FanPost

The Draft is Coming! The Draft is Coming!

 

UPDATED: Detroit Tigers 2010 Draft 


Thus far, the majority of mock drafts for the 2010 MLB first-year player draft have featured many changes, with each new release. With no sure pick "locked" down, these changes are happening throughout the boards. Even the former rock star #1 pick, Bryce "Ubermench" Harper, is being intensely debated (which, although his "makeup" issues shouldn't be taken lightly, is it really any wonder why the guy has an overinflated, egotistical self-assurance? I mean, seriously, the dude graced us all with his divine presence on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was being told he was the LeBron James/ savior of baseball before he could legally vote! On top of that, he had the numbers to back up all those claims that he mangled opposing pitchers and launching baseballs to the moon with one, all-mighty stroke of his majestic bat. I think I would be a tad bit arrogant too...) After the first few picks (Harper, Taillon, Machado, Pomeranz, Sale, and Cole), the draft is rather hazy. Even the few player I listed are not locks in any one place. This years’ draft is much like last year's draft, with a myriad of high-upside arms from the prep ranks (which it should be dually noted: with great upside, comes an even greater ability to bust, thus breaking the hearts of draft-junkies, like me) and a copious amount of what-you-see-is-what-you-get type college arms. Add a sprinkle of raw prep hitters and a pinch of polished, but low-ceiling college hitters and voilà! You have your 2010 MLB first-year player draft class. And, the joys of the draft! Anything can happen! (did anyone see Tony Sanchez getting taken #4? the answer to that is no...) 

Forget about Bryce Brentz, Zach Cox, Jameson Taillon, AJ Cole, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, and co. because the Tigers will get to choose from "second-tier" talent or top-shelf talent that slides due to commitments to college or signability issues. Here is a premature look at some of the players that could be available in the Supplementary 1st Round (#44, 48) and the Second Round (#68): 

 

Preps 

Stetson Allie, RHP

HUGE power arm from the right side. Allie has the ability to hit upper 90s heat with regularity. Built like an ox, he is considered more of a thrower than a pitcher right now, and he may lack the stamina to continue as a starting pitcher. He also has inconsistencies in his offspeed offerings and mechanics. His UNC commitment and raw pitching talent may allow him to slide to the supplementary round. If he falls out of the 1st round, it will probably take a hefty signing bonus and contract to lure him away from college.

Robbie Aviles, RHP 
Slowly but surely rising up the draft boards. A cold weather player (from a high school in New York), Aviles is certainly drawing interest from scouts. He has a good fastball in the mid 90s with a good curveball. His changeup is rarely used but could be above average. He has a projectable frame at 6’4". He has some funky delivery problems, but those are easily corrected. His late ascension in the draft boards may have Aviles out of the Tigers reach by the time the Supplementary round pops up. Teams will not be afraid of his University of Florida commitment.

Cameron Bedrosian, RHP

Features a very hard fastball. A smallish righty starter (6’0") with the ability to hit upper 90s on his fastball, many scouts don’t see him staying as a starter down the road. He may lack the durability, but his pitching ability is impressive non-the-less. He is fearless pitcher, and goes right after the opposition. He possesses an above average slider, and an improving changeup. Good bloodlines (his father, Steve, pitched in the majors for 14 years) and a live arm may not be enough to get him into the 1st round. I know many are opposed to bullpen arms, but Bedrosian’s talent may be too much for the Tigers to pass up.

Kris Bryant, 3rd   
Features amazing raw power. However, this power is in question due to his use of an aluminum bat. Not everyone buys that the power will make a smooth transition after he uses wood bats. A good athlete with a good arm, Bryant should have the athleticism to be able to stay at 3rd base. He will most likely be available when the Tigers pick in the supplementary round.

 Yordy Cabrera, INF/ RHP 

Good hitter with lots of potential tools. A bit of wishful thinking, but he could slip in the Supplementary round mainly because teams might not view him polished enough for a high draft pick. He has plenty of potential though. Enough to probably get him into the mid-1st round. A current shortstop, he will quickly outgrow that position. A possible shift to 3rd or a corner outfield spot is in his future (he has more than enough range and arm strength for both). Some question his contact hitting ability, but he has very good raw power. Very high upside for any team who drafts him and develops his tools. His father is in the Tigers’ minor league system in Lakeland.

Nick Castellanos, 3rd 

A third basemen with a good bat! Obviously, you don’t like to draft for need, but with Castellanos, a Tigers’ pick would be for need and talent. The Tigers’ system is barren of position player of any sorts, and Castellanos would be a great pick. For the Supplementary round, he’s a bit of a reach. The only reason I have him here (other than wishful thinking…), is due to the fact his price tag may be ridiculously high. He has good hitting potential, which is enough to get him drafted in the 1st round, but could slip because of bonus demands.

Kaleb Cowart, RHP/ 3rd

A nice two-way player that most likely translates into a 3rd basemen in the Tigers organization (assuming they draft him). Cowart features impressive power from both sides of the plate. Although some scouts see him as a pitcher, his bat is too good to ignore. Able to touch 95 mph on the gun, Cowart has plenty of arm strength to play 3rd. Good raw potential, he may be too raw for some teams to get him with a high draft pick, so the Tigers would be delighted to have him slip to them with their Supplementary round pick(s).

