2024 MLB Draft--Thomas Round 2; LBJ Round 5; Witt Round 14



not sure where to put this honestly. I imagine he’s gone but :idk:

Very glad to see Tanner Witt throwing good again!

Aside--Chatham is easily the best place on the Cape. Wonderful place. It's Nantucket-Lite. I hope these lads get to experience some of the fun stuff on their down time.
 
Sykora and Gasparino playing at UT are pipe dreams. Mark them down as gone.

Morris may be on the bubble. It would be really great if he plays on the 40 Acres.

I think Tumis won't be drafted high enough to make it worthwhile for him to skip college, if he's drafted at all. He's on some of the draft projections, but not many of them. And when he makes the lists, it's pretty far down in the draft.

Wisconsin high school ace pitcher Cole Selvig is as good as here. He's not appearing on anybody's draft projections.

:ut::ut::ut:
 
The Board | FanGraphs Baseball

This projection only goes to pick 150. It has:

27 Sykora
53 Gasparino
88 Witt

The Board | FanGraphs Baseball

This scouting above shows that Skenes, Andrew Walters, and Brandon Sproat are the only pitchers in the draft with a better fastball than Sykora.

No brainer i think, Sykora is gone. That's way too high to pass up for most people

I mean if it was me and I wanted to play for my dream team (Texas), I would go to school cause the money is going to be there regardless when I want it. Have fun for two years, get drafter number 1. But most people would call that stupid, i call it living. You only get one shot to play for your dream school, plenty of opportunity for that young man to make all the money he will need.
 
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The big deal is getting Morris. Depending on what happens at the draft, he could go either college or pro.
 
MLB Scouting write-up for LBJ:

"The University of Texas has been pumping out some real heat the last few years and Lebarron Johnson is no different. A two-pitch reliever with serious juice, Johnson threw just 17 innings in 2022, walking 11 hitters, punching out 21. He parlayed his limited action into a summer with Chatham, pitching 7.1 more innings, walking 6. It’s easy velocity and scouts see a guy who’s going to throw even harder once he gets his mechanics down pat.

The fastball is the headline-grabber here with a Stuff+ grade of 150. Johnson can touch 98, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he tickles triple digits in 2023. It’s a vertical four-seamer with some arm-side run, though Johnson’s fastball shape has been inconsistent at best. When he’s right and fully efficient, Johnson can grab north of 23 inches of carry in the upper-90s. The fastball can be a legit weapon if Johnson learns to repeat his operation and his release with more consistency. His slider is already an above average offering according to models, though it's heavily skewed by velocity. Johnson can touch 90 and comfortably sits 87-89. He gets solid depth on the pitch and reaped a 46-percent whiff rate on 24 swings on the pitch last season. Johnson has plenty of projection ahead of him and areas to grow his game..."

2023 MLB Draft: Big Stuff, No Command, Big Future? — Prospects Live
 
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Top Baseball Draft Prospects

MLB Scouting write-up for Dylan Campbell:

"Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Though Campbell rushed for 1,569 yards and 21 touchdowns as a Texas high school senior in the fall of 2019, he had a brighter future in baseball than football. He has improved throughout three seasons at Texas, boosting his OPS from .564 as a freshman to .864 last year to 1.039 this spring while compiling a Big 12 Conference-record 38-game hitting streak. Some scouts consider him the best pure hitting prospect among Lone Star State collegians.

Campbell makes good swing decisions and repeated line-drive contact against all kinds of pitching from the right side of the plate. He puts the ball in play almost too easily and could get more out of his hitting ability if he strays out of the strike zone less frequently. He won't be a big power threat but can drive balls to his pull side enough to produce 15 homers per season.

Despite his stocky 5-foot-11, 205-pound build, Campbell possesses solid speed and is a proficient basestealer. His profile would be enhanced if he showed he could handle center field, but he hasn't gotten that opportunity with the Longhorns. He's better suited for right field and has the plus arm strength for that position."
 
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Sthele has gotten little love around here--could be due to his inconsistency these last 2 years ...

