A dart board and three darts are required to make the final decision.

Does the list of the three top-rated prospects include a future HOFer? My guess is that, in 2020, the best MLB player from the 2010 draft will not be one of these top three.

Let's assume for a moment that both are available (because if one of them is gone, then this argument is moot). I would prefer Machado IFF (that's if and only if, for those of you not fluent in mathematics) he projects to make the majors before he turns 23. That gives him up to 5 years in the minors to prepare. I also think that if he arrives before he turns 23, then he most likely remained a shortstop, which we desperately need.

Machado, what I am reading on Taillon is that he may have trouble repeating his delivery. NOT a good thing to have to deal with.

I'd Al Davis make this pick than the Orioles' front office.

Personally, I hope the Pirates take Taillon.so we get Machado. Taillon throws damn hard, but I feel like Machado has more potential to actually develop better. Ive looked at both of their scouting videos, and I dont think Taillon's mechanics are easily repeatable. I don't think it'll result in injury, but could pose some control issues.

Machado on the other hand, moves smoothly and has quick hands. People are saying no to him because of Givens, but that is not how you do a baseball draft. There are way too many people who dont make it to pick for position or need over the best player on the board.

Personally I like the Orioles larger plan to invest heavily into pitching. Sure, it leaves us somewhat thin in position players, and it might make some folks think we need to address that here, but to me, I think Tallion is a special pitcher. You just don't see so that many physical specimens at or so close to his projected frame, with plus plus stuff and his kind of velocity come around too much. The thing about a kid that big is that he seems to have a lot of body control for a big kid. He's a little bit side-to-side in his delivery, and throwing across his body, that we hear so much about, and affects his command, but a lot os scouts seem to think it's fixable.

I think we have to go with Tallion.

Machado is an excellent pick too. But considering the options, if we have the choice, I think the choice breaks down to risk management and odds of reaching the majors. Tallion to me is a little more of a gamble that all HS pitching is apt to be. Machado is as unknown as any HS player will be, but he has the advantage of not having the same degree of attrition that will take down so many pitching prospects by age 24-25.

Can we trade Hobgood and get our 2nd round pick back? But seriously,it's hard to go wrong with these two choices even though the O's will probably find a way. Strasburg raised the bar for top picks and slot money is up in the air.Boras will hold his kid hostage under the threat of going back to college. Hopefully the O's have an idea going in how much it'll take to sign him.TheO's overpaid for middle and late round picks last year for no apparent reason and at least 2 of them had injuries.

Even right out of high school,Machado can't be any worse than Izturis so they might as well plug him in next year in June or whatever.Personally,I'd prefer the best college corner hitter.

We need some hitters,and all of our so called great young pitchers seem to get hurt or are busts.I would take Machado

I lean toward hoping for machado because we need a top prospect SS, don't worry about givens, IF he makes it one can move to 2nd base about then.. Even more I hope we draft some very tough signs and give them over draft money to build within.. I really regret we aren't spending in the international market though like Cincy and others, it is like getting some extra top picks without giving up anything other than cash we know we have to spend to get better.. Please lets do better here Andy and Peter..

A collage shortstop that can help RIGHT NOW! Maybe a Zimmerman prototype. This waiting 3/4 years for development is BS. I suggest Jeff Gyorko from WVU is the man.

Take Machado if possible. If he tears up the minors he could be here in 2-3 years.

Taillon will be having Tommy John surgery in 2-3 years.

Take Machado. We already have arms in the pipeline, but no position players with potential high ceilings. Choice seems obvious to me.

well i'd go with the short stop
but the pirate likely will make the decision for the orioles, yeah?

I'd take the SS. At 18 he is still growing and could add power as he gets bigger. His defense should improve as he gets more experience. It would be interesting to see the stats: Who is more likely to make it to the big leagues (and make an impact)-- a first round pitcher or a first round position player? I'm guessing a first round position player because there is nothing more fragile in sports than a pitcher's arm.

we need position players. this is a no-brainer, draft Machado.

Take the SS....last tall, lanky HS shortstop we drafted didn't turn out so bad.

Who knows what will happen...maybe the guy taken 20th will end up being the next Jeter. But I think you just take the guy who's left (Machado or Tallion) and hope they pan out.

I just dislike hearing the second guessing years later, "We could have had (fill in all-star's name)".

The Orioles have been doing pretty well with their picks lately but in the end, really, nobody knows until these kids develop.

