| By Jason A. Churchill |  | By 06-07-2011 |
The Seattle Mariners shocked the baseball world Monday, passing on three position players and selecting left-hander Danny Hultzen with the No. 2 overall selection. Most analysts -- and even other clubs -- had the M's on Rice 3B Anthony Rendon and Gardner-Edgerton (Kan.) High School centerfielder Bubba Starling, and I had them on Montverde Academy (Fla.) shortstop Francisco Lindor until a half hour before the pick was made.But what did the M's get in Hultzen? Here's a profile and scouting report with the aide of an NL area scout and a crosschecker from and NL Central club.
Subscribers can download the original scouting report in Word form by clicking here and then clicking the file name.
The M's draft is far from done, however, and regardless of whether or not anyone buys Hultzen as the No. 2 pick -- I do not -- pick No. 62 comes early Tuesday and there will be legitimate big-league talent in rounds two and three, and perhaps beyond.
Let's take a look at the best players available.
1. Josh Bell, LF -- Dallas Jesuit HS (Texas)
Bell is considered an extremely difficult sign that could take Top 5-10 money to forego college.
2. Andrew Susac, C -- Oregon State
Susac is believed to want first-round money and he has some leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore.
3. Anthony Meo, RHP -- Coastal Carolina
Meo has first-round abilities but is a steal at any point in the draft now.
4. Dillon Howard, RHP -- Searcy HS (Ark.)
Howard may become tougher and tougher to sign and picks pass, with the exception of a couple of stops in round 2 -- Washington and Detroit, emphasis on Detroit.
5. Daniel Norris, LHP -- Science Hill HS (Tenn.)
See Howard, but with a stronger commitment to first-round money or school.
6. Austin Hedges, C -- JSerra HS (Calif.)
Another tough sign as he's slated to head to UCLA. Could be a first-round pick again in three years.
7. Charles Tilson, OF -- New Trier HS (Ill.)
Will want seven figures and then some and is committed to Illinois.
8. Derek Fisher, OF -- Cedar Crest HS (Penn.)
Also a strong commitment to school but more signable then Hedges, Norris and Howard.
9. Josh Osich, LHP -- Oregon State
Elbow tightness cut his most recent start short, but I'm told it's precautionary only. Very signable.
10. Nick Delmonico, C/3B -- Farragut HS (Tenn.)
Strong commitment but a good athlete and might be worth twice slot money.
11. Johnny Eierman, OF -- Warsaw HS (Mo.)
Speed, defense and a hit tool.
12. Dillon Maples, RHP -- Pinecrest HS (N.C.)
Plus stuff but may be a reliever long term.
13. Jorge Lopez, RHP -- Milagrosa Academy (P.R.)
I am told he won't make it out of round 2, but I think things have changed since that claim.
14. Jason Esposito, 3B -- Vanderbilt
Started year as potential first rounder. Could be another Casey Blake at the plate, better defense.
15. Senquez Golson, OF -- Pensagoula HS (Miss.)
Toolsy outfielder one scout comp'd to Adam Jones.
16. James McCann, C -- Arkansas
Second best college catcher in the class. Leader, good hands, adequate arm, hit tool. Won't last too long.
17. Alex Dickerson, LF/1B -- Indiana
May be this year's version of Rich Poythress.
18. Matt Purke, LHP -- TCU
Purke has had shoulder "bursitis" and never performed at the level scouts expected. Tough sign, maybe three or four times slot. He's a DE Soph, so he likely returns to TCU.
19. Matt Dean, 3B -- The Colony HS (Texas)
Solid power bat that at least one crosschecker preferred over Tyler Goeddel and Travis Harrison.
20. Tony Zych, RHP -- Louisville
One of the top pure relievers in the class, graded closely with Nick Maronde from Florida and South Carolina's Matt Price.
Local kid Kevin Moriarty from Shorewood HS, whose teammate Blake Snell went in the sandwich round to Tampa Bay -- they love their northwest guys -- is considered unsignable and is likely headed for Gonzaga. He belongs in the conversation in round 2 and since his father is an associate scout with Cleveland, some believe perhaps the Indians have a shot.