But, Travis Sthele can throw 96+ mph and has some really good stuff. One would think an MLB team might take him, at a bargain, in the lower rounds based on his raw talent and "stuff" alone and make him into a 1-2 inning set-up man...?
 


not sure where to put this honestly. I imagine he’s gone but :idk:

Another awesome thing about the Cape Cod Summer League is that they only use wooden bats. That's right--wooden bats!

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

Speaking of which, that's something that could be done to remedy the too-much-offense character of today's college baseball: only wooden bats should be allowed.
 
Another awesome thing about the Cape Cod Summer League is that they only use wooden bats. That's right--wooden bats!

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

Speaking of which, that's something that could be done to remedy the too-much-offense character of today's college baseball: only wooden bats should be allowed.
Too expensive
 
Previewing Texas Longhorns players and signees in the 2023 MLB Draft

Porter Brown
(he could be back; it has as much to do with his aspirations of being a doctor as his projectability in the MLB draft; his score on the MCAT exam may play a bigger role than where (or if) he's taken in the MLB draft)
"Brown arguably has the most options of any player on the roster — he could move on from baseball after five seasons, return to Texas, or try to play professional baseball as a late-round draft pick or undrafted signee. As a regular starter for the first time in his career after transferring to the Forty Acres from TCU, Brown hit 12 home runs and drove in 59 runs. But Brown is also set to turn 23 soon, so if he has professional aspirations, now is the time."
As his long-term career, Brown wants to be a doctor, so 4-5+ years working in the Minor Leagues may have no appeal for him. He may be back.


Peyton Powell
(he's back)
"After only 30 at bats in Powell’s first three seasons at Texas, the Waco-area product had an unexpected breakout season, hitting .339 with 10 home runs and had nearly as many walks (37) as strikeouts (42). Since Powell isn’t an ideal projection at a corner infield spot, the possibility of returning and either playing another position like catcher or showing steady production at third looms as the most likely outcome."


Charlie Hurley
(he's back)
"The other USC transfer for Texas struggled to find a consistent role for the Longhorns in 2023, starting five games and saving three more while posting a 4.42 ERA, but his command also faltered at times and despite having good tilt on his fastball at 6’8, it’s far from an overpowering pitch. Texas should have a strong chance to get Hurley back on campus for a senior season that could feature him in a weekend starter role"


Casey Borba
(flip a coin--we might actually get him for a few years)
Here's one I haven't written anything about, as I figured he was almost certainly going pro. But, there's a real chance we get Borba and his very capable bat and glove, for a few years:

"Prospects1500.com has the 6’1, 205-pound corner infielder ranked as the No. 305 player in the draft. Borba is the son of the Orange Lutheran head coach and hit .353 with six home runs as a junior. If players in this range sign, it’s often because they’re given above-slot bonuses or are heavily invested in starting their professional career."
 
Blake Mitchell -- Catcher (Sinton HS, TX) goes early in the 1st round to the Kansas City Royals.


 
Skenes went 1st overall, to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Crews went 2nd overall, to the Washington Nationals.

:lsu:
 
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The Rangers get Wyatt Langford-OF from the U. of Florida for the 4th pick overall. Fantastic all-around batter. Not too shabby in the OF either.
 
After 2 full rounds and 70 picks, none of our UT players or HS signees has been picked yet.

The "Approx. Pick Value" is down to $1.05 Million.
 
Gasparino
Sykora
Witt

Those are 3 guys that could go in Round 3. Some of them (Sykora, in particular), may have a very difficult decision to make. The MLB $$ may not be worth it. Now if Gasparino plays here for a few years, that's double icing on the cake for us!

Then Round 4 and Round 5 might see LBJ and/or Campbell go. Don't shoot me for saying this, but if I was an MLB team decision maker, I'd actually take LBJ over Witt. I see a young JR Richard, including his youthful imperfect control, in LBJ. Of course, Witt also has massive upside. It seems that Witt's injury may be pushing him down some MLB teams' lists. If Witt is taken in Round 3, it may be difficult to keep him here.
 

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