Eddie Altamonte

I would love to pile on Loria because I can't stand him but when it comes to the selection of Kolek, that definitely was not Loria. That was all Hill/Jennings. That was a brave baseball decision and I applaud them for taking it. If you look at it in the way that Rodon was the safe decision... Rodon is a S Floridian and I am sure that he would not have been difficult to sign to play within 30-45 mins of his home. They really believed in Kolek. They expect him to be be the better pitcher, not now, but 3 years from now. I think they are right, not just because he throws 102 mph, not just because of the rating of 65 on his slider and 60 of his curve. Not because at the of the age of 18 he is 6'5 and 250 lbs. It's all that and that his developmental growth curve is amazing. He just gets it...He works very hard but it's more. He is a one in a lifetime talent...Pitching for him is like Mozart is for music or Da Vinci is for art, Einstein is for science. You can't actually put it in words, you have to see it... I think all along it was Kolek and in a few years we will see why. I had my doubts on Fernandez myself and look how quickly that worked out for the Marlins.Kolek will make his mark quickly as well. How big will the splash be? It's going to be fun to find out I do however blame Loria for the trade of the 39th pick. We could have gotten an additional solid prospect with that pick as well

Cleveland selected Arod's nephew in the 35th round I like that kid a lot the Marlins should have chosen him over several player they selected at SS but hey hope he proves the Marlins and everyone else wrong that didn't draft him

About Blake Anderson... The Miami Marlins pulled a surprise move by snagging high school catcher Blake Anderson with the No. 36 pick. According to J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, Anderson was a polarizing prospect, and some teams viewed him as a seventh- to 10th-round selection. The biggest question facing Anderson is just how much he will hit as a professional. One explanation on Miami's reach, as suggested by Bleacher Report's Adam Wells, is that the club drafted Anderson in order to save money to sign right-hander Tyler Kolek, the No. 2 overall pick. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2087837-mlb-draft-2014-ranking-the-4-potential-busts-of-day-1/page/5 Anderson is a tall athletic catcher (6'4", 200 lbs) who already has good defensive skills behind the plate. He traveled with the East Cobb Braves (one of the best traveling AAU teams in the country) and hit the prospect showcase circuit pretty hard this past year. His arm is arguably his best asset as he consistently hit 92 mph from the mound, while leading his high school team to a 4A State Championship in Mississippi. His bat, however, has a lot of question marks. After adding 15 pounds of muscle to his lanky frame in the offseason, Anderson saw a big jump in offensive production his senior year. He hit .438 with eight home runs and 14 doubles in 105 at-bats, but scouts question his bat speed and his ability to square up the ball against advanced pitching. The overall consensus among draft analysts is that the Marlins sprung Anderson a bit early. Baseball America had him ranked as the eighth best prospect in the state and the 216th best prospect overall. There were lots of intriguing prospects on the board who had more widely recognized talent, but there's also reports that Anderson really impressed a lot of teams in recent workouts. Clint Longenecker from Baseball America reported that many teams were interested in Anderson in this range. http://www.fishstripes.com/2014/6/5/5784756/mlb-draft-2014-miami-marlins-blake-anderson-catcher-profile Yet to West coach Jerry Boatner, Thursday’s selection came as no shock. “I’m not surprised,� Boatner said of Anderson getting picked so high. “He has everything you’re looking for: great size, a great arm, great strength and speed.� Anderson was the first player from Mississippi to be taken in the draft, and while that’s bound to bring good publicity to West Lauderdale, Boatner said the day was more about Anderson’s individual accomplishments. “It’s just a great feeling for the whole coaching staff and community,� Boatner said. “People have always talked about how good he is and what a great kid he is.� In 2013, Anderson compiled a .420 average with five home runs. In his last season at West Lauderdale, Anderson was even more dominant as the backstop registered a .438 average and recorded team-highs in home runs (eight) and RBI (40). “Blake’s a special young man,� said Neal Anderson, Blake’s father. “He matured really quickly and worked extremely hard to get here.� Anderson learned the value of hard work at a young as he traveled around the country in the summer, competing against some of the best high schoolers from around the nation. Anderson was a member of the East Cobb Astros as a 16-year-old, who finished as the No. 1 travel ball team in the country that year under coach Guerry Baldwin. “Blake’s been blessed to play on some great travel ball teams,� Neal said. “He learned what it would take to improve game.� Boatner said the greatest thrill he gets from coaching is seeing his players make it to the next level, whether in college or professionally. He pointed to Anderson’s work ethic - See more at: http://www.meridianstar.com/sports/x611390450/West-s-Anderson-goes-on-first-day#sthash.YeLLFDy8.dpuf The Marlins brought Anderson in for a workout recently. Right now, he is more advanced defensively, and he needs to add more strength, which should improve his offense. "We think it's way above-average Major League catch-throw skills now," Meek said. "The bat is the little bit behind. He's not real strong. We think the bat is going to play. The way the swing works is great. He just needs a little more bat speed and a little more strength to get that." http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140605&content_id=78391926&notebook_id=78455942&vkey=notebook_mia&c_id=mia The knock on Anderson has always been his hitting ability, though he did have a breakout year as a senior (he hit .438 with 40 RBIs and eight homers). Even so, Anderson possesses the top-end defensive skills behind the plate that has scouts intrigued. The hitting concerns might send Anderson to Southern Miss next season http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/high-school/2014/06/05/west-lauderdale-catcher-drafted/10047415/

