Reds select Robert Stephenson in 1st round

[BigDawgBengal]

The Reds have selected Robert Stephenson in the 1st round of the MLB 2011 draft.

He is 6-3 from Alhambra High School. He has a fastball that can get to 97 mph.

[quote]SCOUTING PROFILE: For one of the rare draft years ever, the high-school talent in northern California may actually eclipse the talent in the traditionally-strong prep ranks in the southern half of the state. Stephenson is the top-rated high-school prospect in the state, though Joe Ross (No. 3 overall), a fellow NorCal righthander at Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High, is pretty much considered his equal and could give Stephenson a run for his money in terms of who will go off the board first. Both should be gone no later than the top 35-40 picks. While Stephenson and Ross are frequently compared because of their close geographic proximity, the better comparison to Stephenson may actually be on the other side of the country in South Carolina prep righthander Taylor Guerrieri, who is one of the top 2-3 prep righthanders in the entire draft. Stephenson has the same lean, athletic frame and should continue to fill out and get stronger over the next few years. Like Guerrieri, Stephenson wasn’t a well-known prospect outside of his local area heading into last summer. He did earn an invitation to Perfect Game’s National Showcase in June at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., however, and his impressive performance there landed him a spot in the prestigious Aflac All-American Classic, played in August in San Diego. Between those two high-profile appearances, Stephenson took a big step forward with his raw stuff, and he was one of the most impressive prospects in the Aflac game. He has solidified that lofty status this spring. Stephenson opened the 2011 season with back to back no-hitters, and has consistently showcased his top-shelf stuff while going 6-2, 1.26. In his first 61 innings, he allowed only 27 hits and 17 walks while striking out 119. Stephenson’s fastball has sat at 92-94 mph, and he has held his velocity late into games, recently hitting 94 mph in the seventh inning of one contest. He also has topped out at 97 mph frequently this spring. Stephenson has the makings of two potential plus off-speed pitches, although neither is consistent yet. His curve is in the 78-80 mph range and has sharp, 12-to-6 biting action at times, while he has surprisingly good feel for his low-80s changeup that has good movement down in the zone. Stephenson has loose, athletic actions on the mound and a lightning-quick arm that comes through from a high-three-quarters release point, creating very good downhill angle to the plate. Where Stephenson may lose points to Guerrieri, and maybe even Ross, is his delivery has some extra effort, which creates inconsistency in his release point and sometimes prevents him from working down in the strike zone, where his pitches would have more movement. Stephenson committed to Washington in the NCAA’s early-signing period and would be seen as a major rebuilding block for a program that has struggled this year (13-29 through the first week of May), and pretty much since two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum left the program in 2006. His projected high standing in the draft, however, makes it a longshot that Stephenson will ever set foot on the Washington campus. Projected Draft Position: Late First Round / Early compensation pick[/quote]

[BigDawgBengal]

Another scouting report.
[quote]While the college arms are getting the bulk of the attention in this year's class, there are a number of high-octane high schoolers generating first-round buzz, as well. Perhaps a half-step behind the elite prepsters is Stephenson, who has drawn some comparisons to Matt Garza. Stephenson has plenty of arm strength, with a fastball that has touched 97 mph. The NoCal product, who has a commitment to the University of Washington, also has shown a curve that is plus at times, though it's been inconsistent. He has a changeup, but like with many high school pitchers, it's a little behind his other pitches. Stephenson is not just a thrower, he throws strikes, by and large, but his control is better than his command right now. But with a good pitcher's body and excellent makeup, he could be a good choice for someone picking in the bottom third of the first round. [/quote]

[|Elflocko|]

Can never have too much pitching...

[JBandJoeyV]

They were talking earlier in the game how we had the opportunity to go after a high school guy with more potential then having to go after a college guy. This because our minor leagues have a lot more talent then they did years ago. Back even 3-4 years ago we would have to draft college guys because we would need them to come up and start within a couple years, but now we can draft more talented players that we can give more time to develop.


We'll see how that works out for us, but hopefully this is a kid that will be on the team in 5 years or so.

