Cleveland Sports Forum

It's a shame I can't post videos here from Twitter. There are some really good highlights from Hankins on there. Really filthy stuff in a under 18 USA game against Korea.

Jordan Bastian @MLBastian
Indians take Southern Mississippi righty Nick Sandlin with the 67th pick (second round). Multiple arm angles.

Good stuff - thanks HB

It sounds pretty clear from Indians staff comments that Sandlin will be back in the bullpen and is considered someone who can move up quickly as a reliever. Cody Allen was in Cleveland by the end of the year after he had been drafted. Kyle Crockett about the same. Which suggests that sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't

Not surprised by the emphasis on pitching. Last year the first pitcher taken was in the 8th round. Although Morgan and Karinchak are moving quickly, both in Lynchburg where they're excelling.

Hankins sounds a bit like Brady Aiken, a hard-thrower with injury issues who has a high ceiling but uncertain if he'll hold up. Worth the choice.

BA on Naylor. They rated him prospect No. 20 so in their opinion we were lucky to get him

School: St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS, Mississauga, Ont.
Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-R | Commit/Drafted: Texas A&M
Scouting Report: The younger brother of current Padres prospect Josh Naylor, Noah is an impressive draft prospect in his own right, albeit a different sort of hitter than his brother. Whereas Josh showed immense power as an amateur, the younger Naylor is more hit over power, handling the offensive game from foul pole to foul pole but with the same long track record of success that Josh was afforded as a member of the Canadian Junior National Team. There are some scouts who would say Naylor has the best hit tool among all prep hitters in the 2018 class, led by a pure swing and the ability to adjust pitch-to-pitch, while also manipulating the barrel in each part of the strike zone. While he doesn’t have the elite power his older brother possesses, he does have present pop—it just doesn’t always show up in games. Many scouts think the power will continue to develop and improve, however. How high a team has Naylor on their board will depend on where they see him defensively. He’s a good enough athlete to catch and has a strong arm, but he can get lazy at times behind the dish and needs a lot of refinement. Some teams think he can turn into a solid third baseman, where he’s played frequently with Canada and over the showcase circuit while making all the routine plays. If neither of those work out, Naylor’s bat should still be good enough to play in a corner outfield position.

They rated Hankins No. 18. So they're likely to score this a great first round for the Tribe

School: Forsyth Central HS, Cumming, Ga.
Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R | Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt
Scouting Report: Perhaps the most perplexing player in the 2018 draft class, Hankins entered the year with a real shot to become the first prep righthander ever selected with the No. 1 overall pick. The lanky and athletic 6-foot-6 Vanderbilt commit wowed scouts over the summer, when he regularly used a 70-grade fastball in the low to mid-90s that got up to 97-98 mph at its best with elite life and advanced command for his age. Before Hankins began his senior season with Forsyth Central High (Cumming, Ga.), many evaluators expected Hankins to throw into the triple digits. A shoulder injury interrupted his season, however, and while he made his way back to the mound the stuff was not the same. During the showcase circuit with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team, Hankins struck out 27 international batters and walked three in 12 innings. In general, Hankins’ velocity has been down this spring, although he has still reached 96 mph and scouts have still seen some of the plus fastball life that made the pitch such a weapon in the past. Prior to the season, scouting directors voted Hankins as having the best fastball and best fastball movement in BA’s Preseason All-America poll, where he also was named a unanimous first-team pitcher. Hankins has exceptional athleticism and body control, allowing him to spot his fastball and secondary offerings more effectively than a typical prep pitcher at his height and with his velocity. His mid-70s curveball has been inconsistent, likely a fringe offering at its best, though he occasionally snapped off a few plus offerings, with a low-80s changeup that’s in the same boat. Hankins has tinkered with a slider in the past and multiple evaluators believe that will be the breaking ball he ends up developing in the future thanks to his arm slot. But for now, teams are still evaluating and projecting his curveball as well. Hankins’ medical will be crucial in determining his eventual landing spot in the draft, though when he first went down in February, some decision-makers thought he would still go in the top of the first round even if he never came back to throw another pitch. He has returned to the mound, however, and while the stuff hasn’t come all the way back, he’s at least showing teams he can throw regularly. When healthy, Hankins has the potential to be a true frontline starter and would rank as the top high school pitcher in the 2018 class, but his spring has created more questions than answers.

Torres rated No. 55, about where we took him, a guess a little lower





Lineras Torres Jr.

