2016 MLB Draft Thread

[ucahogfan]

With the draft beginning about 10 days away, I figured it was time to go ahead and start this thread.  This first post will be the breakdown of where draft eligible Hogs and signees rank in the respective top draft lists.  As of the writing of this post, the following is known:

-  BA's Top 300
-  PG's Top 500 for certain regions
-  MLB.com's Top 100 (Revamped Top 200 will be released this week)

Draft Eligible Hogs

Rick Nomura - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Mike Bernal - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 29th round (875th) to the Giants
Clark Eagan - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 9th round (285th) to the Pirates
Doug Willey - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 32nd round (966th) to the Angels
Jake Arledge - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Luke Bonfield - NR (BA), 311 (PG), NR (MLB)
Austin Catron - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Carson Shaddy - 450 (BA), 399 (PG), NR (MLB)
Dominic Taccolini - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 16th round (492nd) to the Blue Jays
Tucker Pennell - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
James Teague - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 37th round (1,111th) to the Orioles
Cullen Gassaway - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Zach Jackson - 98 (BA), 59 (PG), 66 (MLB) - 3rd round (102nd) to the Blue Jays
Cannon Chadwick - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Jordan Rodriguez - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Alex Gosser - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)

Signees

Tyler Benninghoff - 201 (BA), 225 (PG), NR (MLB) - 11th round (333rd overall) to the Twins
Sammy Blair - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Matt Burch - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Matt Cronin - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Angus Denton - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Dominic Fletcher - 209 (BA), 231 (PG), NR (MLB)
Brenden Heiss - 408 (BA), 310 (PG), NR (MLB) - 31st round (944th) by the Cubs
Jack Kenley - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Jacob Kostyshock - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Lucas Krull - 453 (BA), 402 (PG), NR (MLB)
Evan Lee - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Blake Lillis - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 25th round (741st) to the Brewers
Jordan McFarland - 374 (BA), 383 (PG), NR (MLB) - 36th round (1,084th) to the Nationals
Ben Rortvedt - 82 (BA), 71 (PG), 51 (MLB) - 2nd round (56th) to the Twins
Cole Stobbe - 145 (BA), 81 (PG), 47 (MLB) - 3rd round (78th) to the Phillies
Jaxon Williams - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Zach Jackson - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Dylan Thompson - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Ben Bailey - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Harrison Hefley - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Jackson Rutledge - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Hunter Wilson - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Jared Gates - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Alex Ronnenbaum - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB)
Trevor Stephan - NR (BA), NR (PG), NR (MLB) - 18th round (538th) to the Red Sox

[hawgcraZ]

I can post the round-by-round breakdown of picks and slot values but just for context there were just over 300 picks in the first 10 rounds last year.  Any player that slides past round 10 as a signee we should feel 95% confident about getting to campus. 

[Scott7703]

I will be shocked if Stobbe and Rortvedt make it to campus. I think we get the majority if not all the others.

As far as our current guys go. I feel good about everyone but Jackson being back.

[ucahogfan]

I will be shocked if Stobbe and Rortvedt make it to campus. I think we get the majority if not all the others.

As far as our current guys go. I feel good about everyone but Jackson being back.

I just think it is in our favor that Rortvedt and Stobbe signed to play in a summer collegiate league which tends to tell me they have serious plans on coming to college.  They are also in that range where they could make it to campus if they want 2M+ being 2nd-3rd round type talents.

I agree with you about getting everyone else which still sets us up for a top 5 type class based on what other teams will lose.

I really hope we get Eagan, Bonfield, Taco, and Shaddy back.  Would be huge for our program to have 4 veterans with their talent level back.  Don't know if we have had a quartet of four talented guys like that who would have turned down a draft pick to come back to school.

[ucahogfan]

I can post the round-by-round breakdown of picks and slot values but just for context there were just over 300 picks in the first 10 rounds last year.  Any player that slides past round 10 as a signee we should feel 95% confident about getting to campus.

