Reds Select C Devin Mesoraco with pick #15

[missionhockey21]

And at 109, the Reds take SS Soto out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy where a lot of people felt that he was the best player there.

I like this pick quite a bit actually, even if it is another infielder.

Scouting Report: Of Puerto Rico's three most established prospects, Soto has the best present hitting ability, showing more power than Reynoldo Navarro and making better contact than Angel Morales. Unlike those two, Soto isn’t expected to stay in the middle of the diamond. He's an adequate defender with solid-average arm strength who has improved his lateral quickness and running since last fall, but ultimately Soto's bat is going to have to carry him. He has a rudimentary feel for the strike zone, with a willingness to work counts. He has a whippy swing with plus bat speed, though his swing gets long at times. Balls jump off his barrel, and if he can continue to make adjustments he might develop into a heart-of-the-order slugger with lots of doubles and 25 home runs a year.

Player Name: Neftali Soto
Position: Outfielder
School: Colegio Maristas HS, PR
School Type: High School
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 02/28/89
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 05/8/07
Game(s): Puerto Rico pre-draft workout
Scouting Video:

Focus Area Comments
Hitting Ability: Soto has a good set of hitting tools and grades out as an average hitter right now.
Power: Soto has plus raw power projection.
Running Speed: Soto's speed grades out as slightly above-average.
Fielding: He has long actions in the field and might need to move to shortstop.
Arm Strength: Soto has an average arm.
Range: Despite having good speed, he doesn't have the first-step quickness to have the range needed to stay at shortstop.
Physical Description: Soto is an athletic infielder with a body type similar to Mike Lowell.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: He's got a good overall package of tools, with power projection being the best one.
Weaknesses: He doesn't have the defensive game to stay at shortstop.
Summary: Soto has an intriguing package of tools that includes raw power and above-average speed. Currently a shortstop, he doesn't profile as a guy who'll be able to stay there, particularly range-wise. That's OK, because his offensive skill set fits better at third. He should hit enough for the position and could develop into a No. 5 or 6 hitter in a big-league lineup.

[missionhockey21]

BA on Mesoraco (from C Trent's blog):

Scouting Report: As strong as this year's high school class was considered at the outset of the season, it got even better when high school righthanders Jarrod Parker and Nevin Griffith and Mesoraco came out of the gate showing better tools and ability than they had last summer and fall. Griffith and Mesoraco appeared in showcases, but they didn't show impact potential until this spring, and Mesoraco has been the biggest riser of them all. An arm injury led to Tommy John surgery when he was a sophomore, and he was relegated to DH duties as a junior. His arm strength has slowly returned, and this spring he has shown a 70 arm with quick, efficient releases. Defensively, Mesoraco compares favorably to 2001 Angels first-rounder Jeff Mathis, with athleticism serving as the foundation of an agile, quick-twitch player who receives and blocks exceptionally well. He shows above-average bat speed and 50-55 power at the plate. He's a solid-average runner, too, rounding out a legitimate five-tool package that probably won't make it out of the first round.

Also C. Trent notes that Devin wanted to be like Johnny Bench when growing up and is honored the Reds picked him.

[redsrbetter]

Daugherty interviews Mesoraco:

podcast can be found here.

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[CincyRedsFan30]

Good draft overall, IMO.