http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/5/19/880271/2009-amateur-draft-mock-6-round-one
http://mlbbonusbaby.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/2009-amateur-draft-mock-6-supplemental-round/

the early guys I’ve got my eye on are Brothers and Paxton — college lefties who sit in the low-to-mid 90s, although I have no idea if either are repped by Boras. Unfortunately, I also think it’s more probable than not that neither fall to us. Most mocks I’ve seen have one (or both) going in that 15-20 range.

I was looking at the MLB.com video draft reports @ http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp and found a few interesting hitters:

Borchering, Franklin, Heathcott, Hutting, Joseph, A Miller, Pollock, Renfroe, Sanchez, Seastrunk, Shaffer, Songco, Stassi, Walla, T Wheeler

any that seem interesting to you too? I figure some must be available since we have picks 23 and 38

ps. from Joseph’s video: “a young Paul Konerko”

This was just a quick study of the top pitchers in one season, 2008. A larger study, with a greater sample covering multiple seasons, would be more informative. This study also doesn’t tell us anything about the longevity of the pitchers involved: 2008 will be a career peak, or even a simple aberration for many of them.

With that caveat, let’s see what we found.

There were 86 pitchers in the majors last year who generated 10 or more Win Shares, 65 starters and 21 relievers. 26 of these pitchers (30%) were first round or supplemental first round picks. However, only 8 of them (9%) were second round picks. I thought that ratio would be closer, but apparently there IS a big difference between the two categories. It would be interesting to break that down by exact draft position, or in aggregates of 5 or 10. . .top 5 picks, top 15 picks, etc;, but we would need a larger sample size of pitchers for that to be really meaningful.

After you get past the second round, things thin out even more. Third through fifth round picks produced just 10 pitchers (12%) despite having three times as many draft slots as the second round by itself. The sixth through tenth rounds produced another 10, but with five times as many slots. This all seems to be completely logical and rational. …

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/5/25/885985/origins-of-2008-pitchers-some

There never seem to be enough true shortstops. Every draft, there’s a hope more will come to fill up Major League systems everywhere, but it never seems to work out that way.

Last year wasn’t too bad at the top of the Draft, with the Beckhams, but it dropped precipitously after that. This year, it’s unclear whether it will measure up.

“There are some guys who pound the ball a little who you project at second base,” said one scouting director, trying to find a sliver lining. “You need a guy who can run, good hands, good feet and there aren’t many of those guys. That’s a shame.”

It’s not likely, then, that too many of the names below will go in the opening round, but with the need organizations have, these are all players who will find interested parties sooner rather than later — all the more reason to tune in to MLB.com. The site will offer live coverage and analysis of the entire First-Year Player Draft on June 9-11, on MLB.com/Live, where host Vinny Micucci will be joined by MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo and Major League Scouting Bureau director Frank Marcos. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on June 9, noon on June 10 and 11:30 a.m. on June 11. …

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090525&content_id=4956606&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb

Ron Kittle originally was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 as an amateur free agent.

Bill “Moose” Skowron found his primary fame and fortune as an integral part of five World Series champions, including four with the Yankees.

Yet, these players share a common bond. For starters, they both have made significant contributions to the White Sox organization — on and off the field.

And they both will be serving as the White Sox representatives at the First-Year Player Draft at MLB Network studios next month on June 9.

MLB.com will offer live coverage and analysis of the entire First-Year Player Draft from June 9-11. MLB Network will broadcast the first round at 5 p.m. CT on June 9 from its Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J., and those 32 selections also will be simulcast live on MLB.com.

Beginning with the 33rd pick, up-to-the-minute on-air coverage from the remaining rounds will shift exclusively to MLB.com/Live, where host Vinny Micucci will be joined by MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo and Major League Scouting Bureau director Frank Marcos.

