Official MLB Draft Day thread

[Millikin]

Harry Ford?

That's what happens if you never wash it.

[Pharmabro]

OMG I just looked down the list for next best HS player and saw his video on the mlb draft toy!


From the video it says he could play C but has the athletic ability to play to play anywhere.
Sounds a lot like Craig Biggio

[desbcoach]

So are people happy with the picture or with a preferred watching, wonder if Watson was a money issue

[AT Funchal-Madeira]

Ford, well disappointed but not completely devastated. No way I thought House would make it to 12. But at least we took a prepster with a high ceiling. A hitter with blazing speed could end up playing in the infield also. Exciting pick. We have the outfield covered, We have chances to fill pitching and perhaps even get Stovall in the next day or so... I will take this as a gutsy pick.

[D-train]

A day after he joins the forum Gabe wins! What are the odds??? LOL Thanks for playing everyone!


Final Standings
GL Storm 14
Julio 12
Sexy 11
D-train 10
Rocky 10
Balefire 10
Desbcoach 9
AT 8
Millikin 0

[desbcoach]

Ford listed as OF in PRess release

[Sexymarinersfan]

A day after he joins the forum Gabe wins! What are the odds??? LOL Thanks for playing everyone!


Final Standings
GL Storm 14
Julio 12
Sexy 11
D-train 10
Rocky 10
Balefire 10
Desbcoach 9
AT 8
Millikin 0

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4897&sid=0055af0217 ... 9&start=70

#13 in my original mock.

Harry Ford is a bit of a unicorn, but the Mariners are no stranger to outlier talent

The No. 13 ranked prospect according to MLB.com will look to be the fifth first-round catcher from the state of Georgia in the past eight years. While he is committed to Georgia Tech, a first-round selection will likely change that very fast. His impressive athletic and instinctive abilities are what have scouts willing to take a high school catcher in the first round, which is always a massive gamble. Let’s take a deeper look into the young catching prospect.

Ford’s best ability at the plate is his fast hands that makes him a threat to hit any pitch to any part of the field. His bat speed is among the most impressive in the draft and that is big praise for someone who just turned 18 years old a few months ago. Not only is he a threat to put the ball anywhere on the field, his smooth, and natural swing creates a significant power threat. While he needs some fine-tuning to become a good power hitter, his well-timed leg kick and natural eye have him a step ahead of most people his age.

Behind the plate, Ford has a very strong sense of the game. His natural athleticism and arm strength make him a promising catching prospect. At the Perfect Game All-American Classic, his home-to-second throws clocked in at 85mph, which is very impressive for someone his age. Accuracy on those throws needs some work but whatever system he gets drafted into will clean that up.

One thing that is unique about Ford is his speed for a catcher. Not too many catchers have that plus speed tool. With a 60-yard dash time of 6.42 seconds, Ford’s run ability is comparable to that of J.T. Realmuto. Not many teams can rely on their catcher to score from first on a gapper, or even leg out many doubles. That is an ability that any team would love for their catcher to have.

Whenever you select a high school prospect you understand that it is a long-term project. It might even be more of a project if that high schooler is a catcher. For the most part, Ford has major league bat skills. All he needs is some tuneup in his mechanics. Defensively is where we need to have a conversation. Whoever takes Ford will try and get the most out of him behind the plate that they can. At the end of the day, his player profile is not suited for this position. He translates to more of an outfield spot. This is where his biggest “weakness” comes into play, where should he play? Should he go the Bryce Harper route and just switch to the outfield? Or does he try to break the traditional catcher mold and become a unicorn at that position?

For now, I will focus on his skills as a catcher. Right now, he is an average catcher defensively. He has a great arm and his athleticism allows him to easily slide out and block balls in the dirt. However, he relies on that athleticism a little too much. Catching is more about the mechanics, not the athleticism. The same can be said about his abilities with the bat. He needs more coaching on the little things. The good news is, Ford is not the only young catcher that will need some seasoning in the minors. He will get better, there is no doubt about that. But for now, he lacks polish at the position.

Ford can hit, and most would agree. He’s got fast, twitchy hands at the plate that allow him to cover the entire strike zone. His setup is slightly open with low hands and a slightly squatted posture. He’s very quick and direct to the ball. The entire setup is very similar to "former" Rangers outfielder Khris Davis. Ford has a mature approach at the plate. He’s not an ambush hitter and he doesn’t chase out of the zone.

Ford’s swing percentage tracked around 33 percent this summer, and when he did swing, he put the ball in the air over 40% of the time. Definitely a profile catered to the pro game.

Maybe more impressive, Ford’s ball-in-play distribution wasn’t pull-heavy at all. For a guy his size with his raw power, the ability to let the ball travel and take it into the right-center field gap suggests a mature approach. I have his opposite-field percentage a shade under 40%, though to be fair, that is based on a sample from events that were available to me and not indicative of the summer as a whole.

