2010 NY Yankees Draft Thread

[$heriff Tom]

Well, as I mentioned, did not like the pick. And it makes me sorta glum to see the guy I wanted the Yankees to take (Brandon Workman - P) is now ranked as the #2 guy still out there, and the guy I thought they would take (Stetson Allie - P) is ranked #1. So talent was left on the board. Lots more where that came from.

Thanks to Baseball America for this, this is from a running blog of last nights festivities. As I get more - especially subscriber level stuff you cant see, Ill put it here.

Yankees End First Round With Stunner, Cito Culver

Posted Jun. 7, 2010 9:02 pm by John Manuel
Filed under: Draft Day

Once again, this wasn't a consensus first-rounder. Need more proof? Cito Culver ranked No. 168 on our board, but Culver had athleticism, plus tools to play shortstop and good infield actions, and the Yankees popped him at No. 32.

The Yankees usually go for shortstops and middle-of-the-diamond players internationally, but they have hit the catcher spot hard in the draft and have drafted plenty of middle infielders in recent years, such as David Adams, Corban Joseph and Carmen Angelini. The first two picks could still work out, but Angelini got $1 million as a 10th-round pick in 2007 and has yet to stick in full-season ball.

From Aaron Fitt's draft report:

"The game comes easily to Culver, whose actions, instincts and range are all plus at times, though he has a long way to go to become a consistent defender, and some believe he profiles as a utility player down the road. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Culver is a solid-average runner and a switch-hitter with a loose, whippy swing from both sides of the plate."

[MSBNYY]

Ugh. Who made this pick, Knuckles?

[$heriff Tom]

Yankees 2nd round pick. Still glum over here as the Red Sox not only got Renaudo with their 1st, they got Workman (a guy I really wanted) with their 2nd pick.

32 82 New York Yankees Angelo Gumbs OF Torrance (Calif.) HS Calif.

Gumbs wears No. 21 in tribute to his idol, Roberto Clemente, and plays with the same energy and abandon, slashing at the ball, diving into bags, cutting loose with powerful throws and making spectacular plays in the field. Gumbs also hails from a school with a strong baseball legacy, and its major league alumni include the father-son tandem of Fred and Jason Kendall. Gumbs has spent most of his high school career at shortstop, but the 6-foot, 200-pounder's future is in the outfield. His tools are impressive but not overwhelming. His 60-yard dash times were in the 6.75-6.85-second range in showcases last summer, and he zips down the line in about 4.15 seconds from the right side of the plate. His windmill delivery produces strong throws, and he has often made breathtaking catches on the scout ball and showcase circuit. At bat, Gumbs has improved immensely over the past year, working under the tutelage of professional coaches at MLB's Urban Youth Academy in Compton, and he has terrific bat speed. He got off to a blazing start this spring, only to be slowed in late April by a sore right elbow and flu symptoms, which reduced him to DH duty. He has struggled with offspeed stuff and breaking pitches, and battles a tendency to pull off the ball. Gumbs has the ability to be an electrifying outfielder with five average to plus tools. He's just 17, and the club that drafts him will need to be patient as he develops, but Gumbs could provide an enormous payoff.

[sean]

just read in a story (Pre-draft story) that Culver's father is doing a 6 year stretch in prison for trying to burn down the family home. Didn't Heatchcott also have a father in prison?

[sean]

Daily News story, Oppenheimer defends pick


"The main ranking that means something to me is what the ranking of our guys have," Oppenheimer said. "I had basically over 100 years of scouting experience go in to see this kid. When guys like my cross-checkers who have been doing this for a long time, former major-league hitting coaches like Gary Denbo and former scouting directors like Bill Livesey come back with a thumbs up, that means a lot more to me than the public opinion of Baseball America or some of the other publications who just aren’t able to get to these guys and don’t have scouting staffs."

Asked whether he thought he might be able to hold off and select Culver with the 82nd pick, Oppenheimer admitted the thought did cross his mind.

