The 2018 amateur draft is now complete. A total of 1,214 players were picked these last three days, including 40 by the Yankees. Believe it or not, not one of those 40 is a Southern California kid. Crazy. It was a down year for SoCal overall, but I still figured scouting director Damon Oppenheimer would find someone he liked out there. Guess not. Anyway, here are my Day One and Day Two draft recaps. Let’s review the Yankees’ Day Three haul.

The Best Day Three Prospect

The best prospect the Yankees drafted yesterday is Louisiana HS RHP Landon Marceaux (37th round), who went into the draft as a potential top three rounds pick on talent. His commitment to LSU was considered borderline unbreakable, however, so I wouldn’t count on the Yankees being able to convince Marceaux to turn pro. This was one of those “hey, we’re interested in case you change your mind, otherwise we’ll touch base again in a few years” pick.

Marceaux is a 6-foot-1 right-hander with excellent command and pitchability. He really knows how to work both sides of the plate and set hitters up. His fastball is mostly 88-92 mph right now and his best pitch is a snapdragon curveball. Add in a quality changeup and a slider, and you’ve got a kid who could come out of college as a first round pick in three years. It seems to me the Yankees have some extra bonus pool space to spend on a Day Three prospect. I really doubt they have enough to convince Marceaux to pass on LSU and turn pro though.

The Top Prep Catchers

Even after selecting George HS C Anthony Seigler and Texas JuCo C Josh Breaux in the first and second rounds, respectively, the Yankees really attacked their organizational weakness at catcher on Day Three. They drafted four more catchers in rounds 11-40, including two from the high school ranks with considerable upside. Will the Yankees sign either of them? We’ll see.

Nevada HS C Austin Wells (35th) was one of the top high school catchers in the draft class thanks to his well-rounded skill set. The problem? He’s been nursing an elbow injury all spring and hasn’t been able to throw. When healthy, Wells has a cannon and he’s very accurate. He can hit too. He’s a lefty with some pop and a sound approach. Had he been healthy, Wells might’ve gone on Day One this year. Instead, it’s likely he’ll follow through on his commitment to Arizona, and he could be one of the top college catchers on the draft board in three years.

The other top prep catcher, Connecticut HS C Patrick Winkel (31st), is a very advanced receiver for a high schooler, especially one from a cold weather state. He’s a very good thrower and he’s had no trouble catching elite pitching in showcase events. Winkel can catch. It’s unclear whether he’ll hit. He has an uppercut swing from the left side and needs to iron that out, as well as develop more discipline. Winkel is committed to UConn and, like Wells, he was considered a tough sign going into the draft.

It’s also worth noting the Yankees selected another prep catcher, Idaho HS C Alex Guerrero (18th), who is rough around the edges defensively but can really hit from the left side. Unlike Wells and Winkel, Guerrero is expected to turn pro. He told Michael Lycklama he is “99.999% sure” he’ll sign. “It being the Yankees, it’s a big deal … It’s a crazy feeling to even be considered a part of that history,” said Guerrero.

The College Bats

In an effort to find the next Steven Sensley, the Yankees grabbed several college position players with strong track records of performance on Day Three. George Washington 3B Isaiah Pasteur (13th) managed a .331/.398/.589 batting line with eleven homers and 31 steals in 57 games this spring, and when you add solid hot corner defense to the mix, you get one of the most intriguing college senior position players in the draft class.

VMI OF Matt Pita (12th) hit .389/.459/.721 with 14 homers and 23 steals in 53 games this spring, and Tennessee Tech OF Alex Junior (19th) put up a .326/.458/.494 batting line with seven homers. Bryant 1B Mickey Gasper (27th) hit .340/.468/.539 with eight homers in 56 games. Interestingly enough, Gasper was a catcher all four years in school, but the Yankees announced him as a first baseman. Hmmm.

West Virginia 2B Kyle Gray (14th) hit .374/.462/.677 with 14 homers and ten steals in 55 games this spring, and that’s after hitting three home runs total in 110 games his freshman and sophomore seasons. Gray told Brett Barrett he adjusted his approached this year. “I’ve worked on having a better approach when it comes to certain counts, allowing fastballs to be driven the other way. That way I’m timing up off-speed when it shows up, and being able to keep it to the middle of the field,” he said. Here’s that new approach in action:

Kyle Gray gets one back! His team-high-tying 6th home run leads off the 4th.

B-4, OSU 7, WVU 3, 0 outs for Gonzalez

? https://t.co/LYijzeYSjx#HailWV pic.twitter.com/C78LUZiQsP

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 14, 2018

Gray showed good on-base ability and defense before this year’s power breakout. The Yankees are betting a 14th round pick the power is here to stay. Not a bad idea. Pasteur, Pita, Gasper, Gray, and Junior are all expected to sign.

