Archive for 2009 Draft
2009 Draft: BA’s Fantasy Draft
Posted by: | CommentsBaseball America hot shots Jim Callis and John Manuel posted a their fantasy mock draft today, acting as team scouting directors and alternating first round picks. Callis took Texas prep outfielder Slade Heathcott with the Yanks’ first round pick, most certainly not the first time we’ve seen his name connected to the Bombers. It’s a rare non-subscriber piece, so make sure you head on over and check it out.
This is the first time in three years that I don’t have the slightest clue about which way the Yanks are leaning. Gerrit Cole was the odds on favorite last year, and the year before that Andrew Brackman was all but a given. This year though … no idea at all. It’s exciting, who doesn’t like surprises?
Shadowing the Mock Draft
Posted by: | CommentsEvery year over at Minor League Ball, John Sickels recruits his dedicated readers to serve as scouting directors for each of the 30 MLB clubs, and he hosts a mock draft the weekend before the actual draft. Two years ago I acted as the Yanks’ scouting director, taking Andrew Brackman in the first round just like Damon Oppenheimer & Co. did a few days later. I’m not normally one to toot my own horn, but I want to point out that my fourth rounder, Rick Hague (presently at Rice), is looking like a late first/early second rounder for the 2010 Draft. So yeah, I rock.
I didn’t take part in the mock draft last year because of the time commitment, instead opting to review the draft after the fact and making my picks then. I somehow ended up taking high school pitchers from Kentucky with my first three picks, not exactly conventional. But that’s besides the point, the important thing is that doing the mock draft that way was much easier for me, albeit not as fun.
I’m not sure why, but the mock draft only ran three rounds this year (it’s been five rounds in the past), so the Yanks only got to make two picks. The Yanks’ scouting director didn’t show up, so Sickels picked for them. Here are my picks vs. his.
Round 1, Pick 29
Actual Pick: Matt Hobgood, RHP, California HS
Mike’s Pick: Hobgood
All of the guys that we’ve heard may fall because of signability – Matt Purke, Donavan Tate, Tanner Scheppers – were off the board, but Hobgood was still too good to pass up. I also considered guys like Slade Heathcott and Reymond Fuentes, but Hobgood is a legit first rounder with a premium power arm and big, durable frame. You can see his scouting video here. Not much to add, love the pick.
The Yanks don’t have a sandwich round selection, but you can see the picks here.
Round 2, Pick 76
Actual Pick: Jake Barrett, RHP, Arizona HS
Mike’s Pick: Brooks Raley, LHP, Texas A&M
The guy I really wanted to take, California prep outfielder Jake Marisnick, went to the Phillies one pick before the Yanks, a great pick for them. Raley is a nice consolation prize though, a draft eligible sophomore with quite a bit of projection remaining in his 6′-3″, 185 lb frame. A two way star, he’s better on the mound than in the outfield thanks to his high-80′s fastball and low-80′s curve that he commands exceptionally well. His changeup is a work in progress. Given his athleticism and wiry frame, it’s easy to envision him filling out and adding another four of five miles an hour to his heat, which combined with his command would take him from a very good to an elite southpaw prospect.
Barrett would have made a fine pick as well – big righty with a heavy fastball and a tight curve that he can drop for strikes – but I just prefer Raley’s arm from the left side. You can see Raley’s scouting video here, and Barrett’s here.
The Yanks don’t have a third round pick because of the AJ Burnett signing, but you can see the picks here.
So yeah, having just two picks is kinda lame, but it’s still fun to put yourself in the Yanks’ shoes.
2009 Draft: Purke wants Porcello money
Posted by: | CommentsOver at the Draft Blog, Keith Law reports that prep southpaw Matt Purke is looking for “Rick Porcello’s deal” in next week’s draft. Porcello received a Major League contract that included a $3.58M signing bonus and $7.285M in guaranteed money as part of the largest contract ever given to a high school pitcher when he was the 27th overall pick in 2007. The Yanks have been connected to Purke in recent weeks because he’s a big name prospect likely to fall, but that kind of money is a bit ridiculous. He’s good, but he’s no Porcello. Thankfully, it’s just a negotiating ploy.
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2009 Draft: Gibson has a stress fracture
Posted by: | CommentsAfter experiencing tightness in his forearm during his start last weekend, Missouri righthander Kyle Gibson will be out for six weeks with a stress fracture in his forearm. Gibson was one of the top RHP prospects in the class, and all but a lock for a top 15 pick, probably top ten. There is no ligament damage, and Gibson should be able to throw for whatever team drafts him before the August 15th signing deadline.
The injury will certainly hurt Gibson’s draft status, but it’s hard to predict how far he’ll drop. Tanner Scheppers dropped to just the 49th overall pick last year with a stress fracture to his shoulder, so maybe that serves as a guide. I’m an unabashed Kyle Gibson fan – love the big projectable frame, love the delivery, love the stuff (scouting report, video) – so I’d be ecstatic to see him end up with the Yanks. But in the first round? Eh, I’d rather have a guy who’s healthy and gamble later.
2009 Draft: BA’s Mock Draft v3.0
Posted by: | CommentsBaseball America posted version three of their Mock Draft yesterday. It’s subscriber only, but I can tell you that they have the Yankees taking HP Matt Purke. They had the Yanks taking Texas prepster Slade Heathcott in version two, and Cal centerfielder Brett Jackson in version one. If you’re keeping score of all the mock drafts at home, that’s two for Purke, two for Heathcott, two for Jackson, and one for Lipscomb LHP Rex Brothers.