Once the first night is done, the Draft will continue with the rounds 4-30, via conference call from MLB Headquarters in New York, at noon on Wednesday, June 10. Rounds 31-50 will be on Thursday, June 11, starting at 10:30 a.m. CT. …

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090526&content_id=4959160&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/5/26/888212/top-right-handers-in-2009-draft

In a development first reported by Murray Chass, MLB commissioner Bud Selig said his office will reduce its recommendations for bonus slots by 10 percent. Selig made the comments at an owners meeting last week in New York, and Baseball America has confirmed his plan with multiple sources.

MLB recommends bonuses for each pick in the first five rounds, as well as a maximum for all picks afterward. Last year’s estimated slots ranged from $4 million for the No. 1 overall pick to $155,000 for the final choice in the fifth round (No. 172), with a $150,000 threshold for subsequent picks.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=900

Who will the Chisox take with pick #23 in June’s Amateur Draft?
# Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana
# Kyle Heckathorn, RHP, Kennesaw State
# Chad Jenkins, RHP, Kennesaw State
# Mike Minor, LHP, Vanderbilt
# Wil Myers, C, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC
# Rich Poythress, 1B, Georgia
# Tony Sanchez, C, Boston College
# Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Santa Monica HS (CA
# Max Stassi, C, Yuba City HS (CA)
# Drew Storen, RHP, Stanford

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/5/28/891270/community-mock-draft-pick-1-23

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090528&content_id=5009386&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

also Mayo’s College and High School pitching breakdowns

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/05/qa_with_basebal.php

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/5/29/891841/more-right-handers-for-the-2009

JonathanMayoB3: Georgia’s Rich Poythress goes yard not once, not twice, but three times in their regional opener. Have yourself a day. Heck, that’s a week.

Link: http://twitter.com/JonathanMayoB3/statuses/1966352066

Doug Laumann and his scouting staff are encountering a completely different set of circumstances as they prepare for the June 9 draft.

Unlike last year, when the Sox had the eighth overall selection but didn’t pick again until the 86th pick, the Sox have five of the first 102 selections but don’t make their first pick until No. 23.

The Sox have the 38th and 61st picks as compensation for free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera signing with Oakland, but they won’t receive a compensation pick in 2010 if they don’t sign those players selected at those spots.

“You can roll the dice more with your own picks,” said Laumann, who also has the 23rd, 71st and 102nd picks. …

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-01-white-sox-brite-chicagojun01,0,6113506.story

To get this kind of one-stop shopping, this late in teh draft season, can be huge. With most of the top high schoolers done playing by now, the All-Star Classic provides a last look at the best prepsters in Florida — usually a talented group — against good competition in a fairly high-intensity setting. The alumni from this game now in pro ball is astounding.

This year, the list was impressive in terms of who showed up. Pretty much every high schooler who was highly thought of in the state of Florida attended the event last weekend. The only problem was, it seems, not too many were all that impressive.

The main exception was 3B Bobby Borchering. The potential first-rounder was “as advertised,” according to one scout, who liked his strength, his quiet bat and how well he stayed on the ball at the plate. But that was pretty much it: “There wasn’t a guy there with the exception of Borchering. There wasn’t any money made by anyone else.” …

http://minors.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/06/high_schoolers_dont_sebring_a.html

I’ve been writing about the Rays draft prospects a lot lately. The list is coated with high school catchers. My curious side got to working and wondered how catchers drafted in the first three rounds have fared in the majors, so let’s take a look.

I used the draft classes from 1998 through 2003; the last year in which a HS catcher in the top three rounds has already reached the majors. I included everyone drafted as a catcher and used FanGraphs career WAR. The list has some guys like Justin Morneau, Daric Barton, and Joey Votto who quickly moved off the position, but remember, they were drafted as backstops. If you draft Tommy Joseph at 30 and in six years he’s Justin Morneau, that’s a pretty fair trade.

So let’s slice these 55 backstops up and answer some questions, shall we?

Collegiate or prep?

23 of our catchers were from college. The best of the bunch is Brandon Inge with a 14.3 career WAR, the worst? Dane Sardinha with -0.7. 11 of these players never recorded a major league at-bat, and 15 finished with less than 100. The average WAR of this group is 1.57.

