In the 2nd round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, the Baltimore Orioles selected SS Mychel Givens.

I am extremely excited by this selection.

Givens was looked at as both a P, and a SS by many teams. A great number of teams were infatuated by his 96-97 MPH fast-ball, and believed he should stay on the mound.

The Tampa HS prospect is known as a superior athlete, and while he is years away from the bigs; he instantly becomes the best Middle Infield prospect in the system; and has a legitimate chance to be the O’s SS of the future.

Here is some information on Givens:

Tampa Tribune
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/17/sp-a-conversation-with-plant-highs-mychal-givens/

MLBDraft.blogspot.com
http://2009mlbdraft.blogspot.com/2009/02/pre-season-top-30-draft-prospects.html

“13) Mychal Givens-SS-Florida HS-Givens is like the Aaron Hicks of this draft. A lot of teams might want to draft the kid as a pitcher but he might just work out better in the field. He’s a pretty good defender with plus range, good actions and as you probably guessed a plus arm. At the plate, Givens is raw. Not Matt Bush raw but more like Justin Jackson raw. Given time, Givens could become a tremendous, exciting prospect at shortstop. On the hill, he needs to improve his offspeed offerings a little. His fastball is a plus pitch already as it can touch 97-98 MPH*MLB comparison: Rafael Furcal”

Minor League Ball.com
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/12/28/703358/1-strasburg-then-who

Baseball Draft Report.com
http://baseballdraftreport.com/2009/06/09/2009-mlb-draft-top-100-big-board/

MLB.com Scouting Report
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp?content=givens

Hitting ability:
Givens isn’t a raw hitter, like some athletic high schoolers are, but there is some risk in his bat.
Power:
He’s got some strength for future power, but doesn’t currently have a power stroke. He hits off his front foot.
Running speed:
He’s not a burner, but he does have plus speed.
Base running:
He appears to have a good idea of what he’s doing on the basepaths.
Arm strength:
Also a talented pitching prospect, he has at least plus arm strength.
Fielding:
He shows the ability to be a good defender at shortstop.
Range:
He’s got very good actions and can go left and right very well.
Physical Description:
Givens has a rangy, athletic frame that should allow him to add strength as he matures
Medical Update:
Healthy.
Strengths:
His athleticism, with plus speed and good overall defensive actions.
Weaknesses:
Will he hit enough? There’s talent there, but there’s a question over whether the bat will carry to the next level.
Summary:
Givens is one of the better all-around athletes in the Draft class who will get looks both at shortstop and on the mound on Draft day. He’s a good defender with a plus arm who uses his athleticism well. A plus runner, he’s got the kind of frame that should allow him to get stronger … which could lead to more power. The key to unlocking that will be a better overall hitting approach. There is some risk with his bat, but if a team feels he’ll hit, he’ll go early.


Saber Scouting.com (1 of 2)
http://www.saberscouting.com/2008/07/27/2009hshot30/#more-285

“Givens is a bit of a conundrum to scouts at this admittedly very early juncture of the draft process. You can take a look at some video I took of Givens and what I thought of him from my first two looks. I originally compared him to current Jays prospect and former prep shortstop Justin Jackson. He’s an athletic and heady leader, a very good defender, and has a solid stroke with a little pop. I just didn’t see enough size/projection (looks in person like 5′10, 175), power, or consistent hitability to project him as a first round pick, but realized that his track record, makeup, and performance give him upward mobility on draft boards.
What I saw at the end of his junior season still seems to be the rap on Givens for most scouts, as he’s got all the makings of a top pick, but lacks a standout bat. Don’t get me wrong, that could still be a seven figure package in the sandwich round, like Jackson was, but others feel Givens is all projection at the plate and more of a third round pick as a shortstop and prefer him on the mound.
I discounted Givens’ long-term mound prospects in my earlier look, but it turns out he was fatigued when I saw him and has raised him arm angle a bit as well. At the PG National showcase, he was up to 94 while flashing an above-average slider and changeup from a low 3/4 arm angle; similar to what I saw, but showing improvement across the board. As it stands now, there’s a slight lean from the people I’ve talked to for Givens to stay on the mound, but his progess on the mound and at the plate should be an interesting draft storyline to monitor.”


Saber Scouting.com (2 of 2)
http://www.saberscouting.com/2008/05/06/news-notes-the-last-week-part2/

“Givens is a junior and top 2009 draft prospect that some sources say is the top high school junior in the country (others say second-best). I got a chance to see Givens play two games this week, the second one being his team’s surprise loss to Dunedin High in the second round of the state playoffs in front of a rowdy crowd of a few thousand at the Blue Jays complex in Dunedin.
Givens has all the makings of a first-round prep shortstop with a body that won’t outgrow the position, true shortstop actions with above-average defensive
tools, and a quick release from a good arm that sits in the low 90s on the mound. He’s also an excellent athlete and basketball standout that made an amazing play at pitcher versus Dunedin as he charged a swinging bunt to field and flip to the catcher in one motion while he was running past home plate. He’s a vocal leader, good student, and likable personality with great makeup. While he’s clearly a shortstop prospect, he pitches at 90-92 with some run and flashes an above-average sweeping curveball and an average changeup with lade fade.
His speed is deceptive: he looks more quick than fast and somewhat labored once underway, but I got him at 3.87 to first from the right side on a bunt (confirmed on video) and he’s a 55 to 60 runner.
So there’s all the reasons to like Givens, but there are some things I saw that I didn’t like from these two games. Givens certainly has more upside as a shortstop as he lacked feel on the mound and throws from a true sidearm angle, which is very effective in the 90s versus high school competition, but would project him as a set-up man at best in pro ball.
As far as his swing goes, the elements are there and he has shown the ability to hit with wood against top competition, but the mechanics break down too often for me, and with his smallish frame (I’d estimate 5′10, 170) and lack of leverage, he projects to have average power at best. He struggled to square the ball up against average to good pitching when I saw him and showed bad habits in lunging at the ball, being flat-footed, out on his front foot, and an intricate toe-touch I’m not crazy about. Still, those are things that don’t become problems until professional ball, so he was still clearly the best player on the field.
I think Givens compares favorably to past hyped shortstop prospects like Jays’ SS prospect Justin Jackson or Padres SS prospect Drew Cumberland. Both were late-first to supplemental round prospects with limited ceiling or warts at the plate, a long track record of success, great defense, and the makeup to succeed with all eyes on them. Givens will also definitely be in our upcoming 2009 draft prospects list.”




Youtube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB10lsrlpBQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mko0FZv5jXY&feature=related

I hope the O’s can get him signed as soon as possible, and send him to Aberdeen. If I were being greedy, I’d like to see him get time in the Arizona Fall League as well, but that is likely a year ahead of time.

If the O’s can get him signed, get him short-season experience in Aberdeen in 2009, and send him to full-season Delmarva to start 2010, that would be outstanding.

EDIT – In an interview with MASN, O’s Director of Scouting Joe Jordan said that Givens will likely be assigned to the Gulf Coast Orioles.

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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