In this post, I will review the 2010 seasons of the top Yankee prospects and figure out how close they are to the majors. I will group them by position.
Catchers:
Jesus Montero: Montero got off to a rough start in 2010, but rebounded to have a great year. He ended up hitting .289 for Triple-A Scranton with 34 doubles, 21 homers, and a .353 OBP in 123 games. The 21 homers were a career-high and the 34 doubles tied a career high. The BA and OBP were Montero's lowest since '07, but it's a good sign that he was able to rebound from the bad start. He also played relatively well defensively, throwing out 23% of runners while posting a .992 Fld%. (Keep in mind that Montero's CS% is higher than both Posada and Cervelli. Of course, he's up against Triple-A base stealers, not big league base stealers.) But, it seems unlikely that he will ever be a full-time catcher. There's a chance that Montero could start 2011 on the big league roster. At the latest, he will arrive in the majors in September 2011. He will turn 21 in November. ETA: Sometime in 2011
Austin Romine: Romine continues to put up decent seasons in the minors. He hit .268 in 2010 for Double-A Trenton with 31 doubles, 10 homers, 69 RBI, and a .324 OBP in 115 games. His 31 doubles was a career-high. He posted a 23% CS% at catcher with a .994 Fld%. Romine sounds like a good defender and does have potential, but right now he's had trouble handling great fastballs. He'll obviously have to improve that. Romine will turn 22 in November. ETA: September 2012
Others: 17 year old Gary Sanchez hit .329 with 8 homers and 43 RBI in 47 games between Rookie ball and Short Season-A. He had some struggles defensively, posting just a .971 Fld% although he did throw out 26% of attempted base stealers. He DH'd 17 times on the year. ETA: September 2014... 19 year old J. R. Murphy hit .255 with 7 homers and 54 RBI in 87 games for Low-A Charleston. His defense is also a work-in-progress, as he posted a .973 Fld% and a 23% CS%. Those struggles caused him to play DH 34 times with Kyle Higashioka catching. ETA: September 2013... 20 year old Kyle Higashioka hit just .225 for Low-A Charleston, but shined defensively, posting a .987 Fld% and a 33% CS%. He could eventually be a decent big league backup. ETA: September 2012
First basemen:
Brandon Laird: Laird had a great season in 2010 for Double-A Trenton. He hit .291 with 22 doubles, 23 homers, 90 RBI, and a .355 OBP in 107 games. He was so good that he was promoted to Triple-A Scranton where he hit .246 with 6 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, and a .268 OBP in 31 games. A player who has split time between 3rd base and 1st base, Laird's sub-par defense at 3rd will move him to 1st. He posted just a .931 Fld% at 3rd base this year and has a .934 Fld% there for his career. Meanwhile, he has a .992 career Fld% at 1st including a perfect 1.000 Fld% in 6 games there in '10. His only full season at 1st was '08 when he played 88 games at the position and posted a .993 Fld%. Pending a Teixeira injury, Laird will probably never get a chance to start at 1st base for the Yankees. So, his value would come as a bench player with a great bat who could play both 1st and 3rd. Laird's bat needs more work at Triple-A, and his glove, particularly at 3rd, needs more work as well. Certainly though, Laird's bat will get him to the majors in 2011. He turned 23 in September. ETA: August or September 2011
Marcos Vechionacci: Vechionacci finally started hitting in 2010 after years of struggles. He hit .283 for Double-A Trenton with 17 doubles, 11 homers, 55 RBI, 6 SB, and a .350 OBP in 114 games. The 11 homers was a career-high, and the .283 BA was a career high for a season in which he played in 80 or more games. His glove has never been great, but he has experience at every infield position. He has 70 career games at 1st, 3rd, and SS in addition to 7 games at 2nd. But, he has just a .958 career Fld%. If he can fix those defensive problems, he could compete for a utility role in 2012. He turned 24 in August. ETA: September 2011
Others: 22 year old Kyle Roller, the Yankees' 8th round pick in June, hit .267 with 5 homers and 31 RBI in 67 games for SS-A Staten Island. He posted a good .367 OBP. But, he posted just a .987 Fld% at first base. ETA: September 2013 or 2014... 18 year old Ramon Flores hit .329 in Rookie ball, and managed to get promoted all the way up to Low-A and High-A, hitting .250 at both levels. He played all 4 corner positions, struggling to the tune of a .948 Fld% at 1st, although he did post a .983 Fld% in RF and 1.000 Fld% in 10 games in LF and 1 at 3rd. Maybe he could be a utility player down the line. ETA: September 2013 or 2014...23 year old Robert Lyerly had a great offensive season in '10, hitting .312 with 36 doubles, 7 homers, 71 RBI, and a .352 OBP in 131 games for Low-A Charleston. But, notice I said "offensive season", not just "season". Lyerly posted a completely disastrous .873 Fld% at 3rd base, his primary position, and just a .978 Fld% at 1st base as well. Well, he's certainly a much better 1st baseman than 3rd baseman. He improve his fielding and keep, hitting at every level if he wants to make the Yankees. ETA: September 2013 or 2014
Second basemen:
David Adams: David Adams was off to a great start in '10, hitting .309 with 15 doubles, 3 homers, 32 RBI, and a .393 OBP through 39 games. He hadn't even committed an error at 2nd base, posting a perfect 1.000 Fld%! But, then he fractured his ankle and was done for the year. The question is how Adams will come back. It is possible to develop arthritis after an injury like that, but I'm sure the doctors did everything they can to prevent that from happening. If Adams is fine next season, his bat could propel him to the majors by September. Should he be promoted, he also has experience at 3rd base. He is 23 years old. ETA: September 2011 if healthy, September 2012 or 2013 if recovery takes longer than expected
Reegie Corona: Corona had a bad year at the plate in '10, hitting just .238 with 20 doubles, 5 homers, 31 RBI, 14 SB, and a .306 OBP in 105 games at Triple-A Scranton, but he shined defensively. He posted a .998 Fld% at 2nd base, making just 1 error all season. That's even better than Robinson Cano, who will likely win a Gold Glove this year after posting a .996 Fld%, making just 3 errors all year. Corona also played both SS and 3rd base, but he struggling mightily at those positions, posting a .909 Fld% in 8 games at SS and a .895 Fld% in 9 games at 3rd base. Corona profiles well as a utility infielder. He has just a slight chance of winning a spot on the big league roster during spring training in 2011, but should join the big league club at least in September. ETA: Sometime in 2011
Others: 22 year old Corban Joseph had a nice year in 2010, hitting .283 with 33 doubles, 6 homers, 64 RBI, 7 triples, and a .362 OBP in 129 games between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. He did only hit .216 at Trenton after hitting .302 at Tampa. Defensively is another story. He posted just a .967 Fld% at 2B, not horrible, but pretty bad. He definitely needs work on his defense, but his bat should eventually get him to the majors. He will be 22 this month. ETA: September 2013...26 year old Kevin Russo made his MLB debut for the Yankees, hitting .184 with 4 RBI in 31 games. He did post an 1.000 Fld% at both 2nd base and 3rd base, but posted just a .933 Fld% while playing LF (he only made 1 error). His season in the minors was sort of like that also. After hitting .326 in '09, he hit just .259. He posted a great .992 Fld% at 2nd base, but also played every other position besides 1st base, pitcher, and catcher. He wasn't good at any of the other infield positions (.963 Fld% at SS and a .906 Fld% at 3B), or LF (.962 Fld%), but he did post an 1.000 Fld% in 6 combined games in CF and RF. He'll never be a good player, but he will be on the Yankees at some point in '11 as a super-utility player. ETA: He already has arrived, but he'll arrive again sometime in '11
Third base:
Laird (see above)
Bradley Suttle: Suttle rebounded in '10 after missing all of '09 with shoulder surgery. He hit .272 in 133 games for High-A Tampa, with 33 doubles, 10 homers, 80 RBI, 12 SB, and a .340 OBP. But, he posted a sub-par .951 Fld%. Already 24, Suttle really has to make up for his lost time in a hurry. He must improve defensively to continue his great hitting next season for Trenton if he even wants to make the Yankees. ETA: September 2012
Lyerly (see above)
Rob Segedin: Rob Segedin had a rough first 22 pro games. The Yankees' 3rd round pick in June hit just .244 with 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 10 RBI, and a .344 OBP in 22 games, all but 2 at SS-A Staten Island (the others were at Rookie ball). His defense was even worse, as he posted a .929 Fld% at 3rd base. He definitely needs a lot of work, both offensively and defensively. He will turn 22 in November. ETA: September 2014 or 2015
Shortstop:
Eduardo Nunez: Nunez hit .280 with a homer and 5 SB in 30 games for the Yankees after a great 2010 in the minors. He posted an 1.000 Fld% at SS and a .944 Fld% at 3rd (1 error). But, he didn't make the postseason roster (Greg Golson made the team instead). Nunez hit .289 at Triple-A Scranton with 25 doubles, 4 homers, 50 RBI, 23 SB, and a .340 OBP in 118 games. He posted a .976 Fld% at SS in the minors, but just .917 Fld% at 3rd in 11 games, and just a .889 Fld% at 2B in 5 games. If Nunez wants to be a utility infielder for the Yankees in 2011, he must improve his defense. He is 23 years old. ETA: He has already arrived, and will likely make the Yankees out of spring training in 2011
Cito Culver: Culver, the Yankees' 2010 first round pick, struggled in his first taste of pro ball. He did OK at Rookie ball, hitting .269 with 7 doubles, 2 homers, 18 RBI, 6 SB, and a .320 OBP in 41 games. He posted a bad .918 Fld% at SS, but that's the case with most young shortstops. Culver was then promoted to SS-A Staten Island for some reason, and of course he struggled even more against older competition. He hit just .186 in 15 games game and posted just an .897 Fld%. Culver obviously had a disappointing debut, but he's just 18 and has plenty of time to improve. He is set up to be Derek Jeter's replacement at SS, and Jeter isn't going to retire for at least another couple of years. Culver has to improve both offensively and defensively, or Eduardo Nunez might end up replacing Jeter. ETA: Hopefully September 2014, before replacing Jeter in 2015
Others: 20 year old Jose Pirela had a good season for High-A Tampa, hitting just .252, but with 15 doubles, 5 homers, 61 RBI, 13 triples, 30 SB, and a .329 OBP in 130 games. He isn't as good defensively, as he posted just a .938 Fld% at SS (in addition to a .957 Fld% at 2B). If he can improve defensively, maybe he will be a dark house for the starting SS job after Jeter. (If Jeter retires before 2014, Pirela could compete with Nunez to be the starting SS, at least until Culver arrives in the majors.) He will be 21 in November. ETA: 2012 to 2013... 17 year old Angelo Gumbs, the Yankees 2nd round pick in the '10 draft, had a terrible first 7 games, hitting .192 with no homers or RBI's (although he stole 3 bases), and posting just a .880 Fld% (3 errors). Gumbs, who may eventually be moved to the outfield because of Culver, needs a lot of work. ETA: September 2015...
