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FS Draft Preview: CJ Abrams


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Our draft coverage continues with a preview from James Fox on Georgia high school shortstop CJ Abrams.

Experts believe Abrams may have the highest upside in this year's draft class, and several sources believe the White Sox will be taking Abrams at pick No. 3. 

It would be the first time since 2012 the Sox decide on a high school product in the first round. How would you feel if they selected CJ Abrams?

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3 minutes ago, mqr said:

'He doesn't possess much swing and miss in his game and projects as a "plus hitter". '

People really need to stop lumping this kid as a 'toolsy athlete'.

thank you. Much of the "project" with him is on defense, where he needs reps to prove he can be a SS. I think he may have a bit of the tim anderson problem where when you trust your athleticism so much you don't know how to tune it to let technique lead it sometimes.

His plate approach just needs refinement in focusing on pitches to drive which needs to come from higher competition, when you have 80 speed and can hit everything its tough to refine it in competition when you want to win. But sox PD staff has done a really bad job of communicating the "just because you can, doesn't mean you should' aspect of hitting to madrigal so who knows.

This guy is an incredible package that you don't get many shots at beyond the top ten.

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Just now, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Thanks man. We have Bishop and Rutschman coming to close out the week. 

With the recent uptick in reports that sox saw a lack of up the middle talent and wanted to supplement it in this draft, I think it would be interesting to see a rundown of player profiles that sox should target to fill gaps in their farm.

Speed/power arms/ strike throwers/ power bats/etc., it would be interesting to grade against after the draft on how they filled up.

but I should have mentioned that before a week before the draft.

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27 minutes ago, bmags said:

With the recent uptick in reports that sox saw a lack of up the middle talent and wanted to supplement it in this draft, I think it would be interesting to see a rundown of player profiles that sox should target to fill gaps in their farm.

Speed/power arms/ strike throwers/ power bats/etc., it would be interesting to grade against after the draft on how they filled up.

but I should have mentioned that before a week before the draft.

We can definitely look at it after the draft. I'm expecting lots of pitching though in this draft class 

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1 minute ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

We can definitely look at it after the draft. I'm expecting lots of pitching though in this draft class 

That's fine with me, even with the struggles to refine pitchers in MLB level, there doesn't seem to be a lot of stuff in the system after Cease. I'm hoping they can add some guys. It ain't gonna show up from international that's for sure.

That said, there are dudes like Ethan Small from MSU that I really like as a profile but not much of a "stuff" guy.

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Abrams' best tool is his speed. The problem is that the game has moved away from stealing bases and bunting. It's now all about hitting the ball out of the park. That is not the kind of game, which I would prefer, but unfortunately, that is what it has become. Moreover, he may lose a step, when he fills out. He is a very lean youngster and if he is going to get bigger and stronger, so that he can develop more power, he'll likely sacrifice some speed. I don't know about this one. Seems like a long shot to me. Now, Witt is another story. There is a SS with all of the tools to be a big impact player. I still rank them 1) Rutschman, 2) Witt, 3) Bleday. 

Edited by Lillian
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I'm really not a fan of using the #3 on Abrams at all.  Billy Hamilton is fast too...would you use the 3rd pick on him?  I could live with the Bleday pick...but IMO you really can't pass up on a bat like Vaughn. Hell given the fact that McCann is in the fold now I'd have gone with Langeliers here over Abrams.  "Toolsy" HS players just scare me...especially when you're biggest tool is speed.  I'd even consider Lodolo or Stinson over Abrams to be honest. If it's my call tho I'm not passing on Vaughn.

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4 hours ago, Wanne said:

I'm really not a fan of using the #3 on Abrams at all.  Billy Hamilton is fast too...would you use the 3rd pick on him?  I could live with the Bleday pick...but IMO you really can't pass up on a bat like Vaughn. Hell given the fact that McCann is in the fold now I'd have gone with Langeliers here over Abrams.  "Toolsy" HS players just scare me...especially when you're biggest tool is speed.  I'd even consider Lodolo or Stinson over Abrams to be honest. If it's my call tho I'm not passing on Vaughn.

Rutcshman and Witt seem so obvious...Bad year for pick 3

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4 hours ago, Wanne said:

I'm really not a fan of using the #3 on Abrams at all.  Billy Hamilton is fast too...would you use the 3rd pick on him?  I could live with the Bleday pick...but IMO you really can't pass up on a bat like Vaughn. Hell given the fact that McCann is in the fold now I'd have gone with Langeliers here over Abrams.  "Toolsy" HS players just scare me...especially when you're biggest tool is speed.  I'd even consider Lodolo or Stinson over Abrams to be honest. If it's my call tho I'm not passing on Vaughn.

I do not want anything to do with Abrams

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11 hours ago, Wanne said:

I'm really not a fan of using the #3 on Abrams at all.  Billy Hamilton is fast too...would you use the 3rd pick on him?  I could live with the Bleday pick...but IMO you really can't pass up on a bat like Vaughn. Hell given the fact that McCann is in the fold now I'd have gone with Langeliers here over Abrams.  "Toolsy" HS players just scare me...especially when you're biggest tool is speed.  I'd even consider Lodolo or Stinson over Abrams to be honest. If it's my call tho I'm not passing on Vaughn.

Guys speed is good. And Abrams has a good hit tool, he makes a lot of contact and has good feel to hit. He does the things people claim to love in this forum like go the opposite way when it takes him.

What he hasn’t learned to do yet is translate the power into games, but he’s in high school, is likely to fill out, and has a sixty raw power grade.

I really don’t understand how this forum is so traumatized by the few high schoolers this team has drafted in the last decade despite being the most heavily college focused team in the league. Notice we aren’t particularly good at drafting!

check out the top 100 lists and how the top 30s are filled with HS guys and INTL. Them going up against better competition at younger ages has made many better prospects. 

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13 hours ago, Wanne said:

I'm really not a fan of using the #3 on Abrams at all.  Billy Hamilton is fast too...would you use the 3rd pick on him?  I could live with the Bleday pick...but IMO you really can't pass up on a bat like Vaughn. Hell given the fact that McCann is in the fold now I'd have gone with Langeliers here over Abrams.  "Toolsy" HS players just scare me...especially when you're biggest tool is speed.  I'd even consider Lodolo or Stinson over Abrams to be honest. If it's my call tho I'm not passing on Vaughn.

The comparison to Hamilton is ridiculous.  Abrams hit tool is light years ahead of Hamilton's. I am not sure why so many here are afraid of high school players who are good athletes.  The reality is that the Sox haven't many high school kids and certainly none this high so you can't really say they can't develop them. 

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30 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Yep.  All we can do is hope the O's do something stupid.  

I feel like people say this every year. I feel pretty strongly one of the 3-6 players will end up as a guy.

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On 5/31/2019 at 8:37 AM, bmags said:

I feel like people say this every year. I feel pretty strongly one of the 3-6 players will end up as a guy.

Well it was said 2 years ago when the Sox took Jake Burger, and it turned out to be true.

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