Our high schoolers are lead by two of the best catchers in the land; Joe Mauer (22.4 WAR) and Brian McCann (16.3). In fact, the high schoolers have the three best overall players by WAR when you include Morneau. The average WAR amongst these 33? 2.29, but when you ignore Mauer that number drops to 1.65, almost identical to the collegiate group. …

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/6/2/896060/drafting-catchers

this time by some bloggers.

http://mvn.com/outsider/2009_mvn_mlb_mock_draft.html

20) Drew Storen, RHP, Stanford
21) Rex Brothers, LHP, Lipscomb
22) Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana
23) Reymond Fuentes, OF, Puerto Rico HS
24) Mike Trout, OF, New Jersey HS
25) Max Stassi, C, Florida HS
26) Chad James, LHP, Oklahoma HS
27) Garrett Gould, RHP, Kansas HS
28) Kyle Heckathorn, RHP, Kennesaw State
29) James Paxton, LHP, Kentucky
30) Andrew Oliver, LHP, Oklahoma State
31) Everett Williams, OF, Texas HS
32) A.J. Pollock, OF, Notre Dame
33) Tony Sanchez, C, Boston College
34) Jason Kipnis, OF, Arizona State
35) Tyler Skaggs, LHP, California HS

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/6/2/896798/draft-board

there is an article on him at Driveline Mechanics

link

Personally, I think this guy has reliever written all over him from what I read.

20. Toronto Blue Jays
Andrew Oliver, Oklahoma State, LHP
Went eight strong innings and struck out six but took the loss last time out.

21. Houston Astros
Rex Brothers, Lipscomb, LHP
Struck out nine but gave up four runs in a no-decision.

22. Minnesota Twins
Jared Mitchell, LSU, OF
Limited action this weekend, getting two hits, but played excellent defense.

23. Chicago White Sox
Brett Jackson California, OF
Sox still seeking to replace Aaron Rowand in center. Jackson profiles quite similarly.

24. Los Angeles Angels (from Mets)
Matt Hobgood, Norco (Calif.) HS, RHP
Committed to Cal State Fullerton. Enjoy it now, Titans, because he’ll never set foot on campus.

25. Los Angeles Angels (from Yankees)
Chad James, Yukon (Okla.) HS, LHP
Mid-90s velocity has him moving up the charts. Brother Justin is in the Reds organization.

26. Milwaukee Brewers
Tyler Skaggs, Santa Monica (Calif.) HS, LHP
Injured left ankle. Plus curveball complements a 92-mph fastball. Could move up.

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MLB_Draft/entry/view/23807/2009_mlb_mock_draft_1st_round

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/06/sports_illustra_1.php

snippets:

Pitching always has been a watchword in the White Sox Drafts, but with the players apparently so even, don’t be surprised if the White Sox go after a leadoff-type athletic outfielder with that first pick.

Trend watch
Laumann stressed that the White Sox certainly won’t shy away from taking a high-school talent at No. 23, even though right-handed pitcher Kris Honel (2001) stands as their lone top pick taken without collegiate experience since 2000. While the White Sox went with a polished, Major League-ready sort of collegiate All-American in Beckham in 2008, they are less concerned about the experience in the past two Drafts as they are about the long-term potential to make a significant impact for the high picks. If manager Ozzie Guillen has his way, the White Sox won’t simply take a great athlete with the possibility of developing him. Guillen wants a talented player with strong baseball instincts.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090603&content_id=5127588&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws&partnerId=rss_cws

Three Players Moving Up
Tony Sanchez, C, Boston College
Sanchez is the best catcher in this draft, though on pure talent, he’s considered more of a late first-round type by consensus. But as the old draft cliché goes, it takes only one team to push a guy up, and in this case, there are several teams doing so with Sanchez, who some project as a Molina-like defender with a power bat. Kansas City has him in their mix at 12th overall, and there are wild stories of his going even higher than that. A lot of late-spring buzz is generated by who sees who and when, and San Diego brass were paying close attention to Boston College at last weekend’s regional at North Carolina, but they were nowhere to be found for the Tar Heels’ final game, leading to even further wild speculation.