Outfielders:
Slade Heathcott: 2009 1st round pick Slade Heathcott has had an "interesting" start to his career. Originally considered a 5-tool prospect, Heathcott has only shown some of those tools. Heathcott only hit .258 in '10 for Low-A Charleston, so he doesn't appear to be a good hitter for average. Heathcott struck out 101 times, but he did post a .359 OBP. He only 2 homers in '10, so his power hasn't developed yet. But, that's pretty common for young hitters to have their power develop later, and he did have 16 doubles in 76 games. He did show some speed, stealing 15 bases, hitting 3 triples, and scoring 48 runs in those 76 games. But, he was caught stealing 10 times for just a 60% SB success rate. Heathcott posted just a .953 Fld% in '10 (7 errors), so he doesn't seem to be a great defensive player, at least in CF. But, he did have 8 outfield assists, showing off his great arm. (Could he move to RF in the future?) Heathcott struck out 101 times and posted a .359 OBP. Heathcott might develop into a better all-around player, but so far he's been a bust. He has to improve his BA, improve his SB success rate, and improve his defense while waiting for his power to develop. Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. He turned 20 on September 28th. ETA: September 2013
Melky Mesa: If you thought the Yankees would never have a Melky again, you were wrong. Melky Mesa hit just .260 for High-A Tampa, but with 21 doubles, 19 homers, 74 RBI, 9 triples, 31 SB, 81 runs, and a .338 OBP in 121 games. He posted a good .985 Fld% in CF (3 errors) with 6 outfield assists in addition to an 1.000 Fld% in 2 games in RF. He really seems like a blue-chip prospect, but after spending 3 seasons in Rookie and SS-A ball, he's already 23 years old and will turn 24 on January 31st. Still, if Mesa can put up those kind of numbers in the higher levels of the minors, Mesa will have some future with the Yankees. He better move fast, starting with Double-A in 2011. As a legitimate 4-tool prospect (all tools besides BA), Mesa really has a chance. Hopefully he will make the majors in September 2012 after a solid campaign at Triple-A. ETA: September 2012
Others: 24 year old Colin Curtis hit .289 with 24 doubles, 5 homers, 27 RBI, and a .358 OBP in just 66 games at Triple-A Scranton in '10. The reason he played so few games was that he was called up to the Yankees on June 21st because of injuries to Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames. Before being sent down on July 30th, Curtis hit .256 with a homer and 8 RBI (he didn't any hits in while posting an 1.000 Fld% in both LF and RF (but, his range factor was way below the league average). He also posted an 1.000 Fld% in the minors. Curtis might never be a starter in the outfield for the Yanks, but he could be a valuable bench player. He will be 25 in February. ETA: He already has arrived, and he will likely make the 2011 Yankees out of spring training... 23 year old Deangelo Mack had a pretty good year in '10, hitting .252 with 20 doubles, 12 homers, 56 RBI, 5 triples, 5 SB (7 CS), and a .333 OBP in 116 games for Low-A Charleston. He's a little bit old, but he could potentially provide power off the bench. He better progress in a hurry. ETA: September 2012 (otherwise he probably won't make the majors)...25 year old Ray Kruml is another relatively old prospect, but he has legitimate speed. He hit .267 in 117 games between High-A and Low-A in '10, with 14 doubles, 1 homer, 21 RBI, and a .314 OBP in, all of which are sub-par, but he stole 42 bases while being caught 8 times. He's not a great outfielder, as he posted a .976 Fld% in CF, and a .973 Fld% in LF (in addition to an 1.000 Fld% in 2 games in RF). He doesn't seem like even an average player, but maybe he could be a pinch-runner for the Yankees since Brett Gardner is now a starter. ETA: August 2013 (so he could possibly be on the playoff roster that year)...2010 4th rounder Mason Williams, a 19 year old CF, received the largest bonus the Yankees gave out this year, even more than 1st rounder Cito Culver. He hit .222 in 18 at-bats, so we really have no idea how good he'll be or how he'll progress. ETA: My guess is September 2014, but I have no idea
Pitchers:
Andrew Brackman: 2007 1st rounder Andrew Brackman finally got on track. After going 2-12 with a 5.91 ERA in 19 starts and 10 relief apperances for Low-A Charleston in '09, one year after Tommy John surgery, and 5-4 with a 5.10 ERA in 12 starts for High-A Tampa to begin '10, Brackman was promoted to Double-A Trenton and did great. He went just 5-7, but with a 3.01 ERA and 70 K's in 14 starts, 1 relief appearance, and 80.2 IP. This is the pitcher that the Yankees drafted in the 1st round! Hopefully he continues his success in '11, and we'll see him in September. He'll be 25 in December. ETA: September 2011
Ivan Nova: Nova certainly had his best season in '10. He went 10-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 135 K's in 23 starts and 145 IP before being promoted to the majors (he made his MLB debut earlier in 2010, tossing 3 scoreless innings in 2 relief appearances). After being promoted to stay on August 23rd, Nova went 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 7 starts, 1 relief appearance, and 39 IP. That's certainly not good, but it was decent enough to consider Nova for a rotation spot in 2011 (if the Yankees don't sign Cliff Lee). Nova has a promising future ahead for the Yankees, whether as a starter, or a reliever. ETA: Nova has already arrived, and should make the 2011 Yankees out of spring training
David Phelps: Phelps might be the only Yankee pitching prospect who had a better season than Nova in '10. Phelps went 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA in 141 K's in 25 starts, 1 relief appearance, and 158.2 IP. He was completely dominant. He had a 4 to 1 K/BB ratio (8.0 K/9 and a 2.0 BB/9), and just a 7.9 H/9 ratio. His ERA did go up to 3.07 at Triple-A, but even that's good! Phelps is another Yankee starter with a very promising future, but he is a little bit older than Nova at 24. We'll see him in September 2011 along with Brackman. ETA: September 2011
Manny Banuelos: Banuelos had another great year despite missing time with an appendectomy. He went just 0-4 between Rookie ball, High-A, and Double-A, but with a 2.51 ERA and 85 K's in 15 starts and 64.2 IP. That's an 11.5 K/9! He posted his worst ERA among the 3 levels, 3.52, at Double-A, and understandably why. Just 19 years old, Banuelos is an incredible prospect. He should return to Double-A in '11, go to Triple-A in '12, and be promoted to the majors in September of '12. Even then, he'll be just be just 21 years old. ETA: September 2012
Others: 22 year old Dellin Betances went 8-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 108 K's in 17 starts and 85.1 IP between High-A and Double-A. He had a great 4.91 K/BB ratio (11.4 K/9, 2.3 BB/9). His ERA jumped from 1.77 in High-A to 3.77 in Double-A, but that had to be expected. Hopefully he can do better at Double-A in '11, and do well enough at Triple-A in '12 to be promoted in September of that year. ETA: September 2012... 23 year old Graham Stoneburner had a great year in '10, going 9-8 with a 2.41 ERA and 137 K's in 26 starts and 142 IP between Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa. He posted a great 4.03 BB/9 (8.7 K/9 and a 2.2 BB/9) while allowing just 6.8 hits per 9 innings. He's a bit old to be in High-A, but a good year in Double-A in '11 and in Triple-A in '12 will get him to the Yankees in September 2012 at age 24 (his birthday is in late September). If he continues to dominate the minors, the Yankees will find a place for him on the roster. ETA: September 2012...18 year old Gabriel Encinas, the Yankees' 6th round pick this year, is a 6"3 righty with great control. He is a sinkerballer with a curveball that has shown flashes and an OK changeup. He could be something in the future. He has yet to make his pro debut. ETA: September 2014 (?)... 21 year old reliever Thomas Kahnle, the Yankee 5th round pick in 2010, had a nice pro debut, posting a 0.56 ERA in 11 relief apperances for SS-A Staten Island. Not that those stats mean so much, but it's always positive to put up a 0.56 ERA at any level. Maybe we'll see him at some point. ETA: September 2013...27 year old starter Lance Pendelton went 12-5 with a 3.61 ERA and 133 K's in 27 starts, 2 relief apperances, and 154.2 IP. He is a bit old, but he has a chance to make an impact in the majors in the near future, probably as a reliever. He has 14 career relief appearances in the minors. He better make the majors soon if he ever wants a chance, with Brackman and Phelps coming. ETA: Sometime in 2011, if ever... 25 year old switch-pitcher Pat Venditte went 5-2 with a 1.93 ERA and 89 K's in 43 relief apperances, 6 saves, and 74.2 IP between High-A and Double-A. But, he struggled at Double-A, going 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 2 relief appearances. Venditte will certainly have to turn that around in '11. Already 25 years old, Venditte better dominate Double-A in '11 and Triple-A in '12 and get promoted by September '12 at age 27. He'll make it to the majors eventually because he's such a novelty, but if he ever wants to be a quality reliever in the majors, he better get there quickly. ETA: September 2012
Many of the players I have mentioned will never make the majors, but there is a good chance that a couple of the players I mentioned will be All-Stars for the Yankees.
