Back live for Day 3 of the 2011 MLB Draft… I am back in the butterfly chair (and yes, for those that have emailed me to question if this is true, yes, it is a beach/tailgating chair and like I have said, our furniture budget is not as great as our beer budget) with a pot of coffee and a stale bagel…. Lets get it on!
If you have questions or comments, I will try to answer them here today, so email me at NationalsGM@gmail.com, find me on Facebook search NatsGM, or follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom.
11:28am ->Question from @EdatHomeDad via Twitter, “Wanted to ask if Bryan Harper is a throw away pick or does he actually have some potential?”
NatsGM -> I answered this in the comments section late last night, but I have gotten this question in a few different ways. Bryan Harper has always been known as Bryce’s big brother, but Bryan has talent on his own. He pitched well two seasons ago at CC of Southern Nevada when we was teammates with Bryce and had some rumors that Bryan could be drafted in the 7th-10th round in 2010, but for reasons I do not know, he ended up attending the University of South Carolina for the 2011 season. At South Carolina, he flopped miserably this season and fell to the 30th round to the Nationals.
I did not see him pitch this season, so I cannot comment, but in the past he has shown a 88-92mph fastball with a decent/fringy breaking pitch. That sounds like the recipe for a LOOGY or potential middle reliever, not a bad choice in Round 30, and if at the same time, you can “do a solid” for your top prospect and future superstar, that much the better. Not a bad pick for the Nats.
11:47am -> I expect the Nationals to take a few college hitters early today, as to fill out some of their lower affiliates to allow them to play games, and I would expect the Nationals to grab a few more college pitchers, though we should expect them to be mostly college seniors this late in the draft. There are a few names still available that I like, and there are definitely some pitchers left with velocity in their arms, if not much else. I am excited to see what they do in Day 3-
12:06pm -> I want to give a big “Tip of the Fedora” to the various area scouts and associate scouts in major league baseball. Today is their day to shine, and they work incredibly hard and make very little money and receive little recognition. Great work guys!
Washington Nationals, Round 31 -> Josh Tobias HS SS (Instant Analysis… Baseball America describes him as a solid hitter lacking a position with solid speed. It did not mention a commitment, so perhaps the Nationals are going to make a big run at signing him. Good prospect this late.)
Washington Nationals, Round 32 -> Billy Burns OF Mercer University (Instant Analysis… Not the biggest guy at 5-9 190 pounds, he is a junior that batted .357/.473/.509 in 2011… I wonder if they sign him or if he returns for his senior season, but likely an organizational player if he does sign.)
12:25pm -> I am not sure if I should be proud of this, or perhaps embarrassed, but I know far too many players being selected this late in the draft.
Washington Nationals, Round 33 -> Trey Karlen 2B University of Tennessee-Martin (Instant Analysis… batted .297/.365/.514 this season and has some pop from the middle infield. Listed as a senior, he should be an easy sign. Maybe he surprises with the bat.)
Washington Nationals, Round 34 -> Calvin Drummond RHP University of San Diego (Instant Analysis… A redshirt sophomore with a 6-3 210 frame he has a 91-94mph fastball and solid cutter. Baseball America speculated that he could go top 10 rounds but would likely be better off with more time in college. Interesting pick and would be a nice sneaky player if they sign him. Solid pick.)
12:48pm -> Back in a flash….
Washington Nationals, Round 35 -> Alex Kreis RHP Jamestown College (Instant Analysis… Another college righty and a senior, he should sign relatively quickly. He has a thick 6-1 220 pound frame, never know he could become a middle reliever.)
Washington Nationals, Round 36 -> Ben Hawkins LHP University of West Florida (Instant Analysis… Another college pitcher, this time a lefty, goes to the Nationals here in Round 36. A junior, posted a sub 3 ERA this season with greater than a strikout per inning. Unless he gets a solid offer, I would believe he will stay in college and wait until next year. But an intriguing guy this late in the draft.)