HS RHP

Notes:
School: Beacon (N.Y.) HS
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R | Commit/Drafted: St. John's
Scouting Report: One of the younger players in the draft class—he’ll turn 18 in October—Torres offers tremendous upside with his quick arm and highly projectable frame. Torres burst onto the radar last summer with a strong showcase circuit and an invitation to compete in USA Baseball’s 18U National Team trials in Minnesota. Growing up playing mostly shortstop, Torres has shifted his focus to pitching over the last four years, working with pitching coach Angel Lugo to refine his mechanics, add strength and incorporate his lower body into his delivery. Torres has touched 98 mph and consistently lived 94-96 mph this spring, pitching from a full wind-up after mostly throwing from the stretch in past years. He pairs the pitch with a low-80s slider that he can sometimes get under, but flashes above-average with room for growth; he’s made adjustments to the pitch in recent weeks that have helped with consistency. A work-in-progress changeup serves as a third pitch, but Torres doesn’t often need to use it against the high school hitters in his area. Still somewhat raw and relatively new to pitching, Torres’ control grades above his command, and scouts are split on whether he’ll be a starter or a reliever long term. While there’s some risk to Torres from that standpoint, his youth, projectability and sheer arm strength should be enough for a team to call his name in the first three rounds.

Sandlin was their No. 150 ranked player, so the other comments about his low price tag and his quick route to the majors make this a good pick, too





Nick Sandlin

4YR RHP

Notes:
School: Southern Mississippi
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R | Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Scouting Report: After two excellent seasons as Southern Miss’ closer, Sandlin this spring moved to the front of the rotation with great success. His impressive season sent him shooting up draft boards despite his unusual profile. Listed at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Sandlin is undersized and typically throws from a sidearm slot, though he’ll also raise it to more of a three-quarters look. He has shown the ability to hold his stuff deep in games and he can get both righthanders and lefthanders out. His fastball sits in the low 90s with plenty of run and sink. His slider is a wipeout pitch and he has also developed a solid changeup that gives him a weapon against lefthanded hitters. Sandlin has above-average command and stands out for his athleticism. He has tremendous feel for pitching and his performance this spring makes a case that he can be a starter, although his profile would suggest a return to the bullpen is a strong possibility. If he returns to relieving, Sandlin could shoot through the minor leagues and either work as a bullpen ace or in high-leverage situations.

Our first pick today is a SS from Towson, Richard Palacios.

He walks more than he strikes out and has great speed. Potential top of the order guy.

Kind of guy I like.

I think I mentioned in a conversation here before, true good lead off hitters don’t grow on trees so I would draft a guy with that kind of potential every year at some point in draft.

Allen, Holmes, Palacios — they seem to be doing just that.

Here's a list of best players yet available:

Many of the best available players left among our Top 100 Prospects will hear their names called today, but in the case of high school players, it's likely that several of these players will now make it to school. Vanderbilt's recruiting class is especially notable heading into Day 2, as the Commodores currently have five recruits in the Top 100 who have yet to be drafted. Virginia has outfielder Mike Siani in addition to former Top 100 draft prospect righthander Mike Vasil, who pulled his name out of the draft recently.

Here are the best available players according to Baseball America's rankings heading into day two of the 2018 draft.

Rank Player POS SCHOOL College Commitment
13 Kumar Rocker RHP North Oconee HS, Bogart, Ga. Vanderbilt
28 Nander De Sedas SS Montverde (Fla.) Academy Florida State
31 Tristan Beck RHP Stanford –
35 Adam Kloffenstein RHP Magnolia (Texas) HS Texas Christian
36 Blaine Knight RHP Arkansas –
37 Cole Wilcox RHP Heritage HS, Ringgold, Ga. Georgia
51 Tristan Pompey OF Kentucky –
53 Mike Siani OF William Penn Charter, Glenside, Pa. Virginia
60 Konnor Pilkington LHP Mississippi State –
64 Matt Mercer RHP Oregon –
65 Austin Becker RHP Big Walnut HS, Sunbury, Ohio Vanderbilt
66 Zach Watson OF Louisiana State –
69 Nick Northcut 3B/RHP Mason (Ohio) HS Vanderbilt
70 Elijah Cabell OF TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla. Louisiana State
71 Brett Hansen LHP Foothill HS, Pleasanton, Calif. Vanderbilt
73 Isaiah Campbell RHP Arkansas –
74 Cole Sands RHP Florida State –
75 Colton Eastman RHP Cal State Fullerton –
78 Caleb Raleigh C Florida State –
79 Slade Cecconi RHP Trinity Prep, Winter Park, Fla. Miami
80 Trey Riley RHP Logan (Ill.) JC Missouri State
81 Adam Hill RHP South Carolina –
82 DaShawn Keirsey OF Utah –
83 Raynel Delgado 3B/SS Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Florida International
85 Blaze Alexander SS IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. South Carolina
86 Jaden Hill RHP Ashdown (Ark.) HS Louisiana State
87 Zack Hess RHP Louisiana State –
89 Sean Wymer RHP Texas Christian –
90 Gage Canning OF Arizona State –
92 Chandler Champlain RHP Santa Margarita Catholic HS, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Southern California
93 Kyle Isbel OF Nevada-Las Vegas –
94 Durbin Feltman RHP Texas Christian –
96 Jake Wong RHP Grand Canyon –
97 Aaron Hernandez RHP Texas A&M Corpus Christi –
98 Ryder Green OF Knoxville (Tenn.) Christian Academy Vanderbilt
100 Nolan Kingham RHP Texas –

