Kids with the raw tools that Jacob Gatewood possesses do not come along very often. Gatewood is a 6'4", 190 lb HS SS from Clovis, CA. Although almost nobody expects him to stay at SS in the pros, he is a true 5 tool athlete with almost unbelievable power potential, so it probably does not matter where he ends up playing. It won't be DH or first base! Big League Futures has a capsule scouting report that calls his swing compact which will enable him to hit for both contact and power. He has elite bat speed and gets a "ton" of backspin on the ball. He can hit to all fields but can turn on a high velocity pitch and pull it.
There is another article linked on his BLF profile from USA Baseball in which it sounds like this kid's makeup is off the charts. He is very goal oriented. He wrote down a list of things he wanted to accomplish in HS before starting his freshman year: Hitting 90+ from the mound, committing to a college before his junior season and being considered among the best in the Class of 2014. I don't know about you, but to me, these goals demonstrate both ambition and realism. He accomplished all 3! BTW, he has another goal: He wants to play SS in the major leagues!
There is another story of how a classmate asked Gatewood to work with his little brother who was struggling in Little League. Gatewood obliged and the kid went from hardly ever playing to being the starting second baseman for his team! In the process of teaching the kid, Gatewood said he became a better player too. Now, how great is that?!
I saw Jacob Gatewood play on TV at the Under Armour All American game in Wrigley Field. He got the only XBH of the game with a laser beam double directly over the head of the LF. There is scouting video on BLF and others on Youtube. His swing reminds me of a combination of Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis! It's a bit long like Straw's but has that wrist snap like Davis.
BLF has him as the 7'th ranked draft prospect. Mack's Mets Mock Draft has him at #15. Matt Garrioch has him at #10 in his Extremely Early Minor League Ball 2014 Draft rankings. BA has him at #5 in their early ranking.
I have a hard time believing he is going to drop out of the top 10, but this is a deep draft, so you never know. There is always some risk to young toolsy players, but this guy's ceiling is as high as any prospect in recent memory.
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Tall shortstop, maybe a Tulo or Machado type? Here's my question for you, DrB... If you were calling the shots next year, would you take a toolsy position player like Gatewood, or would you snag a high-velocity arm to give Crick a running mate at the top? I know it would be dependent on who was available at the time, but it sounds like there are quite a few options on both ends this year. If all things were equal, and there wasn't one player light years ahead of the rest, would you go hitting or pitching?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I have an answer to that question. Strangely enough, I think taking pitching is the safer bet. On the other hand, if Jacob Gatewood were to fall to #14, I think I would have to take him. I think you just have to trust your scouts and go with the BPA with a slight lean toward organizational need. Never, ever, draft for current need at the MLB level, though!
DeleteWith the description of his tools, he sounds like someone you want to take if available, considering his 'intangibles' that no stats can measure.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try to remember the name...Jacob Gatewood.
This has the makings of such a deep draft that I don't feel so bad that the Giants dropped out of a potential top 10 pick by playing pretty well at the end of the season. They really were not as bad as they played in July/Aug so where they ended up is probably a more accurate reflection of the team (or even selling them short a bit). Hopefully the scouting team can get a good haul in 2014, the big league team can shore up the starting rotation and LF in 2014, and we can get reinforcements from the minors in 2015. Then we can get back to the business of seriously contending from 2015 on.
ReplyDeleteIt is, indeed an extremely deep draft. I have profiled a total of 6 draft prospects so far, any of whom could reasonably be a #1 overall choice. I feel like I have only scratched the surface!
DeleteIt would be great to see the Giants get a good position player in the 1st round but the top prospects, Turner, Gatewood, Gordon and Gettys, are generally projected to be gone by the time the Giants pick. There are a lot of highly regarded arms ranked in the 10-20 range, and I would not be surprised to see the Giants land one of them, and given their track record with pitching, that may not be such a bad thing after all. Also lurking in the 10-20 range is Univ of VA OF Derek Fisher. The last time the Giants selected a Cavalier OF things did not work out too well. The similarities between Jarret Parker and Fisher are pretty striking on the surface... 5 toolsy left handed hitting OFs who are within 1 inch and 5 pounds of each other physically. Both have some swing and miss in their game, although Fisher didn't K as much as Parker when comparing their Soph seasons. Fisher was also more highly regarded coming out of HS. I'm not too thrilled about the possibility of the Giants selecting Fisher, because I'm leery he'll turn out like Parker, but maybe he'll improve his plate discipline in his Jr. year, so who knows?
DeleteMarcus Wilson is a 5 tool kid that both Shankbone and I like a lot. If I was a GM I'd seriously consider him in the 10-20 round range. The Giants have been burned on toolsy kids so many times I don't know if they would go for someone like him, though.
DeleteDon't forget about Alex Jackson a catcher/OF prospect who some analysts think might have the best bat in the draft. He pushes the top tier down a little further too.
DeleteThe real depth in this draft is pitching, mostly HS pitching. The highest ceiling guys are the RHP's but the LHP's are so deep they seemingly go on forever! It is possible that the Giants may think they can get a first round quality pitcher in the second round a la Kyle Crick(who as a supplemental rounder) and draft a hitter in the first.
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