MLB Draft
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Mayo's latest mock has Brothers jumping up to 11 and the Tribe taking Eric Arnett, RHP from Indiana University:
15. Cleveland Indians: Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana University
Without one of the better high school arms making it down here, it's looking like the college-pitcher angle will play well here. The Indians were at Arnett's regional start en force and they liked how the big right-hander competed. He's a good athlete with great makeup who will sign quickly, something that works in his favor.
Last week's projection: Brothers
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...rtnerId=rss_mlb
Beanpot
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Great thread Bean, seems like every year I tell myself I'll follow college baseball more and read up on the high schoolers and be pumped for the draft, but it never happens. It's always good reading on the dozens of guys your team picks up though.
Just checked out Keith Law, who's on the same page on Arnett.
15. Cleveland Indians
Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana: Leake is their main target, and there's a dirty rumor around that they've considered taking ASU center fielder Jason Kipnis and converting him to second base.
Summary: Arnett, a former basketball player, emerged as a prospect this spring by showing improved velocity and a much better breaking ball than he had in the past. It can take him a while to get going, but he will sit 90-94 mph and hit 96 several times over an outing of 100-plus pitches. The pitch plays up because his long arms give him the ability to release the ball later than most pitchers can. His slider is sharp with a somewhat early break out of his hand at 81-83 mph, and his straight change in the low-80s has some promise, although he lacks feel for it and doesn't use it often. He also throws a curveball, but the slider is more advanced. He has a drop-and-drive delivery and a surprisingly short arm action for a guy his height. His front foot lands crooked, slightly toward the third-base dugout instead of straight at the plate, which can affect command. Arnett's main red flag, aside from the lack of a track record, is his very high workload, with six starts in which he exceeded 120 pitches. He's a good athlete with the raw stuff to be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, although inexperience probably makes his ceiling more that of a mid-rotation guy.
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Great thread Bean, seems like every year I tell myself I'll follow college baseball more and read up on the high schoolers and be pumped for the draft, but it never happens. It's always good reading on the dozens of guys your team picks up though.
Just checked out Keith Law, who's on the same page on Arnett.
15. Cleveland Indians
Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana: Leake is their main target, and there's a dirty rumor around that they've considered taking ASU center fielder Jason Kipnis and converting him to second base.
Summary: Arnett, a former basketball player, emerged as a prospect this spring by showing improved velocity and a much better breaking ball than he had in the past. It can take him a while to get going, but he will sit 90-94 mph and hit 96 several times over an outing of 100-plus pitches. The pitch plays up because his long arms give him the ability to release the ball later than most pitchers can. His slider is sharp with a somewhat early break out of his hand at 81-83 mph, and his straight change in the low-80s has some promise, although he lacks feel for it and doesn't use it often. He also throws a curveball, but the slider is more advanced. He has a drop-and-drive delivery and a surprisingly short arm action for a guy his height. His front foot lands crooked, slightly toward the third-base dugout instead of straight at the plate, which can affect command. Arnett's main red flag, aside from the lack of a track record, is his very high workload, with six starts in which he exceeded 120 pitches. He's a good athlete with the raw stuff to be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter, although inexperience probably makes his ceiling more that of a mid-rotation guy.
seems like every year I tell myself I'll follow college baseball more and read up on the high schoolers and be pumped for the draft, but it never happens.
I'm the same way! I really got into college baseball when I first moved to Florida (fell head over heels for LaPorta and a few others) and then just forgot about it. Now I'm scrambling to catch some of these guys during the super regionals and conference tourneys, like that will mean anything.
Thanks for the link to Law, he and BA are the two bibles when it comes to this stuff, IMO.
Beanpot
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Law's final mock still has us taking Arnett. I like it. A big righthander (6-5, 225), somewhat polished in that he's at least had some college coaching, and the raw stuff with a fastball touching 96 to be a top 2 starter. We certainly don't need another crafty lefty in the minors.
mlb.com says Arnett too, but that we might gamble on Tanner Scheppers, (6-4, 200) who's said to be the second best starter behind Strasburg, but a shoulder injury last year makes him a risk.
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Callis sez the same thing:
15. INDIANS. Cleveland almost certainly will take an experienced pitcher. They like Indiana righthander Arnett, Brothers and Jenkins, and they'll also think about indy leaguers Crow and Scheppers.
