Yesterday erik gave everybody a look at how he thinks the first 13 picks of the draft are going to go, and today I am trying to figure out the top 20 prospects available. We are about a month out, and while there is some consensus starting to develop with the college players, the high school group is still mostly up in the air.
1. Pedro Alvarez 3B Vanderbilt
Has missed time with injury, but he is still draft’s top talent.
2. Brian Matusz LHP San Diego
Lefty has established himself as draft’s top pitcher with good control of three above average pitches.
3. Tim Beckham SS Griffin High School (GA)
Hasn’t had a great year, but you don’t find these kind of tools in a shortstop very often.
Has great stuff, but he has struggled recently. If his bonus demands get too high he could be a candidate to fall.
5. Buster Posey C Florida State
Doesn’t have great power, but extremely athletic catchers who will hit for average are rare.
6. Justin Smoak 1B South Carolina
Having a monster season showing power and great plate discipline.
7. Eric Hosmer 1B American Heritage High School (FL)
Best prep bat in the draft. Only question is signability.
8. Tanner Scheppers RHP Fresno State
Has arguably the best stuff in the draft. If he sharpens up his command, he could be the best pitcher in this draft.
Great bat and should have the ability to stick at short.
10. Kyle Skipworth C Patriot High School (CA)
Prep catchers usually take a while, but this one could be worth the wait. He has more upside than the draft’s top catcher Buster Posey.
11. Shooter Hunt RHP Tulane
Great stuff, questionable control. If a team can straighten him out he can be a #2 starter.
12. Yonder Alonso 1B Miami (FL)
Extremely polished bat, Alonso may be draft’s top pure hitter.
13. Ethan Martin RHP/3B Stephens County High School (GA)
Power on the hill and at the plate, this prep star is likely to go as a pitcher.
14. Christian Friedrich LHP Eastern Kentucky
Adds arguably the draft’s best curve ball to an above average fastball.
15. Gerrit Cole RHP Orange Lutheran High School (CA)
Electric stuff, but there are a lot of question marks.
16. Aaron Hicks CF/RHP Woodrow Wilson High School (CA)
As toolsy as they come, Hicks may be the draft’s top athlete.
Dominating college closer with plus fastball/curve combo.
18. Tim Melville RHP Holt High School (MO)
Has had a rough spring, but is finishing strong. Not as highly regarded as before the season, but he still has the makings of a top of the rotation starter.
19. Alex Meyer RHP Greensburg High School (IN)
Big righty with big time stuff. He is still raw, but the sky is the limit.
20. Jemile Weeks 2B Miami (FL)
Has the makings of a very good lead off hitter with line drive stroke and blazing speed.
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If your #8 or #9 talents fall to the Cards, I would be absolutely ecstatic. Man why couldn’t the Cards have lost a few more games last year, oh well.
Good stuff.
This guy is nowhere near this list right now, but I think a good possible buy low candidate in the third round is SS Brandon Crawford of UCLA. He’s a junior, so he might try to improve his stock, but of course we’ll get the pick back if we can’t sign him.
His scouting report says he has confidence issues, but he has good tools and he’s put it together before. Plus, he plays a premium position and was once thought of much more highly. Is there a chance he’s available in the third? Does anyone know where he’s been going in mock drafts?
Shhh, those would be my top 2 as well. unfortunately i don’t see any chance of getting either.
Todd, he could probably be had in the third, but i don’t have much faith in his ability to hit. i think he is a less talented version of tyler greene.
i would be very ok with ethan martin…start him at third, and if he can’t hit, try him at pitcher
i think that if a high schooler hires an agent, they should have to sign(no college)…thats how it is for college basketball players anyways
that’s why they are “advisers” and not agents. they don’t officially sign with them until they sign their contract.
FGC-
Thanks for the post. It just dawned on me that there were two Beckhams from Georgia that play shortstop. This has been confusing me for a couple weeks…
Huge no to Brandon Crawford, says I. We don’t need another Tyler Greene.
