Reds Select C Devin Mesoraco with pick #15

[missionhockey21]

A better pick than Stubbs last year, not the best we could of did, but I think we can all be happy with this.

Player Name: Devin Mesoraco
Position: Catcher
School: Punxsatawney HS, Pa.
School Type: High School
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 06/19/88
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 04/23/07
Game(s): Bald Eagle HS

Focus Area Comments
Hitting Ability: Mesoraco has a ton of hitting ability, using a little leg kick in his approach, and doesn't swing at bad pitches.

Power: Mesoraco has plus power. Right now, it's more pull power, but eventually he'll develop power to all fields.

Running Speed: He's a fringy-average runner, which is pretty good for a catcher.

Arm Strength: He has a plus arm and isn't afraid to use it in pick-off attempts.

Arm Accuracy: His throws are always right on the money.

Fielding: Mesoraco has plus hands behind the plate.

Range: A terrific athlete, Mesoraco is outstanding at blocking balls in the dirt.

Baseball Instincts: Off the charts. He's got great makeup, he's very aggressive and he's a natural leader behind the plate.

Physical Description: Mesoraco is a strong backstop with a body type that might remind some of a Joe Girardi or Ivan Rodriguez.

Medical Update: Mesoraco missed much of 2006 following Tommy John surgery, but now is completely healthy and clearly is having no problems with his throwing.

Strengths: He's a complete package. He can hit with power and he can play defense with a strong arm and soft hands.
Weaknesses: He tends to get out on his front foot on his swing from time to time.

Summary: Mesoraco has answered any questions about his arm following Tommy John surgery a year ago and is on the rise among catching prospects. He's a complete catching package, with hitting ability, power, good hands, a plus arm and outstanding leadership ability.

[missionhockey21]

Per BP

16. Devin Mesoraco, C, Punxsutawney HS (PA)
Pros: Very athletic catcher with good agility behind the plate and excellent throwing arm; his stock has risen quickly of late thanks to highly impressive private workouts with wood bats.
Cons: His power is still more potential than reality; he has an injury history (Tommy John surgery).

Per Rotoworld

Reds selected high school catcher Devin Mesoraco with the 15th pick in the 2007 draft.

High school catchers are pretty much the worst risks out there in the first round, but Mesoraco's stock had risen dramatically over the last few weeks. He's an excellent athlete with the ability to stay behind the plate. Scouts also like his power potential. Catchers, though, do have a tendency to stall offensively.

[redsrbetter]

I am very happy with it. If we didn't go with Porcello, this is the way to go. We need a catcher badly and we need someone with good team leader skills. He has both.

Great pick Reds!

[NFLman2033]

well the went after the position i felt we were in most need of

[ghettochild]

what happened to picking not based on mlb roster needs.

is ross the catcher for years to come? oi ve.

[missionhockey21]

ghetto, this isn't a draft for the MLB roster needs, but the whole system. I know that is a step more specific than just taking the best available, but to say the Reds farm system is shallow with catching talent is like the ugly girl at the dance that you have to go to the restroom when she asks you to dance, the truth is too cruel to say.

[redsrbetter]

Reds select Todd Frazier for the sandwich pick at #34.

He is a SS from Rutgers. I know he is willing and can play just about anywhere.

Profile:
36. Todd Frazier, SS, Rutgers
Pros: Another 20-20 performer with 22 blasts and 25 swipes in 61 games; fundamentally sound defender; grinder mentality.
Cons: Lacks the athleticism to play shortstop at the next level, profiling as more of a third baseman or corner outfielder; swing has many moving parts, leading to an above-average strikeout rate.

Not too excited about this pick. Its good, but there are much better players on there.

[missionhockey21]

Frazier has been moving up on the draft boards though, but I still think he would of been there for the Reds pickin' later on.

[NFLman2033]

what happened to picking not based on mlb roster needs.

is ross the catcher for years to come? oi ve.

well, he isn't a great future, but you could possibly play the next few years and not be nearly as bad as Jason LaRue.. he started off bad, but has gotten better, so he has shown some flashes just enough to be a stop gap.. maybe

[redsrbetter]

Frazier has developed a whole lot of patience at the plate. I dont hate it so much now. His BA has raised every year in college as well. Almsot .100 points from his freshman year to his junior year. So he can hit, he can run despite his big frame, and he can take a walk. Sounds very poised as well. Can play almost every position on the diamond besides catcher and pitcher. He doesn't figure to be a SS at the next level because his lack of major league type range.

