Draft Day (2011 MLB Draft Thread)

   Gilmartin followed a fantastic freshman season with a rough sophomore campaign then a stellar junior year.
   A native of Moorpark, Calif., Gilmartin (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) has been the Seminoles No. 1 starter the last three seasons. Athletic, he also has played the OF and 1B. Gilmartin is a strong runner.
   This season, Gilmartin is 12-1 with a 1.83 ERA. In 113 1/3 IP, he has allowed 86 hits, struck out 122 and walked 30. Gilmartin has allowed 14 doubles and three triples as foes batted .208.
   In 2010, Gilmartin struggled, going 9-8 with a 5.24 ERA for FSU and was lit up for 11 hits in six IP against top-ranked Virginia. With Team USA, he was 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA. As a freshman All-American, Gilmartin was 12-3 with a 3.49 ERA. In 98 IP, he allowed 81 hits, 14 home runs and struck out 83 while walking 37.
   Gilmartin (21) features a compact windup and gets good extension in a smooth, easy delivery. He has four pitches, but has essentially scrapped his curve for a vastly improved slider. His changeup is a plus pitch. Gilmartin pitches off a fastball that is in the 88 to 91 m.p.h range, but dips to 86 at times.

   A 31st-round selection of the Padres out of high school, Gilmartin entered this season as a back-of-the-second round talent. He rapidly has climbed the charts, however, and draws comparisons to fomer Vanderbilt hurler Mike Minor, the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft and a current Atlanta Brave.
   Gilmartin locates well, understands pitching and is eager to learn. He mixes his offerings and has a feel for pitching. Gilmartin is regarded as one of the Draft’s safer picks. Atlanta and Minnesota are rumored to be very interested in him.
   Gilmartin is homer prone, giving up 34 in three seasons but just five this year. Of course, Florida State’s ballbark is known for giving up the long ball.
   A Sports Management major, Baseball America ranks Gilmartin the No. 48 player in the draft.

Jonathan Mayo and Keith Law predicting the Reds will take Oregon LHP Tyler Anderson. Baseball America’s experts draft has them selecting Miami Dade JC OF Brian Goodwin. BA’s regular mock has Cincinnatin taking Alhambra HS RHP Robert Stephenson. John Sickels has the Reds drafting Kent State LHP Andrew Chafin.

Those are a few days old and some will be updated today.

Stephenson. He figures Anderson, Wong and Michael will be gone. He has Story going one pick later, Gilmartin at 30 to the Twins and Owens 31st to Tampa Bay.

Stanford LHP Chris Reed, who is a reliever that many teams expect to be a starter. Mayo says Gilmartin and Chafin could be in the mix.

and he has the Reds taking Tyler Anderson.

I saw this feature last year and it was amazing. How are you so interested in the draft? Did you used to be involved in this process or what? I love it!

From Baseball America’s Draft Blog:

It’s not often a player emerges as a pop-up candidate to go in the first round the day of the draft—especially in a year with this kind of depth—but such is the case this year with Onelkis Garcia Speck, a lefthander who defected from Cuba. Garcia could go as highly as the back half of the first round.

Details on Garcia are fuzzy, but Baseball America has learned that he throws in the 92-95 mph range with an above-average curveball. An article (in Spanish) in The New Herald by Jorge Ebro from 2008 said Garcia Speck was 20 years old, which would make him 23 this year.

According to one source, Garcia pitched three seasons with Guantanamo, going 12-12, 4.73 over 205 innings. In 46 games (45 starts), he struck out 195 but walked 128. His last season was 2009-10, when he went 5-6, 3.40.

I don’t know that I would’ve. If Rendon’s shoulder is OK, I might have gone that route.

Wow! Renden’s medical reports must be scary.

I like this guy a lot.

Fantastic arm. The Orioles really like him.

The Royals take the local bat and he’s a very, very good one. Excellent pick.

There he goes. Even with Ryan Zimmerman, a healthy Rendon is a great pick. He can play second base if need be. If the shoulder is healthy, the Nats just got the Draft’s top player for the third consecutive year.

Bauer and Bradley make for a potent pair in a future Diamondbacks rotation. Bradley won’t come cheaply, though, and this is an unprotected compensation pick. The Snakes will have to pony up to sign Bradley away from playing quarterback and baseball at Oklahoma.

Talented young player. Smooth in the field. Gap power.

strange with Castro already on board, maybe they see him at third?

The draft’s other premier shortstop. Super quick bat with power. Not as adept in the field as Lindor. Makeup concerns.

The Reds would get better forever and you’d always be around!

Just as predicted, the Padres go with the juco bat. Terrific pure swing and 70 speed on the 20-80 scale. Disciplined guy. Probably moves to 2B.

