Mediaboss Marketing

One of the fun aspects of any MLB draft is trying to predict which players will be the first to reach the majors -- and it's not always the players right at the top of the draft. This has become even harder to do as teams manipulate service time and hold a player back in the minors or refrain from a September call-up.

We'll list one guy from each team who should be quickest to the majors, but before we do that let's take a quick look back at some recent drafts to see who first arrived. Nobody from the 2019 draft appeared in the majors and only one player from 2018 -- Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner, the 24th overall pick -- has made it so far, so we'll start with the top five from 2017.

2017

RHP Kyle Wright, Braves (5th pick), Sept. 4, 2018LHP Nick Margevicius, Padres (7th round), March 30, 2019RHP Griffin Canning, Angels (2nd round), April 30, 2019RHP Corbin Martin, Astros (2nd round), May 12, 20192B Keston Hiura, Brewers (9th pick), May 14, 2019

First high school player: None yet

No surprise that the first four players to reach the majors were pitchers, although it's interesting that three of them were not first-round picks. Hiura immediately started raking in the majors.

2016

OF Austin Hays, Orioles (3rd round), Sept. 7, 2017LHP Eric Lauer, Padres (25th pick), April 24, 20182B Garrett Hampson Rockies (3rd round), July 21, 2018RHP Dakota Hudson, Cardinals (34th pick), July 28, 2018RHP Bryse Wilson, Braves (4th round), Aug. 20, 2018

First high school player: Wilson

Next on the list would be Pete Alonso, who made the Opening Day roster in 2019. Bo Bichette, a second-round pick like Alonso, was the first high school hitter to make it. Hays was drafted out of Jacksonville University and soared through Class A and Double-A before jumping to the majors, although his progress has slowed since.

2015

RHP Carson Fulmer, White Sox (8th pick), July 17, 2016RHP Koda Glover, Nationals (8th round), July 20, 20163B Alex Bregman, Astros (2nd pick), July 23, 2016OF Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox (7th pick), Aug. 2, 2016RHP Ben Taylor, Red Sox (7th round), April 7, 2017

First high school player: RHP Jordan Hicks, Cardinals (3rd round), March 29, 2018

The White Sox drafted Fulmer ahead of Vanderbilt teammate Walker Buehler, and while he has appeared in the majors each of the past four seasons, he continues to struggle with his control. Bregman and Benintendi were in the majors barely a year after getting drafted while Glover and Taylor were college relievers who moved quickly. Hicks went from Class A to the majors on the strength of his 100 mph fastball, but unfortunately underwent Tommy John surgery last year.

OK, let's make some predictions for the 2020 draftees, breaking them down into tiers.

0:24

Check out highlights of right-handed pitcher Max Meyer out of Minnesota, drafted No. 3 by the Marlins.

Max Meyer, RHP, Marlins (third pick overall). The last player to appear in the majors in his draft year was Royals pitcher Brandon Finnegan in 2014, whom the Royals specifically targeted as someone who could help them in the bullpen for the playoff push. The shortened season in 2020 -- and we will have some sort of baseball, eventually -- could actually help a few college pitchers get to the majors right away as the rules will likely allow for some sort of taxi squad. Meyer's slider is arguably the best wipeout pitch in the entire draft, which he pairs with an upper-90s heater. He could certainly pitch now out of a big league bullpen, although if the Marlins aren't in playoff contention there's probably little need to use Meyer.

2 Related

Reid Detmers, LHP, Angels (10th pick). The most polished college pitcher in the draft, Detmers could certainly help the Angels out of the bullpen.

Garrett Crochet, LHP, White Sox (11th pick). Like Detmers, he'll be developed as a starter for the long term, but this 6-foot-6 lefty with a huge fastball could make an immediate impact as a reliever.

