The Official 2024 Draft Thread

[Hubs]

Peyton Olejnik is 6'10"

 

[Hubs]

https://miamiredhawks.com/news/2024/4/4/baseball-standing-tall-the-peyton-olejnik-story.aspx

[Hubs]

Highest MLB.com ranked players left are all HS Seniors. 

 

[Hubs]

40 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Yup here they go again

Another Pitcher. https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/bridger-holmes-822175

[Erstad Grit]

1 hour ago, Hubs said:

Another (almost) all pitcher draft in the making? Minus Moore, it's all pitchers

 

The last pitcher draft thus far has been a fairly large bust. 

[jsnpritchett]

Red Sox took Conrad Cason, the guy from my old high school, in the 8th round.  He was ranked 102nd by MLB.com.  He showcased as a SS instead of a P at the combine.  Not sure if that made people wary.  The Red Sox announced him as a two-way player.

[Hubs]

22 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Red Sox took Conrad Cason, the guy from my old high school, in the 8th round.  He was ranked 102nd by MLB.com.  He showcased as a SS instead of a P at the combine.  Not sure if that made people wary.  The Red Sox announced him as a two-way player.

Keston Hiura went to my old high school. 

[ScottM]

Might be in the minority with liking the Moore pick but man what a weird draft. I don't think I like any of the other players we chose. 

[jsnpritchett]

2 minutes ago, ScottM said:

Might be in the minority with liking the Moore pick but man what a weird draft. I don't think I like any of the other players we chose. 

I've come around on him, if for no other reason than that he's a position player with some pop. 

Literally none of the other guys excite me, based on what I've read about them.  I just personally feel like you aim higher than a reliever with picks this high.

[ScottM]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

I've come around on him, if for no other reason than that he's a position player with some pop. 

Literally none of the other guys excite me, based on what I've read about them.  I just personally feel like you aim higher than a reliever with picks this high.

I imagine they'll try to stretch one or two of them out as starters, but fully agree. Very bizarre draft.

[jsnpritchett]

2 minutes ago, ScottM said:

I imagine they'll try to stretch one or two of them out as starters, but fully agree. Very bizarre draft.

Maybe, but then just draft a starter.  Lol.  (That's not a criticism of your statement, btw...)

[Angels 1961]

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Maybe, but then just draft a starter.  Lol.  (That's not a criticism of your statement, btw...)

TY for all the information today

 

[ThisismineScios]

The Kentucky 1B looks like a power hitting LHH. Did well in a wooden bat summer league? K's a lot and walked a lot. Yeah. 

End of the day I'm just plain confused by all of this. If I had to pick a strength of the Angels Farm right now, my personal unqualified take is RP? (Maybe every system is technically like that). But with the AA guys, Minacci, and serviceable guys at AAA, why did they decide to go and draft 4-5 guys that will almost certainly profile as relievers in Rounds 2-10? 

Not a single OF? Not one? In a system that is essentially barren of OF talent. Our best OF right now are Rada, De Jesus, Teodosio...who are either 18 or 5th OF types. Just don't understand. 

Other possibility is they are targeting OFs with the guys they are looking to trade (Estevez, Garcia, Strickland, Anderson, and hopefully Ward and Rengifo). 

[jsnpritchett]

2 minutes ago, ThisismineScios said:

The Kentucky 1B looks like a power hitting LHH. Did well in a wooden bat summer league? K's a lot and walked a lot. Yeah. 

End of the day I'm just plain confused by all of this. If I had to pick a strength of the Angels Farm right now, my personal unqualified take is RP? (Maybe every system is technically like that). But with the AA guys, Minacci, and serviceable guys at AAA, why did they decide to go and draft 4-5 guys that will almost certainly profile as relievers in Rounds 2-10? 

Not a single OF? Not one? In a system that is essentially barren of OF talent. Our best OF right now are Rada, De Jesus, Teodosio...who are either 18 or 5th OF types. Just don't understand. 

Other possibility is they are targeting OFs with the guys they are looking to trade (Estevez, Garcia, Strickland, Anderson, and hopefully Ward and Rengifo). 