I am warming up to this a bit now. 2 right handed bats in the first two rounds. Not bad.

[redsrbetter]

Kyle Lotzkar RHP for the third pick for the Reds.

[redsrbetter]

Kyle Lotzkar
School: South Delta SS, Delta, B.C. Class: Sr.
B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 180. Birthdate: 10/24/89.
Scouting Report: It's an unprecedented year for talent in Canada, and Lotzkar has established himself as the consensus second-best Canadian prospect behind Phillippe Aumont. He played on a club team coached by Doug Mathieson, the father of Phillies righthander Scott. Lotzkar, 17, developed physically at the perfect time, adding 15 pounds of muscle and two inches between last summer and this spring. His fastball sits near 91 mph, touching 94. His arm action is loose and clean, though he doesn't repeat his delivery and remains unrefined as a pitcher. His command is erratic. His breaking ball has improved, while his changeup is below-average. Lotzkar turned in an impressive showing in Florida in front of a throng of scouts in April, and because he's projectable and has shown feel for two potentially plus pitches, he's a candidate to be taken in the supplemental round.

Sounds like a really good pick to me.

[missionhockey21]

A lot of people are thinking Lotzkar is risky as he is an injury concern with his mechanics, but with a supplement pick, those are the kind of risk that are a bit more affordable to take when the potential is there like it is for Lotzkar.

Biographical Data
Player Name: Kyle Lotzkar
Position: Starting Pitcher
School: South Delta HS, Delta, BC
School Type: High school
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 10/24/89
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 04/14/07
Game(s): North Shore
Scouting Video:

Focus Area Comments
Fastball: Lotzkar's fastball has touched 94 mph.
FB Movement: He's got fringy average movement, with a little run and tail.
Slider/Curve: It's bigger than a slider, more like a slurve. But he throws it around 82 mph with some lateness and hard bite. It has the chance to be a swing-and-miss pitch.
Changeup: He didn't show a third pitch, but he has shown a changeup in the past.
Control: Command is an issue, with the question being if he can command his stuff enough to be a starter at the next level.
Poise: Lotzkar is aggressive on the mound, but stays under control with an attack mode going right after hitters that gives off a closer mentality vibe.
Physical Description: Lotzkar is a big right-hander who fits the typical high school righty projectable mold.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: The chance ot have a power package, with a plus fastball and above-average breaking ball.
Weaknesses: His command. He doesn't have it consistently enough for some.
Summary: Fellow Canadian Phillippe Aumont has been getting most of the buzz, but Lotzkar deserves some as well. He's got an intriguing power package with a fastball/slider combination. How well he can harness and command his stuff, along with doing more with a third pitch, will determine whether he's a starter or reliever in the future.

[missionhockey21]

Reds take SS Zack Cozart, who I know virtually nothing of to be honest.

Player Name: Zack Warren Cozart
Position: Shortstop
School: University of Mississippi
School Type: Four-Year College
Academic Class: Junior
Birthdate: 08/12/85
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 03/30-04/01/07
Game(s): Auburn

Focus Area Comments
Hitting Ability: Cozart is a front-foot hitter who inside-outs the ball.
Power: Cozart does not project to hit for power at the next level.
Running Speed: He is a below-average runner for a middle infielder.
Arm Strength: Cozart has plus arm strength, though he does throw from a slightly unorthodox lower arm angle.
Fielding: Cozart's best tools are his hands. He may have among the best hands in the draft class and catches everything hit his way.
Range: Cozart has average range now, but with below-average speed, it might decrease at the next level.
Baseball Instinct: Cozart has good instincts and that should help him defensively in anticipating to make up for lack of range in the future..
Physical Description: Cozart is a decent-sized middle infielder who should be able to stay there.
Medical Update: Healthy.
Strengths: His hands will play at the next level.
Weaknesses: His hitting ability makes him profile as a No. 9-type hitter down the road. He doesn't have enough speed to be a plus, plus defensive shortstop
Summary: Cozart has perhaps the best set of hands in this year's draft class and shortstops who can catch the ball are often hard to find. His lack of speed may hurt his range as the game speeds up and there is a question as to how much he'll hit at the next level. Some see him as a shortstop who can hit in the two-hole, but he also may just be a utilityman who hits ninth.

[missionhockey21]

Reds take RHP college pitcher Scott Carroll at 104, a big pitcher who uses a split-finger (cue the warning sirens) and a lot of off-speed stuff. He should be a guy that can move through the system quickly though and does have some praise to him, not a terrible pick for the spot.