I'm starting a 4-day weekend. Will try to write up some draft posts. We'll start with a couple of pitchers who are flirting with top 10 draft status, one of whom the Giants have reportedly been scouting.
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Alek Manoah RHP, College(West Virginia). 6'6", 260 lbs.
2019(College): 8-3, 1.91, 94 IP, 22 BB, 125 K's.
2019(Cape Cod League): 3-2, 2.70, 33.1 IP, 11 BB, 48 K's.
Alek Manoah is a big-body RHP with enough athleticism that he was a 2-way player in HS. He's concentrated on pitching in college and graduated from reliever to starter when he led the Cape Cod League in K's in the summer of 2018. He remained a SP for his junior season at West Virginia. His draft stock rose dramatically as a lot of hard work on developing his game came together. He is now both a physical pitcher with upside with the kind of polish you want to see from a college pitcher.
He's always had a big fastball that runs 94-97 MPH with sink. His command of the pitch improved dramatically while he developed a late breaking slider to complement it. He also has a better than decent changeup which he showed more of on the Cape than the college season. He'll need that pitch to be a SP in the pros.
The Giants reportedly have interest with the #10 pick. I want them to draft a college hitter, and they have also been linked to SS Bryson Stott. I see Stott as being the bottom of the top tier of college hitters so if he's already off the board at #10, I would probably favor drafting Manoah over anyone from the second tier.
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Jackson Rutledge RHP. JC. 6'8", 250 lbs.
Rutledge is another big RHP with some helium coming into the draft and is starting to get some top 10 buzz. His just a bit longer and leaner than Alek Manoah with a similar repertoire and a similar history of harnessing premium stuff. One scouting report I read has him throwing 5 pitches, 4-seam, 2-seam, slider, curve and changeup. The FB sits mid-90's and reaches 97 MPH and his height gives him an extra foot or two from a forward release point as well as the coveted downward plane.
I think you could almost flip a coin between Manoah and Rutledge with Manoah maybe having a bit more college polish and thus a higher floor but Rutledge possibly having a higher ceiling due to the taller, slightly thinner frame.
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We need to draft future superstars not league average players so whoever’s ceiling is higher take them. This is a superstar league more than ever and we have exactly zero players who could be mistaken for superstars. Stockpile prospects and draft/sign international players with high upside. Lean heavy on offense as well seems like pitchers can be more easily developed on the cheap. Don’t screw this pick up Farhan!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend. Thanks for working this blog. It must be tough sometimes when the team is losing. I'd like a college hitter too, since it's tough to attract free agent hitters to Oracle park, but they need to find their own version of the Braves Mike Sorothka too.
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