27th: Phillip Ervin, of, Samford University
38th: Michael Lorenzen, rhp/of, Cal State Fullerton
67th: Kevin Franklin, 3b, Gahr HS (CA)
On first glance, I'm not blown away by the haul, but Chris Buckley and company have certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.
I wonder about Ervin's swing and ability to stick in centerfield.
Ervin at the plate:
Ervin at the plate:
Lorenzen is interesting, but early word is that the organization is going to let him both pitch and play the field. Given how high the pick we used on him was, I would have thought we could get more of a sure thing. It seems clear that we ultimately want him to pitch, but the question is whether he can start or will be relegated to the bullpen. The mechanics are clean, the fastball is fast, and the curveball has good bite, but there's risk there.
Lorenzen on the mound:
Lorenzen on the mound:
Lorenzen at the plate:
As for Franklin, he has good power potential, but seems unlikely to stick at third. Maybe he's a modern day Kevin Mitchell, unable to stick at third but big time power hitter.
Kevin Franklin at the plate:
Kevin Franklin at the plate:
Apparently, Keith Law says that Lorenzen is a good pitching prospect but he has repeatedly said he'd prefer to stay in the outfield. Regardless of what you think of Law's analysis as a player, I am curious as to whether Lorenzen really has a strong preference
ReplyDeleteVF,
ReplyDeleteI think Law does a nice job. I don't always agree, but his take is always interesting/thought provoking. As for Lorenzen, I think it's very likely that the Reds want him as a pitcher and agreed to let him continue to hit to placate him. So, I'd say his preference is somewhat strong, as telling the organization that just drafted you how you want to be used takes a bit of determination.
On the mound, Lorenzen actually looks pretty good. If you watch the video above, his mechanics are smooth (though could be a bit more efficient), arm action is clean, he generates good velocity, and he snaps off a couple of nice breaking balls. So, he's intriguing.
He just seems like he brings more risk to the table than you'd expect from such a high selection. Not only is there risk in his performance level as a pitcher, but there's also risk in whether he can be a starting pitcher. It wouldn't be ideal to burn such a high pick on a reliever.
Still, it's an interesting pick that I may actually prefer to the 1st round pick. It's another indication of the front office thinking outside the box.
Thanks for the comment.
Best,
Lark