Arms of Note

The Yankees did not load up on power arms on Day Three like they have in recent years. At least not as much, anyway. The hardest thrower the Yankees selected yesterday is South Carolina JuCo RHP Tanner Myatt (11th), who stands 6-foot-7 and 220 lbs., and sat 94-96 mph this spring. He touched 99 mph and also showed a decent slider. He walked 16 in 26.1 innings though, so finding the plate is an issue.

Miami (Ohio) RHP Nick Ernst (15th) was on his way to being a Day Two pick this spring when his elbow gave out and he needed Tommy Johns surgery. He made only two starts before getting hurt. Before the injury, Ernst was working at 91-94 mph with a quality slider. I’m curious to see whether he takes the money now, or goes back to school and tries to rebuild stock next spring. The timing of the injury means he won’t return until next April, so he won’t have much time to showcase himself, plus his leverage will be low as a senior. We’ll see.

The Yankees grabbed another Tommy John surgery guy in Vanderbilt RHP Justin Wilson (23rd), though Wilson had his surgery two years ago, and he returned to the mound this spring. Between the injury and a deep Vanderbilt staff, Wilson threw only six relief innings this year, which was apparently enough to convince the Yankees to draft him. Prior to the injury he worked in the low-to-mid-90s and had both a curveball and changeup. If he signs, Wilson could be a real nice late-round get for the Yankees. Vanderbilt doesn’t recruit nobodies.

Georgia Southern RHP Blakely Brown (24th) is another guy who didn’t pitch this spring, but not because of injuries. He transferred from Georgia and had to sit out the season due to the NCAA’s dumb transfer rules. Brown reached the mid-90s on the regular and also showed a great curveball last time he actually pitched. Even with zero innings this season, the Yankees might be willing to pay Brown more now than he’d get as a senior next spring. Curious to see what happens here.

Florida HS RHP Jack Anderson (36th) and Florida HS LHP Brady Allen (39th) strike me as guys who are better off going to college than signing. Anderson has a good frame (6-foot-2 and 170 lbs.) and he’s sitting mostly 87-89 mph right now, and neither his breaking ball nor his changeup are reliable pitches yet. Allen is also an upper-80s guy who is figuring out secondaries. Three years of college seems like the best thing for their development. Pro ball might be too much to ask right now.

The Rest of the Draft Class

Texas-San Antonio RHP Derek Craft (16th) is a fastball-slider reliever who went from 5.6 K/9 as a freshman and sophomore to 10.7 K/9 as a junior, so that’s something to watch … Arkansas RHP Barrett Loseke (17th) has the type of control issues typically associated with a hard-thrower despite sitting mostly 90-92 mph … Tennessee Tech RHP Marcus Evey (20th) is mostly low-90s with okay feel for a breaking ball … British Columbia 3B Mitch Robinson (21st) has some pop and did catch a bit back in the day … Louisiana-Monroe RHP Keegan Curtis (22nd) and Dallas Baptist RHP Sean Boyle (25th) are college swingmen with good strikeout numbers … St. Mary’s C Jackson Thoreson (26th) is a veteran senior catcher who will be asked to guide young pitchers in pro ball … Gardner-Webb RHP Tyler Johnson (30th) shows three pitches and could be a reliever-to-starter conversion candidate … North Carolina HS SS Sincere Smith (32nd) is a very athletic but raw baseball/football guy … Northeastern 3B Max Burt (28th), Stevens Institute RHP Chuck Ruegger (33rd), Belmont Abbey 2B Matt McGarry (34th), Boston College LHP Dan Metzdorf (38th), and Brown RHP Reid Anderson (40th) are all depth guys.

* * *

You can see all of the Yankees’ picks here. The Yankees selected 40 players in the 2018 draft, 29 of them college kids. Nine were high schoolers and two came from the junior college ranks. Twenty-four of the 40 players are pitchers (21 righties), six are catchers, four are outfielders, two are second basemen, two are third basemen, one’s a shortstop and one’s a first basemen. While I don’t think Seigler (or Breaux) was drafted to fill an organizational need, the Yankees definitely picked grabbed a good amount of catchers this draft. They’re needed in the farm system.

The three-day 2018 amateur draft wraps up today with rounds 11-40. The Yankees have had quite a bit of success on Day Three since the draft pool era began in 2012, selecting guys like Dustin Fowler, James Pazos, Caleb Smith, and Cody Carroll in the late rounds. We all want stars. But, in the late rounds, finding up-and-down players and trade chips is a pretty good outcome. Depth is important.