"I’m glad I didn’t," Oppenheimer said. "After we did pick him, I got a call from one of our good competitors who is very successful who said he wouldn’t have gotten to us at 82."



Read more: www.nydailynews.com/blogs/yankees/2010/06/oppenheimer-defends-culver-sel.html#ixzz0qHoOgK6x

[Chris]

The hot topic on Twitter this morning is that Culver may be VASTLY overrated because:

a) The Yankee PR juggernaut ALWAYS vastly overrates their prospects.
b) He plays in the Northeast where the competition is assumed to be both inferior to and less visible than competition in the South, Midwest, West.

Don't kill the messenger - I'm just reporting what's going down on Twitter this morning between Chris Carlin, Star Ledger, MLB, and others.

[$heriff Tom]

Cho, I am sure he IS overrated. None of us are happy with the pick.

And the Yankees take a 3B with the 3rd pick.

30 112 New York Yankees Robert Segedin 3B Tulane La.

Segedin injured his lower back in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2008, and continued back problems and a shoulder injury led Tulane to shut him down after five games last spring. He was healthy again by the summer, when he helped Bourne win its first-ever Cape championship, and has wielded one of the most potent bats in college baseball this year, hitting .434/.516/.788 in the regular season. Segedin has plenty of strength in his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame, and he makes consistent, hard contact. His righthanded stroke is geared more toward line drives than loft, but he does show the ability to lift mistakes out of the park. He's not nimble on the bases or at third base, but he manages to get the job done defensively. He has plenty of arm at the hot corner, and his fastball topped out at 94 mph when the Green Wave used him as a reliever two years ago. Because of his back, he has pitched sparingly since. There aren't many quality bats like Segedin's in this draft, but his leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore at an academically strong program could drive up his price and down his draft position.

[MSBNYY]

We'll find out who's right in a couple years. If the guy's a bust, then they should have let that competitor have him.

[sean]

it's an odd Yankk draft, as I've become accustomed to their drafts being very pitcher heavy. 4 picks so far, SS, 3B, SS, OF

[$heriff Tom]

And here's that OF.

30 145 New York Yankees Mason Williams OF West Orange HS, Winter Garden, Fla. Fla.

Williams pitches and plays center field and led West Orange High to its deepest playoff run in school history. While he competes hard on the mound, his slight 6-foot-1, 160-pound frame and sidearm delivery don't get scouts excited. His hitting ability, speed and overall athletic ability do. His build evokes Doug Glanville comparisons, and Williams has some strength and a surprising feel for hitting for a high school outfielder. He's shown polish to his approach and makes consistent, hard contact with a fundamentally sound swing. His speed stands out as well, and scouts have seen him consistently above-average and occasionally even better. He has excellent range in center field as well and has above-average potential defensively with solid arm strength. Power is his only true below-average tool. Williams has the athletic ability and the skill to go out in the first three rounds, and his commitment to South Carolina wasn't seen as a hindrance to his signability.

[$heriff Tom]

30 175 New York Yankees Tommy Kahnle RHP Lynn University Fla.

Lynn's poor season didn't drag down Kahnle's draft stock. The stocky 6-foot, 225-pound righty has the same 93-94 mph fastball velocity (touching 95 at times after reaching 97 last summer) that he showed last year en route to the national title and in the Cape Cod League. Kahnle was pressed into a starting role this season and just doesn't have the quality offspeed stuff to go through a lineup more than once or twice at this stage. His changeup is his second-best pitch, and his breaking ball was sharper last summer than this spring. He can show periods of control but lacks command and profiles as a bullpen arm. Short college righthanders who go 2-7, 5.06 with 71 strikeouts and 47 walks in 75 innings at the D-II level usually don't fly off the board, but Kahnle's track record in the Cape should still get him picked in the first 10 rounds.

[MSBNYY]

So basically, he'll never make the majors.

[$heriff Tom]

30 205 New York Yankees Gabriel Encinas RHP/OF SantaFe Calif.

