Cleveland Sports Forum

One of the younger players in the draft class--he'll turn 18 in October--Torres offers tremendous upside with his quick arm and highly projectable frame. Torres burst onto the radar last summer with a strong showcase circuit and an invitation to compete in USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials in Minnesota. Growing up playing mostly shortstop, Torres has shifted his focus to pitching over the last four years, working with pitching coach Angel Lugo to refine his mechanics, add strength and incorporate his lower body into his delivery. Torres has touched 98 mph and consistently lived 94-96 mph this spring, pitching from a full wind-up after mostly throwing from the stretch in past years. He pairs the pitch with a low-80s slider that he can sometimes get under, but flashes above-average with room for growth; he's made adjustments to the pitch in recent weeks that have helped with consistency. A work-in-progress changeup serves as a third pitch, but Torres doesn't often need to use it against the high school hitters in his area. Still somewhat raw and relatively new to pitching, Torres' control grades above his command, and scouts are split on whether he'll be a starter or a reliever long term. While there's some risk to Torres from that standpoint, his youth, projectability and sheer arm strength should be enough for a team to call his name in the first three rounds.

Signed a while ago but I was looking to see why he went over slot

At pick #193 in the 6th round, the Cleveland Indians have selected third baseman Raynel Delgado out of Calvary Christian Academy.

Born: 4/4/00 — Height: 6' 2'' Weight: 185 — Bats: Switch — Throws: Right

Jeff Ellis: Delgado has not had the best spring and that has caused him to go from a bubble first rounder to more of a second or third round talent. I do not think he lasts past the third because his bat speed and exit velocities from an up the middle infielder might be the best in this class. He also runs well and recently turned 18. If Delgado had a strong spring, I think he would be a first-round lock, but as a second or even third round pick, Delgado has a chance to be a steal.

He came to the U.S. for freedom. Now he's on his way to the Major Leagues.
BY JORGE EBRO

jebro@elnuevoherald.com


Updated June 05, 2018 06:35 PM

Although he never played baseball in Cuba, Raynel Delgado will play with the same style and love of the game as his compatriots in the Major Leagues after the Cleveland Indians drafted him in the sixth round of the Amateur Draft.

A third baseman and shortstop, Delgado was selected with the 193rd pick by Cleveland, which must now reach a financial deal with the Calvary Christian Academy student.

"I've seen few kids with the attitude and intelligence of Raynel," said instructor Eulogio Vilanova, who trains boys and in Cuba and led the Metropolitans in Havana. "When he came to me, everyone called him the rafter in good vibes for his attitude without fear, for how awake he was. He was the one who ran the most, the most savvy. "


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inRead invented by Teads
In his senior year, Delgado, who signed a letter of intent with FIU in case he did not reached an agreement with the Tribe, batted .351 with two homers, 26 RBI, 30 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

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Delgado arrived in South Florida with his mother, Yanely Piñero, from Cuba at the age of seven, but until that moment he never took a ball in his hands, something incredible to believe in a boy born in a country with a tremendous baseball tradition.


A resident in Miami Lakes, Delgado slowly began to shine in tournaments and his name was growing to the point of earning a spot in the U-18 World Tournament that took place in 2017 in Ontario, Canada, where he hit two hits and He pushed for a race against the team from his homeland.

It was in Miami that Delgado, a native of San Miguel del Padrón, discovered the Cuban "style" of playing baseball among Antillean compatriots and coaches, who transmitted the secrets of the game to him.


"I was lucky to be his first teacher when he arrived from Cuba," Vilanova said. "I showed him the ABCs of baseball. He only batted to the right and learned to hit the left foot. That attitude of bravery will make it go far in the majors ''

Delgado on BA's draft highlights for Cleveland:

Cleveland Indians
Story of Their Draft: C Noah Naylor (1) has a chance to be the best hitter of the prep class and also offers some defensive versatility with an arm and glovework that could fit at second or third, while RHP Ethan Hankins (1) was once a threat to become the first prep righty taken 1-1. The Indians doubled up on youthful flamethrowers with RHP Lenny Torres (1s) with their third pick on day one.

