(Gonzaga Baseball)

Every year over at Minor League Ball, John Sickels hosts a community mock draft where readers serve as the scouting director for each team and make picks for the first four rounds. It was five rounds once upon a time, but they’ve since knocked it down to four to save time and sanity. I served as the Yankees mock scouting director back in 2007 and landed two big leaguers with my five picks: RHP Andrew Brackman and RHP Barry Enright. Hardly impact players, but at least they got to the show I guess.

The 2013 mock draft was held yesterday, and you can see all the picks right here: First Round, Competitive Balance Round A, Second Round, Competitive Balance Round B, Third Round, and Fourth Round. As I’ve done the last five years, here are the players I would have taken in those slots had I been calling the shots for the Yankees. Click the linked names below for my individual player write-ups, and here are past shadowed mock drafts: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012. Apparently I never did one in 2010. Not sure what happened there.

First Round (#26 overall)
Mock Draft: C Jon Denney, Oklahoma HS
My Pick: LHP Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga

I love Fresno State OF Aaron Judge, but I love Gonzales more. The southpaw doesn’t offer the same pure upside of Judge, who is a true physical freak with big power and speed and center field defense, but he’s incredibly polished with a pair of put-away offspeed offerings. Gonzales could be ready to pitch in the big leagues as soon as the second half of 2014, which is an added bonus. I tend to prefer high school arms and big upside, so this is definitely against the grain for me. I’m a big fan though.

Denney is a very good pick here and a bit more Yankees-esque in the profile as an up-the-middle athlete who can mash.

First Round (#32 overall, for Nick Swisher)
Mock Draft: SS Riley Unroe, Arizona HS
My Pick: RHP Kyle Serrano, Tennessee HS

I definitely would have grabbed Judge here if he was still on the board, but he went 27th to the Reds. Serrano gets the call instead and I’m more than happy to have him. If he was a few inches taller than his listed 6-foot-1, there’s a pretty good chance he would have gone in the top 15 picks. A high schooler with easy 90-94 mph velocity, one of the draft’s best curveballs, and a super advanced changeup? Gimme gimme gimme. It will take a huge bite out of my $7.96M draft pool to buy him away from his father Dave, the head coach at Tennessee, but I’m willing to get it done.

Unroe is a sneaky great pick here. He’s a switch-hitter with elite bat speed and a good chance to remain at shortstop long-term. If he can’t, second base or center field are viable alternatives. Unroe’s drawn rave reviews for his makeup and work ethic, and his father Tim played professionally for a decade. Definitely sounds like someone the Yankees would target.

First Round (#33 overall, for Rafael Soriano)
Mock Draft: RHP Aaron Blair, Marshall
My Pick: OF Billy McKinney, Texas HS

With the second of the back-to-back picks, I’m grabbing my first position player. McKinney is arguably the best pure hitter in the high school ranks this year, with an advanced approach and a sweet left-handed swing geared for hard contact. It’s unclear if he’ll stay in center field or wind up in a corner spot down the road, but I’m buying the bat here. Anything more is a bonus.

Blair’s a solid pick at this slot, but I already took one “safe” college arm and sure as hell wasn’t taking a second this high in the draft.

Second Round (#66 overall)
Mock Draft: LHP A.J. Puk, Iowa HS
My Pick: OF Jordan Paroubeck, California HS

Absolutely thrilled to land Paroubeck here. The Barry Bonds-trained switch-hitter shows power from both sides of the plate as well as better-than-average speed on the bases, plus he’s a legitimate center field athlete and defender. Thrilled.

Puk has looked like a potential first rounder at times this spring, but he’s sat more in the high-80s in recent weeks while pitching through some real sloppy weather in the heartland. An okay curveball and changeup round out his developing repertoire. He’s huge, listed at 6-foot-7 and 220 lbs., and he’s shown he can run his fastball up to 93 in the past. Solid pick here after the down spring.

Third Round (#103)
Mock Draft: OF Terry McClure, Georgia HS
My Pick: 2B L.J. Mazzilli, UConn

It’s going to take big bucks to sign those top four players, so it’s time to work in a cheap college senior to save some draft pool money. The son of former Yankees player and coach Lee Mazzilli, L.J. is a legitimate prospect who is a high-contact, advanced approach offensive second baseman. He hits right-handed and is a very instinctual player, which serves him well on the bases and in the field. Obviously there are big league bloodlines as well, but this isn’t just a nepotism pick. Mazzilli can play.

McClure is a toolsy center fielder who may or may not hit enough in pro ball, and he’s been ripped constantly for being nonchalant and having bad body language. His love for the game has been questioned, that kind of stuff. There’s upside but also a ton of risk.

Fourth Round (#134 overall)
Mock Draft: 3B Drew Dosch, Youngstown State
My Pick: RHP Tony Rizzotti, Tulane

Rizzotti has attended three colleges in three years — TCU, Grayson Junior College (Texas), and Tulane — in an effort to find more innings. Although he starts for the Green Wave, he projects as a reliever long-term thanks a power mid-to-high-90s fastball and wipeout mid-80s slider. He doesn’t have a third pitch. Rizzotti has missed time with knee trouble (including two surgeries) and back spasms over the last few years, but at this point in the draft, I’m just looking at the power stuff and hoping to get a lockdown reliever for a few years.