BA rated Palacios at No. 140


142 

Last: 140



Richie Palacios

4YR SS [that means he'll be a cheap sign]

Notes:
School: Towson
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 180 | B-T: L-R | Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Scouting Report: The first Towson player ever named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Rookie of the Year, Palacios is an intriguing infielder with professional bloodlines. His father, Richard, played in the Tigers organization, his uncle, Rey, played parts of three seasons with the Royals and his brother, Josh, played for San Jacinto (Texas) JC and Auburn before being selected by the Blue Jays in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Richie has shown a knack for hitting throughout his time with Towson, following up his record-setting freshman campaign (.329/.415/.480) with an even better sophomore season in 2017, when he hit .338/.417/.502 with five home runs. Palacios was the only member of Towson’s club to start all 54 games in 2017 and he led the Tigers in hits (72), runs (43) and stolen bases (19). This spring, he’s continued to do more of the same at the plate, hitting .316/.463/.542 with a career-high eight home runs through 49 games. Palacios, who currently has average raw power, has added more pop in each of his seasons at Towson, culminating this spring with an OPS over 1.000 and an isolated slugging over .200—both of which are career highs. With that power has also come a dramatically improved strikeout-to-walk ratio, as Palacios had a walk rate around 19 percent compared to a strikeout rate below seven percent after 49 games. Both of those are career bests, though Palacios has walked more than he’s struck out in each of his three seasons at Towson. Defensively, Palacios has the twitchy athleticism and speed—he ran a plus-plus 60-yard dash at Towson’s scout day—to give himself a chance to stick at shortstop. His arm is fringe-average, however, so he might be better suited to move to second base or take on a utility role. His run times to first base are not as regularly impressive as his 60-yard dash time would indicate, but he has stolen 74 bases at an 86 percent success rate through parts of three seasons. If a team thinks Palacios can handle shortstop, he may be drafted as high as the third or fourth round. [Well I guess the Indians must think so]
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In 5th round we select a CF’er from Oregon State, Steven Kwan. And we are now well past the point of the draft where I don’t know anything about anybody. Let’s find some scouting reports.

By Joel Odom jodom@oregonian.com
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon State Beavers outfielder Steven Kwan was selected by Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB draft on Tuesday.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior from Fremont, California, has been dependable in the leadoff spot for the Beavers this season. Kwan has batted .349 and boasts a .462 on-base percentage. He has hit eight doubles, six triples and two home runs. He has driven in 38 runs and scored 57 runs in 58 games.

Kwan is the fourth Oregon State player selected in the 2018 draft, following Nick Madrigal (No. 4 to Chicago White Sox), Trevor Larnach (No. 20 to Minnesota) and Cadyn Grenier (No. 37 to Baltimore

Kwan has 80 walks in his college career to only 34 K. Seems as same type guy as Palacios. Less pop.

.

Steven Kwan has quickly developed into a fan-favorite for Beaver nation. The center-fielder originally was going to walk-on at Cal Poly before Pat Casey offered him a spot at Oregon State. At first he was surprised at the high-level of play and did not have confidence in his own abilities. Kwan quickly developed into one of the premier lead-off hitters in the nation though.

The 5-foot-8 speedster will never be mistaken for a power-hitter (although he did just start a game against LSU with a lead-off homer), but he’s got everything you want from a guy at the top of the order. He also is fantastic defensively and has great range in center-field. Steven Kwan will likely turn pro after Oregon State’s postseason run comes to an end. It’ll be tough to replace his production and overall energy. The Indian’s got a great ball-player!