Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - 2018 MLB Draft

2018 MLB Draft - Day 3

The 2018 MLB Draft finishes up today with rounds 11-40.

The draft can be followed right here and the Jays draft tracker is here.

11th round - 326th overall. OF Hunter Steinmetz - Missouri State. Bats Left Throws Left. 5-foot-9 175lbs. Born December 13, 1996.

Twitter Reaction

@RanceBurger I covered Hunter Steinmetz's final baseball game at Parkview High School. He led off the game with a home run. Hunter Steinmetz can scoot.

@WyattWheeler_NL

5-foot-9 Hunter Steinmetz has in his Twitter bio "#HDMH" "Height doesn't measure heart" Blue Jays 5'8 pitcher Marcus Stroman started the HDMH "movement" and it's detailed on his website. Hunter Steinmetz joins Stroman in the Blue Jays organization

12th round - 356th overall. LHP Nick Allgeyer - University of Iowa. Bats Left. 6-foot-3 225 lbs. Born February 3, 1996.

Twitter Reaction

@B_Sakowski_PG

Blue Jays get a guy I liked a lot in Nick Allgeyer from Iowa. Not an overpowering guy but mixes and matches, FB in the 87-91 range for the most part, lots of strikes there, several pitches for strikes

13th round - 386th overall. RHP Brad Wilson - Ohio Dominican University. Bats Right. 6-foot-1 260lbs. Born August 15, 1996.

14th round - 416th overall. 3B John Aiello - Wake Forest. Bats Both Throws Right. 6-foot-2 200 lbs. Born February 14, 1997.

MLB Scouting Report

Although he had a down year - hitting .231/.346/.389 with nine home runs in 56 games - Aiello has a power bat and strong arm from third base. In 2017, he slashed .328/.417/.643 with 20 homers in 63 games. He also played for the United States Collegiate National Team in 2017.

15th round - 446th overall. RHP Troy Watson - University of Northern Colorado. Bats Right. 6-foot-2 180 pounds. Born June 11, 1997.

Twitter Reaction

@billazbbphotog

Troy Watson was my draft wildcard from Four Corners this year. Strong-armed RHP from Northern Colorado 92-95, 4 pitches. Injury & eligibility issues. Should be signable by #Bluejays

. One to follow.

@ScoutTrio

Saw Troy Watson RHP U Northern Colorado last year at the WAC Tournament. Really liked the arm. Velo, w/ present feel for spin. Didn't see him this spring. Nice arm to get here in 15th Round by the Blue Jays. #446

16th round - 476th overall. RHP Josh Hiatt - North Carolina. Bats Right. 5-foot-11 175 lbs. Born March 27, 1997.

17th round - 506th overall. RHP Austin Havekost - Kent State. Bats Right. 6-foot-3, 215 lbs. Born July 22, 1996.

Twitter Reaction

@jeffMLBdraft

Austin Havekost is the third Ohio player to the Blue Jays. I wrote about him a lot over the last two years. He is a big kid, who I had up to 94. Has the size to start but was mostly a pen arm. He gets to join Joey Murray with the BJ

18th round - 536th overall. RHP Fitz Stadler - Arizona State. Bats Right. 6-foot-9, 235 lbs. Born April 2, 1997.

Twitter Reaction

@Jack_A_Harris

#ASU junior Fitz Stadler taken in 18th round. Big improvement for him from being a 32nd round pick coming out of high school. Only pitched 22.2 innings this year for the Sun Devils this year with a 5.96 ERA

19th round - 566th overall. OF Adrian Ramos - Miami Dade Community College South (Florida). Bats Right Throws Right. 5-foot-10 160 lbs. Born June 18, 1998.

20th round - 596th overall. SS Vinny Capra. University of Richmond. Bats Right Throws Right. 5-foot-8 160 pounds. Born July 7, 1996.

21st round - 626th overall. LHP Kobby Lopez, Imperial HS. Bats Left Throws Left. 6-foot, 155 pounds. Born May 17, 2000.

