Written by Greg Fertel
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10 June 2008
So,
Dennis Shulman won the primary... and the campaign immediately sent me down to D.C. to work on some training. Its been a long 2 weeks. I was busy enough that I couldn't even follow the draft live, a long-time ritual of mine. I've had some time for the Yankee picks to ruminate in my head, so here are my thoughts.
Gerrit Cole, 1st Round - What a great pick. He's a little risky, but has tremendous upside. He's the kind of pick where we might be recounting the chain of events five years from now that had to line up in order for him to fall to us. By all measures, he was the best player available and we grabbed him. His scounting video reveals a fairly violent, cross-body motion that could cause problems in the future, but I'm sure that the Yankees are already thinking about how to smooth out his delivery once he signs. He'll also be forever compared to Phil Hughes by minor league folks like ourselves. There is no such thing as a truly "safe" pick for a pitcher in the draft, so the Yankees went for the biggest upside pick they could.
Jeremy Bleich, Supplemental Round - He seems like an overdraft. Lefties tend to be overrated as is on draft day, and there are very few remarkable things about Bleich. He has good control, but was never that strong of a pitcher in college. He followed his poor sophomore year (5.56 ERA) with a strong partial season this year (1.38 ERA), but didn't improve on his peripherals. His career rates stand at 3.05 BB/9 and 5.59 K/9.
Scott Bittle, 2nd Round - Unlike Bleich, Bittle was flat-out dominate this season. 70 2/3 innings, 30 walks, 130 strikeouts, 1.78 ERA. Watching his video, he seems to generate powerful downward movement on the ball. Had Melancon been healthy, this is the kind of position that he would have occupied. While I'm not certain that the Yankees need another strong set up man relief prospect, Bittle looks like a strong pick when viewed independently. He should also be a fast mover. Depending on when he decides to sign, Bittle could be available for the majors as soon as late 2009.
David Adams, 3rd Round - Derek Jeter would be jealous of his opposite-field swing. He's a better version of Colin Curtis, but playing 2nd base.
Corban Joseph, 4th Round - Watching his draft video, the man's got a power swing. I'm not sure if he's a shortstop in name only (meaning, he's just the most athletic guy on his high school team), but he seems to be a good enough hitter to profile lower down the spectrum. Eric reported that he hit over .700 in high school, but we'll have to see how he does against real competition. Definitely a guy to keep an eye on.
Chris Smith, 5th Round - I don't have much of an opinion on Smith, so I won't insult your intelligence by offering one. He's a fast guy who chokes up on the bat.
Brett Marshall, 6th Round -He's a classic high upside pick. You can't teach 95. He's a project, but the Yankees should end up paying him the kind of money that he'll demand.
Other Thoughts - We got Pat Venditte back! And this time, he's a senior. I'd say that there is now an 80% chance that the switch-pitcher will play for one of the Yankee's minor league affiliates. How good he is remains to be seen, but I can't wait to see him pitch. The Yankee draft appears appears to be an ambitious one - they drafted lots of upside. For the second year though, I will reserve judgment on the draft until the August signing deadline.