Fish take LHP Michael Mader (6'2" 195 lbs) from Chipola College in Florida Scouting report from mlb.com: Mader was named the 2013 Panhandle Conference Pitcher of the Year as a freshman after going 8-3 with a 3.19 ERA. Though he wasn't honored for a second year in a row, scouts say his stuff has improved this spring. Mader has added some velocity to his fastball, which tops out at 95 mph. More typically it sits in the low 90s with tailing action. His breaking ball has the most potential of his secondary offerings. At its best, it looks like a biting curveball, but it can get slurvy. There is some effort in his delivery, and he struggled with his control at times. Mader was expected to be drafted last year, but he told teams he preferred to return for another season at Chipola and ultimately wasn't selected. Should he decide to return to school again, he is committed to Florida State. If they can sign him it is a very solid pick

That would only be a fall back not really a projection. I'm sure they will give him every opportunity to stick at SS. Not a solid defender...His game is speed,speed, speed.. Justin Twine of Falls City High School (Tx.) looks like a running back, it is because he is one. Twine, who pitches and plays short, is an explosive athlete who is loaded with tools. He is a burner on the basepads and has a lightning quick bat should enable him to hit for power. In the field Twine has great range, especially up the middle, and while he lacks polish, he has the athleticism to stay at short. Twine is hitting over .500 this year, and has been hitting balls to all parts of the field http://prospectinsider.com/tag/justin-twine Justin Twine is a 2014 SS/RHP with a 5-10 195 lb. frame from Hemphill, TX who attends Hemphill HS. Medium athletic build, broad shoulders and very good present strength, physically mature. 6.52 runner, quick twitch athletic actions, shows range at shortstop especially up the middle, makes athletic plays on the run, good balance, quick hands on the exchange, good arm strength, can improve routes to balls but has all the tools to be a standout middle infield defender with more repetitions. Right handed hitter, late hand hitch/load, creates barrel length in back, simple lower half shift, very good bat speed with strength at contact, ball comes off the barrel hard, line drive contact with gap power, load and timing can be improved to better handle off speed pitches. Physical tools stand out. Good student, verbal commitment to TCU. http://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=275302 interesting video http://m.mlb.com/atl/video/v33270187/draft-report-justin-twine-hs-shortstop I think he was drafted a little too high considering what other players were on the board but who the hell knows, he might just become the next Barry Larkin

BTW Twine projects to become a Cf

Maybe better than Rodon, but that's 5 years from now. I kinda wanted a year or two wait and Rodon has the experience and stuff to give that. Hopefully Kolek flies up the ladder because of his stuff , much like Fernandez. I like Aiken but I like Kolek better, Aiken will be a solid starter in the majors, Kolek will be throwing no-hitters and having 300 Ks seasons

Blake Anderson is a very surprising pick since I have not seen him listed the top 200 at all. I have to admit I have looked a lot into the catchers of this draft and his name may appear only on milk cartons There is a lot of talent at catcher in the S fl area that will knock your socks off but this kid from Mississippi is pretty much a total mystery to me

I don't know. It's not like Kolek was a huge reach, most mock drafts had him going 3rd or 4th. And It's not as if Rondon was without his question marks. If anything, most people seemed to think Rondon was Loria's pick...so this is probably good news that he's continued to stay out of the way of the baseball people. I actually believe Kolek will be better than Aiken 5 years from now

Kolek is a beast but what ive read is he's at least 4-5 years away. He will need time to mature but he really isn't that far development-wise. If he improves on the changeup he actually may find himself flying through the minors, he has a plus slider and plus curve

Wow Hoffman went 9th overall. That's pretty damn surprising. Very surprising however it seems that the medical reports on him were extremely good, he has no bargaining power therefore will be a easy, cheap signing and the upside is huge