Keep An Eye On: RHP Nick Sandlin (2) could be a quick mover to the majors to help a struggling Indians bullpen. SS Raynel Delgado (6) has above-average power potential from both sides of the plate and has advanced defensive actions in the infield, though his defensive home could come at shortstop, third or second base.

Drafted in the 6th round (193rd overall) by the Cleveland Indians in 2018
6-2 195

A switch-hitting shortstop committed to Florida International, Delgado intrigues scouts thanks to his impressive bat, power from both sides and more feel to hit from either side than many young switch-hitters show at the same age. He's already pretty physical, which allows him to hit for power in-game, and he's shown that pop at big events like USA Baseball's National High School Invitational in March. Defensively, he has smooth actions and impressive footwork that should give him a chance to stick at shortstop, but there are many scouts who believe his below-average speed will move him to another position, with third or second base being the most likely. He has the arm strength to handle third and his hands and footwork should be enough for second base as well. A team drafting him will be taking the bat though, with future plus power from both sides.

BA is publishing their "Draft Report Cards" this week and next. AL Central not ready yet.
They stop giving letter grades a few years ago, but I think we deserve a solid A for 2018.

Naylor looks like an excellent hitter; either a catcher of a 3B, TBD
Hankins only threw a couple innings, but he's considered a steal for late in the 1st round
Torres looked fine in his limited work. BA review of the Arizona League said he'd have been No. 1 prospect if he had a few more innings to qualify for their ratings.
Nick Sandlin RH reliever leaped from level to level and made it as far as the AKron bullpen and projects to be in Cleveland some time in 2019
Adam Scott LH reliever excelled too and reached Lynchburg
Richard Broom RH reliever looked solid in Arizona and Lake County
Richie Palacios and Reynald Delgao IFs hit very well.
OF Stephen Kwan looked good in limited time.
C Bryan Lavastida and OF Ruben Cardenas and OF Jonathan Engleman lower picks with lower ceilings hit well in their debuts

This draft should signal the birth of a new deep talented cohort of kids working their way through the system.
Especially when Latin signing like Rocchio and Valera are added in.

If you need a baseball fix while there's no news, at least for the Indians, here's an early look at the 2019 draft class.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/ranking ... dium=email

List includes Bobby Witt Jr. at No. 2
a Vaughn at No. 4 who does not appear to be related to Greg
a Jung at No. 8 who does not appear to be related to Carl
a Malone at No. 10 who does not appear to be related to Karl
a Matthew Thompson at No. 17 who does not to be my daughter's high school friend of the same name
a Will Wilson at No. 20 who does not appear to be related to Willy
but you never know

For any interested in the upcoming June draft, Baseball America is constantly putting out evaluations and rankings. Here's an article:

Just 47 days to go. That’s how long teams, players and scouts have until the 2019 draft and with that, we’re excited to update and expand our draft list to 400 players.

Here at Baseball America, that’s the final step in a process that culminates with our annual BA 500 list in May—giving you as deep and thorough a look at the draft class as we can provide. Before supplementing that with our state lists, of course.

The top four players on the list are unchanged, with Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman, California first baseman Andrew Vaughn, Colleyville (Texas) Heritage High shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.) High shortstop C.J. Abrams still representing the elite tier of the class.

Behind them is where the draft class will get interesting, as there’s less consensus on an obvious fifth player to add to that group (like the 2017 draft class), though a second tier of seven players is beginning to separate themselves and includes four college players and three high schoolers.

Texas Christian lefthander Nick Lodolo leads the college group and is the top overall pitcher on the board, while Arizona State outfielder Hunter Bishop, Nevada-Las Vegas shortstop Bryson Stott and Vanderbilt outfielder J.J. Bleday rounds out this group of college players. Bleday is the highest-riser in this tier since our last update, as teams will love his impressive track record of hitting in the SEC, coupled with increased power this season.

On the high school side are familiar names as well, with the two best hit tools on the prep side in Hagerty (Oviedo, Fla.) High outfielder Riley Greene and Lakeside (Seattle) High outfielder Corbin Carroll, along with the top high school pitcher on the board in Seminole (Sanford, Fla.) High righthander Matthew Allan.