22nd round - 656th overall. RHP Gage Burland. Lewis-Clark State College. Bats Right. 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. Born June 27, 1995.

Twitter Reaction

@jjcoop36

Blue Jays 22nd rounder Gage Burland from NAIA power Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) is an interesting arm-strength guy. Got a lot better this year.

23rd round - 686th overall. C Troy Squires. Kentucky. Bats Left Throws Right. 5-foot-11, 200 pounds. Born December 6, 1994.

24th round - 716th overall. RHP Mike Pascoe. San Jacinto College North. Bats Right. 5-foot-10 180 pounds. Born January 17, 1998.

25th round - 746th overall. RHP Will McAffer. Tulane. Bats Right. 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Born May 30, 1997. * North Vancouver, BC. Former Victoria HarbourCat.

Twitter Reaction

@SteveEwen

#BlueJays just took North Shore Twins product Will McAffer, a RHP in his junior year at Tulane, in the 25th round. Would seem to be a candidate to come to the @vancanadians assuming he signs.

@baseballexis

The @BlueJays take their first Canuck off the #MLBDraft board in the 25th round, taking Will McAffer with the 746th pick! #TeamC

26th round - 776th overall. C Brett Wright. Auburn. Bats Right Throws Right. 6-foot-0, 210 lbs. Born August 5, 1995.

Twitter Reaction

@vcervinoPG

Brett Wright is an interesting prospect. A San Jac #jucoroute transfer, has some RH pop and some arm strength. #mlbdraft

27th round - 806th overall. RHP Kyle Luckham. El Dorado HS (CA). Bats Left. 6-foot-3, 195 lbs. Born October 1, 1999.

28th round - 836th overall. IF Andy McGuire, University of Texas. Bats Right Throws Right. 6-foot-0, 178 lbs. Born December 2, 1994.

29th round - 866th overall. RHP Cre Finfrock. Central Florida. Bats Both. 5-foot-11, 185 lbs. Born June 26, 1996.

30th round - 896th overall. RHP Cobi Johnson, Florida State. Bats Right. 6-foot-4, 195 lbs. Born November 6, 1995. (Son of Blue Jays bullpen coach Dane Johnson)

31st round - 926th overall. RHP Austin Easter, UNC Wilmington. Bats Left. 5-foot-10, 175 lbs. Born July 21, 1995.

32nd round - 956th overall. RHP Joey Pulido, Houston. Bats Right. 5-foot-9, 170 lbs. Born September 25, 1995.

33rd round - 986th overall. RHP Matt Haris. Florida Atlantic. Bats Right. 6-foot-0, 175 lbs. Born July 10, 1994.

34th round - 1, 016th overall. RHP Grant Townsend. Oral Roberts. Bats Right. 6-foot-0, 190 lbs. Born August 9, 1997.

35th round - 1, 046th overall. 3B Damiano Pamegiani. Vauxhall HS (AB). Bats Right Throws Right. 6-foot-2, 180 lbs. Born January 24, 2000.

36th round - 1,076th overall. C Kameron Guangorena. St. John Bosco HS (CA). Bats Left Throws Right. 6-foot-0, 180 lbs. Born October 16, 1999.

MLB.com Scouting Report

Guangorena made a name for himself on the summer showcase circuit, albeit with a different last name. He was Ojeda then, but changed it to Guangorena to honour his stepfather, who has been an integral part of the family. The name change did nothing to alter the California high schooler's evaluation as one of the most athletic catchers in the draft class. A left-handed hitter, Guangorena can really impact the baseball, showing the ability to mkae consistent hard contact and the chance to hit for both average and power. He runs very well, especially for a catcher, with above-average run times down the line. Defensively, he has a plus arm and consistently shows excellent pop times. The rest of his defensive game, receiving and block, need work but many feel his athleticism will help him improve in those areas in the future. High school catchers take patience from a defensive standpoint, but Guangorena's offensive tools, arm and athleticism are bound to intrigue teams in the top five rounds. Any team considering taking him will have to convince him to forego his commitment to Cal State Fullerton.

