A discussion at work, yesterday, got me wondering why similar players would be drafted in significantly different rounds.

For example:
Player #1, RHP, avg HS velocity 92mph, drafted in the 32nd rnd, number 963.

Player #2, LHP, avg HS velocity 94mph, drafted in the 2nd rnd, 52nd pick overall.

Please keep in mind, I am using these two pitchers as examples only. In this case, both were drafted out of high school but they were not drafted in the same year.

For discussion purposes, try to think of any two players who play any position (catchers, 1B's, etc), that appear from the outside to be very similar. What types of things set one so far apart from the other in the eyes of the draft?

KmomNH,

How are ya?

You left out a lot of important things to consider.

How many pitches does each pitcher have in his arsenal?

How is his general makeup on the mound?

Who is more projectible (future potential)?

Who pitched better against wood?

Who pitched better against more difficult batters?

Who had a better college opportunity, grades,etc. (signability)?

Each year they were drafted, how did they show overall compared to the other LHP prospects?

Most importantly, and probably where the true answer would lie, who wanted to turn pro right away and who wanted to go to college first? This falls under signability, one of the biggest considerations in any draft.

Unfortunetly, the draft is not all that black and white, there are many gray areas (other considerations) that do determine who gets drafted where. Hope this helps.

Ask of the experts and they will provide guidance Hi, TPM, all is well in NH, thank-you. I hope all is well in sunny FL, too.

In this case, I do know one of the young men personally and the other from a distance, so I know they were roughly the same as far as grades and both wanted to go pro right away, but I honestly have no idea with regard to the other questions, and that's exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for. Draft issues have not been a discussion in our house, but everyone in Red Sox Nation is talking baseball at work, right now, and when the subject of how different players, that to us laymen seem similar, are viewed by the professionals, I thought I'd seek input from those who'd actually know.

quote:

Player #1, RHP, avg HS velocity 92mph, drafted in the 32nd rnd, number 963.

Player #2, LHP, avg HS velocity 94mph, drafted in the 2nd rnd, 52nd pick overall.

Kmom,

In addition to the things TPM mentioned...

Knowing nothing more than what you gave us... These are two completely different examples.

Each year in the draft, there are hundreds of RHP who can throw 92 mph. At the same time, there are only a handful of LHP who can throw 94 mph. And LHP's are in greater demand than RHPs to begin with.

All else being equal (if it was) The LHP would be a much higher valued pitcher, by a long ways! Evidently over 900 picks more valuable in this case.

You know what, I don't have on my glasses, I didn't realize they both were not LHP.

Strike out most of what I posted. The above would be more for two RHP.

PG is right, LHP's throwing 90's is not common and are very much in demand.

You will also see kids with great tools who have expressed NO DESIRE to turn pro out of high school (signability)but the team takes a chance on drafting a kid, in hopes he might change his mind. There were quite a few kids like that this year that were "chances."

Most picks in round 40 don't sign and remember that there is no draft and follow anymore, whereby a team could hold the rights and then watch him until the next draft. You used to see a lot of that before this year. This year many teams did not even select 50 players.

great question.and i think i know both kids, they are and will both do very well.and make nh proud.

while not as knowledgable as pg i would add these things. i believe the talent pool was a little deeper when the righty was drafted,not so much with the lefty. two very different teams ,that draft very differently.one is very much pitcher friendly ,at the time the other wasn't.but they were both very projectable .

Fascinating, ain't it?