Just wondering: is there any sort of penalty for not spending at least some minimum percentage of your pool money? Seems like something the players union might have tried to get.
Eighth round: Dylan Howard, RHP, Radford University
Only public board that had him was Future Stars, ranked 612th:
Howard enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign where he punched 76 tickets and issued just 19 free passes. The arsenal is led by a low-90s fastball that’s touched 96 with deadzone shape, though it’s more sink than lateral tilt. He throws a couple fringy secondaries in a short bullet sliders and a non-descript changeup. Both play off the fastball well, though both require more polish. He’s an up-arrow guy who will likely head back to school in 2025.
If the Astros took him in the top ten rounds, I bet he’s not heading back to school.
I’m actually not sure. I know there are rules about a minimum offer in order to obtain a compensation pick in the next draft if a player doesn’t sign (see: Brady Aiken), but that’s not really the same thing. Realistically, it’s hard to imagine a team cheaping out like that in the draft these days. It’d just be organizational suicide.
Ninth round: Ryan Smith, RHP, UI Chicago
I got nothin’. 6’2", 195 lb junior. DNP sophomore season and looks like he pitched mostly in relief this year to the tune of an 8.66 ERA over 35 innings. Astros must have gotten some data they like on one (or maybe two) of his pitches, because that’s obviously not a performance pick.
From @EephusTosser:
Not a guy on my radar, but a few folks I know who saw him say he has a big arm. Swung between starting and the bullpen (probably develops as RP), frequently being called on in big situations. Up to 98 with the FB, room to add more.
Agreed. And you could get screwed through no fault of your own if a bunch of guys changed their minds and went to college instead.
1 Like
Isn’t this a trend for recent years, a more college oriented draft? I’d say it’s about NIL, but it seems to precede NIL. Maybe, it’s just the greater scouting certainty provided by the few years of post HS school ball.
Round ten: Ramsey David, RHP, Southeastern University
Another college RHP ends the day for the Astros. I know nothing about David, just his school profile:
David turned in a 6-2 record, with a 2.79 ERA over his 22 appearances and 10 starts. He struck out 87 batters in 61.1 innings. He only allowed 19 runs in 256 batters faced, holding those batters to a .209 average. Twice he threw 10 strikeouts, both games were 6-4 wins, one over Keiser in 12 innings where he went 5.1 innings with only two hits allowed. His play earned him First-Team All-Sun Conference honors.
From @TaylorBlakeWard (another great twitter draft follow):
Astros 10-313: Ramsey David, RHP, Southeastern – soph eligible starter traits arm, low 90’s FB w/ carry, SL w/ FB plane plays for s/m, athleticism/command for starter dev but lack of third pitch give relief outlook
At the end of day two the Astros have taken six college RHP, three college hitters (one juco), and zero high schoolers of any kind.
1 Like
Ramsey signed with Auburn but transfered after the COVID shortened 2020 season. Went Juco, Juco, NAIA before appearing in the Cape Cod League
On the cape, he pitched 12 innings 1.50 ERA, 9 Hits, 7 BB, 14K 2 R/ER So he appears to have some stuff if he can harness it.
David has a dynamic arsenal of pitches with a fastball that touched 99 mph in his second start against Brewster, a sweeping slider that can generate consistent swing-and-miss and a changeup that alters hitters’ timing. It’s a cohort of pitches that’s shown scouts how an NAIA talent can dominate the best Division I has to offer.
2 Likes
NIL has to be a factor for some of the big recruits, but for a lot of folks not terribly relevant. Another factor is probably that a lot of schools have gotten really, really good at player development—as good or better than some MLB clubs.
GRIPPING commentary.
2 Likes
According to this story he is the grandson of Pat Sullivan the 1971 Heisman Award winner from Auburn.
Also tied for the team lead in HR (9) and was 2nd in RBI & Steals despite missing 18 games of the season with the aformentioned wrist injury.
1 Like
Looks like he spent a post high school year at a baseball academy P27 before pitching at Radford as a 20 year old freshman. Based on the roster pictures, tt appears he matured physically a lot in his two years at Radford.
1 Like
This is in Jim Stephenson’s draft area. Several players drafted from this school in the last decade. Most notably is Abraham Toro.
1 Like
This is such a great interview with Stevenson. Keuchel, Toro, Ramon Laureano, Jack Mayfield, Dean Deetz, Josh James, and back in Milwaukee, Jake Arrieta (who went unsigned). And almost AJ Burnett back in the day.
Maybe Powell ends up on that list.
1 Like
I think Keuchel is more notable than Toro.
Most notable pick from the school, not from Stevenson.
1 Like
Quick quotes from Cam Pendino about the draftees, plus other notes, including the following on Powell:
The third and final day starts in an hour. There’s still a huge amount of high school talent on the board, and while some of the higher-profile guys may go in the 11th round to other teams, don’t expect any of them to land with the Astros. That’s not to say they won’t grab an overslot guy in the 11th/12th—they may have grabbed some savings in the later rounds yesterday—but it’s likely to be more like Nehomar Ochoa/Anthony Huezo from 2023 ($300-400k) than Ryan Clifford in 2022 ($1.25m).
ETA: Before the draft, Baseball America had connected the Astros to high school shortstop Mikey Ryan (average rank: 165). I wonder if there’d be enough money for him. Not counting on it, but I have no idea what his dollar figure would be one way or the other.
Round eleven: Jason Schiavone, C, James Madison University
College junior, not on any public boards. So probably not an over-slot guy. Not a whole lot of teams took obvious over-slot candidates in the eleventh round.