Outside of the extreme top end of the list, the biggest riser among the top 100 is Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese, who leads the country with 19 home runs through games played on April 14.

We'll continue to make calls and gather information during the final weeks of the draft process, attempting to leave no stone unturned throughout the country, but for now here are the top 400 draft prospects for the 2019 class:

there's a line to the list of 400 prospects but I'd be surprised if it works for non-subscribers:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/ranking ... dium=email

BA's updated mock draft gives the Indians this guy:


Michael Busch
North Carolina OF/1B
Notes:
It sounds like a number of college players from North Carolina could go off the board in the 20s, and this scenario would make it three straight.

In recent years our second picks have tended to be the more successful; Jones over Benson; Freeman over Holmes. So I want to know who we pick 2nd this year. [2018 is still an open question between Naylor and Hankins]

BA list of top 500 for the draft. Not sure if you can open this if you're not a subscriber. I don't think I have the time to copy the whole thing


https://www.baseballamerica.com/ranking ... dium=email

Today's version of the Mock Draft gives Busch to the team one spot ahead of us and allocates this guy to Cleveland:


Will Wilson

NC State SS

Notes:
We’ve mocked Busch here plenty of times and think Cleveland still likes his track record and feel to hit if he gets here. Will Wilson has some of those same traits and has more defensive value as a middle infielder.
[and the Indians are desperately short of middle IF; not so of course but at this point pick the best talent and see where it develops[

An All-ACC first team selection after posting a .307/.376/.588 slash line with 15 home runs this past spring, Wilson became the first member of the Wolfpack to be named ACC player of the week three separate times. The 6-foot, 175-pound infielder has great bat-to-ball skills and instincts, projecting as an offensive-oriented second baseman at the next level with a track record of hitting that dates back to his high school days. Wilson’s below-average speed make him a better fit for the keystone, where he’s solid with the glove and could be at least an average defender. His feel for hitting and above-average power potential are the main tools that will get him drafted, perhaps as high as the first round if he has a strong junior season.

You are welcome civ.

To sign or not to sign? Indians players reflect on their MLB Draft decisions


By Zack Meisel May 31, 2019 6
Tito Francona had a son on the way and he needed some extra cash in his pocket, so he asked Tigers general manager John McHale for a $500 raise.

McHale told him to get lost. Detroit dealt Tito to Cleveland for Larry Doby in March 1959. Terry Francona was born a month later.

Terry starred in high school in New Brighton, Pa., but separated his shoulder during his senior season. The Cubs still selected him in the second round of the draft and offered him an $18,000 signing bonus. Terry was eyeing a sum closer to $40,000, so he planned to attend the University of Arizona.

But as the first class of his first semester approached, Terry grew homesick and started to regret not signing. Clubs could negotiate with their draft picks until a player attended his first college class. Tito checked with the Cubs to see whether they would increase their final offer.

They did — to $19,000.

Terry went to class.

The Expos selected Terry, who captured the Golden Spikes Award (top college player), with the 22nd overall pick in the 1980 draft. The Wildcats won the College World Series, and Terry was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He was concerned about his grades, though, and thought if he didn’t sign with the Expos, he might have to take summer classes.

Ah, but he had some leverage, in the form of his father, who negotiated with the Expos on his behalf.

Who was Montreal’s general manager? McHale.

“Do you remember that son that I wanted the $500 for?” Tito asked McHale. “Well, it’s going to cost you a lot more now.”

The Expos offered Terry a $100,000 signing bonus, which he accepted.

Every player has his own tale about the draft process, which places loads of responsibility (and stress) upon the shoulders of aspiring athletes who haven’t even reached the legal drinking age.

Should I sign and forgo college? Can I afford to pass up this money? Can I improve my draft stock over the next few years? Do I have a backup plan?

