Author Topic: Meet the Late Round Picks  (Read 3267 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline JMW IV

  • Posts: 11345
  • Name on the Front > Name on The Back
Meet the Late Round Picks
« Topic Start: June 10, 2009, 12:21:28 PM »
Round 4 - A.J. Morris, RHP, Kansas State
Round 5 - Miguel Pena, LHP, La Joya HS (TX)
Round 6 - Michael Taylor, SS, Westminster Academy HS (FL)
Round 7 - Andrew Weaver, RHP, Georgia
Round 8 - Roberto Perez, SS, Dorado Academy (DR)

post whatcha got.

Offline DCFan

  • Posts: 16722
  • What are you dense?
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #1: June 10, 2009, 12:57:53 PM »
more infielders.

Dominican? I hope they've done a background check on this guy.  :bag: :whip:

Offline PatsNats28

  • Posts: 8522
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #2: June 10, 2009, 12:59:19 PM »
from NFA:

With pick #232, the Nationals select Roberto Perez a SS from HS in Puerto Rico; he’s a relative of Dickie Thon!!! from PGCC “An angular 6-foot-2, 175-pound shortstop, Perez is a nephew of former major-league infielder Dickie Thon and long-time Rangers scout Frankie Thon, and cousin to potential top 2010 Puerto Rican prospect Dickie Thon Jr., so the baseball genes are on his side. Perez has very good defensive tools and skills in the middle infield. He’s a 6.7 runner in the 60 with easy, gliding actions and balanced footwork around the ball. His throwing arm is among the best in the 2009 high-school class and his throws carry easily across the diamond. He’s also a pitcher of some note with an upper-80s fastball. Perez’s defensive game is ahead of his offense at this point. He shows very good bat speed at times and gap power, but has an aggressive, drifting approach at the plate that leaves him off balance frequently. Perez is a good student from an educated, professional family and has signed with Oklahoma State, so his signability may not be as automatic as it is with most top Puerto Rican prospects

and he's puerto rican

Offline houston-nat

  • Posts: 19050
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #3: June 10, 2009, 01:00:52 PM »


'Cause every Puerto Rican's
A lousy chicken!

Offline JMW IV

  • Posts: 11345
  • Name on the Front > Name on The Back
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #4: June 10, 2009, 01:03:32 PM »
just delete all my posts from this thread except this one, 2k6. goodness. all those one-word posts look bad now that you merged the whole forum.

Offline blue911

  • Posts: 18482
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #5: June 10, 2009, 01:03:51 PM »
(Image removed from quote.)

'Cause every Puerto Rican's
A lousy chicken!


The guy in the white shirt is my mom's cousin.

Offline DCFan

  • Posts: 16722
  • What are you dense?
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #6: June 10, 2009, 01:09:38 PM »
The guy in the white shirt is my mom's cousin.

Assuming you're related to your mom, that'd make him your first cousin once removed.  :icon_mrgreen:

Offline blue911

  • Posts: 18482
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #7: June 10, 2009, 01:26:26 PM »
Assuming you're related to your mom, that'd make him your first cousin once removed.  :icon_mrgreen:

Whatever, All I know is my mom gets pissed when i say he's gay. :stir:

Offline DCFan

  • Posts: 16722
  • What are you dense?
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #8: June 10, 2009, 01:33:20 PM »
 :icon_mrgreen:

Offline 2k6nats

  • Posts: 9421
  • Through Fick and Zim
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #9: June 10, 2009, 01:40:08 PM »
just delete all my posts from this thread except this one, 2k6. goodness. all those one-word posts look bad now that you merged the whole forum.

Feel free to update the first post of this thread as players are drafted.

Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #10: June 10, 2009, 04:08:38 PM »
I had individual threads for the first 10 picks last year, as it could get crowded with all the information I am trying to post.  Separating the threads could avoid clutter within the thread and provide useful in the future, but whatever is easier for the mods is fine with me.

