Sox Draft 2023

[35thstreetswarm]

18 minutes ago, mmmmmbeeer said:

He looks like a Japanese-style hitter to my eyes...that sort of drift out of the box during the swing.  

I'm most impressed with the coordinated liquid spray celebration of the fans in Ole Miss's right field bleachers

[ScootsMcGoots]

4 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

2025: Kopech 90 Innings + Crochet 45 Innings + Grant Taylor 60 innings = One MLB Starting Pitcher.

 

Soxmath!

[chitownsportsfan]

6 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I'm most impressed with the coordinated liquid spray celebration of the fans in Ole Miss's right field bleachers

It just means more...

[DFAthewave69420]

Wonder if they have their eye on George Wolkow from Downers Grove North

[SoCalChiSox]

2 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Does JR have anybody in his ear that can explain to him the concept of spending money to make money? 

I think the thing is the FO convinced him to "spend money to make money" for the last few years of higher payroll on the belief that in this "championship window" they'd have a nice Ferrari which would produce not only high gate receipts but consistent playoff TV money for a few years for JR and his limited partners even if they didn't win a title or even an AL pennant. So he and the limited partners pushed their chips to the middle and opened up their wallets for a few years in terms of total payroll. 

Unfortunately, those promised returns never came and between stalled development, injuries etc. the Ferrari they believed they paid for (in reality they shouldnt have expected a Ferrari for a 185-210m payroll but at least it should have been a pretty good car) turned into a 1988 Toyota Tercel with 225k miles on it.

Not content to pay the price of a decent steak dinner for just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the FO then compounded the problem by jerking off onto the windshield of the 1988 Toyota Tercel and proceeded to also drive it into Lake Michigan and here we are.

The partnership isn't going to spend again now that they got burned. If we can be mediocre on a cheap payroll or if we are mediocre on a high payroll, the partnership obviously prefers the former and so that's the apparent plan going forward.

[Capn12]

4th round: Calvin Harris, C from Ole Miss.

The scouting video of him is...not generous about his ability defensively, nor his ability to not hit ground balls.

 

https://www.mlb.com/video/2023-draft-calvin-harris-c?t=mlb-draft

 

He'll fit right in!

[Harold's Leg Lift]

8 minutes ago, DFAthewave69420 said:

Wonder if they have their eye on George Wolkow from Downers Grove North

I sure hope not.

[chitownsportsfan]

2 minutes ago, Capn12 said:

4th round: Calvin Harris, C from Ole Miss.

The scouting video of him is...not generous about his ability defensively, nor his ability to not hit ground balls.

 

https://www.mlb.com/video/2023-draft-calvin-harris-c?t=mlb-draft

 

He'll fit right in!

I'd have rather drafted Calvin Harris the musician.

[YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES!]

Why are there two different draft threads?

[MiddleCoastBias]

7 minutes ago, Capn12 said:

4th round: Calvin Harris, C from Ole Miss.

The scouting video of him is...not generous about his ability defensively, nor his ability to not hit ground balls.

 

https://www.mlb.com/video/2023-draft-calvin-harris-c?t=mlb-draft

 

He'll fit right in!

Yeah but he can have banger walkup music

[The Kids Can Play]

52 minutes ago, T R U said:

I always think of Ichiro with that type of swing

Hmm good point, how did that work out?

[NCsoxfan]

Would love to see a 10y look back to see if our drafting would’ve been better to just use “best available consensus “ versus whoever we picked.

[T R U]

Just now, The Kids Can Play said:

Hmm good point, how did that work out?

Really, really good for 10 years and then pretty mid for the final 9 years.

[T R U]

Just now, NCsoxfan said:

Would love to see a 10y look back to see if our drafting would’ve been better to just use “best available consensus “ versus whoever we picked.

Not quite what you were asking, but I went back and looked at who we took against who we could have taken only looking at round 1 and the very first comp round and this is what we passed up for one reason or another. I think we did quite well in 2021 and 2022

2013: Tim Anderson Passed: Aaron Judge

2014: Carlos Rodon Passed: Aaron Nola, Trea Tuner, Matt Chapman

2015: Carson Fulmer Passed: Ian Happ, Walker Buehler, Mike Soroka

2016: Zack Collins, Zack Burdi Passed: Josh Lowe, Gavin Lux, Dane Dunning, Will Smith

2017: Jake Burger Passed: Trevor Rogers?

