Arizona Diamondbacks: MOD #2 (Midway through)

by Ian Stewart on May 31, 2008 2:20 PM EDT Comment 4 comments

Hey guys, I know we are still just in the early stages of the draft, but I thought I would continue getting input here. Here are my first two picks:

#26: Anthony Hewitt, SS/OF, Connecticut HS - A bit of a reach I think, but I really wanted to scoop him up. He is a big time risk, most definitely, but I think his ceiling is tremendous. If he cannot handle SS, I would love to try to get Hewitt to play 2B a bit, but I think he definitely bolsters our system tremendously.

#43: Alex Meyer, RHP, Indiana HS - Signing him will probably be an issue, but he has arguably the highest ceiling of all the HS pitchers this year. With a 6'7'' frame and a repeatable delivery, I am pretty confident that Meyer will emerge as one of the better pitchers from the draft one day. I know we have Davis, Webb, Scherzer, Parker, and a plethora of other pitchers, but you can't have enough pitching and Meyer at #43 is a strong pick IMO. I was really considering taking Dennis Raben here, but I think we are strong at 1B with Conor Jackson, and a potential OF of Chris B. Young, Justin Upton, and Anthony Hewitt could be a good one. Hewitt will probably take a bit to develop, so I might take the route of a low-risk, medium-reward college OF'er, like Jordan Danks, a bit later on.

#73: David Adams, 2B, UVA: Actually went to HS with David and have followed his career at UVA. He is an advanced hitter, decent fielder, and I think he could be MLB ready. Was going to be a 1st Rounder out of HS, but was strongly committed to UVA, so he slipped to the Tigers in the mid-20's. We need some 2B in the system, so I am happy with this pick here. Maybe a bit of a reach, but I think he could make an impact.

As of now, I'd like to bolster our bullpen a bit and also take a 2B and C later on. I have numerous names and feel this could be a strong draft with a weak class.

Thoughts?

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Comments

Hewitt scares me

I’m afraid the Brewers are going to take him at #16 if Lawrie isn’t on the board.

He's extremely quick and good.

by battlekow on May 31, 2008 3:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Third Round

104. Evan Fredrickson, LHP, San Francisco. Fredrickson is a big (6’6, 250) southpaw with plenty of tools on the mound. Fredrickson, though, has struggled with his control at USF, walking 61 (with 109 strikeouts) in 75 innings this season. Fredrickson is a project here, but I think he can develop better consistency and better control in this organization. He projects probably to a #3 starter, or possible closer if moved to the bullpen. I felt a little better about this pick when someone else took Fredrickson about 4 picks later in the mock draft.

by c60 on May 31, 2008 4:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fourth and Fifth Round

138: Bobby Lanigan, RHP, Adelphi Univ. (NY). Lanigan, a tall right hander out of a Division II school, He has a plus fastball and had draws lots of attention this year after a stellar run in The Coastal Plains League last summer. 168: Kyle Russell, OF, Univ. of Texas. Russell was drafted in the fourth round by St. Louis last year as a draft-eligible sophomore and did not sign. Russell regressed this year, dropping from 28 home runs and .807 slugging last year to 17 home runs (including two in yesterday’s regional game against Sam Houston State) this season and a .641 slugging percentage, but he remains an intriguing left-handed power prospect. His biggest weakness are his high strikeout rates while at Texas.

by c60 on Jun 1, 2008 11:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

How is this?

168: Kyle Russell, OF, Univ. of Texas. Russell was drafted in the fourth round by St. Louis last year as a draft-eligible sophomore and did not sign. Russell regressed this year, dropping from 28 home runs and .807 slugging last year to 17 home runs (including two in yesterday’s regional game against Sam Houston State) this season and a .641 slugging percentage, but he remains an intriguing left-handed power prospect. His biggest weakness are his high strikeout rates while at Texas.

by c60 on Jun 1, 2008 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs