Some draft projections had Puk going as high as first.
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Three of the first four players selected were taken out of high school, making this the first time since 2002 that three of the top four picks were high school players. Since he’s not regarded as the clear No. 1 pick, the Phils may be able to get Moniak to sign for less than the $9.01 million maximum, which would then allow them to spend more on their second pick. To date, all eight players drafted out of the country with at least 10 career WAR were taken in that span (all between 1992 and 2001). I believe one day he will hit anywhere between 15 and 22 home runs (in the big leagues).
“He texted me right away, ” Puk said in a conference call Thursday night. Puk, Jason Groome, and Kyle Lewis?
For a lucky few ballplayers, being selected in the MLB Draft is one of the best moments of their lives.
Moniak is also considered a center field prospect who can cover a ton of ground.
“As soon as possible”, Moniak said.
“He’s a middle-of-the-field player and he’s going to impact the game on both sides”, said Almarez. This kid is athletic. He can really hit. “It will be big for me”. As a minor leaguer in the Red Sox system, Bill Moniak once had Ted Williams as a hitting coach. And it’s not Mickey Mantle. Like Moniak, Gowdy was a UCLA commit. He combined to go 14-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 120⅓ innings the first two seasons.
His 0.69 ERA was the lowest by a Division I starting pitcher since Chris Rich posted a 0.62 ERA over 57.2 innings back for St. John’s in 1979, according to CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa.
“He’s got that innate ability to pitch and get hitters out and that’s what we want in this organization, front line starters”. That’s probably why he became available to the Phillies with the 42nd pick.
In the first 20 selections, 12 players were drafted out of high school, tied for the most high school players taken in the first 20 picks since 1999. It’s hard to believe they would have drafted them otherwise. This was Oakland’s second-round pick, and third selection overall.
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“I think I danced a little jig”, A’s scouting director Eric Kubota said when asked how he reacted to Puk falling from a potential No. 1 to land in the A’s lap. He told reporters last night that “it definitely influenced my game, my approach, how I hit and play baseball”. He has a quick right-handed bat and has done a good job of adding strength to his 6-foot-3 frame. The Cubs don’t pick until the third round, and there’s no shot Gowdy will last that long. In the fall, Anderson helped Team USA’s 18-and-under team win the gold medal at the World Cup in Japan. His ERA was 1.12 this season, and his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 miles per hour. When he’s throwing three pitches for strikes, Puk can be extremely risky.