The Yankees have been fairly split in the first ten rounds this year, selecting four position players and six pitchers. Given all the lower level arms in the system, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a position player heavy — relatively speaking, of course, since teams always draft more pitchers than position players — Day Three today. You can see all of the Yankees’ picks right here. Here are my Day One and Day Two recaps, and here are some miscellaneous draft notes:

• Not surprisingly, Georgia HS C Anthony Seigler (1st round) confirmed he will sign with the Yanks. “There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m definitely going to sign with the Yankees. This is a no-brainer for me,” he said on a conference call with reporters yesterday.
• Tennessee HS OF Ryder Green (3rd round) played it a little more cool when asked whether he’s signing. “It depends on the money and what happens there. Hopefully it’s there, and if it’s not, Vanderbilt is an unbelievable option,” he said to WBIR. The kid admitted he has an agent in that interview, which ruins his college eligibility, so yeah, he’s signing.
• I’m not sure whether this is legit reporting or a throw-away line, but KWTX says Texas JuCo C Josh Breaux (2nd round) will “now forego that opportunity (at Arkansas) to play in the Yankees’ organization.” Even if it is a throw-away line, he’s signing. Everyone in rounds 1-10 is signing.
• Here are MLB.com’s best available players. The tippy top high school guys aren’t signing at this point. (Georgia HS RHP Kumar Rocker says he’s going to college.) Seems to me the Yankees have enough draft pool space for an overslot Day Three signing a la Josh Rogers and Isiah Gilliam.

The draft concludes today and, thankfully, the conference call is now rapid fire, one pick after another. MLB really drags out Day One and Day Two nowadays. Anyway, the draft resumes at 12pm ET, and you can tune in on MLB.com. Here is MLB.com’s draft tracker. Chat about all the day’s draft action here.

The first ten rounds and 314 picks of the 2018 amateur draft are now in the books. The top ten rounds are the rounds tied to the bonus pool, and because of that, teams typically spend Day Two getting their bonus pool situated. They cut underslot deals with certain picks to ensure they have money for the players they really want. The Yankees are no different. Let’s recap their Day Two activity.

The Power Bat

Once you get beyond the first round or two, you stop looking for complete players and start focusing on individual tools. The well-rounded guys are off the board already. In Tennessee HS OF Ryder Green (3rd round), the Yankees landed a prep bat with big time raw power, among the most in the draft class. He’s a right-handed hitter with good bat speed who will put on a damn show in batting practice.

The question, as is often the case with these non-first round big power guys, is whether Green can make enough contact. He had swing-and-miss issues in high school, and while he showed better pitch recognition and bat-to-ball ability this spring, there is still a lot of work to be done. Pro pitchers will work over a guy with contact issues. Even in the lower levels.

The good news is Green is not a one-trick pony. He’s a good runner and a good athlete with a very strong arm — he pitched a 93 mph in high school — who has played the infield at various points, but was announced as an outfielder at the draft. Down the line, Green projects as a profile right fielder with power and the arm necessary to prevent runners from taking the extra base.

It’s worth noting Green is committed to Vanderbilt, which is usually a tough commitment to break. The fact the Yankees drafted him anyway tells me they already have a bonus agreement in place. They wouldn’t risk losing their third round bonus pool money ($576,400). That’s not how Day Two works. The two sides talk ahead of time — technically illegal, but everyone does it — and figure out a deal. Green will sign and the Yankees will try to get him to make more consistent contact so he can show off that power in games.

The Speed Demon

In Green, the Yankees selected a loud tool in his power bat. In Troy OF Brandon Lockridge (5th round), they selected another loud tool, this time speed. Lockridge is a true burner with 80 (or close to it) speed on the 20-80 scouting scale, and he’s been a great performer for a very good Troy team the last two years. This spring the 21-year-old hit .303/.427/.455 with only two homers in 60 games, though he also had seven triples, 25 steals in 27 attempts, nearly as many walks (36) as strikeouts (41), and a ton of hit by pitches (17!). Lockridge knows his game. Get on base and run like hell.

Interestingly enough, Lockridge started his career as a middle infielder and he has the skills to handle second base, but Troy moved him to center field this year to better take advantage of his speed. The Yankees announced him as an outfielder, so it seems the center field experiment will continue. Lockridge is still new to the position and his inexperience shows at times, but he has the skills necessary to play the outfield long-term. His speed allows him to go a long way to get the ball. The upside here is a pesky leadoff hitter who saves runs in center field. Lockridge is a junior and figures to sign for slot ($320,700) or close to it.

The Personal Favorite

Hands down, my favorite Day Two pick is North Carolina RHP Rodney Hutchison (6th round). He’s a big dude (6-foot-6 and 225 lbs.) who pitched in a variety of roles on a perpetually deep Tar Heels pitching staff. Starter, long reliever, short reliever, you name it. This spring Hutchison threw 56 innings in ten starts and eight relief appearances, posting a 4.79 ERA and a 52/16 K/BB. He had a 4.64 ERA in 131 1/3 career innings. Not good!

