What Could Have Been (2010 MLB Draft Prospects Lost)

Hello BYB, I am new here, and this is my first FanPost, so feel free to comment, rip apart, etc.

With the recent signing of Jose Valverde, a Type A free agent, the Tigers lost more than just money. They lost what could have been a key piece in their future. Of course, I'm talking about the first round draft choice in the 2010 MLB Draft that the Tigers gave away as compensation to the Houston Astros. A couple months ago, I compiled a list of prospects that could have been slotted into the #19 pick of the first round; alas, it is not to be so. The Tigers do not have that pick, but instead of throwing the prospect list away in disgust, I thought I would share my thoughts on some top players in the 2010 MLB Draft.

I apologize in advance for typos, seemingly incoherent thoughts, and the length of this post.

Realistic (And Some Unrealistic) Looks at How to Deal with the (former) #19, #42, #46   
Pick of the 2010 Draft 

<Name, Position, School, B/T>

*Independent Leagues/ JuCo*

Bryce Harper, C/ Superman, College of Southern Nevada, L/R
I threw him into the mix for kicks. He is probably the No. 1 pick, but he may fall out of that spot due to money issues. By now, his scouting report is very well know (homers hit a country/ desert mile, a plus arm, smooth catching skills, etc.); he may not live up to the lofty expectations (after all, the scouts project Harper to do everything but cure cancer and prove that talking pink unicorns exist), but he is going to be a star nonetheless. He may have run out of steam at the end of his High School career, but for a 17 year old kid under intense scrutiny, that's expected (after all, Harper IS human, contrary to popular belief). He probably is close to Joe Mauer in approach (that's a crazy, scary comparison), but he does not project to stay at catcher. Incredibly unrealistic choice here; most likely the #1 pick (or at least Top 3).

LeVon Washington, OF, INF, Chipola JC (FL), L/R
An interesting draft choice for any team. Has lots of tools, but not enough enough defensive skills to have him stay in CF. A move to 2nd base is probably in the near future. A game changer with his speed and   
impact bat; however, many issues arise on a personal level. He turned down millions of dollars not to play for Tampa Bay, and he failed to achieve good enough grades to play for Florida University, so  both   
incedents call into question this young man's character. Regardless, Washington will definatly be a draft pick worth taking. 

*College Players* 

Christian Colon, INF, Cal State Fullerton, R/R
Not very high on him. Said to have outstanding leadership skills, but I am more interested in his actual baseball skillset. Across the board, he seems average. Average tools, but he makes the most out of   
them. Excellent defender, though. Worth following and looking after. 

Josh Osich, LHP, Oregon St., L/L
A solid lefty pitcher, but extremely raw. Only started starting games his Junior year. Hard-throwing with a devasting curve, which is his outpitch. His changeup needs to be developed, but he has   
not had to use it while in the bullpen. Risky due to the fact that he has not started, he could slip. However, with a strong season, he would solidify his spot on top of the draft board. 

Justin Grimm, RHP, Georgia, R/R
Big right hander with a big fastball. Has some contol issues, but those have seemed to have been straightened out. 

Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast, L/L

Fast rising left-hander who really impressed in the Cape Cod leagues. He is a tall, lean lefty who features a firm, hard fastball and a sharp slider. Deceptive 3-quarters arm slot and very aggressive in attacking hitters. Fixed some control issues, but could still use improvement to clean-up mechanics which would help his control. Overall, probably a top 10 pick in the draft.

James Paxton, LHP, Kentucky, L/L

Drafted last year by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 37th pick, Paxton could slide to the Tigers. Has big control issues, and doesn’t have a third pitch. He features a fastball-slider combination, but without a third pitch, he may no stay a starter in the big leagues. However, his fastball sits in the mid-90’s (impressive for a lefty), and he has a solid slider.

Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Ole Miss, R/L
Big lefty pitcher with a solid fastball and command. Needs to continue to gain confidence in his secondary stuff, the change and curve. Once thought of as a Top 5 pick in the draft, Pomeranz’s stock has slipped some because scouts see him as a good middle rotation guy, and not a front of the rotation type of guy.

Bryce Brentz, OF, Middle Tennessee, R/R
Will probably be drafted as an outfielder, but can pitch as well. His bat generates a lot of speed and power. Scouts question his work ethic and makeup, so he’ll need a big year to really impress people again. Could drop to late 1st round or supplementary picks.

Rick Hague, INF, Rice, R/R
A solid shortstop out of Rice, Hague should be a late 1st round choice or 2nd round choice. Projects to stay at short, a position he fields wonderfully. He complements his strong fielding prowess with a solid stick. He will be a solid major league player.

Zack Cox, 3B, Arkansas, L/R

Draft-eligible sophomores are always intriguing. He has a smooth lefty swing that has dangerous power in it. A big guy, he may not stay at 3rd base, but instead find himself playing either 1st or left. Very projectable. Could find himself in the Top 10, but he could slip to late 1st round due to leverage (sophomore) and questions linger about his true power potential.

*High School Players* 

Jameson Taillon, RHP, The Woodlands HS (TX), R/R

The top prep pitcher in the draft, and he may well be the top pitcher in the draft (overall Anthony Ranaudo of LSU). Big, tall righty power pitcher with a power fastball, good curve, a good slider, and an average-ish change-up. He will be a Top 5 pick, no doubt, so really unrealistic for teams beyond that.