2018: Nick Madrigal Passed: Jonathan India, Jared Kelenic, Logan Gilbert, Matthew Liberatore, Brady Singer, Nolan Gorman, Shane McClanahan

2019: Andrew Vaughn Passed: Riley Greene, Josh Jung, Corbin Carroll, George Kirby, Daniel Espino, Anthony Volpe

2020: Garrett Crochet Passed: Jordan Walker, Bobby Miller, Jordan Westburg

2021: Colson Montgomery Passed: N/A

2022: Noah Schultz Passed: N/A

[NCsoxfan]

2 minutes ago, T R U said:

Not quite what you were asking, but I went back and looked at who we took against who we could have taken only looking at round 1 and the very first comp round and this is what we passed up for one reason or another. I think we did quite well in 2021 and 2022

2013: Tim Anderson Passed: Aaron Judge

2014: Carlos Rodon Passed: Aaron Nola, Trea Tuner, Matt Chapman

2015: Carson Fulmer Passed: Ian Happ, Walker Buehler, Mike Soroka

2016: Zack Collins, Zack Burdi Passed: Josh Lowe, Gavin Lux, Dane Dunning, Will Smith

2017: Jake Burger Passed: Trevor Rogers?

2018: Nick Madrigal Passed: Jonathan India, Jared Kelenic, Logan Gilbert, Matthew Liberatore, Brady Singer, Nolan Gorman, Shane McClanahan

2019: Andrew Vaughn Passed: Riley Greene, Josh Jung, Corbin Carroll, George Kirby, Daniel Espino, Anthony Volpe

2020: Garrett Crochet Passed: Jordan Walker, Bobby Miller, Jordan Westburg

2021: Colson Montgomery Passed: N/A

2022: Noah Schultz Passed: N/A

I guess I mean what was the BA consensus best available at whatever pick we made.

[2Deep]

Man.......so many hot takes here about draft picks when most know nothing about them OR not enough about them.  I dislike this team and organization right now but willing to let these guys develop before making sweeping negative generalizations about them as players. 

[T R U]

Just now, NCsoxfan said:

I guess I mean what was the BA consensus best available at whatever pick we made.

Yeah I know what you meant, there was just no way I was going to be able to put that together while trying to pretend to be working lol

[South Side Hit Men]

46 minutes ago, SoCalChiSox said:

I think the thing is the FO convinced him to "spend money to make money" for the last few years of higher payroll on the belief that in this "championship window" they'd have a nice Ferrari which would produce not only high gate receipts but consistent playoff TV money for a few years for JR and his limited partners even if they didn't win a title or even an AL pennant. So he and the limited partners pushed their chips to the middle and opened up their wallets for a few years in terms of total payroll. 

Unfortunately, those promised returns never came and between stalled development, injuries etc. the Ferrari they believed they paid for (in reality they shouldnt have expected a Ferrari for a 185-210m payroll but at least it should have been a pretty good car) turned into a 1988 Toyota Tercel with 225k miles on it.

Not content to pay the price of a decent steak dinner for just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the FO then compounded the problem by jerking off onto the windshield of the 1988 Toyota Tercel and proceeded to also drive it into Lake Michigan and here we are.

The partnership isn't going to spend again now that they got burned. If we can be mediocre on a cheap payroll or if we are mediocre on a high payroll, the partnership obviously prefers the former and so that's the apparent plan going forward.

Pretty sure Jerry only spent money the past two seasons to placate Tony, also because he banked so much over the years, including screwing players out of 2/3 of their wages in 2020 and claiming he lost a billion or whatever bullshit he was spewing at the time.

[Capn12]

16 minutes ago, T R U said:

Not quite what you were asking, but I went back and looked at who we took against who we could have taken only looking at round 1 and the very first comp round and this is what we passed up for one reason or another. I think we did quite well in 2021 and 2022

2013: Tim Anderson Passed: Aaron Judge

2014: Carlos Rodon Passed: Aaron Nola, Trea Tuner, Matt Chapman

2015: Carson Fulmer Passed: Ian Happ, Walker Buehler, Mike Soroka

2016: Zack Collins, Zack Burdi Passed: Josh Lowe, Gavin Lux, Dane Dunning, Will Smith

2017: Jake Burger Passed: Trevor Rogers?

2018: Nick Madrigal Passed: Jonathan India, Jared Kelenic, Logan Gilbert, Matthew Liberatore, Brady Singer, Nolan Gorman, Shane McClanahan

2019: Andrew Vaughn Passed: Riley Greene, Josh Jung, Corbin Carroll, George Kirby, Daniel Espino, Anthony Volpe

2020: Garrett Crochet Passed: Jordan Walker, Bobby Miller, Jordan Westburg

2021: Colson Montgomery Passed: N/A

2022: Noah Schultz Passed: N/A

2018 is vomit worthy.

[T R U]

2 minutes ago, Capn12 said:

2018 is vomit worthy.

