Nice write, and good to see you post.Picklefork wrote: ↑14 Jul 2025 09:54 am My 2 cents or noncent's depending on who you ask?
First of all this draft feels different, almost like they focused on statistical outliers and asked what can we do with these talents? A real upside draft that can lead to rare talents or a lesson in why trusting data instead of scouting 101 can be fools gold. We won't know until we know, obviously but at least they seem to have a plan this time around. This draft so far will be test on the player development side, especially with the 2 Volunteer power arms
1st.....Doyle has a John Rocker floor with lefty Spencer Strider upside, if we'd taken that profile in last years draft I would've pitched forked my way to Flores's office, but in this draft it sure seemed like a good use of a draft pick.
2nd.....The Mitchell kid has a hit tool w/o much of a defensive home. But as they say, the bat plays and they'll figure out what to do with him if he does hit. I'd rather take a kid like this all day over a 5 tool guy that they hope the hit tool clicks (i.e. Chase Davis)
3rd.....Tanner dude is one of those lottery tix kind of selections, odds are it's not going to work but if it does you can life off that prize for awhile. He is either going to be Jeff Samardzija or Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' LaLoosh.......you can't teach that arm, but maybe you can teach them how to harness that talent?
4. Gurevitch is the most typical Cards profile so far of this draft. He is in the Allen Craig, Burleson mold...the simple see ball, hit ball hard and we'll worry about the whole where do we play them part later? This dude is too short to play 1B, isn't athletic enough, chases too much.....yadayada, but if he hits it works. .....See Justin Turner.
As for the remaining pics today, stick with the outliers, find the 70 arms, legs and trust that your development process that you say you've made a priority can develop this skills.
PS....reminds me of the draft I destroyed the Cards for taking Joe Kelly in, b/c his draft profile in terms of stats, competition etc was crapola, but the scouting dept saw a 70 arm with a solid mentality (Joe's a wacky dude but tough minded), something you can't see on baseballreference.com....so find those type of guys and use your system to develop what they do.....easy, right?!
PS #2....anyone else think Liam Doyle looks like actor who played the Joker in the latest Batman, Paul Dano? Just sayin
Hope you come around more often.