How about just posting the range in between each round:

1st Round - $1,878,000 to $9,015,000 (Top 13 picks have slot values greater than $3M)
Supplemental 1st Round - $1,576,000 to $1,837,200
2nd Round - $920,100 to $1,536,200
Supplemental 2nd Round - $826,200 to $905,900
3rd Round - $563,100 to $813,500
4th Round - $421,600 to $557,600
5th Round - $315,600 to $417,500
6th Round - $236,400 to $312,700
7th Round - $185,300 to $234,000
8th Round - $172,900 to $184,800
9th Round - $161,700 to $172,600
10th Round - $156,600 to $161,300

With the new draft rules, it is also crucial to look at the draft pool of the team that drafts them.  Instead of giving each pool, I'll break it down by range:

$10M+ - Reds, Phillies, Padres, Braves, Rockies
$8M - $10M - Athletics, White Sox, Brewers, Dodgers, Cardinals, Twins
$6M - $8M - Mets, Rays, Nationals, Orioles, Indians, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Marlins, Angels
<$6M - Astros, Yankees, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Giants, Royals, Cubs

[dotnet]

Generally: If a player is drafted in the first ten rounds then he is gone.  If a signee isn't drafted in the first ten rounds then he is probably back. 

There are exceptions and what not, but generally, for the top tier guys, its that simple.  No team takes a guy with a top ten pick that it doesn't fully intend and think it can sign. 

[ucahogfan]

Generally: If a player is drafted in the first ten rounds then he is gone.  If a signee isn't drafted in the first ten rounds then he is probably back. 

There are exceptions and what not, but generally, for the top tier guys, its that simple.  No team takes a guy with a top ten pick that it doesn't fully intend and think it can sign.

But if players like Rortvedt and Stobbe fall past the third or fourth round, it would be a good indication to me that they are going to make it to campus.

And yeah, it is terrible to waste a pick in the top ten rounds with how the draft pools work with the new draft rules.

[yraciv]

But if players like Rortvedt and Stobbe fall past the third or fourth round, it would be a good indication to me that they are going to make it to campus.

And yeah, it is terrible to waste a pick in the top ten rounds with how the draft pools work with the new draft rules.

UCA I get what you are saying, but enough of these guys that have fallen n us in the past have still signed.  The MLB teams usually find ways to make it work like those 95% numbers imply.

[bulldog04]

But if players like Rortvedt and Stobbe fall past the third or fourth round, it would be a good indication to me that they are going to make it to campus.

And yeah, it is terrible to waste a pick in the top ten rounds with how the draft pools work with the new draft rules.

That scares me if a team has been taking safe cheap picks to save money and then drafts a highly rated prospect later

[hawgcraZ]

Looking back on last years picks it became almost exclusively collegiate signs around round 6 with most of the premier high school talent off the board.  Teams will then take some flyers on top high school talent again after the top 10 rounds to try for some last minute signs based on bonus pool left overs.

Almost a week away!  This is going to be a nerve racking few days.  If you've never listened in to the draft before, the first 2 days are really well done by MLB.com with a live stream and they discuss every player as they are picked.

[booogaga]

How about just posting the range in between each round:

1st Round - $1,878,000 to $9,015,000 (Top 13 picks have slot values greater than $3M)
Supplemental 1st Round - $1,576,000 to $1,837,200
2nd Round - $920,100 to $1,536,200
Supplemental 2nd Round - $826,200 to $905,900
3rd Round - $563,100 to $813,500
4th Round - $421,600 to $557,600
5th Round - $315,600 to $417,500
6th Round - $236,400 to $312,700
7th Round - $185,300 to $234,000
8th Round - $172,900 to $184,800
9th Round - $161,700 to $172,600
10th Round - $156,600 to $161,300

With the new draft rules, it is also crucial to look at the draft pool of the team that drafts them.  Instead of giving each pool, I'll break it down by range:

$10M+ - Reds, Phillies, Padres, Braves, Rockies
$8M - $10M - Athletics, White Sox, Brewers, Dodgers, Cardinals, Twins
$6M - $8M - Mets, Rays, Nationals, Orioles, Indians, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Marlins, Angels
<$6M - Astros, Yankees, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Giants, Royals, Cubs

Wow so are you saying with the new rules (that I have not heard of) that the teams on the bottom list are only allowed to spend 6 million on the entire draft?

