Hey Mack, how do you feel about another potential Mets #7 pick Justin O'Conner? MetsMiLB has him as an Omar favorite.
Mack:
first of all,,, here's some press on Justin:
3. Justin O’Connor – Cowan HS (IN) – also plays SS and hits well… fastball touches 99…
8-19: Jeff Sullivan from the AFLAC Games: - O’Conner had a rough game, going 0-2 with 2 strikeouts, but I was able to see him all week and he is a great player with some pop in his bat. He had some great BP sessions and is able to generate a lot of power with his 6’1,190 pound frame. He has smooth actions in the middle infield and has a solid arm. He also threw an inning in the game, reaching the low 90’s. He is a great two-way talent, who to me is better as a position player.
9-16: From www.baseballamerica.com : - High School Top 25 draft prospects: 18. Justin O'Conner, ss/rhp Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind.
9-28: From http://mlbresource.blogspot.com: - Mock Draft Version 2 - #11 pick overall - Justin O'Conner, RHP/INF - Cowan HS (IN) - O'Conner is considered by many to be the top two-way player in the draft with Stetson Allie and Kaleb Cowart right behind. From what I have heard his future is on the mound but when you hit .580 with 19 HR in high school he will at least get a chance to prove he can hit. Plus most of Cincinnati's top prospects are at AAA or just called up to the big leagues so it will be nice to restock with a solid prep player.
10-5 from http://mlbbonusbaby.com: 32. New York Yankees – Justin O’Conner, SS, Cowan HS (IN) – (5th SS picked in draft) - The Yankees are building a solid core of young hitting in their system, and they’re only lacking an eventual replacement for Derek Jeter. Enter Justin O’Conner. O’Conner’s got all the tools to be a plus shortstop with both the glove and the bat, and it’s only his geographic location that’s hampered him as a prospect. He’s got one of the best infield arms in the entire class, and there’s not much thought that he’ll ever have to move positions. He hits well, too, and he could easily surpass both Machado and Cabrera in this class of shortstops. This would be a great pick for the Yankees, who should be brainstorming about who should replace Jeter in the near-future.
10-5 from http://baseballdraftreport.com: - top 50 prospects in 2010 draft – #49 – Justin O’Connor – 6th SS on list
10-6 from: http://baseballdraftreport.com: - SS/RHP Justin O’Conner - I think Justin O’Conner could wind up as this year’s Casey Kelly, a ridiculously talented two-way player picked late in the first round by a team willing to pony up the big bucks for his services. In the end, however, I think O’Conner will deviate from the Kelly plan by proving himself to be a better hitter than pitcher.
10-8 from http://mlbbonusbaby.com – Justin O’Conner, Cowan HS (IN) - There aren’t a lot of Indiana prep prospects that go straight to the pros, especially this high up, but O’Conner’s the exception. Unlike Machado and Cabrera, there aren’t a lot of questions around O’Conner’s ability to stay at shortstop long-term, and he should be a solid hitter, too. Projected draft position: Late-first to late-second round.
11-2 from www.perfectgame.com: - Future Scout Sully said: Here is my list of the Top 50 in the class. I have seen almost every one of these players. Went out to AFLAC for the week, saw team usa play, and went to many cape games: - 44- SS Justin O'Conner (6th SS on list)
11-3 from www.mlbresource.com: 3rd Mock draft – #19 - Justin O'Connor, SS/RHP - Cowan (IN) - Detroit loves young power arms and could either have a power arm on the mound or as a shortstop that can flat out hit. O'Connor could definitely shoot up the draft board but right now I have him with Detroit. (2nd SS on list)
11-9-9 from www.examiner.com: - Top 15 High School Draft Prospects - 7. Justin O’Conner, ss/rhp
Cowan HS, Muncie, Ind.
