Cubs Draft Notes: Appel and Gray Still at the Top, Manaea Falling, Youngest Prospects, Draft Details

gray appelThe 2013 MLB Draft is less than two weeks away. Crunch time.

  • Baseball America’s Jim Callis is confident that the Astros are planning on selecting Jonathan Gray with the top pick. From there, he is confident that the Cubs will take Mark Appel. Indeed, the latest BA mock draft has the top two picks playing out exactly that way. The Cubs met with Jonathan Gray earlier this week, and I’d say it’s a fair bet that they have met/will meet with Appel and San Diego Kris Bryant, as well. No reason not to have plenty of ducks in a row come Draft day.
  • In that mock, Sean Manaea – a vogue choice for the Cubs’ pick back in January – has fallen all the way to the end of the first round, thanks to performance and hip concerns. It’s now becoming a legitimate possibility that Manaea could be on the board when the Cubs pick in the second round. But, here’s the problem: as a junior, Manaea could go back to school if he’s not offered a substantial signing bonus. So, even if he’s there for the Cubs, they’d be hard pressed to pick him there and risk not signing their second round pick.
  • Of those top two arms, three of four anonymous executives on the scouting side told Jim Callis they would prefer Appel to Gray, mostly due to his superior set of overall pitching skills. One of the four said he’d prefer Bryant to the pitchers.
  • Connor Glassey at BA looks at the oldest and youngest draft prospects (among the top 250 overall prospects), and it is interesting to see that Mark Appel, a college senior, is not in the top 10 oldest. He’d actually fall all the way down at 15th, which is low for a college senior among the top 250 overall prospects. That’s because, for a college senior, Appel is on the younger side (he doesn’t turn 22 until mid-July). Interestingly, Colin Moran – the UNC third baseman who’s been rumored to be a potential surprise pick at the top of the Draft for the Astros – is the third youngest collegiate player in the Draft.
  • Glassey’s piece is most notable, however, for the list of 17-year-old high school players who feature on the top 250 list. There is some data to support the idea that, all other things equal, younger high school draft picks tend to fare better over the long haul than older ones. So, familiarize yourself with that list, and cross your fingers that the Cubs get a couple of ’em. Last year, Duane Underwood – the Cubs’ second round pick – was one of the youngest high schoolers in the Draft. Carlos Correa, whom the Astros took first overall was also one of the youngest. It’s a subtle distinction between 17.5 years old and 18, but history indicates that it matters.
  • MLB has revealed the procedural deets on the Draft, and it’s a fair bit different from last year. This year, the first two rounds will be on Thursday, June 6 (starting at 6pm CT). Rounds 3 through 10 are on Friday, starting at 12pm CT, and rounds 11 through 40 are on Saturday, starting at 12pm CT. Day One will be televised on MLBN, and Day Two will be broadcast on MLB.com. I’m not sure about Day Three – last year, they simply provided audio of the conference call. Either way, you’ll find everything covered here at BN.
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    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation. You can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation, on Bluesky at @Brett-Taylor, and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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    The Lindenwood (MO) Lions (16-7) will host the Morehead State Eagles (8-16) after winning eight home games in a row.Lindenwood (MO) won its most recent game versus Tennessee State, 81-70, on Saturday. Mya Skoff was its top scorer with 18...

    How to Watch Rider Broncs vs. Iona Gaels Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

    The Iona Gaels (9-14) will look to end a four-game road slide when they square off against the Rider Broncs (6-16) on February 13, 2025 at Alumni Gymnasium.In its previous game, Rider fell to Siena on Saturday, 68-49. Its high...

    Florida State vs. Louisville Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    ACC play on Thursday will see the the No. 23 Florida State Seminoles (19-5) host the Louisville Cardinals (17-7) at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, tipping off at 6:00 PM ET.In its previous game, Florida State lost to NC State...

    Marshall vs. Old Dominion Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Old Dominion Monarchs (14-11) will attempt to break a four-game losing streak when they visit the Marshall Thundering Herd (7-17) on February 13, 2025 at Cam Henderson Center.In its most recent game, Marshall lost to Central Michigan on Saturday,...

    Lipscomb vs. Bellarmine Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Bellarmine Knights (14-11) will attempt to break a three-game losing streak when they visit the Lipscomb Bisons (15-8) on February 13, 2025 at Allen Arena.Lipscomb won its most recent game versus Austin Peay, 65-59, on Saturday. Jalyn Holcomb was...

    How to Watch NJIT Highlanders vs. Bryant Bulldogs Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

    America East play on Thursday will see the the NJIT Highlanders (9-15) host the Bryant Bulldogs (13-11) at NJIT Wellness and Events Center, beginning at 6:00 PM ET.NJIT won its previous game against New Hampshire, 71-63, on Saturday. Alejandra Zuniga...

    JMU vs. Appalachian State Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The James Madison Dukes (21-4) will attempt to build on a six-game home win streak when they take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers (13-10) on February 13, 2025 at Atlantic Union Bank Center.In its most recent game, JMU topped Ball...

    How to Watch Western Carolina Catamounts vs. Wofford Terriers Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

    The Western Carolina Catamounts (11-13) hope to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Wofford Terriers (14-7) on February 13, 2025 at Ramsey Regional Activity Center.In its most recent game, Western Carolina lost to Chattanooga on Saturday, 74-59....

    How to Watch Little Rock Trojans vs. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball: Live Stream or on TV

    The Little Rock Trojans (13-11) will attempt to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (18-5) on February 13, 2025. The Golden Eagles have won nine games in a row.On Tuesday, in its last...

    Eastern Illinois vs. Tennessee State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Eastern Illinois Panthers (14-9) aim to build on a nine-game home win streak when they host the Tennessee State Tigers (7-17) on February 13, 2025.In its previous game, Eastern Illinois lost to Tennessee Tech on Saturday, 65-54. Macy McGlone...

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