Completely speculating, but maybe this is who they'll pick in the 11th round to use the $ they're presumably saving with the early picks:

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/noah-franco-813957

Noah Franco.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Originally thought to be one of the top players for the Class of 2025, Franco is one of several high schoolers who reclassified in order to be eligible for the 2024 Draft, making him one of the younger players to be considered. A legitimate two-way guy who has played for Team USA’s 18U team in 2022 qualifiers and on the 2023 team, the IMG Academy product has drawn interest on both sides of the ball.

While the jury is still out in terms of which way the industry truly likes him, it did seem there was a slight lean toward his skills as a left-handed hitter and outfielder entering the spring season, though some struggles at the plate have possibly shifted the pendulum toward the mound more. Throughout the summer showcase circuit, Franco showed very good bat-to-ball skills. It’s hit-over-power right now, but one can dream on the strength to come from natural leverage with his swing from his 6-foot-3 frame, even though his approach was inconsistent at times and scouts felt his swing had gotten too steep this spring. IMG surprisingly had him hitting near the bottom of the order at the start of the season, though he’s moved up since. He’s a sneaky good athlete and his arm is plus from the outfield and he played some first base this spring.

There’s projection on the mound as well, with a fastball that misses bats and is up to 93 mph already. He has a solid low-80s slider and a feel for a changeup as well, throwing all three for strikes. Left-handed pitching is hard to find, and that, along with some questions about his offensive profile, has shifted more evaluators to consider a future on the bump, though interested teams will have to contend with a commitment to Texas Christian.

[greginpsca]

Noticed that quite a few guys from so cal drafted today. Makes me wonder if the Angels even scout so cal anymore. Most of their picks are from the South and Atlantic coast.

[ThisismineScios]

8 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Completely speculating, but maybe this is who they'll pick in the 11th round to use the $ they're presumably saving with the early picks:

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/noah-franco-813957

Noah Franco.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Originally thought to be one of the top players for the Class of 2025, Franco is one of several high schoolers who reclassified in order to be eligible for the 2024 Draft, making him one of the younger players to be considered. A legitimate two-way guy who has played for Team USA’s 18U team in 2022 qualifiers and on the 2023 team, the IMG Academy product has drawn interest on both sides of the ball.

While the jury is still out in terms of which way the industry truly likes him, it did seem there was a slight lean toward his skills as a left-handed hitter and outfielder entering the spring season, though some struggles at the plate have possibly shifted the pendulum toward the mound more. Throughout the summer showcase circuit, Franco showed very good bat-to-ball skills. It’s hit-over-power right now, but one can dream on the strength to come from natural leverage with his swing from his 6-foot-3 frame, even though his approach was inconsistent at times and scouts felt his swing had gotten too steep this spring. IMG surprisingly had him hitting near the bottom of the order at the start of the season, though he’s moved up since. He’s a sneaky good athlete and his arm is plus from the outfield and he played some first base this spring.

There’s projection on the mound as well, with a fastball that misses bats and is up to 93 mph already. He has a solid low-80s slider and a feel for a changeup as well, throwing all three for strikes. Left-handed pitching is hard to find, and that, along with some questions about his offensive profile, has shifted more evaluators to consider a future on the bump, though interested teams will have to contend with a commitment to Texas Christian.

Gotta be something like that coming. In addition to the two position guys turning 24 in a few months, they drafted 3-4 surefire relievers.

[totdprods]

42 minutes ago, ThisismineScios said:

End of the day I'm just plain confused by all of this. If I had to pick a strength of the Angels Farm right now, my personal unqualified take is RP? (Maybe every system is technically like that). But with the AA guys, Minacci, and serviceable guys at AAA, why did they decide to go and draft 4-5 guys that will almost certainly profile as relievers in Rounds 2-10? 