37th round - 1,106th overall. RHP Parker Caracci, University of Mississippi. Bats Right. 6-foot-0, 200 lbs. Born September 13, 1996.

38th round - 1, 136th overall. C Francisco Ruiz, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. Bats Right Throws Right. 6-foot-0, 195 lbs. Born January 29, 2000.

39th round - 1, 166th overall. RHP Cole Beverlin, Spruce Creek HS (FL). Bats Right. 6-foot-4, 180 lbs. Born July 29, 1999.

40th round - 1,196th overall. SS Drew Labounty, University of South Alabama. Bats Right Throws Right. 5-foot-6, 160 lbs. Born January 9, 1994.

Posted by #2JBrumfield on Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 11:02 AM EDT.

2018 MLB Draft - Day 3 | 20 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

bpoz - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 12:22 PM EDT (#359371) #

Based on left over pool money, I expect maybe 5 Chavez Young type players drafted. Maybe we can sign 2-3 of them. $200K for each max.

We can sign any pick for $125,000 max without it counting against the pool penalty. I think go for it.

Then again we may want 10 guys willing to settle for $10,000. So that nobody takes our share.

hypobole - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 12:25 PM EDT (#359372) #

bpoz - how do we know there is left over pool money?

bpoz - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 12:27 PM EDT (#359373) #

Hunter Steinmetz. Nick Allgeyer.

bpoz - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 12:30 PM EDT (#359374) #

I don't know if there is left over pool money. I meant it as a question. Should have said "if" rather than "based on"

Richard S.S. - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 01:03 PM EDT (#359377) #

With no one official signed, based on and if, are basically the same phrase.

hypobole - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 01:05 PM EDT (#359378) #

Yeah, it's not looking like there's going to be much if any pool money left over. Since the pool system started in 2012, this is the 1st time Jays have gone 5 picks on day 3 without taking a high school kid.

jerjapan - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 01:32 PM EDT (#359381) #

2018 is revealing a similar draft strategy to 2017 - position players in the top ten (3 of the top ten both years were pitchers), with college pitching dominating in the 11-20 range - 6 last year, 5 so far this year.

Links on several of today's draftees:
https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2018/06/06/what-you-need-know-blue-jays-draft-pick-hunter-steinmetz/640885002/
http://daily-iowan.com/2018/06/06/nick-allgeyer-taken-by-toronto-blue-jays-in-12th-round/

https://2080baseball.com/draft-spotlight/josh-hiatt/
https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/PlayerProfile.aspx?ID=355522

Richard S.S. - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 01:48 PM EDT (#359386) #

All Juniors are 4th year students, something about that �redshirting� nonsense the NCAA likes. Most Seniors are 4th year students with the rare 5th year student. Who�s really better?

There has been a marked change in how they Jays are drafting, something looks wrong, but I can�t put my finger on what.

hypobole - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 03:06 PM EDT (#359396) #

Only thing I found on our 1st HS pick today.

"Kobby Lopez is a 2018 LHP/1B, OF with a 5-8 140 lb. frame from Calexico, CA who attends Imperial Valley. Medium frame with young, athletic build. Good physical projection remaining. Ran a 7.56 60 yard dash. Primary pitcher, has athletic looseness on mound, hip coil into delivery, good deception, 3/4 slot with angle to plate, FB worked 70-75 with solid arm side life. Throws strikes. CB in low 60's with sweeping action. Flashed CH but lacked command of offering. Advanced feel for pitching. Hits with exaggerated inside-out approach, squared stance with opening of front hip. Handles barrel well, consistently middle-opposite field hits. Loose, athletic actions with projectable upside in the OF, making accurate throws at 79 MPH. Has first step quickness to both sides when at 1st base, comfortable around the bag."

So the Jays targeting 5'8" 1st Basemen/Pitchers throwing their FB 70-75 as the new market inefficiency?

Nah, he had just turned 15 when that report was written.