Jim Callis again echoed the Yanks’ interest in Heathcott and Jackson in the MDv3.0 piece, but added two more names to the mix: Notre Dame centerfielder AJ Pollock and California prep catcher Max Stassi. Pollock is a very good pure hitter from the right side but doesn’t really do anything else well (scouting report, video), while Stassi is a solid all-around backstop with tremendous makeup and competitive drive (scouting report, video). Of the realistic possiblities, Purke is still the best.
2009 Draft Link Roundup
Posted by: | CommentsWe’ve got a small army of links today, so let’s combine them all into one post.
- Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com posted his full first round mock draft. He has the Yanks taking Cal’s Brett Jackson, who Baseball America projected the Yanks to take in their first mock draft back in the middle of May. Mayo notes that the Yanks might be a little timid about going after a big bonus guy after losing out on Gerrit Cole last year.
- Jason Churchill posted his list of the Top 33 Draft Prospects over at his great site Prospect Insider, while John Sickels posted his top 50 at Minor League Ball.
- Writing for the big shots at ESPN, Churchill ran through the draft philosophies of all thirty teams (Insider only). “The Yankees don’t generally lean in one direction or another, but 12 of their first 14 picks the past two years have been college players, and they’ve been pitching-heavy the past four drafts,” he says.
- Jim Callis says that nine players from this draft class are “all but locks” to make BA’s Top 100 Prospects List next year, with Stephen Strasburg the odds on favorite to rank number one overall.
- Jayson Stark says that Scott Boras’ demand of $50M for Strasburg has murdered the history of baseball shows exactly what is wrong with the draft. He says we’re on our way towards having a cap on draft pick bonuses, and spoke to a club official that says it’s time for MLB to allow the trading of picks.
- Bryan Hoch caught up with Yanks’ scouting director Damon Oppenheimer, who stuck by his “we’ve been given a budget by ownership” story. I do believe it he’s been given a budget, but I’m guessing it’s still a mighty big number, $7-8M or so.
- You know the draft is close, because MLB.com’s Draft Tracker is up. Scouting videos for all!
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2009 Draft: Scheppers stock dropping
Posted by: | CommentsKeith Law tweeted that RHP Tanner Scheppers, once projected to go as high as #2 overall to the Mariners, is dropping on draft boards because of bonus demands and questionable medicals. Scheppers was a top ten talent for the 2008 draft, but fell to the Pirates in the second round after suffering a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder. He didn’t sign and is currently playing for the independent St. Paul Saints.
Marc Hulet recently interviewed Scheppers for Baseball Analysts, and (surprise surprise) Scheppers said his shoulder feels great and is stronger now than it was before the injury. Scheppers said Dr. Lewis Yocum attributed the injury to “normal wear and tear on an overworked arm,” and he spent four months doing strictly shoulder strengthening excercises as part of his rehab.
I don’t know what kind of bonus money Scheppers is looking for, but I’m sure he and his agent are looking for a Major League deal. In terms of talent, he’d be a steal for the Yanks at any point, and then you just have to hope the doctors like what they see.
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2009 Draft: KLaw’s updated mock draft
Posted by: | CommentsKeith Law post his updated mock draft over at the four-letter last night (subscriber only, sorry), and now has the Yankees taking Texas prep centerfielder Slade Heathcott. Less than a week ago KLaw projected the Yanks to take southpaw Matt Purke, but now sees Purke (and RHP Tanner Scheppers) dropping out of the first round entirely. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Yanks connected to Heathcott, as Baseball America also projected the Yanks to take the five tool outfielder last week.
The draft rumblings are only going to get louder and louder over the next week, so susbcribe to our draft feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
2009 Draft: NoMaas interviews Damon Oppenheimer
Posted by: | CommentsLane Meyer at NoMaas chatted with Yanks’ scouting director Damon Oppenheimer recently about the upcoming first year player draft. The part I found most interesting is that Oppenheimer was given an actual budget with a ceiling this year, compared to years past when he’s had more flexibility and less constraints. He also says that some people could be in for a surprise this year based on who the Yanks like and who they’ll end up taking. I’m intrigued. Make sure you head on over and give it a read.
2009 Draft: KLaw’s latest top 10 rumblings
Posted by: | CommentsWith the draft just over two weeks away, we’re starting to get a better idea of which teams are linked to specific players. Over at The Draft Blog, Keith Law posted some notes on the recent talk he’s heard about the top ten. It’s a subscriber only article, so I can’t go into too much detail, but here’s the latest on how the top ten might shake out:
1. Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, RHP, SDSU
2. Mariners: Tanner Scheppers, RHP, indy ball
3. Padres: Dustin Ackley, 1B/CF, UNC
4. Pirates: Tony Sanchez, C, BC
5. Orioles: Aaron Crow, RHP, indy ball
6. Giants: Tim Wheeler, CF, Sacramento State
7. Braves: Alex White, RHP, UNC
8. Reds: Tyler Matzek, LHP, Cali HS
9. Tigers: Jacob Turner, RHP, St. Louis HS
10. Nationals: Kyle Gibson, RHP, Mizzou
The Pirates might go cheap at #4 because they’re expected to break the bank for Latin American prospect Miguel Angel Sano. KLaw also echoes the rumblings that the Yanks are in on Slade Heathcott, noting that scouting director Damon Oppenheimer and two other execs have been on hand for his recent games.