Showing posts with label Cito Culver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cito Culver. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A decade of Yankee first round picks
We all remember the days when the Yankee farm system was a complete joke. The Yankees always drafted badly and when they did have a good prospect, they traded him for a veteran. But, the Yankee farm system has turned around the last few years, starting with Phil Hughes being drafted in 2004. Let's look at the Yankee 1st round picks since 2000 to see if the Yankees have improved, at least in terms of their first round picks.
In 2000, the Yankees drafted catcher David Parrish with the 28th pick in the draft. The Yankees also drafted him in the 10th round in 1997, but he didn't sign. Parrish had the potential to be a great defensive catcher. He threw out 30% of attempted base stealers his first 3 years in the minors. But, he made too many errors behind the plate, and never hit above .253 any of his years in the minors for the Yankees. He ended being a journeyman minor leaguer who never made the majors. Grade: F
With the 23rd pick in 2001, the Yankees selected Florida State outfielder John-Ford Griffin (no, his name is not a typo). At Short Season-A Staten Island in '01, he had a great season, hitting .311 with 17 doubles, 5 homers, 43 RBI, 10 SB, and a .413 OBP in 66 games. But, he was lost in the outfield, posting a .943 Fld%. In '02, he hit .267 with 16 doubles, 3 homers, 31 RBI, and a .344 OBP in 65 games for High-A Tampa before being promoted to Double-A Norwich. He hit .328 for Norwich with 3 doubles, 5 homers, 10 RBI, and a .400 OBP in 18 games. With his trade value at its absolute highest, the Yankees traded him to the A's as part of the blockbuster 3-team deal that sent Ted Lilly to Oakland, Carlos Pena to Detroit, Jeff Weaver to the Yankees, and Jeremy Bonderman to the Tigers. After hitting just .143 in 2 games for Double-A Midland, Oakland traded him to the Blue Jays for a player to be named (Jason Perry). He never hit .280 in any of his years in the Toronto, but he hit 13 homers in '03, 22 homers in '04, and 30 homers in '05. He made his major league debut in '05 for Toronto, hitting .308 with 1 homer and 6 RBI in 7 games. He also played in the majors for Toronto in '07, hitting .300 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in 6 games. Griffin played in the minors for the Dodgers and Cubs to finish off his career. He was pretty much a journeyman minor leaguer who had a couple of "cups of coffee" in the big leagues. But, he did have a role in the Jeff Weaver trade. Grade: D+
The Yankees had no 1st round pick in '02. In the 2nd round, they drafted RHP Brandon Weeden. He went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 30 K's 7 starts, 4 relief appearances, and 34.2 IP in '02 for the Rookie ball Gulf Coast League Yankees. In '03, he went 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 31 K's in 9 starts and 3 relief appearances for the Rookie ball Gulf Coast League Yankees and the Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees. He was promptly traded to the Dodgers in the Kevin Brown deal. After posting ERA's of 5.39 and 5.70 at Low-A Columbus for LA, he was a Rule 5 draft pick (Triple-A portion) by the Royals and he posted a 6.03 ERA for them. Weeden went back to school, going to Oklahoma State University. He is now in position to be their starting quarterback this upcoming season, after starting QB Zac Robinson was drafted by the New England Patriots. Weeden did pretty well in the low levels of the minors for the Yankees and served a role in the Brown trade before completely falling apart. Grade: C-
There was a point when it seemed that 2003 first round pick Eric Duncan was going to be a star. Duncan, a 3rd baseman and the 27th overall pick in the '03 draft, hit .301 between the GCL and Staten Island Yanks in '03, with 17 doubles, 4 homers, 41 RBI, 6 triples, and a .364 OBP in 61 games. He then took his power up a notch in '04 between Low-A Battle Creek and High-A Tampa, hitting just .258, but with 43 doubles, 16 homers, 83 RBI, 75 runs, and a .357 OBP in 129 games. Duncan never hit that well again, and was stuck behind some guy named Alex Rodriguez at 3rd base. He was moved to 1st base in '06, but never hit well enough to be called up when Jason Giambi was injured. Duncan is hitting .285 right now as a Double-A utilityman for the Braves, but with just 4 homers. Duncan started off strong, but just completely fell apart. Grade: D
In 2004, the change started. The Yankees drafted some guy named Phil Hughes with the 23rd pick in the draft, who is 11-3 with a 3.99 ERA for the Yankees so far in '10. He struggled in '08 to the tune of a 6.62 ERA, but got back on track in '09 as a reliever and now is a pretty good starter. Grade: A
2005 first rounder (17th overall) C.J. Henry, a SS, never hit over .250 any year in the minors, although he was part of the Bobby Abreu trade. He is now a guard on the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. At least he was part of that trade. Grade: D+
In 2006, the Yankees drafted RHP Ian Kennedy with the 21st overall pick in the draft. Kennedy never had an ERA over 2.22 any year in the minors, but he posted a 6.03 ERA for the Yankees, including an 8.17 ERA in '08. He was part of the Curtis Granderson. Kennedy was a decent pick, but he certainly didn't live up to expectations. Grade: B
In 2007, the Yankees drafted RHP Andrew Brackman with the 30th overall pick. He immediately had Tommy John surgery after he was drafted, and didn't make his minor league debut until 2009. He went 2-12 with a 5.91 ERA in '09, but he has rebounded from a terrible start in '10 (13.50 ERA after 2 starts) to post a 4.94 ERA between High-A and Double-A. He still has a shot to make an impact in the future for the Yankees. Grade: B
In 2008, the Yankees drafted high school RHP Gerrit Cole. Cole didn't sign, and went to UCLA. After going 11-4 with a 3.37 ERA in '09 for the Bruins, he could be the number 1 pick in the 2011 MLB draft. The Yanks picked a great talent, but this was a terrible pick because they couldn't sign him. Grade: F+ (the plus is for effort)
In 2009, the Yankees drafted 5-tool OF Slade Heathcott with the 29th overall pick in the draft. He is hitting .277 with 5 doubles, 1 homer, 13 RBI, 8 SB, 19 runs, and a .351 OBP in 34 games. He hasn't done very well so far, but its hard to tell how good a player is through 37 pro games. At least he's stealing bases. Grade: ?
In 2010, the Yankees drafted high school SS Cito Culver with the 30th overall pick in the draft. Culver is the heir-apparent to Derek Jeter. After signing quickly, he is hitting .237 for the Rookie ball GCL Yankees with 3 doubles, 0 homers, 6 RBI, 1 triple, 1 SB, 8 runs, and a .310 OBP in 21 games. Definitely too early to tell for him. Grade: ?
The Yankees have improved in terms of drafting their first round picks. Their top picks from 2000-2003 were complete disaster, while 3 out of their 5 1st round picks from 2004-2008 were at least decent picks, and Cole would have been a great pick if they signed him. Their 1st rounders in 2009 and 2010 both have potential.