Projected Pick: ERIC ARNETT.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft...009/268312.html
Beanpot
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BTW, if you've got your full dork-on (hand high in the air!), Baseball Analysts will be live-blogging this bit of goodness for the third year in a row:
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/...logging_t_4.php
Here's their early template on the Tribe:
15. Cleveland Indians
AL Central | 24-34 | Fifth Place
General Manager: Mark Shapiro
Scouting Director: Brad Grant
2008 1st Round: Lonnie Chisenhall, IF, North Carolina CC
2007 1st Round: Beau Mills, 1B, Lewis-Clark State
2006 1st Round: David Huff, LHP, UCLA (supplemental 1st)
FanGraphs' Top 5 Prospects:
1. Carlos Santana, C, Double-A
2. Matt LaPorta, 1B, Triple-A
3. Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, High-A
4. Beau Mills, 1B, Double-A
5. Nick Weglarz, OF, Double-A
Organizational Needs: Center field, Right field, Left-handed pitching, Right-handed pitching
Beanpot
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For the hell of it, Callis and Manuel had their back-and-forth mock yesterday and number 15 landed on Callis and he passed on Arnett and instead chose Tanner Scheppers, the former Fresno St. ace who played in the Independent Leagues this year. Regardless if we draft him or not, he's going to be someone to watch after getting a clean bill of health from Doc Yocum. He went 8-2, 2.39 with 109 ks and 34 walks in 2008:
15. INDIANS (Jim). The Indians want an experienced pitcher and there's a guy sitting right here who may have the second-best stuff in the draft after Strasburg. We're not privy to the medical reports on St. Paul Saints (American Association) righthander Tanner Scheppers, but if they're clean, this is the point where his value clearly begins to outweigh any nagging doubts about his shoulder. I couldn't take Scheppers at No. 9, but I can take him here.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft...009/268298.html
Beanpot
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As Bud strides to the podium, here's Schilling's thoughts on the day he was drafted:
The day I became a pro baseball player 06.09.09 at 11:51 am ET
By Curt Schilling
Draft Day, 1986 (AKA the last January Draft ever). So there I am, sitting in the hallway of the men’s dorm at Yavapai Junior College. Why you might ask? Because the draft has started, and I have heard I’m potentially getting drafted.
Patience is not a virtue to me. Hell, it’s not something I’m even remotely familiar with.
I sat by the phone all morning long, into the afternoon. I waited, waited, and waited some more. I had known all winter I was on ‘the list’, but I had no idea who’s list, and where.
My roommate (and eventual JC Player of the Year Brian Deak) was a sure-fire pick, and a high one at that. I skipped classes (a not all too uncommon occurrence for me back then considering I knew if I was drafted in the 400th round I was signing) on draft day, sat by the phone and waited.
Worst part is I can’t even remember the phone call. I know it came in the afternoon sometime, and it was the Red Sox. Red Sox??? Damn, I was hoping like hell my favorite team (the Pirates) had drafted me.
Ray Boone, the scout who recommended me, called me, I think. I am not sure I can remember or explain the feeling, but I know it was a good one. The Sox had taken me in the second round. This was the same
winter draft Jeff Shaw went first, and Moises Alou was drafted. We went on to have a storybook season, getting all the way to the JC World Series in Grand Junction Colorado. It was one of my favorite teams and years of all time.
Deak was JC Player of the year, hitting 40 HR and driving in like 200 runs. We had Brad Hebbets at first, Tim Stanley (funniest man ever and a future Montreal Expo) at second, Pat Swift at SS (was the guy on 2nd when Deak hit the walk off HR to win the regional tourney!) Paul Wegner, Albert Mendibles at third (gold glover), Danny Diaz, Kelly Clairmont, Bradi Brogni (still a close friend and one of the most talented players I ever
played with. Also the longest home run off me and has the biggest nose ever…) and one of my best friends ever, Ty Van Dyke. Ty was the guy who went to Iraq last year with me. In 23 years of pro ball I still talk to fewer teammates than I do from the JC team. It was that fun.
Paul Wilhemlsmen, tallest LHP ever (including RJ!) Gary Weems, Danny Rodriguez (who had the plaque) and some other incredibly talented guys. We were coached by “Coach Kemp” — great guy and someone who didn’t think I was as funny as I thought I was — and managed by one of my all time favorite people, Dave Dangler. A man who came along at a huge time in my life and inserted just enough discipline to keep me out of jail for that one year away from home. He basically told me that winter that I was “pitching for dollars” and it was no longer just a game. He was right. I’ll be forever thankful of his mentoring me at a time when I needed it.