Between showcase events last summer and fall and the spring season, Encinas boosted his stock significantly by improving his conditioning and mechanics. At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, he now looks the part of the classic lanky and projectable high school righthander. His stuff didn't significantly improve, but he can maintain it deep into starts now. Encinas delivers a fastball that sits comfortably in the 90-92 mph range, and he shows a nice feel for mixing in a crisp curveball and changeup, which is probably the best changeup among Southern California prepsters. With smooth mechanics and an advanced feel for pitching, Encinas does an excellent job of mixing pitches, speeds and locations, and altering pitch sequences from at-bat at-bat. The large flock of scouts who started following Encinas this spring?particularly in games against top prospects Angelo Gumbs and Austin Wilson?did not seem to faze him. He profiles as a mid-rotation starter, and a future bump in velocity could even improve that outlook. He's committed to Loyola Marymount.

[$heriff Tom]

Getting to the point in the draft where Baseball America does not have profiles for most of the names. Another OF for the Yankees.

28 235 New York Yankees Taylor Anderson CF Woodlawn (Louisiana) HS La.

[$heriff Tom]

And a 1B! Yeah, we need someone in that spot. Not sure why the Yankees are shying away from all the pitchers. Got to love this guys profile, it flat-out says he would make a good guy to keep teams strong in the minors!

30 265 New York Yankees Kyle Roller 1B East Carolina N.C.

Pirates slugger Roller, primarily a DH for the bulk of his career, has a mature body that lacks athleticism. He can hit, though, batting .342 with 10 homers in the Cape Cod League last summer and drawing 61 walks this spring for the Pirates, with 12 more homers. At the least, Roller will be a solid organizational solider in the minors.

[$heriff Tom]

Yankees are all over these high-schoolers.

30 295 New York Yankees Taylor Morton Bartlett HS Tenn.

Righthander Morton, a Tennessee signee, pushed Ray as the state's top prep prospect, pitching at 92-93 mph during an up-and-down spring. He attracted plenty of scouting attention last summer, touching 94-95 mph at times, but reports of similar velocity this spring were scarce, and his velocity was all over the board. Morton has good size at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and he has shown aptitude with his changeup, including striking out Bryce Harper last summer during USA Baseball's Tournament of Stars with three straight changes. His curve needs more power, which could come with experience. Morton has been a catcher as a prep as well but profiles best as a pitcher.

[$heriff Tom]

continuing from where we left off....


10 325 Ben Gamel OF Bishop Kenny HS, Jacksonville, Fla. Fla.

Neptune Beach's Ben Gamel is the younger brother of Brewers big leaguer Mat and has similar hitting tools as his brother. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Gamel isn't toolsy, as he's just an average runner with a fringy arm and modest home run power with wood bats. But he has a compact, fluid stroke from the left side, one of the purest swings in the state, and could challenge the .400 mark at Florida State's Dick Howser Stadium, which is built for lefthanded hitters. Scouts laud Gamel's grinder makeup, and it's conceivable that his bat and makeup could push him into the first five rounds.

11 355 Zach Varce RHP Portland Ore.

Righthander Varce carved up the Northwoods League last summer, going 3-5, 1.93 with a league-leading 105 strikeouts and just 20 walks over 75 innings. The success carried over early in the spring with Portland, but by the end of the year he was gassed. He pitched at 90-92 mph, touching 93, at his best, but later in the year he had starts when he didn't touch 90. He's 6 feet and 190 pounds, so scouts believe his future is as a middle reliever. At his best his slider can be an above-average pitch, but not when it's down to 74 mph as it was later in the year. Scouts hope putting him in the bullpen will help him get the most out of his arm.

12 385 Daniel Burawa RHP St. John's N.Y.