Ford seems to have reverse-splits at the plate at times, struggling to hit left-handed pitching. That said, it’s an awfully small sample size. He’s got plenty of time and development in front of him before we know what type of hitter he’ll be at the next level. Given the quick hands, approach, and feel to hit, I’m comfortable projecting an average hitter as a pro.

Ford’s power grades will range anywhere from average to plus by most evaluators. Aside from Ford’s excellent hand and bat speed, his swing as currently constructed produces comfortable, natural loft that has proven to drive and lift the ball in-game, as evidenced by his twelve homers. He’s got a well-timed leg kick and has a natural feel for extending and catching the ball out in front. Simply put, Ford understands how to hit for power.

Back at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, Ford registered a peak barrel speed over 80mph. Again, these measurements are recorded in a cage-setting, not in-game. Regardless, that figure ranks in the 99th percentile for his class. Not only that, his impact momentum of 30.34mph (bat speed at contact + bat weight) also ranked in the 99th percentile as well. The kid is strong.

Speed! This is where the “unicorn” narrative makes its money. Ford is one of the rare catchers with explosiveness that carries over to the base paths. Currently, he’s comfortably a plus runner, maybe a tick above that even. He’ll wreak havoc on the base paths. The only question is how that will age behind the plate.

Plus runners behind the plate aren’t entirely unprecedented. Biggio, for example, was a fantastic baserunner even during his time behind the plate. J.T. Realmuto had a sprint speed in the 84th percentile in 2020. It wouldn’t be totally new, but there’s no doubting his speed for a catcher would be rare, and a boon to his value at the position.

Behind the plate is probably where Ford has the most growing ahead of him. The natural abilities his body affords him should help in the development of his fundamentals behind the plate.

There’s work to be done in the footwork department, as well as blocking balls in the dirt. Those have been warts for Ford over the past six months, but those are issues for most prep catchers if we’re being entirely fair. It’s one of the reasons catchers require so much seasoning at the minor league level.

Ford has never led a pitching staff, nor truly called a game from behind the plate with scouting reports in-hand and intent. These are things he’ll need to learn as well. That’s not a knock on Ford, it’s a statement on the prep catcher demographic (and most college programs) as a whole.
What Ford may lack in polish, he makes up for in grit and effort. He’ll be a good big league catcher if that’s the route his organization sees fit.

The other possibility is Ford shifts to second base, third base, or any outfield spot. He’s plenty capable of handling any of these roles, especially given his arm talent. But question begs: when you have such a supreme, outlier talent at a position, why force him to a position where his tools won’t standout as much?

Pro Comp: Craig Biggio

It is unfair to compare an 18-year-old to a Hall of Famer. It is also hard to try and compare a teenager to any player. However, both were athletic, undersized, and have a great feel at the plate. Biggio’s talents pushed him to second base, which could very well be the case for Ford if he wants to see the majors sooner rather than later. Putting this amount of expectations on the kid is wrong, but the similarities are very noticeable.

Final Thoughts: Harry Ford is an extremely gifted athlete with tools across the board. He’s the rare catcher with immense explosiveness and twitch. It’s a profile you don’t see often.

In 2017, the Mariners drafted Evan White and most scouts and evaluators believed he was talented enough to make an immediate impact in centerfield, or in a corner if the power spiked. Seattle elected to keep him at first base. The result was a gold glove his rookie year.

The same upside exists with Ford. He’s got a long ways to go in developing as a defensive catcher, but with the tools as loud as they are behind the plate, why not ride with it and see what kind of unicorn he can become.

With some time in college, there is no doubt that Ford can become a potential top-five pick. However, his talent alone will force a team to select him in the first round. The Mariners almost never draft for need. They are a team that really appreciates depth over anything. Just look at some of the recent trades they have made. They love to develop their own talent. If Ford falls to this spot, Seattle is definitely a candidate to select him.

[AT Funchal-Madeira]

Ford, well disappointed but not completely devastated. No way I thought House would make it to 12. But at least we took a prepster with a high ceiling. A hitter with blazing speed could end up playing in the infield also. Exciting pick. We have the outfield covered, We have chances to fill pitching and perhaps even get Stovall in the next day or so... I will take this as a gutsy pick.

Painter is the surprise pick at 13. I had him at 12. Just missed the check.... typical

[rockycola]

There's only one reason the M's picked a Ford.

The Raleigh went 0-4 today and had a passed ball.

Bring on the Ford.

Raleigh.JPG (95.92 KiB) Viewed 497 times

[Pharmabro]

7th HS player taken.
1st catcher that was taken in the draft this year.
5th HS position player of the draft.