Cleveland Sports Forum

Round 9 RHP Jay Diver from Harvard

Driver flashed promise in 2022 as a reliever at Harvard, holding down a 1.91 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 13 walks in 28.1 innings. He went to the Cape Cod League that summer, posted a 4.56 ERA and continued to miss bats with a 39-9 K-BB mark in 23.2 innings. Moved to the starting rotation this spring, Driver hasn’t taken the step forward that many scouts were hoping to see, with a 4.41 ERA, 69 strikeouts and 29 walks in 67.1 innings. In short stints on the Cape, Driver sat 92-95 mph and touched 97. This year, hitters have teed off on his fastball, which has parked at 89-93 mph and topped at 95. Driver is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds but sinks deep into his legs in his crossfire delivery to throw the ball from a low release height with good arm-side run out of his low three-quarter slot. Driver shows ability to spin a slider around 2,500 rpm and it’s been his most effective pitch, an above-average offering at times to induce empty swings. He throws an occasional below-average changeup to lefties that he has trouble landing for strikes. A team in the later rounds will likely pick Driver in the hopes of returning him to his 2022 form, with a likely return to the bullpen in pro ball.

Round 10 Jr College LHP Matthew Wilkinson

no scouting report from Baseball America

summing up: after drafting one kid with topnotch power they reverted to type and collected a bunch of totally powerless position players. Wouldn't you think they;d like a little of this and a little of that? Seems like a dumb drafting philosophy to me.

On the night of Home Run Derby, the G's draft a bunch of powder puffs that can't hit it out of the infield.

Have to wonder WTF are they doing.

We know they've done well with OFs in the 5th [Kwan] to 8th [Brennan] round. Perhaps one of these most likely Kayfoss in the 3rd round will be a success.
Last year's similar 3rd OF Joe Lampe has been a real dud in Lake County this summer

The lack of development of the 2022 crop of great bat to ball guys with no power has not put them off on drafting the same profile this year.
I am glad they are optimistic

Harvard RHP Jay Driver's linked in page also reveals his other experience


Experience

Broadfield Capital Management
Intern
Broadfield Capital Management LLC

Jun 2022 - Present1 year 2 months
Community Investors Graphic
Youth Development Instructor
Community Investors

Jun 2019 - Apr 20222 years 11 months
Terriers Sports Graphic
Sports Coach
Terriers Sports

Harvard University
Bachelor's degreeEconomics

Wellesley High School Graphic
Wellesley High School
High School Diploma

SPORTS
Hendricken's Alex Clemmey is selected by the Cleveland Guardians in MLB Draft
Bill Koch
The Providence Journal

Alex Clemmey didn’t need to wait for a second night.

The Bishop Hendricken star heard his name called late Sunday during the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft.

Clemmey was selected No. 58 overall by the Cleveland Guardians as watched with family and friends from his Middletown home. That was four picks prior to the end of the second round and the highest any high school player from the state has been tabbed in 15 years.

Alex Clemmey, who starred at Bishop Hendricken and was the Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year, was taken in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday night.
“The thing about Alex that really stands out is his ability to know himself and to know himself as a pitcher,” said Paul Gillispie, Cleveland’s senior vice president of scouting. “Really advanced feel for his mechanics and the way his body moves. Really looking forward to working with Alex in the future.”


Clemmey is the earliest high school selection from the state since outfielder Ryan Westmoreland went in the fifth round to the Boston Red Sox in 2008. Like Clemmey, the Portsmouth High star was committed to Vanderbilt. Westmoreland bypassed that pledge for a signing bonus of $2 million. slot value was 1.4 millionHe rocketed up the sport’s prospect rankings before undergoing life-saving surgery to repair a cavernous malformation found at his brainstem.

More:Which players with RI ties might be taken in upcoming MLB Draft?


