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For a concise yet complete review of day 2 of the #STLCards draft, head to The Cardinal Nation. Stats, videos, scouting director commentary and more in one easily accessible article. https://t.co/oe50lXu43q pic.twitter.com/peZqyTB8gY
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) July 16, 2024
LACardFan
This looks like they wagered the entire draft on Wetherholt.
I read through the comments and this is the closest one to my opinion.
The Yankees took 9 pitchers out their top 10 picks. All of them are over 6’2″. Who had a better draft?
The Yankees took 9 pitchers out their top 10 picks. All of them are over 6’2″. Who had a better draft?
I much prefer ours. We got who I considered the top player the draft. The Yankees took a reach in the 1st round to save money and they didn’t take anyone that I can tell was a top tier player who fell because of money issues.
I also don’t care how tall the player is. Mookie Betts is 5’10” and on his way to the HoF. Same with Altuve being fringe HoF and he is maybe at best 5’6″
Don’t understand what they are doing. Everyone picked after the first round was a reach with only 3 choices ranked in BA’s top 250. I understand the need to shift money but it appears the Cardinals have taken a flyer on every one but Westeholt.
Not good in this day and age when scouting is far more accurate.
Will be busy loading content all day long as players are taken by the #stlcards during day 2 of the draft, starting with 11th rounder Austin Peay SS Jon Jon Gazdar. https://t.co/0S6rPYwwNo pic.twitter.com/LKyCp6pOcX
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) July 16, 2024
I echo the kudos to TCN on the fabulous coverage and information about the draftees.
As for how we did, we won’t know for a few years. Throughout the history of organized baseball, shorter pitchers are rare. It was discovered back in the 1880s and ‘90s that taller people tended to be the best pitchers.
Position players not so much. Smaller position players can still excel as height does not translate to skill so much in hitting and defense. But with pitchers height has been a natural advantage. Now and then a shorter guy will be a successful pitcher, but it is fairly rare. Pedro was not a big guy, but was great and is a good example of an outlier.
The high second round pick would have been nice. But the Cardinals got their so-called “ace” starting pitcher.
In any draft, I think you expect to get 1 regular average major leaguer, around 2 guys that have up and down somewhat below average ML careers and then a few guys who just are AAAA guys. Then, you hope to get an all-star every 5 years or so.
If that is roughly the standard, then if Wetherholt becomes an all star and we otherwise just get a few AAAA guys, then this draft is a success. But that’s a lot of eggs in one basket.
Also, getting an outstanding hitter like Wetherholt may allow for a trade of another hitter for a really good starting pitcher in the future.
Cardinals made it easy on Brian for putting the draft picks into the top 50. Only one guy to worry about placing.
New comments from #STLCards scouting head Randy Flores are included in TCN's draft day 3 article with info and video on @JonathanGazdar, @IPetrutz, @mason_burns13, @denielll27, @brandtthompson4, @Brendan_lawson1, @owenrice21 and more! https://t.co/0S6rPYx4CW pic.twitter.com/FG0jZFaJJV
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) July 16, 2024
If that is roughly the standard, then if Wetherholt becomes an all star and we otherwise just get a few AAAA guys, then this draft is a success.
And if he is a bust, or the equivalent of Nick Madrigal, this draft is a bust.
Flores also noted the Cardinals were “looking for value.”
I was wondering why they selected so many short types. There’s value in cutting back the size of the buffet meals. Maybe a discount on buying SMALL and EX-SMALL unis. Easier to get “home sponsors” with bunk beds. I’m kidding of course….. I hope that I haven’t written anything that the organization will ever consider.
I always look for taller types… especially Ps.
The draft was about as exciting as an ant in a china shop.
Most of them could slide into our top 50 somewhere. I mean, how many of #35 to #50 just have to be in it?
This is probably an unnecessary reminder, but Tommy Edman was drafted 196th overall, Brendan Donovan 213th, and Lars Nootbaar 243rd. So I’m not ready to throw cold water on the entire non-Wetherholt portion of the draft just yet.
I know that exit velocities and spin rates and such are being evaluated in ways they couldn’t be just a handful of years ago, but I stubbornly still think that the draft is more art than science. And I wouldn’t be even slightly surprised if the Cards get a great reliever and/or #3/4 starter and/or 2-3 WAR position player from rounds 3-20.
Should the Birds have scouted other conferences besides the Big 12? Sure. But maybe they did a very good job of scouting the only conference they DID scout. 😉
Those are two good examples. Another is a player the Cardinals took as the 402nd overall pick. They also tossed him a $60K bonus, so maybe the money factored in to his performance. At any rate, if cold water would have been able to cool him off, a lot of pitchers would have slept a lot better the night before having to face him.
Flores took some good natured heat for the Cards not taking any West Coast players (his home base) this year. He said going Big 12 heavy is just the way it worked out with the board this time.
He said the same thing about being senior heavy, FWIW.
Agree with the others who note that some may be attaching too much significance to pre-draft rankings. They may be the best we have right now but they are far from being highly accurate over time.
Saw this on X today, but have no confirmation.
Signing this guy was elementary. https://t.co/3UW5JuNPME
— Cardinal70 (@C70) July 17, 2024
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