2019 Amateur Draft and J2 Discussion, April 1, 2019

2019 Draft

This is the Phuture Phillies forum for discussion of the amateur draft and J2 signing period that are about 2-3 months down the road.   I’m providing this space for those who are ready to enter discussion about this year’s crop of prospects.  You can place video, scouting reports, or just comments here.  You can reference these weekly discussions on the menu above.

This space is for the discussion of prospects in the upcoming draft and J2 signing season.  This is NOT a space for you to continue complaining about past picks and the past/current draft philosophy.  That horse has been beaten to death in  weekly open discussions.  If you must, keep it there.

 

69 thoughts on “2019 Amateur Draft and J2 Discussion, April 1, 2019”

  1. We now sit two months out from the draft, and things are changing. College bats always rise up boards. This year, no college bat is rising further and quicker than Hunter Bishop. Just a couple of weeks ago, I felt pretty confident Bishop would be the best bat available at 1-14 for the Phillies. That’s far from a certainty at this point. Bishop was a highly rated prep player in 2016. He was taken by the Padres in the 24th round, but chose Arizona State over San Diego. After two very pedestrian seasons (.250/.352/.407 5 HR, 30% K% in 2018) with the Sun Devils, Bishop is setting NCAA baseball on fire in 2019. This weekend, Bishop launched another 2 bombs in a series with Arizona. Bishop now sits at .424/.558/1.040 16 HR, 10 SB in 13 attempts.

    Bishop will almost certainly cool off at some point, and see his numbers come back to earth. However, at this point, he looks like a top five pick, and the Phillies will have to look elsewhere for an impact player.

    1. Ty for the work Hinkie. But in my case i have no faith in Johnny to draft a stud prospect. in the first round. This should be his last draft,If he doesnt get us a good Propsect he should be gone.

      1. roccom – You may be right, but by the time the draft comes around we’ll have a better idea of what Moniak, Gowdy, Haseley, and Bohm can do. I still think that there are a couple of studs in there, either as players or trade chips.

        1. Wawa i cant forget the Moniak over Senzel pick. Even with the projection you knew Moniak was not a power hitter and the game feature guys with power, in the outfield, .

      2. roc…IMO, first 8 picks of the top ten bonus picks, majority should be .pitchers…a mix of college and HSers

      3. WTF! Cant you even read the two short paragraphs that make up my posting here? This is not the place for complaints “about past picks and the past/current draft philosophy”.

        Rocco, this is your ONLY warning. Your on a short string after your antics last year.

        And, I’ve already warned you about your logon handle. Pick one, roccom or Rocco Moffo. No one can have two. This is a result of your shenanigans last year. I know you know how to correct this. You were able to logon as tim, and you tried countless aliases to comment during your black listing.

        Fix it or you are gone for good.

        And, you guys who pander to him, please stop. You only encourage his silliness.

        2. Jim i wish i could. you seem to have a hot nut for me. your site your rules. i will try not to post. anymore. I am having trouble with word press, which i dont know how to fix. i wasnt trying to post two handles but as i said you have a not nut for me, so if you want just ban me. cause i meant no disrespect i just am bad at computers.

          1. this dam word press i dont know how to fix it now it post as rocco moffo not roccom

  2. I believe prep pitcher JJ Goss may be the most underrated/over-looked prospect for the draft. He should be available at 1-14 (probably even for some sort of discount). Johnny Almaraz has never taken an arm in round one as Phillies Director of Amateur Scouting, but IMO he should give some serious consideration to Goss.

    A few weeks ago, I posted Goss’ one inning of work at the Perfect Game showcase from September. In case you missed it, I’ll post it again. Fast forward to the top of the 5th inning (1:24:15 mark) to see Goss.