With the draft set to begin Monday, here are some Indians players’ recollections of the demanding decision process.
Terry Francona at Arizona in 1979. (Arizona / Collegiate Images / Getty Images)
Tyler Clippard
Selected by the Yankees in the ninth round of the 2003 draft out of high school

Clippard had leaned toward not signing unless he was drafted in the first three rounds, which he knew was unlikely. But he attended high school outside of Tampa, and the Yankees drafted him, so his decision boiled down to whether he wanted to go to the University of South Florida, near Tampa, or play rookie ball at the Yankees’ rookie league team — in Tampa. He opted to sign.

“It’s way too much, the whole process,” Clippard said. “I just remember the scouts and the farm directors and organizations, when they talk to you, they always want you to tell them, ‘What would it take for you to sign?’ I know now it’s slot money and it’s a little different story, but then, it was, ‘How much would it take for you to sign?’ It was up to an 18-year-old to say, ‘I’ll sign for $200,000.’ Looking back on that, I was telling teams that number, and I’m like, ‘Why was I saying that? It was so stupid.’ It’s just a weird deal. It’s a whirlwind. You don’t realize it. I didn’t have an agent at all. I was just out on an island. It was just me and my dad talking. It’s like, ‘How the hell do you do that stuff?’ ”

Jason Kipnis
Selected by the Padres in the fourth round of the 2008 draft out of Arizona State
Selected by the Indians in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Arizona State

Kipnis had some leverage in 2008, since he was a redshirt sophomore. He could return to school if he didn’t sign, and had two years of eligibility remaining, two chances to boost his stock.

“Combine that with, I think I was being offered under-slot,” Kipnis said. “It was one of those ones where after I got drafted, I was like, ‘These guys never got to our number.’ They’re like, ‘Well, you never told us a number.’ I was like, ‘Well, you never asked, either.’ So there really wasn’t the greatest communication between me and the Padres. I think, at the time, I didn’t realize just how risky turning down the fourth round is.”

His experience at Arizona State had some influence, too. When he started at the University of Kentucky, he didn’t know much about the draft process. At Arizona State, first-round prospects and visits from scouts were the norm.

“I’m just like, ‘What is this place?’ ” Kipnis said.

After Kipnis’ junior year, the Indians selected him in the second round. His patience paid dividends.

“There are certain parts,” Kipnis said, “where it’s like, ‘Are you sure you want to ask for this much more?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah!’ I didn’t really realize what I was doing. It’s a big decision. That’s why you need to surround yourself with the right people, the right group you trust that has your best interests in mind.”

Dan Otero
Selected by the Giants in the 21st round of the 2007 draft out of South Florida

Otero’s father, Jorge, provided a stern message to anyone who sniffed around his son’s draft plans: “There’s probably not enough money out there for him to sign and skip college.”

“I come from a big academic, prideful family,” Otero said. “Get an education. Go to school. He was like, ‘I want you to go to school, unless …’ ”

… unless he could secure a $1 million signing bonus. And that wasn’t happening. Otero wasn’t drafted out of high school, and he’s grateful his father set such a high standard for him.

“I don’t know if I would’ve been able to survive in pro ball as an 18-year-old kid without going to college,” he said.

In 2007, after time at Duke and South Florida, Otero was chosen in the 21st round by the Giants. He was monitoring the draft on his dad’s laptop when he received a call from a number with a Massachusetts area code. It was a Giants scout who covered the northeast and southeast regions.

“I was just hoping to get drafted,” he said. “It was after my senior year. I didn’t do anything to light up the radar guns or the stat sheet. I didn’t have 15 strikeouts per nine innings. The only thing I did was not walk guys.”

Otero received a $2,500 signing bonus, a plane ticket to Scottsdale and his choice of Rawlings glove from a stash at the team’s complex.

Mike Freeman
Selected by the Padres in the 41st round of the 2006 draft out of high school
Selected by the Diamondbacks in the 36th round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson
Selected by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2010 draft out of Clemson

Freeman is a rare case, a player drafted out of high school and twice in college. And even more surprising: None of his decisions was difficult to make.

