2019 MLB Draft

[EdMonix11]

The 2019 MLB draft is today.

The Indians have pick 24 and 63 on day one. They moved their competitive balance pick to Seattle in the Santana deal.

Deep draft for bats, particularly college bats. Thin on pitching, particularly college pitching.

The Indians have been linked to:
Michael Busch, 1B, Univ. of North Carolina
Will Wilson, SS, NC State
Kyren Paris, SS, Freedom HS (CA)
Daniel Espino, RHP, Premier Academy HS (GA)
Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson
Keoni Cavaco, 3B, Eastlake HS (CA)
Brooks Lee, SS, San Luis Obispo HS (CA)
Maurice Hampton, OF, Memphis University HS (TN)* LSU Commit for baseball and football

-Consensus amongst the people in the know seem to think the Indians are real high on Busch and Wilson in particular.

Strategy:
So the Indians draft strategy for the past few years has been rather apparent and it's clearly working. They're known to weigh age heavily-- they've drafted some of the youngest players in their class (HS and college). They also tend to weigh a players multi-year track record as opposed to just their draft year stats. They like college pitchers with advanced secondaries and up-the-middle talent with high walk rates. Seem to also like cold weather guys or guys from California.

 

[Lee]

The 2019 MLB draft is today.

The Indians have pick 24 and 63 on day one. They moved their competitive balance pick to Seattle in the Santana deal.

Deep draft for bats, particularly college bats. Thin on pitching, particularly college pitching.

The Indians have been linked to:
Michael Busch, 1B, Univ. of North Carolina
Will Wilson, SS, NC State
Kyren Paris, SS, Freedom HS (CA)
Daniel Espino, RHP, Premier Academy HS (GA)
Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson
Keoni Cavaco, 3B, Eastlake HS (CA)
Brooks Lee, SS, San Luis Obispo HS (CA)
Maurice Hampton, OF, Memphis University HS (TN)* LSU Commit for baseball and football

-Consensus amongst the people in the know seem to think the Indians are real high on Busch and Wilson in particular.

Strategy:
So the Indians draft strategy for the past few years has been rather apparent and it's clearly working. They're known to weigh age heavily-- they've drafted some of the youngest players in their class (HS and college). They also tend to weigh a players multi-year track record as opposed to just their draft year stats. They like college pitchers with advanced secondaries and up-the-middle talent with high walk rates. Seem to also like cold weather guys or guys from California.

Why do they hold the draft before the college baseball season is over?

 

[sportscoach]

Why do they hold the draft before the college baseball season is over?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_draft

Well from just reading wiki on the history, seems like they originally had more than one draft per season, and the June draft was for High school graduates and college seniors only. Then they had one after the season, before spring training in Jan for anyone else (early high school grads, junior college guys, college drop outs) etc.

My guess is the june draft was the main one all those years, so thats the reason why it stuck to today. That is just a simple explanation but it is what I am reading into from the wiki version of things.

 

[sportscoach]

Though looking at the minor league system, we really have a ton of talent down at A ball, I think our worst positions would be 1st base at the end of the day, so I can see why Busch would be the target, but there really isn't a hole at any position which is so nice cause we can be like, this is the best guy available the entire draft and not care! They have done a pretty good job especially in the 4th/5th rounds area drafting good talent.

 

[Seiklis]

First guy in our range just went to the Twins Keoni Cavaco gone

 

[BimboColesHair]

Will Wilson going 15th stings.

Heard that was their #1 guy that they wanted who they thought would be there.

 

[Seiklis]

Well Busch made it to them

 

[AZ_]

Busch, Hampton, Paris or Matthew Allan is my guess.

 

[AZ_]

Espino is HIGH upside.

 

[Seiklis]

Take Espino 2nd guy left on the board behind Allen

Born in Panama, Espino moved to the United States for his sophomore year of high school in 2016. Since arriving with a mid-80s fastball, he has developed into the hardest thrower in the '19 prep class. He repeatedly reached the upper 90s on the showcase circuit last summer and broke Hunter Greene's Under Armour All-America Game record with a fastball clocked at 99 mph. Espino usually works at 94-97 mph and has reached triple digits with his fastball. He can overpower hitters with sheer velocity, gets good riding action on his four-seamer and can show heavy sink on a two-seamer. Opponents can't afford to sit on his heater because he has a pair of power breaking pitches, with his sharp low-80s slider currently grading better than his upper-70s curveball with good depth. Espino dabbles with a changeup that gets too firm but flashes good sink at times. The Louisiana State recruit's control and command are inconsistent, in part because he has a long arm action, so some scouts project him more as a reliever than as a starter. There's not a lot of projection remaining in his frame, which is smaller than his listed height and weight, but his present stuff already is plenty good.

 

[Coyote850]

Good pick.

 

[AZ_]

Very very happy with this pick.

Advanced stuff for his age, in this development system he could really be special.

 

[BimboColesHair]

Back-to-back seasons they've grabbed the best fastball in the draft. They have their type.

 

[EdMonix11]

View: https://twitter.com/BaseballAmerica/status/1135722889116868608

 

[BimboColesHair]

Took Yordys Valdes in the 2nd. Makes sense, considering he was working out for the team this past weekend. Incredible defensive profile at SS.