Also possible is that it just isn’t a good draft pool, and they’re doing the best they can. Pitching can always be traded for hitting, even if the pitching isn’t top quality prospects. Quantity can be just as valuable as quality when acquiring non-top-tier bats, as we’ve seen the Braves and Padres do in recent years. Assuming Moore hits and the current young crop in the bigs keeps trending up, they also don’t totally need too much emphasis on college bats. Plus Arte doesn’t spend on pitching. 

Not saying I agree with any of that, but that’s my assumption as to why they’ve done what they’ve done. 

[ThisismineScios]

14 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Also possible is that it just isn’t a good draft pool, and they’re doing the best they can. Pitching can always be traded for hitting, even if the pitching isn’t top quality prospects. Quantity can be just as valuable as quality when acquiring non-top-tier bats, as we’ve seen the Braves and Padres do in recent years. Assuming Moore hits and the current young crop in the bigs keeps trending up, they also don’t totally need too much emphasis on college bats. Plus Arte doesn’t spend on pitching. 

Not saying I agree with any of that, but that’s my assumption as to why they’ve done what they’ve done. 

I can see this. And we'll see what tomorrow brings. 

[Angel Oracle]

Not just Franco for round 11, but Dax Whitney is still out there too.

Whitney sounds like another Dana type selection?

Whitney was in the top 40 draft projections.   Where was Dana in 2022?

Edited July 15 by Angel Oracle

[totdprods]

7 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Not just Franco for round 11, but Dax Whitney is still out there too.

Whitney sounds like another Dana type selection?

Whitney was in the top 40 draft projections.   Where was Dana in 2022?

Off the top of my head, 110-130.

HS arms ranked as high as Whitney, if they haven’t been picked yet, almost definitely aren’t signing at this point. They’re probably committed and not budging. Some team might draft them with their last pick to make a Hail Mary attempt or try to start a relationship with them but at this point I doubt he’s happening.

Edited July 15 by totdprods

[jsnpritchett]

4 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Off the top of my head, 110-130.

HS arms ranked as high as Whitney, if they haven’t been picked yet, almost definitely aren’t signing at this point. They’re probably committed and not budging. Some team might draft them with their last pick to make a Hail Mary attempt or try to start a relationship with them but at this point I doubt he’s happening.

I think one of the issues with Whitney is that he's from Idaho, so there are concerns about the competition he has faced.

[totdprods]

@Angel Oracle sorry, was thinking of Kent who was ranked 126 and picked at 234 in the 8th.

Dana was at 119 and picked at 328 in the 11th.

Others worth noting:

• Silseth was ranked 157, picked in 11th at 321.
• Albright was ranked 122, picked in 12th at 351.

Based off this, I’d say any remaining arms in the 110-150 range are probably good bets for tomorrows first choice.

Edited July 15 by totdprods

[Vlad27Trout27]

This draft was truly intriguing. While the lack of position players raises questions, a closer look reveals a strong focus on college pitchers and there were some good once's  available after the first day. Despite the initial concerns, I believe we made some excellent picks overall. I would say my top picks from these 2 days

1. Moore; Overall, Moore's blend of power, patience at the plate will be his calling card. You are looking at a middle-off the order bat here, that looks to be a future second baseman or end ups in the outfield. Easily slots in as our second best prospect and  I would estimate a call-up next year. 

2. Prager; I'm a big fan of this pick! His potential upside is significant, but he also has a relatively safe floor. Advanced analytics favor him, with an average RPM of 2300 on his fastball and 2500 on his slider. He has two potential wipeout pitches: his slider (graded 55/60) and changeup (graded 65). Combined with his impressive command (60/65), these attributes make him a strong prospect. If he can increase his fastball velocity to average between 92-94 mph (currently maxing at 95 mph), he could develop three plus pitches. i  Compare  him to pitchers like Cade Povich and Justin Steele are with a slight edge towards Steele at the moment. He my 4th prospect. 