Clemmey was the second of the first three selections by the Guardians in the draft. Cleveland picked California prep catcher Ralphy Velazquez at No. 23 overall and Miami right-handed pitcher Andrew Walters at No. 62 overall. Clemmey’s slot value comes in just north of $1.4 million, and Gillispie said he was hopeful Cleveland could sign each of its first three picks to professional contracts.

“I think our scouts spend a lot of time learning about the player and what the player knows about himself,” Gillispie said. “I think having that understanding at a base level puts us in a really good position.”


Clemmey allowed just eight singles and recorded more than 70% of his outs on strikes while capturing state Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a senior. He was considered a consensus top-50 draft prospect, according to scouting services, and was ultimately selected just outside that ranking. Clemmey’s fastball ran up to 98 mph during his final season with the Hawks and was the primary draw for scouts who visited the region.

“It’s a massive fastball,” said Carlos Collazo, a draft writer for Baseball America and MLB Network analyst. “It’s big arm strength there. There are starter-reliever questions with him because he is a little bit erratic in the control department, but I think when the breaking ball is on, it’s a potential plus curveball as well.


“The fastball is the selling point here. It’s a good pick for a good team that can develop arms.”

Scouts squeeze in behind home plate and use their radar guns to clock the pitches of Hendricken's Alex Clemmey on May 11.
The Guardians have shown a recent ability to develop their pitching picks into contributors at the top level. Cleveland counted 10 of its selections on the staff of its 26-man roster as of Sunday night — two others were acquired via Rule 5 and on the injured list, respectively. The organization hit on a pair of talented right-handed arms in 2016 taking Northeastern star Aaron Civale in the third round and future Cy Young winner Shane Bieber in the fourth.


ADVERTISING


“Every player is individualized,” Gillispie said. “Every player has an individualized plan. We try to take the things he does really well and make sure we’re maximizing those things.

“It’s never what he can’t do. Let’s stick by the things he does well and make sure we’re maximizing those things.”

The Guardians already count one pitcher with state ties who has spent parts of the last five seasons in the big leagues. James Karinchak is a bullpen right-hander who was drafted in the ninth round out of Bryant University in 2017. The organization makes a point of scouting the area thoroughly thanks to a pair of local connections — president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti is from Connecticut and general manager Mike Chernoff is a native of New Jersey.

“We have sort of a mantra among our scouting staff — no surprises,” Gillispie said. “That really means try to know everything about the player in terms of the way his body moves, the way he understands his delivery, the way he might understand his swing or his defensive ability.”


ADVERTISING


Clemmey has a breaking ball and a changeup to go along with his fastball. The ability to harness those two pitches will likely determine his ceiling going forward. Evaluators also had a chance to see him on the summer showcase circuit in 2022 and with Team USA while it took home gold from September’s U-18 Baseball World Cup.

“His work ethic is sort of off the charts,” Gillispie said. “He has a really good understanding not only of his body and his delivery, but also — especially for a high school kid — a really advanced understanding of pitch design.”

Clemmey makes it two straight years prep prospects from the state have been tabbed in the draft. South Kingstown standout Ben Brutti was selected in the 11th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 and elected to forego his college commitment to South Florida. The right-hander was joined by Salve Regina left-hander Dominic Perachi, Chipola junior college outfielder Tucker Flint (Bishop Hendricken) and Houston right-hander Ben Sears (East Providence).

bkoch@providencejournal.com

Mizzou RHP Maltrud signs UFA deal with Guardians
BY MISSOURIAN STAFF 13 hrs ago
Rorik Maltrud


Facebook
Twitter
Email
PrintCopy article link
Save
Missouri baseball right-hander Rorik Maltrud agreed to an undrafted free- agent deal with the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.

Maltrud, who spent one season with the Tigers after transferring in from New Mexico State, appeared on the mound 20 times during the 2023 season, including six starts, and ended the year with a 1-2 record and a 5.73 ERA, while also earning a save.Guardians must like something about him

Four Missouri players were selected in this year’s MLB amateur draft, before Maltrud signed for the Guardians.

