I suppose we can start an official thread for the Reds' first round selection, Mike Leake.
I just listened to an interview with Chris Buckley regarding Leake that's pretty interesting.
http://twaud.io/r6
I suppose we can start an official thread for the Reds' first round selection, Mike Leake.
I just listened to an interview with Chris Buckley regarding Leake that's pretty interesting.
http://twaud.io/r6
“Mike is a very polished pitcher with a good delivery and lots of poise. He is an impressive looking athlete who has a great deal of ability and an excellent command of four pitches. We are excited to add this caliber of pitcher to our organization,” said Buckley.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs...ed_pitche.html
Mike Leake
RHP | Arizona State
Weight: 180 lbs.
Height: 6-0
Summary: Leake is a typical command right-hander, featuring a four-pitch mix (watch scouting video) without a single knockout pitch but with good life on his two-seamer and a solid-average curve. He'll pitch at 88-92 mph, with a hard, late tailing action that makes it more effective than a typical fastball with fringe-average to average velocity. His curve has a short, two-plane break and appears to pop out of his hand, with a break that accelerates as it comes toward the hitter. He throws a hard changeup around 82 mph with a slight tailing action and showed a slider around 79-80 mph with decent tilt. He commands all four pitches and throws strikes, and works very quickly. He's a good athlete who plays some outfield for ASU and fields his position well as a pitcher. Leake's delivery is compact with just a little head movement at the end as he releases the ball. His arm is quick and its path behind his body isn't long, partly due to the fact he separates his hands early as he moves them down from their peak point in his windup. His performance has put him solidly into the middle of the first round, and he should be relatively quick to the majors as a more or less finished product right now.
Player Grades
PRESENT FUTURE LOW (MPH) HIGH (MPH)
Fastball 50 50 88 92
FB Movement 50 60 -- --
Command 50 55 -- --
Control 55 60 -- --
Curveball 50 50 75 77
Slider 45 50 79 80
Changeup 50 50 80 82
Feel for Pitching 55 60 -- --
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
Micah Owings and now Leake. In my opinion, it's clear the organization is putting a premium on guys who who are complete baseball players who compete hard. Love the pick.
I like this pick. Baseball America compares Leake to Tim Hudson because of his small frame and repertoire.
Great pick. Leake will be with the big club sooner than most of the other top pitchers on the board. As another poster mentioned, he has a high floor and is almost a lock to contribute solidly at the MLB level.
That's a backhanded, Jeff Austinesque compliment.Summary: Leake is a typical command right-hander, featuring a four-pitch mix (watch scouting video) without a single knockout pitch
Let's hope the results are more Hudson-like or Oswaltlicious.
BA mentions that while he is able to dial his fastball up to 94 on occasion, he's found that it gets better movement at 88-92. Sounds like a guy who's actually had a thought or two...
"In baseball, you don't know nothin'"...Yogi Berra
Someone explain to me why this is a better TALENT pick than Crow or White. I'm ignorant when it comes to amateur ball for the most part, but this guy didn't excite me when announced. I was sure it would be Crow.
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
“Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
The gist seems to be that he's more projectable. I like the part about the plus plus command of all four of his pitches that was in one of the write-ups. No mechanical issues.
Absolutely ridiculous good numbers in a tough Pac 10 league. 150 Ks in 132 innings tells me that he isn't a "guile" pitcher. He's nasty. The big issue seems to be his height, and, frankly, I am not one who gets bothered by that.
I think the Reds did a good job here. I wanted Crow, but I'm happy with Leake if that makes any sense.
Guys like Leake are great pickups -- if they fall in the draft. For an early first-round, I don't like.
I like the philosophy of building a team with a defense that catches the ball and pitchers that don't walk batters.
His scouting report reads like a guy who has already reached his ceiling.
In no way does this read like "best player available" -- it reads like "player who will make it to the bigs quickest."
Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
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