caulfield12

Maybe they coached Thomas a little to make it SEEM like he wasn't interested in going to the White Sox at all (diversion!)...then the White Sox strike and we find out they already had a deal worked out with him well in advance.

orgying?

The Astros have so many guys who are DH/1B types already....Gattis, McCann, JD Davis, Tyler White, Gurriel...but why not go for it? Much better risk than the Cubs took with Schwarber at #4, although that's still worked out okay for them.

I already noted the power is mostly of the Doubles variety, but I think more could come. The first thing I’d do if I drafted Madrigal is introduce him to the squat machine and tell him to get super acquainted with it. He needs more low end in his swing, a lot more. He’s such a good contact hitter I wouldn’t want to overhaul his swing entirely but I would tweak 3 things and I think those tweaks, all pretty minor could unlock a lot more power. On to the videos where I’ll discuss more, but first here’s one sans comment, just so you can see the swing. This one is courtesy of Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen from a couple years back. Nick still has the same swing, so don’t think I’m cherry picking here. So first the basics before I talk about my tweaks: Madrigal has a huge leg lift, that’s rare for a guy with such good contact ability. I usually hate them, but Madrigal’s succeeded quite well with it, so I’d live with it for now (I’ll talk about the tweaks later). You’ll also notice he takes a really long stride and lands with his foot closed (parallel to the front of home plate). His swing has a good upward plane also, which should gear him to more power than you see. The problem is his lower half doesn’t drive the way it should and that closed front foot actually locks his hip some and saps power. My idea for tweaking his swing was figuring out how to keep the contact skills that make him so effective, but to actually get some power out of the swing. That’s important for any hitter, but especially for a guy who is so small for a pro baseball player. Power hitters use a leg kick to get their weight back, build momentum and drive through the ball. Madrigal’s is purely timing, with no power in it at all. He picks it up and puts it down with a big stride, but doesn’t carry momentum from it. It would be great if he loaded with it and started rolling forward more before planting the foot, that would build the momentum and allow him to drive from his back leg, which has very little drive in the current swing.The second tweak is to land with his front foot more open, this will free his hips to come through with his hands and carry his lower half momentum through the contact. If you freeze his swing at contact his hands are well ahead of his hips, which means some of that lower half rotational power is left sitting in the tank. The last, and biggest, tweak is for him to drive from the back foot more. There are, obviously, 2 ways to power your hip rotation. You can pull your hips through with your front side, this will cause your back heel to lift in order to free the back hip to turn. Or you push it open from the back leg. Your heel will still lift, but closer to the point you make contact with the ball in your swing. Madrigal’s back heel is up the instant his front foot lands, there’s not a lot of power in pulling your hips through, so I’d rather he plant and push. Opening that front foot should free him to do this more easily. I don’t want to undersell making changes to swing mechanics, there’s always risk, but I tried to make ones that don’t alter his normal stride, eye level, plane or kick, but instead maximize what he’s already doing. I think he can probably get to average power and above average to plus hitting. Combined with his speed that probably makes him an occasional All Star and a solid impact Starter on most every team in the Majors. https://www.thegoodphight.com/2018/3/21/17145876/2018-phillies-draft-preview-nick-madrigal-2b

Not in this day and age, when Tim Anderson is on track for 30-35 homers. Everyone projected him at 12-15, 18 tops...on draft day. Someone that comes to mind from the past in terms of hitting effectively at 2B with not great power, Tommy Herr of the Cardinals.

Or Kotsay...

Rays have had terrible luck with pitching injuries this year....among top prospects.

Borchard and Fields...

Every mock had him in mid Round 2. Plus, added risk of a football injury this fall and abbreviated start to his baseball career this summer.

Singer in a free fall...

4. Chicago White Sox: 2B Nick Madrigal, Oregon State University Madrigal is the best player in college baseball, and he's the best pure hitter in this Draft, hitting a cool .406 this year for the Beavers with 13 walks and just five strikeouts. He may be only 5-foot-8, but size isn't an issue because he can hit, he can really run and he can really play second base. The Jose Altuve comparisons are a bit much because Madrigal doesn't have that kind of power, but he's not a slap-hitter, either. mlb.com

Murray has said he is committed to playing QB this season for OU...if not 2019.

I think he starts at Kanny and moves up to Winston-Salem in late July/early August. Arizona Fall League depending on where he is physically at end of year. If not this year (AFL), definitely after the 2019 season...

Back to a related topic, this one Samatha Bee’s apology for using c—t. However, judging by (Jon) Stewart’s commentary on the matter, it seems as though he doesn’t think her apology was beneficial. “Please understand that a lot of what the right does, and it’s maybe their greatest genius, is they’ve created a code of conduct that they police, that they themselves don’t have to, in any way, abide,” he said, according to The Daily Beast. “Don’t get caught in a trap of thinking you can live up to a code of integrity that will be enough for the propagandist right. There isn’t. And so, create your own moral code to live by, but don’t be fooled into trying to make concessions that you think will mollify them.” “They don’t give a s— about the word ‘c—,'” he added of the Trump administration. “That is probably—[Trump] says that instead of ‘please,’ I’m guessing.”