Cade Cavalli, RHP, Nationals (22nd pick). The Nationals won the World Series in spite of their lack of bullpen depth. Cavalli is another long-term starter, but his upper-90s fastball and devastating slider form a two-pitch arsenal that could provide depth in 2020. The Nationals also selected UCLA closer Holden Powell in the third round and he might be an even better bet than Cavalli to pitch in D.C. in 2020.

Burl Carraway, LHP, Cubs (2nd round). He's a pure reliever all the way and ESPN college baseball analyst Kyle Peterson dropped a Billy Wagner comp on him. Given the Cubs' bullpen woes in 2019, this looks like a selection specifically made with a quick climb to the majors in mind.

Ty Brown, RHP, Astros (3rd round). The Vanderbilt closer fits the "college reliever who could move quickly" to a T and it wouldn't be a surprise if he gets a few innings in the majors.

0:24

Check out highlights of Arizona State's power hitter Spencer Torkelson, drafted No. 1 by the Tigers.

Spencer Torkelson, 1B/3B, Tigers (1st pick). Tigers scouting director Scott Pleis told reporters Thursday that he didn't think the lack of game action would have much of an impact on Torkelson's arrival time. He could move as quickly as Bregman and Benintendi, although he has a little more swing-and-miss in his game than those two had in college, so maybe that timetable is more 2022 than 2021.

More: Why the Tigers made Torkelson the No. 1 overall pick

Asa Lacy, LHP, Royals (4th pick). The Royals were super happy to have Lacy fall to them with the fourth pick. He has better stuff than Brady Singer or Jackson Kowar, two college pitchers the Royals took in the first round in 2018 who reached Double-A in 2019 and would have been potential arrivals for 2020 if not for the shutdown. Lacy should at least be on a similar track, although the lack of innings in 2020 could delay things a little.

Analysis, highlights of first round Best, worst of Day 1 | Best available Redrafting top picks from 2010-2019 Meet MLB draft's man of mystery Why Tigers took Tork' No. 1 overall Gonzales' stats not out of thin air More 2020 MLB draft coverage

Austin Martin, SS, Blue Jays (5th pick). The Jays will have to figure out where he plays in the field, but as a high-contact, high-performing college player, he has the kind of game that should get him to the majors in rapid fashion.

Emerson Hancock, RHP, Mariners (6th pick). He walked just 1.79 batters per nine as a sophomore and just three in 24 innings in four starts in 2020, so his ability to throw strikes -- along with a 93-97 mph fastball, plus changeup and potential plus slider -- is a big plus for needing little time in the minors.

Nick Gonzales, 2B, Pirates (7th pick). He faced weak competition at New Mexico State, but performed on the Cape last summer and his plate discipline and approach mean he could chew through the minors. He has a similar profile to Hiura as a bat-first second baseman and it wouldn't surprise me if he beats Torkelson and Martin to the majors.

More: How Gonzales showed his gaudy numbers didn't come out of thin air

Tanner Burns, RHP, Indians (36th pick). The Indians have done very well with this kind of player in recent years; see Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale. Bieber was drafted in 2016 and reached the majors less than two years later. After a strong career at Auburn, Burns could move that fast as well.

Chris McMahon, RHP, Rockies (2nd round, 46th pick). His career at Miami was interrupted by some minor injuries, but he was off to a great start in 2020, he has a three-pitch mix and the Rockies can always use starting pitching.

0:30

Check out highlights of NC State's switch-hitting catcher Patrick Bailey, selected 13th overall by the Giants.

Heston Kjerstad, RF, Orioles (2nd pick). A bit of a surprise with the second pick, Kjerstad had the best left-handed power in the draft, but comes with concerns about his swing-and-miss game and poor strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Garrett Mitchell, CF, Brewers (20th pick). The UCLA product is an 80 runner with a plus arm and big raw power -- at least in batting practice. He never learned to tap into that in games with the Bruins, which is why he fell to later in the first round (he also has Type 1 diabetes). Still, the package is tantalizing and he could turn into one of the steals of the draft.

