Looking ahead to the 2018 draft class

[membengal]

I have heard/read that next year's potential draft class is supposed to be deeper in terms of talent than this one was. Doug and others who know this world, is that true in your opinion?

Wondering, given the current slide of the major league team, and the brutal schedule ahead for the next few weeks, if the Reds trending toward a 70 win season and a top 7 or so pick, will that be a good spot to be for next year?

[klw]

I hope the Reds are able to redraft Dwanya Williams-Sutton. He was good friends with Isiah White who came over in the Straily trade. I had hoped they would sign Williams-Sutton two years ago but for some reason they gave a huge bonus to Brantley Bell instead.

http://www.ecupirates.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5004

[OnBaseMachine]

It's so difficult to predict this far out, but Joe Gray (HS OFer from Mississippi) and Brice Turang (So Cal HS SS) are two interesting names I've heard. Gray is especially impressive on video.

[membengal]

I am definitely not conversant enough with the prospects to be at the name point, was just generally wondering if what I have heard as to depth of potential top prospects is true. 2017 felt like a really good year to be picking where the Reds were, as the draft didn't seem to have a large number of potential impact talents and the Reds got one of the few there seem to be. Hoping that next year is deeper, since I am also hoping the Reds won't be picking 2nd again...

[Tom Servo]

It's so difficult to predict this far out, but Joe Gray (HS OFer from Mississippi) and Brice Turang (So Cal HS SS) are two interesting names I've heard. Gray is especially impressive on video.

Already projected to be one of the top players in the 2018 class, Gray believes he defies the customary stereotype of Mississippi prep products with impressive raw athleticism but lacking in baseball skills.

“Not for me,” Gray said. “I get around these coaches and they pretty much polish me . . . The fact that I play against so much good competition polishes me as an all-around player.”

EvoShield Canes head coach Jeff Petty agrees that Gray doesn’t fit that mold.

“He’s a very advanced player for his age,” Petty said. “I feel he could settle in and play in professional baseball right now. With his athleticism I feel he’s a five-tool player. He’s got everything going for him.”

http://www.baseballamerica.com/high-...emier-arizona/

[Rojo Rijo]

Hopefully the Reds win some ball games and we're talking about chances and not the 2018 draft come the end of the season, however when it comes to 2018 guys I'm still all about some Seth Beer. Sure his #s dropped a bit this season but I still think that's the player you want if given the opportunity to draft him

2016 - .369/.535/.700 1235 OPS, 18 HR, 62 BB/27 K
2017 - .298/.478/.606 1084 OPS, 16 HR, 64 BB/35 K

[Vander]

Hopefully the Reds win some ball games and we're talking about chances and not the 2018 draft come the end of the season, however when it comes to 2018 guys I'm still all about some Seth Beer. Sure his #s dropped a bit this season but I still think that's the player you want if given the opportunity to draft him

2016 - .369/.535/.700 1235 OPS, 18 HR, 62 BB/27 K
2017 - .298/.478/.606 1084 OPS, 16 HR, 64 BB/35 K

The main reason for the regression was that opposing teams just stopped pitching to him. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Benihana]

Perfect Game lists the following top 10 prospects for the 2018 draft (at this wayyy too early time):

Top 10 Overall Prospects, 2018 MLB Draft

Rk. Player POS. School
1 Kumar Rocker RHP North Oconee (GA)
2 Brice Turang SS Santiago (CA)
3 Brady Singer RHP Florida
4 Jarred Kelenic OF Waukesha West (WI)
5 Jackson Kowar RHP Florida
6 Joe Gray Jr. OF Hattiesburg (MS)
7 Seth Beer OF Clemson
8 Konnor Pilkington LHP Mississippi State
9 Ethan Hankins RHP Forsyth Central (GA)
10 Will Banfield C Brookwood (GA)

Personally, I'd love to see Kumar Rocker, Brady Singer, Joe Gray or Seth Beer in Red this time next year. Of course, who knows where we'll be drafting, and who knows how these guys will perform and rise/fall over the next 12 months.

[WrongVerb]

Aren't there a couple UK kids who will be taken high in the draft next year? Tristan Pompey and Sean Hjelle, I think.

[NC Reds]

Lists before the summer are largely meaningless.

Thankfully a few sources are fairly easy to follow:

1. Cape Cod League

http://www.capecodbaseball.org/

They update their site often. Here is a preview:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/colle...5lhcAsZjjRQ.97

2. US Collegiate National Team

http://web.usabaseball.com/collegiate_national_team.jsp

This team always has several first rounders in the following draft. I plan to check them out versus Cuba this summer.