Dosch is one of the best pure hitters in the college crop, with an easy left-handed swing and gap power. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to crack double-digit homers with wood bats or stick at third base, however.

* * *

I feel like I got four first round-caliber talents in Gonzales, Serrano, McKinney, and Paroubeck. Those latter three all have a chance to become impact big leaguers while Gonzales figures to settle in as a solid contributor more than a true star. Rizzotti could contribute plenty in relief if he stays healthy as well. It’ll take a ton of cash to sign those top four players, so I’d have to take college seniors from rounds five through ten to make the draft pool work. Such is life.

The 2013 amateur draft is less than one week away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Hunter Green | LHP

Background
Green is a Kentucky kid who attends Warren East High School in Bowling Green. He led the Raiders to a regional championship as a sophomore and is committed to Kentucky.

Scouting Report
Listed at a very projectable 6-foot-4 and 180 lbs., Green has been inconsistent this spring but has looked like a slam-dunk first rounder at times. His fastball has run anywhere from 87-95 as a senior, and he’s settled into the 90-93 mph range as the weather warmed up in the recent weeks. A low-80s changeup is his top secondary offering and advanced for a high schooler, but his slurvy upper-70s breaking ball is still trying to decide if it wants to be a curveball or slider. When he stays on top of the ball, its a downer curve that misses bats. Green needs to iron out his command and mechanics, but he gets good extension from a low three-quarters arm slot. There’s some more video on YouTube.

Miscellany
Baseball America and Keith Law (subs. req’d) rank Green as the 31st and 51st best prospect in the draft in their latest rankings, respectively. In his latest mock draft, Law mentioned the southpaw is one of several prep pitchers the Yankees are looking at for one of their three first round picks (26th, 32nd, 33rd). Green is a classic high-risk, high-reward pitcher with a big projectable frame and promising but raw stuff. He’s done his best work in the recent weeks leading up to the draft, so there’s some helium as well.

The 2013 amateur draft is less than one week away, so between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Kyle Serrano | RHP

Background
Serrano attends Farragut High School in the Knoxville suburbs. His father Dave is a long-time college head and pitching coach who currently calls the shots at Tennessee after stints at UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton. Kyle missed most of his junior year with a cracked rib and is committed to (you guessed it) Tennessee.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 lbs., Serrano broke out in a huge way this spring. He generates easy 90-94 mph velocity with a clean and compact delivery that he repeats very well. An upper-70s/low-80s power curveball is a true out pitch for him, with a sharp bite and hard finish at the bottom of the zone. It’s one of the best breaking balls in the entire draft, college or high school. Serrano also throws a very advanced changeup, especially compared to other high schoolers. That isn’t much of a surprise given his father’s reputation for teaching the pitch. He throws strikes and has now stuff, so the only real knock on Serrano is his size. That frame doesn’t lend itself to much projection.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked Serrano at the 21st and 35th best prospect in the draft class, respectively. For what it’s worth, Law said Serrano is one of several prep pitchers the Yankees are monitoring in his latest mock draft. They have three first round picks (26th, 32nd, 33rd) and plenty of draft pool money to throw around. Serrano was considered unsignable coming into the year, but his stuff now lines up with his asking price and he seems likely to turn pro if drafted high enough. There’s an awful lot to like here — growing up around the game at a reasonably high level should make adjusting to pro ball less of a concern — even though 6-foot-1 righties usually aren’t a popular demographic.

The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Ryan Eades | RHP

Background
A Louisiana kid from the New Orleans suburb of Slidell, Eades’ late father Ned spend two years as a catcher in the Reds organization during the late-1960s. Ryan missed his junior year at Northshore High School and was limited to first base duties as a senior after having surgery to repair a partially torn labrum, leading him to pass on signing with the Rockies — they took him as a pitcher in the 19th round of the 2010 draft — and instead follow through on his commitment to LSU. He has a 3.55 ERA in three years on campus, but did put up a 2.69 ERA with a 75/27 K/BB in 93.2 innings this spring.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 198 lbs., Eades earns much higher grades for his skills than his college performance. He runs his four-seam fastball anywhere from 91-95 mph and will sit a touch below that with the two-seamer. On any given day his upper-70s downer curveball or low-80s changeup will look like his top secondary offering. The changeup is more refined and Eades seems to trust it more, throwing it in any count and to both righties and lefties. His delivery features a high leg kick and very good extension, meaning he releases the ball well out in front of his body like a taller pitcher. Eades throws strikes and draws rave reviews for his work ethic, which helped him come back from the labrum surgery. He’s been perfectly healthy since then, but did get fatigued and fade down the stretch in each of the last two seasons. There are some more videos on YouTube.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked Eades as the 30th and 37th best prospect in the draft class, respectively. For what it’s worth, Law recently said said he gets the sense the Yankees are hoping a top college arm falls into their laps with one of their three first round picks (26th, 32nd, 33rd). Damon Oppenheimer & Co. love players who have had success in the Cape Cod League — Eades won the circuit’s Pitcher of the Year award in the summer of 2011 — and have preferred polish over raw stuff when it comes to college pitchers in recently years, basically since Andrew Brackman busted. Eades could be on their radar as a “safer” play if they shoot for the moon with the other two first rounders.

