted all the way to the competitive balance round. And, while falling down the draft usually at least comes with the added bonus that you'll be going to a more exciting team, with due respect to the Tigers, that didn't even happen.

    Some credit is due to the Detroit front office, though. By taking Jobe early on what will presumably be an under slot deal, the Tigers were able to react when Madden fell to them later, unlike other teams with shallower bonus pools.

    Instead of going right after Leiter and Rocker, Madden wound up being the 10th college arm off the board. Perhaps this becomes motivation, as he now joins a Tigers system teeming with elite arms."



    Winners, losers, takeaways from Day 1 of 2021 MLB Draft
     
  7. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    So far I like the draft approach by the Rangers. Now we need to see the farm system do a good job developing them so they'll be ready for the majors at the right time. And for Leiter, the right time might be 2023.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    Just my opinion, but over time it seems that the Astros' farm system has kicked a$$, while the Rangers' farm system has been lacking. Maybe the Rangers can step it up on the farm...
     
  9. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    To be fair, the Rangers had the best farm system for a couple of seasons with Nolan's involvement. Then JD took over and started playing "Let's Make a Deal".
     
    • Hot Hot x 1
  10. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    An "expert" opines on the Stros' mighty farm system:

    "Houston built one of the game's best farm systems in the middle of last decade and rode it to success via homegrown stars and deals of prospects for veterans. In 2020, it used 15 different rookie pitchers (most notably Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy) and came within a victory of its third pennant in four seasons."

    Here are the Astros' 2021 Top 30 prospects

    But, it sounds like some injuries to top minor league pitching prospects in the recent past may be having some effect. Also, the loss of rounds 1 and 2 draft pick for trashcan-gate can't help.

    "But years of picking toward the bottom of the Draft and trading youngsters have taken a toll on the organization's Minor League talent."

    Still, Houston's analytics have been second to none (as far as I know). And they seem to repeatedly take unknown mid-and-lower round picks and turn them into solid major league players over and over and over. I think Houston has been doing a lot right for a long time.

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  11. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts

    Agree. Think back to the Braves of the late 80s - they told their fans to be patient while they traded every veteran who had some trade value. They restocked their farm system with prospects in the trades, then concentrated on the draft and on development. Yeh, they sucked at the Major League level for three years, but what followed was a decade and a half atop (or close to the top) of the NL - and they did it with homegrown players. Furthermore, when they were one or two crucial players away from contending, they had a well-stocked farm system and could afford to trade prospects for key veterans (like Schmolz and Maddox). Not a bad model to follow.
     
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