You know who else threw hard but had a delivery that was difficult to repeat... Dontrelle Willis. The guy had 2 good years ('03 and '05) and is a train wreck.
The O's drafted Hobgood last year and he appears on the slow path (if he'll reach the majors at all). We need the bat. Go for the INF.
It is less of a risk taking a hitter out of High School than a pitcher. Pitchers need to log innings against good competition and with rare exception benefit from pitching in College and the Minors.
As for Givens, good we NEED depth at positions not just pitching. We need INF's. But given our track record, we'll draft the pitcher, watch him have two good years 5-7 years from now, and become an untradable train wreck.

PITCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you believe the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's take, the Pirates will be taking the SS. However, their article points out an amazing stat - that in the last 30 years, only 2 (TWO!) HS pitchers taken in the 1st 3 picks have ever become legit major league starters - Steve Avery & Josh Beckett. HS pitchers are just too risky & unknown. Would rather see them take the next best postion player or even a college pitcher who's more proven and might actually contribute in the next couple of years.

Yes, I think we should draft the SS or the P. You mean I have to actually pick one or the other? Hmmm... tough choice.

I think there is a greater need in the organization for position players than pitchers. If I am reading the tea leaves right, it sounds like the O's would like to take Taillon in the first round and get some position players starting with their next pick in the third round. Me, I'll put the positive spin on whichever way it goes. Until it all goes horribly wrong for some reason.

I've seen both (Tallion on ESPN & Machado on the Pirates network) & I'd grab Tallion in a heartbeat. This kid is light years ahead of where Hobgood was last year.
I realize many down Miami way are saying Machado is the next A-roid but he appears to need far more seasoning than Tallion.
The kid is in great shape, throws gas & has an unreal breaking ball for an 18 year old. The only way this team gets better is with a stockpile of very good young arms.

Most scouts seem to think that as Machado matures, he will put on too much weight and lose too much speed to play SS, so he will move to 3B, where his offensive numbers will more so get lost in the crowd. Take the BPA, which most people seem to think is Taillon.

If I were the Orioles, I'd stay away from ever drafting a high school pitcher, until the organization's talent-evaluation has consistently proven that it is among the elite -- or at least above average.

And to be frank, elite it ain't. 30 years of poor draft results don't lie.

Given the organizational difficulties, it seems like a wise decision to eliminate and/or avoid potential disasters. No one is a sure thing in a baseball draft, but some strategies are far more risky than others, and drafting high school pitchers high in the first round is one of the most foolhardy endeavors a team can undertake.

The problem is exacerbated when you do it two years in a row.

Sure, a team may be in a position to take a flyer every now and then, and see what comes of it. But does anyone *really* think the O's are in a position to burn a draft pick?

Heck, GOOD teams are routinely sucked in by the hype surrounding the Next Great Pitcher. It's bad enough that last year's pick was this risky, but two years in a row seems overly foolish.

What, exactly, about the last 25-30 drafts leads anyone to believe the organization has suddenly found the key to success where so many other teams have failed, miserably?

Whoever it is, I'm sure that somewhere between Bluefield and Baltimore, our player development system will find a way to mess the kid up.

Rest assured, whomever they draft will be a total bust. Bank on it.

Draft the SS since we don't have much in the way of position players throughout our farm system and we need to start improving in that area. We already have a 6-6 pitcher with pitching problems named Chris Tillman.

Pitching, pitching, pitching, and then, oh, pitching.

Taillon We won't be good until Angelos is gone. Put players in position to be successful , which they are not when we run AAA pitching out there! I'm so tired of the organization yes men saying they haven't seen a group of talented young arms like this since 1965,,,but that's what you get when you run off all the talented and independent thinkers (remember dave johnson and jon miller, from '97, the last time we had a winning record?).

It's sounding more and more like Pirates are going Taillon, so we'll be getting Machado. That's probably my preference, but I don't really think any of us can give a reasonable answer to this question.

For me personally, I just want the best player available. Seeing as how I've never seen either of these guys play an inning in their lives, I'm not qualified to say who that is. Suffice it to say that the consensus is that they are the 2nd and 3rd best players in this draft in either order, and the Orioles will simply take whichever one the Pirates don't. I'm perfectly satisfied with that approach.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I'm already imagining a left side of Machado and Rendon. Can't blame a guy for dreaming when your team is playing like this...

I'd vote neither. Who is the best college 1b/3b available? We need a nearly MLB ready corner infielder more than 2 high school kids who won't be here until we've endured 17 or 18 straight losing seasons....

I'd take the pitcher. My fear is Machado turns into another Billy Rowell.