After posting a 3.13 ERA in seven appearances at Suffolk County (N.Y.) CC as a freshman in 2008, Burawa transferred to St. John's after the following fall, so he had to sit out 2009. He has been a revelation as a draft-eligible sophomore this spring, going 1-0, 1.02 with eight saves, 27 strikeouts and eight walks through 18 innings over 23 appearances. Burawa has a loose, wiry frame at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, but he has a long, funky arm action that one scout likened to an Iron Mike pitching machine tipped on its side. He pumps fastballs in the 93-95 mph range with good armside run, and he flashes an average 75-78 mph slurve with some tilt and bite, though more often the pitch breaks too early and he struggles to command it. His changeup is in its early stages of development. Burawa's limited track record causes scouts to be cautious, but his fresh arm is also an asset—one scout called his arm "a very loose cannon." He figures to be drafted somewhere between the second and fourth rounds.

13 415 Tyler Austin C Heritage HS, Conyers, Ga. Ga.

A longtime fixture on the travel-ball circuit, Kennesaw State recruit Austin was expected to be signable and could go out as high as the fourth round. He compares favorably to Miles Head, the Georgia prep slugger whom the Red Sox signed last year for $335,000. Austin's a similar hitter and is more athletic, with more defensive ability than Head. Austin is rough defensively behind the plate, negating his arm strength, and might be better served by a move to third base or perhaps a corner outfield spot. He has excellent raw pull power and runs well enough for a move to the outfield, though he figures to slow down as he matures and fills out.

14 445 Travis Dean RHP Newton (Mass.) South HS Mass.

15 475 Chase Whitley RHP Troy Ala.

Whitley, a two-way player and solid hitter, was attracting more late interest thanks in part to a five-inning, nine-strikeout outing against struggling New Orleans that showed he could go through a lineup more than once. Whitley is physical at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, and has solid-average velocity at 88-92 mph. His changeup is a plus pitch, but his curve is fringy at best and usually below-average. He had performed (7-3, 3.68, 7 SV).

16 505 Evan Rutckyj LHP St. Joseph's HS, St. Thomas, Ont.

At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Rutckyj (pronounced ROOT-ski) is a big-bodied lefthander with a chiseled frame, thanks to his time spent as a youth hockey player and his current offseason workout of choice, boxing. He's relatively new to pitching, so he looked a bit raw on the showcase circuit last summer. He has worked hard with a private pitching coach and during his time with the Canadian junior national team to smooth out his mechanics and develop his secondary pitches. His delivery is looser now than it was in the summer, and he's getting better extension. His arm action is pretty clean, but he needs to keep working to repeat his delivery and throw strikes more consistently. His fastball sits in the 87-91 mph range, touching 92, and his slider is 80-81. The slider shows occasional fringe-average break and there's enough rotation to work with, but it's still a work in progress. As his background may suggest, Rutckyj has a real tough-guy mentality on the mound. He is a project and the team that drafts him will need to be patient with his development.

17 535 Preston Claiborne RHP Tulane La.

18 565 Kevin Jacob RHP Georgia Tech Georgia

Jacob started the year high on most clubs' follow lists after he was the top prospect in the Alaska League last summer, while other clubs don't like him at all due to his extreme mechanics. Jacob points his lead arm straight up into the sky and nearly reaches the ground with his throwing hand as he tilts back, giving him tremendous leverage toward home plate. He had made just 10 appearances this spring due to a weightlifting injury to his throwing shoulder that kept him out for two months. He has touched 98 mph in the past, and was sitting 94-97 when he returned in mid-May. He also throws a hard slider in the mid- to upper 80s that has some depth when he backs off it a bit. He also flashes a split-finger fastball to lefthanded hitters. Jacob's injury, odd mechanics and track record, as well as being advised by Boras Corp., make it tough to read where he'll go in the draft.

19 595 Kevin Jordan OF Northside HS, Columbus, Ga. Ga.

Jordan began the year as a potential Top 200 talent, but he came down with an illness that caused him to lose about 15 pounds and much of his strength. Scouts estimated that Jordan was playing at about 75 percent when he started playing again in late April, but they still came out in droves for a mid-May matchup with Delino DeShields Jr. and Woodward High. At his best last summer, the lefthanded-hitting speedster showed good barrel awareness and above-average raw tools offensively and defensively for center field. Jordan was expected to be a summer follow but also could wind up at Wake Forest, where he'd start from day one.