Watch ESPN's new 30 for 30 film, "Long Gone Summer," the story of the 1998 home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, airing Sunday on ESPN. Explore the new film

Aaron Sabato, 1B/DH, Twins (27th pick). A draft-eligible sophomore, Sabato has big power that rivaled Torkelson's for best in the draft and fewer other tools, but that bat might carry him rapidly to the majors. He hit .343 with 18 home runs as a freshman at North Carolina. ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez loved his hands and feet in the batter's box, but he'll have to rein in the strikeouts (although he has a patient approach).

Clayton Beeter, RHP, Dodgers (CBB, 66th pick). In the words of ESPN draft guru Kiley McDaniel, Beeter "had the best raw stuff in the entire draft, headlined by a top-of-the-scale 80-grade curveball." So how did he fall to 66th? He has little track record as a starter (and a Tommy John surgery in his past), so this could take some development time -- or, based on the stuff, he could need little time at all in the minors.

Cole Wilcox, RHP, Padres (3rd round, 80th pick). It's not even a sure thing the Padres will be able to sign him, given Wilcox's supposed $3 million demand and his fall to the third round. He was also just a draft-eligible sophomore, so has leverage and could return to the draft next year and shoot up into the top 10. Anyway, if he does sign, the Padres have moved their college pitchers very quickly in recent years.

Joe Boyle, RHP, Reds (5th round, 143rd pick). He's 6-7, 240 pounds, chucks it up there in the upper 90s and has hit 102. He also walked 48 batters in 36 innings in his Notre Dame career, including 13 in 8 1/3 innings in 2020. But, hey, it could all click overnight and he'd be right in the majors.

0:55

A power-hitting lefty out of Arkansas, Heston Kjerstad is a likely Top 10 pick in the MLB Draft.

Patrick Bailey, C, Giants (13th pick). The Giants went with college players with their first four picks, with the switch-hitting Bailey obviously a big favorite of the scouting department given Joey Bart is the top-rated catching prospect in the minors.

Justin Foscue, 2B, Rangers (14th pick). Texas' next four picks were all high schoolers, so Foscue is the easy choice. His advanced approach and performance are his calling card over any set of loud tools.

Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey Jr. and Bo Jackson lived up to their billing. Todd Van Poppel and Gregg Jefferies? Not so much. Here's the one prospect we were sure would be your team's next superstar.David Schoenfield

Bryce Jarvis, RHP, Diamondbacks (18th pick). I could be underselling Jarvis, who has improved rapidly since last spring, including working with Driveline baseball to improve his velocity. He crushed it in four starts with Duke this spring (40 K's, 2 BB in 27 IP), so maybe should be a couple of tiers higher.

Jared Shuster, LHP, Braves (25th pick). The Braves went with four college players, but with no second-round pick, that makes the Wake Forest product the best bet to arrive first.

Austin Wells, C, Yankees (28th pick). The Yankees drafted him for the second time and his development time will be tied to how the long the Yankees keep him at catcher or whether they move him to another position if the bat is advanced enough to move faster. Or maybe we'll get robot umpires and it won't matter. Please, no robot umpires.

J.T. Ginn, RHP, Mets (2nd round, 52nd pick). A first-round pick by the Dodgers out of high school, he would have gone there again, but had Tommy John surgery last year.

Ian Seymour, LHP, Rays (2nd round, 57th pick). First-round pick Nick Bitsko is a high school pitcher and competitive balance pick. Alika Williams is a shortstop in a system loaded with middle infielders, so Seymour seems like the best bet, a Virginia Tech southpaw with a great SO/BB ratio in 2020.

Jeff Criswell, RHP, A's (2nd round, 58th pick). First-rounder Tyler Soderstrom is a high school catcher, so we'll go with the Michigan right-hander.