    1. Who’s in play for the Phillies at 1-14?
      It’s pretty safe to assume Adley Rutschman, Andrew Vaughn, Bryson Stott, Josh Jung, Hunter Bishop, Bobby Witt Jr, and CJ Abrams will be off the board before the Phillies pick. Nick Lodolo is also blossoming in his third year of college ball, and will likely be selected in the first 13 spots. That’s eight guys gone, and would leave six spots to 1-14.
      IMO, the players in the next group are:
      * prep bats … Riley Greene, Corbin Carroll, and Nasim Nunez
      * college bats … Kameron Misner, JJ Bleday, Thomas Dillard, Shea Langeliers, and Braden Shewmake
      * HS pitchers … Daniel Espino and JJ Goss
      * College pitchers … Alek Manoah and Zack Thompson

      So … (two months from the draft) my guess is Johnny Almaraz selects one of those twelve players with his first pick. I’d rank them 1. Goss, 2. Shewmake, 3. Manoah, 4. Carroll, 5. Dillard

      Here’s Braden Shewmake taking Zack Thompson (a certain first rounder this June) deep from a couple of weeks ago.

      He’s been a top performer for Texas A&M since the day he stepped on campus as a freshman. He’s a wiry (6’4″, 180 lbs) MIF (played 2B as a frosh and has handled SS the past two seasons) with a good idea at the plate. He doesn’t swing at bad pitches (6.6 K%) and has some pop. This season, Shewmake is slashing .333/.372/.488

      I also like Thomas Dillard a lot, and he is beginning to climb draft boards. He reminds me physically of a switch hitting Kyle Schwarber. They’re both 6’0″, 230 lbs. They each began their careers as a catcher, but now play 1B/LF/DH. Schwarber’s numbers were a bit more gaudy in college (Indiana Univ) than Dillard’s (Ole Miss). However, Dillard has been an offensive force (.333/.469/.657 9 HR, incredibly 11 for 11 in SB attempts this season) in his own right.

      1. I thought Riley Greene was projected to be a top 5 pick? Has he had a slow start to the year?

        1. The primary issue with Greene…where can he play?
          ….he is a position-less player.
          A lefty all the way, bat and throw, and also has poor defensive ratings on both arm and field. And one of the slowest position players in this years group..Vaughn may be a little slower..
          So he is primarily a 1B/LFer and of course a future DH.
          But as a hitter….he is near the top with all the tools in the plus range..

          1. First … let me just say these are only my opinions. I could (probably even will be) wrong on much of this.
            As far as Riley Greene goes, Romus is right. Greene is a two tool (maybe one and a half tool) prep player. The hit and power (to a certain extent) tools are proven. However, this type of profile usually sees HS players slide on draft day. To me, Greene is similar to Blake Rutherford from the 2016 draft class. Both are older, bat only HS stars. The fact that Greene will turn 19 in October will also hurt his status IMO.

            1. Hinkie…..I did not even realize the age factor..I overlooked it
              That is pivotal with many scouts.
              So agree with you…he could slide down the draft board in the first round come June.

            2. Romus … I still haven’t been able to see Nick Lodolo this season. I have, however, read some scouting reports on him. His velo is up this season. During his first two seasons at TCU, he had mostly been 89-91. I’m assuming he is finally filling out his 6’6″ frame, and he is now throwing mid 90’s as a junior. His numbers are very impressive. I shouldn’t scout the stat line, but after hearing that his stuff is improving, and there is still more room for him to grow. Blake Taylor Ward mocked Lodolo to the Phillies in his first mock draft a couple of weeks ago https://whosonfirstball.wordpress.com/blog/ . I’d be good with Lodolo at 1-14 if he somehow makes it that far (doubt he will make it there).
              OTOH … I have seen Zack Thompson at least three times this season. While his numbers are also impressive, I just don’t think he has the arsenal to be a TOR starter. For me, he’s probably a #4 starter in MLB.