20 625 Mike Ferraro OF San Diego Calif.

Six-foot-2, 200-pound Ferraro is a lefty-hitting outfielder with an ideal frame, excellent speed and a strong arm. His bat (.342/.409/.467) came to life this year after nagging physical problems the past three seasons, including his time at Orange Coast JC.

21 655 Dustin Hobbs RHP Yavapai (Ariz.) JC Ariz.

22 685 Trevor Johnson LHP JC of the Desert (Calif.) Calif.

23 715 Shane Brown C Central Florida Fla.

Versatile UCF senior Brown also should go out in the 15th-20th round as a future utility player. He caught in high school, is serviceable at second base and the outfield, and handles the bat.

24 745 Connor Mullee RHP St. Peters N.J.

Mullee started all of the Peacocks' 205 games in the infield and posted his best offensive season as a senior this spring, hitting .325 with eight homers and 16 stolen bases in 16 tries. But scouts are interested him as a pitcher, though he has made just seven career appearances (all this year), posting a 10.50 ERA. The 6-foot-3, 183-pounder flashed 93-94 mph heat in a tryout camp last year, and scouts who saw him this spring say he worked at 90-91 late in the season, though he threw harder in previous outings. He'll get drafted as a senior sign with arm strength, but he'll be a project, because he lacks feel for pitching, control and command. He'll need to improve his slurvy slider, too.

25 775 Casey Stevenson 2B UC Irvine Calif.

26 805 Richard Hively RHP Santa Ana (Calif.) JC Calif.

Santa Ana JC has produced many fine players, among them Braves pitching star Kris Medlen. Rigthander Hively, a tall and rangy righthander, may follow in that tradition. He smoothly delivers a 88-89 mph fastball from a frame that promises more velocity in the future.

27 835 Martin Viramontes RHP Loyola Marymount Calif.

Loyola Marymount rigthander Martin Viramontes is an imposing physical specimen whose results have yet to equal his ability. His power fastball sits at 92-94 mph and often peaks at 95-96, and he adds a curveball and changeup with splitter action. Both of those offerings have potential, but Viramontes throws only about 20 percent of his curves for a strikes. He has never performed at a consistent level, with his career interrupted by an elbow injury in 2009 that forced him to take a medical redshirt after pitching six innings. Viramontes went 4-7, 7.53 this season and gave up 39 extra-base hits (including eight home runs) in 72 innings. Most of his struggles can be traced to mechanical issues. He can't find a consistent arm slot, affecting both the command and velocity of his pitches. He's advised by Boras Corp. and could be a tough sign. Viramontes could easily evolve into a closer, particularly if he solves his command issues.

28 865 Josh Dezse RHP Olentangy Liberty HS, Powell, Ohio Ohio

29 895 Stewart Ijames OF Louisville Ky.

Louisville outfielder Ijames missed the 2009 season with rotator-cuff problems. He returned to lead the Coastal Plain League with 12 homers last summer, and has 14 more this spring. Of all the Cardinals' hitters, Ijames has the swing best suited for wood bats, and he still has untapped lefty power in his 6-foot-1, 215-pound frame. He has a decent arm, but his below-average speed relegates him to left field. He's a redshirt sophomore, so his extra leverage could make him more difficult to sign.

30 925 Zach Nuding RHP Weatherford (Texas) JC Texas

[MSBNYY]

I just hope Mike Ferraro doesn't get Willie Randolph thrown out at home again.

[$heriff Tom]

Here is a subscription only piece from Baseball America, written by Yankee beat writer George King. More detail on the first pick. Thanks to BA for this.

Yankees Go Off Beaten Path With Culver

New York Drafts Prep Shortstop In First Round

By George King
June 9, 2010


NEW YORK Damon Oppenheimer trusts his scouts' eyes more than what he reads.

"The main ranking that means something to me is the ranking of what our guys have,'' Oppenheimer said when asked about drafting switch-hitting shortstop Cito Culver in the first round (32nd pick) when many didn't believe he warranted that high of a slot.