Freeman was fixated on attending Clemson, and being the 1,233rd overall pick in the 2006 draft wasn’t going to change that. He felt committed in 2009 to complete his college career, and only a severe overpay could sway him; that wasn’t going to happen as a 36th rounder. That year, the Diamondbacks also encouraged him to participate in the Cape Cod League so more members of their front office could watch him. But Freeman had already played in the league and he preferred to take some classes over the summer instead.

So, he returned to school. It proved wise. Clemson advanced to the College World Series, and Freeman jumped to the 11th round.

“I wanted to finish school,” he said, “and I knew money wasn’t going to be an issue if I wanted to go into the working field. I was fortunate to be drafted three times. Pretty unique.”

Jake Bauers
Selected by the Padres in the seventh round of the 2013 draft out of high school

Bauers was certain he wanted to forgo college and play professionally right away. When scouts started visiting his house, it only strengthened his stance.

“I really put all my focus into that,” Bauers said, “and I kind of lived and died on each pick and I slid a little bit further than I thought I was going to, so it was pretty stressful for two days. I finally got picked up and obviously went and played and it worked out all right.”

Tyler Olson
Selected by the Athletics in the 17th round of the 2012 draft out of Gonzaga
Selected by the Mariners in the seventh round of the 2013 draft out of Gonzaga

Olson might have signed with Oakland had the price been more to his liking. He didn’t mind returning for his senior year, as it allowed him to complete the coursework for his double major: physical education and sports management.

“You never really know what it’s like until you go through it,” Olson said. “You talk to a scout or whoever it is that’s signing you and you go through the process, but you don’t really know what’s going on.”

Scott Atchison
Selected by the Mariners in the 36th round of the 1994 draft out of high school
Selected by the Mariners in the 49th round of the 1998 draft out of TCU

The 49th round doesn’t even exist anymore. The draft now only lasts 40 rounds.

Atchison had no intention of signing out of high school, and the Mariners acknowledged they couldn’t compete with the perks of his scholarship to TCU.

Atchison missed his third season at TCU because of injury, and he posted a 7.52 ERA upon his return in 1998, so he didn’t expect to be drafted.

“I had been pretty bad,” Atchison said. “That was my fourth year. I was doing a summer camp for the school and our SID (sports information director) came up and said, ‘Hey, the Mariners are talking about taking you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ They called and said, ‘We took you in the 49th round.’ But you could draft-and-follow fifth-year seniors, so I still had another year of eligibility because of the injury. They were like, ‘We’re not going to try to sign you right now. Go back, have your fifth year. We just want your rights before the draft next year, because we think you’re going to bounce back well.’ I did, and there was some negotiation at that point, but as a fifth-year guy, I didn’t have much of a choice of anything.”

The signing process the following year was still a bit chaotic.

“We had just finished the conference tournament and if we had gotten to regionals,” Atchison said, “I would’ve had to go back into the draft because I couldn’t have signed and still be in college. We ended up not getting a bid. We finished second in the tournament and ended up not getting into a regional. They called me at, like, 9 a.m. and we had to have it done by 4 or 5 that evening. It wasn’t a long process, but you’re having to fax and do different things because it was before people were shooting emails.”

18-Year-Old Daniel Espino Dreams His 100 MPH Heat Can Make Mariano Rivera Proud
JOE LEMIRE
MAY 29, 2019


Photo courtesy of Georgia Premier Academy
For Daniel Espino, a thud against the wall came before the pop of the mitt. The Georgia Premier Academy senior is the hardest-throwing prep pitcher in next week's MLB draft, unleashing 100 mph fury from the mound the same way he used to let loose in his living room.

His father is a doctor, so there was always an available stash of medical tape in their Panama home. Espino and his oldest brother would return from school and adhere a strike zone to the wall. They would take baseballs and fire away, to the detriment of family members seeking siestas.


"My grandma used to sleep on the other side of the wall, so in the afternoons, she was taking a nap," Espino said with a laugh. "And I would throw it until late in the night, and she would get mad at me."

Espino grew up in Panama City, tagging along to his brother's baseball games. He dressed up in catcher's gear for fun. He watched Yankees games, idolizing local legend Mariano Rivera. He first came to the United States to play baseball when he was 10, staying with an uncle in Miami, and then moved for good at the age of 15. Espino recently graduated from Bulloch Academy, where he attended classes every morning before training and playing in the afternoons at Georgia Premier in Statesboro.