      2. Plus one or more of these current projected 10 could fall (they usually do) for sign-ability reasons

        1. True dat, DMAR. A player’s signing demand is always the X-factor. However, if a guy falls due to an exaggerated signing number, the Phillies most likely won’t be able to afford him. MLB hasn’t announced bonus pool numbers yet, but I have estimated the Phillies’ projected slot numbers based on a 5% increase from 2018 (I think the league usually ups the numbers by that 5% amount). Here are my estimates/guesstimates:

          Round 1 (14th pick) 4.080,000
          Round 3 (91st pick) 654,000
          Round 4 (121st pick) 478,000
          Round 5 (151st pick) 357,000
          Round 6 (181st pick) 273,000
          Round 7 (211th pick) 214,000
          Round 8 (241st pick) 173,000
          Round 9 (271st pick) 155,000
          Round 10 (301st pick) 146,000

          Draft pool 6,530,000
          5% overage allowance 326,500
          Total 6,856,500

          If my numbers are correct (or close to correct), the Phillies entire 2019 draft budget (including the 5% they are permitted to go over) is less than the value of just their first round pick in 2018. That 1-3 selection last summer was worth $6,947,500. You may remember Alec Bohm agreed to a $5,850,000 bonus that saved Johnny Almaraz 1.1 million dollars. That and a couple of senior signs allowed the team to draft and sign Logan Simmons, Dominic Pipkin, Tyler McKay, Logan O’Hoppe, James MacArthur and a few others to over slot deals.

          BTW … the value of the Phillies 2nd round pick (55th overall) that they have lost for the Bryce Harper signing will be roughly $1,320,000

  3. Looking at patterns, it seems the org under Almarez has a bias to take position players with a good project hit tool in the first round. It seems to me that they feel most comfortable betting they big money on a hit tool than a pitcher.

    Personally, I hope they reverse this trend. I want them to take the top college arm. I know hard throwing high school arms can be enticing. Espino is friggin awesome. But they break down a lot. Not sure if everyone saw but Hunter Green is having TJ. I could be wrong but I feel that college pitchers are the lowest risk and you can still find really good upside.

    1. Agree…college arms….if Thompson or Lodolo are available I’d start with them.
      IMO, I’d go arms all thru the top ten…a mix…mostly college and some signable HSers, in the Pipkin ilk. Amaro did the ’13 draft like that….mostly all college in the top ten….Nola and Hoskins seem to be the only success.

        1. Agree with v1 about hard throwing prep pitchers. Watching Espino throw is intoxicating …

          … however … history shows the harder a HS hurler throws, the more likely they are to fall victim to arm injuries and control issues. Tyler Kolek, Riley Pint, Hunter Greene are recent examples. Once in a while you get lucky with a guy like Forrest Whitley, but he is the exception.

          That said … I do like (and am in favor of drafting) JJ Goss. Goss already sports three plus pitches (FB, CH & SL). He’s throwing 93-94 with excellent controll and command. At 6’3″, 180 lbs, he has room to fill out and gain more velo.

    1. With 4 top 10 picks in a row being used to select position players, they shouldn’t have to buy all the bats. It’s very hard for me to imagine that Johnny Almaraz is not on the hot seat and if he isn’t, he should be. I am beginning to think he wouldn’t know a hitter if one dropped on his head.

  5. Catch you have to be really lucky to be able to draft a Harper or Realmuto or Clutch.

    1. Tim….Harper was a consensus numero uno pick….Cutch was the 11th pick in his draft by the Pirates….JTR was the only one where there may have been doubts….a third round pick out of HS.
      There should not have been much luck with Harper or Cutch if they stayed healthy.