Here is what I found on our round 4 pick, A.J. Morris:

Quote
Honors:
- 2008 Second Team Academic All-Big 12
- 2008 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- 2007 First Team Academic All-Big 12
- 2006 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Strengths:
A.J. Morris is a member of the talented crop of second-tier college pitchers that will be drafted between the second pick and the third round. Morris won't be drafted second, but he has a good shot of being drafted as high as the supplemental round. The redshirt junior has quality stuff, including a low 90s fastball and a quality slider. He's put up excellent numbers in '09. As of May 10, he is 11-1 with a 1.67 ERA. He has struck out 83 and walked only 23 in 91 2/3 innings.

Weaknesses:
While Morris has good stuff, it doesn't compare favorably to other second-tier college pitchers, like South Carolina's Sam Dyson and Lipscomb's Rex Brothers. Morris also doesn't have ideal size.

The Future:
The second tier of the college pitching crop in '09 is composed of two types of pitchers: ones with superior stuff and questionable numbers and another group with average stuff who have dominated college baseball. Morris is a member of the latter group. A team that values performance could draft him as a sandwich pick.
http://www.withthefirstpick.net/aj-morris

Quote
Morris has dominated with just two pitches, a 90-91 mph fastball that tops out at 94 and a solid slider. He locates both with precision,usually on the corners and at the knees, and his commandallows them bothto play above their average grades. Morris is throwing from a lower arm slot this year,giving him more lateral life on his pitches, and he has scrapped an ineffective curveball. Hitters have trouble picking up his pitches. He also has added 15 pounds and now carries 200 on his 6-foot-2 frame. Morris hasn't needed a changeup and some area scouts say they haven't even seen him throw one while warming up between innings. His emergence beganin the West Coast League last summer, and some clubs tried to sign him as a free agent after hewent undrafted last June as a sophomore-eligible. Some scouts worry about his size, arm action and lack of a third pitch, but a team that believesheavily in performance could take him early in the second round.
Baseball America via a message board

Quote
A fourth-year junior who will look to anchor the pitching staff after a stellar summer... Was named the No. 4 prospect in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League by Baseball America.

Sophomore (2008): Made 14 appearances, including 12 starts, earning a 4-4 record and a 6.04 ERA... Pitched 53.2 innings, allowing 36 earned runs on 68 hits with 31 strikeouts and 18 walks... Tallied 5.20 strikeouts per game, which ranked third on the team... Picked up his first win of the season after allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings against Le Moyne on March 9... Was stellar against Creighton on March 26 to earn his second win of the season as he allowed just one run on seven hits in 5.0 innings... Threw 6.0 scoreless innings to earn the win against Central Arkansas on April 1... Tied his season high in strikeouts with six against Wichita State on April 8, but took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in 4.1 innings... Came back to defeat the Shockers on April 29 as he surrendered just two runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings... Earned his first conference start at Missouri on May 4, helping K-State defeat the Tigers when he allowed two runs on just four hits in 4.0 innings... Started the Big 12 Championship title game... Recorded two of the team’s seven pickoffs on the season... Earned Second Team Academic All-Big 12 honors and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Redshirt Freshman (2007): Appeared in 19 games, starting five... Earned a 4-2 record with 29 strikeouts in 50 innings... Was effective down the stretch, lowering his ERA from 5.92 to 3.78 over his final six games... Worked three innings to take the win against Centenary on Feb. 17... Pitched 2.1 innings in relief to record his second win of the season against BYU on March 6... Was solid through five innings as the starter at Arizona State on March 14 as he allowed just one run and struck out three... Went consecutive starts without giving up an earned run against Wichita State on April 24 and Chicago State on May 1, picking up the win in both contests... Earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors.

Freshman (2006): Redshirted during the 2006 season... Named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Humble HS: A two-year letterwinner at Humble High School in Humble, Texas, under coach David Sitton... Was 11-2 with a 2.45 ERA and nine complete games as a senior... Struck out 111 batters and walked just 40 in 80 innings... Received first team all-district, all-state and all-America honors in 2005... Was a Louisville Slugger High School All-American.