[jry04]

Wow so are you saying with the new rules (that I have not heard of) that the teams on the bottom list are only allowed to spend 6 million on the entire draft?

That is what they are allowed to spend in signing bonuses for the draft. Anything spent in excess of $100,000 in rounds 11-40 also counts towards that bonus pool. If a team spends more, then they end up getting taxed or even losing future picks.

Also, if they fail to sign a player that they drafted in the first 10 rounds, then that slot value will count against their bonus pool. This helps guys who are college seniors, because they have a little more leverage. Before, a senior could be drafted in the 5th round and a team could say take $50,000 or leave it because you have no choice but to sign. Now, if a guy is drafted where the slot value is $300,000, he can say sign me for $200k or you will end up spending $300,000k with no player to show for it, etc.

[PorkRyan]

I do think there are more and more kids that are going to be looking at college over signing.  I read an article about how colleges have much greater resources to develop pitchers than minor league teams.  It also said that the velocity in college improves but in the minors it flatlines.  Colleges offer better living, diet and exercise environments.  In the minors it may be 4 guys living on air mattresses eating hot pockets and pizza for every meal.

The concern I would have with Rortvedt is that the minors will allow him to call games and learn the craft.  He won't get that at Arkansas.  It used to be a given that the top catchers would sign so they could start learning how to call pitches, but that has changed some. 

[jry04]

I do think there are more and more kids that are going to be looking at college over signing.  I read an article about how colleges have much greater resources to develop pitchers than minor league teams.  It also said that the velocity in college improves but in the minors it flatlines.  Colleges offer better living, diet and exercise environments.  In the minors it may be 4 guys living on air mattresses eating hot pockets and pizza for every meal.

The concern I would have with Rortvedt is that the minors will allow him to call games and learn the craft.  He won't get that at Arkansas.  It used to be a given that the top catchers would sign so they could start learning how to call pitches, but that has changed some. 

I guess it all depends on who the next pitching coach is. Jorn liked to call the pitches, but I believe McCann called his own pitches his final season here. You are definitely right about the life of a minor league player. Most of them go from practicing to doing field maintenance after practice, unlike in college you have a grounds crew who does all that. You have 8-10 hour bus rides to games, whereas you are flying to SEC opponents and playing on national television in front of bigger crowds each game than many minor league teams see in an entire week. With that said, the odds of a player making it to the MLB is pretty slim, so in most situations it is wise to go ahead and take the signing bonus if it is a good amount being offered.

[dotnet]

the odds of a player making it to the MLB is pretty slim, so in most situations it is wise to go ahead and take the signing bonus if it is a good amount being offered.

This is the biggest hurdle.

I don't think you'll find very many people in pro ball who would agree on the college being better at development than mlb orgs. 

The biggest case in point for that would be Derek Johnson - the stud vandy pitching coach that helped develop Sonny Gray and David Price.  He was hired by the Cubs as a minor league pitching coordinator.  Now he is the pitching coach for the Brewers.

Pro ball has a pretty big monetary incentive and purse to find the best pitching/hitting coaches it can and employee them.  I do not mean to imply that every college pitching (for example) coach is worse than every pro coach, clearly that isn't true - Jorn being example 1a.  But there are plenty of extremely qualified pitching coaches working with players in every organization. 

[ucahogfan]

UCA I get what you are saying, but enough of these guys that have fallen n us in the past have still signed.  The MLB teams usually find ways to make it work like those 95% numbers imply.

But with the new rules, you rarely see players past the 4th round get 7 figure bonuses.  The only teams that are able to give out big bonuses are teams that play it smart with their pools like the Cubs did when they picked Schwarber 4th when he was mocked more in the 10-20 range and saved a lot of money with his bonus and it allowed them to pick 3 high level high school arms in the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds and give them 7 figure bonuses.

And since the new rules were implemented in 2012, the only players who have signed after the 4th round that were Hog signees got 300K or less.  Not really the toughest signs IMO.