[|Elflocko|]

[quote name='JBandJoeyV' timestamp='1307413467' post='996291']
They were talking earlier in the game how we had the opportunity to go after a high school guy with more potential then having to go after a college guy. This because our minor leagues have a lot more talent then they did years ago. Back even 3-4 years ago we would have to draft college guys because we would need them to come up and start within a couple years, but now we can draft more talented players that we can give more time to develop.


We'll see how that works out for us, but hopefully this is a kid that will be on the team in 5 years or so.
[/quote]

X2

I just love how our farm system is shaping up...

[JBandJoeyV]

[quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1307414053' post='996293']
X2

I just love how our farm system is shaping up...
[/quote]

I think the louisville bats could put up runs against some major league teams out there...Sappelt, Alonso, Mesoraco, Frasier, Francisco...all 5 of those guys should be up in the majors in the next year or two.

I still think our starting 2012 lineup should be...

1. Sappelt LF
2. Phillips 2B
3. Votto 1B
4. Bruce RF
5. Mesoraco C
6. Stubbs CF
7. Rolen/Frasier/Francisco 3B
8. Cozart/Janish SS

Id try to package francisco and alonso to get something big in return.

[BigDawgBengal]

[size="4"][b]Reds tab high school power arm with 27th pick[/b][/size]

CINCINNATI -- A high school kid that pitched back-to-back no-hitters this season could be joining a team that had the only Major Leaguer to throw consecutive no-hitters.

No chance that the Reds are expecting those Johnny Vander Meer types of performances from Robert Stephenson, but he was someone the organization was pleased to have landed nonetheless. The 18-year-old right-hander was their first-round pick with the 27th overall selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft on Monday evening.

"He's an outstanding high school projection pitcher with a very loose, live arm," Reds senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley said. "We saw him as high as 98 [mph] this year. He's going to fill out, get stronger."

The selection of Stephenson bucks a Reds trend from recent years, as four of their previous five first-rounders were taken out of college.

From Alhambra High School in Martinez, Calif., Stephenson is the first high school player to be taken in the first round by Cincinnati since catcher Devin Mesoraco in 2007, and its first prep pitcher picked there since Homer Bailey in '04.

Stephenson's season began with the back-to-back no-hitters, and in 13 regular-season games for Alhambra, he posted a 7-2 record and 1.33 ERA with 132 strikeouts, 23 walks and 29 hits allowed over 64 innings. He was named the San Jose Mercury News' Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year and was rated by Baseball America as the 25th-best prospect in this year's Draft.

"I was out there about two weeks ago and he lost a no-hitter around the sixth inning," Buckley said. "I saw him pitch three times this year. To get him in the first round, we obviously liked him a lot. He's got very good upside, good projection to his frame. He throws hard now. He should throw a little harder as most high school kids do as they get bigger and stronger."

Like Bailey, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Stephenson has the power arm going for him. Besides the fastball, he can throw a slider, curveball and changeup.

"He might have an arm similar to Homer's, but not as polished," Buckley said. "Homer went way up at the top of the first round, and Robert is down towards the bottom."

Stephenson will have some leverage during contract negotiations with the Reds since he also has a commitment to the University of Washington. The deadline for all 2011 Draft picks to be signed is Aug. 15, or clubs lose the rights.

As for the likelihood the Reds can successfully sign Stephenson, that remains to be seen.

"We'll see. We just picked him 10 minutes ago," Buckley said.

The 27th pick represented the Reds' lowest first-round pick in franchise history. Because they were way down the list, it was tougher for Cincinnati to know who it might select. Many of the coveted players were already off the board before it was the Reds' turn.

"We missed some, for sure," Buckley said. "The good thing about being at 27 is you have a good big league team, but there were some players we didn't get."

Among past players selected No. 27 overall, there have been a few to reach the Majors, including Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello (2007), A's pitcher Joey Devine ('05, Braves) and former Reds pitcher Pete Harnisch, who was taken 27th by the Orioles way back in 1987.

Stephenson was the only selection the Reds made on Monday, because the club has no first-round compensation picks. On the second day of the Draft, the Reds' second-round pick will be No. 84 overall.

Live coverage of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft resumes at noon ET on Tuesday on MLB.com, where fans will receive exclusive coverage of Days 2 and 3, featuring a live pick-by-pick stream, expert commentary and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of every Draft-eligible player.

You can also keep up to date at Draft Central and by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.