Mike Leake, RHP, Arizona State
He just never stopped dominating. You can ding him a little for his size, but he’s hardly tiny, and he’s a fantastic athlete. Beyond all of the scouting tidbits, take in this quick statistical curiosity: Leake pitches in a very friendly hitters’ park, he pitches in one of the toughest conferences in the game, and he had a brutal schedule. None of those three qualities apply to Steven Strasburg, yet Leake beats the top talent in the draft in ERA, with a 1.23 mark entering super-regional play versus Strasburg’s 1.32. Teams unable to decide among the available high school arms, or turned off by their bonus demands (or both) could be turning to Leake with a single-digit selection.

Mike Trout, OF, Millville HS (NJ)
Trout has been the high school player attracting the most heat in private workouts, showing plus-plus speed, surprising strength in his bat, and very good outfield skills. None of that is a big surprise to anyone, but for a guy that has a reputation for being raw, he’s looking very polished in front of decision-makers. In a draft with little separation among the top 30 talents, the recent workouts and off-the-charts makeup should move Trout up.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8996

21. Houston Astros: Jared Mitchell, OF, Louisiana State University
There are varying opinions of Mitchell’s upside as a hitter, but no one doubts his speed and athleticsm. A two-sport standout at LSU, there are plenty who believe his bat speed will turn into power and he’ll develop into a center fielder with power who can steal bases once he’s no longer playing football and can focus only on baseball.

22. Minnesota Twins: Matt Hobgood, RHP, Norco HS, Calif.
Hobgood’s name has been tossed around much higher up and he does seem to be at or near the top of the unofficial “second tier” of high school arms right now. If Hobgood does go earlier, another high school pitcher like Garrett Gould could be in the mix. Offensively, the Twins wouldn’t mind if Borchering were still available in this slot.

23. Chicago White Sox: Michael Trout, OF, Millville HS, NJ
The White Sox had great success with the college bat last year, but there won’t be a Gordon Beckham at this slot. They’ve never been afraid of high school athletes and there are a few who could fit in here. Trout, who was coming on strong as his season in the Northeast extended a bit longer than some other high schoolers, could fit nicely.

24. Los Angeles Angels: Garrett Gould, RHP, Maize HS, Kansas
The temptation is to give the Angels high schoolers and to have them come from Southern California. In this edition, the high schoolers are there, but the Angels will tread outside of state lines, starting with Gould, a fast-rising right-hander from Kansas. He’s got one of the best curves in the class and the Angels were in attendance for his dominant championship-winning start a while back.

25. Los Angeles Angels: Matthew Purke, LHP, Klein HS, Texas
Based on talent alone, Purke likely belongs in the top 10, or at least in that conversation. But talk of a very large bonus demand has caused a slide, and who knows, maybe that was the point. The Angels have not been afraid of “tough signs” over the years and they might be willing to take the chance here. If they were to stay in SoCal, someone like shortstop Jiovanni Mier could come into play.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090604&content_id=5139340&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

highlights the cardinals picks but the links are a good one stop.

http://www.futureredbirds.net/2009/06/05/keeping-mock-drafts/

a sampling:

18. Everett Williams, OF, McCallum HS

The Good: An excellent athlete with above-average speed and one of the quickest bats among all high school players in the draft; he also has surprising power for his size, and the wheels to stay in center field.
The Bad: As good as the tools are, his 5-foot-10 frame could limit his projection, and his overall game is a little rough around the edges.
In A Perfect World He Becomes: A smaller Mike Cameron. He is a bit bulky, so could end up moving to a corner, which would make his development significantly more difficult.

19. Rex Brothers, LHP, Lipscomb

The Good: He has the kind of power stuff rarely found in a left-hander, with a fastball that has been clocked as high as 98 mph, and he also has a hard, biting slider.
The Bad: For a pitcher with his arsenal at a small college, he wasn’t nearly as dominant as one might expect; his inconsistent mechanics lead to control issues; the fastball straightens out when he overthrows it.
In A Perfect World He Becomes: A dominating power arm, but many feel that he’s better suited for bullpen work.