In 2000, the Yankees drafted catcher David Parrish with the 28th pick in the draft. The Yankees also drafted him in the 10th round in 1997, but he didn't sign. Parrish had the potential to be a great defensive catcher. He threw out 30% of attempted base stealers his first 3 years in the minors. But, he made too many errors behind the plate, and never hit above .253 any of his years in the minors for the Yankees. He ended being a journeyman minor leaguer who never made the majors. Grade: F
With the 23rd pick in 2001, the Yankees selected Florida State outfielder John-Ford Griffin (no, his name is not a typo). At Short Season-A Staten Island in '01, he had a great season, hitting .311 with 17 doubles, 5 homers, 43 RBI, 10 SB, and a .413 OBP in 66 games. But, he was lost in the outfield, posting a .943 Fld%. In '02, he hit .267 with 16 doubles, 3 homers, 31 RBI, and a .344 OBP in 65 games for High-A Tampa before being promoted to Double-A Norwich. He hit .328 for Norwich with 3 doubles, 5 homers, 10 RBI, and a .400 OBP in 18 games. With his trade value at its absolute highest, the Yankees traded him to the A's as part of the blockbuster 3-team deal that sent Ted Lilly to Oakland, Carlos Pena to Detroit, Jeff Weaver to the Yankees, and Jeremy Bonderman to the Tigers. After hitting just .143 in 2 games for Double-A Midland, Oakland traded him to the Blue Jays for a player to be named (Jason Perry). He never hit .280 in any of his years in the Toronto, but he hit 13 homers in '03, 22 homers in '04, and 30 homers in '05. He made his major league debut in '05 for Toronto, hitting .308 with 1 homer and 6 RBI in 7 games. He also played in the majors for Toronto in '07, hitting .300 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in 6 games. Griffin played in the minors for the Dodgers and Cubs to finish off his career. He was pretty much a journeyman minor leaguer who had a couple of "cups of coffee" in the big leagues. But, he did have a role in the Jeff Weaver trade. Grade: D+
The Yankees had no 1st round pick in '02. In the 2nd round, they drafted RHP Brandon Weeden. He went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 30 K's 7 starts, 4 relief appearances, and 34.2 IP in '02 for the Rookie ball Gulf Coast League Yankees. In '03, he went 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 31 K's in 9 starts and 3 relief appearances for the Rookie ball Gulf Coast League Yankees and the Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees. He was promptly traded to the Dodgers in the Kevin Brown deal. After posting ERA's of 5.39 and 5.70 at Low-A Columbus for LA, he was a Rule 5 draft pick (Triple-A portion) by the Royals and he posted a 6.03 ERA for them. Weeden went back to school, going to Oklahoma State University. He is now in position to be their starting quarterback this upcoming season, after starting QB Zac Robinson was drafted by the New England Patriots. Weeden did pretty well in the low levels of the minors for the Yankees and served a role in the Brown trade before completely falling apart. Grade: C-
There was a point when it seemed that 2003 first round pick Eric Duncan was going to be a star. Duncan, a 3rd baseman and the 27th overall pick in the '03 draft, hit .301 between the GCL and Staten Island Yanks in '03, with 17 doubles, 4 homers, 41 RBI, 6 triples, and a .364 OBP in 61 games. He then took his power up a notch in '04 between Low-A Battle Creek and High-A Tampa, hitting just .258, but with 43 doubles, 16 homers, 83 RBI, 75 runs, and a .357 OBP in 129 games. Duncan never hit that well again, and was stuck behind some guy named Alex Rodriguez at 3rd base. He was moved to 1st base in '06, but never hit well enough to be called up when Jason Giambi was injured. Duncan is hitting .285 right now as a Double-A utilityman for the Braves, but with just 4 homers. Duncan started off strong, but just completely fell apart. Grade: D
In 2004, the change started. The Yankees drafted some guy named Phil Hughes with the 23rd pick in the draft, who is 11-3 with a 3.99 ERA for the Yankees so far in '10. He struggled in '08 to the tune of a 6.62 ERA, but got back on track in '09 as a reliever and now is a pretty good starter. Grade: A
2005 first rounder (17th overall) C.J. Henry, a SS, never hit over .250 any year in the minors, although he was part of the Bobby Abreu trade. He is now a guard on the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. At least he was part of that trade. Grade: D+
In 2006, the Yankees drafted RHP Ian Kennedy with the 21st overall pick in the draft. Kennedy never had an ERA over 2.22 any year in the minors, but he posted a 6.03 ERA for the Yankees, including an 8.17 ERA in '08. He was part of the Curtis Granderson. Kennedy was a decent pick, but he certainly didn't live up to expectations. Grade: B
In 2007, the Yankees drafted RHP Andrew Brackman with the 30th overall pick. He immediately had Tommy John surgery after he was drafted, and didn't make his minor league debut until 2009. He went 2-12 with a 5.91 ERA in '09, but he has rebounded from a terrible start in '10 (13.50 ERA after 2 starts) to post a 4.94 ERA between High-A and Double-A. He still has a shot to make an impact in the future for the Yankees. Grade: B
In 2008, the Yankees drafted high school RHP Gerrit Cole. Cole didn't sign, and went to UCLA. After going 11-4 with a 3.37 ERA in '09 for the Bruins, he could be the number 1 pick in the 2011 MLB draft. The Yanks picked a great talent, but this was a terrible pick because they couldn't sign him. Grade: F+ (the plus is for effort)
In 2009, the Yankees drafted 5-tool OF Slade Heathcott with the 29th overall pick in the draft. He is hitting .277 with 5 doubles, 1 homer, 13 RBI, 8 SB, 19 runs, and a .351 OBP in 34 games. He hasn't done very well so far, but its hard to tell how good a player is through 37 pro games. At least he's stealing bases. Grade: ?
In 2010, the Yankees drafted high school SS Cito Culver with the 30th overall pick in the draft. Culver is the heir-apparent to Derek Jeter. After signing quickly, he is hitting .237 for the Rookie ball GCL Yankees with 3 doubles, 0 homers, 6 RBI, 1 triple, 1 SB, 8 runs, and a .310 OBP in 21 games. Definitely too early to tell for him. Grade: ?
The Yankees have improved in terms of drafting their first round picks. Their top picks from 2000-2003 were complete disaster, while 3 out of their 5 1st round picks from 2004-2008 were at least decent picks, and Cole would have been a great pick if they signed him. Their 1st rounders in 2009 and 2010 both have potential.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Yankees draft depth chart: position by position
In this post, I will just go through the Yankee draft picks, position by position. If you want detailed reports when available on every Yankee draft pick, please see my post Analysis on all 50 Yankee draft picks. For each position, I will list them in order of likelihood of making it into the majors in my opinion. I will also explain the impact the players at that position will have as a whole. (Round drafted in parentheses)
Catcher: Christopher Austin (13), Shane Brown (23), James Rice (50), Nick McCoy (36).
This group will probably make a very small impact if they make any impact at all in the majors for the Yankees. Posada will retire within the next couple of years, but Francisco Cervelli will undoubtedly be the next Yankee catcher, and if he isn't good enough, Austin Romine is next in line. Maybe one of these guys, most likely Christopher Austin, will make it into a few games as a backup catcher for the Yanks. In case you're wondering, Rice is before McCoy because McCoy is already 23 years old.
First Base: Kyle Roller (8)
Probably several other prospects in this draft will move to first base at some point, but only Roller was drafted specifically as a first baseman. He has a shot to make a small, Juan Miranda-type impact, but nothing more, as Mark Teixeira is in his way.
Second Base: Casey Stevenson (25)
The Yankees sure have confidence in Robinson Cano, and rightfully so. He's having a great year. There is no way Stevenson will make any impact for the Yankees at the major league level.
Third Base: Robert Segedin (3)
Segedin could be a backup third basman at some point, A-rod will be in his way for a long time. Segedin isn't even that great of a defender, so he couldn't be a utility infielder. Maybe he could make a small impact in the majors for the Yanks.
Shortstop: Cito Culver (1)
Culver is now the shortstop of the future for the Yanks. He has all the tools and hopefully will do fine on that day when Jeter retires. He'll obviously have a big impact on the future of the Yankees. Full post on him here: The future of the Yankees: Cito Culver. 2nd round pick Angelo Gumbs was also a shortstop in high school, but he projects as an outfielder.
Outfield: Mason Williams (4), Kevin Jordan (19), Angelo Gumbs (2), Taylor Jake Anderson (7), Benjamin Gamel (10) Michael Ferraro (20), Stewart Ijames (29), James Ramsay (38), Jaycob Brugman (39), Michael Gerber (40), Tymothy Pearson (41), Michael O'Neill (42), Taylor Johnson (45), Will Arthur 49.
This group should make a decent impact for the Yanks. Williams and Gumbs have a chance to be good 4th outfielders, while Jordan, when healthy, can be an amazing player, playing the outfield, and maybe even the infield at some point as a Mark DeRosa-type utility man because of his great athleticism. The rest of those guys will probably play a combined 5 games for the Yanks. Still, Williams, Gumbs, and Jordan could make this draft class of outfielders have a decent impact if they live up to their potential.
Right-handed pitchers: Gabe Encinas (6), Thomas Kahnle (5), Chase Whitley (15), Kevin Jacob (18), Dustin Hobbs (21), Preston Claiborne (17), Zachary Varce (11), Conor Mullee (24), Taylor Morton (9), Daniel Burawa (12), Travis Dean (14), R.J. Hively (26), Martin Viramontes (27), Josh Dezse (28), Zachary Nuding (30), James Gipson (31), Michael Hachadorian (33), William Kish (34), William Oliver (35), Nathan Forer (46), Alex Brown (48).