Right-handers Austin Troesser (fourth round, New York Mets) and Zach Franklin (10th round, Chicago White Sox) were taken on Day 2 of the draft, while right-hander Chandler Murphy (12th round, Tampa Bay Rays) and third baseman Luke Mann (14th round, Oakland Athletics) went on the third and final day.

Rorik Maltrud

I think they probably just liked the name. The draft used to last about 20 rounds longer; they need to add bodies to field all their teams so the real prospects can get their opportunities.

I'm waiting for grades for the draft; all of which are meaningless since who knows how these guys will develop
Baseball Reference gave Cleveland a generous B+ Someone else I never heard awarded a C and thought several of the higher round picks were stretches at the level they were taken. Haven't seen Keith Law or Baseball America analyses yet. I have a BA subscription; I know other[s] get Law's articles

Cleveland Guardians

Keith Law

The two names most connected to the Guardians this spring, Arjun Nimmala and Colt Emerson, went in the three picks before Cleveland came up; whether those were really their targets or not, they took high school catcher Ralphy Velazquez (1) with their actual pick, a bat-first receiver who’ll need some work to stay behind the plate. He’s a hitter first and can flash power and hard contact, although his wide setup often sees him drift out front so he doesn’t drive the ball the way he should. He did work a ton on his body last offseason to give himself a chance to go out as a catcher, a great sign for his work ethic. Lefty Alex Clemmey (2) has one of the best pure arms among southpaws in the high school or college ranks, touching 100 and sitting 94-98 with enough of a curveball and changeup to project him to have three average or better pitches. The delivery is rough and he can’t repeat it yet, so the command and control are firmly below-average, although Cleveland has had a lot of success with pitching development and I bet he looks different next March.


Ralphy Velazquez (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
Right-hander Andrew Walters (2A) is a pure reliever from the University of Miami, where he punched out 42 percent of hitters this year while walking just 4 percent. He does it mostly with his fastball, throwing it almost 80 percent of the time, working 94-98 mph with good ride and some deception from a lower arm slot; his slider is nothing special and only serves to help decoy hitters. He’s a senior, so this is probably an under-slot pick. Miami first baseman C.J. Kayfus (3) is extremely patient, even taking a lot of strikes early in counts, and this year started making much harder contact, enough so that you can see an everyday ceiling here even though he offers very little projection. The patience doesn’t seem to be passivity, as he doesn’t whiff a ton and with two strikes he makes a clear adjustment. There’s plus power in here but I worry that just average bat speed may mean he struggles when he gets to the high minors and sees better velocity from guys who can locate it. Cleveland’s love of contact hitters without power was very apparent after the third round.

Cooper Ingle (4) struck out just barely under 10 percent of the time this year. He has a quick, slashing swing that’s close to flat and produces a lot of groundballs and a lot of contact the other way. Cleveland announced him as a catcher, where he’s played part-time for Clemson and would be a project as a receiver and thrower. Shortstop Christian Knapczyk (5) is listed at 5-9, 165 pounds, and rolls his top hand over in a way that makes it impossible for him to hit the ball hard anywhere except on the ground. He connected with over 90 percent of the fastballs he swung at this spring, though. In three years at Louisville, he hit three homers, and his ISO this year was .077. He’s also going to have to move off shortstop, and if he can’t play second base there’s no place else for someone his size. Wake Forest’s Tommy Hawke (6) is just 5-8 and almost never misses a fastball either, but struck out 51 times this year (15.6 percent). He does make harder contact than either of the previous two guys, though, and swings like he means it rather than just trying to get bat to ball. With that name, he should obviously be nicknamed … Youngblood.

