Draft Interview with Matt and Kevin from Big League Futures

Recently I interviewed Matt Grabusky and Kevin Gallo from Big League Futures (www.bigleaguefutures.net) regarding the 2013 draft.  Big League Futures is an excellent site that provides amateur baseball players with as much exposure as possible.  They provide draft profiles for as many players as possible, rankings, mock drafts, observations, and news that relates to the draft.  As part of their mission they hold regional baseball showcases, the next of which is scheduled for June 1-2, 2013 at Cal State San Marcos for age groups in the 2014-2017 graduate range.  For more information, contact Matt (matt@bigleaguefutures.net) or Kevin (kevingalloblf@gmail.com).

Below is the transcript from our interview: 


What are your general thoughts about this draft and how does it compare to prior years’ drafts?

Kevin Gallo (KG):  I believe the first 5 rounds have depth but after that it becomes thin.  That being said it will be a much better draft then people originally thought and there will be some surprises.

Matt Grabusky (MG):  I don’t find this draft to be as weak as most seem to, but it is lacking in college bats.  Every college hitter outside of Kris Bryant and Colin Moran has definite questions marks.

 

The top tier of prospects for this year’s draft seems to consist of five players: college pitchers Mark Appel, Ryne Stanek, and Sean Manaea and high school outfielders Clint Frazier and Austin Meadows.  Of these five, who stands out to you as the best overall prospect?

KG:    I think they all have their pluses and minuses but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Frazier as a position player and Manaea as a pitcher and I would take Frazier over Manaea because of his outstanding tools.

MG:  A case can be made for any of the five, but I have to go with Frazier, as well.  He has the tools and passion to become a very special player.

 

Give me two or three names of players who could sneak into this top group and why?

 KG:  I think there are two Catchers that could jump into that group Reese McGuire and Jonathan Denney, both are plus defensively behind the plate and show above average to plus offensive skills.  Another player that could break into that group is Dominic Smith who’s has great bat speed and has the great offensive potential.  One last player that could jump into that group if he shows into he is health is Clinton Hollon.

 MG:  I would guess that by June at least one player jumps into that mix.  In addition to those already mentioned, I could see Justin Williams making that kind of leap.  High School righthanders Kohl Stewart and Jordan Sheffield are other possibilities.

 

If you were advising Houston’s GM, who would you suggest they take?

KG:  I would take Clint Frazier just based on his above average to plus tools across the board.

MG:  I am a believer in taking the best player on the board, for me that’s Frazier.

 

Is there a particular position that stands out as really strong?  How about one that stands out as pretty weak? 

KG:  Well the OF is very strong in College and HS.  The catchers HS class is very strong.  The MIF class is pretty weak across the board. 

MG:  The high school catching in 2013 is extremely strong.  I think the group of college pitchers is somewhat underrated at this point.  Talent in the middle of the infield is not as strong as you would like, especially in the college ranks.

 

Mark Appel is a pretty fascinating case study in my opinion.  I can’t decide how I feel about his decision to go back to school for his senior year in terms of whether it helped or hurt him.  What did you think about him not signing with Pittsburgh and do you think he could regret that decision?

KG:  I think he could regret it but not for the reasons you think.  He may regret it because it may cause him to add a year or two to get to the majors and he loses leverage in the draft. 

MG:  I understand a player wanting to get as much money as he can to sign, but with the rules the way they are now, I don’t see a winning scenario for a player who is drafted high in the first round and returns for his senior year.

 

Ryne Stanek is of particular interest to me because I live in Arkansas and am a Razorback fan.  Give me a scouting report on Ryne.  If the draft were today where do you see him going?

KG:  Stanek has two plus pitches and is developing a changeup.  Where he is going in the draft is tricky. I could see him go anywhere from #1 to number #5 but I don’t see him going passed #5.  

MG:  Stanek is my favorite pitcher in the draft.  If the Astros decide on pitching, he would be my bet for them.  He won’t last long, regardless.

 

Let me ask you about another Razorback: Dominic Ficociello.  What are your general thoughts?  Does he have the power to profile as big league first baseman?  Could he move to 2B or 3B?  In what round do you see him being taken?

MG:  I like Ficociello quite a bit, but the lack of power could definitely be an issue.  He is excellent defensively at first, but I honestly have no idea how he will handle a position switch.  I’m sure we will get to see it though, and I will be hoping for the best.