The large RHP group has several impact players among its group. Among the top few guys, Encinas and Kahnle could be future starters, Whitley, Jacob, and Hobbs (who throws a cutter) could be shutdown middle relievers, and Claiborne, Varce, and Mullee could at least be decent middle relievers. This group should make a pretty big impact.
Left-handed pitchers: Evan Rutckyj (16), Trevor Johnson (22), Kramer Sneed (32), Cameron Hobson (37), Kyle Hunter (43), David Middendorf (44), Frederick Lewis (47).
Rutckyj has a chance to be a lefty David Robertson-type- a reliever who strikes out a ton of batters without overwhelming velocity. Johnson has a shot to be a starter for the Yanks. This group should make a pretty good impact.
Overall, the Yankees didn't really fill any needs besides shortstop-in-waiting, which they fulfilled with Culver, the 1st round pick. While all the other infielders and all the catchers won't make a very big impact, the large outfield and RHP groups should make big impacts and the LHP group will make a pretty big impact as well. I think that as a whole, this draft class has somewhere from 5-9 players whose names will be recognized by most Yankee fans within the next 5 years. Culver and possibly Kevin Jordan have a chance to be stars. Considering their position in the draft (last in every not supplementary round), I would give the Yankees a B+ for their draft grade. There were some picks that didn't make much sense (look for players with players drafted later than them ahead of them on my 'impact chart'), but overall, it was a pretty good draft.
Catcher: Christopher Austin (13), Shane Brown (23), James Rice (50), Nick McCoy (36).
This group will probably make a very small impact if they make any impact at all in the majors for the Yankees. Posada will retire within the next couple of years, but Francisco Cervelli will undoubtedly be the next Yankee catcher, and if he isn't good enough, Austin Romine is next in line. Maybe one of these guys, most likely Christopher Austin, will make it into a few games as a backup catcher for the Yanks. In case you're wondering, Rice is before McCoy because McCoy is already 23 years old.
First Base: Kyle Roller (8)
Probably several other prospects in this draft will move to first base at some point, but only Roller was drafted specifically as a first baseman. He has a shot to make a small, Juan Miranda-type impact, but nothing more, as Mark Teixeira is in his way.
Second Base: Casey Stevenson (25)
The Yankees sure have confidence in Robinson Cano, and rightfully so. He's having a great year. There is no way Stevenson will make any impact for the Yankees at the major league level.
Third Base: Robert Segedin (3)
Segedin could be a backup third basman at some point, A-rod will be in his way for a long time. Segedin isn't even that great of a defender, so he couldn't be a utility infielder. Maybe he could make a small impact in the majors for the Yanks.
Shortstop: Cito Culver (1)
Culver is now the shortstop of the future for the Yanks. He has all the tools and hopefully will do fine on that day when Jeter retires. He'll obviously have a big impact on the future of the Yankees. Full post on him here: The future of the Yankees: Cito Culver. 2nd round pick Angelo Gumbs was also a shortstop in high school, but he projects as an outfielder.
Outfield: Mason Williams (4), Kevin Jordan (19), Angelo Gumbs (2), Taylor Jake Anderson (7), Benjamin Gamel (10) Michael Ferraro (20), Stewart Ijames (29), James Ramsay (38), Jaycob Brugman (39), Michael Gerber (40), Tymothy Pearson (41), Michael O'Neill (42), Taylor Johnson (45), Will Arthur 49.
This group should make a decent impact for the Yanks. Williams and Gumbs have a chance to be good 4th outfielders, while Jordan, when healthy, can be an amazing player, playing the outfield, and maybe even the infield at some point as a Mark DeRosa-type utility man because of his great athleticism. The rest of those guys will probably play a combined 5 games for the Yanks. Still, Williams, Gumbs, and Jordan could make this draft class of outfielders have a decent impact if they live up to their potential.
Right-handed pitchers: Gabe Encinas (6), Thomas Kahnle (5), Chase Whitley (15), Kevin Jacob (18), Dustin Hobbs (21), Preston Claiborne (17), Zachary Varce (11), Conor Mullee (24), Taylor Morton (9), Daniel Burawa (12), Travis Dean (14), R.J. Hively (26), Martin Viramontes (27), Josh Dezse (28), Zachary Nuding (30), James Gipson (31), Michael Hachadorian (33), William Kish (34), William Oliver (35), Nathan Forer (46), Alex Brown (48).
The large RHP group has several impact players among its group. Among the top few guys, Encinas and Kahnle could be future starters, Whitley, Jacob, and Hobbs (who throws a cutter) could be shutdown middle relievers, and Claiborne, Varce, and Mullee could at least be decent middle relievers. This group should make a pretty big impact.
Left-handed pitchers: Evan Rutckyj (16), Trevor Johnson (22), Kramer Sneed (32), Cameron Hobson (37), Kyle Hunter (43), David Middendorf (44), Frederick Lewis (47).
Rutckyj has a chance to be a lefty David Robertson-type- a reliever who strikes out a ton of batters without overwhelming velocity. Johnson has a shot to be a starter for the Yanks. This group should make a pretty good impact.
Overall, the Yankees didn't really fill any needs besides shortstop-in-waiting, which they fulfilled with Culver, the 1st round pick. While all the other infielders and all the catchers won't make a very big impact, the large outfield and RHP groups should make big impacts and the LHP group will make a pretty big impact as well. I think that as a whole, this draft class has somewhere from 5-9 players whose names will be recognized by most Yankee fans within the next 5 years. Culver and possibly Kevin Jordan have a chance to be stars. Considering their position in the draft (last in every not supplementary round), I would give the Yankees a B+ for their draft grade. There were some picks that didn't make much sense (look for players with players drafted later than them ahead of them on my 'impact chart'), but overall, it was a pretty good draft.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Analysis on all 50 Yankee draft picks
In this post, I will review all 50 Yankees draft picks and explain where they fit in with the organization. WIth all my comments about their future with the Yankees, I'm assuming that they will sign. I know that at least a couple of these guys won't sign. (With a lot of the ages that I'm mentioning, they may almost be the next age. For example, Cito Culver will turn 18 in August.)
1. The Yanks' first round draft pick was 17 year old switch-hitting high school SS/RHP Cito Culver. He also pitched in high school. He is going to be the next Yankee SS after Jeter, assuming he does well in the minors. Remember, even if Jeter retires in 6 years, Culver will be just 23 years old. Full post on him here: http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/666525-the-future-of-the-yankees-cito-culver.
2. In the second round, the Yankees drafted another 17 year old high school SS, Angelo Gumbs. He's going to be an outfielder in the Yankee farm system. He is a superb defender whose hitting is coming along nicely. He has a future as a 4th outfielder for the Yankees- think Melky Cabrera. Maybe he'll get a chance because of injury to start at some point.
3. With their 3rd pick in the draft, the Yankees drafted their 3rd infielder in a row, 21 year old 3B Robert Segedin from Tulane. Segedin is a Yankee-type draft pick- he wanted a pretty big signing bonus, so he fell to the 3rd round when the Yankees drafted him, because we all know the Yanks have the money. Segedin is a talented hitter with pretty good power. He is also pretty good defensively. He also dropped because of a back injury that he suffered in '08. He's already 22 years old, so he may not be the 3rd baseman of the future. But if he stays healthy, he'll at least have a shot.
4. With their 4th round pick, the Yankees selected 18 year old high school OF Mason Williams. He is a Brett-Gardner type player- he's great defensively and is very fast, but he has very little power. But, he has better arm strength than Gardner. With Gardner, Curtis Granderson, and potentially Carl Crawford on the team, it will be tough for him to be anything more than a bench player with the Yanks.
5. In the 5th round, the Yankees drafted 20 year old RHP Thomas Kahnle from Lynn University in Divison 2. Kahnle is going to be a reliever for the Yanks. He has a lot of potential, as evidenced by his playoff performance as a freshman. He was awarded the Most Outstanding Player award for the NCAA National Tournament and the South Region Tournament. (I haven't had this confirmed, but I'm sure the NCAA National Tournament is Division 2. Note that the Division 1 tournament is the College World Series.) The Yankees can never have enough good relievers, and hopefully Kahnle will be one of them.
6. In the 6th round, the Yankees got 18 year old high school RHP Gabe Encinas. He has a great sinker and is known for attacking the zone. But, his secondary pitches haven't developed very well yet. After AJ Burnett's contract expires after the 2013 season, Encinas could be in the battle for a rotation spot if those secondary pitches develop.
7. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Taylor Jake Anderson with their 7th round pick. He has a good arm and has a nice, fluid swing. I really can't find very much about him. With the Yankee outfield stacked, maybe he'll be a bench player with the team if he succeeds.
8. With their 8th round pick, the Yankees drafted 22 year old East Carolina 1st baseman Kyle Roller. He was East Carolina's captain and is a class act off the field. His stance and swing remind me of Mark Teixeira, but of course, Teix is signed until 2016. Maybe he can be a Juan Miranda-type part time DH and bench player.