While his parents were debating whether he was ready to live abroad, Espino emerged from his bedroom with his bag packed and said he was ready.

"For me, it was for baseball," he said, "but for my parents, it was for education."

The right-hander's fastball sits between 94 and 96 mph but hurries up against the best competition. At the 2018 Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field, Espino fired a heater clocked at 99. That broke the game's velocity record set by Reds prospect and 2017 No. 2 overall pick Hunter Greene two years earlier.

Embedded video

Rob Friedman
@PitchingNinja
Daniel Espino, upper 90s FB/mid-80s slider (from last night. 11Ks in 4 innings).

There are HS kids who have to try to hit this.

Full video of his outing here: https://youtu.be/GjDr5mXe9eo

971
9:25 AM - Mar 9, 2019

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During last summer's East Coast Pro Showcase in Hoover, Alabama, Espino opposed pure-hitting outfielder Riley Greene, a projected top-five pick from Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida. Espino's second-pitch fastball tailed just wide of the strike zone, but its impact in catcher Jonathan French's mitt reverberated around a back field of the Hoover Met Complex. Scouts looked at their radar guns and, for the first time, saw a third digit. Espino had thrown 100. (He later struck out Greene with a 98 mph dart down and in.)


Baseball America has written that Espino "has—easily—the best pure stuff in the 2019 draft class," and the magazine quoted one evaluator as saying the right-hander has a "90-grade fastball" on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. PitchingNinja, a popular aggregator of pitching dominance, tweeted video of Espino's fastball-slider combo with the reminder that high school kids are trying to hit that.

Espino won all nine of his senior season starts at Georgia Premier, throwing 44 innings and allowing only two runs for a 0.41 ERA. He gave up only eight hits and seven walks. He struck out 109. Espino faced top-300 high school draft prospects 27 times; those hitters went 1-for-25 with 17 strikeouts and two walks.

"I've been around a lot of good high school baseball players," said Georgia Premier head coach Gene Reynolds, a 2003 ninth-round draft pick by the Rockies, "and he's the best I've seen."

The sight of 40 big league scouts crowding around one of his bullpen sessions wasn't uncommon, but for games, organizations often sent two evaluators apiece—for a total of 60—and there wasn't sufficient seating behind home plate.

"They brought in bleachers for the scouts to be able to watch him behind the plate," said Eddie Phelps, Espino's summer league coach with the GBSA Rays. "It's been almost like rock star status."

When Espino arrived in Georgia during summer 2016 before the start of his sophomore year, he weighed 156 pounds. He stood about 5'10". He threw in the low 80s. He had never lifted weights. He barely knew what long tossing was.


Reynolds and pitching coach Gary Cates Jr., who played 10 years of minor league ball, employ a modified version of the Alan Jaeger throwing program with daily long toss, extensive resistance band work and a heavy emphasis on stretching. Espino was already limber—"He can stretch almost like a pretzel," Phelps said—but had plenty of frame to fill out.

In a year's time, Espino added more than 30 pounds and 10 mph of velocity. In his first intrasquad batting practice in January 2018, just before his junior season, he jumped to 96, where he remained for the duration of that season before escalating to 100 that summer.


Photo courtesy of Georgia Premier Academy
"He gets into his legs really well and takes a lot of the stress off his arm," Reynolds said. "That's what allows him the ability to drive with the power to throw as easily as he does without having to stress too much."

Espino said he embraced the gym workouts, medicine ball routines and towel drills guided by the Georgia Premier coaches. Leg workouts were especially important. His lower-body muscles started showing definition. He said he's now 6'2" and 210 pounds—more than 50 pounds heavier than when he matriculated.

When asked about the thrill of throwing 100 and the prospect of receiving draft riches, Espino demurred and credited the support around him and his faith.

"To be honest, I've been working hard for this. I just want to grow even more and get better every single day," he said. "I know what God has done for me. I knew that when I came I always had in my mind I wanted to be the No. 1 pitcher in the nation. I feel I am. The support I have from my family and friends and my coaches here is a blessing, and I couldn't do it without them and without the Lord's help."