[ucahogfan]

That is what they are allowed to spend in signing bonuses for the draft. Anything spent in excess of $100,000 in rounds 11-40 also counts towards that bonus pool. If a team spends more, then they end up getting taxed or even losing future picks.

Also, if they fail to sign a player that they drafted in the first 10 rounds, then that slot value will count against their bonus pool. This helps guys who are college seniors, because they have a little more leverage. Before, a senior could be drafted in the 5th round and a team could say take $50,000 or leave it because you have no choice but to sign. Now, if a guy is drafted where the slot value is $300,000, he can say sign me for $200k or you will end up spending $300,000k with no player to show for it, etc.

To add some more to this concerning bonus pools.  Each team has a certain amount of money is can spend on the draft depending on the number of picks they have and where those picks are.  Obviously the Phillies, Reds, and Braves will have large pools because half or more of their pool is tied up with that top 3 pick.

And those are the ranges that teams are to spend.  Such as in that last group, the Cubs only have a bonus pool of roughly 2.5M since they signed Heyward and Lackey and lost their top 2 picks while the Phillies have a bonus pool of over 13M since they have the top pick in the draft and didn't sign a top FA which would cause the loss of the draft pick.

To expand on the draft penalties that are mentioned in this post, if a team exceeds their pool by 5%, they have to pay an overage tax of 75% on the overage.  Over 5% is when teams start losing 1st round picks and no team has done that since they new draft rules and we probably won't see teams do that.

[ucahogfan]

I guess it all depends on who the next pitching coach is. Jorn liked to call the pitches, but I believe McCann called his own pitches his final season here. You are definitely right about the life of a minor league player. Most of them go from practicing to doing field maintenance after practice, unlike in college you have a grounds crew who does all that. You have 8-10 hour bus rides to games, whereas you are flying to SEC opponents and playing on national television in front of bigger crowds each game than many minor league teams see in an entire week. With that said, the odds of a player making it to the MLB is pretty slim, so in most situations it is wise to go ahead and take the signing bonus if it is a good amount being offered.

Yeah, it all depends on who DVH hires as pitching coach.  I would like to see more freedom given to catchers to call games who have proved themselves.  It would make it easier IMO to get higher ranked Cs to campus.  And I have heard that playing in the SEC is the equivalent of playing like AA ball with the quality of stadiums.  Hopefully our signees understand that and the passion for our program which will be difficult to find in the lowest levels of pro ball.

[dotnet]

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/170470526/2016-draft-bonus-pools-pick-values

Here is a link to the round by round value. 

[dotnet]

But with the new rules, you rarely see players past the 4th round get 7 figure bonuses.  The only teams that are able to give out big bonuses are teams that play it smart with their pools like the Cubs did when they picked Schwarber 4th when he was mocked more in the 10-20 range and saved a lot of money with his bonus and it allowed them to pick 3 high level high school arms in the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds and give them 7 figure bonuses.

And since the new rules were implemented in 2012, the only players who have signed after the 4th round that were Hog signees got 300K or less.  Not really the toughest signs IMO.

It is a little chicken vs the egg though with this.  Regardless of what we think the player's number is, if the team is taking him in the top ten rounds then it think it can sign that player.  The teams aren't blindly taking players and we get to see if they can negotiate them down.  They have scouts who have talked to the player and they think they can get them.  Its why no one took AB or Bonfield in the draft but they did take Greg Bird, Fulmer, etc. 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2015/7/17/8996381/unsigned-mlb-draft-picks-first-20-rounds-2015

Here is a list of who didn't sign last year.  No one is quite sure why Funkhouser didn't sign.  But there is over a 98% chance that if someone is drafted in the first ten rounds then they're gone.