So why is Hutchison my favorite Day Two pick? Two reasons. One, his stuff ticked up late in the spring. Michael Lananna had him at 94-96 mph with a “very sharp 86 mph slider” and a changeup that “could get big league hitters out right now” two weeks ago, saying it was the best he’d ever seen him throw. Well then. Secondly, Hutchison varies his delivery to mess with hitters. Check this out:

Rodney Hutchison Jr. (UNC), 3 Pitch Filthy K Sequence/Messing with Timing. Excellent use of varying tempos + nasty movement. @rodhutch9 pic.twitter.com/VnrHbfpvfu

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 31, 2017

Three different deliveries in a three-pitch strikeout. Fun! Hutchison is a fun pitcher and I am pro fun. If the uptick in stuff is real and something he can sustain going forward, this dude could really be something. Hutchison is a junior, but given his performance, there’s a chance he’ll sign for something below his $247,600 slot value.

The Bullpen Sleeper

The middle rounds are for draft pool manipulation and the Yankees, like every team, grab a few college seniors in rounds 6-10. They have no leverage and sign for peanuts, saving lots of bonus pool space. In recent years, however, the Yankees have done a nice job turning some of those picks into prospects and big leaguers. Tyler Webb was a senior sign, for example. Others like Nick Rumbelow and Nick Goody were mid-rounders.

This year’s senior sleeper is Grand Canyon RHP Mick Vorhof (9th round). In addition to having a great baseball name, he had ridiculous numbers this season, pitching to a 2.35 ERA with a 48/3 K/BB — 48/3 K/BB! — in 38 innings. Vorhof is a reliever all the way, and he sits low-90s with his fastball and backs it up with a solid (but unspectacular) breaking ball and changeup. To me, he’s a classic “the Yankees are going to get this guy to throw harder” prospect. The control is there and the secondary pitches are good enough. Wait until he adds some fastball.

The Depth Arms

The middle rounds are a good place to add inventory and, to be fair, North Florida RHP Frank German (4th round) is more than organizational depth. He’s very athletic with an easy low-to-mid-90s heater and a quality changeup. German is still working to refine his breaking ball, which sometimes drops like a curveball and sometimes sweeps like a slider. Three-ish pitches, strike-throwing ability, and a good delivery. A good starter kit for a fourth round pick, that is.

Gonzaga RHP Daniel Bies (7th round) and Bucknell RHP Connor Van Hoose (8th round) are senior signs who are interesting for different reasons. Bies is the better prospect of the two. He had Tommy John surgery in high school and has been better and better the further he’s gotten away from surgery. He’s Dellin Betances sized at 6-foot-8 and 230 lbs., and he brings low-to-mid-90s gas and an occasionally above-average slider to the mound. Bies had very good numbers this spring (2.49 ERA and 124/25 K/BB in 112 innings) and that always helps.

Van Hoose pitched to a 2.36 ERA with a 103/31 K/BB in 76.1 innings this spring, and he has a wonderfully simple and repeatable delivery that helps him throw strikes with three pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup). There’s not much to the fastball — he’s mostly 88-92 mph these days — which limits his ceiling. Perhaps the Yankees can get him to add some velocity. That’d be cool. If not, then I could see him as a solid organizational arm who spends several years in the system.

The Yankees used their final Day Two pick on UNC Charlotte LHP Josh Maciejewski (10th round) who, if nothing else, is an interesting statistical case. His year-by-year numbers:

	IP	ERA	K/9	BB/9
2015	64	5.06	5.1	2.8
2016	85	5.51	6.9	3.5
2017	77	5.35	6.9	3.6
2018	104	2.25	9.0	2.1

Hmmm. Something is going on here. Something I am unable to find at the moment. Maciejewski changed something last year. Did his stuff improve? Did he change his pitch selection and sequencing? His position on the rubber? Something’s different. Whatever it was, it was enough for the Yankees to grab Maciejewski in the tenth round and roll the dice. He, Bies, Van Hoose, and Vorhof are all college seniors who will sign well-below-slot. They’re not non-prospects though. All four of them have something to offer.

* * *

Day Two is, typically, the least exciting day of the draft. Teams usually grab college seniors or cheap sign guys to get their draft pool situation where they want it. The Yankees actually had a pretty interesting Day Two though. I’m looking forward to seeing whether Hutchison maintains his suddenly improved stuff, whether Green can control the strike zone, and whether guys like German and Bies can fully harness their stuff and raise their profile like so many recent Yankees’ mid-round picks.