9. In the 9th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school RHP Taylor Morton. He has a great fastball, 95 MPH consistently. I have seen anything about his secondary pitches, so that must be his problem. With his great fastball, Morton projects as a reliever.
10. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Benjamin Gamel with their 10th round pick. Gamel's older brother Matt is a 3rd baseman in the Brewers farm system. Gamel ironically reminds me a little bit of Dustin Pedroia. He is a little guy (5'10), but he swings like he has big-time power. In the outfield, he has strong but inaccurate arm. I doubt Gamel has a future with the Yans kees with 3 other outfielders drafted in front of him, and a solid outfield set in place in the majors.
11. In the 11th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old University of Portland RHP Zachary Varce. He was a reliever in '10, so he'll be a reliever in the minors as well. He throws a 93 MPH fastball, a spilter, a changeup, and a slider. He has great confidence in his pitches. He could make an impact as a reliever for the Yanks.
12. With their 12th round pick, the Yankees drafted 21 year old St. Johns RHP Daniel Burawa. He throws a 95 MPH fastball, but his only other pitch is an average slider. He also struggles with control. He was suspended earlier this year, so he maybe has an attitude problem. Burawa is going to be a reliever in the Yankee organization. He better fix his control if he wants to be a reliever for the Yanks.
13. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school catcher Christopher Austin with their 13th round pick. He has a pretty fluid swing and appears to be a decent line drive hitter. There really is very little information about him. With Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine already ahead of him in the race for the next Yankee catcher after Posada, I don't think Austin will make any impact as a catcher at the major league level for the Yankees.
14. In the 14th round, the Yankees drafted 19 year old high school RHP Travis Dean. Although he's 6'5, he throws only 90 MPH with his fastball. But, according to his would-be future coach (if the Yankees don't sign him), he has a "loose arm" and great upside. There are a lot of right-handed pitchers that the Yankees drafted, and Dean doesn' t seem to stand out. But, like everyone, he has a chance to make an impact in the majors as a reliever if he really lives up to that great upside.
15. Chase Whitley, a 20 year old RHP from Troy. He was Troy's closer. He had a decent fastball, 89-92 MPH, but he has 2 very good pitches: a slider and a changeup. He averaged about a strikeout per inning in '10. He has a chance to be a pretty good reliever for the Yanks.
16. With their 16th pick, the Yankees selected 18 year old high school LHP Evan Rutckyj from Canada. (I don't have any idea how to pronounce his last name.) He's a very raw talent who just started pitching full-time last year. His velocity on his fastball is currently 92 MPH, but it's already moved up from 84 MPH and it's still getting faster and faster. He also throws a good changeup. He possesses the David Robertson-like ability to strike batters out at a great rate without very good velocity. I'm not sure why he slid so far. He was projected as a 5th round pick as recently as the day before the draft began. Anyway, the Yanks got a steal of a pick and I expect that we'll see Rutckyj in the Yankee bullpen someday.
17. In the 17th round, the Yankees drafted another RHP, Preston Claiborne from Tulane. He's been a reliever his whole college career. He showed good control at Tulane in '09 (29 K's, 12 walks), and pitched both as a long reliever and short reliever. With that Alrfredo Aceves-like versatility, we might see him in the Yankee bullpen at some point.
18. With their pick in the 18th round, the Yankees drafted 6'6 RHP Kevin Jacob from Georgia Tech. He throws a fastball at 96, so he should be a good major league reliever. He also throws a pretty good curveball. But, a problem with him was that the ball supposedly is very visible out of his hand. Hopefully, the Yankees can fix that problem in the minors and he'll be a good reliever in a few years.
19. The biggest wild card in this draft might be 18 year old high school CF Kevin Jordan, drafted in the 19th round by the Yanks. He's a 5-tool prospect, with power, speed, hitting for average, arm strength and fielding ability. So, you probably wonder, why did he fall so far in the draft? Well, this year he got strep throat. We've all gotten strep- what does that have to do with anything? Well, after getting strep, he got a throat infection and missed all of this year. He's better now. The Yankees are taking the gamble that he won't get sick again. If he does, they might have a 2nd round talent in the 17th round. Andy Pettitte was a 22nd round pick in 1990 that really turned out to be something special- Jordan could be the Pettitte of this draft. Obviously, the outfield for the Yankees is very crowded, but with his great athleticism, maybe Jordan can become a utility player that plays both infield and outfield similar to Mark DeRosa and Jerry Hairson Jr. In that case, Jordan would be playing somewhere nearly every game and would get to show off his hitting ability. I hope Jordan stays healthy and signs, because he could really be something special for the Yankees.
20. With their 20th pick in the draft, the Yankees drafted 22 year old University of San Diego LF Michael Ferraro. There's not very much information out there about him, but he's a good average hitter with little power. With all the outfielders ahead of him, I don't think he has a future with the team.
21. In the 21st round, the Yankees drafted 20 year old junior college RHP Dustin Hobbs. He has a 90 MPH fastball with very good movement. I've seen it move in two different directions, so he must have 2 different fastballs. I think he has a 4-seamer and a cutter that moves inside to lefties and outside to righties. If he develops that cutter well, who knows? I know a great pitcher that throws nearly all cutters and you all know him too: Mariano Rivera. Maybe Hobbs will make an impact in the bullpen for the Yanks because of that cutter.
22. The Yankees drafted 21 year old junior college LHP Trevor Johnson in the 22nd round. Johnson is a starter who has that need to finish games, like Roy Halladay. He had 5 complete games in '09. I doubt that Johnson as good of a pitcher as Halladay, but it's good to be compared to Halladay at all. I can't find any information on any of Johnson's pitches, but he sounds like a good pitcher. Maybe we'll see him in the future as well.
23. In the 23rd round of the draft, the Yankees drafted 22 year old Central Florida catcher Shane Brown. Brown had an incredible season in '10, hitting .428 with a .541 OBP. He is a good line drive hitter with some power. The question with college catchers is that they don't call their games- the coaches do from the dugout. It's pretty incredible that he fell this far though. He's a good hitter. We'll have to see what happens to him, but it will be tough for any catcher to make it to the majors for the Yankees with Cervelli and Romine among others in front of him for the catchers of the future.
24. With their 24th pick of the draft, the Yankees drafted 22 year old SS/RHP Conor Mullee from St. Peters College. He is a decent hitter for average with good speed as a SS. But, the Yankees drafted Mullee as a pitcher. Mullee pitched for the first time this year. He had just a 10.50 ERA as a pitcher this year, but he showed a 94 MPH fastball and a 75-77 MPH curveball and impressed some scouts. As he develops as a pitcher, he should get better and better. Maybe even good enough to make it into the Yankee bullpen.
25. In the 25th round, the Yankees selected 22 year old 2B Casey Stevenson from UC Irvine. He is a decent average hittter, but with no power and not very much speed. He did post a good OBP. He must be great defensively for the Yankees to have drafted him here. Still, he probably has no future with the team.
26. The Yankees drafted 21 year old junior college RHP R.J. Hively with their 26th round pick. He was a starter and reliever in '10, so he is pretty versatile. But, a 3.06 ERA in junior college isn't good enough. He doesn't have a future with the Yankees.
27. In the 27th round, the Yankees drafted 20 year old RHP Martin Viramontes from Loyola Marymount University. He missed all of '09 with shoulder injuries and struggled in '10. But, he has a good arsenal of pitches. He has a low-90's fastball, an 84 MPH slider, an 80 MPH changeup, and a 76-78 MPH slurve. That slider could potentially be a very good put-away pitch. When healthy, Viramontes is a very good pitcher. But can he stay healthy? If he does stay healthy, he could be a steal. Viramontes could be a good reliever with the big league team.
28. With their pick in the 28th round of the draft, the Yankees drafted 17 year old high school RHP Josn Dezse. He was dominant his last year in high school, posting a 1.60 ERA, not that it means that much. We'll see how he turns out. He better be good since there are a lot of guys ahead of him.
29. The Yankees drafted 21 year old LF Stewart Ijames from Louisville in the 27th round of the draft. He has decent power and should hit for a decent BA. I still don't think he has any future with the team.
30. 20 year old RHP Zachary Nuding was drafted by the Yankees in the 30th round. He has a good fastball, a very good slider, and a decent splitter, but he struggles with control. No way he has a future with the Yanks.
I can't information anywhere on nearly all of the remaining picks. Good luck to all them, but I doubt any of them will ever be on the Yankees.
31. In the 31st round of the draft, the Yankees selected 21 year old Florida Atlantic RHP James Gipson.
32. With their pick in the 32nd round of the draft, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP Kramer Sneed from Division 2 Barton College. He can both start and relieve and he's hard working, but that's all I can find. Guess we'll see what happens, but I doubt he will ever make the Yankees if he even signs.
33. In the 33rd round, the Yankees drafted RHP Michael Hachadorian from San Diego Mesa College.
34. In the 34th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school RHP William Kish. He throws an 86 MPH fastball and a 77 MPH curveball. Neither of those pitches are very good. Good luck to him.