College Commitment: Arkansas - O’Conner has athleticism and strength, premium defensive tools and above-average power potential. (2nd SS on list)
11-18 from www.macksmets.blogspot.com: - 17. SS Justin O’Connor – O’Connor’s stock has risen the past few months, especially since his fatball was clocked at 99. Not bad for a shortstop. (3rd SS on list)
11-20 from www.draftamerica.com: - 26. Colorado -- Justin O'Connor, SS/RHP, Cowan HS (IN). Ideally, Gausman would have been hanging around for me to neatly slot in here, but Texas jumped the gun. O'Connor shows good instincts at short and a strong arm to go along with a compact swing and potentially plus hit tool.
11-22 from http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com: - Justin O’Connor will be a surprise in the first round at the catching position. I saw him at area code and it was some of the best stuff in the country with his hands, arm strength, and athletic ability. Not many people know that he plays here, yet.
11-23 from www.deepleagues.com: - #28 - LA Dodgers - Justin O’Connor (P, Muncie Indiana) (3rd C on list)
1-1-9 update: - Justin O’Conner has indeed been working on a possible full-time transition from shortstop to catcher, and a successful transition would vault O’Conner’s stock into the mid first-round range. He’s got the tools for it, but so do other big prep catching busts, so nothing’s certain yet.
1-3 from www.perfectgame.com: - Top 2010 HS MIFs. Based on summer performance (PG Natl SC,TOS,Area Code, East Pro SC, Under Armour & AFLAC) and lots of discussions. Justin O'Connor 6'1- Aflac All American. Plus arm strength(also top p prospect 92-94) Avg plus speed (6.72 60 PG Natl SC) 4.35 to first.Pop in bat at times.Won HR derby at PG Natl. Didnt hit well at Area Code or Aflac during games but did well in bp. Possibly working out at C which is very intriguing. High Potential.
1-7-9: Morisato's 2010 MLB Mock Draft - Version 1.0 - 13th Overall – The Chicago White Sox - Justin O’Conner (SS), Indiana High School - A early personal favorite of mine, O’Connor is an excellent prep shortstop that should be ranked up high with Machado and Cabrera as a top prospect. O’Connor has excellent range and a strong arm to remain at short (he can also touch 96 as a pitcher). He also shows a good swing and shows the ability to make contact. O’Conner has also shown the ability to hit for power, as he hit 19 home runs in his junior year. All in all, he’s the best two way player in the class. He’s a logical fit here for the White Sox.
1-1-9 from www.draftsite.com: - #34 - Justin O'Connor RHP/SS Cowan HS, In. 6'1" 190 R,R
1-15-0 from http://mlbbonusbaby.com: - 30. Los Angeles Angels – Justin O’Conner, SS, Cowan HS (IN) – Until the catching experiment is deemed successful this spring, O’Conner is still a prep shortstop, and a good one at that. With all the tools to be plus at the position (and catching), along with an excellent hit tool, O’Conner has stirred up some conversations as a back-third first-round candidate. He’s a little less refined than the premier prep names in the top part of the round, but if O’Conner’s catching experiment does go well, he could easily leapfrog Sabol. Previously: #32.
4-11 from: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=1751004502 - Justin O'Conner, C/SS, saw him play last week. In game 1.70-1.78 pop times, never below 1.84 in between innings. 93-95 on mound, big power at the plate. There is a change to swing path and it is much shorter and better than last fall/summer. The catching experiment is going extremely well.
4-25 from XMLBScout: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=4361060202&p=5 –
SS-C-RHP, Justin O'Connor, Cowan HS, 6'1 190, R/R, this guy is chisled out, room to fill out, 70 arm, might be an 80, did not get pitched too, but in BP showed some pop in his bat, a bit long of a swing, workable, strongest asset is tool and love for the game. Also pitched, was 92-96 striking out 4 hitters, one reached on PB. Slider was nasty in warmups. Lots of interest from clubs at the E. Han**** HS game, this kid's got the arm and moves around ok behind the dish, though he's still learning, you can mark this guy as the next Buster Posey and if I were a ML club, I would not let this kid go to college and take 3-4 to develop him, because you might have something here quickly, the way he's learned in a short season behind the plate. As a pitcher, no doubt he's got the arm strength and snap for the slider and competes, short man-closer mentality, stamina for 7? I don't know because I only saw an inning, last year I saw 3 innings and he ran out of gas after 50 pitches losing 4 mph quickly, but he also played several innings at SS. Another late 1st rounder/sandwich guy in the first, depending on signability, sign this kid!!
