Official 2012 Draft Day Thread (Day 1)

[mace]

Ready to call him Meat?

Or "Gilmore"?

[RedlegJake]

I think you look at the Reds recent record and Buckley's team's track record and give them the benefit. Obviously this kid is somewhat raw but just as obviously he has some big potential. They must like his "makeup" and 6-2 215 the kid has a strong frame to work with already. Sounds like a Clemens build. As for the hockey - are you kidding? A pitcher with a hockey mentality? That's fantastic!

[lollipopcurve]

Seager to the Dodgers. Glad he did not go to the Cards. I like that kid.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Cards get Wacha.

[RedlegJake]

Wacha to the Cards. He'll be up quick.

[powersackers]

I was disappointed in the HS arm selection so I turned off the broadcast. Guess I missed the interview. For the best I suppose. Just like Stephenson, we won't see or hear another word from this kid for at least 12 mos after tomorrow's news reports.

[Blitz Dorsey]

Ouch, the player comp is Jon Garland? Are they basically saying he will briefly trick people into thinking he's good, but will eventually suck? That's harsh.

[Doc. Scott]

Wacha to the Cards. He'll be up quick.

He was just compared to Jon Garland. Although one commentator thought he'd be better. His highest rated pitch is his changeup. And his curveball was a *future* 4.

[WrongVerb]

Or "Gilmore"?

Hey now, that's my last name. Careful.

[RedlegJake]

Nick Travieso has made gigantic strides over the past 12 months, transforming himself from a thrower into a true starting pitcher. Prior to his senior year at Archbishop McCarthy, Travieso was a seldom-used reliever who simply threw hard. His fastball sat in the low 90 mph range, and was clocked as high as 95-96 mph. In the summer before his senior year, he was invited to a Team USA tryout camp, where he pitched alongside many other potential first round picks in the 2012 draft, including Lucas Giolito. He didn’t make the team, but the experience opened his eyes to what it means to be an actual pitcher.

Thanks to his stuff as well as graduations from his school, Travieso was moved into the rotation as an 18 year old, and he began to unleash the potential hidden in his right arm. His velocity went up a notch, as he started sitting 91-95 mph, while reaching back for 98 mph when necessary. He also generates good sink on his fastball, as he utilizes his near overhand release point to generate a downward plane on his pitches. Perhaps his biggest improvement is the development of his secondary pitches. Travieso’s changeup made improvements, but like most high school pitchers, it needs a lot of work. He throws it with decent arm speed, but he fails to consistently locate it down in the zone, something that hitters in affiliated ball will take advantage of. His slider is a different story, as he buries it down in the zone very well. The pitch sits in the low 80’s, peaking as high as 86 mph, with sharp, late break. Travieso has recently been working on developing a two-seam fastball as well, as currently none of his pitches have arm side movement.

Travieso isn’t overly athletic, but he displays the athleticism he has with his mechanics. His delivery is clean and repeatable, and he throws from a high 3/4 arm slot. His outstanding arm strength allows him to generate exceptional arm speed, which is the biggest influence on his current plus fastball velocity. He maintained good walk numbers throughout his high school career, but that speaks more to the lack of discipline in the amateur ranks. In affiliated ball, he’ll need to significantly refine his command and control. Like most top prospects coming out of high school, Travieso also performed well as a hitter, playing first base. Luckily for teams, he has acknowledged that his future is on the mound, and shouldn’t make things difficult in that regard.

[mbgrayson]

Wacha to the Cards. He'll be up quick.

116 Ks in 113 innings in the Big 12 in college. I don't know that he will have anywhere near a 9.0 K/9 rate in the pros....

[_Sir_Charles_]

Nick Travieso has made gigantic strides over the past 12 months, transforming himself from a thrower into a true starting pitcher. Prior to his senior year at Archbishop McCarthy, Travieso was a seldom-used reliever who simply threw hard. His fastball sat in the low 90 mph range, and was clocked as high as 95-96 mph. In the summer before his senior year, he was invited to a Team USA tryout camp, where he pitched alongside many other potential first round picks in the 2012 draft, including Lucas Giolito. He didn’t make the team, but the experience opened his eyes to what it means to be an actual pitcher.