1:17pm -> Guess who’s back, back again? NatsGM, that’s who-
Washington Nationals, Round 37 -> Derrick Bleeker RHP Howard College (Instant Analysis… A sophomore with a 6-5 frame, he apparently is heading to North Carolina for the 2012 season, so he will be a difficult sign, but has some promise. Interesting pick.)
Washington Nationals, Round 38 -> Brett Mooneyham LHP Stanford University (Instant Analysis… Great pick this late in the draft. I was fortunate to see him pitch on Cape Cod and he has talent, just seems to be one of those players that does not get the results he should. Enormous frame on this lefty, I think the Nationals will struggle to sign him unless he get a sweet overslot deal, but Mooneyham has potential if he could ever get his results to match his tools. Nice, smart pick here.)
Washington Nationals, Round 39 -> Peter Verdin OF University of Georgia (Instant Analysis… Excellent pick this late in the draft, as Verdin has a solid collegiate bat and I have seen him show off some skills in right field. As a junior, he suffered from a terrible case of draftitis this year, and I am sure he was hoping/expecting to go higher that Round 39. I suspect it will take a decent bonus to sign him, perhaps he goes to Cape Cod or a summer league to boost his value while he negotiates. Good pick this late however, like this kid.)
Washington Nationals, Round 40 -> Stephen Collum HS OF (Instant Analysis… No idea, but it looks like the Nationals are taking a few tougher/more unlikely to sign players in the past few picks, likely in case they cannot or choose not to sign Purke. But I do not have any information on this kid. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)
Edit: Thank you, VladiHondo, please check the comments section as he added a scouting report for Collum. Very much appreciated Sir, a Tip of the Fedora, goes out to you.
Not only this, the effectiveness of the medication can be bought at a lower price when compared to the https://unica-web.com/archive/2000/logo2000.html order levitra trade name drug’s price. online levitra Normally, anti-impotence drugs containing sildenafil citrate are available in their 25mg, 50mg, and 100mg variants. They may then provide you a physical exam buy cialis and performing some other order lab tests. There have been numerous studies that have shown that purchased here buy cheap cialis there is to treat erectile dysfunction as well as impotence.
1:55pm -> Contrary to the way it is portrayed in movies and sitcom television, Chinese food, while delicious, does not reheat well at all. Wow that beef and broccoli was awful.
2:01pm -> While we are in a break here, I want to quickly but sincerely thank you, the readers, for reading and spreading the word: I had an EXCELLENT day of traffic yesterday, so thank you for that.
Washington Nationals, Round 41 -> Bryce Ortega 3B University of Arizona (Instant Analysis… Bryce is a senior who has batted over .350 this season at Arizona, playing both second base and third base. Probably the definition of an organizational player, but the Nationals have not drafted many corner infielders or bats in general, so he likely signs fairly quickly.)
2:19pm -> I have listened to too many draft picks, the man announcing the picks has a voice that sounds as familiar as any family member at this point.
Washington Nationals, Round 42 -> David Kerian HS SS (Instant Analysis… Not a tremendous amount of information, but Perfect Game has some nice things to say about his bat, but said he would profile better at second base but likely will move to left field or center field. I did not see a mention of a school commitment, but in this area of the draft, he is unlikely to sign.)
Washington Nationals, Round 43 -> Mitchell Morales SS HS (Instant Analysis… Morales has a baseball commitment to Florida Atlantic University, a solid baseball school but likely not one putting up a great fight if the Nationals offer him a solid bonus. This looks like three up the middle high school kids today, with Round 31 pick Tobias, Round 42 Kerian, and now Morales… perhaps the Nationals are hoping to sign one of these three kids?)
2:40pm -> Waiting for the Jake Locker pick, I wonder if anyone will take him with a late pick here.
Washington Nationals, Round 44 -> Matt Snyder 1B University of Mississippi (Instant Analysis… The Mississippi area scout for the Nationals has to be happy, he has gotten a few players in this draft. Snyder has a big 6-6 frame and has some pop in his bat, but is limited defensively. Likely an organizational player and quick to sign.)
