The: "Can we not do this anymore?" 2024 MLB Draft

[1984Echoes]

11 minutes ago, RatkoVarda said:

I am hoping the Tigers are illegible for the 2025 draft lottery

The actual theme of this year's draft thread.

But to reiterate: "Can we not do this anymore"?

(worry about which top 5 draft spot we'll be getting after another crappy season...)

[Tigermojo]

Tigers get the 11th pick.

[Tigermojo]

Ohio steals the 1 and 2 picks.

[Edman85]

I would classify the White Sox and A's as the losers of this. Both had great odds, toward the back of the lottery, staring down the barrel of a bad year, and ineligible for next year's lottery.  Cleveland and Cincy the obvious winners.

[RatkoVarda]

would have been nice to move up and get more $$$ to play with, oh well

[Tigermojo]

2 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

I would classify the White Sox and A's as the losers of this. Both had great odds, toward the back of the lottery, staring down the barrel of a bad year, and ineligible for next year's lottery.  Cleveland and Cincy the obvious winners.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Tigers could be eligible for the next lottery unless they make the playoffs?

[Edman85]

They are eligible for next year's draft if they don't make the playoffs.

Also, there's a bit of karma at play here. Note how those are all even years. Cleveland had the worst record in baseball in 1991, 1987, 1985, and 1971, but didn't get first overall pick because of the league alternation rule that was in place until 2007. (And was the reason the Tigers had the #2 pick in 1990 and 2004)

 

[casimir]

It seems incredible that for all of the awful years that Cleveland had since the draft’s inception that this is the first time they have the number 1 overall pick.  Even when considering the alternate year rule, that’s amazing to me.

[Cruzer1]

This isn't a good draft at the top. Some good hitters, but they're all position deficient. Two shortstops I have in mind for #11 are Seaver King from Wake Forest, and local kid Caleb Bonemer of Okemos. You hate to draft for need, but these are good players, and IMO SS is always a need, especially now.

[RatkoVarda]

11th pick has not been kind, with injuries wiping out Baugh (2001) and Drumright (1995) who both never made it, but still outperformed Veryzer (1971) and his -3.7 WAR.

Maybin went 10th, and Gibson and Jung went 12th.

[1984Echoes]

15 hours ago, Tigermojo said:

Correct me if I'm wrong. Tigers could be eligible for the next lottery unless they make the playoffs?

This was the last year to hope for lottery luck. Or at least we hope it is, for quite awhile.

So we shoulda/ woulda been hoping to move up significantly in this draft and not care about next year's draft.

Even if we don't make the playoffs... we should be better next year (just from health and bounce back seasons alone... as well as reinforcements from the minors...). If we end up in the 15th or 18th or whatever spot... I'm not really going to worry or care about next year's "lottery".

This was the year. IMO.

But it's already a done deal at the 11th spot so, I'm good with whatever we can get from that spot...

[LongLiveMaroth]

On 12/1/2023 at 6:23 PM, Edman85 said:

I haven't seen anything.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-draft-competitive-balance-rounds-set-2024

 

Round A

1. Orioles
2. D-backs
3. Guardians
4. Pirates
5. Rockies
6. Royals

Round B

1. Rays
2. Brewers
3. Mariners
4. Twins
5. Marlins
6. Reds
7. Tigers
8. A’s

 

[Tenacious D]

Don’t care what his tools are.  He better be our top pick.

 

[LongLiveMaroth]

 

 

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2024/3/6/24065460/detroit-tigers-mlb-draft-2024-seaver-king-konnor-griffin-thatcher-hurd

 

[Toddwert]

4 hours ago, LongLiveMaroth said:

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2024/3/6/24065460/detroit-tigers-mlb-draft-2024-seaver-king-konnor-griffin-thatcher-hurd

 

can they play 3rd?

[RatkoVarda]

KLaw top 30 out; no mock but Caleb Bonemer (MI HS 3B) is ranked 11th.

Edited March 7, 2024 by RatkoVarda

[LongLiveMaroth]

Keith Law's top 50 out now. 
https://theathletic.com/5421487/2024/04/18/mlb-draft-2024-prospect-rankings-top-50-keith-law/
Seaver King sits at #11 and Caleb Bonemer (MI HS 3B) is ranked 17th.

I will say I do miss the draft being in June like it used to be. 

[SoCalTiger]

No clue on these guys 

[LongLiveMaroth]

20 minutes ago, SoCalTiger said:

No clue on these guys 

I mean me either. That being said I like to know who is rated "around" our pick so I can look them over maybe look at highlights if they are available which is more difficult with HS players but I personally enjoy the process. 

[1984Echoes]

I love the team building aspect so much.

For this year's draft... I would start at the #9-ish prospect because ya never know when a guy will slide because... it's a draft... these things happen. I think it would be really hard for a top-5 guy to fall, much, much more rare. I also checked #6 to #8 prospects for a look-see... but I also do not see Chase Burns, or Hagen Smith, or Braden Montgomery slipping.