35. The Yankees drafted 22 year old RHP William Oliver from Junior college in the 35th round.
36. In the 36th round, the Yankees drafted 23 year old catcher Nick McCoy from San Diego. He's nothing special according to his high school and college stats. Good luck to him.
37. In the 37th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP Cameron Hobson from Dayton. He has terrible control but strikes out a ton of batters. Sort of like Nolan Ryan... no way. Good luck to him.
38. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school CF James Ramsay in the 38th round.
39. In the 39th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Jaycob Brugman.
40. In the 40th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school CF Michael Gerber.
41. In the 41st round, the Yankees drafted their 4th straight high school outfielder, 19 year old CF Tymothy Pearson.
42. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school CF Michael O'Neill in the 42nd round.
43. In the 43rd round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP Kyle Hunter from Kansas State.
44. In the 44th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP David Middendorf from Northern Kentucky.
45. The Yankees drafted 21 year old Penn State OF Tyler Johnson in the 45th round.
46. In the 46th round, the Yankees drafted RHP Nathan Forer from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. All he throws is a 85-89 fastball with some movement. Good luck to him.
47. In the 47th round, the Yankees drafted 23 year old LHP Frederick Lewis from Tennessee Wesleyan College.
48. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school RHP Alex Brown in the 48th round of the draft.
49. In the 49th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Will Arthur.
50. In the 50th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old catcher James Rice from Western Kentucky.
So that's all 50 Yankee draft picks.
1. The Yanks' first round draft pick was 17 year old switch-hitting high school SS/RHP Cito Culver. He also pitched in high school. He is going to be the next Yankee SS after Jeter, assuming he does well in the minors. Remember, even if Jeter retires in 6 years, Culver will be just 23 years old. Full post on him here: http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/666525-the-future-of-the-yankees-cito-culver.
2. In the second round, the Yankees drafted another 17 year old high school SS, Angelo Gumbs. He's going to be an outfielder in the Yankee farm system. He is a superb defender whose hitting is coming along nicely. He has a future as a 4th outfielder for the Yankees- think Melky Cabrera. Maybe he'll get a chance because of injury to start at some point.
3. With their 3rd pick in the draft, the Yankees drafted their 3rd infielder in a row, 21 year old 3B Robert Segedin from Tulane. Segedin is a Yankee-type draft pick- he wanted a pretty big signing bonus, so he fell to the 3rd round when the Yankees drafted him, because we all know the Yanks have the money. Segedin is a talented hitter with pretty good power. He is also pretty good defensively. He also dropped because of a back injury that he suffered in '08. He's already 22 years old, so he may not be the 3rd baseman of the future. But if he stays healthy, he'll at least have a shot.
4. With their 4th round pick, the Yankees selected 18 year old high school OF Mason Williams. He is a Brett-Gardner type player- he's great defensively and is very fast, but he has very little power. But, he has better arm strength than Gardner. With Gardner, Curtis Granderson, and potentially Carl Crawford on the team, it will be tough for him to be anything more than a bench player with the Yanks.
5. In the 5th round, the Yankees drafted 20 year old RHP Thomas Kahnle from Lynn University in Divison 2. Kahnle is going to be a reliever for the Yanks. He has a lot of potential, as evidenced by his playoff performance as a freshman. He was awarded the Most Outstanding Player award for the NCAA National Tournament and the South Region Tournament. (I haven't had this confirmed, but I'm sure the NCAA National Tournament is Division 2. Note that the Division 1 tournament is the College World Series.) The Yankees can never have enough good relievers, and hopefully Kahnle will be one of them.
6. In the 6th round, the Yankees got 18 year old high school RHP Gabe Encinas. He has a great sinker and is known for attacking the zone. But, his secondary pitches haven't developed very well yet. After AJ Burnett's contract expires after the 2013 season, Encinas could be in the battle for a rotation spot if those secondary pitches develop.
7. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Taylor Jake Anderson with their 7th round pick. He has a good arm and has a nice, fluid swing. I really can't find very much about him. With the Yankee outfield stacked, maybe he'll be a bench player with the team if he succeeds.
8. With their 8th round pick, the Yankees drafted 22 year old East Carolina 1st baseman Kyle Roller. He was East Carolina's captain and is a class act off the field. His stance and swing remind me of Mark Teixeira, but of course, Teix is signed until 2016. Maybe he can be a Juan Miranda-type part time DH and bench player.
9. In the 9th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school RHP Taylor Morton. He has a great fastball, 95 MPH consistently. I have seen anything about his secondary pitches, so that must be his problem. With his great fastball, Morton projects as a reliever.
10. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Benjamin Gamel with their 10th round pick. Gamel's older brother Matt is a 3rd baseman in the Brewers farm system. Gamel ironically reminds me a little bit of Dustin Pedroia. He is a little guy (5'10), but he swings like he has big-time power. In the outfield, he has strong but inaccurate arm. I doubt Gamel has a future with the Yans kees with 3 other outfielders drafted in front of him, and a solid outfield set in place in the majors.
11. In the 11th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old University of Portland RHP Zachary Varce. He was a reliever in '10, so he'll be a reliever in the minors as well. He throws a 93 MPH fastball, a spilter, a changeup, and a slider. He has great confidence in his pitches. He could make an impact as a reliever for the Yanks.
12. With their 12th round pick, the Yankees drafted 21 year old St. Johns RHP Daniel Burawa. He throws a 95 MPH fastball, but his only other pitch is an average slider. He also struggles with control. He was suspended earlier this year, so he maybe has an attitude problem. Burawa is going to be a reliever in the Yankee organization. He better fix his control if he wants to be a reliever for the Yanks.
13. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school catcher Christopher Austin with their 13th round pick. He has a pretty fluid swing and appears to be a decent line drive hitter. There really is very little information about him. With Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine already ahead of him in the race for the next Yankee catcher after Posada, I don't think Austin will make any impact as a catcher at the major league level for the Yankees.
14. In the 14th round, the Yankees drafted 19 year old high school RHP Travis Dean. Although he's 6'5, he throws only 90 MPH with his fastball. But, according to his would-be future coach (if the Yankees don't sign him), he has a "loose arm" and great upside. There are a lot of right-handed pitchers that the Yankees drafted, and Dean doesn' t seem to stand out. But, like everyone, he has a chance to make an impact in the majors as a reliever if he really lives up to that great upside.
15. Chase Whitley, a 20 year old RHP from Troy. He was Troy's closer. He had a decent fastball, 89-92 MPH, but he has 2 very good pitches: a slider and a changeup. He averaged about a strikeout per inning in '10. He has a chance to be a pretty good reliever for the Yanks.
16. With their 16th pick, the Yankees selected 18 year old high school LHP Evan Rutckyj from Canada. (I don't have any idea how to pronounce his last name.) He's a very raw talent who just started pitching full-time last year. His velocity on his fastball is currently 92 MPH, but it's already moved up from 84 MPH and it's still getting faster and faster. He also throws a good changeup. He possesses the David Robertson-like ability to strike batters out at a great rate without very good velocity. I'm not sure why he slid so far. He was projected as a 5th round pick as recently as the day before the draft began. Anyway, the Yanks got a steal of a pick and I expect that we'll see Rutckyj in the Yankee bullpen someday.
17. In the 17th round, the Yankees drafted another RHP, Preston Claiborne from Tulane. He's been a reliever his whole college career. He showed good control at Tulane in '09 (29 K's, 12 walks), and pitched both as a long reliever and short reliever. With that Alrfredo Aceves-like versatility, we might see him in the Yankee bullpen at some point.
18. With their pick in the 18th round, the Yankees drafted 6'6 RHP Kevin Jacob from Georgia Tech. He throws a fastball at 96, so he should be a good major league reliever. He also throws a pretty good curveball. But, a problem with him was that the ball supposedly is very visible out of his hand. Hopefully, the Yankees can fix that problem in the minors and he'll be a good reliever in a few years.
19. The biggest wild card in this draft might be 18 year old high school CF Kevin Jordan, drafted in the 19th round by the Yanks. He's a 5-tool prospect, with power, speed, hitting for average, arm strength and fielding ability. So, you probably wonder, why did he fall so far in the draft? Well, this year he got strep throat. We've all gotten strep- what does that have to do with anything? Well, after getting strep, he got a throat infection and missed all of this year. He's better now. The Yankees are taking the gamble that he won't get sick again. If he does, they might have a 2nd round talent in the 17th round. Andy Pettitte was a 22nd round pick in 1990 that really turned out to be something special- Jordan could be the Pettitte of this draft. Obviously, the outfield for the Yankees is very crowded, but with his great athleticism, maybe Jordan can become a utility player that plays both infield and outfield similar to Mark DeRosa and Jerry Hairson Jr. In that case, Jordan would be playing somewhere nearly every game and would get to show off his hitting ability. I hope Jordan stays healthy and signs, because he could really be something special for the Yankees.
20. With their 20th pick in the draft, the Yankees drafted 22 year old University of San Diego LF Michael Ferraro. There's not very much information out there about him, but he's a good average hitter with little power. With all the outfielders ahead of him, I don't think he has a future with the team.