Washington Nationals, Round 45 -> Richard Mirowski RHP Oklahoma Baptist University (Instant Analysis… A senior with a 6-2 190 pound frame, Mirowski had a 3.54 ERA this year with 106 strikeouts in 106 innings. He was a second team all-NAIA selection and is another college pitcher in the stockpile from this draft.)
3:05pm ->martinm66 via twitter, “How many rounds are there and how many picks per round?”
NatsGM -> “There are fifty rounds to the draft, and with a few exceptions, there are 30 picks per round. We are slowly winding this down. Thanks for the question.
Washington Nationals, Round 46 -> Tyler Thompson OF University of Florida (Instant Analysis… Good pick here in Round 46. Thompson does not jump off the page with tools, but he is solid defensively and has a nice lefty bat. I do not think he will ever hit for enough power to be a major leaguer, but he has a knack for making the right play or a big hit. (I could be wrong but I think he is related to the old San Francisco Giants 2B Robby Thompson, have that in my notes) Thompson is scheduled to play on Cape Cod this summer and the Nationals will likely watch and see how he does with a wood bat. I would expect he returns to Florida for his Senior season, but a great pick and solid gamble here in Round 46. Good pick!)
Washington Nationals, Round 47 -> Tim Montgomery LHP HS (Instant Analysis… 6-4 180 pound lefty pitcher from Georgia, likely will be difficult to sign. I am struggling to find any information about him.)
Washington Nationals, Round 48 -> Michael Bisenius OF Wayne State College (Instant Analysis… Wow that school sounds small. A 6-3 Junior, Bisenius batted .401/.483/.704 this season. I have little idea of the type of competition he was facing but those numbers are enough track record that I would give him a bus ticket and see if he can continue to hit. Curious to see if he signs or stays in college for his senior season.)
Edit: Apparently according to the Wayne State College website, their current enrollment is 3,571 people. That dwarfs the enrollment of the college I went to… guess I should have taken the over.
Washington Nationals, Round 49 -> Hunter Cole OF HS (Instant Analysis… Cole is a University of Georgia commit and has made it clear he wants to be a Bulldog. He has the skills to play third base ((though he spent more time in the outfield)), projects as a solid runner, and has some power in his bat, but he is highly unlikely to sign in Round 49. Hunter Cole is a name to remember for the 2014 Draft, as three years of development at Georgia could make him a high round talent.)
3:50pm -> One round to go! Thank you again everyone for joining me today, and over the past three days. It was hectic at times, but it has been fun sharing my thoughts on the draft and hearing from many new readers. Please continue to spread the word and keep sending me your questions.
Washington Nationals, Round 50 -> Anthony Nix OF University of California Riverside (Instant Analysis… If he can play half as well as his brother Laynce the Nationals will be thrilled. No, there is no mention if they are related on the website. This Nix is a 5-11 185 pound senior outfielder that batted .282/.343/.422 this season. Nix was an honorable mention all-conference player in 2011 and should be an easy sign.)
Thanks everybody… that is a wrap on the 2011 MLB Draft.
I encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom, find me on Facebook search NatsGM, and email me at NationalsGM@gmail.com
Verdin’s dad was my orthopedic surgeon in Alexandria. Did my knee reconstructions and did a great job.
Peter Jr. played at Pope Paul VI in Fairfax.
From Perfect Game Crosschecker
Stephen Collum is a 2011 RHP/3B with a 6-3 180 lb. frame from Cartersville, GA who attends Cartersville HS. Slender athletic frame, room to add more strength. High leg raise delivery, loose easy arm action, good arm speed with little effort, consistent mid 80’s fastball, commands FB to both sides of the plate, slider is hard and tight at times, nice feel for change up, has deception to his delivery, plus command potential, athletic actions on the mound, projects well. Switch-hitter, good bat speed right handed, has power and lift, good swing, less bat speed and longer path left handed, good extended finish. Solid actions both at 3B and in the outfield. Very good all around athlete, two-way prospect who is going to get better. Good student.