 

As a Yankee fan, I loved watching Boston struggle last year but as a result they have the 7^th overall pick, which I hate.  In addition, I see a fair amount of mock drafts predicting them take Kohl Stewart, which makes me truly jealous.  Do you see them being interested in Kohl Stewart and if not, who do you see them taking? 

KG:  We see him at #7 too ,  I don’t see him getting passed 10.

 
MG:  If not Stewart, my two guesses at this point would be Reese McGuire and Dominic Smith.

 

What’s the latest on Drew Ward, the SS from Oklahoma?  Is he going to be eligible this June and where would you rank him currently in this draft class? 

MG:  I don’t have any inside information on Ward, but my guess is he ends up eligible.  He is a wildcard for sure and I would be surprised if he made it out of the first round.

 

Guys, you see tons of scouting reports and also keep track of mock drafts.  Give me the name of a sleeper or two that aren’t getting a lot of buzz right now but that you personally love. 

KG:  Andy McGuire and Brett Morales

MG:  In high school, I think Nicholas Buckner, Jesse Roth, and  Trey Cobb all have the potential to perform above their draft slot.  In college, I am a big fan of Arizona righthander Konner Wade.  I also like Vanderbilt’s TJ Pecoraro, who is another year removed from TJ surgery, and Virginia Tech outfielder Tyler Horan.  Ryan Tella and Buck Farmer are two guys who failed to sign after being drafted last year who I thought were underrated last year.

 

Tell me about this year’s crop of high school pitchers, particularly those you see as potential first rounders.  Are there any that jump off the page to you in terms of talent?  I’ve already mentioned Kohl Stewart.  What are your thoughts on him? 

KG:  I really like Ian Clarkin, Clinton Hollon, Jordan Sheffield, Stephen Gonsavles and Kohl Stewart, all first rounders.  Kohl is an elite arm.

MG:  I would add Trey Ball to Kevin’s list.  Robert Kaminsky is likely to go in the first, as well.  Brett Morales and Jonah Wesely could get into the discussion.  Carlos Salazar is another to keep an eye on.

 

Looking at some mock drafts, it looks like high school catchers are particularly deep this year.  Jon Denney, Jeremy Martinez, and Reese McGuire are a few that are getting attention in early mock drafts.  What do you think of these three guys and are there any more you see as potential first rounders?

KG:  Denney and McGuire are both 1^st rounder and I see Martinez as a 2^nd rounder. 

MG:  Denney and McGuire are the two sure fire first rounders.  After that, a team might fall in love with Martinez, Ciuffo, Okey, or Navarreto.

 

As you know, my site focuses on the Yankees.  What do you see them doing this year?

KG:  I see the Yankees taking a pitcher and its really hard to determine who will be left.  I wouldn’t be surprised with Bobby Wahl.

MG:  So much at that point depends on who is left on the board, but I could see that being the spot for Jeremy Martinez.  In our latest mock draft. we project Robert Kaminsky.

 

New York has three OF in the mid-level of their farm system right now that are all Top 100 type players: Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, and Tyler Austin.  Considering this, would you draft either Austin Wilson or Aaron Judge if you were the GM and they were available?  Why or why not?

MG:  As I said before, I am a big believer in taking the best player on the board and letting things sort themselves out.  If that is Judge or Wilson, than that is who I would take.  I’d be surprised if Wilson slips that far though.

New York’s pitching depth in their farm system is probably the weakest it’s been in at least a decade.  I wrote recently that they should consider taking a college SP with at least one of their first three picks.  Give me the names of a few college pitchers who would possibly be available that you think would be good choices.

MG:  There are quite a few college arms that would be interesting and should sort themselves out in the spring.  If he is there when they pick, Arizona State’s Trevor Williams would be a solid choice.  His ceiling isn’t as high as the names who will go before him, but he could move quickly through the system.  Others who would make sense include Ryan Eades, Kyle Finnegan, Marco Gonzales, Aaron Blair, and Kevin Ziomek.

 

Finally, one guy that has always stood out to me in this class is Cavan Biggio.  Being the son of a future hall of famer is one thing, but this kid seems to be legit.  What do you know about Cavan and could he be a good fit for the Yankees? 

KG:  Biggio is a very good player and his value will be determined by if he can stay at 2B.

MG:  Cavan’s bat is legit and he has a really good approach for a high school hitter.  If he can play second, his future should be very bright.  He has quite a few believers among scouts.

For more of their thoughts on the draft, go to their website Big League Futures.  It's a great resource for draft enthusiasts.