So we had this great year, went to the World Series, and lost to Brevard in the semi-finals in a rip off… a sham! Then lost to eventual winners San Jacinto.
I’d love to tell you this long drawn out story about negotiations, but it didn’t happen. Baseball was all I knew, and all I wanted. I signed less than an hour after the game ended. I vaguely remember Mr. Boone
calling me and letting me know they were going to offer me 15K to sign, and I came back and said I wanted 25K, and he said “Good luck in college next year.
That was the extent of the negotiations.
I signed right then, right there. We bussed home to Prescott the next day. Deaker and I drove home
to Phoenix that night (and ran out of gas about an hour from home) in the “new” Jeep CJ7. I bought it from Ty, and it was a heap, but it looked cool!
The next day I was packed, and on a plane to the lovely city of Elmira, New York, and my career began about two weeks later in my first professional start of my career, against the St. Catherine’s Blue Jays.
Not really all that glamorous, but man it was to me.
http://38pitches.weei.com/sports/boston/ba...aseball-player/
Beanpot
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Just looked at Crow's profile....I never would've thought the Fort Worth Cats would have a top 5 prospect, I'm pretty upset I never went to see him play.
This mlb.com coverage is looking pretty good for me too, I must say 4 minutes per pick is glorious after all the years watching the NFL draft.
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Lederer on Turner:
Turner may be the top prep righthander in the draft. No one doubts his size, arm strength, or projectability. Represented by the Scott Boras Corporation, some teams may shy away from the alleged bonus demands that seek to match the record $7 million for a high school pitcher garnered by Josh Beckett in 1999 and Rick Porcello in 2007. I watched Turner on TV in the AFLAC Classic at Dodger Stadium last summer. He started the game, pitched two innings, allowed just one hit, one walk, and no runs while striking out five consecutive batters. Although his fastball was mostly 91-92 and touched 93 that day, it has reportedly topped out at 98 this spring. He also throws a curveball and changeup. Baseball America ranks his fastball as the second-best among all high schoolers. He has signed a letter of intent to North Carolina.
http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2009/...logging_t_4.php
Beanpot
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I believe we are on the clock
Is this the spot for Tanner Scheppers?
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Alex White:
http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baseb...ite_alex00.html
SOPHOMORE (2008)
Made the jump to a front-line starter as a sophomore • Earned second-team ABCA All-America honors and was selected a third-team All-America by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball • Also claimed first-team ABCA All-Atlantic Regional and first-team All-ACC honors • Became the second Tar Heel in the last three years to earn ACC Pitcher of the Year honors • Claimed the S.H. Basnight Award as Carolina's most valuable position pitcher • Doubled his win total and dropped his ERA by more than two runs from 2007 to 2008 • Pitched in 20 games, making 15 starts • Finished the season with a 13-3 record and a 2.83 ERA in a team-high 101 2/3 innings • Struck out 113 batters and walked just 42 for a 2.7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio • Held the opposition to .215 average • Ranked among the ACC's top five in wins (first), opponent batting average (second), strikeouts (third), innings (third) and ERA (fourth) • Tied for second in UNC history with 13 wins and fifth with 113 strikeouts • Struck out at least six batters in 14 of 15 starts • Went 6-3 in ACC action with a 3.71 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings • Made six NCAA Tournament appearances, posting a 5-0 record and a 2.76 ERA in 29 1/3 innings • Tied an NCAA record with three wins in a single College World Series • Struck out 12 and posted a 3.38 ERA in 13 1/3 innings in Omaha • Opened an outstanding postseason run with first career complete game against UNC Wilmington May 31 • Held the Seahawks to one run on three hits and struck out eight to earn ninth win • Followed with victories against No. 9 Coastal Carolina and No. 2 LSU, lasting seven innings and allowing three runs in each start • Pitched in relief in three straight CWS games, beating LSU again June 19 and No. 8 Fresno State June 21 • Worked two scoreless innings against the Tigers and followed with five strikeouts in 2 2/3 hitless frames versus the Bulldogs to earn victory No. 13 • Matched a career best with 11 strikeouts on two occasions • Fanned 11 and allowed just three hits and one earned run against Virginia in the ACC Tournament May 21 • Struck out 11 in just 5 2/3 innings to earn a win against NC State March 28 • Bested No. 14 Georgia Tech with eight strikeouts over seven scoreless innings April 4 • Followed with 5 2/3 scoreless in a win at Clemson April 11 • Struck out six in 6 2/3 in a win over Boston College April 18 • Won at Virginia with eight Ks over six innings • Also posted victories over Florida Atlantic, Kent State and Virginia Tech.
