NFT: Yankees Draft Recap (Long form)

My take: College-heavy draft that is largely light on potential and heavy on experience. Some of these kids are really going to move and that’s great, but even if they sign all of their preps (which seems really unlikely) it’s a draft that seems to have a lot less potential than last year’s even outside of Round 1. I like DeCarr a lot and think he could turn out to be the best prospect out of the lot. I could see near at hand contributions from Lindgren, Montgomery, Payton and Spencer and there is a lot of potential in Foley, Gittons, Thompson and Kelzer. They seem to have really tried to find college guys with stories over the last few years, guys like Palladino and Smith who have room to grow like preps but don’t have prep signing demands. Cave and Toffey are uncertain signs but would add ceiling to this group if they do join the org. Guys like Carley, Borens, Chin, Barrow and Jose might have some more untapped potential but a lot of question marks. And a few of these guys like Conde, Slaybaugh and Gordon are likely to slide into org roles over the next year or two. Interesting draft, likely to be understood in conjunction with the looming IFA binge and also the guys coming stateside from the last couple IFA classes.

I cribbed a lot of this from RAB, Pinstripe Alley (a good read if you're bored) and The Baseball Cube.

2 Jacob Lindgren LHRP Miss St.
Polished lefty reliever with nasty stuff, sits 91-95 with a fastball and gets his K’s with a wipeout slider. One of the best groundball rates in the business, which will serve him well at YS. Undersized at 5’11” and 205. Crazy K rate, 93 (21 BBs) in 51 IP, 0.88 ERA and a WHIP well below 1.000.

3 Austen DeCarr RHSP Salisbury School – Prep (sorta)
Big-body starter at 6’3” and 218, sits low to mid-90’s on his FB and has the makings of a plus curve and a developing change. As a cold weather kid he’s a little more projectable than most. Clemson commit, I’d guess he gets around slot but he might take more.

4 Jordan Montgomery LHSP U of South Carolina
Another big body at 6’4” and 225, he’s a “plus makeup” guy with a low-90’s FB that won’t hit much higher than 91, but it has run and sink and he can locate it. Best pitch is a changeup, also throws a cutter and a curve. Had a lights out 2013 with a 1.48 ERA, it climbed to 3.42 this year. K rate increased but so did his HR and walk rates, maybe throwing a little harder but locating poorly. Pretty modest ceiling but he should move.

5 Jordan Foley RHSP Central Michigan
6’3” and 215 pound righty with a mid-90’s FB, he can maintain his velocity into games. Inconsistent slider, developing change and sinker. Despite the knocks for inconsistency, it looks like he made a conscious effort to address the walks and finished with a BB/9 of roughly 2. His K rate took a dip too.

6 Jonathan Holder RHRP Miss. St.
Actually the closer at MSU, with Lindgren usually pitching multiple innings. Low 90’s FB and a great curve, excellent control. First of a number of fat bodies at 6’2” and 242, likely to sign for underslot.

7 Mark Payton OF U of Texas
Lefty hitting center fielder for UT, little at 5’8” and 190, very limited pop but a great contact tool. Almost a Taylor Dugas clone, walked 49 times this year to 22 strikeouts, hit a crazy .393 last year, this year down to .319 but with a .355 OBP. OPS over .900 the last three years. 16/16 on SB attempts this year but smarter than he is fast, very little pop (1 HR the last two seasons) but maybe some latent as he is said to hit with loft. Probably doesn’t have the legs for CF but said to have a great arm and solid instincts.

8 Conner Spencer 1B UC Irvine
Lefty hitting 1B who had a crazy .373 BA this year (.443 OBP/.496 SLG), 21:21 K:BB, problem is 0 HRs in more than 400 Pas. Unless you’re John Olerud a 1B is supposed to hit HRs, and even he had a few. Rep as a very good defender. Probably underslot/org type, but maybe he surprises.

9 Vincent Conde SS Vanderbilt
Righty hitting SS who hit exactly .307 the last two years, as many BBs as K’s this year (33) and a little bit of pop (10 HR over the last two years). 10/12 on SB attempts. Rep for being somewhat mediocre defensively by professional standards and his arm may require a transition to 2B. Underslot candidate.

10 Ty McFarland 2B James Madison
Lefty-hitting senior sign, 6’3” and 190 lbs, just 19 K’s each of the last two seasons. .317 this year, .339 and .330 the two prior years. Power spiked a little this year from 4 HRs up to 9. Definitely an underslot but could surprise.

11 Matt Borens RHSP Eastern Illinois
Lanky-bodied righty at 6’7” and 185 (if that’s right), 100:36 K:BB over 109 IP this year, gave up 15 HRs which suggests he doesn’t locate well in the zone (at least not yet), solid 3.39 ERA though. Last year in summer ball (Coastal Plain League) threw to a solid 3.75 ERA and .213 opposing BA. Solid walk rate of roughly 3.3/9 for his height.

