Author Topic: Cubs Draft 2020  (Read 5732 times)

Bluebufoon

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #135 on: June 14, 2020, 05:34:38 pm »
Cubs signed Bailey Reid from Westown College an NAIA college. His Bio says he is 6-2, 205.

Reb

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #136 on: June 14, 2020, 05:54:51 pm »
Brandon Beesley, OF, Cal Poly first Cubs UDFA. #429 on BA. Lowest ranked signing so far on BA’s list

BA:

Bradlee Beesley
Cal Poly OF
Notes:
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.3

Beesley started all four years at Cal Poly and hit well in the Cape Cod League two years in a row while swinging a wood bat. He’s an undersized contact hitter who sprays the ball around. Beesley lacks power and could walk more, but he knows his game and gets the bat to the ball. Beesley is a plus runner with an above-average arm and plays an average center field. He has the tools and mature instincts to play all three outfield positions

Reb

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #137 on: June 14, 2020, 05:57:31 pm »
Sounds like the second Cubs undrafted free agent signing might be Coastal Carolina shortstop Scott McKeon, a former Juco transfer who was off to a big spring before the season was cut short. Four home runs in 16 games after three bombs as a junior.

BA:

Scott McKeon
Coastal Carolina SS
Notes:
Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R
Commit/Drafted: Tigers '19 (21)
Age At Draft: 22.6

McKeon began his career at Brunswick (N.C.) JC, where he led the team in hitting with a .434 average as a freshman before hitting .339 in his sophomore campaign. His hitting ability translated just fine to Coastal Carolina and the Sun Belt Conference, as McKeon managed a .344/.407/.500 line in 79 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Teams were interested in McKeon last year—the Tigers drafted him in the 21st round—but he returned to school for his final season and would have been a priority senior sign in the 5-10 round range in a normal year. Scouts see McKeon as a solid defender at shortstop and think he can stick there but have questions about whether his bat and offensive approach will translate to the pro game

chgojhawk

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #138 on: June 14, 2020, 06:46:35 pm »
BA:

Bradlee Beesley
Cal Poly OF
Notes:
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.3

Beesley started all four years at Cal Poly and hit well in the Cape Cod League two years in a row while swinging a wood bat. He’s an undersized contact hitter who sprays the ball around. Beesley lacks power and could walk more, but he knows his game and gets the bat to the ball. Beesley is a plus runner with an above-average arm and plays an average center field. He has the tools and mature instincts to play all three outfield positions

Glad we got him as a FA instead of the 2nd round. He sounds like Donnie Dewees with a good arm.
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Bluebufoon

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #139 on: June 15, 2020, 09:33:19 am »
Hopefully we land SS Christian Hernandez and Catcher Moises Ballesteros as expected to round out this group of signees.

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2020/02/12/cubs-expected-to-sign-two-top-ifas-this-year-including-a-potential-no-1-overall/



craig

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #141 on: June 15, 2020, 11:59:33 am »
Are we really getting excited about the fact that a guy is enthusiastic about his own picks?

Heh heh, yes, kinda.  :) . I'm an optimistic fan, so I do get fired up.  :) .

But yeah, for my Green Bay Packers, for example, it's usually pretty easy to read from their comments whether they think a guy is a project who will take some time (Jordan Love), versus a ready-soon guy.  I expected all five Cub guys to be clearly communicated as projects who will take variably long time. 
*That was obviously true for Howard, Nwogo, Little, and moreno. 
*But I really was surprised that somebody as wild as Burl, with <50 college innings pitched, would be portrayed as a possible ready-soon guy. 

I always love to hear decision-makers explain their decisions. 
*We know every player has risk, and most fail;
*but you wouldn't spend one of only 5 picks on a guy who doesn't have some qualities that might make him valuable. 
*So hearing what qualities and talents a guy has that made the scouting director choose him is really interesting and fun. 

JR

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #142 on: June 15, 2020, 02:35:23 pm »
Quote
Bob Nightengale

Matt Mervis, a first baseman/pitcher from Duke, signs for $20,000 with the #Cubs. He's a power left-handed bat, and power right-handed pitcher


CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #144 on: June 17, 2020, 09:59:45 am »
Sharma had an article on Carraway.

