Post by chinmusic on Jul 27, 2021 10:57:58 GMT -8
Oregon State continues the pursuit of highly touted pitching prospects with the understanding some may be lost in the MLB draft.
Gauging the players interest in professional baseball opposed to a college education can be tricky and calculating where a recruit may be drafted and how much money he might be offered is even more complicated. Three recent examples, two surprises and one no brainer.
1. In 2015, the Beavs recruited and signed Ian Oxnevad, a sturdy 6-3 lefty out of Seattle's Shorewood HS. High ceiling, low 90's and good command - OSU expected him to be drafted and he was, in the 8th round. The money wouldn't be enough to pull him away from OSU's education and baseball program. Then the truth emerged, the St. Louis Cardinals thought Ian was much better than an 8th round talent, so they offered him $550,000 and he signed. Beaverton outfielder Kevin Watson was a similar story. Signed with OSU, drafted in the 18th round by the Diamondbacks. No money there, right? The D-Backs offered a $400,000 signing bonus plus schooling. He signed.
2. Jesuits Mick Abel (2020) was no mystery for Pat Casey and the Beaver staff. He committed early, was an elite talent early and lived up to his lofty status by being the 15th pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. After his Sophomore summer, the Beaver staff knew the odds of ever seeing him in Goss Stadium were slim and none. To our credit, we stayed on him the whole way and he never waivered in his dream of being a Beaver pitcher. The Phillies gave him $ 4,017,000 to sign. He signed.
3. Dominic Hambley (2021), a gas throwing right-hander from Victoria, B.C. was considered by scouts to be "raw" but with a load of potential. Hambley's fastball was registering 94-96 mph with some wicked life. Scouts knew he didn't always know where his heater was going but they were excited by how much more was in the tank - he has the potential with some mechanical adjustments to reach 100 mph. The general take on Dominic was, great potential, needs refinement, but not yet ready for pro ball. Apparently the Cubs thought differently, they drafted him in the 18th round, offered him about $240,000 Canadian and he signed.
How good was Mick Abel ?
Mick Abel:
Born: Aug 18, 2001
Bats: R Throws: R
Ht.: 6'5" Wt.: 190
Drafted/Signed: HS--Portland, Ore., 2020 (1st round).
Signed By: Zach Friedman.
VIEW PLAYER CARD
Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 45. Control: 55
TRACK RECORD: Abel jumped on scouts’ radars when he struck out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene as a junior, and he kept their attention leading up to his senior year. He entered 2020 considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the nation, but his season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic before he could throw a pitch. The Phillies still made him the first prep pitcher selected when they drafted him 16th overall and signed him for $4.08 million to forgo an Oregon State commitment.
SCOUTING REPORT: Abel has an athletic, projectable build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and a clean delivery. His four-seam fastball is a plus pitch that sat 90-94 mph in game action and began reaching 97-100 mph during summer workouts at a facility near his home. Abel complements his fastball with a plus 82-86 mph slider as well as an 81-85 mph changeup with tumble and late fade at its best. Abel ties his potent arsenal together with above-average control. He showed how advanced he was by striking out 12 of 15 batters he faced in an informal outing against minor leaguers in Oregon.
THE FUTURE: Abel has a long way to go, but he has the ceiling of a top-of-the-rotation starter. He took part in instructional league and is set to make his pro debut in 2021.
Gauging the players interest in professional baseball opposed to a college education can be tricky and calculating where a recruit may be drafted and how much money he might be offered is even more complicated. Three recent examples, two surprises and one no brainer.
1. In 2015, the Beavs recruited and signed Ian Oxnevad, a sturdy 6-3 lefty out of Seattle's Shorewood HS. High ceiling, low 90's and good command - OSU expected him to be drafted and he was, in the 8th round. The money wouldn't be enough to pull him away from OSU's education and baseball program. Then the truth emerged, the St. Louis Cardinals thought Ian was much better than an 8th round talent, so they offered him $550,000 and he signed. Beaverton outfielder Kevin Watson was a similar story. Signed with OSU, drafted in the 18th round by the Diamondbacks. No money there, right? The D-Backs offered a $400,000 signing bonus plus schooling. He signed.
2. Jesuits Mick Abel (2020) was no mystery for Pat Casey and the Beaver staff. He committed early, was an elite talent early and lived up to his lofty status by being the 15th pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft. After his Sophomore summer, the Beaver staff knew the odds of ever seeing him in Goss Stadium were slim and none. To our credit, we stayed on him the whole way and he never waivered in his dream of being a Beaver pitcher. The Phillies gave him $ 4,017,000 to sign. He signed.
3. Dominic Hambley (2021), a gas throwing right-hander from Victoria, B.C. was considered by scouts to be "raw" but with a load of potential. Hambley's fastball was registering 94-96 mph with some wicked life. Scouts knew he didn't always know where his heater was going but they were excited by how much more was in the tank - he has the potential with some mechanical adjustments to reach 100 mph. The general take on Dominic was, great potential, needs refinement, but not yet ready for pro ball. Apparently the Cubs thought differently, they drafted him in the 18th round, offered him about $240,000 Canadian and he signed.
How good was Mick Abel ?
Mick Abel:
Born: Aug 18, 2001
Bats: R Throws: R
Ht.: 6'5" Wt.: 190
Drafted/Signed: HS--Portland, Ore., 2020 (1st round).
Signed By: Zach Friedman.
VIEW PLAYER CARD
Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 45. Control: 55
TRACK RECORD: Abel jumped on scouts’ radars when he struck out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene as a junior, and he kept their attention leading up to his senior year. He entered 2020 considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the nation, but his season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic before he could throw a pitch. The Phillies still made him the first prep pitcher selected when they drafted him 16th overall and signed him for $4.08 million to forgo an Oregon State commitment.
SCOUTING REPORT: Abel has an athletic, projectable build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and a clean delivery. His four-seam fastball is a plus pitch that sat 90-94 mph in game action and began reaching 97-100 mph during summer workouts at a facility near his home. Abel complements his fastball with a plus 82-86 mph slider as well as an 81-85 mph changeup with tumble and late fade at its best. Abel ties his potent arsenal together with above-average control. He showed how advanced he was by striking out 12 of 15 batters he faced in an informal outing against minor leaguers in Oregon.
THE FUTURE: Abel has a long way to go, but he has the ceiling of a top-of-the-rotation starter. He took part in instructional league and is set to make his pro debut in 2021.