FRESHMAN (2007)
Pitched in 19 games and made 18 starts as the Tar Heels' Saturday starter for much of the season • Earned second-team Freshman All-America honors from Rivals.com • Finished second on the team and sixth in the ACC with 83 strikeouts and 98 1/3 innings pitched • Posted a 6-7 record with a 4.94 ERA on the year • Struck out 29 batters looking to rank second in the ACC and was fifth with six pickoffs • In league play, went 3-4 with a 4.63 ERA over 10 starts and fanned 59 in 56 1/3 innings • Entered the NCAA Tournament with a 6-4 record and a 3.35 ERA but allowed 23 of his 54 earned runs over four postseason starts and suffered three losses • Finest start of the season came against No. 5 Virginia in the ACC Tournament when he held the Cavaliers to two hits and struck out five over seven shutout innings • Earned a spot on the ACC's All-Tournament Team for his efforts • Fanned a career-best 11 batters over 6 2/3 innings at NC State April 21 • Struck out 10 over seven innings in a win at Boston College in game two of a doubleheader April 7 • Beat No. 11 Miami with six strikeouts and no earned runs over a career-best 7 2/3 innings March 10 • Won at Maryland in game one of a doubleheader May 19 with seven strikeouts and just three runs allowed over seven innings • Pitched the ninth inning in a 5-1 win at East Carolina and struck out two in front of his hometown crowd May 9 • Won his first career start with six shutout innings against Seton Hall Feb. 17 and went 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA over his first six starts of the season • Also defeated Stony Brook and Miami over this stretch • Started four games in the NCAA Tournament, including a pair in the College World Series. Summer 2007: Pitched for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod League • Named the league's No. 14 prospect by Baseball America • Went 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in 25 2/3 innings over seven appearances • Made three starts and threw one complete game • Struck out 31 and walked just eight.
D.H. CONLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Played four years as a pitcher/shortstop at D.H. Conley High School for coach Jason Mills • Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft • Earned third-team high school All-America honors from Baseball America • First-team TPX All-America selection • 2006 North Carolina Player of the Year • Led Conley to the 2006 state 3A title and earned MVP honors in the state tournament • Also helped team to 2005 state 4A crown • Also played four years of basketball as a point guard • Active in FCA and SASI • Played with American Legion Post 39 in the summer.
PERSONAL
Alex Bruce White is the son of Bruce and Catherine White • Born Aug. 29, 1988, in Greenville, N.C. • Has two older brothers • Majoring in sports administration at Carolina • Brother Travis played at North Carolina Wesleyan and played one year of pro ball • Lists favorite movie as "Bull Durham" and favorite book as "The Great Gatsby" • Favorite professional teams are the Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers • Modeled his game after Greg Maddux.
ALEX WHITE'S CAREER STATS
Year ERA W-L App GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BF B/Avg WP HBP SFA SHA BK
2007.... 4.94 6-7 19 18 0 0/1 0 98.1 100 63 54 48 83 25 2 5 434 .277 6 7 5 13 2
2008.... 2.83 13-3 20 15 1 0/0 0 101.2 78 43 32 42 113 15 0 6 420 .215 6 5 4 6 3
TOTAL... 3.87 19-10 39 33 1 0/1 0 200.0 178 106 86 90 196 40 2 11 854 .246 12 12 9 19 5
CAREER HIGHS: Innings: 9.0 vs. UNC Wilmington (5/31/08) Strikeouts: 11 at NC State (4/28/07), vs. NC State (3/28/07), vs. Virginia (5/21/08) Hits: 10 vs. Boston College (4/18/08) Walks: 6 vs. Miami (3/10/07), vs. Wake Forest (3/31/07) Runs: 8 at Duke (3/8/08, G1) Earned Runs: 7 vs. East Carolina (6/2/07)
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MLB.com had him going top ten:
7. Atlanta Braves: Alex White, RHP, University of North Carolina
The Braves are more than likely to go with the "best arm available." They'd love it if hometown hero Wheeler or California standout Matzek were around, but in this scenario both are off the board. It looks like Shelby Miller is off the list now and the Braves may go the college route. White has been pitching with a bit of a hamstring issue and assuming the Braves are assured he's fine otherwise, he could be their guy.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...rtnerId=rss_mlb
Beanpot
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