Richard S.S. - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 07:32 PM EDT (#359415) #

Vauxhall Alberta is a Town in a large farming area, with only one High School. I would not be surprised if a lot of that Team consists of multi-sport athletes. Finding Damiano Palmegiani from there means digging really deep and for a long time. I�m impressed.

bpoz - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 07:40 PM EDT (#359416) #

We picked 4 HS players in the last 6 rounds. Maybe we sign a couple.

jerjapan - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 08:14 PM EDT (#359418) #

Shades of Chavez Young bpoz. We'll have to see how the bonus pool pans out - if I recall correctly, we could go overslot on Young because we missed signing a player drafted earlier. Having some intriguing high school talent is certainly a good fall back position.

With the draft finished, it's crystal clear that the org is targeting up the middle position talent with the odd intriguing pitcher mixed in, with their top picks. More pitchers than hitters the rest of the way, same as last year. 22 pitchers taken in total, also the same as last year, although we had an extra pick in 2017. I'm going to guess that the bonus split is similar to last year as well - I assume over 60% plus of our bonus pool will go to the hitters.

two 1B, two corner OF (including Conine, who's power is indeed tempting). Last year it was two and three. contrast that with 3 SS, 5 C, and 3 CF in 2017, 4 SS, 5 C and 2 CF this year.

jerjapan - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 08:20 PM EDT (#359419) #

Richard, according to BP Toronto, Vauxhall Academy is "a baseball program that has produced 16 MLB draft picks". I assume they are something of a destination for players in the rural west.

mendocino - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 11:10 PM EDT (#359442) #

Former South Alabama shortstop Drew LaBounty, who suffered a career-ending eye injury in February, was selected in the 40th and final round of the 2018 MLB draft on Wednesday.

The Toronto Blue Jays took LaBounty with the 1196th pick of the three-day draft. The pick was a symbolic one, but did not go unappreciated by Jaguars coach Mark Calvi

https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018/06/south_alabamas_drew_labounty_w.html

hypobole - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 11:18 PM EDT (#359444) #

Class act by the Jays for that.

Thanks for sharing, mendocino.

bpoz - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 11:27 PM EDT (#359446) #

CsPlus Baseball does a great job of interviewing Vancouver players.
Our picks are always asked about their drafting experience. They say the area scout called and said "We want to take you in the next round or 2". At that time I believe that money and willingness to sign is discussed. Probably paper work is done soon if selected.

This is probably just for college picks. Bonus demands are probably always within the $125,000 limit.

We are finding out how good these picks are this year. Zack Logue, Ty Tice.

Richard S.S. - Wednesday, June 06 2018 @ 11:58 PM EDT (#359450) #

Jerjapan, lots of family from my Mother�s side lives and works in the Vauxhall area. It hasn�t changed much in the last 60 years. The Academy takes the best and makes them better, bringing business into town, but what I said still applies.

Glevin - Thursday, June 07 2018 @ 04:53 AM EDT (#359454) #

I generally like the strategy the Jays seem to be using in the draft. Spreading risk around. Because prospects are such crapshoots, getting more good prospects is obviously ideal (unless you believe you have an elite prospect available). The Jays were the only team in baseball without competitive balance picks to get three top-50 prospects in the draft.

If you go by Fangraphs board, Jays got the #28, #42 and #50 prospects and I am assuming that the Jays were higher on these guy anyway. More than most drafts (Without extra picks) the Jays got a bunch of interesting prospects. It comes down to whether they can be signed of course.

scottt - Thursday, June 07 2018 @ 06:13 AM EDT (#359456) #

It says he wants to go into coaching. Would be a real class act if the Jays hire him somewhere.

ComebyDeanChance - Thursday, June 07 2018 @ 11:49 AM EDT (#359476) #

I generally like the strategy the Jays seem to be using in the draft.

Callis rated Toronto as the top draft for teams without any extra picks. The only teams he thought did better were the teams with extra picks. A good draft cycle for the LaCava/Sanders group. Over to Cherington/Kim.

2018 MLB Draft - Day 3 | 20 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.