[jry04]

It is a little chicken vs the egg though with this.  Regardless of what we think the player's number is, if the team is taking him in the top ten rounds then it think it can sign that player.  The teams aren't blindly taking players and we get to see if they can negotiate them down.  They have scouts who have talked to the player and they think they can get them.  Its why no one took AB or Bonfield in the draft but they did take Greg Bird, Fulmer, etc. 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2015/7/17/8996381/unsigned-mlb-draft-picks-first-20-rounds-2015

Here is a list of who didn't sign last year.  No one is quite sure why Funkhouser didn't sign.  But there is over a 98% chance that if someone is drafted in the first ten rounds then they're gone.

McKinney, too. He was a top 100 prospect coming out of high school. I remember mlb.com had him and Bonfield both listed as top 10 bats among high school prospects in the MLB draft. I don't know if it was DVH, McKinney, or both who decided on him focusing on pitching only, but he had potential to be a great hitter, too.  He was expected to go in the first 5 rounds, and fell to the 28th because of his asking price.

[FOTP]

McKinney, too. He was a top 100 prospect coming out of high school. I remember mlb.com had him and Bonfield both listed as top 10 bats among high school prospects in the MLB draft. I don't know if it was DVH, McKinney, or both who decided on him focusing on pitching only, but he had potential to be a great hitter, too.  He was expected to go in the first 5 rounds, and fell to the 28th because of his asking price.

Ya, funny, when he verballed to Arkansas he really wasn't a pitcher; he started throwing well as a soph in HS and after that summer where he pitched well in the PG All Amer game the feedback he got from scouts was to focus on pitching.  He hit clean-up for team USA that summer and that was really the last time he's hit competitively.

He turned down just under a mil in the draft as his asking price was 1.25 and he stuck to it (teams were drafting as a P).  After what's happened with his health I'll never fault a kid for taking the $, but I still think way too many kids go pro out of HS.

[ucahogfan]

It is a little chicken vs the egg though with this.  Regardless of what we think the player's number is, if the team is taking him in the top ten rounds then it think it can sign that player.  The teams aren't blindly taking players and we get to see if they can negotiate them down.  They have scouts who have talked to the player and they think they can get them.  Its why no one took AB or Bonfield in the draft but they did take Greg Bird, Fulmer, etc. 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2015/7/17/8996381/unsigned-mlb-draft-picks-first-20-rounds-2015

Here is a list of who didn't sign last year.  No one is quite sure why Funkhouser didn't sign.  But there is over a 98% chance that if someone is drafted in the first ten rounds then they're gone.

Bird and Fulmer were in the draft right before the new rules were implemented. I would contend that if the new rules had been in place in 2011, we would have for sure gotten Bird and probably Howard and Nimmo as their prices were high like McKinney.

I'm just saying that teams won't really take tough signs with high numbers when the slot values fall around the 5th round unless they have excess cash to use.  It's why you don't see a whole lot of high end high school talent going in rounds 6-10 and many more senior signs.

For me, if a high school signee falls past the fourth round especially one with the reputation of Stobbe or Rortvedt, it signals they are tough signs with high numbers.  We will know a whole lot more about this class after next Friday when round 10 ends.

[ucahogfan]

Ya, funny, when he verballed to Arkansas he really wasn't a pitcher; he started throwing well as a soph in HS and after that summer where he pitched well in the PG All Amer game the feedback he got from scouts was to focus on pitching.  He hit clean-up for team USA that summer and that was really the last time he's hit competitively.

He turned down just under a mil in the draft as his asking price was 1.25 and he stuck to it (teams were drafting as a P).  After what's happened with his health I'll never fault a kid for taking the $, but I still think way too many kids go pro out of HS.

Yeah, if I remember correctly, he was a top 25 player when he committed because of his bat with some promise on the mound. Then he starting throwing better and with Jeremy Hellickson and learned that wicked change we have seen. I really hope we see a healthy McKinney next year because he can still make a lot of money in the draft if he throws 92-94 with the life he generates on his fastball to pair with that nasty change.

[dotnet]

Bird and Fulmer were in the draft right before the new rules were implemented. I would contend that if the new rules had been in place in 2011, we would have for sure gotten Bird and probably Howard and Nimmo as their prices were high like McKinney.