Alec Burleson, OF, Cardinals (2nd round, 70th pick). The Cardinals' first three picks were high school kids, so we'll go with Burleson, who hit .370 last season for East Carolina and was off to a .375 start this year.

0:28

Check out highlights of Jesuit High School pitcher Mick Abel, selected 15th overall by the Phillies.

Mick Abel, RHP, Phillies (15th pick). I'm going with Abel over the Phillies' three other selections, all college players (they didn't have a second-round pick). While his high school team didn't play a game, Abel is still viewed as a polished high school pitcher with three quality pitches already.

Nick Yorke, 2B, Red Sox (17th pick). The Red Sox did go with two college pitchers in the fourth and fifth rounds, but I'll go with Yorke, their controversial first-round pick (over third-rounder Blaze Jordan). Jordan has more power, but Yorke has the better hit tool and is more likely to reach the majors.

View original post here:
The 2020 MLB draft pick who could make the majors first on all 30 teams - ESPN

Blues players watch the clock tick off the final seconds of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 12, 2019, in Boston. From left: Tyler Bozak, Ivan Barbashev, Ryan O'Reilly, David Perron, Vladimir Tarasenko and Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues beat the Bruins 4-1 to win the Cup for the first time. (Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com)

Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo kisses his wife, Jayne Cox, after ths Blues won the Stanley Cup on June 12, 2019 in Boston. (Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com)

The Blues pose for a team photo with Stanley Cup after beating the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at the TD Garden in Boston. (Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com)

Blues players jump off the bench and rush toward goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) to celebrate their Stanley Cup win after they beat the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston. (Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com)

It was a year ago Friday that the l-o-n-g wait ended for Blues fans. The team, after having the fewest number of points in the NHL in early January, completed a miraculous run to its first Stanley Cup championship by winning Game 7 of the Finals.

That victory, in Boston, ignited days of celebrating in St. Louis where an NHL title had been elusive for the team that had been around for more than half a century. So what better way to relive that locally joyous night than by rebroadcasting the monumental game? Thats what Fox Sports Midwest will do Friday on television (at 7 p.m.) and WXOS (101.1 FM) will do on radio (at 6 oclock).

The telecast will be an enhanced version of NBC's production and has commentary from Blues players and coaches about specific events as the game unfolds, as weaved in by the team's Blue Note Productions group.

Coach Craig Berube, while the lineups are being announced, discusses his decision to start the fourth line.

Alex Pietrangelo give his analysis of the circumstances leading to a crucial Blues goal late in the first period as the play happens.

Goalie Jordan Binnington discusses a key save he made in the third period.

On radio, the broadcast ends without play-by-play announcer Chris Kerber making his signature "bring out the Zamboni" call that he rarely misses after a Blues victory.

Follow this link:
Reliving that Cup-crazy night: Local stations to re-air Blues' title-winning game exactly a year later - STLtoday.com

So far, there is no evidence that Peterson displayed any of the so-called aberrant behaviors that define addiction. Butagain, all we have to go on is reports from his daughter, whose family has astrong financial incentive to spin away any suggestion that the man who madehis name engaging in a kind of intellectual Spartan cosplay is hopelesslyaddicted to a sedative. In fact, Mikhaila has jokingly alluded to how bad anaddiction diagnosis would be for her fathers lucrative self-help brand, whichpurports to rid adherents of weakness through grit and self-sacrifice. Wefigured we should let people know [the facts] before some tabloid finds out andpublishes [that] Jordan Peterson, self help guru, is on meth or something,Mikhaila said in a video update after Peterson checked himself into rehab inthe U.S.

Still, as soon as Petersons initial stint inrehab became public in 2019, threads sprang up in Peterson-related forums aboutwhether his fans should think less of him in light of his struggles with benzodiazepines.He was using a drug to escape the pain of reality, period. Call it whateveryou like, but it doesnt change the facts, wrote the user KingLudwigII on Reddit. In fact, dependence and addiction arehealth issues, not character defects, and if you pressed Peterson on thatpoint, hed probably agree. However, that message is a tough sell to many ofPetersons fans, who are drawn to his macho image and his personal story oftriumph over adversity.