20. Tony Sanchez, C, Boston College

The Good: He’s an athletic catcher, and one that has the potential to be an absolute shutdown defender in the big leagues, with outstanding actions behind the plate and a very good arm; he offers above-average power for the position; he possesses all of the baseball intelligence and leadership qualities one looks for in a big-league catcher.
The Bad: His swing has some length and loopiness, which will likely prevent him from ever hitting for a high batting average.
In A Perfect World He Becomes: An everyday catcher with Gold Glove potential and above-average offense. The defense alone should at least get him to the majors.

21. Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana

The Good: The fastest riser among college arms, he generated an enormous amunt of buzz over the last month with his massive frame, 95 mph fastball, and plus slider; he repeats his mechanics well, and he has outstanding stamina.
The Bad: He rarely throws a changeup; the slider can become inconsistent at times; there is some concern over his lack of a track record, as this was his first successful year.
In A Perfect World He Becomes: A durable, above-average innings-eater.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9017

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/6/6/900982/mock-draft-first-round#comments

http://www.baseball-intellect.com/scouting-tyler-skaggs/

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/6/8/902081/the-2009-mlb-drafts-college

20. Toronto Blue Jays: Tim Wheeler, OF, Sacramento State
There remains the possibility that the Jays will be a little adventurous and take a high school bat, but the college-bat route seems like a more plausible route. Wheeler, Pollock and Sanchez could all be considered.
Last week’s projection: Everett Williams

21. Houston Astros: Jared Mitchell, OF, Louisiana State
Mitchell, the best athlete among the college hitters, still seems like he could fit well in this system.

22. Minnesota Twins: Matt Hobgood, RHP, Norco HS, Calif.
Hobgood might be gone earlier, in which case the Twins could consider another high school arm like Garrett Gould or a high school bat like Michael Trout or Everett Williams. They’re still discussing the “what if” scenario if Gibson drops this far, which he may very well do.

23. Chicago White Sox: Everett Williams, OF, McCallum HS, Texas
The thinking has been toolsy bat in this spot and that still could be Trout or Williams. In the last projection, Williams was off the board. In this one, he’s not.
Last week’s projection: Trout

24. Los Angeles Angels: Michael Trout, OF, Milville HS, N.J.
The toolsy outfielder from the Northeast lands here, with his name being mentioned all over the place. There are some SoCal prepsters you know the Angels would consider with their two picks should they be here, like Hobgood or maybe even catcher Cameron Garfield, who’s impressed in workouts. Gould remains a possibility.
Last week’s projection: Gould

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090608&content_id=5206496&vkey=draft2009&fext=.jsp

any idea how much medical info do teams get before the draft?

one cleveland guy wants a medical combine:

Brad Grant, the Indians’ director of amateur scouting, said at some point the draft has to be redesigned to include a “medical combine” for teams to examine players before the draft.

“We’re the only sport right now that doesn’t have one,” said Grant. "It’s something that we feel we need. Especially, because right now the College World Series is going on. All these players have played; there’s been recent injuries that you don’t have time to assess.

“If you have a medical combine, it would give you a lot more security in who you’re taking. Especially with the amount of money we’re spending.”

A medical combine might involve making the draft later in the year.

MDGonzales: Scouting director Doug Laumann sounded as if the Sox lean toward an athletic OF with 1st pick, leery of HS kids, need catching depth.

Link: http://twitter.com/MDGonzales/statuses/2080733456

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/6/9/903218/interview-with-john-sickels-open

23. Chicago White Sox: The Sox have learned their lesson after wasting first-round picks on low-ceiling pitchers like Lance Broadway and Kyle McCulloch. They’re focused solely on upside this year, with the obvious names (Williams, Jackson, Heathcott) all in play, although they’re not ruling out a high school arm. From among what’s left, Williams is the best talent.
Pick: Everett Williams, OF, McCallum HS (TX)

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9031

http://www.southsidesox.com/2009/6/9/903744/draft-day