Written by Greg Fertel
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01 June 2008
Yesterday, the community on John Sickels' minor league
blog held a community mock draft, a 5-round extravaganza (6 including the sandwich round) with separate scouting directors for each team. I'm going to take a look at the picks that were made by the Yankees' scouting directors, minorleagueball poster batonball and Pablo Zevallos of
Yankees: Looking for the Future, and say who I would have taken at those spots. I think they did a great job with the draft, but as always, given the wide-open nature of the draft, there are always alternative possibilities for the picks that were made. You can also check out Mike's
shadow draft on River Ave. Blues, as he as always has some interesting thoughts on the draft.
1st Round, #28
Mock Draft pick: Zach Collier, OF, Chino Hills (CA)
Mike's pick: Robbie Ross
My pick: Collier
Since this was a mock draft, signability concerns were not that big of a deal for other drafters, and as a result, guys such as Gerrit Cole and Tanner Scheppers were gone (19 and 21 respectively). Most of the top college bats were taken as well, and the high school hitter I hoped for, Brett Lawrie, was taken earlier. As a result, the choice for me seemed primarily between the top 3 high school bats remaining: Isaac Galloway, Casey Kelly and Collier. While I am intrigued by the other two players' tools and greater likelihood to play a premium position, Collier's hitting ability and power gives him an edge in my mind over the other two, who have questions about their hitting ability.
Supplemental 1st Round, #44
Mock Draft pick: Allan Dykstra, 1b, Wake Forest
Mike's pick: Danny Webb, lhp, Lexington Christian Academy
My pick: Dykstra
It's boring to agree again I know, but I think Dykstra was a very good pick here. If the Yankees do not sign Mark Teixeira to a long-term deal, than this pick would make even more sense. He's got very good power that would play well in Yankee stadium, impressive plate discipline, and he should be an adequate defensive 1st baseman. This is a relatively high floor pick, but he could help the Yankees out in a few seasons. I also strongly considered a number of high school pitchers, including lefty Kyle Lobstein (a safer, need pick), righty Tyler Sample (who I wrote about in my last draft posting), a riskier pick with a high upside, and righty Trey Haley, a Rice commit (aka a tough sign) who has much better stuff than Lobstein but doesn't quite have Sample's ceiling (though he's probably less risky). My thinking in part is that there are a lot of 2nd-tier high school pitchers left in the draft, but the top college bats were going fast. Additionally, I would think that Sample or Haley could fall to the next round (I was wrong, but whatever).
2nd Round, #75
Mock Draft pick: Rick Oropesa, 1b, Etiwanda HS (California)
Mike's pick: Nick Maronde, lhp, Lexington Catholic HS (Kentucky)
My pick: Michael Palazzone, rhp, Lassiter HS (Georgia)
Finally, I get to make a different pick than the mock drafters. Palazzone was one of a number of high school pitchers I considered at this slot. The things I look for in a high school pitcher are (in no particular order) projectability, present velocity, and a strong secondary offering. Palazzone has all of the above qualities. He's 6'4" 190 with room to grow and fill out, a fastball in the low 90's, and a plus 12-6 curveball. He sounds like he needs to improve his mechanics and command, but that is what professional coaching is for. I like Mike's Maronde pick too, but since he sounds like a tough sign, he might be available later (in the real draft). Oropesa sounds like an interesting power prospect, but his inconsistent contact ability is worrisome.
3rd Round, #106
Mock Draft pick: Ryan Westmoreland, OF, Portsmouth HS (Rhode Island)
Mike's pick: Javier Rodriguez, OF, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
My pick: Matt Marquis, OF, Immaculada HS (New Jersey)
I haven't been able to find an enormous amount of information on Marquis, but what I have heard is pretty impressive. He is an athletic outfielder with good speed and great power, possibly a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. While he will probably be a tough sign due to a Vanderbilt commitment, I think the Yankees might have some luck signing this (relatively) local boy. I came very close to picking Miami centerfielder Blake Tekotte, who sounds like a solid leadoff hitter with speed and good defense in center, plus some pop (10 homers this season, albeit in a stacked Miami lineup). If the Yanks didn't have Melky, Gardner and Jackson in the system, Tekotte might have been the pick. I don't know anything about Rodriguez unfortunately, so I couldn't pick him, but he sounds like a nice talent. Westmoreland sounds like a great, athletic pick as well, although with his tough signability he might be had later in the draft.
4th Round, #140
Mock Draft pick: Keith Landers, lhp, St. Peter-Marion HS (Massachusets)
My pick: TJ House, lhp, Picayune HS (Missisippi)
This is getting to the point where I know very little about the remaining players, but I did my best. House is a 6'1" lefty with a low-90's fastball and solid secondary offerings, though I don't know much else about him. What I do know is that he is a tough sign, with a strong commitment to Tulane, but I think the Yankees could bring him into the fold with enough cash. He was the highest remaining lefty on the BA top 200 prospects
list, checking in at #100 so I figured he was talented enough to justify drafting there.
5th Round, #170
Mock Draft pick: Danny Ortiz, OF, Harrison HS (Puerto Rico)
My pick: Cole St. Clair, lhp, Rice
I don't know anything about Ortiz, so I can't really comment on that pick. St. Clair is probably a reach here considering his injury history, but I like that he is a college lefthander with 3 pitches (low-90's fastball, good slider, changeup). He has a great arm and has closing experience, and I wouldn't mind seeing him fast-tracked as a lefty reliever, seeing as he has had issues with durability. I would be happy with this pick, though I don't know what his bonus demands are likely to be (though he is a senior, so he has less leverage).
What say you, peanut gallery?