scouting-danny-hultzen,-lhp
Comments
The following 51 comment(s) for this article are shown below:
| 1. By: JD Kickastro on 06-07-2011 03:48:15 Even though round one disappointed a lot of the fans, I'm hoping that the day starts out with one of these guys as the next selection. |
| 2. By: safecochatter on 06-07-2011 04:08:10 M's with two picks in round three,could be a interesting morning.. |
| 3. By: JD Kickastro on 06-07-2011 04:14:42 4 of the next 60 picks. Time for the scouts to earn their money and also spend a little. |
| 4. By: greymstreet on 06-07-2011 04:16:49 When I click for the scouting report, I get a URL not found. |
| 5. By: rocketdawg31 on 06-07-2011 04:29:29 Jason, Hultzen's gonna want some pretty big coin. IYO, does that preclude us entirely from a Bell or a Susac? I know you don't know the budget McNamara's got, but I'm prevailing to horse sense here. Or are we gonna see a scathing amount of "lower upside, higher signability" picks in rounds 2-30? In a world where it's not my money, I want a Susac. But I'm wondering if it's a direction that's a little closed off now. |
| 6. By: JD Kickastro on 06-07-2011 04:32:28 Probably a pipe dream, but Susac at 2 and popping Osich in the third would be amazing. I wonder if the chance for Susac to play with and catch Osich in the pros would entice him to sign and stay in the northwest. |
| 7. By: hit and run on 06-07-2011 05:22:47 "By: greymstreet on 06-07-2011 04:16:49 When I click for the scouting report, I get a URL not found." Same Here. :( |
| 8. By: 11records on 06-07-2011 05:24:31 I think he just used the wrong hyperlink... If you link to the previous draft buzz thread its there: http://prospectinsider.com/draftbuzz11.php (the 11 is missing from within the new hyperlink) |
| 9. By: 11records on 06-07-2011 05:37:37 Jason - Andrew Carraway overlapped with Hultzen at UVA for a year, right? Might be interesting to get his perspective if you have any tentacles into the Jackson Generals locker-room... |
| 10. By: TXMariner on 06-07-2011 07:39:53 Let's see, a durable lefty with a low-to-mid 90s FB, a plus change and average slider, with solid mechanics and good control and command. If Hultzen can improve his slider he could potentially have three plus pitches. Not the sexiest pick on the board but sounds like a solid one to me. A rotation featuring Hernandez, Pineda, and Hultzen by 2013 could be a pretty damn formidable one. |
| 11. By: PositivePaul on 06-07-2011 09:00:20 Fixed the link, thanks for pointing it out! |
| 12. By: sexymarinersfan on 06-07-2011 09:39:56 I'm hoping for Delmonico. I like his hit tool a lot, especially if he can stay at catcher. |
| 13. By: Jerry on 06-07-2011 09:49:48 I hope we get a player with a bit higher ceiling with the next selection. But there are some really interesting names there. It might be unrealistic to expect them to pick any of the guys who fell due to signability, like Bell or Purke. Osich would be a solid pick. Susac and Meo would be nice additions too. But I have to admit that I'd love to see a power bat. Bell would be ideal, but I've read good things about Dean, too. Today should be interesting. Lots of talent still there. |
| 14. By: CrustyJuggler on 06-07-2011 10:03:39 Really looks like the Ms went the "safe" route with Hultzen. He'll probably be our #3 Bedard replacement as early as next year. Still sort of sucks that we didn't go for the upside player with this high of a pick. The sure thing, limited upside player is never going to be a popular move. Personally would rather have seen them go for Bauer or Bundy if the pick was a pitcher. Sucks to have such a high certainty that the player your team just took at #2 will never be more than a #3 starter. |
| 15. By: shemberry on 06-07-2011 10:19:43 I thought I heard that Hultzen only just started to focus on pitching this year, has anyone else heard that? If it is true, paired with the jump in velocity this season, is it reasonable to expect that he may have another jump in him? |
| 16. By: Adam T on 06-07-2011 10:27:57 Why is Hultzen "safe"? He was pretty consistently rated as a top-5 talent in this draft, and given the depth and quality of this class, that's pretty damn good. I would have liked a bat, but if Hultzen was at the top of the Mariners' board, I have no qualms with the pick. |
| 17. By: marinermutt on 06-07-2011 10:28:59 Is there any where we can listen to day 2 of the draft? Don't see it on MLB.com. |
| 18. By: junglist215 on 06-07-2011 10:51:43 Although it being done by conference call you can follow here. |
| 19. By: baseballman on 06-07-2011 11:10:49 Adam T, he's not safe and he doesn't have "limited" upside. Some of these comments are pretty funny though. Something that no one has mentioned is the fact that Jack has a very, very good offensive eye. Look at the positional players he's drafted high, it's unreal. Yet people now want to label him safe...if he knows offense and he passed on the top 3 positional players (I'm not calling them busts) maybe they were a bit overhyped? |
| 20. By: krob4mvp on 06-07-2011 11:11:04 I actually like the pick for the simple fact of the flexibility it gives the front office. With Fister/Vargas pitching well, their arbitration dollars will soon rise; so we can package one of them in the near future for a quality bat. Its nice to have an excess of quality starting pitching....GMZ has a lot to work with to wheel and deal. |
| 21. By: shemberry on 06-07-2011 11:13:11 Olney says Ms questioned Rendon's ability to hit in Safeco. |
| 22. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:13:16 ? Miller? Ugh. Seems like a utility guy down the road. Was really wishing for Susac. |
| 23. By: PositivePaul on 06-07-2011 11:13:45 Bradley Miller? Really? With Susac still on the board? Wow. OK, then... |
| 24. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:14:27 The front office is really throwing me for a loop so far this draft. |
