So, if Wood's not a legit top 10 prospect due to distance to the majors and a K rate that has jumped from acceptable (low 20s) to questionable / unacceptable (30s), then should he be #30, #80, or not on the board? It really does seem there's a lot of group think around him to rate him high. Is there anyone who does this for a living that is raising red flags? KLaw, who hates everybody? [edit update - KLaw has him #16.] When you have BA, BP, FG, [KLaw] and MLB all high on him, seems like that's a lot of the Judge effect on guys who should be smarter than that. Kiley at FG may be the biggest skeptic of that list, which I know makes Elvir nervous. Still rates him currently as only a 35 hit tool, 20 game power, and 35 field, so I think he's seeing the same things Elvir and Slate are seeing. It's just his future value is off the charts which leads to the 60 grade overall (55, 60, 55, with speed dropping from 60 current to 50 future).
A chunk of my sunnier view is I'm taking middle projections to above middle from folks who know this stuff, except perhaps Alu (who is not the type scouts like, which is why he was a low round senior class draftee). I mean, Ruiz is above average right now when you factor in the arm as well as his contact and eye. Abrams is a bit rushed but is there a mass drop off on his projections? Hassell is a conservative projection as a starter. One or two other hits from among Smith, Garcia / Alu, Meneses, with Thomas or Call as a guy who should be a 4th OF, and you have a lineup you can fill in around. Is it that much of a stretch to say another year or two of purgatory and then we have a 2011-level club, Wood, Green, and House or an international signee on the way?