Well, to most of you, this isn’t a big deal. For Pirates fans….well, that many that actually care still, June 7th is a great day for the team. It’s Draft day! About the only time that the Pirates are high ranked in anything. Today, I’m going to urge you to look at one of the best Pittsburgh Pirates Blogs out there, WHYGAVS.com(Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke). He just recently posted his thoughts on who the Pirates are going to draft, and it’s all top notch stuff. So check it out!
Finally, it looks to be like the Pirates and the media have zero’d in on a few guys that they will be taking with the second overall pick today. They are:
Manny Machado, SS, Miami Brito HS, Sr. – Scouting Report from MLB.com
Hitting ability: Machado is swinging the bat very well, with authority. He led Team USA in hitting last summer
Power: He has the chance to have good power.
Running speed: He’s run well in the past, though he might slow down as he matures.
Base running: He’s fine on the basepaths.
Arm strength: He’s got plenty of arm for his position.
Fielding: He makes the plays he can get to.
Range: This is the question, whether he’ll have enough range to stay at shortstop as he gets bigger and stronger.
Physical Description: A big, strong athletic high school shortstop in the Miami area, Machado obviously draws young Alex Rodriguez comparisons.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: Big, strong, looks the part, plenty of tools, especially with the bat.
Weaknesses: Already pretty big, he may not be able to stay at shortstop in the long-term.
Summary: Machado entered the season as the top high school position player and has done nothing to diminish that evaluation. Big and athletic, he can do just about everything on the baseball field, with the ability to hit for plenty of average and some power as he matures. He’s got more than enough arm to play shortstop and is fine there for now, though there is some concern he’ll outgrow the position. Even if he does, he’d be just fine at third, both in terms of handling the position defensively and providing the kind of offense teams look for at the hot corner. Regardless of his position, Machado is primed to be one of the earliest names taken off the board in June.
Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands HS, Texas, Sr. - Scouting Report from MLB.com
Fastball: Taillon threw his fastball in the 94-99 mph range.
Fastball movement: It has explosive movement.
Curve: It’s a plus pitch and he threw it 81-85 mph.
Slider: Also a plus breaking ball, he throws it 84-88 mph.
Changeup: He has a changeup and it’s a solid pitch. He doesn’t always use it, but he knows it’s a pitch he’ll need at the next level.
Control: He does need to improve his command, though it’s not a real concern. He has a tendency to throw away from hitters too much and must learn to come in more, something that likely will come when he’s pitching to wood bats consistently.
Poise: He has plus poise and his makeup is off the charts.
Physical Description: Taillon is an absolute beast. He’s tall and lean with extra-long levers and a slim waist.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: Three plus pitches with the changeup giving him the potential to have a four-pitch mix.
Weaknesses: Like with many high school pitchers, his command can improve.
Summary: Taillon is the complete package in a high school pitcher, with tremendous size, stuff and a feel for pitching. He’s got three plus pitches in his fastball, slider and curve. Even his changeup, while not used that much, is solid. He uses his size to his advantage and has tremendous mound presence. As impressive as his stuff is, his makeup might be even better. A commitment to Rice might sound intriguing, but if he goes at the top of the first round, and everything points to that happening, it likely won’t be an issue.
Both of these high school players look to be the cream of the crop for the Pirates. I’m just hoping the Nationals surprise everyone and don’t select Bryce Harper. Oh how wonderful that would be!
June 27th, 2010 at 2:55 AM
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