Are Brett Mooneyham and Bryce Ortega, respectively, related to the Mooneyham who once pitched for the A’s and ’60s Senators pitcher Phil Ortega?
I know that Mooneyham is related to the Oakland pitcher from the 60s, but I do not know about Ortega. Nothing was mentioned on the conference call, but I will give it a google search after this wraps up.
Thanks for reading and commenting-
Vincent,
According to the University of Arizona baseball website, Bryce is the son of Leslie and Mike Ortega. I guess there is no relation.
Thanks for the question and thanks for reading.
Is 48th Rounder OF Michael Bisenius related to former Nats pitcher (and current White Sox farmhand) Joe Bisenius?
“Erocks33″…
Without being too stalker-ish, I cannot find anywhere that confirms that they are brothers, however they are both from the same home town and went to the same high school. The name Bisenius is not exactly “Smith” or “Jones” so there is probably a pretty good chance they are related, if not brothers.
Thanks for the question-
NatsGM
One of the many wonderful things about this website is the unique correspondence you have with people and the great exchange of baseball knowledge and information. Today, I received this email from Ted Kreis, whom I am guessing/assuming is related to 35th round selection Alex Kreis. Ted passed along a nice email to help familiarize us with Alex, one of the newest Nationals. Tip of the Fedora to you for reading, and thank you very much for the information. I have cut and pasted his email to share with everyone:
“I enjoyed reading your assesment of the draft, but it was missing any comment on the number 35 pick, Alex Kreis. It is really hard to get noticed up here in North Dakota. Hidden gem? Who knows, but it will be fun to watch. So here is a press clipping you may help you get aquainted:
Kreis was the 1,057th overall pick, and was one of three North Dakotans selected. Arizona’s Cole Frenzel of Dickinson was taken by the New York Mets in the seventh round on Tuesday and Fargo South’s David Ernst went to the Chicago Cubs in the 47th round on Wednesday.
Nearly 500 players were drafted after Kreis was picked by the Nationals.
He’ll go down as one of the top pitchers ever to wear orange and black. He went 21-5 in his career, including 7-3 this year. He allowed just 52 hits in 66 1/3 innings with 70 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.85, with a career ERA of 3.49. He struck out 217 batters in 209 innings, but it was his assortment of pitches, including a fastball consistently clocked in the low 90s, that drew scouts to Jimmies’ games in recent years. The Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies showed the most interest.
“We were hoping this day would come. It’s a great day for Alex, his family, Jimmie baseball and baseball in North Dakota in general,” Hager said. “You’re talking about a guy who has worked his tail off for four years and has made major strides from Year 1 to Year 4 and he deserves a ton of credit for becoming a pro baseball prospect,” Hager said.
“The thing about Alex was that throughout this whole process he always kept the team first. When scouts were around, he was still always concerned about winning a ballgame first.”
The coming days will include contract negotiations, but more than anything else Kreis wants to get back on the mound.
“I’ve really missed baseball. I haven’t played since we were in Joliet,” he said of the Jimmies’ trip to Illinois for the NAIA National Tournament. “I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity, but now it’s about results and how I perform. Nothing is given to anybody. Now it’s a matter of, ‘OK, you’ve made it this far, now what can you do?'”
Regardless of how the future unfolds, Hager said Kreis will jump headlong into being a pro.
“Alex is a very intense individual, and when you combine that with the talent he has, anything is possible,” said Hager, from California, where he is recruiting.
The rest of the summer and fall will be full of baseball, but he’s also just 12 credits shy of finishing his degree in business administration and plans to graduate in December.” – Ted Kreis
Congrats to your family and thank you for reading! Good luck to your son (family member).
Ryan aka NatsGM