Steven Stasburg... consensus #1 pick in this year's draft & they say he's got the goods to be an alltime great... this kid's fastball tops out at a blazing 104 mph & he's got a nasty curve to go along with it!!!
what are your opinions about him? all hype or all HOF type prospect, or somewhere in between?
any other bigtime prospects to watch out for in this year's draft?
BigSm00th@ 5/21/2009 12:53 AM
if he's healthy he'll be a legend. absolutely filthy stuff. will be the nationals #1 starter by august.
TMS@ 5/29/2009 7:22 PM
Strasburg is pitching on ESPN right now in case anyone's interested.
TMS@ 5/29/2009 7:30 PM
they moved the game over to ESPN Classic & then over to ESPN U
TMS@ 5/29/2009 8:02 PM
his fastball's topping out at 97 but mainly staying in the 94 mph range... he's not really throwing the fastball w/all that much conviction & it's pretty straight w/little movement... could have been spooked after giving up a 1st inning HR to a UVA batter, but he was in a pretty big jam in the 2nd as well... so far he's given up 2 runs in the first 2 innings... based off this limited action i don't see what the hoopla is all about but i'm sure the scouts have their reasons to be calling this kid the best prospect of alltime.
jaydh@ 5/30/2009 9:41 AM
Posted by BigSm00th:
if he's healthy he'll be a legend. absolutely filthy stuff. will be the nationals #1 starter by august.
They would be wise to keep him in the minors until next season in order to avoid him being a supertwo and the fact that he has already thrown over 100 innings.
BigSm00th@ 5/30/2009 1:13 PM
good point. yanks 1st rounder from last yr gerit cole is apparently tearing it up at UCLA
sebstar@ 6/5/2009 6:53 PM
I can say that I saw damn near every Strasberg game here at SDSU...We are not a sports school, so his home games were EVENTS.
I have a feeling he is going to have arm trouble in the bigs.
TMS@ 6/9/2009 5:29 PM
the MLB draft goes down tonight at 6pm, if anyone's interested:
1 Washington Nationals 2 Seattle Mariners 3 San Diego Padres 4 Pittsburgh Pirates 5 Baltimore Orioles 6 San Francisco Giants 7 Atlanta Braves 8 Cincinnati Reds 9 Detroit Tigers 10 Washington Nationals 11 Colorado Rockies 12 Kansas City Royals 13 Oakland A's 14 Texas Rangers 15 Cleveland Indians 16 Arizona D-backs 17 Arizona D-backs 18 Florida Marlins 19 St. Louis Cardinals 20 Toronto Blue Jays 21 Houston Astros 22 Minnesota Twins 23 Chicago White Sox 24 Los Angeles Angels 25 Los Angeles Angels 26 Milwaukee Brewers 27 Seattle Mariners 28 Boston Red Sox 29 New York Yankees 30 Tampa Bay Rays 31 Chicago Cubs 32 Colorado Rockies 36 Los Angeles Dodgers 72 New York Mets 75 Philadelphia Phillies
orangeblobman@ 6/9/2009 7:01 PM
tell me about this draft...how significant is it? does anyone good ever come out of it?
TMS@ 6/10/2009 12:09 AM
it's like any draft in any sport... of course good players come out of it... Boston built its championship teams of this decade using the draft, as the Yankees did the prior decade... good thing for the Yanks we still have a 1st rounder this year even tho we signed 3 class A free agents in the offseason cuz Gerrit Gole didn't sign last year (compensatory pick)
VDesai@ 6/10/2009 12:15 AM
Yanks took an OF named Slade Heathcott in the first, who has been compared to Josh Hamliton, not just b/c of his tools, but because of his character issues. In the 2nd they took a C named JR Murphy, who apparently has a good bat, but only switched to catcher recently. I was surprised they went for 2 high schoolers considering their problems signing guys last year. Here are some Baseball America capsule for Heathcott, who also is a pitcher (we like him in the OF).
Scouting Report: Heathcott is an enigma for scouts. He's a legitimate second-round talent as both an outfielder and a lefthanded pitcher, but he has DHed for most of the spring. He was out until mid-March recovering from November surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, then jammed his throwing shoulder diving for a fly ball in his second game back. When healthy, he's an athletic outfielder with five-tool potential. He swings a quick bat from the left side and has strength and power in his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame. He earns plus grades for his hitting and his speed, and he has good range and above-average arm strength in the outfield. Heathcott was selected for the Aflac All-American Game last summer as a pitcher, and some clubs like him more as a lefty with an 88-92 mph fastball that touches 94 and a promising curveball. There's effort in his delivery because he approaches pitching like he does everything else: full speed ahead. Heathcott hasn't pitched this spring because of the shoulder injury, however. His makeup also is a concern for several clubs, so it's uncertain where he'll fit in the draft. He's committed to Louisiana State.
Biographical Data Player Name: Slade Heathcott Position: Outfield School: Texas HS (Texas) School Type: High School Academic Class: Senior Birthdate: 9/28/90 Height: 6'1" Weight: 196 lbs. Bats: Left Throws: Left Report Date: 3/21/09 Game(s): New Iberia Tournament
Focus Area
Comments Hitting ability: Heathcott has plus hitting ability from the left side of the plate. Power: He has plus power to all fields. Running speed: Even with a knee brace, he showed above-average speed. Base running: Has great instincts on the bases and will be a base-stealer in the future. Arm strength: Also clocking in at 95 mph in the past off the mound, his arm from the outfield is a big plus. Fielding: He's a plus defender who can play all three outfield positions well. Range: His speed and his instincts allow him to cover a lot of ground. Physical Description: Heathcott is muscular with broad shoulders and a v-cut torso. Medical Update: He had ACL reconstruction surgery in November and has been playing with a knee brace, but shows no ill effects. He recently sprained a shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield, but sustained no structural damage. Strengths: Plus tools across the board. Intense competitor with instincts beyond his years. Weaknesses: There are some off-the-field issues that concern some. His makeup on the field is fine, but his character is the question. Summary: Heathcott is a very interesting high school outfielder with plus tools across the board. Even after November ACL surgery, he runs extremely well, has a plus arm from the outfield and can really hit for average and power from the left side of the plate. He's an intense competitor, but there is some concern over character issues off the field. The team that gets those questions answered could be the one to take him on Draft Day.