ADVERTISEMENT


Shortstop Alex Mooney (7) is great value in the seventh round; he’s another very high-contact hitter who shows great instincts on both sides of the ball, projecting to stay at short even though he’s a fringe-average runner, but he’s not that strong and doesn’t let his lower half help him generate better contact quality. He may have slid as a draft-eligible sophomore out of Duke who could be/has been a tougher sign. Outfielder Jonah Advincula (8) is yet another high-contact, low-power guy, but at least he’s a 70 runner who should be able to play in center field. He transferred to Washington State for his senior year after three years at the University of the Redlands. I would love to see if getting rid of his showy leg kick nets any improvement with the bat. Right-hander Jay Driver (9) is a sidearmer whose slider is very effective against right-handed batters but who has nothing to get lefties out. I only mention him because he went to the Best University in the World.

No one among our picks who particularly excites him. The top 2 can project to be a good power hitter without a position; and perhaps a topnotch pitcher after many years of development; and then the third pick a ready anyday now reliever without an especially high ceiling. All those other contact first people sound boring.

One guy signed, a high school pitcher for far above 13th round standard

13 (398): Jacob Bresnahan, LHP, Sumner High School (WA) -- $375,000

Commit/Drafted: Oregon
Age At Draft: 18
Bresnahan wasn’t on the national scene for much of the showcase circuit in 2022, so he went under the radar, but has impressed scouts during the spring with a strong senior season. Listed at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, Bresnahan pounds the zone with lots of strikes and throws with a loose and easy delivery and three-quarter slot and a slight crossfiring finish. He has a three-pitch mix that includes an 87-92 mph fastball, a curveball that is a work in progress and a changeup that has a chance to be an above-average pitch. Bresnahan is on the younger end of the class and doesn’t turn 18 until a few days before the draft. He i[was] committed to Oregon [but not going there].

BA draft reports for each team

Cleveland's Draft Theme: Hitters Who Will Win ABS Challenges.

If and when the ABS challenge system comes to the big leagues, the Guardians should be well suited. The team clearly prioritizes players who understand the strike zone, make good swing decisions and post consistently low strikeout rates and high walk rates. High school or college, every single hitter the Guardians drafted among the top 10 rounds has something in his scouting report about how well he manages the zone, or how much contact he makes—and most have both.

Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: SS Alex Mooney, 7th round

Mooney was a high-energy prep shortstop who ranked as the No. 65 prospect in the 2021 draft class, but wound up making it to campus as the third-highest ranked player to do so. Mooney had sky-high expectations as a true freshman, but stumbled out of the gate as a freshman as Duke’s everyday shortstop before a solid stint in the Cape Cod League. Mooney took a step forward offensively in 2023, lowering his strikeout rate, hitting for more average and hitting for a bit more power. Through 60 games, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound shortstop hit .320/.438/.512 with eight home runs, 19 doubles, a 13.8% strikeout rate and 11.7% walk rate. Mooney has solid tools across the board but nothing that will jump off the page. He’s a line drive, contact hitter first who has shown some feel for the barrel at times, but managed just an 82.7 mph average exit velocity in 2023, with a 99.5 mph 90th percentile mark. Most of his home runs this spring went to the pull side and he still has a tendency to swing-and-miss vs. secondaries, though he did perform well against fastballs overall and 92-plus mph velocity, with a .364/.480/.615 slash line. Mooney is a solid runner and good athlete who has a chance to stick at shortstop, but could play a number of positions. He’s a great baserunner who has gone 33-for-38 (86.7%) in stolen base attempts in his career.

Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: LHP Ryan Marohn, 20th round

Marohn pitched in the upper 80s and touched 91 mph in 2022, but he ticked that fastball velocity up a bit early in the 2023 season and will sit in the low 90s early in short stints before getting back into the upper 80s after a few innings. While he lacks velocity currently, he has impressive feel to pitch, with good tempo and an extended three-quarter arm slot that he repeats well. In addition to filling up the zone with his running fastball, Marohn has shown good feel to spot a slurvy breaking ball in the 79-82 mph range and uses an 84 mph changeup for whiffs in the zone and below it. He’s a North Carolina State commit who looks like an immediate contributor if he makes it to campus.