12 Chris Gittons 1B Grayson CC
Thick righty 1B at 6’4” 250 gifted with what Phil might call “now power”, one of the best JUCO bats in the country hit .424 with 12 HRs, 35 BBs against 28 Ks in 227 Pas.

13 Bo Thompson 1B The Citadel
Another guy with “now power” with a lithe, graceful athlete’s body (5’10” and a reported 250+), Bo (real name is Leonard) has hit 23 HRs over the last two years and walked a combined 95 times (w/ 36 HBPs). Power and patience are his hallmarks. He won’t move enough to be more than a lead-footed 1B but the power potential is great.

14 Sean Carley RHP WVU
Another candidate for Team Anorexia at 6’4” and 250, he seems to have eaten his way out of the Air Force Academy. His figure screams “Bartolo Colon” (or Kenny Powers) but he throws mid-90’s and already has TJS out of the way. Developing slider and changeup. This year managed a 2.95 ERA and 47:26 K:BB in 73.1 IP. Also hit 10 batters (probably for jumping him in the cafeteria line). Already 23 years old.

15 Andrew Chin LHP Boston College
6’1”, 190 lb with a rep as a crafty lefty, former 5th round pick of the Blue Jays, paced Boston College starters with 3.10 ERA, K:BB of 52:32 in 78.1 IP is unimpressive but his .214 opposing BA and 3 HRs allowed were. Also hit 11 guys who probably also deserved it. Threw to a 6.45 ERA on the Cape last year. FB described as upper 80’s with a good change, can work both sides of the plate and up and down. I doubt high 80’s gets you drafted in the 5th though, so maybe that’s just BS.

16 Derek Callahan LHP Gonzaga
6’4” 205 lb lefty threw 50.2 IP of 4.26 ERA ball, with 27:20 K:BB, none of which is remotely impressive, but dominated a wood bat league a few years back to a 2.25 ERA, throws 90-92 on a good day with a developing slider, curve and change. Basically your average lefty who throws hard enough to break a window with a baseball so will get a look.

17 Garrett Cave RHP South Sumpter HS
6’4” 180 lb righty, very young (turns 18 next month), sits low 90’s with his FB, improving curveball, change is usually the last to come on a prep guy. Raw, mechanics need cleaning up but athletic and a lot of potential there. An FIU commit so likely not unassailable, depends on whether we have the money and whether he’s the overslot we choose to spend it on.

18 Justin Kamplain LHP Alabama
6’0” 175 lb lefty, looks to have been a weekend starter at Bama with a 2.90 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, 69:31 K:BB this year in 90 IP (just 65 hits surrendered). Strong summer on the Cape in 2013 with a 1.65 ERA and 41:18 K:BB in 38 IP. High-80’s to low-90’s lefty with a live FB and a curveball, if he can command them he could be a nice pick.

19 Joe Harvey RHP Pitt
6’2” and 220 lb righty, 3.27 ERA but 29:20 in 33 IP, four-pitch pitcher (including a low-90’s FB) but if the control sucks he’s probably not going to amount to much. Worth a look.

20 Corey Holmes RHP Concordia (TX)
6’6” 200 lb righty relieved for WVU last year to a 5.71 ERA in 17.1 IP, went to Concordia where he allowed just 1 ER in 18.2 IP, 29:6 K:BB. Maybe he turned a corner or maybe the level of competition just dropped.

21 Porter Clayton LHP Oregon
6’4” 215 lb lefty who throws low-90’s with a change and what RAB describes as a slurve. Swingman was not all that effective (4.46 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, more walks than K’s - 26 to 25 in 36.1 IP) as a collegian but presumably the Yanks like something about his repertoire. And he’s a lefty, and has a pulse.

22 Jake Kelzer RHP Indiana
Huge kid (6’8” and 230) who is a superb athlete as he also swam D1, Kelzer is one of the handful of really intriguing draftees. Closed for IU, hurling a 2.03 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 31 IP, with a 44:9 K:BB. 90-91 FB (presumably with a good downward plane) and slider he used as a strikeout pitch.

23 Will Toffey 3B Salisbury (HS)
6’2”, 195 lb left handed hitter who played short in HS but is likely to move off the position going forward, Toffey is a strong prospect with a Vandy commit who seems likely to be a tough sign. Strong arm. I’ve heard him described as having below average speed and speed as a strength so who knows? Good bat speed, expected to have develop power as he moves.

24 Dominic Jose CF Stanford
6’3” 195 lb switch-hitter, a part-time player who didn’t find much success at college (.200 BA as a senior). Presumably the Yankees like a tool or two and think he can work with him, son of former Yankee Felix Jose. This switch-hitting shortstop at least represented a better value than the last one.