By August or September 2019, Petersonshealth had deteriorated to the point that the family was more worried about himthan his cancer-stricken wife, Mikhaila said in an appearance onRT, the Russian propaganda network aimed at audiences outside of Russia.

There are established ways of treating adependence on benzodiazepines, a class of sedativesincluding Klonopin(clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Xanax (alprazolam)used for anxiety,insomnia, and epilepsy. Introduced to the U.S. market in 1960 as an alternative to barbiturates,benzodiazepines can be useful in treating a variety of conditions from panicattacks to muscle spasms. They can be very helpful for short-term andintermittent use, but their benefits tend to wanewhen they are used every day. They can also cause physical dependence within four weeks. If a person whos physicallydependent on benzodiazepines stops taking the drugs suddenly, they can sufferfrom withdrawal symptoms including severe anxiety, agitation, and evenlife-threatening seizures.

Here is the original post:
What Happened to Jordan Peterson? | The New Republic

YouTubeJordan B. Peterson's daughter gives a health update.

Jordan B. Peterson is now expected to recover after a dangerous and very arduous journey back from benzodiazepine addiction, which occurred because of an averse reaction to the medication, his daughter told fans in a YouTube video updating the authors health.

Peterson is a well-known author and clinical psychologist who wrote the bestseller 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos.

The YouTube video from February 2020 on Petersons YouTube channel is called Peterson Family Update. It was posted on February 7, 2020 and has more than 700,000 views already. Jordan Petersons daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, speaks in the video.

Heres what you need to know:

Peterson Family Update February 2020Jordan Update February 2020 Hi everyone, its been months since weve given an update on Jordan and my familys health and its time for one so here goes. The last year has been extremely difficult for our family. Dad was put on a low dose of a benzodiazepine a few years ago for anxiety following an extremely severe autoimmune reaction to food. He took the medication as prescribed. Last April when my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the dose of the medication was increased. It became apparent that he was suffering from both a physical dependency and a paradoxical reaction to the medication. A paradoxical reaction means the drugs do the opposite of what theyre supposed to. These reactions are rare but are not unheard of. For the last 8 months hes been in unbearable discomfort from this drug, made worse when trying to remove it, because of the addition of withdrawal symptoms, stemming from physical dependence. He experienced terrible akathisia, which is a condition where the person feels an incredible, endless, irresistible restlessness, bordering on panic, and an inability to sit still. The reaction made him suicidal. After several failed treatment attempts in North American hospitals, including attempts at tapering and micro-tapering, we had to seek an emergency medical benzodiazepine detox, which we were only able to find in Russia. It was incredibly gruelling, and was further complicated by severe pneumonia which weve been told he developed in one of the previous hospitals. Hes had to spend 4 weeks in the ICU in terrible shape, but, with the help of some extremely competent and courageous doctors, he survived. The decision to bring him to Russia was made in extreme desperation, when we couldnt find any better option. The uncertainty around his recovery has been one of the most difficult and scary experiences weve ever had. So: Finally Dad is on the mend, even though theres a lot of physiological damage that he needs to recover from. Hes improving, and is off the horrible medication. His sense of humour is back. Hes smiling again for the first time in months, but he still has a long way to go to recover fully. It appears that we are going to get through this by the skin of our teeth. So let me make a couple of things clear: 1. Neither our family nor the doctors here believe that this is a case of psychological addiction. 2. Benzodiazepine physical dependence due to brain changes can occur in a matter of weeks. It can be made even worse by paradoxical reactions that are difficult to diagnose, and can be extremely dangerous. 3. Weve been told and hope that Dad will recover fully but it will take time and he still has a ways to go. 4. We are extremely lucky and grateful that hes alive. The next update will come from him directly. Thanks again for all the support. Previous update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPwaixIuTrU2020-02-07T21:34:36.000Z

Hi Everyone. Its been months since weve given an update on Jordan or my familys health and its time for one, so here it is, Jordans daughter says in the video.

