Although 15 of 40 rounds are in the bag, there are still plenty of talented players left on the board for Day Three of the amateur draft. Three of Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects are still available and although their rankings aren’t the be-all end-all, they’re a pretty great reference. The Yankees selected five low-cost college seniors in the top ten rounds by design, leaving plenty of draft pool roof for late round rolls of the dice.
2012 Draft: Hensley expects to sign quickly
Via Ryan Aber, first round pick Ty Hensley said negotiations with the Yankees will begin immediately and he expects to sign soon. “I’m ready to get this thing started,” said the prep right-hander. “I want to get out and play as soon as possible … My goal is to be there (in the big leagues) by the time I’m 21 years old.”
Slot money for the 30th overall pick is $1.6M and I expect Hensley’s eventual deal to come in relatively close to that amount, plus or minus. As you can see in this ESPN video, the kid looks very excited to have been drafted by New York. Everything you need to know about him is right here. The signing deadline is July 13th this year, moved up thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
2012 Draft: Day Two LiveBlog
After needing more than four hours for 60 selections last night, the amateur draft moves to a rapid fire conference call this afternoon (audio, Draft Tracker). Rounds 2-15 will take place via conference call today, and the Yankees have two picks right out of the chute at numbers 89 and 94 overall. The former is compensation for failing to sign second rounder Sam Stafford last year, the latter is their natural second rounder. The full draft order can be found here and the slot values for New York’s picks can be found here.
Use this thread and liveblog to talk about all things draft today. Please keep the draft talk in the draft threads and be mindful of our Commenting Guidelines. Thanks in advance.
2012 Draft: Preparing for Day Two
Now that the pomp and circumstance is over with, we can finally get down to the nuts and bolts of the draft. The best players tend to come from the first round but the vast majority of drafted big leaguers do not. The solid regulars, role players, and the like are usually drafted in the middle-to-late rounds and that’s how organizational depth is built. Turning a top ten selection into a star is one thing, turning a third rounder into Brett Gardner or a 17th rounder into David Robertson is another.
As we gear up for Day Two, let’s take a look ahead at what might be in store for one of the most unpredictable days on the baseball calendar.
The Basics
The draft resumes at noon ET today and will cover rounds 2-15. It’ll be conducted via conference call (available on MLB.com) and the picks will come rapid fire, none of this five (or even one) minutes between selections nonsense. The Yankees have two second rounders (#89 and 94 overall) and one pick in each subsequent round for a total of 15 choices this afternoon. Yes, there will be a liveblog.
Saving Draft Pool Space
A number of clubs with multiple Day One picks — specifically the Cardinals and Rangers — already grabbed low cost players in an effort to save draft pool space by eventually signing those players to below slot deals so they can redistribute the savings elsewhere. I expect the Yankees to do the same thing at some point today, perhaps even as soon as with one of their two second rounders. Both of those picks are valued at over $500k each, so going cheap with one could result in substantial savings.
The question is this: is it better to save say, $400k by going cheap on one of the two second rounders or by going cheap in the seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth rounds? Given the expected return on late picks, you can make a very strong case the latter is preferable. Then again, the board will play a factor. If there are two top talents sitting there in the second round, the Yankees could grab both and figure out the money thing later. If not, they could try to get the savings all at once. The point is, it’s better to have the extra cash and not need it than to need it and not have it. Expect a money-saving selection(s) at some point.
More Prep Players?
The Yankees were connected to high school arms quite heavily the last few weeks and that’s exactly what they took in first rounder Ty Hensley. The number of top prep players still on the board greatly outweighs the number of interesting college folk, so chances are the Yankees will lean towards high schoolers again today. I think a perfect world scenario would call for adding one of RHP Duane Underwood or RHP Ty Buttrey to Hensley in the second round, giving the Yankees two high-end arms at the core of their draft haul. That would be amazing. I would be surprised if either lasts that long, however.
At some point I would expect Damon Oppenheimer & Co. to start targeting polished college arms given their track record, more fodder for that bullpen pipeline. That usually happens in the later rounds though, plus the new spending restrictions could really throw a wrench into things. Then again, guys like Chase Whitley, Branden Pinder, and Mark Montgomery all signed for five figures. The Yankees have a knack for digging these guys up.
* * *
Other than RHP Mark Appel and RHP Lucas Giolito, we didn’t see any top talents slide on Day One and those two really didn’t fall that far at all. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement was designed to get the best talent to the worst teams and that’s what happened. It makes for a very straight forward draft with relatively few surprises. I think it’ll take the clubs another year or two before they really figure out the best way to operate under the new system and land the best talent despite the spending restrictions.
