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ayaghmour2 · 05-01-2020, 11:41 AM

We had a pair of second rounders, the first one coming from the Kings in the Heinie Bretz trade (22nd Overall) and our own second round pick (26th). Unfortunately, there are very few players in this draft worth selecting and even though I more or less knew who I would take with the first pick, but I struggled to find someone to take with the second one. I eventually decided to go with a pair of high schoolers in SP Mel Leonard and SS Charlie Reed.

Leonard, 18, is ranked the #1 draft eligible prep arm and was having an excellent senior season up until the last day of the season. He had a 2.33 ERA until Oakland HS rallied for 12 hits and 12 runs in his final high school start. His ERA ballooned to 3.68 (108 ERA+) and his WHIP jumped up to 1.16, but he finished 3-4 with 63 strikeouts in 63.2 innings. That last start may be a blessing in disguise, as it inflated his ERA enough to erase the gains he made all season and could have caused him to fall to me. For his career with the Dallas HS Rangers, Leonard was 8-12 with a 3.58 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 156 strikeouts.

Leonard is commited to the Brunswick Knights, but I will do everything in my power to make sure he deosn't get there. He's got a ton of potential, but he's just 5'9'' and 140 pounds. He's young, so he has the chance to grow into his frame and add velocity. He currently sits in the 88-90 mile per hour range with his fastball and he also throws a nice slider and curveball. He's an excellent arm who keeps the ball on the ground and profiles as a middle of the rotation piece.

Reed, also 18, ranks 6th of all prep hitters and the switch hitter from Berkely had a down year offensively, but had the best defensive season in his young career. His best season came as a junior, where he hit .314/.473/.429 (181 OPS+) with 10 steals and 20 RBI's, but his numbers, like most draft eligible players, dropped significantly this season as the new wave of players really dominated the season. He hit just .275/.401/.396 (124 OPS+) with 3 homers, 13 steals, and 21 RBI's, but had a positive zone rating and efficiency over 1.000 for the first time in his career. He did finish his career with a -13 ZR, so short may not be the long term fit for him, but he finished his prep career with an excellent .302/.424/.450 (154 OPS+) batting line with 10 homers, 29 steals, and 72 RBI's.

He's committed to a junior college, but like with Leonard, I'm going to do what I can to make sure he signs with us. Reed has a ton of speed and will steal a ton of bases, and he does an excellent job getting on base. He's got an excellent eye and won't strike out too much. He walked (88) more then twice the amount of times as he struck out (40). He's not the most gifted hitter, but he's a smart hitter and being a switch hitter is extremely valuable. My scout also thinks he'll be a decent defender, so maybe there is hope for him at short.

We've got four picks left in rounds three through five and I kind of have an idea of who I want for three, but after that it's all a little uncertain. I'm leaning towards high upside high schoolers, but there are at least two college guys left on my shortlist. I don't expect much from this pool, but it has already turned out better then expected.

05-01-2020, 11:41 AM	#106
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,021	1930 Draft: Round 2 We had a pair of second rounders, the first one coming from the Kings in the Heinie Bretz trade (22nd Overall) and our own second round pick (26th). Unfortunately, there are very few players in this draft worth selecting and even though I more or less knew who I would take with the first pick, but I struggled to find someone to take with the second one. I eventually decided to go with a pair of high schoolers in SP Mel Leonard and SS Charlie Reed. Leonard, 18, is ranked the #1 draft eligible prep arm and was having an excellent senior season up until the last day of the season. He had a 2.33 ERA until Oakland HS rallied for 12 hits and 12 runs in his final high school start. His ERA ballooned to 3.68 (108 ERA+) and his WHIP jumped up to 1.16, but he finished 3-4 with 63 strikeouts in 63.2 innings. That last start may be a blessing in disguise, as it inflated his ERA enough to erase the gains he made all season and could have caused him to fall to me. For his career with the Dallas HS Rangers, Leonard was 8-12 with a 3.58 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 156 strikeouts. Leonard is commited to the Brunswick Knights, but I will do everything in my power to make sure he deosn't get there. He's got a ton of potential, but he's just 5'9'' and 140 pounds. He's young, so he has the chance to grow into his frame and add velocity. He currently sits in the 88-90 mile per hour range with his fastball and he also throws a nice slider and curveball. He's an excellent arm who keeps the ball on the ground and profiles as a middle of the rotation piece. Reed, also 18, ranks 6th of all prep hitters and the switch hitter from Berkely had a down year offensively, but had the best defensive season in his young career. His best season came as a junior, where he hit .314/.473/.429 (181 OPS+) with 10 steals and 20 RBI's, but his numbers, like most draft eligible players, dropped significantly this season as the new wave of players really dominated the season. He hit just .275/.401/.396 (124 OPS+) with 3 homers, 13 steals, and 21 RBI's, but had a positive zone rating and efficiency over 1.000 for the first time in his career. He did finish his career with a -13 ZR, so short may not be the long term fit for him, but he finished his prep career with an excellent .302/.424/.450 (154 OPS+) batting line with 10 homers, 29 steals, and 72 RBI's. He's committed to a junior college, but like with Leonard, I'm going to do what I can to make sure he signs with us. Reed has a ton of speed and will steal a ton of bases, and he does an excellent job getting on base. He's got an excellent eye and won't strike out too much. He walked (88) more then twice the amount of times as he struck out (40). He's not the most gifted hitter, but he's a smart hitter and being a switch hitter is extremely valuable. My scout also thinks he'll be a decent defender, so maybe there is hope for him at short. We've got four picks left in rounds three through five and I kind of have an idea of who I want for three, but after that it's all a little uncertain. I'm leaning towards high upside high schoolers, but there are at least two college guys left on my shortlist. I don't expect much from this pool, but it has already turned out better then expected.