  6. That’s my Point the Phillies didn’t have a that type of player when there drafted.

  8. Like v1, I was also looking at Johnny Almaraz’s patterns the other day. Here are some observations on his draft tendencies for rounds 1-10:

    * Always a bat in the first round (Randolph, Moniak, Haseley, Bohm)
    * Always take a HS or JUCO SS in rounds 3 thru 7 even if some may end up a future 3Bman (Williams, Stobbe, Maton, Simmons)
    * Draft at least one HS or JUCO pitcher … most are LHP (Falter, Gowdy, Romero, Lindow, Mezquita, Cotto, Pipkin)
    * Almaraz has a fetish for pitchers born in California. In fact, 13 of the 17 (76%) arms he’s taken in rounds 1-10 were born in the Golden State (Falter, Gilbert, Leftwich, Gowdy, Romero, Irvin, Dyer, Quinn, Howard, Seabold, Brogdon, Eastman, Pipkin)
    * Almaraz also stresses low BB% in the college arms (Irvin 1.86 BB/9 IP in 3 yrs at Oregon, Leftwich 2.83 in his jr season at Wofford, Howard 2.61 in two seasons at Cal Poly, Eastman 2.29 in three seasons at Fullerton, Tyler Gilbert 2.41 in three seasons of college ball)

    I took all of this info into consideration when coming up with a list of potential Phillies picks. These are not players I want picked, but are players who fit Johnny Almaraz’s drafting profile.

    Round 1

    Braden Shewmake (SS Texas A&M). Shewmake is an advanced college hitter (LH bat) who (like Haseley and Bohm) has an incredibly low K% (under 8% the past two seasons). Shewmake has played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team the past two summers. Is slashing .339/.383/.500 this season. He’s also a team leader, high character kid.

    or

    JJ Bleday (OF Vanderbilt). Bleday is a well built (6’3″, 205 lbs), sweet LH swinging COFer who has a history of controlling the strike zone. In three years at Vanderbilt, Bleday has more BB’s (85) than K’s (73). Until this year, he has been more of a line drive hitter. However, Bleday has added some loft to his swing in 2019. The change in bat path has led to more HR’s, but a few more K’s. Bleday sports an impressive .355/.449/.709 11 HR’s slash line this season.

    or

    Thomas Dillard (C/LF/1B/DH Ole Miss). I gave Dillard the Kyle Schwarber comp in an earlier post in this thread. You can read more about him in that post above.

    1. Round 3

      Ethan Small (LHP Miss St). Small is a 6’3″, 190 lb Friday night starter in the SEC. He features a low 90’s FB, above avg CH and CB. His delivery is similar to Alex Wood. However, Small throws from more of an over the top angle. He’ll occasionally use a stutter in his leg kick and will toss in a quick pitch now and then to throw off batters. Through all this, Small throws strikes, and has put up dominant numbers for the Bull Dogs in America’s best conference (2019: 41 IP, 22 H, 12 BB, 68 K …. 2018: 101 IP, 93 H, 33 BB, 122 K)

      or

      Drey Jameson (RHP Ball St). Jameson is a smaller (6’0″, 165 lbs) sophomore eligible RHP for June’s draft. His coming out party occurred in week one when Jameson no hit Stanford for 6 innings. In that outing, he struck out 9 and walked two. Over the next two weeks against Alabama and Notre Dame, the little righty K’d 20 while allowing just 2 BB’s. Despite his lack of height, Jameson gets great extension in his delivery. He features two premium pitches … mid 90’s FB and a plus CB. Because of his size and until he develops an above avg third pitch, Jameson has reliever risk. This season for Ball State, he’s at 41.2 IP, 32 H, 12 BB, 69 K.