If Astros goes Rodon, Miami will go either Aiken or Jackson. Kolek is seen as a project as this point, while he has a good fastball, his secondary pitches are meh, and his mechanics doesn't look too good. Combine that with the growing TJ epidemic and teams will be more hesitant to go with hard throwers as opposed to more polished pitchers. Aiken already has 3 plus pitches with an improving cutter. We is the safer pick because he doesn't have the same concerns that Kolek has. With Jackson, the Marlins supposedly are in love with him, and his name has been appearing on more recent mock drafts than any other player. I normally wouldn't disagree with you except you are wrong on one thing, Kolek is not a one trick pony, far from that. He actually has a 65 slider (slightly below Rodon level) and a 12-6 curveball as well. The problem with Kolek is still a matter of control, which is not entirely a bad thing . All young power pitchers ride that beast... That fastball gets into a batters head pretty quickly keeping them from digging it at the plate. The reason I say he is more of a Marlins type of pick is because he is signable, his upside is above every other pitcher in this draft and the Marlins are willing to have him mature in their farm system. I would love for them to get Rodon if he is left on the table by the Astros, However Aiken, Kolek and Jackson would seem to also have pretty amazing futures ahead of them...Yes Kolek is the least polished but he also seems to be the most gifted. That is solid clay to mold

Most of you are aware that no one has been following these kids through all the different website longer than me. Less than a week away from the draft everything is so topsy-turvy. This is probably one of the hardest draft to make any type of predictions, some scouts see it a weaker draft, but dammit, there are some arms in this draft. MLB.com is rating Kolek's fastball as an 80 pitch, that is something you never see. Even Rodon's slider which is one of the best ever rated (it is actually said that in the majors right now nobody has a better one), only gets a 70 rating. If anyone wonders why Aiken is at the top of so many scouts charts, it easily can be summarized this way, When they see Aiken they see Kershaw 2.0. I believe that Rodon has rallied enough to reclaim the #1 overall pick status...The Astros will likely call his name because he would be in the Rotation by 2016 Aiken may fall to 3 because I would imagine the Marlins would go with Kolek or Jackson (Most likely Kolek)

I was Olmos excited until I realized Colombians don't make good baseball players. Edgar Renteria, Orlando Cabrera and Julio Teheran would disagree with you (BTW I left out Donovan Solano in order not to open a can or worms)

He beat out AJ Burnett in a duel of ex-Marlins

Jackson has a good chance to remain a catcher...He really does field his position well...Has a plus plus plus arm. It would be entirely on the Marlins if they choose to convert him to another position

Just wait till he regresses to the mean

GWhy do most mocks have the Marlins selecting Kolek over Aiken if both are still on the board? Most scouts have both players with similar ceiling with Aiken the higher floor. Per many scouts, they have not seen a fastball of Kolek's type since Nolan Ryan, that is going back 50 years

Who cares about win-loss? Felix Hernandez won a Cy Young award going 13-12 in 2010. His ERA is under 2 and he has a K/9 over 10. He's fine. That is why I said he is still top 10 He has the worse record of all pitchers of NC State (By Far) That is because he is getting hit much more than ever before He is a diminished pitcher, however still has an amazing slider. You cannot consider him as the # 1 overall anymore because others are just a lot better than him right now. You draft on potential of course, not on what they have done but what they can do for your team down the road. However, why the loss of velocity? Except for his slider, his other pitches have regressed as well. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24512038/april-3-prospect-watch-minor-league-teams-to-watch-rodons-stock-falling LHP Carlos Rodon, NC State: Coming into the spring, Rodon was not just the best prospect in the draft, he was arguably the best draft prospect since Bryce Harper in 2010. The 21-year-old was outstanding during his freshman and sophomore years, going 19-3 with a 2.33 ERA, 11.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9, but so far this spring he has looked much more human despite a 2.09 ERA, 10.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. Rodon's fastball has reportedly sat more low-90s than mid-90s and both his changeup and curveball have regressed. His slider is a wipeout pitch and the single best pitch in the class, and one of the few reasons his stock has not fallen further. Rodon still figures to be a top five pick, but it wasn't long ago he was the slam dunk, no doubt about it choice for the Astros and the first overall selection.

I mean realistically it will be a season and ~ a half, if he has TJ tomorrow. Tommy John is now a 9-12 month recovery hopefully he will have the surgery right way

Right elbow sprain is good news all considering right right right? A sprain is a slight tear so it could still mean Tommy John...lets keep our fingers crossed

I think the Astros are going to select Kolek. Rodon is no longer the clear-cut #1, and you could make a case for selecting Kolek #1 if you're any team. The Astros have the added bonus that he's in their backyard and, while there is no real logic behind it, I'm willing to bet they see that as a factor. Rodon is still striking out a lot of hitters but has an ugly 4-7 record He is not looking anything like a #1 overall pick right now, he still should be top 10

Talking about Trea Turner...He seems to be bouncing back Last weekend against Coastal Carolina he just exploded in 11 at bat he had 8 hits scored 9 runs 1 2b 1 3b 1 HR 6 SB 1K/4 BB He has 7 HRs .940 OPS

Gotta tip your cap to Koehler, he's been outstanding so far. When you're #4/5 starter is posting a sub 2 ERA and a sub 1 WHIP you know things are going well. You have to do like others around here, that are just focused on him regressing to the mean...any day now!

I understand what you are saying but there is a little something called signing bonus involved that is where the main issue lies For you: My keyboard does not have that