5-3 from: - http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MLB_Draft - I talked to one AL West scout who's seen Cowan (Ind.) high schooler Justin O'Conner several times and said he felt that the 6-1, 190-pound swingman has his best shot at maximizing his tools as a catcher. "No, he's not really a catcher," the scout said. "But back there he's still put up 1.7, 1.8 pop times. Because he got quick enough feet to play the middle infield, that's helped him behind the plate." Indeed, with an arm rated a 70 on the scouting 20-80 scale, O'Conner's got the cannon for it. But as we discussed earlier His bat plays well anywhere, however.
5-12 from: - http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-cubs-wrigley-bound/2010/05/cubs-draft-preview--hitters.html - Justin O'Conner--IND (H.S.)-- 6'1 190 - This is a prospect who is tough to figure in terms of future position. Currently a SS with plus-plus arm strength who hits the mid 90s off the mound, but his range is limited, leading most to think he's a better fit at 3B. Those aren't the only two positions that are possible for this kid. He's also being projected as a catcher by some scouts. His bat is outstanding, featuring plus raw power and a short stroke that stays inside the ball. He's a good strong athlete who could play almost anywhere but after seeing his throwing from the C postion he's extremely raw in that aspect.
5-25 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/5/25/1486642/top-5-by-position-catchers#storyjump - Justin O’Conner isn’t in the same boat as either Harper or Grandal, as he’s very new to catching, having just picked it up within the last year. A natural shortstop, O’Conner was already having to face a potential position shift when scouts started wondering if he had the natural range to play in the middle of the infield, instead looking at him as a third baseman. However, he surprised a good number of people with the shift behind the plate, and even though he’s been a part-time player there this spring, he’s flashed all the tools to be a plus defender and hitter. At the plate, he’s blessed with plus natural power and is a solid hitter with a solid approach. He’s not going to win batting titles, but 20 or more home runs a year in his prime isn’t out of the question from a demanding defensive position. His arm is easily his best overall tool, though, and he was also considered a pitching prospect entering the spring. He’s obviously new to the nuances of catching, so he’s raw in most regards, but there’s plenty to like about his actions, which are nimble compared to some heavier backstops. Though he’s by no means a sure thing to catch in the long run, he’s expected to go in the back third of the first round as a signable bat with both offensive and defensive upside.
5-31 from: - http://baseballbeginnings.com/category/2010-draft - Justin O’Conner moved behind the plate this spring after he was an infielder and a pitcher when I saw in summer 2009. At the time, I noted that O’Conner’s arm would play better in the infield than on the mound and that his athleticism would benefit him up the middle. I thought he’d have enough range for it. The reason I didn’t go for third base was because I wasn’t convinced he would have the power. When O’Conner moved behind the plate, his arm and athleticism played, the power that would have been marginal for third became above-average for behind the plate, and fielding range and running is a moot point. I haven’t seen him this spring so my grades are based off what I saw in the summer over a week-long look. Nobody learns to catch professionally overnight, no matter how polished they may look as amateurs. But athletic ability is what buys you time, and because the bat is there, people will be willing to take the chance to develop the talent.
-the Mets get one pick and one pick only in the first two rounds...
- this draft is a light one... and most of the MLB projected talent will be gone by the end of the second round...
- what this means is the Mets have to make sure they draft someone that is both talented... and signable.
Justin falls into that category and I would notmally tell you that picking him would be stretch since most experts have him as a late-first rounder... but... you may see the Mets go to positional need this time around.
And they need a catcher... who can hit at least .250 in the majors, manage a pitching staff, and throw like hell to second.
I'm a "draft as many SPs as you can" kind of guy, but that hasn't worked out the last three years... the Mets don't need any infielders and the outfield looks like it will be filled in FA wise... yeah, draft a catcher... and, if Grandal is gone, O'Connor's the next one to pick.
But that's just me.
Mack
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