      1. Round 4

        Kyle Hurt (RHP USC). Almaraz drafted Hurt in the 34th round in 2017. Hurt, obviously, chose school instead. The 6’4″, 215 RHP has been up and down in his two seasons with the Trojans. Last season he was part of a no-hitter. He started and went 7.2 IP and K’d 7 in the combined no-no against Utah. This season, Hurt has totaled 35.1 IP, 27 H, 25 BB, 40 K, OBA .206. Like Jameson (above), Hurt is eligible for the 2019 draft as a sophomore because of his age (he’ll be 21 in May). Hurt throws a 90-93 (T 95) FB with good run, an above-average CU, and an above-average SL.

        or

        Jared Horn (RHP Cal). Horn was one of the top prep arms in the 2016 draft. He was a day three pick who chose school over pro ball. Horn is a sturdy (6’4″, 225 lb) RHP with a big FB (92-96 T97), an inconsistent, but power breaking ball, and an avg CH. Horn has dealt with personal tradegdy while at Cal. Two years ago, he was the driver of a car that was hit by a drunk driver. Horn was the only survivor in his vehicle. His father, little brother, uncle, and cousin were all killed in the accident. Horn’s numbers in college have not yet matched his “stuff” (163 IP, 173 H, 93 BB, 115 K over three years). In 2019, Horn has been better so far (15 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 8 K).

        1. Round 5

          Cooper Johnson (C Ole Miss). I love Cooper Johnson. At 6’0″, 205 lbs, Johnson is an elite defensive backstop, gets high marks for the way he handles a pitching staff, and is a solid (but not spectacular) offensive player. This season, Johnson has totaled a career best .282/.372/.474 slash line.

          Round 6

          Bodi Rascon (HS LHP from Decatur, Texas). Rascon is a tall, lanky (6’5″, 200 lbs) LHP with a somewhat funky delivery. His FB is up to 92 MPH. He should only add to the velo as he fills out. Rascon also throws a developing, big, looping CB.

          1. Round 7

            Gunnar Henderson (HS SS from Selma, AL). Henderson is tall (6’3″, 195 lbs) LH hitting SS with an Auburn commitment.

            Senior Sign

            Ashton Bardzell (OF Univ of Hartford). I talked a lot about Bardzell before last year’s draft. Bardzell is best known for tying Mike Trout’s NJ HS record for HR’s in a season. He is a 6’2″, 200 lb RH hitter, and he reminds me a little of Hunter Pence because of his batting stance and his sometimes awkward swings. During his four year college career, Bardzell has slashed .306/.415/.542 and slugged 26 HR’s.

    2. Great post.

      I saw Bleday live earlier in the season. He certainly looked the part of a first rounder. Ball jumps off his bat. Worked deep counts. Looked like a professional hitter, not just a kid hacking with good hand eye. He knows what he is doing in the box. Very impressive hitter.

    3. Hinkie…Bleday and Bishop seem to be very similar in their batting approach.
      They however, may not get down to the 14th pick.
      One should be top ten IMO.

      1. Romus … at this point I gotta’ believe Bishop is a lock to be a top 10 pick. Bleday has a better chance to get to the Phillies, but yes, he’ll probably be gone by the 1-14 pick also. To me, Bishop has the higher ceiling. JJ Bleday has the higher floor.
        Bishop has been all tools and little results before this season. However, something has clicked and he has become the best bat in college baseball this year at ASU. He gives you more power and more K’s. He’s a big, powerful kid, but can still handle CF (at least for now).
        Bleday has been the more consistent guy during his three years at Vanderbilt, but he is strictly a COF. His K/BB rate in college has been much better than Bishop’s.

  10. MLB has released the 2019 draft slot allotments. I posted my guesstimates a couple of days ago earlier in this thread. I wasn’t exactly correct, but I was pretty close. The Phillies pool is $6,475,800.

    Phillies 1st round pick (#14 overall) is worth $4,036,800
    Phillies 3rd round pick (#91 overall) is worth $647,300
    Phillies 4th round pick (#120 overall) is worth $478,300
    Phillies 5th round pick (#150 overall) is worth $357,100
    Phillies 6th round pick (#180 overall) is worth $272,500
    Phillies 7th round pick (#210 overall) is worth $213,300
    Phillies 8th round pick (#240 overall) is worth $172,100
    Phillies 9th round pick (#270 overall) is worth $153,600
    Phillies 10th round pick (#300 overall) is worth $144,800

    Phillies draft pool ………………………………….. $6,475,800
    5% overage allowance …………………………….. $323,790
    Total money Phillies can spend w/o penalty $6,799,590

    The Phillies 2nd round pick (#55 overall) they lost for signing Bryce Harper was worth $1,307,000 (certainly not going to complain about that).

