It's Miller Time In Kansas City... Or Maybe Not

[MarinersFan87]

Blah, not much you can predict from a draft order, teams pretty much always draft regardless of position so hopefully Colorado, TB, and Pittsburgh fall in love with Longoria or a prep pitcher.

[Porter]

First of all, from what I've read most scouts do not agree with the Lincecum is going to be a closer statement. He has been described as having a 'rubber arm' and doesn't lose velocity as the game wears on. Plus, pitching in college is different, generally pitchers are allowed to go 125-130 pitches, but only pitch once a week so all of these guys are over-worked in some way (which is why many will probably start out in the pen in the minors). I think Lincecum will probably start out in the pen when he gets to the majors, but will eventually move to the rotation (a la Papelbon).

I want one of the big four pitchers preferably (Miller, Lincecum, Lincoln, Scherzer) but it is likely that they could all go in the first four picks. Evan Longoria is generally considered to be the 5th best prospect, but I don't want the M's to draft another hitting prospect, especially a SS/3B type. I'd probably go with Brandon Morrow, although I do not know as much about him as the other four except that he is 6'3 and gets it up near 100, although there are apparently some injury concerns. I wouldn't be dissapointed with Kyle Drabek or Dellin Betances (especially Betances, he looks like he is going to grow into a huge prospect) but I'd rather not take a HS pitcher. I wouldn't lose sleep if we drafted Bard though either, but I bet he is there for you guys at 8.

And Hochevar is every bit as good as these guys from what I saw last year when he pitched against LSU. But signability is still a concern and a lot of people are saying that he has lost some of his stuff in the layoff, we'll see when he pitches in the Independent League. He'll probably be a late 1st, sandwhich pick.

Lincecum is a very good pitcher from what Ive seen in FSN broadcasts (maybe 1 or 2 starts). I would be happy if the M's got the local boy but it wont happen.

[realmofotalk]

Great write up, mission. I'm glad you provided a perspective on what was arguably the most talked about amateur draft in recent years.

I'm shocked at what a bust Andrew Miller has been so far. It's clear that he's still plagued with command issues. To think I was once deeply disappointed that the Tigers snapped him up one pick before us, and that we didn't get any one of the Big Four college pitchers that MarinersFan mentioned.

I do chuckle now at the bit about the U. of Washington pitcher not having the potential of Miller.

[realmofotalk]

However, I gotta disagree with you about the Lincecum potential comment. Lincecum brings it, he isn't as tall as Miller and IMO that is all that keeps him from being put in the same class as Miller. Lincecum has hit 101 a few times already this year, and throws 97-98 all game long. He is the most ready of any of the stud college pitchers this year, he could be a set up man right now from what I've heard. He is just the 3rd Pac-10 pitcher to go for 400 K's (It's not like I checked or anything, but I assume the other two are Prior and Johnson).

You, sir, win the internet. We'll even sweep the part of Brad Lincoln being 1a under the rug.

[MarinersFan87]

Yeah, let's ignore that Lincoln comment.

Now excuse me as I go throw up all over myself thinking about having Felix-Lee-Lincecum as our 1-2-3.

[realmofotalk]

Actually, Lincoln's not that bad after all. He still has a chance to be the 2nd best RHP from that draft, which he was, talentwise. I'm not so sure the Pirates would prefer Kershaw even now.

[realmofotalk]

"Let me see if I can say this tactfully," Lincecum's father said. "The Mariners' guys, Bavasi and Fontaine, they were idiots. And they're where they should be now — gone. Is there a little retribution in this? There sure is. Am I a little excited? Yeahhhhh."

Six pitchers — Kansas City's Luke Hochevar, Colorado's Greg Reynolds, Pittsburgh's Brad Lincoln, Florida's Andrew Miller, the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Morrow — were chosen ahead of Lincecum, who went 10th in the 2006 draft.

In his conference call, Lincecum mentioned several of the players chosen ahead of him, including Reynolds, Kershaw and Tampa Bay's rookie of the year, Evan Longoria, but despite some prompting in the background, he didn't mention Morrow.

ouch

[realmofotalk]

He is just the 3rd Pac-10 pitcher to go for 400 K's (It's not like I checked or anything, but I assume the other two are Prior and Johnson).

I just had to check. The school for which the other two pitched for is still USC, but the two are actually Rik Currier and Seth Etherton. I assume it's because they each pitched for four years.