Right, we're actually saying the same thing.  A major league team is never going to take someone in the first 10 rounds it does not fully intend to sign.  The rules may change who that player is - yes Bird, more than any other, would have made it to campus in the new rules - but the draft is too important for teams to willingly miss out on top draft picks.

I actually think its safe to say a team never takes someone in the first 15 rounds it doesn't intend to sign, so I think rounds 10-15 are riskier than we're all saying.  But sometimes teams will draft a probably out of reach player after the tenth round as an insurance policy in case something weird happens - ie. what the Astros smartly tried to do a couple of years ago. 

[jry04]

Ya, funny, when he verballed to Arkansas he really wasn't a pitcher; he started throwing well as a soph in HS and after that summer where he pitched well in the PG All Amer game the feedback he got from scouts was to focus on pitching.  He hit clean-up for team USA that summer and that was really the last time he's hit competitively.

He turned down just under a mil in the draft as his asking price was 1.25 and he stuck to it (teams were drafting as a P).  After what's happened with his health I'll never fault a kid for taking the $, but I still think way too many kids go pro out of HS.

I never blame the kids either. Compared to the number of kids who sign, there are not many who will actually see the majors. Get the most money you can when you can. With that said, McKinney had a very good freshman year. If he gets healthy and comes back next season similar to his freshman season or better, then I think he will still be a very good draft prospect.

[FOTP]

He's working hard and going to fly out to work with a trainer for the summer this coming week, the surgeon said at a year out from the surgery he should start to feel big strides and it getting back to normal.  It was tight all season and he just didn't feel like he had normal function with it.

I know I was bearish on the pitching before the season, but that was just because I knew both Keaton and Dom were really struggling after not getting to throw live all summer, fall and winter.  They were both hoping it would magically work itself out during the games, but the season is so short I was very skeptical.  I think pitching will make a big jump next year, I liked what I saw from the freshman the second half of the season and I think the new guy DVH will bring in to work with the guys will give a boost to the staff.

[ricepig]

Article on McFarland.


http://www.bnd.com/sports/high-school/prep-baseball-softball/article81528132.html

[jry04]

He's working hard and going to fly out to work with a trainer for the summer this coming week, the surgeon said at a year out from the surgery he should start to feel big strides and it getting back to normal.  It was tight all season and he just didn't feel like he had normal function with it.

I know I was bearish on the pitching before the season, but that was just because I knew both Keaton and Dom were really struggling after not getting to throw live all summer, fall and winter.  They were both hoping it would magically work itself out during the games, but the season is so short I was very skeptical.  I think pitching will make a big jump next year, I liked what I saw from the freshman the second half of the season and I think the new guy DVH will bring in to work with the guys will give a boost to the staff.

Great news. A bounce back season by McKinney, and possibly Dom coming back would be huge for this team next season. We know those two guys can be great pitchers because they have shown the ability in the past. Combine that with Campbell, Loeske, and Knight, and we could have quite the staff if everything works out with health and the draft.

[hawgcraZ]

Re: McFarland.  The last national POY that came to school for us turned out ok!  Not sure why the disparity of draft stock on this guy from different services.  Article discusses signability being an issue for his draft position.

[ricepig]

Article on McFarland.  The last national POY that came to school for us turned out ok!  Not sure why the disparity of draft stock on this guy from different services.  Article discusses signability being an issue for his draft position.

http://www.bnd.com/sports/high-school/prep-baseball-softball/article81528147.html

Article on McFarland.


http://www.bnd.com/sports/high-school/prep-baseball-softball/article81528132.html

[ucahogfan]

Re: McFarland.  The last national POY that came to school for us turned out ok!  Not sure why the disparity of draft stock on this guy from different services.  Article discusses signability being an issue for his draft position.

I really want McFarland to make it to campus. He is 6-4, 220 with 6.7 speed and big time raw power.  Imagine Chad Spanberger being just a little bit faster than Andrew Benintendi.  Those are the raw tools that McFarland brings to the plate.

[ricepig]

I really want McFarland to make it to campus. He is 6-4, 220 with 6.7 speed and big time raw power.  Imagine Chad Spanberger being just a little bit faster than Andrew Benintendi.  Those are the raw tools that McFarland brings to the plate.

