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#Post#: 172515--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Jes Beard
Date: March 23, 2014, 7:02 am
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One thing I like about Kolek is that he does not appear to be
playing for a HS coach who is overworking him, ruining a young
arm. How much of Wood's arm trouble came from his HS coach
leaving him in until his arm was ready to fall off?
#Post#: 172552--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Dave23
Date: March 23, 2014, 3:18 pm
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What is Kolek's level of competition? My son's HS team plays a
handful of region/district matchups against teams that have no
business on the same field as his team. Is Kolek pitching
against garbage competition? And how do they only have a few
games left?
#Post#: 172560--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Jes Beard
Date: March 23, 2014, 4:06 pm
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Kolek pitches for Shepard High in Shepard, T, fairly small town,
and he missed most of the 2013 season with a broken left arm.
Shepherd has a population of only a bit more than 2,000. That
is not the school population, but the town's population. The
county has a population of only a bit more than 20,000, and the
Shepherd school district is one of FOUR public school districts
in the county.
He's been playing against other small schools. Here is a video
of him pitching last year:
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_OPoGZlxFE
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZudfEfkzy0Q
Aside from the premium velocity, the way Kolek did it was more
impressive. His delivery was athletic, fluid and repeatable.
“He is a plus athlete for how big he is because he has control
of his entire body, which is rare for a high school guy his
size,” a National League scout said.
Kolek uses a high leg kick, which is uncommon for someone his
size, and loads his hips well. He gets over his front side and
generates downhill plane with a quick arm from a high
three-quarters arm slot. His arm action is clean, his head is
quiet and his delivery has good pace. He is filling out his
extra-large frame and has strength through his core and muscular
legs, developed by work in the weight room and years of
strenuous farm labor. His legs and arms are long, even for his
height, which helps his stride length and extension.
Smith, who was also Taillon’s pitching coach, said he has never
seen a pitcher of the same size have such body control and
athleticism in his delivery. They have been working together
since Kolek’s freshman year.
“He just didn’t throw athletically in the beginning,” Smith
said. “He was just a big boy that was trying to throw hard. He
was so big and tall, and had grown so fast. So he was going to
be a little bit uncoordinated.”
Kolek grew two inches that year and was 6-foot-4, 225 pounds by
baseball season. He has grown another inch in each of the last
two years.
“I honestly think I am just now starting to grow into my body,”
Kolek said. “I was always growing a lot and it’s always hard to
do things when your body is changing. I might have stopped
growing now, so I am starting to get into my groove.”
Increased coordination has greatly improved his offspeed
pitches. He threw the curveball first but has worked to develop
his slider.
“The curveball has good shape but is lacking power right now,
which will come,” an American League scout said. “The slider is
the better pitch. I wouldn’t have a hard time throwing a future
70 on the slider and a 60 on the curveball (on the 20-80
scouting scale).”
#Post#: 172563--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Jes Beard
Date: March 23, 2014, 4:13 pm
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Here are the game by game results of his HS team:
HTML http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/shepherd-pirates-%28shepherd,tx%29/baseball/home.htm
And here is his team's schedule:
HTML http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/shepherd-pirates-%28shepherd,tx%29/baseball/schedule.htm
04/04TBA
@ Splendora (Splendora, TX)
Location: Splendora High School
04/157:00p
Cleveland (Cleveland, TX)
Location: Shepherd High School
04/227:00p
Hudson (Lufkin, TX)
Location: Shepherd High School
04/257:00p
Splendora (Splendora, TX)
Location: Shepherd High School
#Post#: 172583--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Dave23
Date: March 23, 2014, 5:37 pm
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4 games in 3 weeks? We played 5 this past week...
#Post#: 172584--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Dave23
Date: March 23, 2014, 5:40 pm
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That second video was from the Area Code Games...the first
batter in that video (#24) was Clay Casey, a good friend and
former teammate of my son. He's committed to Ole Miss, but I
certainly wouldn't mind the Cubs taking him in Round 2 if he
lasts that long. Oh, and he doubled to the RCF wall in that AB
off Kolek...
#Post#: 172603--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: CUBluejays
Date: March 23, 2014, 6:55 pm
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So many power high school arms in this draft, I'd love for them
to be picks 2-10. If they took that kid though I wouldn't
complain too much.
#Post#: 172628--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: grrrrlacher
Date: March 23, 2014, 9:03 pm
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Mark Pawelek had some great HS numbers too.
#Post#: 172629--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: CUBluejays
Date: March 23, 2014, 9:09 pm
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I forgot 10-0, 63 innings, 132 K, 0.00 ERA
#Post#: 172646--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2014 Draft
DIR By: Reb
Date: March 23, 2014, 11:24 pm
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Keith Law did a new ranking of draft prospects this weekend (not
a mock draft). Aiken is #1. He has Gatewood at #19 (says stock
is falling) and Trea Turner at #20. The top 10:
1 Brady Aiken
Analysis: He's a 6-foot-4 left-hander who's hitting 95 mph
regularly with his fastball, and he complements that with a plus
curveball and future-plus changeup along with a good delivery
and some projection remaining. He's not Clayton Kershaw, but
it's a pretty good version of the Kershaw Starter Kit.
2 Tyler Kolek
Analysis: Kolek is huge: 6-foot-5, 270 pounds. He hits 100 mph
and hasn't surrendered a hit all spring.
3 Carlos Rodon
Analysis: Rodon came into the year as the consensus No. 1
prospect, but hasn't shown the same stuff he had last spring or
summer, sitting with an average fastball, a great but not
grade-80 slider and below-average command.
4 Tyler Beede
Analysis: The first-round pick from 2011 who turned down the
Blue Jays out of high school seems to have put it all together
this spring, with three above-average pitches and finally the
command we've all been waiting to see from him.
5 Grant Holmes
Analysis: Holmes hit 98 mph earlier this spring and works with
an above-average to plus fastball regularly, showing great feel
and control, and he has a body that's close to ready now.
6 Jeff Hoffman
Analysis: Hoffman is very athletic and can hit 97, but the plus
breaking ball he showed in the Cape Cod League last summer
hasn't been there this spring, and hitters have squared up his
fastball too often.
7 Alex Jackson
Analysis: Jackson might not catch at the next level, but he
should hit; he has a strong, simple swing and a long track
record of performing in summer events dating back to 2012.
8 Luis Ortiz
Analysis: Ortiz, like Holmes, has a mature body already, and
will show an above-average fastball and breaking ball
combination, with an improving feel for how to pitch.
9 Nick Gordon
Analysis: Son of Tom "Flash" Gordon -- and brother of Dodgers
infielder Dee Gordon -- Nick is up to 91 mph off the mound but a
better all-around prospect as an above-average defender at short
who can hit, and he has added enough muscle to produce at least
doubles power.
10 Dylan Cease
Analysis: Cease's status here is tentative, as he missed his
most recent start because of a tender elbow. But he had gotten
up to 100 mph earlier this spring and had dramatically reduced
the violence in his delivery.
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