Reds lead!

Well, well, well! The Astros take a super athlete who was a top-five pick before the season. Tremendous upside. Drew Stubbs comps. I like this pick for Houston.

This guy had an 0.95 ERA in the regular season. Ace of Texas’ staff for three years. Big-game guy. Has some effort to his delivery and his breaking stuff still needs to improve, but a good pitcher.

The Wyoming kid reportedly has an asking price of $3 million. The Mets said they’d spend, despite their financial troubles. The kid can hit, although Wyoming has no high school baseball.

He’s the first player we previewed as a possible Reds pick to be selected. He rose quickly up the board.

The Marlins go across the state to Tampa to get this guy. The kid has three potential plus pitches. Cuban-born, his age has been questioned, but he has terrific stuff.

Well, the Brewers are restocking on college pitching. Bradley has scuffled a bit this season, particularly down the stretch, but has potential for three above average pitches.

The Dodgers take a closer who has thrown fewer than 70 innings. Many scouts think he can start because of his three-pitch mix. LA wasn’t going for a more expensive option with their financial struggles. I don’t like the pick from a talent standpoint.

The kid can hit. He went .444/.522/.829 with 15 home runs this season. Cron can hit for power and average. This is a good pick for Anaheim. His raw power grades as an 80. Defensively, he has questions, but with the DH that won’t matter. As well as Cron hits, his defensive shortcomings coould be overlooked anyway. Big, big bat.

Will they last nine more picks?

The A’s get a flamethrower. Gray touches 97 and sits in the mid-90s. He also features a power curve. Gray’s change is a distant third pitch. Some envision him as a premier closer, but he’ll get every opportunity to start.

The Red Sox go local. Barnes throws heat and maintains his velocity. His secondary offerings need work, but show potential. He got lit up in the post-seasoon, but has a relatively fresh, loose arm.

Another player we thought might get to the Reds is off the board. Anderson was my pick, if he dropped that far and no higher upside guys were available. Good pick. He’s likely to move quickly and has the upside of a No. 3 starter.

Back-to-back Tylers. Another guy we profiled. He won’t be an easy sign, as he has a Vanderbilt scholarship and told teams he’d prefer to head to college. He’s a strong-armed pitcher with a fresh arm and has advanced pitchability for his age. Intellignet kid.

Wong comes off the board. He’s one of the draft’s better pure hitters. Wong likely can move quickly to the majors and be the kind of pest the Cardinals often have had — Eckstein anyone? Good, solid pick.

The Nats coveted Meyer and hoped he’d fall this far. At 6-foot-9, 220 and the ability to throw 96, he’s an intimidating presence. His slider has potential. Meyer transitioned from thrower to pitcher this season. He’s far from a finished product, but offers big-time potential. Another strong cog in a rapidly improving organization.

Rays start off their big day with a good upside pick

Big arm. He has a power arm and plenty of room to develop. He throws 98 — consistently 96 — and has a power curve. Command is a question, as is makeup. Signing him will be difficult. He’s a South Carolina recruit.

I guess all you have to do is throw an #MLBDraft tag in there.

Joe’s brother Tyson is in the Oakland organization. Joe Ross is athletic and offers a strong three-pitch package. He’s a smart kid and will be difficult to sign away from UCLA.

pick him Reds!

keithlaw
Means he lacks tools. RT @jryager: @keithlaw MLB guys kept saying Kolton Wong is a “winner”. what the hell does that mean?

Swihart features a strong bat and can stick behind the plate. His competition wasn’t the best, but he shows solid power and hitting potential.

I’m OK with it, wanted Norris but he would have been a tough sign

Vander Meer is shaking in his grave.

I guess that’s kinda hard to know.

Gilmartin draws Mike Minor comps. He fits the Braves well. I wonder if they held their breath while the Reds decided who to take?

Big surprise, here. Solid bat and he’s a guy scouts call “a ballplayer.” He “plays the game the right way.” He’s fundamentally sound, but likely will be an offensive-minded 2B.

The Twins take the highest-rated college shortstop in the draft.

A nice pick of a player who fell a bit. Good bat, but might be a tweener — not enough power for a corner, not enough speed for CF.

in the first round since Homer Bailey in 2004.

A bit of a signability pick by a team with 12 early selections, Hager is a solid player who does a little bit of everything well but doesn’t stand out for anything in a huge way. He swings a good bat, though. He profiled as a second-round pick.

The Rangers wrap up the night by taking a smallish lefty with a quick arm. Many project him as a reliever. He fits the mold of several Rangers farmhands - Robbie Ross, Kasey Kiker among them. He is a Virginia signee, so he won’t be cheap at all. He was generally considered a third or fourth-round talent.

picks 2 through 30. Teams have only one minute to make a pick in those rounds, so they’ll be fast and furious. The draft begins at noon.