Cameron Bedrosian, RHP, East Coweta HS (GA), R/R

Not terribly big for a pitcher who throws as hard as he does (mid-90’s heat), but he has a very easy, fluid pitching motion. However, he is still considered very raw. However, he is a high upside for a guy projected to go late 1st round to 2nd round. He features an arsenal of a hard fastball, a curveball, a change-up, and a type of cutter (more-or-less a two-seam fastball). He does well at changing speeds, and has a good feel for his large pitch repertoire.

Yordy Cabrera, INF/ OF/ RHP, Lakeland HS (FL), R/R

I wish he would slide to the supplementary round, but it is very unlikely. Even though he plays shortstop, his large frame will most likely be moved to the outfield or 3rd base. Physically compared to a young Miguel Cabrera. One knock against him is that he is a year older than the competition he is facing. However, that does not devalue his talents in any way. He possesses a very big bat, like Miguel Cabrera (seriously, the dude beat Bryce "Superman" Harper in a homerun contest), but where he will end up playing in the field is a mystery. Also a pitcher, he will definitely be drafted for his bat. Oh, and his dad is the manager of the Gulf Coast Tigers.

Brian Ragira, OF, James Martin HS (TX), R/R

A guy I’m pretty high on, lean and lanky Brian Ragira brings many tools to the table. He offers above average foot speed, bat speed (from the right side), and arm strength. Also a pitcher, he will most likely be drafted to play the field. With his athleticism and tools, he is a future centerfielder. He could be anything from Austin Jackson to Cameron Maybin to Curtis Granderson (in no particular order…). A Stanford commit, he could slide to late 1st round to supplementary.

Justin O'Connor, RHP/ INF, Cowan HS (IN), R/R

Another guy I’m pretty high on, he is a two-way player that will most likely be drafted as an infielder. Even though he may get bigger as he gains more strength (right now: 6’ 1", 190 lbs.), he will probably not move from his current position at shortstop. He has smooth defensive skills and a solid arm. His bat is solid as well. Probably a late 1st round or supplementary pick.

Austin Wilson, OF, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA), R/R
Another impressive prep position player that I’m high on. Plus power and plus arm from the outfield, Wilson could go middle of the 1st round. Most likely a corner outfielder. Some say he has the most power potential in this year’s draft class.

AJ Cole, RHP, Oviedo HS (FL), R/R

Projected to be a top pick in the draft. Not really realistic at even the former #19 slot, but still could have slid. Big body, hard thrower with a good hard curve. A third pitch, the change-up, is underdeveloped, but that’s expected from a high school pitcher. Said to be the second best prep pitcher behind Jameson Taillon.

Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley HS (FL), R/R
Hard throwing righty pitcher with good bloodlines (Ed Whitson’s son). Above-average fastball, but lacks solid secondary stuff. Other reports have him featuring a wicked slider, so it’s hard to gauge his stuff. Still, his mechanics need work if he is to stay as a starter. Otherwise, he would make a dominating closer.

Stetson Allie, RHP, St. Edward HS (OH), R/R

A two-way player who will most likely be drafted as a pitcher, mainly due to the fact he throws in the upper-90’s. Like Whitson, his secondary stuff needs work as do his mechanics. He will most likely be a top prep pitcher, but could slide due to his UNC commit. Surpirisngly agile at 3rd base for having such a large frame, so he is very athletic.

Dylan Covey, RHP, Maranatha HS (CA), R,R

Big, powerful hard-throwing righty with a curve and a change-up. Good command with all his pitches. Good mechanics, uses his strong lower body. Look for him to go mid 1st round, but his stock is rising go rapidly he may end up being a Top 5 pick in the draft.

Josh Sale, OF, Bishop Blanchet HS (WA), L/R

One of the best hitters in this year’s draft, and only in high school. His bat will definitely carry him up the draft boards. He doesn’t possess the best athleticism or refined skill set, but his bat is truly special. He will probably end up being a mid 1st round pick at the least; although, questions of his defensive skills may push him back to late 1st round.   

Trey Griffin, OF, Martin Luther King HS (GA), R/R

Not much is being said about Trey Griffin. However, he is one the most athletic high school players in the draft. He has the potential to be a 5 tool player. Lots of projection from him, good outfield actions, good arm, good bat, raw power, and blazing speed. Look for him to fly under the radar and most likely slip to the supplementary to 2nd round.

Notes 
In the past, the Detroit Tigers have used their payroll flexibility to snatch up top prospects who have fallen to them. However, with a faltering economy and unexpected season ticket expectations, it is unclear whether they have access to Mr. Ilitch's blank checks. That said, adding another young arm into their organization via the first round is very likely, even though the organization sorely lacks depth in positional talent. The Front Office loves drafting hard-throwing pitchers (Miller, Porcello, Turner, oh yeah, Verlander). However, a top-notch lefty would be nice, just to complement the right-handed dominated rotation, or an impact bat would be a nice unexpected choice.

Thanks go to:

draftamerica.com

mlbbonusbaby.com

5tooltalk.com

perfectgame.org

for this information on the prospects