MLB Mock Draft - Cubs Draft Byron Buxton
Click the link to check out my mock draft complete with in-depth assessments of each pick and each player drafted. I have the Cubs picking HS OF Byron Buxton. Feedback is much appreciated!
4 months ago
McCutchenIsTheTruth
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I think I'm good with Buxton.
Under Hendry, Wilken’s only shaky first Rounder was Simpson. The Cubs are ‘top of the heap’ of the second layer of guys. Appel, Giolito, and some of the others might not fall. Zunino, Buxton, or Gausman all seem reasonable if they fall to 6. I expect Theo will start bringing in guys who play defense and can rake. Buxton sounds along those lines.
Nice mock.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
He keeps dropping to 8
in Mocks. I’d take a catcher that should be Show ready in 2 years that represents hitting fifth or sixth. And has a gun.
He makes Theo sense.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
I keep hearing he's pretty much a lock for Minnesota, where are you seeing him get to 8?
I actually think Buxton would be a steal at #6. He’s raw, but you could argue he has a higher upside than someone like Bubba Starling who was a top 5 pick in last years loaded draft.
74 people a day
post mocks. Most with limited Intel and less info. Nice heads-up on the Twins.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Haha, fair enough...
I tend to try and stick with mocks from people I trust, or people that have shown some prior knowledge and understanding of the draft. If I tried to get through all the mocks out there, my head would explode.
I'm looking at Pick 6
and who the ‘expert’ has us ignoring. I’m comfy with Theo et al writing down the name.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
I don't like making comparisons too much, but...
I see him as a Jason Vartiek guy with potential to be more than that.
The last time we were potentially faced with a collegiate, power hitting catcher, Matt Wieters, I was screaming from my couch to take him. Of course, we took Josh Vitters.
Tom Brady. Nuff said.
I, too, thought the Cubs should have taken Wieters in 2007.
He could be headed for a breakout season in 2012. It would have allowed the Cubs to trade either him or Geovany Soto.
Vitters might yet pan out, but that was a mistake.
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Yes,
it was. My problem with him is that he apparently won’t work on his defense, relegating him to left field, where he would also be a defensive dunce. He will make pension, though, as a vagabond hacker.
by Bad Dogs on Jan 16, 2012 7:27 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I'll add to that...
Vitters defense has actually improved over the last year to the point scouts are claiming it’s passable at major leagues already.
Calling him a hacker completely misses the type of hitter he is. He isn’t necessarily patient at the plate, however Vitters struck out 64 times in 595 PA last year. Calling him a hacker completely disregards that his ability as a hitter. He tends to have a low BB% because he is so good at making contact that he can hit balls outside of the zone.
The trick is going to be to get him to stop making contact with balls just because he can, and to have him take more balls and find pitches in the zone he can drive.
Yes, that's the trick.
But that’s a helluva trick. While there are notable examples of players who learned patience, the general rule IMO is that hitters are either patient or they are not. I do not, for example, expect to see the new FO draft impatient hitters, planning to teach them how to be selective. Do you? Insofar as his defense at third is concerned, Vitters is still considered well below average. I don’t know what passable means, but I would assume it relates in Vitters’s case to how well he hits. Obviiously, if he were to hit like Aramis, he would be able to “play third base in the Majors.” At present, I see Vitters moving to left field and not becoming significantly more selective at the plate.
I'm not disagreeing with you on the patience part - simply that hacker is a bad word for him, as you agreed with.
I’m not saying teaching him that will be easy, but that’s the only way he makes the big stride he needs to in 2012.
As far as his defense, I mean passable in only a defensive sense, not in the sense that his offense will make up for it. Passable would be below average, but not so bad (think Soriano at 2nd) that they’d need to move him off the position.
Some of the mocks I've seen have the Cubs getting McCullers
FWIW… I have a good friend who played ball at Jesuit High with McCullers, and he said his arm was constantly hurting him… I’d avoid him.
Nice intel
I’m sure that bit of info can get worked in between now and June.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
I would be stoked if Marrero is off the board by our pick
He is, by far, my least favorite potential top 10 pick. Very little upside, IMO.