The last year has been extremely difficult for our family. Dad was put on a low dose of benzodiazepine a few years ago for anxiety following an extremely severe auto immune reaction to food.

When his wife was diagnosed with cancer, he took a higher dosage, his daughter says, and thats when the problems began.

He took the medication as prescribed, she says in the video. Last April, when my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the dose of the medication was increased. It became apparent that he was suffering from both a physical dependency and a paradoxical reaction to the medication. A paradoxical reaction means the drugs do the opposite of what theyre supposed to. These reactions are rare but not unheard of.

She added: For the last 8 months, hes been in unbearable discomfort from this drug, made worse when trying to remove it because of the additional withdrawal symptoms.

A physical dependence let to a terrible condition where the person feels an endless irresistible restlessness bordering on panic and inability to sit still. The reaction made him suicidal. After several failed treatment attempts in north American hospitals, including attempts at tapering and micro tapering, we had to seek an emergency medical benzodiazepine detox, which we were only able to find in Russia, his daughter says.

It was incredible grueling and it was further complicated by severe pneumonia, which weve been told he developed in one of the previous hospitals.

He spent four weeks in the ICU in terrible shape. With the help of some extremely confident and courageous doctors he survived. The decision to bring him to Russia was made in extreme desperation when we couldnt find any better option. The uncertainty around his recovery has been one of the most difficult and scary experiences weve ever had.

Hes now recovering, but theres a lot of physiological damage he needs to recover from, she said. Hes improving and hes off the horrible medication. His sense of humor is back, hes smiling again for the first time in months, but he still has a long way to go to recover fully. It appears were going to get through this by the skin of our teeth.

She concluded by saying she wanted to make a couple of things clear. Neither our family nor the doctors here believe this is a case of psychological addiction. Benzodiazepine physical dependence due to brain changes can occur in a matter of weeks. It can be made even worse by paradoxical reactions that are difficult to diagnose and can be extremely dangerous.

In conclusion, she said, Weve been told and hope that dad will recover fully, but it will take time, and he has a ways to go. Were extremely lucky and grateful that hes alive. The next update will come from him directly. Thanks again for all the support.

Go here to see the original:
Jordan B. Peterson Health Update: Author Is Recovering ...

A controversial psychology professor and self-help author who has spent much of his career railing against political correctness is recovering from an addiction to tranquilizers, his daughter said.

Jordan Peterson, 57, emerged last week from an intensive care unit in a Russian hospital after being treated for a dependence on benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety medication.

Peterson sought alternative treatments in Russia after being repeatedly misdiagnosed in North American hospitals, including a clinic in New York, Mikhaila Peterson said in a video script she shared with Canadas National Post newspaper.

He nearly died several times, the daughter said, adding her father had been taking the drug for years to treat anxiety brought on by a severe autoimmune reaction to food. Doctors increased his dosage last year to help him cope with stress after his wife, Tammy, was diagnosed with cancer.

The daughter and her husband took Peterson, a professor at the University of Toronto who has long battled depression, to Moscow last month; he was diagnosed with pneumonia and put into an induced coma for eight days, according to the National Post. She described her fathers withdrawal as horrific.

In the past, Peterson said he was able to beat back depression with the meat-heavy diet his daughter encouraged him to adopt. Cutting out greens altogether improved both his mental and physical health, he said in a 2018 interview.

The Twelve Rules of Life author has been released from the hospital and is taking anti-seizure medication, his daughter said. Although he has trouble walking and typing on his own, he is on the mend, she said.

Hes smiling again, she said.

Read more from the original source:
Jordan Peterson recovering from tranquilizer addiction