BigEd76 wrote:Rd 1 = Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS (OR)
bio
@Mickabel13
#11 on MLB
$3,885,800 slot
Oregon State commit

A high school player from the state of Oregon hasn't been taken in the top two rounds since the Cardinals took Carson Kelly in the second round of the 2012 Draft. Abel, who helped pitch his Jesuit High School to a state title, was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and then pitched well at a variety of summer showcase stops, should be the first Oregon prepster to go in the first round since Matt Smith back in 1994.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander shows flashes of three plus pitches, starting with a fastball that was regularly in the 93-95 mph range this summer, though he tired a bit near the end of his run. He throws it downhill with good life at the bottom of the zone and then can come back with a four-seamer up in the zone with riding action. His 82-86 mph slider is a very effective pitch, and he also has feel for a curveball with more over the top rotation to it. The two morph into each other at times, but there's enough differentiation to believe he could throw both in the future, along with a future plus changeup that he sells with good arm speed and features sink and dip at the end.

The Oregon State recruit generally throws strikes and he gets as high marks for his maturity and makeup as he does his stuff. He's only going to get stronger and throw harder as he physically matures, something he showed a glimpse of in one outing this spring before things got shut down, giving him the chance to be the first prep arm to come off the board in June.

MLBN compares him to Flaherty, Porcello, maybe Verlander at ceiling

Abel started ramping up to throw again with his pitching instructor Kevin Gunderson, a former Oregon State and minor league pitcher who now runs Gunderson Baseball. When they threw, Abel’s low-effort throws playing catch quickly seemed firmer, to the point that Gunderson kept checking to make sure Abel was throwing at 75-percent effort. When Abel ramped it all the way up again, he touched 100 mph for the first time.

“The slider comes out of his hand right in the same window as his fastball. There’s no hump. It doesn’t come out at a different angle. It pairs up,” Gunderson said. “They look exactly the same. (The slider) has such late downward depth to it. The hitter doesn’t know if it’s a thigh-high fastball or a shin-high slider that ends up in the dirt. It has such late action on it.”

“He could throw two-seamers running away from a lefty and pair it with his changeup,” Gunderson said. “Or he can throw the four-seamer up paired with his slider or curveball. Or he can go fastball away and slider away. That’s pretty advanced for a high school kid.

Wolfgang622 wrote:I don't care how tall he is, look at that face - he's a child.

Good god I'm old.

MoBettle wrote:3 of the top 16 picks faced Mone Davis' Taney team smh

Ace Rothstein wrote:

MoBettle wrote:3 of the top 16 picks faced Mone Davis' Taney team smh

This made me sad

Uncle Milty wrote:Couple snippets from Baseball America

Abel started ramping up to throw again with his pitching instructor Kevin Gunderson, a former Oregon State and minor league pitcher who now runs Gunderson Baseball. When they threw, Abel’s low-effort throws playing catch quickly seemed firmer, to the point that Gunderson kept checking to make sure Abel was throwing at 75-percent effort. When Abel ramped it all the way up again, he touched 100 mph for the first time.

“The slider comes out of his hand right in the same window as his fastball. There’s no hump. It doesn’t come out at a different angle. It pairs up,” Gunderson said. “They look exactly the same. (The slider) has such late downward depth to it. The hitter doesn’t know if it’s a thigh-high fastball or a shin-high slider that ends up in the dirt. It has such late action on it.”

“He could throw two-seamers running away from a lefty and pair it with his changeup,” Gunderson said. “Or he can throw the four-seamer up paired with his slider or curveball. Or he can go fastball away and slider away. That’s pretty advanced for a high school kid.

@ToddZolecki
Bryce Harper got Mick Abel's number soon after the #Phillies selected him with the 15th overall pick. Harper made a FaceTime call and Abel answered, despite not recognizing the number. "I see his face pop up. I'm like, oh, that's Bryce Harper. What the heck?"

azrider wrote:once again props to the 11th time reigning MVP of BSG, the Big E. luv ya. don't know how this doesn't get old for you. i appreciate the work and effort you put in here as always.

JonHeyman
Hearing great things about RHP Mick Abel, Phillies pick No. 15 overall. Off to a nyce start with call from Bryce. Comp: Rick Porcello but “with a more sustainable fastball”

BigEd76 wrote:Pipeline: What to know about MLB Draft prospect Mick Abel

* Adley Rutschman told Baseball America that he couldn't believe the pitches he caught came from a high school pitcher, and that "you rarely see an arm that good," adding that Abel's repertoire is "electric" and "smooth."

* Based on his build, arm strength and quality of repertoire, some have mused that Abel's future MLB comps could be Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg or Braves right-hander Mike Soroka.

* Abel has spent time while off the field with Northwest Children's Outreach, packing clothes for foster kids. He's also spent time helping adults with disabilities and seniors in nursing homes.

* Last offseason, Abel hit the weight room and added 18 pounds to his 6-5 frame.

* There are two other high school pitchers in the top echelon of this year's class with Abel -- Jared Kelley and Nick Bitsko. While Kelley has a better fastball and Bitsko has a better curveball, in terms of full repertoire, Abel may have them both beat.