    2. Looks like it will be college day on the first day…unless number 14 takes a huge under-slot deal.
      Would be great if Matt K could trade one or two of the LHV arms for a CBA pick or two and their respective slot monies.
      I mentioned before Twins, Royals or the Os could be receptive for more MLB ready pitching.

      1. This system is so weird and screwed up. It’s ridiculous that MLB teams can’t really trade draft picks. It’s another thing that prevents teams from improving more quickly and reduces interest in the sport. If they could trade picks, just think how much more fun this would be.

        1. Agree…every pro sport league can trade their highest draft picks….MLB limits to only CBA picks, which are, for the most part, the scattering of the 32nd selection thru approx.the 80th.
          Tne number one selection’s value in a trade could be an extremely interesting conversation piece in any discussion.

          But MLB wants to discuss pitch clocks, mound visits, defensive shifts and other assorted aspects of the game.

        2. Agree as well. And it would make teams like KC and OAK more inclined to trade theirs for major league talent. Problem remains, however, that they still won’t pay them and will eventually trade them away, probably in return for draft picks. An ironic cycle.

  11. With all the panic over the Phillies bullpen, I’ve put together a short list of guys Johnny Almaraz could draft and be quick movers through the system.

    * Andrew Schultz (RHP Tennessee) This kid has added mucho velo over the past 6 months. Just last summer on the Cape, Schultz was throwing mostly low 90’s (T mid 90’s). He’s now the hardest thrower in college baseball (as far as I know). Schultz is now hitting triple digits. This season, he is dominating out of the pen in the SEC 10.1 IP, 4 H, 8 BB, 24 K, 2 SV, OBA .111, ERA 0.87.

    * Matt Cronin (LHP Arkansas) Cronin is a shorter, stocky (6’1″, 200 lbs) LH reliever. He has excelled as the Razorbacks closer for three years. This season, Cronin has totaled 12.2 IP, 4 H, 6 BB, 21 K, 7 SV, OBA .098, ERA 0.71. He throws a big FB (93-96 MPH) and a hammer CB with 12 to 6 shape.

    * Alek Manoah (RHP WVU) You’re probably sick of me talking about Manoah by now. Manoah has been very good (43.2 IP, 31 H, 15 BB, 54 K) as a starter this season, but Manoah spent much of his time in the Mountaineer’s BP his first two seasons. Manoah has a Jonathan Broxton build (6’6″, 260 lbs). He packs heat (95-98 MPH), has a plus (some even grade it a plus-plus) sweeping SL, and an avg CH. This may be a way-out-there idea … but … Johnny A could select Manoah at 1-14, and the team could use him as a reliever this summer with the hope of him reaching CBP by the end of the season. Then transfer him back to a AA or AAA starting rotation in 2020.

    1. Here’s Manoah. I would seriously consider him at 1-14, whether they want to try and fast track him to the Phillies BP this season (like the Royals did with Brandon Finnegam in 2014) before moving him back into a minor league rotation in 2020, or want to put him on a traditional timeline as a starter.

      1. He does have that Thor presence out there on the mound.
        If he can repeat his mechanics for a tall and big guy, and can keep his command while doing that…he could be a good selection at 14.

    2. Hinkie i love your passion and knowledge of the prospects, But you said something that hurt m8 Romus ,Stocky 6’1, do you realize romus is 5’9 and 247 and thinks he is thin. ?

