A couple days having passed I’m higher on Santos. I saw a Vince Velasquez comp on another site and I like that. He has a very high ceiling and there’s an argument that he slots in the 5-10 range on Houstons prospect list. With a good full season debut next year he will be a Top 100 guy with ace potential. Im not all that excited about the other 3 picks. A 3-4-5 round like Brewer-Barber-Brown was really great last year and I don’t see Brown-Daniels-Whitcomb as anywhere near that good. Strange year.
Taking a step further, I think this 2-5 group compares closely with last year’s: A high floor college SS who may have to move to 2B (Kessinger/Whitcomb) A high ceiling 70 grade runner college CF with power potential (Brewer/Daniels) 4 pitch mix college righty (Brown/Brown) Star upside advanced HS draftee (Barber/Santos) Like I said I like last years group better but I think it’s interesting how they align.
First four UDFAs on the tracker: - Jimmy Endersby, RHP, Concordia University Irvine - Justin Dirden, OF, Southeast Missouri State - Cesar Gomez, RHP, UT-Arlington - Peter Zimmerman, IF, Missouri
So...do we have a good shot at landing some quality UDFA’s? I would think a ton of quality players would be available since the draft only went 5 rounds. Lots of unknowns this year, though. IIRC, the max signing numbers for UDFAs is low...so many will opt to return to the College ranks. I’m sure some players can be persuaded into signing now...you’d think HOU would be a very attractive option. Players want to be here—to better their own careers, and HOU does have internal opportunity as well with our current farm being as depleted as it is.
I know we signed those UDFAs. My question is more about the quality of the post-draft signees given the new 5-round draft. Will the UDFAs be quality prospects who have a legitimate chance to make it to the big leagues, or will most of the quality players return to next year’s draft pool. I guess time will tell but surely there are good players available. Whether they can be convinced to sign at the lower max signing bonus is another story.
The vast majority of these guys signing probably would've been picked as senior signs in rounds 6-10 or day 3 draftees in normal circumstances
Well look at some guys from the current roster... Myles Straw 12th round Ryan Pressly 11th round Brad Peacock 11th round Michael Brantley 7th round Josh Reddick 17th round Austin Pruitt 9th round Martin Maldonado 27th round Yea... these guys have a shot. Every player has to weigh the decision to stay in college or go pro. We don't even know if there will be a college season next year at this point. This is a unique situation for everyone.
Endersby: “I’ve gone up to about 2,550 (rpm). I’ve hit 2,600 (rpm) on my spin rate once with my heater,” said Endersby, who had a 1.88 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings this year. “Stuff like that, which opens eyes to organizations like that who like analytics.” “I don’t pitch with my analytics; my analytics just follow how I am on the mound,” Endersby said. “I would say I have above average data — vertical break on my heater, vertical break on my curveball, spin rate — and the Astros take that into effect, and they know how to produce big league pitchers. That was probably one of my biggest decisions: What team can develop me into a big leaguer?” Gomez (former two-way player): “I feel like they can polish me up,” Gomez said. “I feel like I have enough spin rate for them to work with me. And it’s just the team that their minor league system goes through Texas. Everything is close to home. It was a good fit.” Zimmermann: “What sold me on the Astros was seeing the different ways they go about developing their players from the different analytical standpoints of how they measure players’ movements, how they look and how guys perform and how they project it,” Zimmermann said. “They really dive into the secondary stats and things like that. Understanding why you’re maybe having success or not. If you have elite exit (velocity), how do you utilize that?” Added Zimmermann: “You’re almost awestruck when an MLB team recruits you. It was really weird. I’m glad I don’t have to go through this again. It was definitely weird.”
Media cant stand Luhnow because his plan worked when the media told everybody it wouldn't work. Drellich/Olney/Passan/Footer etc.... The fact that Luhnow was ruthless and unrepentant is really what pissed off the media. Signing Osuna was the last straw with the media and when the media is out to get you, you're dead. But you have to be ruthless if you want to beat the Yankees/Dodgers/Red Sox at their own games. The Astros run was great while it lasted.