3. Johnson, He to me profile's as a hard-throwing, control-oriented pitcher with a high ceiling. It is crazy how good his command is compared to how he throws. At the moment, he profiles as a power pitcher, with a mid 90s fastball (55/65) and a power slider (65/65), with a cutter has his third pitch! Johnson's delivery  projected him as a bullpen arm at the professional level, but his combination of control and velocity has gives him the ability to start. I would say he gives me post-draft bachman vibes. The way he throws reminds me a bit of Yamamoto way of throwing. But Yamamoto is more under control, but he is also on the IL.....so there is that. I have him in my 6-9 range in our sysem, and could climb depending on how he does. 

4. Jordan, originally when he was drafted, it felt like an iffy pick, and I compared him more towards Albright, than a Dana or even Kent. But the more I've read about his draft combine/circuit , I've changed my outlook. With his  mix of size, velocity, and pitch movement makes him an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling. it will be an patient game with him, but he more Kent like than Albright. 

5. Cortez, and Homes, provide an intrigue upside in the Bp, Cortez I think has the closer like upside and, Holmes more of an middle-reliever upside. Cortez's Power sinker and Slider are intriguing mix. 

Although we didn't significantly bolster our offensive potential, aside from Moore, I believe we've made some promising additions within the top 10 draft picks. I may be a bit biased, but considering their potential, Moore, Pregar, and Johnson could emerge as quick risers. By mid-season next year, we might see all three breaking into the top 100 or 150 prospects

Also here's is a nice vide on Yamamato from home view

 

[jsnpritchett]

11 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

This draft was truly intriguing. While the lack of position players raises questions, a closer look reveals a strong focus on college pitchers and there were some good once's  available after the first day. Despite the initial concerns, I believe we made some excellent picks overall. I would say my top picks from these 2 days

1. Moore; Overall, Moore's blend of power, patience at the plate will be his calling card. You are looking at a middle-off the order bat here, that looks to be a future second baseman or end ups in the outfield. Easily slots in as our second best prospect and  I would estimate a call-up next year. 

2. Prager; I'm a big fan of this pick! His potential upside is significant, but he also has a relatively safe floor. Advanced analytics favor him, with an average RPM of 2300 on his fastball and 2500 on his slider. He has two potential wipeout pitches: his slider (graded 55/60) and changeup (graded 65). Combined with his impressive command (60/65), these attributes make him a strong prospect. If he can increase his fastball velocity to average between 92-94 mph (currently maxing at 95 mph), he could develop three plus pitches. i  Compare  him to pitchers like Cade Povich and Justin Steele are with a slight edge towards Steele at the moment. He my 4th prospect. 

3. Johnson, He to me profile's as a hard-throwing, control-oriented pitcher with a high ceiling. It is crazy how good his command is compared to how he throws. At the moment, he profiles as a power pitcher, with a mid 90s fastball (55/65) and a power slider (65/65), with a cutter has his third pitch! Johnson's delivery  projected him as a bullpen arm at the professional level, but his combination of control and velocity has gives him the ability to start. I would say he gives me post-draft bachman vibes. The way he throws reminds me a bit of Yamamoto way of throwing. But Yamamoto is more under control, but he is also on the IL.....so there is that. I have him in my 6-9 range in our sysem, and could climb depending on how he does. 

4. Jordan, originally when he was drafted, it felt like an iffy pick, and I compared him more towards Albright, than a Dana or even Kent. But the more I've read about his draft combine/circuit , I've changed my outlook. With his  mix of size, velocity, and pitch movement makes him an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling. it will be an patient game with him, but he more Kent like than Albright. 

5. Cortez, and Homes, provide an intrigue upside in the Bp, Cortez I think has the closer like upside and, Holmes more of an middle-reliever upside. Cortez's Power sinker and Slider are intriguing mix. 

Although we didn't significantly bolster our offensive potential, aside from Moore, I believe we've made some promising additions within the top 10 draft picks. I may be a bit biased, but considering their potential, Moore, Pregar, and Johnson could emerge as quick risers. By mid-season next year, we might see all three breaking into the top 100 or 150 prospects

Also here's is a nice vide on Yamamato from home view

 

[Chuck]

Official Release by the Angels available for download on their first 10 picks. 

ANGELS MAKE EIGHT SELECTIONS ON SECOND DAY OF 2024 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT.pdf