  12. Eric Longenhagen (in his chat today) believes Hunter Bishop goes a little lower than I think he’ll be drafted.

    Plural of Moose
    Hunter Bishop has been ridic lately. Chance he goes top 5 at this point?
    Eric A Longenhagen
    Again, kind of rich for me. Top 10-12? Yeah. Are teams gonna look at his trak record, see he’s been good just one year, an get scared? Some might.

    I do agree the fact that Bishop’s lack of a track record/very ordinary first two seasons at ASU will cause some teams to pick more proven college bats. I also believe he’ll cool off at some point. Can he get to the Phillies at 1-14? I’d love to see it. He would definitely be a top candidate for Johnny A to draft if he makes it to the Phillies.

  14. Really good college matchup right here https://pac-12.com/live/usc
    Hunter Bishop and ASU face off with USC. The Trojans are starting Kyle Hurt on the mound today. The Phillies drafted Hurt in 2017. He’s eligible to be selected again this June as a sophomore. In fact, I mentioned Hurt as a 4th (maybe) round possibility for Johnny Almaraz earlier in this thread.

  15. Not sure if Jim is going to put up a new draft thread for this week … if he does, I’ll re-post this there.

    Here’s a rundown of what some of the top college players who could be available for the Phillies in the first round did over the weekend. I’m going to include Hunter Bishop, JJ Bleday, and Nick Lodolo even though I believe none of them would make it to 1-14 if the draft were held today (things could change in two months time).

    * Hunter Bishop’s ASU team lost two of three in SoCal to USC. It was Bishop’s most quiet weekend of the season. The 6’4″ LH swinging CFer went 4 (3 singles & a double)for 14 with 2 BB’s and 4 K’s. His slash line took a hit and now stands at .402/.536/.932, 16 HR, 33 BB/HBP, 28 K.

    * JJ Bleday had 2 singles in 12 AB’s with one BB and one K in a series against Georgia. Georgia has one of the best pitching staffs in the country (two of their starters could be top 5 picks next year). For the season, Bleday is .336/.426/.664, 12 HR’s, 23 BB/HBP, 26 K.

    * Braden Shewmake collected 2 hits (double & triple) in 13 AB vs LSU. The Texas A&M SS is (IMO) flying under the radar this season with a slash line of .326/.371/.496, 14 BB/HBP, 12 K.

    * Thomas Dillard keeps on hitting, and for me, should be a top target for the Phillies even though nobody else seems to have him going in the top half of the first round (many don’t have him as a first rounder at all). I’ve mentioned the Ole Miss C/1B/LFer/DH reminds me a lot of a swith hitting Kyle Schwarber. Over the weekend, Dillard feasted on the Univ of Florida pitching staff. He went 6 for 10 (all singles), 4 BB’s and 2 K’s. Dillard is now up to .353/.497/.638, 9 HR, 33 BB, 17 K in 2019.

    * Nick Lodolo turned in his worst start of the season (and it wasn’t even that terrible) in a loss to Oklahoma. Lodolo went 5.1 IP (79 P), 3 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 5 K. For the season, the TCU LHP is 53.1 IP, 40 H, 10 BB, 68 K, 1.52 EA, .208 OBA

    * Alek Manoah dominated Oklahoma State. The big WVU RHP totaled 8 IP (102 P), 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 11 K. Manoah is now 51.2 IP, 34 H, 15 BB, 64 K, 2.44 ERA, .191 OBA.
    You can see all 11 of Manoah’s K’s in the WVU highlights below.

    * Zack Thompson pitched well against Missouri. The Kentucky lefty went 6 IP (87 P), 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K. Thompson struck out Kameron Misner (maybe a top 10 player this June) once and surrendered a single to him. For 2019, Thompson has put up 49.2 IP, 33 H, 14 BB, 74 K, 1.99 ERA, .189 OBA.

    1. One guy who may be there for the Phillies in the 4th could be Julian infante of Vandy.
      Got off to a slow start this year but watching him he has great instincts and not sure he is pitching this year so that will help.