Buxton would be a really nice addition to the farm. If the Cubs signed Soler as well, the minor league OF talent would be pretty ridiculous:
BJax, Soler, Szczur, Buxton, Golden, Ha, Jeffry Baez, Dunston Jr, Devoss, Chen, etc. Wow.
Did anyone else see that blurb by McLeod that the Cubs already have 3-4 guys targeted in the draft at #6, and that they will almost surely draft one of those guys? I found it interesting that the field had already been narrowed so early.
I found that interesting to
in part because I thought Theo had something of a reputation for liking some of the ‘helium’ guys that develop/rise through the season.
But maybe he shifts his focus to more “sure things” when he’s picking 6th instead of mid/late 20s (or later)??
"Stuff like this is why they should shut off the internet."
by Orval Overall on Dec 17, 2010 1:19 PM CST
He'll keep an eye out for others,
but he’ll focus on Gausman every start, I’d imagine.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
He'll keep an eye out for others,
but he’ll focus on Gausman every start, I’d imagine.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Wouldn't / Shouldn't
avoiding LSU guys be part of the “culture change”??
I’m kidding, I think.
"Stuff like this is why they should shut off the internet."
by Orval Overall on Dec 17, 2010 1:19 PM CST
First rounders should be drafted
on upside and talent, not grittiness and grindiness
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Since I know Giolito will be gone by #6
Gausman is my somewhat realistic hope.
And Appel
Theo had better have Secret Service-like Intel on Gausman and Buxton by June
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Not a monster fan of Appel
But yes, he’ll be gone as well.
You can't be sure on anything this early.
Last January, who would have thought Rendon would fall to 6 and Matt Purke to the 3rd round.
Injury rumors and anyone can drop.
John Grabow - Who will pay you $4.8 million in 2012?
The post was made with the assumption that he's healthy
He’s not worth talking about at #6 if he’s not healthy.
Yep
I still find it weird that we don’t have more info on Rendon’s shoulder. I think it must really be damaged because I don’t see why the Royals would pass on him for a lottery ticket that’s far away like Starling, hometown kid or not. They have Colon at 2B possibly, but Rendon would look far better and fits in with their timeline.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Jan 17, 2012 5:11 PM CST up reply actions
Well
I hope y’all liked it. Never hurts when I predict Buxton to fall to the Cubs I guess, haha.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Jan 17, 2012 5:11 PM CST reply actions
No matter what
Cubs are going to come up to pick with some very talented players on board. I trust Theo and company to pick the best one.
I won't even beg 'the best one'
But I will expect a solid string of solidly contributing players. But this first one had better be good.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
Whomever they pick
I predict that Harold Reynolds and John Hart on the MLB Network will predict that he’ll be a superstar.
by Josh Timmers on Jan 18, 2012 5:55 PM CST up reply actions
Kinda like
Jon Gruden turns every roster filling player into a Pro Bowler on MNF?
"Stuff like this is why they should shut off the internet."
by Orval Overall on Dec 17, 2010 1:19 PM CST
Anyone heard anything on
Carson Fulmer
I saw where someone projected him to Cubs in sandwich rd
who has a Mock that far out?
So far, most are rather shortened.
And no idea.
10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.
I plan
on doing the supplemental round once its set haha.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Jan 21, 2012 3:17 PM CST up reply actions
I think I'm going to do
a 2019 mock draft with all the babies who were born last season. I’ve got the Cubs taking little Jensen Taylor of Fountain Valley, California. He’s only 24" tall and only weighs 13.5 pounds, but the kid has a projectable body and looks great in those Huggies Jean Diapers. He also shows good form throwing his rice cereal back at his mother.
by Josh Timmers on Jan 21, 2012 5:26 PM CST up reply actions
Of course
lol. You aren’t gonna see any but your most elite right-handed babies in the first round.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Jan 21, 2012 8:37 PM CST up reply actions
Vandy Commit
Strong throwing short right hander. Throws mid 90s fastball with good command. Not sure on his secondary pitches. Can never go wrong with a Vandy commit though. Except may be expensive.
Tell
that last bit to the Blue Jays.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Jan 22, 2012 9:34 PM CST up reply actions
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