| 25. By: baseballman on 06-07-2011 11:17:21 RE 24: total agreement. I thought there was no way we would take a pitcher at #2 and then now I don't know much about Miller. Jack and Tom sure like to make drafts interesting. Other than Ackley has anyone really guessed any of their picks correctly? |
| 26. By: The Great Pumpkin on 06-07-2011 11:24:41 Miller was ACC player of the year and 1st team all-american. Baseball America had him in the 60's of their top 200 prospects. |
| 27. By: sweetloucarr on 06-07-2011 11:26:18 One has to wonder if the concept with Miller is to take a good left handed hitting college shortstop, who is two inches taller than Rendon, that dosn't have a great glove and move him to 3rd base. |
| 28. By: shemberry on 06-07-2011 11:27:12 How much power does Miller have? |
| 29. By: MarinerCoug on 06-07-2011 11:32:10 Thank God we seemingly just drafted Kyle Seager 2.0, I was worried we wouldn't get another versatile infielder with little to no power that translates to the Major League level in Rounds 5-8, so I'm glad we knocked off that burden in RD2. |
| 30. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:32:42 If any of the high ceiling/tougher sign guys slip to third, I hope we pop at least one of them. Just not overly impressed with Miller pick. Seems like another Kyle Seager type player, which is great, but not what I was expecting in a draft like this. Would of much rather nabbed a first round talent, just like the Pirates did when they nabbed Bell ahead of us. |
| 31. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:33:36 Ha. MarinerCoug. We think alike. I didn't even read your post |
| 32. By: baseballman on 06-07-2011 11:35:52 Yes, because power is the only tool that matters... |
| 33. By: Edman on 06-07-2011 11:41:44 Have to give the Pirates credit for popping for Bell in round 2. At least they're gonna have to us some of the MBL Welfare money to get Bauer and Bell signed, it could reach $25 Million for those two. Keep in mind, Jack didn't take a glamour pick when he drafted Franklin. A switch-hitter with a little pop and an OBP of over .400 isn't exactly throwing away a selection. |
| 34. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:43:18 damnit!! There goes Susac, six picks before us. Ugh. |
| 35. By: The Great Pumpkin on 06-07-2011 11:47:47 Bell is not going to sign. |
| 36. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:49:49 Well here we go. Dillon Howard? Nick Delmonico? We shall see |
| 37. By: Edman on 06-07-2011 11:50:56 Cron in the third round ought to please some. |
| 38. By: baseballman on 06-07-2011 11:51:19 Per Crawford: "And the Mariners take Kevin Cron. Might have as much power as any high-school player in the draft. I like this pick a lot more than the previous 2." |
| 39. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 11:52:13 Yes. I do like Cron. Could be a big bat down the road. Let's hope he signs. |
| 40. By: SMariners11 on 06-07-2011 11:53:19 Gotta Say, love reading scouting reports in that kind of form, Thank you Jason for the information. |
| 41. By: Jason A. Churchill on 06-07-2011 11:57:27 Susac's leverage is allowing him to demand first-round dough -- like top 15, even. Notice that nobody else took him, either? Cron is a bat only so I'm luke warm on that pick. Brad Miller at 62 is an overdraft. Jack is running this draft, not T-Mac -- that is the way it seems to me. |
| 42. By: baseballman on 06-07-2011 11:58:52 If Jack is running it and not Tom, is that because of money restrictions? |
| 43. By: danviens on 06-07-2011 12:01:18 Jason, before the draft you wrote about how you were expecting us to have a pretty spectacular draft. You seem underwhelmed so far. How dissapointed are you to this point? |
| 44. By: danviens on 06-07-2011 12:02:33 Cron does sound like a Poythress clone, and Miller is Littlewood/Seager. I'm confused. Where are the high upside guys? Where are the athletic outfielders? What are we doing?! |
| 45. By: Adam T on 06-07-2011 12:02:37 I'm trying to remain rational about this draft. We won't know for a while if it is a good one or not, but it sure does seem a bit disappointing so far (and I didn't mind the Hultzen pick). |
| 46. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 12:10:00 Im on board with the Hultzen pick as well. I think if Rendon's medicals were better he would of been the pick, but they weren't so they went with a solid pitcher, who I think will be a very good MLBer. What is baffling to me is the second pick, you would really think that we would pay for a high ceiling guy since we didn't have any other picks in the 1st or 1st supplemental rounds. I guess Jack must be feeling some heat to win fairly soon. Thus not taking a Starling in the first and going with a guy who could be in the rotation next year. And Miller seems like a very very safe pick. It's interesting. Two more picks coming up here that could have some impact on our minor league system. Let's see if we can get an exciting player or two. |
| 47. By: safecochatter on 06-07-2011 12:18:03 looking a lot like 09. take the high dollar player you want (ackley/hultzen) and then go with the economy plan.. |
| 48. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 12:23:58 Just nabbed a potential closer. |
| 49. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 12:27:08 I like the Hicks pick. He could be a sleeper. Good catcher whose offensive numbers were pushed down due to home park factor. |
| 50. By: rjfrik on 06-07-2011 12:28:11 Well that's it for me. I only like following through the first four rounds. I will be anticipating the write ups. |
| 51. By: danviens on 06-07-2011 13:07:30 Apparently nobody cares anymore. It's as if this draft isn't even happening. |
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