The 2008 MLB Draft Thread

[MrMadison]

HS/College Baseball nuts, go crazy.

this is where we speculate on potential future Vermont Lake Monsters.

for right now, i just got one thing to say...DRAFT MIDDLE INFIELD!

when does College/HS baseball start anyway?

[NatsAddict]

NCAA season started around Feb 22.

Here in Florida, we are starting our third month on HS ball.


One middle IF to avoid is FAU shortstop Nick Arata.  On the scorecard, instead of entering him as number 14, I just put down E6.

[2k6nats]

this is where we speculate on potential future Vermont Lake Monsters.

Hell yeah!  I buy season tickets every year; love to see the new talent in the system.

[bbq552]

Love to see us jump on a middle in fielder that can lead-off by 2011

[Nat of the Living Dead]

When is the draft this year?

I remember last year's draft where it got a lot of coverage (like on ESPN LIVE) and friends and I just sat around watching it eating good food and having good drink. It was like an event.

Hope to treat this year's kind of similar.

[BBQ]

Do you know what pick we have?

[sportsfan882]

Do you know what pick we have?

9th pick.

[MrMadison]

When is the draft this year?

I remember last year's draft where it got a lot of coverage (like on ESPN LIVE) and friends and I just sat around watching it eating good food and having good drink. It was like an event.

Hope to treat this year's kind of similar.

that is typically how the NBA and NFL drafts are. the MLB draft used to be a very low-key deal, that basically took place in an office building somewhere.

i think last year was the first year that MLB actually had a televised full-fledged Draft Ceremony.

but I could be wrong about that.

[BBQ]

And the reason the average fan doesn't care is because they don't see these plaers for 1-4 years.

[2k6nats]

And the reason the average fan doesn't care is because they don't see these plaers for 1-4 years.

I would have to agree.  In the NFL, when you have a top ten pick, the player you choose is an instant top player on the team.  Of course, this Nationals franchise has a history of first rounders playing in a hurry (Cordero and Zimmerman were both in the majors the same year they were drafted).

[Senators2005]

Hey 2k6 you should start a Lakemonster blog...we have blogs now for every team except Vermont and Hagerstown.

[BBQ]

That would be cool who is the best prospect we have there?

[KnorrForYourMoney]

In Vermont?  Certainly Josh Smoker.

[BBQ]

In Vermont?  Certainly Josh Smoker.

Oh yeah wait I'll check their roster: Jaxk Mcgreary too but he won't pitch much...

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Jax McGreary?  Are you related to Bob Lodson by any chance?

[DPMOmaha]

If Bowden is serious about pitching, pitching, pitching, I hope he looks long and hard at Aaron Crow, a 6-3 rhp who has been dominant for Missouri for nearly 3 years.  He's currently on a 42+ inning streak with out giving up a run.  I know we've loaded up on pitching the past couple of years, but I think he's someone who'll make some GM very, very happy and could find him self on a big league roster with in a year or two.

[BBQ]

Please Aaron Crow!!

[tomterp]

Please Aaron Crow!!

Last Weekend’s Big Winner, Player Edition
by Bryan Smith, Baseball Prospectus

Each week, I will attempt to pinpoint one performance that should be noted by draft nuts. Side note: if Kevin Goldstein beats me to it in the Monday Morning Ten Pack, we’ll go with the backup choice.

3/28-30 Winner: RHP Aaron Crow, Missouri
3/21-23 Winner: SS Gordon Beckham, Georgia
3/14-16 Winner: RHP Zach Putnam, Michigan
3/7-9 Winner: LHP Tim Murphy, UCLA
2/29-3/2 Winner: SS Reese Havens, South Carolina

At some point, you just need to give the guy his props. If I had wanted, this really could have been the sixth straight week of honoring Crow, who, like Beckham last week, has been the best at his position on a pretty consistent basis this spring. On March 15, he struck out 15 batters in a start against Toledo, amazingly while throwing just 3.45 pitches per batter. The next weekend, in the Tigers Big 12 opener, Crow threw a complete-game shutout against Baylor, striking out 10. I could have given it to Crow either of those weekends, but I didn't.

However, when Crow increased his scoreless innings streak to 33 2/3 innings with eight more shutout frames against Texas Tech last Friday, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. As silly as Gordon Beckham's numbers were a week ago, Crow's are the most eye-popping in the nation. He has allowed just four runs in 43 innings, and no unearned runs, either. He has struck out an amazing 60 batters in that time, walked just 10 and allowed 28 hits, which translates into 12.6 K/9, 5.45 K/BB, and a 0.91 WHIP.

Of course, he has done this with big-time stuff. Every week, Crow touches 96 mph on the radar gun, and continues to show a plus slider that he is throwing in the high 80s. I've heard reports that his changeup has been inconsistent, but Crow hasn't needed it much, and two months out, has to be considered the favorite to be drafted first overall by Tampa Bay. This is a big turnaround from a year ago, when Crow walked eight batters and allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings to Kansas, rarely pitching above 90 mph. Crow's gaining velocity last summer and to continue to show it this spring has been responsible for one of the single largest draft leaps in recent memory.

The Crow-Beckham battle for the Golden Spikes trophy is one of the most intriguing races we have had in a long time for the award. Whatever advantage I thought Beckham had a week ago was overshadowed by Crow's shutting down Texas Tech, and whatever advantage I thought Pedro Alvarez had on Crow in the draft two months ago has also been eliminated. Right now, the best player in the country without a major league affiliation—outside of Barry Bonds—is Aaron Crow.

[MrMadison]

Crow won't drop to us at #9.

what do you know about this Beckham kid?  cause we definitely should be looking at middle infield in this year's draft.

where are the NFA guys when you need em?

[DPMOmaha]

Crow got roughed up a bit this week, but he's still had a remarkable season. 

[d_mc_nabb]

beckham won't slip to us. the boreioles will take him.

[eagleskins]

Check out the numbers for Chris Shehan from Georgia Southern.  He would be a good draft choice in the outfield.  The OBP and slugging percentage are out of this world.

http://www.georgiasoutherneagles.com/fls/18700/Stats/Baseball/2008/teamcume.htm

[MrMadison]

yeah, but at this time, if OF really a significant weakness in the Organization?

well, as much of a weakness as middle infield is?

[DPMOmaha]

How about this guy from Florida State.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3337385&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1

[d_mc_nabb]

buster posey sounds good. and he can play pitcher or catcher, two woeful positions on the nats.