Reggie Golden, OF 
Has the potential to be a 5-tool player. A bit of a wild swing, but his bat has good power potential. Good speed and range in the outfield. Average-ish arm strength. Above-average speed on the basepaths. He is very compact at 5’10" 210 lbs. An incredible athlete that may be considered too raw for the 1st round. Everyone knows that the Tigers need more position players and athletes in their minor league system, and Golden would be a good start. With the development of his tools, he could become a legitimate 5-tool athlete.

Justin O'Connor, SS/ C/ RHP 

A do-it-all type guy with plenty of talent to do it all. Though, most likely a catcher at the next level. He just started the catcher position this year, so he is a bit raw in that area. He has more that enough arm strength for that position, as he can hit mid-90s on the mound. Not the biggest guy, 6-ish feet, but he has good athletic ability and strength to hit for plus power to all fields. He will take time to develop, but that won’t scare teams away from picking him near the end of the 1st round. Though he could fall if teams fail to find his raw potential impressive enough for a high draft pick.

Brian Ragira, OF 

Excellent tools and makeup. Ragira’s former blazing speed has slowed down and will continue to slow down as he grows into his 6’3" frame, but he is a smart baserunner and won’t clog the bases. He possesses an above-average arm from the outfield, and he has good hitting ability (probably his best tool). The power has a chance to be an excellent tool when he matures. Ragira has a Stanford commit, and a very strong one at that. His whole family has a strong emphasis on education, so he may be heading to college. It will take large dollar amounts to get him to turn down the Stanford commitment, if he hasn’t made up his mind already.

DeAndre Smelter, RHP

Good arm strength and fastball velocity. His fastball can run up to 95 mph with good life. He also has the potential for an above average changeup. He has a very projectable frame, at 6’3" and 210 lbs. He is rather raw as a pitcher, and could wind up in the Supplementary round. It’s no secret the Tigers like big arms, and Smelter would fit the "big-armed" righty bill the Tigers front office adore. He comes with a bit of a health concern, as he has experienced some forearm tightness likely from the splitter he’s developing.

Peter Tago, RHP 

Big fastball with excellent late life. Although he not among the "big name" prep arms of the draft, Tago has a big arm, and we all know that the Tigers love hard throwers. Lacks solid offspeed offerings and has command issues, but any team that drafts him know that he is a work in progress. At 6’1", Tago does not have the size of a stereotypical hard-thrower, so he may have durability issues. He will defiantly be around when the Tigers pick. He would be an affordable, slot pick.

Taijuan Walker, RHP 
Very projectable righty with lots of upside. Walker has a good fastball that touches mid-90s and has good life to it. His secondary stuff has shown flashes of average-ness, but it is uncertain what offspeed pitches he will continue to develop. He has thrown a curve, but it is reported that he scrapped it for a slider. Both are below average. He doesn’t really show off a changeup either. His delivery can be inconsistent, which messes with his command. Teams that have a lot of pitching depth in the minors, like the Tigers, could take him and really develop him into a nice starter. He has no real signability issues either.

Austin Wilson, OF 
Big power bat with the athletic ability to stay in the outfield. He won’t clog the basepaths, but he’s not a burner either. However, it’s the power that has scouts giving him a long look. The kid is big and strong (some may even say he’s "country strong…"). He also possess an above-average arm from the outfield. He has outstanding work ethic both on and off the field. He seems like a 1st round lock for sure, so why do I think he may be available in the supplementary round? Simple: Stanford. The bright, young man has a college commitment to Stanford, and Stanford commits don’t back out easily. Teams will be scared off, regardless of his above-average tools and impressive skillset. It will take a lot of money to lure him away from college.


College/ Other 

Michael Choice, OF

Ridiculous raw power to all fields. Great power tool, with some wacky swing mechanics, Choice also has a good feel for the game. Enough speed to stay in the outfield, he also has an average arm. He will not stay in centerfield, but he has the power to be an excellent corner outfielder. Depending on how teams value him, Choice could be taken as early as the late-1st round. For the Tigers, Choice would be a good choice for a system lacking choice position talent (sorry…).

Todd Cunningham, OF

Great balanced hitter from both sides of the plate. He has enough power to translate well into the big leagues, but that is not the strong part of his game. He has terrific contact ability, and great speed to get on base and not clog them. A centerfielder now, Cunningham will probably be a plus defender in left field in the future. With a plus bat, plus speed, and plus defense, Cunningham would be a good choice in the Supplementary round.

Micah Gibbs, C

A catcher with a solid hit tool, ‘nuff said. Solid tools across the board, Gibbs was once considered a 1stround pick. However, with other (better) catching prospects coming out, teams could pick them before Gibbs. He has some power potential and solid contact ability from both sides of the plate. He also has enough arm strength to stay at the catching position, a position that is sorely lacking in the Tigers’ system.

Matt Harvey, RHP

Hard-throwing righty with an electric heater and a solid slider. His command has greatly improved, though it is still a work in progress. Mechanics got all out of whack during his sophomore year, but he has drastically improved in this regard. He could develop into a solid starter with three above-average pitches, a lightening fastball, a slider, and a changeup. He used to throw a hard curve in high school, but he scrapped that for the slider. Still a work in progress, Harvey could slide out of the 1st round.

Asher Wjciechowski, RHP

Nice college arm with a ridiculously awesome name. Wojciechowski has a fastball that hits 94 on the gun, with a developing changeup and slider and average control. Big, durable frame, although he may lack the stamina to stay a starter at the next level. Wojciechowski is a good average college pitcher that would be around when the Tigers get their pick.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.