21. In the 21st round, the Yankees drafted 20 year old junior college RHP Dustin Hobbs. He has a 90 MPH fastball with very good movement. I've seen it move in two different directions, so he must have 2 different fastballs. I think he has a 4-seamer and a cutter that moves inside to lefties and outside to righties. If he develops that cutter well, who knows? I know a great pitcher that throws nearly all cutters and you all know him too: Mariano Rivera. Maybe Hobbs will make an impact in the bullpen for the Yanks because of that cutter.
22. The Yankees drafted 21 year old junior college LHP Trevor Johnson in the 22nd round. Johnson is a starter who has that need to finish games, like Roy Halladay. He had 5 complete games in '09. I doubt that Johnson as good of a pitcher as Halladay, but it's good to be compared to Halladay at all. I can't find any information on any of Johnson's pitches, but he sounds like a good pitcher. Maybe we'll see him in the future as well.
23. In the 23rd round of the draft, the Yankees drafted 22 year old Central Florida catcher Shane Brown. Brown had an incredible season in '10, hitting .428 with a .541 OBP. He is a good line drive hitter with some power. The question with college catchers is that they don't call their games- the coaches do from the dugout. It's pretty incredible that he fell this far though. He's a good hitter. We'll have to see what happens to him, but it will be tough for any catcher to make it to the majors for the Yankees with Cervelli and Romine among others in front of him for the catchers of the future.
24. With their 24th pick of the draft, the Yankees drafted 22 year old SS/RHP Conor Mullee from St. Peters College. He is a decent hitter for average with good speed as a SS. But, the Yankees drafted Mullee as a pitcher. Mullee pitched for the first time this year. He had just a 10.50 ERA as a pitcher this year, but he showed a 94 MPH fastball and a 75-77 MPH curveball and impressed some scouts. As he develops as a pitcher, he should get better and better. Maybe even good enough to make it into the Yankee bullpen.
25. In the 25th round, the Yankees selected 22 year old 2B Casey Stevenson from UC Irvine. He is a decent average hittter, but with no power and not very much speed. He did post a good OBP. He must be great defensively for the Yankees to have drafted him here. Still, he probably has no future with the team.
26. The Yankees drafted 21 year old junior college RHP R.J. Hively with their 26th round pick. He was a starter and reliever in '10, so he is pretty versatile. But, a 3.06 ERA in junior college isn't good enough. He doesn't have a future with the Yankees.
27. In the 27th round, the Yankees drafted 20 year old RHP Martin Viramontes from Loyola Marymount University. He missed all of '09 with shoulder injuries and struggled in '10. But, he has a good arsenal of pitches. He has a low-90's fastball, an 84 MPH slider, an 80 MPH changeup, and a 76-78 MPH slurve. That slider could potentially be a very good put-away pitch. When healthy, Viramontes is a very good pitcher. But can he stay healthy? If he does stay healthy, he could be a steal. Viramontes could be a good reliever with the big league team.
28. With their pick in the 28th round of the draft, the Yankees drafted 17 year old high school RHP Josn Dezse. He was dominant his last year in high school, posting a 1.60 ERA, not that it means that much. We'll see how he turns out. He better be good since there are a lot of guys ahead of him.
29. The Yankees drafted 21 year old LF Stewart Ijames from Louisville in the 27th round of the draft. He has decent power and should hit for a decent BA. I still don't think he has any future with the team.
30. 20 year old RHP Zachary Nuding was drafted by the Yankees in the 30th round. He has a good fastball, a very good slider, and a decent splitter, but he struggles with control. No way he has a future with the Yanks.
I can't information anywhere on nearly all of the remaining picks. Good luck to all them, but I doubt any of them will ever be on the Yankees.
31. In the 31st round of the draft, the Yankees selected 21 year old Florida Atlantic RHP James Gipson.
32. With their pick in the 32nd round of the draft, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP Kramer Sneed from Division 2 Barton College. He can both start and relieve and he's hard working, but that's all I can find. Guess we'll see what happens, but I doubt he will ever make the Yankees if he even signs.
33. In the 33rd round, the Yankees drafted RHP Michael Hachadorian from San Diego Mesa College.
34. In the 34th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school RHP William Kish. He throws an 86 MPH fastball and a 77 MPH curveball. Neither of those pitches are very good. Good luck to him.
35. The Yankees drafted 22 year old RHP William Oliver from Junior college in the 35th round.
36. In the 36th round, the Yankees drafted 23 year old catcher Nick McCoy from San Diego. He's nothing special according to his high school and college stats. Good luck to him.
37. In the 37th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP Cameron Hobson from Dayton. He has terrible control but strikes out a ton of batters. Sort of like Nolan Ryan... no way. Good luck to him.
38. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school CF James Ramsay in the 38th round.
39. In the 39th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Jaycob Brugman.
40. In the 40th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school CF Michael Gerber.
41. In the 41st round, the Yankees drafted their 4th straight high school outfielder, 19 year old CF Tymothy Pearson.
42. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school CF Michael O'Neill in the 42nd round.
43. In the 43rd round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP Kyle Hunter from Kansas State.
44. In the 44th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old LHP David Middendorf from Northern Kentucky.
45. The Yankees drafted 21 year old Penn State OF Tyler Johnson in the 45th round.
46. In the 46th round, the Yankees drafted RHP Nathan Forer from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. All he throws is a 85-89 fastball with some movement. Good luck to him.
47. In the 47th round, the Yankees drafted 23 year old LHP Frederick Lewis from Tennessee Wesleyan College.
48. The Yankees drafted 18 year old high school RHP Alex Brown in the 48th round of the draft.
49. In the 49th round, the Yankees drafted 18 year old high school OF Will Arthur.
50. In the 50th round, the Yankees drafted 21 year old catcher James Rice from Western Kentucky.
So that's all 50 Yankee draft picks.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The future of the Yankees: Cito Culver
If you're a Yankees fan who's reading this, chances are that you've googled Cito Culver and read like 5 different articles or blogs on him. I want to unique with my take on Culver. You've heard the scouting report on all that, but do you actually know what kind of player he is?
Christopher "Cito" Culver is a SS/RHP drafted by the Yankees out of West Irondequoit High School in Rochester New York. The Yankees have first-hand experience with him because he's a local kid so although other teams had him as a 4th or 5th round pick, the Yankees know what they're doing. According to this website (http://www.eteamz.com/eaglesbb/stats/), Culver (referred to as Chris Culver) hit .561 with 10 doubles, 9 homes, 38 RBI, 7 SB, and a .633 OBP in 22 games. Those high school stats mean nothing, but it at least gives us an idea of what kind of player Culver is. Culver led his team in homers, RBI, BA, SB, and OBP. He sounds like more of a young A-rod-type player with much less hype, rather than a Jeter-type player.
What's interesting about Culver is that back in February, he was still a work-in-progress in terms of hitting. He looks very unbalanced in this scouting video http://baseballbeginnings.com/2010/02/15/cito-culver-video/. But now, he's become a great hitter, or so the stats say.
Culver is still a work-in-progress defensively at SS. He made 8 errors in 22 games '10, good for a below average a .933 Fld%. To put that in perspective, Derek Jeter made 8 errors in 150 games in '09.
So, now that we've talked about Cito Culver the shortstop, let's talk about Cito Culver the pitcher. According to the first website I mentioned, Culver made 8 relief appearances, going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 2 saves. He allowed 9 hits and 7 walks, and he struck out 23. He seems like a good potential relief pitcher.
It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with Culver and what ends up happening to him. Is he really the shortstop of the future for the Yanks?
Christopher "Cito" Culver is a SS/RHP drafted by the Yankees out of West Irondequoit High School in Rochester New York. The Yankees have first-hand experience with him because he's a local kid so although other teams had him as a 4th or 5th round pick, the Yankees know what they're doing. According to this website (http://www.eteamz.com/eaglesbb/stats/), Culver (referred to as Chris Culver) hit .561 with 10 doubles, 9 homes, 38 RBI, 7 SB, and a .633 OBP in 22 games. Those high school stats mean nothing, but it at least gives us an idea of what kind of player Culver is. Culver led his team in homers, RBI, BA, SB, and OBP. He sounds like more of a young A-rod-type player with much less hype, rather than a Jeter-type player.
What's interesting about Culver is that back in February, he was still a work-in-progress in terms of hitting. He looks very unbalanced in this scouting video http://baseballbeginnings.com/2010/02/15/cito-culver-video/. But now, he's become a great hitter, or so the stats say.
Culver is still a work-in-progress defensively at SS. He made 8 errors in 22 games '10, good for a below average a .933 Fld%. To put that in perspective, Derek Jeter made 8 errors in 150 games in '09.
So, now that we've talked about Cito Culver the shortstop, let's talk about Cito Culver the pitcher. According to the first website I mentioned, Culver made 8 relief appearances, going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 2 saves. He allowed 9 hits and 7 walks, and he struck out 23. He seems like a good potential relief pitcher.
It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with Culver and what ends up happening to him. Is he really the shortstop of the future for the Yanks?
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