Athlete with some makup concerns. Great speed. Sound bat.

Big raw power, but has trouble recognizing pitches. Played mostly 1B this season.

A favorite of some RRers, he’s 6-foot-7, 200 pounds and sits 88-91. His offspeed stuff needs to develop and scouts would like to see more velocity, but Owens is projectable. He’s regarded as the best HS pitcher in Southern California.

Solid raw power. Enough glove. Sound athlete. Batted just .283 this season.

http://redsminorleagues.com/2011/06/06/2011-mlb-draft-round-1-cincinnati-reds-select-rhp-robert-stephenson/

kid seems smart with the good grades, and we have plenty of major league ready mediocrity, so lets get a raw guy with potential.

Developing bat who projects as a solid-average hitter who is short on power. Can make dazzling plays in the field, but needs to improve overall defensively. Good kid. Came on strong down the stretch.

Greene displays big power, but struggled against better competition. He’ll need to improve to be more than a 5 o’clock hitter. Defensively, he could wind up at first base.

A fantastic hitter early in his career, Bradley suffered a wrist injury and struggled with the new college bats this season. He batted just .259. He has great speed and a plus arm, but some wonder if he’ll hit with wood.

A projection pick, Goeddel shows great potential with the bat. He’s versatile enough to play 3B or CF. His brother is a pitcher in the Mets organization.

He throws a mid-90s fastball. His curve and change are developing and lag well behind his heater. An Oregon signee, he’s a project.

Another pitcher linked to the Reds, Chafin backs a 90-95 m.p.h. fastball with one of the nation’s better sliders, a true 70 pitch on the 20-80 scale. A Tommy John surgery hurler, Chafin’s injury history gives some pause. If healthy, he could be a steal.

Another hard-throwing pitcher from Oklahoma, Fulmer features a mid-90s fastball and a promising slider.

I love this kid. He can stay at shortstop, make all the plays and can hit. Power is a question, but Story has a strong bat and a great arm.

Maybe the most-improved HS pitcher in Southern Calififornia this season, Musgrove is a big-bodied workhorse with a low-90s fastball and an interesting slurve that can turn into a hammer curve when he throws it correctly.

Speedy and athletic, Walker hits well from both sides of the plate. He strikes out a bit too much, but has plenty of ability to dream on.

A 6-4, 210-pounder with plenty of projection, Kelly sits in the low 90s. He reminds some of Nats farmhand A.J. Cole.

Crick has a mid-90s fastball and a promising curve, but still is learning to pitch. A Texas Christian recruit, he’ll not be an easy sign.

Maybe the premier power hitter in the Southern Califirnia high school ranks, Harrison has big raw power and a chance to be an average hitter. He might fit defensively at first base.

Bichette has bloodlines, but offers more than that. He has impressive power and a cannon for an arm. Defensively, he needs work and is improving as a hitter. He signed with Georgia.

Snell has outperformed his tools. His skinny frame doesn;t offer much projection. A Washington signee, he’s not yet academically qualified and could be an easy sign.

Smith is among the better HS hitters in the draft. He doesn;t have the speed that his dad did and might move to a corner, but has enough arm for RF.

A sweet-swinging switch-hitter, he might not have enough defense to stay behind the plate.

A big-bodied guy with a plus fastball and curve, Boyd profiles as a workhorse starter.

Good pick. Carter hits for power and average. He has a strong arm, but is injury prone.

A Vanderbilt signee, Comer won’t come cheaply and the Jays might not want to spend big money on him. Comer threw just 14 innings this season and saw his velocity drop to the mid-80s. At his best, he features a low 90s heater and a knockout curve.

A combination shortstop/cornerback, Peterson is one of the nation’s better athletes. He profiles better at secoond base, but has simple line drive swing that scouts like. Peterson offers well above average speed. A legitimate two-sport athlete, his signing bonus may be sread over five years.

Another pitcher connected to the Reds, Garvin was the SEC pitcher of the year. The definition of a crafty lefty, Garvin pitches to contact. He’s intelligent on and off the field. Garvin has enough stuff to be effective.

harris has great speed and a 37-inch vertical leap. A project, Harris’ athleticism is intriguing. He has no college options and should be signable.

I’ll see you tomorrow for rounds 2 through 30. Thanks for stopping by everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed you.

"I saw him pitch three times this year," Buckley said. "To get him in the first round, we obviously liked him a lot. He’s got very good upside, good projection to his frame. He throws hard now. He should throw a little harder as most high school kids do as they get bigger and stronger. We’re real excited to have him."