-His fastball spin rate was 2500 rpm averaging 97 mph.
-His curveball spin rate was  2650 at 79 mph. That would be top 20 for lefties in MLB
-In addition his elite spin rates his spin axis and efficiency is top notch as well.

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Playtwo

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #145 on: June 17, 2020, 10:30:39 am »
He throws seeds.
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Dave23

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #146 on: June 17, 2020, 12:01:36 pm »
I can’t believe we had to wait this long for that!
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jacey1

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #147 on: June 17, 2020, 12:09:57 pm »
Sharma had an article on Carraway.

-His fastball spin rate was 2500 rpm averaging 97 mph.
-His curveball spin rate was  2650 at 79 mph. That would be top 20 for lefties in MLB
-In addition his elite spin rates his spin axis and efficiency is top notch as well.


BUT CAN HE PITCH???

craig

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #148 on: June 17, 2020, 12:21:03 pm »
https://theathletic.com/1871468/2020/06/14/what-did-we-learn-from-the-cubs-draft-jordan-nwogu-is-one-of-a-few-upside-bets/

Nwogu article: 
“Jordan has a lot of really, really interesting traits,” said John Pedrotty, an area scout .... “(Jordan’s) swing is a little unorthodox right now, but some of the brightest hitting guys in our organization have really liked how quick he is to the ball. All those movements that seem a little unorthodox — we think it’s kind of untapped power potential in there that is waiting to be unlocked.”

As Pedrotty mentioned, the swing needs polish, with scouts around baseball suggesting it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing. It’s a choppy swing that can be exposed by breaking balls and quality fastballs up in the zone... 

But while it may not look the way a swing is typically supposed to, ... strikeouts never were really a concern. His career strikeout rate of 18.3 percent dropped each year at Michigan.
=============

Helpful to read their views.  Consistent with what we've heard last week, that his present swing is problematic, but that they think it may be correctible.  We'll see.  The one view is that having been productive and having limited his K's, despite his crummy swing, perhaps suggests that there's mental, hand-eye quickness to be able to work around his faulty swing.  Takes talent to overcome a bad swing.  So maybe there's a really talented hitter disguised by the lousy swing, and once they fix that all the talent will come out. 

Still, changing a swing isn't easy, I don't think.  Making tweaks is one thing, serious revision of a swing may be harder. 

I also think "oh, only 18% K-rate, K's aren't a problem" may be too optimistic.  18% isn't exactly small, and the NL is NOT the Big Ten.  A guy who K'd 18% against college pitching might K like Brett Jackson in the pros.  Plus if he's got specific holes in his swing, big-league scouting might identify those holes in a way that college scouting doesn't. 

craig

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Re: Cubs Draft 2020
« Reply #149 on: June 17, 2020, 12:49:02 pm »
Sharma had an article on Carraway.
-His fastball spin rate was 2500 rpm averaging 97 mph.
-His curveball spin rate was  2650 at 79 mph. That would be top 20 for lefties in MLB

https://theathletic.com/1876278/2020/06/17/our-fans-are-going-to-love-him-can-burl-carraway-be-elite-for-the-cubs/

Seems like a pretty confident, ambitious guy.  Seems to have a middling view on technology.  Positive about development and technology and understanding stuff, but in an earlier quote he'd said something about now wanting to think too much.  Perhaps that's a good perspective: When you get behind a better 2-0, I don't imagine you totally want to be introspectively analyzing everything about your mechanics.  But being willing and able to receive input from the analytics guys, I'd think that would be help.  (Work on strengthening your lower back a little bit.  Your spin is most effective at arm-angle X; your spin and your control declines when that arm angle drifts, and it's been drifting more often lately... )

Burl notes that he pitched back-to-back and had some 3-appearance week(s).  Kantro also noted that his pitch stats actually looked as good or better then he did 2-inning work.  It took Carl Edwards a couple of years before they'd use him back to back, and he never pitched two innings.  So the concept that Burl might be used back-to-back and perhaps have some 2-inning outings like Hader, that could be nice.  *IF* he's actually good. 

Kantro:  "he’s never going to be a guy that’s painting corners."  Might-be-a-Maples will remain an open question for a while, I think.