3. U18 National Team and Tournament of Stars

http://web.usabaseball.com/article.j...t_id=164119388

The Tournament of Stars is more or less a tryout for the U18 National Team. The World Cup for that age class is in Thunder Bay beginning in September.

http://www.wbsc.org/tournaments/2017...all-world-cup/

I think some of those games will be streaming live.

http://www.wbsc.org/tournaments/2017...er-bay-canada/

Erstwhile celebrity pitcher Hunter Greene appeared for the U18 team last year as a shortstop. Tons of high draft choices are likely to be featured.

[OnBaseMachine]

Jim Callis has already released a way too early 2018 mock draft and has the Reds picking 4th:

4. Reds (29-36): Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Bogart, Ga.)
The top prep pitcher is extremely physical, already reaches the mid-90s with his fastball and flashes a nasty slider.

Callis has California prep SS Brice Turang going #1 overall to the Phillies:

1. Phillies (22-43): Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (Corona, Calif.)
Said the evaluator of the son of former big leaguer Brian Turang: "He's like Christian Yelich, the swing is very similar, but with more speed and he can play shortstop."

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/236744...10-projection/

Florida RHP Brady Singer goes #2 to the Giants and Wisconsin prep Jarred Kelenic, a 5-tool OFer, goes third to the Padres.

Rocker is yet another upper 90's prep arm with tremendous stuff, but if the draft played out the way Callis projects, I would prefer OFer Joe Gray Jr. over Rucker. Seth Beer is also available. Gray is arguably the best athlete in the draft and had huge power. He sounds a lot like Jordon Adell with less questions about his hit tool.

Another kid that is apparently making a name for himself is Georgia prep SS Kendall Simmons - https://www.perfectgame.org/players/...aspx?ID=411266

[klw]

Jim Callis has already released a way too early 2018 mock draft and has the Reds picking 4th:

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/236744...10-projection/

Rocker is yet another upper 90's prep arm with tremendous stuff, but if the draft played out the way Callis projects, I would prefer OFer Joe Gray Jr. over Rucker. Seth Beer is also available. Gray is arguably the best athlete in the draft and had huge power. He sounds a lot like Jordon Adell with less questions about his hit tool.

You will be happy then to see that the article must have been edited. It now has the Reds in the 5th slot and picking Gray. The only comment for the article notes them getting the order wrong, must have made some quick changes.

[WrongVerb]

Between 2010 and 2016, participation in youth football (age 6-14) has declined by 1/3. This is the result of parents pulling their kids out (or never putting them into) the system because of the concussion issues that have come out. That means these athletes are turning to other sports. One of those sports is going to be baseball.

It's my suspicion that we're seeing the vanguard of those kids who would otherwise be football players but turned to baseball, and that 2018 draft is going to be the first time it's noticeable with the high school kids. That means the next however many drafts are going to have a larger number of insanely athletic kids coming through than have in previous drafts.

Anyway, just something to watch for.

[podgejeff_]

I hope the Reds are able to redraft Dwanya Williams-Sutton. He was good friends with Isiah White who came over in the Straily trade. I had hoped they would sign Williams-Sutton two years ago but for some reason they gave a huge bonus to Brantley Bell instead.

http://www.ecupirates.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5004

At the time all of us were wondering why Brantley Bell was getting that bonus.

We still are now, but we were then too.

[Benihana]

Jim Callis has already released a way too early 2018 mock draft and has the Reds picking 4th:



Callis has California prep SS Brice Turang going #1 overall to the Phillies:



http://m.mlb.com/news/article/236744...10-projection/

Florida RHP Brady Singer goes #2 to the Giants and Wisconsin prep Jarred Kelenic, a 5-tool OFer, goes third to the Padres.

Rocker is yet another upper 90's prep arm with tremendous stuff, but if the draft played out the way Callis projects, I would prefer OFer Joe Gray Jr. over Rucker. Seth Beer is also available. Gray is arguably the best athlete in the draft and had huge power. He sounds a lot like Jordon Adell with less questions about his hit tool.

Another kid that is apparently making a name for himself is Georgia prep SS Kendall Simmons - https://www.perfectgame.org/players/...aspx?ID=411266

As I said in the other thread, Rocker, Gray, and Singer are the three guys that I'd love to see in Red (at this extremely early juncture). Beer too, if he can really stay in the OF and isn't restricted to 1B. That Kendall Simmons kid could be interesting as well.