25 Dylan Barrow RHP U of Tampa
6’3” 190 lb righty who is pretty new to pitching, as a former shortstop he is athletic and runs it up to 96 on the gun, mid-80’s on a breaking ball. He is just 20 so he has some potential.

26 Collin Slaybaugh C Washington State
Lefty catcher and senior sign at 6’2 and 185, .309/.381/.373 career slash line, 27/33 career stolen bases, will probably either start for SI or caddy for a prospect, maybe Torrens if they choose to send him there.

27 Griffin Gordon OF Jacksonville State
Lefty-hitting senior draftee, .380/.447/.521 line with 29 BBs to 19 Ks, 7 HRs and 18 XBHs, 10/11 on SB attempts.

28 Lee Casas RHP USC
Big (6’7” and 255 lb) senior draftee, didn’t appear for USC as best I can tell after transitioning from JUCO, I know nothing about the guy.

29 Mariano Rivera RHP Iona
Lanky like his dad, stands 5’11” and 155 lbs, just 20 years old, said to sit around 90 with a decent slider as his out pitch, 5.40 ERA in 70 IP with 50:26 K:BB. Dad apparently wants him to finish school but he wants to get started.

30 Jorge Perez RHP Grand Canyon State
6’2” 205 righty who ranked as BA’s #2 prospect in the West Coast League (unconfirmed reports say the #1 prospect returned to his little league team mid-season). FB topped out around 91 this spring but hit 93-94 last year, some concerns about tendonitis apparently. Fringey slider and an above average change complete the repertoire. 3.43 ERA and 38:12 K:BB in 63 IP this year but that was apparently while nursing injury. RAB lists him as a “depth” pick but if he’s healthy he could be more.

31 Devyn Bolansky CF UC Riverside
5’11” 185 lb lefty hitter, .336/.370/.398, 14/21 on SBs, quintessential “scrappy” guy with a K rate of under 9%.

32 Jordan Ramsey RHP UNC-W
6’4” 200 lb righty who dropped for some reason, supposedly a blister and a triceps injury, sits low-90’s but has touched as high as 96, secondary stuff (slider and change) said to be average on a good day, RAB says a bullpen prospect. His 5.40 ERA this year and 42 Ks in and 6 HRs in just 49.2 IP won’t wow anyone (though his 14 BBs are impressive). Last year though he had a 2.34 ERA in 104 IP, with a 1.16 WHIP. There is more talent there than he showed this year.

33 David Graybill RHP Arizona State
6’4” 225 lb righty two-way player, expected to pitch as a pro (good considering he hit just .227). No info about his repertoire.

34 Matt Wotherspoon RHP Pitt
6’1” 175 lb righty, curious tumble for the Pitt right-hander who can touch mid-90’s with his FB, has a plus breaking ball and a good changeup, 3.70 ERA this year with a 1.27 WHIP, 85:33 K:BB in 107 IP, quality starter for an ACC program. A senior with a chance to be a big-leaguer, surprised he fell this far.

35 Chris Hudgens C Valhalla HS
6’1” 190 lb prep catcher, the only one we drafted this year. Cal State Fullerton commit hit 12 HRs as a senior in HS and threw out 48% of base-stealers, not sure how high his ceiling is but he’s not a non-entity.

36 William Gaddis RHP Brentwood HS
Prep righty has been on the map for a couple years, was in the high 80’s last year (not sure about now) with movement, along with a promising slider and change. Committed to Furman. Listed at 6’0” and 175 but that could be dated.

37 Ryan Lindemuth 2B William and Mary
Right-handed contact hitter with more BBs than K’s (20 to 16), 6 HRs as a senior. To illustrate the shitty nature of reports for middling or worse prospects, he has been described as having little or no patience but had a .445 OBP this year. Senior though, almost certainly filler.

38 Andre del Bosque RHP University of Houston-Victoria
80 Name tool, 6’0” 225 lb 5th year senior who had TJS, no idea what he throws.

39 Cameron Warren 1B Carl Albert HS (OK)
6’3” and 210, the righty U of Oklahoma commit has power potential, had 8 HRs as a HS senior with a .463 BA. Maybe there is something there, but prep 1B are rarely a hot commodity because you can’t move anywhere after 1B.

40 Madison Stokes SS AC Flora HS (SC)
Righty hitting shortstop who probably moves off the position going forward, he was projected in the 10-12 round range but fell. University of South Carolina commit. Line drive hitter with the ability to get bigger than 6’3” and 190. Has dealt with some injury issues, seems likely he attends college.

I will update with signings when I see them and bump it to keep it from going stale.