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Monday we had our final discussion for who the Astros will take number one, now we present our final TCB draft board.
Old Favorites and newcomers: After dropping out of the April TCB draft board both Colin Moran and Kohl Stewart make their return to the final TCB draft board. Trey Ball joins them as the only new comer. They replace Ryne Stanek, J.P. Crawford and Jonathan Denney on the board.
Risers and Fallers: We ranked the draft board before Jonathan Gray was popped for Adderall. Gray's fall and Kris Bryant's rise were due more to our draft crew not liking what they saw out of Gray and the power Bryant had put on display during the month of May. Stewart is the guy some of our writers would really like to see the Astros take but realize it's only a pipe dream to use such a high draft pick on a high school pitcher. Moran we've already discussed enough and makes his return despite struggling in college postseason play. The bottom of our board was really subject to a scattering of votes after Branden Shipley so any number of guys could have snuck in to the ninth or tenth spot with another vote or two. Crawford, Stanek, Reese McGuire and Dominic Smith were all tied at the 11th spot.
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1 (1) |
Mark Appel (RHP, Stanford University) |
| From a scouting perspective, there's a lot to like about Appel. His arsenal includes a mid-90s fastball that can touch 99 at times, a changeup that has plus potential, and a slider that may very well be his best pitch, all while possessing sound mechanics and a huge pitcher's frame. (conroestro) | |
| 2 (4) | Kris Bryant (3B, University of San Diego) |
| Bryant has a premium right-handed bat, without a premium position. He has power to all fields, and hits to all fields to go with a patient approach. He has the arm for third base, but as he continues to grow into his lanky 6'5" frame, he may need to move to first base or a corner outfield position. (subber10) | |
| 3 (2) | Jonathan Gray (RHP, University of Oklahoma) |
| Gray has forced himself into the 1-1 discussion by virtue of a masterful junior campaign. The 6'4", 240-pound righty has added a plus slider and a changeup to his fastball, which hits triple digits with good command. (Anthony Boyer) | |
| 4 (3) | Clint Frazier (OF, Georgia HS) |
| Frazier is a hard-nosed five-tool outfielder with a great arm, and a swing that generates a ton of bat speed. Some of the critiques at this point are that he relies on his wrists and doesn't use his lower body enough at this point, and that he has a developed frame that could cause him to move off of center field should he add more weight in the future. (conroestro) | |
| 5 (NR) | Kohl Stewart (RHP, Texas High School) |
| Generally thought to be the best pure high school arm in the draft, Kohl is also the only local talent in the top ten. A 6'3", 195 lb. righty from St. Pius X in Houston, Kohl throws a very easy 93-95 with a wipeout slider. He has has verbally committed to play both baseball and football (QB) at Texas A&M. Stewart, who touched 97 on the gun at the Under Armour Games in San Diego this summer, is believed to be a difficult sign. He also sustained an injury to his shoulder playing football, and is currently rehabbing. (illinibob) | |
| 6 (NR) | Colin Moran (3B/1B, University of North Carolina) |
| Moran's uncle, B.J. Surhoff, was a #1 overall pick in 1985 by the Brewers, and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. There are some questions about Moran's ability to stick at third base, but none about his bat. He led UNC in average, OBP, and SLG in his sophomore season, 2012, and he should be a very good contact hitter in the pros. His power may take a little longer to arrive, as it does with many young players. He doesn't have a sky-high ceiling, but should become a major league regular easily, particularly if he can improve his footwork enough to stay at third. (Anthony Boyer) | |
| 7 (5) | Austin Meadows (OF, Georgia HS) |
| Smooth left-handed stroke with some good power potential. At 6'3", 200 lbs., he may have some room to grow in his frame. Opinions on his future potential are mixed, though, with questions around his bat and whether he'll ever develop an elite future skill. (David Coleman) | |
| 8 (8) | Braden Shipley (RHP, University of Nevada) |
| Mid-90s fastball that's been known to touch 97, a changeup that projects to be above-average, a fantastic curveball in the high-70s, and a nice, projectable 6'3", 180-pound frame, Shipley has shown improved command this season and has pitched his way into our top ten. (Anthony Boyer) | |
| 9 (NA) | Trey Ball (LHP/INF, Indiana HS) |
| A high school lefty who may have some of the best projection in the high school ranks. He's tall with good velocity and could really improve as he focus' on pitching in the pro ranks. He's a two-way prospect but the mound is his future and with focus and better coaching, he could really improve. His ceiling is very high with fastball and curveball combination. However, it requires lots of projection to dream on to get there. (Subber10) |
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| 10 (6) | Sean Manaea (LHP, Indiana State University) |
| At 6'4" and a little over 200 lbs., Manaea has the size and frame that you look for in a future ace. The real kicker, though: He's a lefty who sits roughly around the mid-90s with his fastball and has some knee-bending breaking stuff, especially to left-handed hitters. (leistomania409) |
Dropped Out: Ryne Stanek, J.P. Crawford, Jonathan Denney
Notes:
- The poll I put up in our Astros 2013 MLB Draft notes article asking, "who will the Astros select first in the 2013 MLB Draft?" has 38% of people thinking Jonathan Gray will be selected. After Gray, 26% of people think Kris Bryant will be selected and 21% of people think Mark Appel will be selected. Only 10% of people had Colin Moran being selected and 2% think it's someone outside of those four.
- Here's the discussion we had prior to ranking the players on this board, which includes some NFL comparisons.
We will have live draft coverage today starting at 3 p.m. CT