Only Jake Peavy would react similarly...maybe Chris Sale? Buehrle would be laughing and sliding around on the tarp.

Well, he would select Adams or Murray I guess...to me, it’s more about power and ego. And Madrigal is the polar opposite of a KW selection, a “pure” baseball player (undersized) rather than a talented athlete who checks all the boxes in terms of 40 times and vertical leaps trying to learn the game on the fly.

I don’t think he could differentiate between Saarloos and the local friendly Lawrence (KS) Applebee’s waiter...as he’s not a draftnik. Otoh, he does reserve the right to be pissed off later when guys like Mitchell, Burdi and Burger get hurt.

If KW is the one making the call here...and if Singer busts, that better be the end of his Sox tenure.

On Madrigal’s speed...from thegoodphight.com Just enough arm and range to play Short in a pinch, but not a guy you’d really want to play there for more than a few innings. His range is average at Second (below for Short) despite being a 70-80 grade runner (range is more reliant on short burst, lateral quickness which explains why some 55 grade runners have great range and some guys with 80 grade speed can have poor range, they’re different skills). He plays a smooth Second though and should be an average defender (although most reports have him close to future Gold Glove caliber at 2B) and his experience at Short gives him some flexibility to sub on occasion in an emergency. I mentioned the speed above, but I’ll expand a little. Nick’s a Right handed hitter and times from Home to First range from the 3.84 (grade 80+) range up to near 2.10 (grade 70). Scouts also note he’s a smart baserunner, times jumps well and knows when to push the envelope. I expect Madrigal to be a guy who could rack up 25-30 steals a year, maybe more. A team with him and Roman Quinn would be a blast to watch on the bases.

Depends on Mize’s physical...lots of health rumors flying around to knock down his asking price to #2 pick money + $1.

White Sox at #4. I'm worried that Mize and Singer will be taken already. Madrigal scares me a little, reminds me too much of Gordon Beckham. Is India or Bohm a better fit for CWS? Keith Law 1:11 I think Singer gets there, although I wouldn't take him over any of those three bats you mentioned. I think he's more Carson Fulmer than Chris Sale. Rico Brogna 1:04 If the Phillies land either Madrigal or Bohm (seems they are most interested in a college bat) or even Bart if he falls, how quickly do you think each of these bats gets to the majors? Keith Law 1:05 None is more than two years away. I'd guess any or all could debut late in 2019. How many draft-eligible pitchers are good enough to pitch in the majors later this year (even in pen)? How does that compare to the average draft? Keith Law 1:13 I think Mize could, in relief. A few college relievers probably could too, guys like Mulholland way down my 100. Singer maybe as a right-handed specialist.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mock-draft-for-first-round-of-2018-mlb-draft/c-279699234 Callis/Mayo pick Singer Mize, Bart, Madrigal, Singer, India, Bohm...agree on first six picks. Yawn...

My only response is that we really need some hitters who can make contact consistently with a high OBP...not to mention Madrigal has excellent speed and fielding instincts. A pretty unique skill set, and he’s the type of player all White Sox fans could root for, blue collar/overachiever/gym rat in his approach to the game. Everyone says his instincts/baseball IQ are off the charts. Don’t want another Burger/Bohm pick...although in your analogy, Burger was our Schwarber last year. We don’t know if someone like Madrigal becomes another Cora or Grebeck (floor), Altuve or Pedroia (ceiling), but I believe it’s quite plausible he could eventually play any of the outfield positions along with either 3B or SS. He and India are definitely the “versatility” picks of this draft. With Jimenez, maybe Davidson/Palka, Collins/Zavala, Abreu (for now), we’ve got enough big boppers.

Slumped a bit at end of the season...K rate a little higher than you’d like. Uncertainty about his best defensive position.

Back to Roseanne....Tomi Lahren attempted to go against Trump supporters (like she previously did with Glenn Beck on the abortion/pro-choice issues). Will be interesting to see how successfully she can straddle the line. The conservative commentator (Tomi Lahren) also said that a “media double standard applies,” in which the left can more easily get away with inflammatory comments than those on the right. “It’s the pro-Trump conservatives who must walk the plank into professional purgatory, while those on the left are given a pass, and move on,” Lahren said. We all know it, and it’s frustrating, but here’s the deal: We know we’re held to a different standard. We must rise to the occasion, and act the right way,” she continued. “The last thing we should do is lower our standards, even when the left gets away with lowering theirs.”