First it was Beckham or bust. Then Scheppers or bust. Now with those two likely gone, I’d have to take Aaron Hicks. Got to take the highest upside, imo.
I’m just hoping we don’t end up with Hunt, or even worse Putnam at 13. Although, it certainly seems like the Cardinal pick. They may well end up with both.
I like Jemile Weeks alot, but I just he could stay at second. From what iv seen and heard he might have to move to the outfield.
i think his defensive problems are a little exaggerated. i have seen him quite a bit, and i think he is already a better defender than his brother (i realize that’s not saying a lot). he will never be great, but he is a decent defensive second baseman.
I’ve been seeing in the comments a lot about Odorizzi. I gotta say after watching his draft video, I’d really like what I saw from him. He just seems a lot more advanced than your typical HS pitcher.
erik, have you checked out the video on trey haley? i don’t know about you, but he is the most impressive high school pitcher i have seen so far.
Overall, not a bad list, but you have a few glaring weaknesses, most notably Brett Wallace. Wallace has the ability to stay at the hot corner and his defense absolutely decimates Weeks’ and his offensive numbers speak for themselves. Isaac Galloway should be on here, whose main issue is signability.
Other than his last name, please convince me why Jemile Weeks is a top 20 prospect.
Weeks’ numbers by seasons are as follows:
2006 – .352/.446/.555
2007 – .298/.393/.489
2008 – .390/.459/.692
Conversely, Brett Wallace
2006 – .371/.439/.583
2007 – .423/.500/.719
2008 – .412/.544/.740
I can understand the mention of Putnam based on his throwing a sinker.
But I think the Cards are too smart to use the 13th pick on Putnam. We need an innings eater, a big guy like Haren or Morris. Putnam is too much like Chris Lambert. I dont think we will make that same mistake again.
Or Putnam would be like Pope, the first round miss in 01. He was a stocky righy collegiate who threw a sinker.
Regarding Putnam: just say no!
However Tyson Ross of Cal is compared to Ferguson Jenkins. Jenkins was not overpowering, but he threw a zillion innings and made the Hall. Comparisons to Jenkins are not insults.
usc, wallace was actually #21 on my list. i guess i’m just not as sold on his ability to play 3rd as you are. i won’t argue with you that he is clearly the better hitter, but i think weeks b/c of the position he plays will be more valuable. i think he will hit between .280 and .300 with 20-30 steals and decent pop where as wallace will hit .300 with 20-25 homers. while that is better production, there are more first basemen that can do that than there are second baseman that can do what i think weeks can do.
as for galloway, i like him (he is one of the guys i want the cardinals to take at 39), but i see him more of a late first or sandwich round pick b/c he is so raw. he could be a superstar, but there are also serious questions about his bat. i don’t really know about his signability as it may be a concern, but i think the bigger concern is his ability to hit.
Can someone please enlighten me more about Isaac Galloway, do not know anything about him.
As for Brett Wallace, if he can stick at 3rd, very interested.
One thing that has set me off about Galloway is milb saying left field likely will be his best position.
Nick Freitas. southern Utah Bulldog with great leadoff numbers. What round will he go? Anybody a fan of this player.
LA
How about 6’5″ LHP John Flanagan, out of Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Il. He was phenomenal in his High School career at Belleville West…and was drafted in the 8th round last year by the Angels, I think, declined the money, and then drafted again in the 30th round by the White Sox. Opted to do a year in college ball. Anybody have any comments on his prospects in this year’s draft?? I’d love to see the Cardinals grab him, since he’s just across the river from St. Louis.
i don’t know where is slated to go, but we do know about him. picklefork is the one driving that band wagon.
I am a big fan of HS LHP…especially tall guys…they seem to develop later and if you can hit on one…your golden.
Cards need to add LH starters…probably the weakest spot in the system along with SS.
From what I understand Flanagan is a real tall lanky guy who throws in the mid to high 80′s with 2 decent off speed pitches.
LHP are golden if you can find one that works out…..no more Thomas Eager’s.
We have the market cornerned on RH relievers who throw a low 90′s sinker