Round twelve: Ryan Verdugo, RHP, Cal State Bakersfield
Average rank 350, Baseball America ranked him 460:
Verdugo helped his Bishop Amat High School team win four straight conference championships before heading to Cal State Bakersfield, where he pitched as a reliever as a freshman in 2022 before transitioning to a full-time starter. He had a career year in 2024 when he posted a 2.72 ERA over 89.1 innings and 14 starts, with a 24.5% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate. A 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander, Verdugo mostly pitches off of a fastball/slider combination and sits in the 89-92 mph range with the fastball that will touch 95. His 78-82 mph slider is a high-spin, slurvy pitch that features decent glove-side sweeping action at times but will blend into more of a curveball look with three-quarter shape at times. He’ll occasionally mix in a mid-80s changeup to lefties but that pitch isn’t a huge part of his arsenal at the moment.
Round thirteen: Bryce Boettcher, OF, Oregon
Looks like a fun pick. Two-sport athlete who might blossom focusing solely on baseball. Ranked 345 by Future Stars:
Boettcher is an interesting story as he was recruited to Oregon as a strong safety on the football field and eventually added enough weight to transition to linebacker during his time on campus. He was a regular for the football team in 2023 posting 37 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Despite his size, strength, and lack of training time, Boettcher was the Ducks starting centerfielder in 2023 playing 54 games and enjoying a breakout on the offensive end. Not only was he the team’s primary centerfielder, he won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award for Division 1 baseball this season. It’s a legit glove. He’s very clearly an above average runner who could get a bit quicker in pro ball if he drops ten pounds and trains for baseball full-time. Boettcher does some things on the offensive side of the ball very well. He has above average bat-to-ball skills and rarely ever whiffs on swings at pitches inside the strike zone. He is an aggressive hitter and will expand the zone at times, but who is to say that won’t improve over time once he gives up football entirely? Despite his 12 homers in 2024, Boettcher possesses just solid average raw power and isn’t naturally a big bat speed guy despite his size. That may tick up with proper training, but for now he’s more of a hitter than a slugger. At this stage Boettcher is something of an unknown and a lottery ticket. He’s very clearly quite physical, and he possesses the prerequisite hand-eye coordination to be a hitter at the next level. But what’s left in his development? Can he blossom into a slugging outfielder thanks to his natural strength? Can he become more dynamic with a more narrow training focus? Hard to say. But he stood out at the Combine and should hear his name called toward the end of day two or on day three. Boettcher is already 22 years old.
Round fourteen: Ryan Mathiesen, RHP, The Master’s University
Guy I’ve never heard of from a school I’ve never heard of. Pitched in relief his whole college career and in the Alaska Summer League. Did a fair amount of hitting, too, but was called as a pitcher.
Round fifteen: Drew Vogel, SS, Murray State University
4y senior, bats right/throws right. I don’t have anything on him—hit .342/.449/.667 with 10 HR and 10 steals.
Round sixteen: Bryce Mayer, RHP, Mizzou
Another senior, this time an Appy League guy! @Duman he even played for Greeneville!
“Named All-Appalachian League and Appy League Pitcher of the Year in 2021 after posting a 2.15 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 37.2 innings while helping Greeneville to the league title.”
Round seventeen: Ethan Wagner, OF, P27 Academy (SC)
A high schooler! Not on any public boards. May just be a “get to know you” pick, like Andrew Duncan in the 19th round last year. (Edit: yeah, he’s a Tennessee commit, so probably not signing.) He turns 19 in three weeks, so definitely on the older side for a high schooler, but the Astros don’t seem as averse to old-for-their-class hitters as they used to be (Jaworsky was almost exactly the same age last year when they drafted him).
Round eighteen: Grant Burleson, RHP, Western Kentucky
Back to collegians. FSS ranked him 306th in the class:
Burleson is a heavy supinator with most everything moving hard away from right-handed hitters. The fastball has been up to 94 but is more commonly 90-91 with extreme cutter shape. He gets next to zero arm-side run on his heater, but can struggle to generate the necessary cut-ride through the zone to make his fastball a true weapon. It’s performed very well in 2024 with whiff rates approaching 25 percent, but there’s more in the tank in terms of pitch efficiency. Burleson’s sweeper is his real gem; a low-80s breaker with borderline elite lateral action and top-shelf spin rates. It’s been a hellish pitch against right-handed hitters this season and projects every bit that of a ‘plus’ weapon at the next level, especially if he can creep closer to the 88 mph peak he’s teased with that pitch. Burleson throws a slightly lighter curveball with more depth and an upper-80s cutter that comes out easy. If he can find a way to add a splitter or circle change in pro ball to get some action going back the other direction he’s got rotation upside. As it stands, he’s awfully attractive from a metric and uniqueness perspective. It’s a reasonably smooth operation with deliberate tempo and plenty of strikes. The frame can add more muscle and his delivery could stand to move a bit quicker. There’s low-hanging fruit.
Round nineteen: Twine Palmer, RHP, Connors State JC (OK)
Another Jim Stevenson juco guy. NJCAA All-American. Not finding anything about a transfer commitment.
Round twenty: Ky McGary, OF, Sandra Day O’Connor HS (AZ)
Arizona state commit, highly ranked prospect, another probable get-to-know-you pick where you hope you’ve built a good relationship to draft him again in three years.
1 Like
Maybe a late bloomer on offense–made a big jump from 2023 (.224/.311/.453) to 2024 (.284/.400/.620). Defensively, he cut down 23 runners, as compared to 43 stolen bases allowed. Pretty good!
1 Like