Personal: Anthony Joseph Morris was born December 1, 1986, in Houston, Texas... He is the son of Kevin and Tina Morris... Has a brother Brad and a sister Lauren... Majoring in business.
Official Bio via K-State

Quote
A.J. Morris could be drafted higher than any Kansas State Wildcat over the last 30 years on Tuesday.
Despite that, Morris is handling the opportunity and added attention the same way he handled everything else this season — calm, cool and collected.

"It's a great feeling," Morris said about Tuesday's Major League Baseball First-year Player Draft. "I couldn't ask for a better situation. I'm just going to have fun with it, enjoy the ride and let everything happen they way it should."

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-hander torched the single-season KSU wins record when he bested the former record of nine victories with a 14-1 mark on the mound — including school record 100 strikeouts and ERA of just 2.08.

The junior from Humble, Texas, earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors and is a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes award.

Morris could be selected as high as the second round on Tuesday when the MLB draft conducts its first three rounds. The draft will continue on Wednesday with round 3-30. Rounds 31-50 will be on Thursday.

If Morris goes in the top two rounds he would be the highest Wildcat taken since Bob Lesslie was selected in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1972.

Morris' record-breaking season came as a bit of a surprise after going just 4-4 with an ERA of 6.04 as a sophomore.
The same could be have been said about the Wildcats' season that ended with an NCAA regional appearance.

"He's been fine, working out, and just taking care of business as he's done all year," K-State coach Brad Hill said. "It's exciting for our program. He's one of those kids who decided to make the decision to do the right things. I've always appreciated him keeping his head on and focused on K-State, making sure he's doing what he can to help the team get as far as we could. He puts everything on the backburner and just makes very mature decisions."

One MLB draft blog has Morris going in the second round — 67th overall — to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Another Web site has Morris ranked as the 19th overall best prospect available in the draft, which would make him a first-rounder.

"I really don't pay attention to it,' Morris said. "I plan on just being surprised like you all."
Morris said his family and friends have told him that no matter what, to simply enjoy the moment.

"Just to have fun," he said, "and don't get too nervous and wait for the phone call."
http://www.themercury.com/k-statesports/article.aspx?articleId=b634c6b0e2dd43dca9307fd2ba663832

ARTICLES:
http://www.cjonline.com/sports/2009-04-08/cats_enjoying_the_morris_era

http://www.uwire.com/Article.aspx?id=4024662


Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #11: June 10, 2009, 04:52:41 PM »
Round #6 pick, Michael Taylor.  Committed to North Florida, played at Westminster Academy (FL):

Quote
This is why coaches everywhere will tell you the Major League Baseball draft is always full of surprises. Every year, countless hours are spent putting together expert projections and analysis. And it seems, every year, a surprise pick or two gets thrown in the mix.

Several of the projections I saw earlier this week all seemed to have American Heritage shortstop Deven Marrero targeted to likely be the first Broward County high school player selected in this year's draft.

Turns out that honor will go to Westminster Academy's Michael Taylor.

Taylor was selected in the sixth round by the Washington Nationals with the 172nd overall pick. He was a first-team All-County selection for the Lions this year after hitting .446 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.

Now Taylor, like all the high school players in this year's draft, faces a choice. Professional baseball or college--Taylor has signed with the University of North Florida.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/highschool/broward/blog/2009/06/westminster_academys_taylor_is_1.html

Quote
SCOUTING PROFILE: A year ago, Taylor did not rank with the elite high-schools shortstops in south Florida like Nova High’s Michael Broard, American Heritage’s Deven Marrero or Gulliver Prep’s Stephen Perez. But he made significant strides during the spring in catching up to that group, and with signability issues clouding the status of those three as the draft neared, the possibility surfaced on the eve of the draft that Taylor might even be selected ahead of the talented trio. Taylor has a commitment to North Florida, while Broad and Perez are set to attend Miami, and Marrero has his sights on Arizona State. From the standpoint of legitimate middle-infield actions, arm strength and slightly above-average speed, Taylor ranked with his peers all along, but his bat was much farther away. That changed this spring, however, as Taylor hit .446-7-29 and took measures to address his long swing and develop added strength to drive balls on a more consistent basis.-ALLAN SIMPSON
http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?article=1578

Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #12: June 10, 2009, 04:57:17 PM »
More on Perez from PGCC.  I sure hope they keep him at SS/2B.

