Cito Culver & Angelo Gumbs: The Yanks' First Two Picks

Written by Greg Fertel | 16 June 2010

Let me preface this post by saying that I did not know anything about these players before the Yankees drafted them. Since then, I have read a lot about each player, so this is just me sharing the information I've gathered just to give you a look at what type of players Cito Culver and Angelo Gumbs are.

Cito Culver, SS, Irondequoit High School (NY)

With the 32nd overall pick in the 2010 draft, the Yankees selected Christopher 'Cito' Culver. The pick was instantly met with criticism, as he did not rank in either Baseball America's or Keith Law's top 100 draft prospects.

However, the Yankees had seen more of Culver than anyone else, and thought he warranted such a high selection. As Josh pointed out, the history of 32nd picks in the draft is not too impressive. Culver, who hails from outside of Rochester, was the Yankees guy, so they went ahead and took him. After the pick, Damon Oppenheimer said:

We were able to draft a very athletic kid who can play a good shortstop. He has a plus arm, is a solid runner and is an excellent hitter. He’s a player we are happy to have. It was an easy decision for us.

Basically, that's what the Yankees are getting with Culver. A young kid who is extremely athletic and has good baseball tools. All signs point to him being able to stick at shortstop, and the Yankees are clearly enamored with his skill set.

He is unable to sign until he graduates from high school, and it appears that he will sign shortly after he does. I'd expect him to sign for around slot and for him to head straight to the Gulf Coast League. He's instantly a top ten Yankee prospect, but he's a ways away from contributing.

Angelo Gumbs, SS/CF, Torrance (CA) HS

With their top two picks, the Yankees took players who appear to be somewhat similar. Gumbs has played centerfield as well as shortstop, and has excelled there. The Yankees haven't decided where they will play him yet, but he is currently more advanced in the outfield than he is at shortstop.

Personally, I'd love for the Yankees to start him off playing the infield. It seems like it is easier for an athletic player to move from the IF to the OF over the other way around. Playing on the same team as Culver could limit the amount of shortstop playing time available for Gumbs, though.

Gumbs is still just 17 years old, so he has a ton of development time ahead of him. While that means he won't make a big league appearance for a long time, it also means that the Yankees' coaches have plenty of time to work with him and mold him into the player that they want him to be.

The scouting report on Gumbs is impressive. Before the draft, the folks over at Baseball Beginnings wondered whether he was the best athlete in the entire draft, saying:

An athlete. Chance to be true 5-tool player, with grades 50 or better in each tool. Whippy and strong athletic body; could play SS or CF. Should become multi-platform offensive and defensive threat.

The Yanks took some high-upside, lower probability guys with their first two picks. This is the way they should approach the draft, as they don't really have room for marginal or even league-average players. If just one of these two guys pans out over the next five or six years, this draft can be considered a success.