Thanks to his stuff as well as graduations from his school, Travieso was moved into the rotation as an 18 year old, and he began to unleash the potential hidden in his right arm. His velocity went up a notch, as he started sitting 91-95 mph, while reaching back for 98 mph when necessary. He also generates good sink on his fastball, as he utilizes his near overhand release point to generate a downward plane on his pitches. Perhaps his biggest improvement is the development of his secondary pitches. Travieso’s changeup made improvements, but like most high school pitchers, it needs a lot of work. He throws it with decent arm speed, but he fails to consistently locate it down in the zone, something that hitters in affiliated ball will take advantage of. His slider is a different story, as he buries it down in the zone very well. The pitch sits in the low 80’s, peaking as high as 86 mph, with sharp, late break. Travieso has recently been working on developing a two-seam fastball as well, as currently none of his pitches have arm side movement.

Travieso isn’t overly athletic, but he displays the athleticism he has with his mechanics. His delivery is clean and repeatable, and he throws from a high 3/4 arm slot. His outstanding arm strength allows him to generate exceptional arm speed, which is the biggest influence on his current plus fastball velocity. He maintained good walk numbers throughout his high school career, but that speaks more to the lack of discipline in the amateur ranks. In affiliated ball, he’ll need to significantly refine his command and control. Like most top prospects coming out of high school, Travieso also performed well as a hitter, playing first base. Luckily for teams, he has acknowledged that his future is on the mound, and shouldn’t make things difficult in that regard.

Great stuff Jake.

[RedlegJake]

116 Ks in 113 innings in the Big 12 in college. I don't know that he will have anywhere near a 9.0 K/9 rate in the pros....

probably not but he's very polished like Leake. He'll move quickly.

[traderumor]

I think you look at the Reds recent record and Buckley's team's track record and give them the benefit. Obviously this kid is somewhat raw but just as obviously he has some big potential. They must like his "makeup" and 6-2 215 the kid has a strong frame to work with already. Sounds like a Clemens build. As for the hockey - are you kidding? A pitcher with a hockey mentality? That's fantastic!

That's the thing for me. I see who the Reds draft to get the name in my head. To deadpan a pick of a group who's been scoring in the first round, and who has to take the pick with consensus and has to explain to management if the hefty bonus is wasted....well, I'm guessing they did the customary due diligence with a mid first round pick. Who am I to wonder why they didn't take the other HS pitcher?

[Blitz Dorsey]

Nick Travieso has made gigantic strides over the past 12 months, transforming himself from a thrower into a true starting pitcher. Prior to his senior year at Archbishop McCarthy, Travieso was a seldom-used reliever who simply threw hard. His fastball sat in the low 90 mph range, and was clocked as high as 95-96 mph. In the summer before his senior year, he was invited to a Team USA tryout camp, where he pitched alongside many other potential first round picks in the 2012 draft, including Lucas Giolito. He didn’t make the team, but the experience opened his eyes to what it means to be an actual pitcher.

Thanks to his stuff as well as graduations from his school, Travieso was moved into the rotation as an 18 year old, and he began to unleash the potential hidden in his right arm. His velocity went up a notch, as he started sitting 91-95 mph, while reaching back for 98 mph when necessary. He also generates good sink on his fastball, as he utilizes his near overhand release point to generate a downward plane on his pitches. Perhaps his biggest improvement is the development of his secondary pitches. Travieso’s changeup made improvements, but like most high school pitchers, it needs a lot of work. He throws it with decent arm speed, but he fails to consistently locate it down in the zone, something that hitters in affiliated ball will take advantage of. His slider is a different story, as he buries it down in the zone very well. The pitch sits in the low 80’s, peaking as high as 86 mph, with sharp, late break. Travieso has recently been working on developing a two-seam fastball as well, as currently none of his pitches have arm side movement.

Travieso isn’t overly athletic, but he displays the athleticism he has with his mechanics. His delivery is clean and repeatable, and he throws from a high 3/4 arm slot. His outstanding arm strength allows him to generate exceptional arm speed, which is the biggest influence on his current plus fastball velocity. He maintained good walk numbers throughout his high school career, but that speaks more to the lack of discipline in the amateur ranks. In affiliated ball, he’ll need to significantly refine his command and control. Like most top prospects coming out of high school, Travieso also performed well as a hitter, playing first base. Luckily for teams, he has acknowledged that his future is on the mound, and shouldn’t make things difficult in that regard.

Great, entering his senior year in high school, he was a "seldom used reliever."

This sounds like a good risk to take in the sandwich round, not with the #14 overall pick. Just not liking this. Hope I'm wrong.