Hopefully he hits a little better for average, than Chad..........

[ucahogfan]

Hopefully he hits a little better for average, than Chad..........

Hopefully a healthy Spanberger has a monster year next year. The scouting report on McFarland is some swing and miss like Spanberger, but also like Spanberger, when he barrels it up, it's going to go a long way.

[ucahogfan]

BA has released their entire top 500 and MLB.com has updated their top 200 prospects.  Luke Bonfield was left out of BA's top 500 while Shaddy comes in at 450. Jackson fell on both BA and MLB even though MLB grades his curveball a 65 which is tied with Dakota Hudson for best breaking ball in the draft.

On the high school front, it is tough to get a feel for Stobbe.  He jumped up to a top 50 prospect on MLB and fell on BA.  Jim Callis even had Stobbe as someone who could jump into the 1st round. If his stock is more BA level than MLB level, I feel much better about getting him to campus.

It is good to see Benninghoff, Fletcher, McFarland, Heiss, and Krull all below 200 as that means they most likely make it to campus.  I'm ready for next weekend after round 10 so we have a much better idea about our program.  If the signees as well as Bonfield and Shaddy are still on the board at that point, we will be huge winners in this process.

[Kevin]

Since you did not mention the catch, I guess he is gone

[OnTheHillHogFan]

ESPN has Zach Jackson ranked as the 48th overall prospect in the draft. Rortvedt was only a couple of spots lower.

[dotnet]

assuming you're right, this would make the next year much more exciting.  This class definitely has potential. The great classes all have great recruits, but a number of those always fail for a reason or two.  The great classes also have lower ranked guys who develop and are key contributors. 

Guys like Brandon Moore, Chris Oliver, Barrett Astin, etc.  were all very good coming into college but much less talked about than Staneks, Ficos, etc.  But almost as much as anything, those guys make or break your team.

[dotnet]

Since you did not mention the catch, I guess he is gone

he was 51.  It all depends on evaluation vs money ask, like always... but it doesn't look good

[ucahogfan]

Draft begins tomorrow and tomorrow night will be televised on MLB Network.  I'll try to update the original post about when and where players are drafted.  As always, I'm sure there will be good discussion in this thread.

[hawgcraZ]

We should have a good feel for Stobbe and Rortvedt tomorrow since they should go within the first 2/comp rounds.   **fingers crossed on 1 of 2 making it***....or should I be really greedy and hope for both???

[hawgcraZ]

Any good insights from RDs article this morning?

http://bit.ly/1UCB4ax

[Scott7703]

We should have a good feel for Stobbe and Rortvedt tomorrow since they should go within the first 2/comp rounds.   **fingers crossed on 1 of 2 making it***....or should I be really greedy and hope for both???

Just my opinion but I will be thrilled if we get Stobbe to campus. It's a major need position and he could be one of the top position players we've ever gotten to campus. Rortvedt would be great too but I consider that one less likely.

[hawgcraZ]

Is it just me or does Vitello sound 75% confident we get Stobbe?

[jry04]

4 picks in and Puk is still on the board.

[Wisco Pig]

The Brewers take Corey Ray of Louisville as the #5 pick.

Here's a link if you want to follow the draft live:
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/40395496/v691036983/2016-mlb-draft-live-on-mlb-network

[ucahogfan]

Is it just me or does Vitello sound 75% confident we get Stobbe?

He sounds very confident about Stobbe IMO.  Hopefully he sticks to his number.

[ucahogfan]

4 picks in and Puk is still on the board.

He has #1 overall build and stuff, but we are talking about a guy who consistently started on the weekend for a 50 win team with only two wins on the year. I know wins are a bad example for pitchers, but how is that possible?  He fell because he didn't show a bunch of consistency.

[bulldog04]

What going on with Jason Groome?

[ucahogfan]

What going on with Jason Groome?

He wants top 3 money and there are rumors of character concerns.  Big time prospect, but a lot of teams soured on him to the point where there was a rumor he could fall out of the first round all together.