Mack - Draft Thoughts: Jack Leiter, Jordan Lawler, Jud Fabian, Jaden Hill, Wes Clark

This is where my head is right now regarding the upcoming draft. 

What Vanderbilt RHP Jack Leiter is doing right now is Superman like.

 

Put it this way… his teammate, Kumar Rocker, is 7-0 in seven starts, with a 0.84-ERA, and it isn’t even close to what the Son Of Al is turning out. Same amount of starts, same amount of win, but an incredible 0.43-ERA. That translates to TWO EARNED RUN IN 42-IP.

 

I don’t know how far this run can go, but these two guys have just about locked up the first two picks in the draft.

 

* * *

 

I know I just told you that the two Vanderbilt ace’s are a lock for the first two picks this draft, but Dallas Jesuit’s SS Jordan Lawler has a case of his own to throw his hat into the first pick ring.

 

Lawler is the premier shortstop in this draft and has comps of players like Francisco Lindor.

 

He already has a 4-tool Grade A rating and that could bump up to 5 if projected power comes along.

 

As of April 1^st, Lawler’s stat line is: 23-G, 65-AB, .415, .677-Slug, 1,229-OPS, 2-HR, 23-RBIs.

 

All three of these guys I mentioned above will be stars of this game and teams that have the early picks must decide whether they want an all-star pitcher on their team, or an everyday all-star player.

 

* * *

When the mock season started, Florida outfielder Jud Fabian and LSU starter Jaden Hill had many mock pickers placing both in their top five picks in the first round.

 

Things are quite different now.

 

As of 4-2, Fabian is hitting only .240, with 45 strikeouts in 104-AB. Es, that’s a 42% strikeout production. Last weekend alone, he was 0-12, with 10-Ks.

 

Hill’s stats are worse. As of 4-3, through seven starts, He is 2-3 with a 6.67-ERA, and a 1.38-WHIP. He only has produced 25 strikeouts in 29.2-IP, while walking 12.

 

Additionally, he was pulled last night in the third inning with yet to be diagnosed arm problems.

 

Hill has an additional problem. His blazing fastball which has hit 100, has no movement. It’s straight as hell and right down the pipe. To professional hitters, this is like standing in a batting cage. You don’t have to worry about any anticipated movement. All you have to do is get your timing down on the speed and swing your brains out.

 

Right now, both Fabian and Hill are being projected as a late first round pick, but will teams actually leave their name on the board when it is their time to pick? Maybe Hill, but Fabian could just be going on a slow streak like Lindor did when spring training started.

 

This will be fun to watch.

 

* * *

 

Right now, the most intriguing name in this draft might be South Carolina 1B/C Wes Clarke.

 

Prior to this season, all anyone knew about this guy was that he was a junior that catches and plays first, and would probably be drafted in one of the late rounds of Day 3 of the draft. If that.

 

Today, as of 4-2, his Gamecock stat line is: 24-G, 83-AB, 14-HR, .301, .831-slug%, .468-OBP.

 

Sure, he strikes out a lot (27 in 83), but who cares. 14 dingers in 83 at-bats. So, if had 403 at-bats, that would translate to 70 home runs!

 

Can he field? Who cares. 14 dingers in 83 at-bats. So, if had 403 at-bats, that would translate to 70 home runs!

 

Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) wrote a great 2-liner on Clark on 2-23:

There are roughly 12,495 Division 1 college baseball players.

 

South Carolina 1B Wes Clarke has 3 more homers than 12,494 of them after 4 games.

 

Some American League team is going to scoop this kid up for a future all-star DH.

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