Espino has the No. 1 fastball in the nation—and the No. 3 breaking ball, according to Baseball America. His mid-80s slider has a sharp bite. His curve has good depth. He occasionally mixes in a changeup. But is he the No. 1 pitcher in the nation?

The MLB draft is notoriously inefficient when it comes to projecting future potential by selection order, especially with the advent of amateur draft pools and the creative ways clubs disperse their assigned dollars. For example, a college senior may be chosen much higher than expected by a team trying to save bonus money to use on a high-upside signability risk later in the draft.

Baseball America listed Espino as high as No. 6 in an early-season mock draft, but most such resources peg him to be picked near the end of the first round. His own camp is confident he'll go higher than those mocks forecast.

What's hurting his stock is arm action deemed too long, command thought to be inconsistent and a physical frame projected to have peaked. Even the league's official draft analysis site, MLB Pipeline, stated Espino is shorter and lighter than his listed height and weight. (He nevertheless ranked 23rd on that list, and Baseball America placed him 26th.) Velocity is the prime currency of 21st-century baseball, yet some predecessors who threw hard early in their careers had trouble sustaining success.


MLB draft expert Jim Callis noted a longstanding bias against right-handed high school pitchers and said Espino's command is inconsistent, as is typical for a young pitcher.


"There isn't much projection, but at the same time, he's a guy you don't need to project on because his stuff's already good," Callis said. "With him, it's going to be the consistency of the quality of his pitches and where he locates them."

Some believe Espino may be better suited as a reliever than a starter, and though that move used to be perceived as a step down, it is now highly valuable in a modern game of openers and bullpenning. Plus a similar transition worked out pretty well for his fellow Panamanian and idol Rivera.

And Espino's having reached the U.S. when he did made him a mainstay on the showcase circuit, so there's no concern about the competition he faced.

Cates and Reynolds both said Espino has identical arm action to when he came to the U.S. and that this is what works best for him. The only notable change he's made is to include his legs more in his delivery. And, even if his delivery is a little unorthodox, plenty of big leaguers with unique aspects to their games have had great careers.

"I don't think everything has to be a cookie-cutter way for somebody to be successful," Cates said.

Espino only competed for Georgia Premier and never Bulloch, but the assistant head of school at Bulloch, Holly Greeson, and another teacher drove to see their pupil play a game in the fall. His talent was obvious, and Greeson was impressed at how calm Espino was despite the daunting sight of several dozen scouts and radar guns populating the section behind the plate.


After the game, Espino signed autographs and took selfies with all the children who had come to watch him pitch. Then he approached the Bulloch faculty members.

"Even after having all of the attention, he came up to the other teacher and myself and he said, 'Thank you so much for coming to watch me play,'" Greeson said. "To me, that just meant so much. I felt like he was the superstar of the show, but he was so humble and thankful that people had come to see him play."


Photo courtesy of Georgia Premier Academy
In school, Espino stood out for the questions he asked. He also took the initiative to be diligent about making sure his coursework set him up for graduation and NCAA eligibility (he signed with LSU).

Espino is traveling to the New York City area a few days before the draft and will sit in the dugout of MLB Network's Studio 42 during the event itself. His whole family will join him, including his parents, brothers and grandmother, eager to watch Daniel realize his dreams.

And what better place for it all to happen than in the shadow of the city where Rivera became an immortal—putting Panama on the baseball map and inspiring a generation of kids like Espino to follow in his footsteps.

I assume the Tribe has been negotiating with his agent and the kid will sign.

24) Indians: Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy (Statesboro, Ga.)

There's no question who had the best high school fastball in this Draft. Espino sits at 94-97 mph and has reached triple digits with his fastball, with nice riding action on his four-seamer and heavy sink on his two-seamer. He can overpower hitters with his low-80s slider as well, and his upper-70s curveball isn't far behind. Because of his modest size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and long arm action, there is a chance he ends up as a reliever, but it's unquestionably a great arm.