So... starting at #9:

9. Bryce Rainer, HS SS - elite SS with some power but slow bat speed = difficulties connecting or, lower hit tool. 70 arm, excellent defensive SS, but 1st guess would be he's a .220-ish hitter in MLB.

10. Konnor Griffin, HS OF/SS - "Big bodied athlete/ plus runner/power/arm can play any OF position". Not certain why they also have him as a SS? Swing is long but with fast acceleration through the zone = lots of line drives.

11? Seaver King, OF/SS - "Not a discerning hitter, chases out of zone, pretty low walk rate, bad swing decisions...". Nope. Not a Harris player. Full stop.

12? Slade Caldwell, OF - 5' 5.5"... "can hit with fringy power...". Seriously? No thanks.

13 and 14 are not better.

15. Kaelen Culpepper, KSU SS - makes a ton of contact with fringy/avg. power (which could improve if load can be coached up)... strong defense at SS.

Nothing better that I see after this...

 

VERY disappointing possibilities here, at around 11. If I hazard a guess: Harris will take a chance on Rainer, Griffin or Culpepper, whoever is there at 11. And whoever he believes can be "coached up" in our new & revamped (improved yet to be determined...) developmental system/coaches.

Just my 2 cents...

[KL2]

7 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

I love the team building aspect so much.

For this year's draft... I would start at the #9-ish prospect because ya never know when a guy will slide because... it's a draft... these things happen. I think it would be really hard for a top-5 guy to fall, much, much more rare. I also checked #6 to #8 prospects for a look-see... but I also do not see Chase Burns, or Hagen Smith, or Braden Montgomery slipping.

So... starting at #9:

9. Bryce Rainer, HS SS - elite SS with some power but slow bat speed = difficulties connecting or, lower hit tool. 70 arm, excellent defensive SS, but 1st guess would be he's a .220-ish hitter in MLB.

10. Konnor Griffin, HS OF/SS - "Big bodied athlete/ plus runner/power/arm can play any OF position". Not certain why they also have him as a SS? Swing is long but with fast acceleration through the zone = lots of line drives.

11? Seaver King, OF/SS - "Not a discerning hitter, chases out of zone, pretty low walk rate, bad swing decisions...". Nope. Not a Harris player. Full stop.

12? Slade Caldwell, OF - 5' 5.5"... "can hit with fringy power...". Seriously? No thanks.

13 and 14 are not better.

15. Kaelen Culpepper, KSU SS - makes a ton of contact with fringy/avg. power (which could improve if load can be coached up)... strong defense at SS.

Nothing better that I see after this...

 

VERY disappointing possibilities here, at around 11. If I hazard a guess: Harris will take a chance on Rainer, Griffin or Culpepper, whoever is there at 11. And whoever he believes can be "coached up" in our new & revamped (improved yet to be determined...) developmental system/coaches.

Just my 2 cents...

There are also pitchers in the draft

[1984Echoes]

They all looked crappy ranked around #11.

#13 Yesavage - "Definite injury/ reliever risk with the delivery (extreme short arm action)..."

#16 Brecht - "Arm action is too busy and cannot repeat it for strikes let alone anything resembling command".

The next guy is ranked 26th.

I'd rather start in the 2nd round looking for pitchers with better mechanics with some projectability.

I particularly like Tegan Kuhns at #38 (HS, 6'3" 170 (lots of room to add weight/velocity), and Ryan Johnson (6'6" Dallas Baptist, 3.3% walk rate. Funky delivery though...).

Just my 2 cents.

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2024-mock-draft-may-2?t=mlb-draft-coverage

 

Mock has us choosing Trey Yesavage at #11. I am hoping Rainer drops to 11 as I would love to get an SS in the system and he has a solid hit tool. 

[1984Echoes]

23 minutes ago, LongLiveMaroth said:

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2024-mock-draft-may-2?t=mlb-draft-coverage

Mock has us choosing Trey Yesavage at #11. I am hoping Rainer drops to 11 as I would love to get an SS in the system and he has a solid hit tool. 

If the Org believes in Yesavage, or if Burns or Hagen Smith falls to 11... I'll be OK with a pitcher since overall it doesn't look too good at our #11 spot. And as drafts go... either is probably at least a possibility.

If Burns doesn't fall and the team doesn't like Yesavage's mechanics...

Then my vote is also for Rainer to fall.

But if that ALSO doesn't happen... or even if it does:

I could see Harris eyeing a hitter with the best hit tool and most discerning eye out of the next tier of 3B'men: Seaver King, Cam Smith, Billy Amick, or SS Kaelen Culpepper.

 

I'm going to keep my eye on these guys as well so I am not totally surprised when Harris pulls a rabbit out of his hat...