Cleveland Sports Forum

I'm eager to see how the "experts" rate the draft. Day 1 we got one A and one D grade.

I'm not doing jumping jacks or anything but definitely liking this draft more so far than the last couple years.

Really good lead off hitters, I'm talking guys who can get on base at a good clip and steal bases. Provide a spark at top of the lineup. Those type guys are so hard to find these days that I wish the Indians would draft a guy with that kind of potential every year. A Quintin Holmes or Greg Allen type. If you can just hit on one every 6 or 7 years you'd be helping your team immensely.

Back at work on Day 3 and Final;

Round 11 LHP high schooler Matt Turner no write up on him from BA
Round 12 RHP high school Dante Mendoza no write up
[they usually bypass high school kids in this part of the draft and choose the easy to sign college guys. then resume some "reach" picks from high schools in the final rounds. not sure what significance this change of approach is]

Round 13 junior college catcher Angel Lopez; he rates a writeup:
In a class that's very light on college catching, Lopez could represent a lower-cost option from the junior college ranks. He receives high praise for his receiving and his arm strength, which some scouts grade as a 60 or higher on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. He's got a hitch to his swing, but he has quick hands and has shown some feel for hitting, albeit against inferior competition. In more than 140 at-bats this spring, Lopez batted .411 and swatted 14 home runs while drawing 44 walks and striking out just 14 times. Not all teams are in on Lopez, but he has a chance to be selected in the fifth to eighth round because of his tools and the dearth of college catching in the class.

Round 14 high school SS/RHP Oscar Serratos
"Serratos has a projectable 6-foot-1 frame and a solid all-around collection of tools. He shows smooth footwork and actions in the infield to go along with above-average to plus arm strength. Serratos flashes quick hands in the batter's box and can show natural timing in batting practice with the ability to spray line drives to all fields. Scouts aren't sold that his line-drive ability can play against elite pitching; he showed some swing-and-miss on the showcase circuit and this spring. Serratos is an average runner and not a lock to stay at shortstop. He's an exciting prospect on the mound, where he has less experience. Serratos can reach the low 90s with his fastball and has shown promise with a changeup. He is young for the class and won't turn 18 until September. Serratos is committed to Georgia Tech."

Rd 11
LHP Matt Turner (17, 6-4, 180lb, Miami Palmetto HS)

Rd 12
RHP Dante Mendoza (18, 6-5, 190, Torrance, CA HS)

Rd 13 (402)
C Angel Lopez Alvarez (20, 5-10, 195, Northampton CC in PA)

Rd 14 (432)
INF Oscar Serratos (17, 6-3, 190, Grayson HS in GA)

Rd 15/462
LHP Kyle Nelson (20, 6-1, 175, UC Santa Barbara)

Rd 16/492
RHP Nick Gallagher (21, 6-3, 200, Univ of Iowa)

17 (522):
Indians select Black Hawk College CF Pedro Alfonseca.

18th round (552)
Dillon Persinger 2B Cal State Fullerton R/R Junior 5'10 180 21 yrs old

19th round (582)
Josh Nashed RHP San Jose State R/R junior 6'1" 195 20 yrs old

20th round (612)
Jonothan Teaney RHP University San Diego R/R Junior 6'1" 190 21 yrs old

round 15: LHP Kyle Nelson college

Nelson was the shutdown closer for UC Santa Barbara during its run to the 2016 College World Series, memorably earning a three-inning save against Miami to give UCSB its first CWS win. He tried out for the USA Collegiate National Team after the postseason run but was limited by an elbow strain. Nelson joined the Gauchos rotation as a junior, but it is as a reliever evaluators want him. His fastball sits 89 mph and his devastating low 80s'slider makes him special. Nelson's excellent hand speed gives it sudden horizontal break and a late drop, causing hitters to swing over it even when they are looking for it. It is a true plus pitch he commands, making him a prime bullpen option against lefthanders who can also handle righties.

Kyle Crockett Reprise.

Our first pick today ...

Latest Showcase Report

2017 World Showcase Jan 07, 2017

PG Grade: 8.5

Matt Turner is a 2017 LHP with a 6-4 175 lb. frame from Miami, FL who attends Miami Palmetto HS. Long and lanky square shouldered build, very projectable physically. Loose and extended arm action from a 3/4's arm slot, has good arm quickness, stays on line well, solid overall mechanics, has some deception due to ease of release and angle to the plate. Fastball topped out at 84 mph, has been up to 87 mph many times at PG events in the past, gets some sink on his fastball, fills up the zone with his fastball. Sweeping slider has good velocity and is effective backdooring right handed hitters. Very nice change up, has confidence in it and will use it at all counts, gets nice fading action, can work backwards with his secondary stuff and has an idea how to pitch. Has the pitches and feel for pitching in place, just needs additional strength to take the next step. Good student, signed with Broward CC.

round 16 juco OF Pedro Alfonseca No details

round 17 Dillon Persinger my favorite: a college second baseman. Good enough to earn a writeup:

"Persinger was drafted twice out of Golden West (Calif.) JC, most recently by the Dodgers in the 17th round in 2016, but instead went to Cal State Fullerton. He took over the Titans starting second-base job from day one and hit .287 with a .414 on-base percentage and stole a team-high 14 bases in the regular season. Persinger is a high-energy player often labeled a �gamer� or �throwback�. He possesses a short, compact swing that makes contact up through the middle of the field and is a plus runner with sub-4.2 second times out of the box from the right side. Persinger is an adequate defender at second base, but some evaluators feel he would be better defensively in left field. Overall Persinger profiles as a high-energy multi-position player who get on base, and his polished all-around game could help him move quickly up the minors.

Only thing I could find on our 12th round pick Dante Mendoza is a rundown of pitches he was throwing at a recent event.

FB 87 mph Range 84-87
CB 76 mph
SL 79 mph
CH 79 mph

16th round pick Nick Gallagher out of Iowa was voted to have the best breaking ball in the Big Ten Conference.

21 (642)
Tyler Friis 2B Indiana State Switch hitter, throws right. 5'9" 180 Junior 21

22 (672)
Clark Scolarmiero CF North Greenville University L/L 6'0" 175 Junior 21

23 (702)
Jordan Scheftz RHP Central Florida 6'3" 190 Jr 21