I think its crazy that you have Tim Anderson in 2013 and then it took them all the way until 2021 before they took another toolsy up the middle player.

Lots of SP and 1B/DH, 2B, and C in almost a decade.

Edited July 10, 2023 by T R U

[The Kids Can Play]

3 hours ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

He opens up early and steps in the bucket to artifically create power.  You can get away with that against horseshit pitching and swinging a metal bat but big league pitchers would absolutely destroy him on the outer half of the plate.  At least they know they have to fix his swing which is interesting because they also thought they had to fix Bradfields swing but Bradfield is twice the athlete Gonzalez is so why take Gonzalez over Bradfield.  Because Gonzalez fills a need.  That's an awful way to draft.

I think your prognosis is harsh and premature. Let's actually slow the jets and let Gonzalez go through the minors before you call this guy a bust and wasted draft pick.

From your comment: You can get away with that against horseshit pitching and swinging a metal bat but big league pitchers would absolutely destroy him on the outer half of the plate.

You realize you are talking about the SEC which is probably the top college baseball conference. They have arguably produced the most, if not close to the most lifetime major league players. These horseshit pitchers from this SEC conference have produced the following pitchers, just to name a few who seem to have made the transition of horseshit pitching in college to the majors:

Max Scherzer - Missouri
Dane Dunning - Florida
Kevin Gausman - LSU
Sonny Gray - Vanderbilt
Alex Lange - LSU
Aaron Nola - LSU
David Price - Vanderbilt

Your comment: Swinging a metal bat but big league pitchers would absolutely destroy him on the outer half of the plate.

The following players have played in the SEC using that metal bat and somehow made the successful transition to the major leagues just to name a few:

Pete Alonso - Florida
Alex Bregman - LSU
Walker Buehler - Vanderbilt
Dansby Swanson - Vanderbilt
Christian Walker - SC
Bryan Reynolds - Vanderbilt
DJ LeMahieu - LSU
Nathaniel Lowe - Miss St

I appreciate your harsh negative review of Gonzalez, but I could counter easily and list extensive reviews of people who do like his chances and potential. It's not like he was doing this in some mid major baseball conference.

Btw, your final comment about it's an awful way to draft.

Actually it was a very smart and safe pick. SS is a premium position. Since he can play SS, he can play 3B or 2B in the future. Plus if he is good and we don't need a SS, 2B or 3B, then he is a valuable asset to possibly trade.

The fact is, the Sox haven't had many good left handed power hitters that could also hit for BA for many years now. It's nice to see the Sox tried to address that need.

None of us know if Gonzalez will make it, but nobody knew if the above mentioned players from the SEC would make it either. Let's have this debate in a few years watching this dude either fail or excel in the Sox farm system.

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by The Kids Can Play

[CentralChamps21]

1 minute ago, The Kids Can Play said:

Actually it was a very smart and safe pick. SS is a premium position. Since he can play SS, he can play 3B or 2B in the future. Plus if he is good and we don't need a SS, 2B or 3B, then he is a valuable asset to possibly trade.

Drafting SS, CF, P, C are always great moves because those positions are always in high demand. If you end up with a backlog at those positions, you can get good value in a trade (or in the case of SS or CF, move to another position). If you end up with a backlog of 1B/DH, it's harder to fix that, as we are seeing on full display right now.

[The Kids Can Play]

37 minutes ago, T R U said:

Really, really good for 10 years and then pretty mid for the final 9 years.

Like maybe as good of a 10 year period of all time and probably a future Hall of Famer?

Don't forget he was a several time all-star and batting champion in Japan before he came to the Majors, so his age was against him starting at 27. 

[JTB]

1 hour ago, Capn12 said:

4th round: Calvin Harris, C from Ole Miss.

The scouting video of him is...not generous about his ability defensively, nor his ability to not hit ground balls.

 

https://www.mlb.com/video/2023-draft-calvin-harris-c?t=mlb-draft

 

He'll fit right in!

I know Calvin’s dad pretty well. It will be fun rooting for him.  I did text his dad to say it will be fun to watch his progression but I don’t trust the Sox to develop anyone!  Still, good for Calvin.  Good family.

[Dick Allen]

9 minutes ago, CentralChamps21 said:

Drafting SS, CF, P, C are always great moves because those positions are always in high demand. If you end up with a backlog at those positions, you can get good value in a trade (or in the case of SS or CF, move to another position). If you end up with a backlog of 1B/DH, it's harder to fix that, as we are seeing on full display right now.

I agree. I have no problem with them drafting SS. If they drafted 6 SS and they all could play, unlike other positions, they could find a spot for them. CF could play either corner. C and P are obvious.