The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Aaron Judge | OF

Background
After turning down the Athletics as a 31st round pick out of a California high school in 2010, Judge went on to hit .345/.451/.529 with 18 homers and 36 steals in 169 games across three years for Fresno State. He put up a .369/.461/.655 line with 12 homers and 12 steals in 56 games this spring.

Scouting Report
First things first: Judge is a monster. He’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 255 lbs. on Fresno State’s site, meaning he’s taller than every outfielder in baseball history other than Frank Howard. For what it’s worth, only nine outfielders in history are listed at 6-foot-6 or taller, and four are active: Kyle Blanks, John Mayberry Jr., Giancarlo Stanton, and Corey Hart. He’s enormous, and with that enormous frame comes enormous power. Judge’s batting practice displays rival Stanton’s, though he doesn’t always carry the pop over into games because he sets his hands high and has a hard time getting under the ball to drive it in the air. He’s especially prone to pitches down in the zone. Judge works counts well and will swing-and-miss a bunch, which is to be expected for a power hitter with a strike zone that big. Despite his size, he’s a very good athlete and a quick runner capable of playing center field. He’s expected to shift to right in pro ball, where his strong arm will suit him well. Between the size, speed, and athleticism, Judge is definitely a physical freak. There are plenty more videos available on YouTube.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked Judge as the 17th and 30th best prospect in the draft in their latest rankings, respectively. Right-handed power is hard to find and the Yankees love both up-the-middle athletes and physically huge players (especially pitchers), so Judge seems like someone who would be right up their alley. He offers defensive and base-running value as well, so he’s more than just a meathead masher. Whether the Yankees are willing to use/get a chance to use of their three first round picks (26th, 32nd, 33rd) on him remains to be seen.

The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Jonathon Crawford | RHP

Background
Heavily recruited as an outfielder out of Okeechobee High School in Florida, Crawford wound up on the mound at Florida after declining to sign with the Marlins as a 42nd round pick in 2010. He’s pitched to a 4.03 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 33 walks in 80.1 innings spread across 14 starts this year. In his first two years with the Gators, he managed a 3.18 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 25 walks in 82 innings.

Scouting Report
Crawford, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 lbs., came into the spring as a potential top ten pick thanks to his power arsenal. His fastball has sat anywhere from 89-95 mph this year, though mostly at the higher end of that range in recent weeks. He was 93-96 and touching 99 regularly as a sophomore. A low-to-mid-80s slider with sharp bite is his top secondary offering, but he doesn’t locate the pitch well enough consistently. His changeup remains a distant third offering. Crawford’s delivery is a little rough thanks to an Aaron Crow-esque wrist wrap, a short stride, and a stiff landing. It hinders his command and leads to some projecting him as a reliever. There’s isn’t much video out there, but you catch a quick glance at him at 0:22 mark of this clip.

Miscellany
Baseball America and Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranked Crawford as the 24th and 46th best prospect in this year’s draft in their latest rankings, respectively. Crawford has been trending upward in recent weeks and in a draft short on potential impact college pitching, his high-end arsenal and upside could land him in the first round despite the statistically meh year. The Yankees have three first round picks (26th, 32nd, 33rd) and are in a position to gamble on a huge yet risky arm like Crawford this spring.

The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Reed during a pre-draft workout for the Rangers. (Photo via @Linsey_Hebert)

Cody Reed | LHP

Background
Stemming from the Memphis suburb of Horn Lake, Mississippi, Reed went undrafted both out of high school (2011) and as a freshman out of Northwest Mississippi Community College (2012). He’s a so-called pop-up guy this spring thanks to improved stuff and strong performance — 2.39 ERA with a 96/40 K/BB in 73.1 innings across 12 starts — and he’s committed to attend Ole Miss next year.

Scouting Report
Reed has the goods. He offers size (listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 lbs.), athleticism, fastball velocity (92-95 mph), an out-pitch breaking ball (low-80s curveball), and a clean and repeatable delivery. Reed has worked hard to iron out his mechanics, which feature a long stride and clean arm action, and he’s working on adding a slider and changeup as well. Despite the delivery and added polish, he still struggles to command all his pitches and that’s the biggest negative right now. Reed offers almost everything else otherwise, include a good work ethic. I can’t find any video of him actually pitching, but are some interview clips on YouTube.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked Reed as the 37th and 104th best prospect in the draft in their latest rankings, respectively, so there’s a huge difference in opinions. That’s not surprising considering all the improvement he’s made this spring, it’s natural to remain skeptical. The one thing everyone agrees on is the upside, which lies somewhere between frontline starter and mid-rotation workhorse if he figures out a third pitch and irons out his command. The fallback is a bat-missing lefty specialist. The Yankees haven’t been too active on the JuCo front under Damon Oppenheimer, but Reed isn’t most JuCo prospects. With four day one picks (26th, 32nd 33rd, 66th), they are in a position to gamble if they want.