"I had over 100 years of scouting experience go in and see this kid. All my cross-checkers have been doing this for a long time: a former major league hitting coach like Gary Denbo and former scouting directors like Bill Livesey. They were thumbs up. That means a lot more to me than publications who aren't able to get to these guys because they don't have scouting staffs.''

Culver, out of Irondequoit High in Rochester, N.Y., surfaced on the Yankees' radar last summer when he played for a team run by Yankee scout Matt Hyde.

"We saw his summer league team at the East Coast Professional Showcase and our team that we sponsor that goes out to the Area Code Games that Matt Hyde basically runs,'' Oppenheimer said. "We have seen him play for a long time, saw him get a couple 100 at-bats. The process of seeing a kid from Rochester where it's cold and not good weather in the spring, we were ahead of the game because we knew so much about him.''

Include Culver with those publications surprised by his selection.

"Did I expect to go No. 32 overall? No, I really didn't know," he said. "But when I was called I was very grateful, and honored . . . Just to get to be a Yankee is awesome."

The 6-foot, 172-pound Culver, who grew up a Yankee fan, batted .561 (37-for-66) with nine homers and 38 RBIs in 22 games.

Culver is only the second shortstop taken in the first round by the Yankees since they selected Derek Jeter with the sixth overall pick in the 1992 draft. The other was CJ Henry in the 2005 draft. He was dealt to the Phillies in the Bobby Abreu deal.

"I see myself as a shortstop . . . t's the position I played growing up throughout my whole life," Culver said. "Once a shortstop, always a shortstop, but I'm open to do whatever the team needs to do in order to win."

Oppenheimer said Culver is being considered a shortstop (he also pitched in high school) and doesn't expect signing to be an issue. Culver has committed to Maryland.

"He really wants to be a Yankee and we think we can get him signed out fairly soon,'' Oppenheimer said.

[Jason Giambi]

I already posted where Oppenheimer can see it I hope he knows what he was doing.

[$heriff Tom]

Nice first night for 1st round draft pick Cito Culver, in the FCL - 4-5 with a double and a stolen base.

[MSBNYY]

I didn't read anywhere that they even signed him. But I guess they did. Just looked up the stats, and last night was actually his 4th game for SI.

[sean]

anyone ever go to a SI yankee game? Is it worth the trip from Suffolk? I'd like to take my 2 boys to their first game. LI Ducks don't do it for me, and a Yankee game would either be far too expensive, or far too far away for them to follow the action. With my budget, I can only afford seats in the old Yankee Stadium

[$heriff Tom]

Worth it for the trip to see the youth, and the Stadium. BUT from LI? Either train and ferry or car ride is a pain in the ass. Dude, its farther than Yankee Stadium! I dont even like the venture to SI. And remember, maybe 1 guy of every 50 you see in 4 years will even smell the majors in a league like that.

[MSBNYY]

It's a very low level of pro ball, but if you want to spend a Saturday or Sunday, it would be cool.

[Jason Giambi]

Cervelli played for them.... It's not all a big bust.

[MSBNYY]

Definitely not. I think Cano played there too. It's the first stop in the minors. Low level. Hey--not that many people even make it from AAA.

[$heriff Tom]

If you are going to to games the level of SI Yankee games to see future stars, you are wasting your time. Stay home. If you are going to watch a baseball game, cheers to you.

[sean]

no, I wouldn't be going expecting to see future Yankee stars. More as a cheaper alternative to Yankee Stadium to take my 2 & 4 year old. In high school, I went to Albany and saw a Yankees Orioles AA game. A few of the players made it, (Most notably Bernie Williams & Mike Mussina) but the vast majority topped out at AA. Cheaper and better access. I want the kids to be able to see the game....at Yankee Stadium, that means a few hundred bucks for 4 seats. Usually at the minor league level, you can get great seats for not too much. And if they got to meet a player, that would be cool. They won't know the guys a career minor leaguer

[Chris]

Everyone knows the real future stars are the on the Charleston Rivderdogs.