Quote
Roberto Perez is a 2009 MIF/P with a 6'2'', 175 lb. frame from Toa Alta, PR who attends Dorado Academy. Perez is tall, lean, and athletic infielder with big arm strength across the diamond. His throws topped out at 91mph. His feet and hands work well in the infield. At the plate he creates excellent bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat. He has an aggressive approach, he's an attacker with good hitting tools. He shows good running speed and is a smart aggressive base runner with good instincts. He also throws upper 80's from the mound with a lively fastball. He is a good student with some very interesting tools. PG Rating: 9.5.

Quote
SS Roberto Perez (Toa Alta, PR): Quick athletic actions, can play SS, throws 88 mph off the mound, good bat speed, shows skills and instincts

- Committed to Oklahoma St.

Offline DPMOmaha

  • Posts: 22875
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #13: June 10, 2009, 05:25:27 PM »
More on Perez from PGCC.  I sure hope they keep him at SS/2B.

- Committed to Oklahoma St.
Probably going to have to pay a bit to get this one signed.  Possibly the least signable pick so far.

Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #14: June 10, 2009, 05:32:39 PM »
Probably going to have to pay a bit to get this one signed.  Possibly the least signable pick so far.

looks like it will be a situation similar to Nieto/Ramirez with Pena/Perez.  I hope they get them both signed.  I haven't read enough about Taylor to form an opinion about him yet, but it sounds like he wasn't expected to go that high and a near slot deal might work.

Offline Smithian

  • Posts: 11497
  • Sunshine Squad 2022
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #15: June 11, 2009, 02:21:26 AM »
I have heard great things about AJ Morris all year.

Offline PANatsFan

  • Posts: 37398
  • dogs in uncensored, nudes in gameday
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #16: June 12, 2009, 01:47:20 PM »
1072. Josh Miller, LHP, L/L, 6-3, 186, 1/7/1991 Homeschooled (TX)

Was he tearing up Babe Ruth ball? Huh?

Offline DPMOmaha

  • Posts: 22875
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #17: June 12, 2009, 01:58:50 PM »
I don't know how they do it in Texas but if a home schooled kid can find a school in the district he lives in that will let him play, he can playin for that school or often on the legion teams.  Sometimes even there are enough home schooled kids to form a team of their own.  They're generally not terribly competitive,  but there are exceptions from time to time.

Offline PANatsFan

  • Posts: 37398
  • dogs in uncensored, nudes in gameday
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #18: June 12, 2009, 03:38:02 PM »
I don't know how they do it in Texas but if a home schooled kid can find a school in the district he lives in that will let him play, he can playin for that school or often on the legion teams.  Sometimes even there are enough home schooled kids to form a team of their own.  They're generally not terribly competitive,  but there are exceptions from time to time.

Interesting thanks.

Offline JMUalumni

  • Posts: 7787
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #19: June 14, 2009, 01:47:03 PM »
I was looking up some stuff about the Nats 14th round pick, Naoya Washiya, and came across some interesting stuff.  As a player from Japan, he took a somewhat unique path to the majors.  After his HS team won the state championship in Japan he was not able to get into the top school of his choice and decided to come to the US for college, where he attended College of the Desert.  I've wanted the Nats to go after some Japanese players for years and I suppose I got my wish in an unorthodox way, the last Japanese player drafted was Mitsuru Sakamoto in 2002.

His college coach highlighted his strong arm in the field along with his quick bat speed.  He also mentioned his speed and ability on the basepaths.  He sounds like a good pick to take a later round flyer on and I will be interested to see how he does in minor league ball.

ARTICLES:

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090611/SPORTS01/906110325/1028/sports01/Local-ballplayer-tapped-by-Nationals

http://www.japanball.com/news.phtml?id=14584



Offline mikehughes

  • Posts: 1375
Re: Meet the Late Round Picks
« Reply #20: June 14, 2009, 05:50:10 PM »
Washiya was also drafted by the Nationals last year in the 42nd round. Do we know if he signed with us this time around yet?