2012 Draft: Best Available on Day Two
The Yankees went big with their first round pick on Monday night, taking prep right-hander Ty Hensley with the 30th overall selection. Both Baseball America and Keith Law (subs. req’d) listed the ten best available players still available this morning, with no expected first rounders still on the board. I recommend checking out BA’s top 500 rankings; you can sort by drafted or undrafted with a lot more players listed. High school arms RHP Duane Underwood and RHP Trey Buttrey have been connected to the Yankees in recent weeks and remain available, though New York’s approach from here on out remains to be seen.
2012 First Round Draft Pick: Ty Hensley
With their first round selection (#30 overall) in the 2012 draft, the Yankees selected high school right-hander Ty Hensley. He’s only the third high school pitcher they’ve drafted in the true first round (not supplemental first round) over the last 18 years, joining Phil Hughes (2004) and Gerrit Cole (2008). Slot money for this pick is $1.6M.
Background
An Oklahoma kid from Santa Fe High School outside of Oklahoma City, Hensley’s father Mike pitched for three years in the minors after being selected in the second round of the 1988 draft by the Cardinals. Mike was also a long-time pitching coach at Kansas State, so Ty has grown up around the game. Hensley played quarterback for his high school before giving up football to focus on baseball as a senior. He’s committed to Mississippi.
Scouting Report
Oklahoma has a history of producing physically huge pitchers — Josh Johnson, Brad Penny, Braden Looper, and Jamey Wright most recently — and Hensley fits the bill at 6-foot-5 and 220 lbs. He sat in the 92-95 range with his fastball this spring and ran it as high as 97 at times, backing it up with a sharp overhand curve he throws in the upper-70s. His changeup shows promise but like most high schoolers, he hasn’t needed it and the pitch needs work. Hensley has a high leg kick and is deliberate with his delivery, which sometimes leads to command issues. As I mentioned when I first wrote him up as a potential target in March, his makeup and coachability are pluses. He also speaks Spanish, apparently.
It won’t matter as a pro, but I suppose it’s worth mentioning that Hensley is a switch-hitter with some pop in his bat. Ole Miss will allow him to both pitch and hit, but he’s a much better pro prospect on the mound. Here’s his MLB.com draft video.
Rankings
The various scouting publications all considered Hensley a back-half of the first round/early-sandwich round talent in their most recent rankings…
- Kevin Goldstein: 19th best prospect overall and ninth best pitcher (subs. req’d)
- Baseball America: 23rd best prospect overall and 11th best pitcher
- MLB.com: 26th best prospect overall and 13th best pitcher
- Keith Law: 36th best pitcher overall and 19th best pitcher (subs. req’d)
Damon Oppenheimer’s Take
Here’s what the Yankees’ scouting director said in a statement following the announcement of the pick, courtesy of Bryan Hoch…
“We’re excited to get a guy with such a high ceiling. He has the ideal body for a high school pitcher, as well as power stuff, and has the ability to be a high-end starter. He’s demonstrated a quality makeup and has shown himself to be a hard worker, which makes him a quality pick for us.”
My Take
Over the last week or two we’ve heard that the Yankees were targeting various prep arms, but Hensley was one of the few names not said to be on their radar. That’s probably not an accident; he was likely high on their board and they didn’t want it to be known. Oppenheimer usually emphasizes polish when it comes to pitching prospects, but this time he leaned towards upside and got a guy with a big fastball and more importantly, an out-pitch breaking ball. The Yankees love their big pitchers and again, Hensley fits right in. There’s a lot to like about this pick and the biggest thing to watch going forward is his command. If Hensley cleans up his delivery and is able to throw strikes consistently, he has a chance to be an above-average workhorse starter who misses bats and eats innings.
2012 Draft: Day One LiveBlog
Tonight’s amateur draft broadcast begins at 7pm ET and can be seen on MLB Network. Based on the past few years, it’s going to last about four hours, so find a comfy chair and settle in. The first and supplemental first rounds will be held tonight and the Yankees only have one pick to make this evening: #30 overall. The Cardinals and Blue Jays lead the way with five picks each while the Angels and Tigers are the only clubs without a selection on Day One. I’d rather have Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder than two draft picks as well, so I doubt they mind. The full draft order can be seen here.
Use this thread and liveblog to talk about all things draft. Our regular open thread can be found here for everything else. Please keep the draft talk in the draft threads and be mindful of our Commenting Guidelines. Thanks in advance.
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