The reports in the P-D on Wacha are more encouraging than what I heard from the MLBN panel last night. They weren't going to get Appel with the 19th pick, and except for him there weren't a lot of dead solid locks on the board, at least for pitchers. Wacha's performed at an elite level in a major conference. If he turns out to be a solid #3, it's a good pick.

They went high school high risk/reward in Round 2

Carson Kelly 3B/RHP, Westview H.S. (Ore)

(ESPN)- Kelly is the top prospect in the northwest region and is making his name as a bat despite hitting 92 mph on the radar gun from the mound. Scouts love the results of his batting practice sessions and the third baseman has become a more disciplined hitter, simplifying how his lower half works -- mainly a high leg kick that is now more abbreviated -- a question coming into the spring.

His plus bat speed comes from strong hands and good swing mechanics, including the lack of wasted movements with his hands and a short load. His swing is loose, quick and short and produces big pop to his pull side and improving gap power. Defensively, Kelly has a good first step and the range and arm strength to stay at the hot corner long term. He's signed to play at Oregon, but he's a likely first-round pick, and there's a shot he's taken off the board in the top 20.


(MLB)- The top 2012 prospect from the Pacific Northwest, scouts will take a look at Kelly both as a pitcher and as a third baseman. While initially it seem led like his arm might be of more interest, it became apparent as the Draft approached that most liked his potential as a position player better.

The arm that reaches 92 mph on the mound works very well from third base and he’s steady all-around as a defender. But it’s his bat that has teams eyeing him. He is strong, with a good approach at the plate and the kind of raw power teams like to see from the corner infield position.

Kelly has the option to head to the University of Oregon and perhaps continue to be a two-way player, so it will be interesting to see if he goes high enough in the Draft to focus on just one craft at the professional level.

APIAD wrote:

Here is what futureredbird said to start off their blog on Ramsey;

With the brand new rules in place with the Major League Baseball’s new Collective Barganing Agreement, each team is held to a certain amount of money for their 1st through 10th round selections. These rules do very little to help the teams at the top get the best players, but if they do anything, they elevate the level of the college seniors who have little leverage and are forced to sign at what the team selecting them offers. And since teams are on a specifically tight budget, these players help balance the budget to allow the team to pick more expensive players with their other picks. If it makes zero sense to you, you are not the only one. With that introduction, I give you the Cardinals 2nd first round pick at number 23 overall, James Ramsey, senior Outfielder, Florida State. More of me and the scouting reports are after the jump.

On the broadcast, MLB Network compared Ramsey to: Skip Schumaker.  (Comps are dumb and rarely close, but that one hurts.)  And I say this trying to be well though out and not over-reacting to this pick: Ramsey is taken at 23 only because he’s an easy sign as a college senior, he was not the best talent available.  He put up good numbers in the Cape Cod League (Cape Cod Alert!) and hits for average in college.  He doesn’t project as a CF, but instead a RF without much power (or a 2nd baseman, not sure where anyone is getting that from).  Oh well, enough of my rant.  Along to the scouting reports

Thanks for posting the info about the new financial structure. Much appreciated.
Look, I haven't seen Ramsey play, but he's lasted four years in a college program of national stature, was elected captain of his team and seems to be reasonably intelligent. Presuming the Cardinals have vetted this kid, I don't have a problem with leaving a more talented, less mature player on the board. If talent was all it took to succeed in sports, JaMarcus Russell would have a handful of Super Bowl rings and there would be a bridge in Quebec City named after Eric Lindros.

forsberg_us wrote:

The Cardinals drafted Arizona pitcher, Kurt Heyer in the 6th round.  I remember you mentioned him when Arizona was going to play Missouri.  Is this a good pick (aside from the fact he played for Arizona)?  They also drafted Arizon'a shortstop, Alex Mejia.

Heyer is one of those guys who isn't overpowering. He just gets people out. He's got kind of a funky short-armed three-quarters delivery that probably dropped his draft stock.
Mejia has corner infielder size, but middle infield stats. 
One thing to keep in mind is it's hard to read stats with UofA players because the Hi-C is such a humungous ballpark. Heyer might be one of those guys who gives up 390 foot fly balls that are outs in Tucson, but will be halfway up the bleachers at a place like Wrigley. And Mejia might have twice as many home runs during his career if he had played his home games at a place like Packard Stadium.

"Like Ramsey what is the point of drafting players who cant hit for their position.  Is it that hard to find slappy outfielders or slow middle infielders?"

How many dead solid locks are there ever in the MLB draft. Maybe one a year? Ramsey hit something like .385 this year. Remember, right now we're reading projections from people like Keith Law who probably haven't seen many of these prospects play, and if they have they've probably watched them on TV, and may not know in the first place what it takes to be a major league baseball player.
Mejia hit at UofA, he just didn't hit for a lot of power. Again, it's really, really hard to predict the professional future of a hitter who played three years at Hi Corbett Field. It's something like 360 feet fown the foul lines, and more than 400 feet to the gaps. This guy could be Troy Tulowitzki, or he could never progress beyond High A.

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals selected outfielder Tate Matheny -- son of manager Mike Matheny -- on Wednesday in the 23rd round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, then added third-base coach Jose Oquendo's son, Eduardo, in the 32nd round.

The elder Matheny said on Tuesday that his son was leaning toward accepting an offer to play at the collegiate level with Missouri State next season after slipping to Day 3 of the Draft. The St. Louis skipper had also said previously he would have preferred if the Cardinals did not draft his son in order to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.

"It's all his decision," the manager said Tuesday in reference to the possibility of his son bypassing college if selected high enough. "I've been impressed with his maturity in that process."
 
Tate Matheny, whose Westminster Christian Academy team won its second straight Missouri Class 3 championship during his senior year, batted .610 with 10 doubles, 11 triples, 11 homers, 51 RBIs and 25 stolen bases this season.

Eduardo Oquendo is a switch-hitting shortstop from Olney Central College in Illinois. His father Played 12 seasons as a middle infielder in the big leagues, 10 seasons with the Cardinals.

I had no clue Oquendo's son was playing at Olney.


Edit:maybe this is why;http://occbaseball.webs.com/stats.htm

Last edited by APIAD (6/06/2012 4:38 pm)

The younger Oquendo completed his first year in junior college at Olney (Ill.) Central.

"It's nice of the Cardinals to do that," Jose Oquendo said. "He's still a young kid (19). He probably needs to go another year of college and we'll see where he is after that.

I would like him to look at his education, too. He needs some more of that.

"He has some talents. He's a good defensive player. He's still working on his offense. (The 5-foot-6 Oquendo hit .246 this year). This is good motivation to keep working and get better. I think he can."


Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cards-wisdom-agree-matheny-oquendo-aldrete-scanio-drafted/article_da51c10b-1b2d-57e2-9d89-2b0a738f5619.html#ixzz1x6qkuoxJ


He isnt going to get much education at Olney.  If he wants to work on something he might want to try working on a growth spurt.