  16. Romus … I need to update my Phillies’ possibilities list.

    * After watching Kyle Hurt throw yesterday, I think he’s probably best served staying in school for a third year.

    * The more I watch Cooper Johnson, the more I love this kid. I had him as a possibility to the Phillies in the 5th round last week. I’m not so sure he’ll make it to that point in the draft. I looked at Fangraphs Draft Board this morning and they don’t even list Johnson (or Jared Horn who I had to the Phillies in the 4th round) anywhere. IMO, those two guys could be 3rd or 4th rounders.

    When I get some time, I’m going to do a new Phillies’ possibilities list for this week. I have a new college IF (and it’s not Infante) that I’m ready to add.

  18. Keith Law was at the National High School Invitational — a 16-team tournament held each spring at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, North Carolina. http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/26465134/law-brennan-malone-jack-leiter-standouts-prep-showcase
    Here are a few notes from his report:

    * Brennan Malone and Jack Leiter were the two best prospects at the tournament. Malone threw 92-95, and repeatedly threw strikes. He will definitely be a first round selection. Leiter would also be an easy first rounder if his commitment to Vanderbilt wasn’t so strong. Leiter has a clean delivery, throws 90-92 FB consistenly for strikes, and has a above avg to plus CB.

    * Mathew Allen is the top rated HS pitcher in this draft.

    * According to execs, CJ Abrams and Riley Greene are likely top 5 picks. However, Greene didn’t look good when Law saw him. He had a problem timing pitches. Abrams is a future above average SS with 80 speed. Abrams also swung and missed at too many pitches.

  19. It’s not likely Johnny Almaraz will take a prep arm in round one (even though I have advocated including JJ Goss in the group of possibilities for 1-14). However, here’s a name to remember because he’s climbing up draft boards. Quinn Priester hasn’t gotten a lot of attention mostly because he’s from Illinois, but he’s probably going in the first round.

    Also … here is some video of Matt Allan. Keith Law rates Allan the top prep arm in this class. I saw him throw last summer. He’s good (mid 90’s FB, plus CB, very good control and command), but he looks maxed out as an 18 YO. He’s got a more mature body than many college pitchers.

  20. Wanted to throw out some kudos to a local team nobody talks about. The Penn Quakers are as entertaining as any club in the country. They’re not just entertaining, the Quakers are good (17W-8L). They swept a two game series at Duke last month. I’ve watched a handful of their games. They score runs by the bunches (more than 11 per game, and 49 in a 3 game sweep of Dartmouth this weekend). Penn features a couple of freshmen. Craig Larsen (2B/OF) and Josh Hood (SS) look like future day two picks (in 2021). Hood is from near me. He is a graduate of St Augustine Prep (same school as Zach Warren), and was named the South Jersey Player Of The Year last season. He’s slashing .383/.467/.661, 6 HR, 19 BB/HBP, 12 K in his first Ivy League season.

          1. roc…five minute drive for you….Oregon Ave to Schuylkill to Grays Ferry to 34th to River Fields Drive….Meikljeohn

  21. As usual, great information on the draft from Kiley McDaniel here https://blogs.fangraphs.com/updating-our-draft-rankings/
    Looks like a lot of teams drafting near the top are mostly interested in college players. There is no chance Nick Lodolo gets to the Phillies. I’m still hoping Alek Manoah makes it to 1-14. There also are multiple teams contemplating taking a money saver in the first round to overspend later in the draft.

    1. I always liked Lodolo….but now have come to the realization he will go very early.
      Next for me was Leiter from north Jersey….but that Vandy commit may be too much for him to give up unless the bonus money offered to him is high enough.

      But I would not be surprised at this point, if the Phillies go with a guy like George Kirby.
      In the Cape last summer he was a 24-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 innings as a reliever. Also read where his college now uses the Driveline Baseball workouts…which he claims helped improve his velo and strength…..velo is now mid-90s

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