Official 2019 Draft thread

[bpj]

Kirby looks like a right handed Sale who could arrive soon. I'll take it alongside Gilbert.

[rockycola]

Had a feeling Espino wasn't gonna get by Cleveland! Ugh!!! I really like this kid!

Okay Sexy, pick #59 - who's it gonna be?

[Sexymarinersfan]

Honestly I like LSU's SS Josh Smith https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nola.c ... utType=amp

Would love to get some infield depth on the left side of the Infield.

I'm also really in on LHP Ethan Small or some more catching depth in Ethan Hearns. Noah Song is another name on my board. But if we are rounding out a Top 5 guys, crossing my fingers on Rece Hinds, but I doubt he makes it to 59.

[Sexymarinersfan]

Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter says top pick George Kirby indicated he was ready to begin pro career immediately. Says not sure if he'll report to Arizona or straight to Everett once he signs.

6-4 right-hander with mid-90s fastball and excellent command.

— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) 

[Sexymarinersfan]

Kirby had a very loud performance this spring, twirling 107 strikeouts to six walks in 88 innings for Elon. He’s got at least above average command and plus control along with a plus fastball that works 91-96 and touches 97 mph. He’s got a good frame and no medical hiccups but his offspeed stuff is often just average, with the curveball flashing 55 at times and the changeup usually solid average at best. It’s a No. 3/4 starter profile that’s valued most by clubs that like performance and fastball quality/command as a leading characteristic. fangraphs

[Hanjag]

Kirby looks like a right handed Sale who could arrive soon. I'll take it alongside Gilbert.

Yes sir. I like the prospect of another prototypical power RHP to off set the left handedness of our rotation Lefties Kikuchi, Marco, LeBlanc, Justice S, with only Leake and Felix

[ice99]

It looks like he has some potential.

For the 2nd round pick, I hope they go high risk, high reward.

[Sexymarinersfan]

Josh Smith scouting report:

When you have the No. 3 overall pick, it’s never too soon to take a quick peek into this year’s MLB draft. This year’s draft class is loaded with excellent hitting prospects, but is relatively weak on the pitching side.

Josh Smith, a Baton Rouge native, was ranked fourth among Louisiana prep baseball players in the 2016 draft, but ultimately decided to play ball for his hometown LSU Tigers — despite being selected in the 38th round that year by Detroit’s Tigers.

As a freshman at LSU, Smith played out of position, at third base, to help lead his team to the NCAA Finals. Last year, he was set to slide over to shortstop, but was limited to six games due to a stress reaction in his back that he suffered early in the season. However, Smith is off to a terrific start in 2019 

Smith (5´10´´, 175 pounds) possesses good albeit unexceptional speed, as his 60-yard-dash has been clocked at 6.78 seconds. Defensively, he possesses quick and athletic actions in the middle infield, has very quick and active feet, works through the ball well with a quick release and lots of raw arm strength, and plays defense with energy and aggressiveness. In other words, he’s an above-average defender. However, many scouts believe his talents are better suited at second than shortstop.

Offensively, Smith is a line-drive gap hitter who makes solid contact. Batting lefty, he has deceptive power to keep pitchers honest. He’s often late with his swings, which causes Smith to hit to the opposite field more often. Although he’s got decent speed, it really hadn’t translated into stolen bases until this season — Smith’s first-step quickness, however, helps him defensively, and with getting good jumps as a baserunner on batted balls (he’s already scored 57 runs in 47 games this year).

Just in case you’re wondering, he fared quite well in the Cape Cod League in 2017, when he slashed .372/.478/.513 with three homers in 76 at-bats. Smith has walked nearly as much as he’s struck out in the college level, which is never a bad sign. MLB Pipeline grades his arm and run tools at 55, hit and field 50, and power at 45. Thus he does enough things well to give him a decent floor, but not anything exceptional enough to give him a high ceiling.

Current projections have Smith drafted in the second or third rounds. Of course, the longer he can stay healthy and hit near .400 in the rugged SEC, the more secure he’ll be with second or even first round consideration — especially if teams believe he can play shortstop long-term. The White Sox could certainly use some middle-infield depth in their system, as Nick Madrigal and Laz Rivera are the only middle infielders among the Top 30 White Sox prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Smith’s upside certainly isn’t as strong as Bobby Witt, Jr., C.J. Abrams, or several other middle infielders in this draft. However, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t eventually become a key contributor. If the Sox select him in the draft, it’d be likely as a third round pick or later due to his relatively limited upside.

Here's a video on Josh Smith
https://youtu.be/A1iE74kW1lo

[D-train]

George Kirby Highlights

Is that his Dad or Grandpa?

[Sexymarinersfan]

It looks like he has some potential.

For the 2nd round pick, I hope they go high risk, high reward.

That would be Kameron Misner!!!! Dripping with Tools!!! He oozes TONS of High Reward.If he finds his hit tool his comp is literally Mitch Haniger. I've scoured dozens of reports in search of anyone other than a comp Mariner, and I cant find anything except one name, and Haniger keeps popping up, soooooo .....

Yeah.