Is this the cocky guy that got kicked out of the super regional bitching about a call?
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Sort of my impression also (assuming he’s the guy I recall). Did look good in the few ABs I saw though.
yes
Man, I’m really unimpressed by this pick.
OF Sterlin Thompson to the Rockies at #31.
OF Dylan Beavers to the Orioles at #33.
RHP Landon Sims to the D-Backs at #34
RHP Justin Campbell to the Indians at #37
OF Jordan Beck to the Rockies at #38
C Dalton Rushing to the Dodgers at #40
3B Max Wagner to the Orioles at #42
1B Ivan Melendez to the D-Backs at #43
LHP Connor Prielipp to the Twins at #48
SS Peyton Graham to Tigers at #51
RHP Blade Tidwell to Mets at #52
RHP Peyton Pallette to White Sox at #62
Some of the top-ranked Texas HSers. I doubt the Astros pick any of these guys but I am curious to see where they might go…
- SS Jett Williams, Rockwall-Heath HS–18.7. 5’8” 175 lbs. May not stick at short. Miss. St commit Mets (#14)
- RHP Cole Phillips, Boerne HS–19.1. TJS in April ‘22. Up to 99. Arkansas commit Braves (#57)
- OF Jeric Curtis, Tomball Memorial HS–18.6. Burner w/80 speed. Plus CFer. Texas Tech commit
- RHP Chase Shores, Midland Lee HS–18.2. 6’8” 221 lbs. Up to 96. LSU commit
- SS Jalin Flores, SA Brandeis HS–18.9. Texas commit
- SS Anthony Silva, Plano Clark HS –19.0. TCU commit
OF Jacob Melton, OF Brock Jones and LHP Carson Whisenhunt were all mocked to the Astros in the 1st round at various times are still available as pick #64 approaches.
And the Astros pick Melton at #64.
21.8 y/o||6’3” 208 lbs||lefty hitter went .360/.424/.670 this spring and was PAC 12 player of the year||can play CF
Where the draft boards had him: BA (#25), MLB Pipeline (#39), McDaniel (#26), Law (#25), Longenhagen (#68).
So two lefty hitters who play CF and raked this spring and who most draft boards considered first round talents.
I’ll take that.
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Vols HC Tony Vitello talking about Gilbert…
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“Obviously a loud personality on the field because he wants to win so much, but I can’t describe to people how much he changed my life once he got to our program,” Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said on MLB Network’s draft broadcast. “He does things in the locker room and dugout that are hard to describe in a short period of time, but he literally changed how the program operates, competes and works. I think he’s going to do that at the big league level, too, even though he’s going to have to establish himself. Phenomenal kid.”
Ben Joyce is still available as pick #80 approaches.
And instead the Astros take Central Michigan U RHP Andrew Taylor.
Where the draft boards had him: BA (#145), MLB Pipeline (#156), McDaniel (#138), Law (NR), Longenhagen (#124).
Nice outing against Florida in a regional last month: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K.
Here’s what MLB Pipeline says about the 6’5" 200 lb pitcher…
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Taylor’s fastball sits at 90 mph and tops out at 94, but it’s an analytics darling with its high spin rates and carry. Add in the extension he creates with his skinny 6-foot-5 frame, and hitters struggle to get good swings against his heater and repeatedly get beat with it up in the zone. He uses his fastball roughly 80 percent of the time and his most reliable secondary pitch is a solid 78-82 mph changeup with fade and depth.
While he has improved his breaking balls, a soft mid-70s downer curveball and a nascent 78-83 mph slider, they’re no more than average offerings. Taylor keeps his long limbs in sync, allowing him to repeat his delivery and provide strikes. While there are some questions about his health, there’s also some thought that he has more upside remaining if a pro club can help him increase his strength and feel for spinning the ball.
Fingers crossed that he’s this year’s version of another pitcher out of a Michigan school: Hunter Brown.
One of ESPN’s three draft writers had Gilbert as the best value of round 1
Melton is a really good get in the second round. As noted above, he was considered a (late) first round talent by most everyone, with at least a couple of folks thinking he could turn out to be the best college hitter in this year’s draft.
Put me firmly in the high floor view of Gilbert. however. He’s highly competitive, and not without tools and atheticism. But he’s also already maxed out physically (or close to it) and there are more than a few questions whether his power will translate to pro ball. Feels very much like a value pick rather than best available, especially when power arms like Connor Prielipp were still on the board at #28 (who, admittedly, is not without his own TJS questions).
Taylor is exactly the type of pitcher the Astros covet and I’m not surprised they drafted him, although I also think he would’ve still been on board later today. But I’m very much in agreement with Walt in seeing Hunter Brown 2.0 here.
it’s interesting hearing this theme again and again: " just knowing the track record they have with developing players in general. "
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