NFT: Baseball Draft tomorrow-who do you like for Yankees?

for all the draft details regarding the Yankees. Really appreciate it.

NYY 5th rounder Brandon Lockridge, CF (played 2B in college), Troy, .303/.427/.455 this year, 41: 36 K:BB, 2 HRs (24 XBH) 25/27 SB attempts. Last year .344/.396/.498 w/ 6 HRs. Made an effort to be more patient this year. .205 in a cup of coffee on the Cape last summer.

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One of the younger college juniors in the class, German, a North Florida product, doesn't turn 21 until late September. Despite coming off the board in the fourth round, German has a chance to develop into a No. 4 starter if everything breaks right, but pitching as a No. 5 starter or swing man is probably the most likely outcome. The 6-foot-2 righty has a low-90s fastball, and a quality curveball with his average changeup serving as his third pitch. German's command is just average, but given his age and small-school roots, the Yankees may be able to unlock another gear in all aspects of his game.

From MLB Pipeline...

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NORTH FLORIDA HAS NEVER HAD A PITCHER TAKEN IN THE TOP FIVE ROUNDS OF THE DRAFT, WITH ONLY OUTFIELDERS TODD DUNN AND DONNIE DEWEES GOING THAT EARLY. GERMAN, WHO BEGAN THE YEAR AS THE OSPREYS’ TUESDAY STARTER BUT WORKED HIS WAY TO BEING THEIR FRIDAY NIGHT ACE EN ROUTE TO BEING A GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD SEMIFINALIST, HAS THE CHANCE TO BECOME THE FIRST. GERMAN HAS A SOLID THREE-PITCH MIX THAT POINTS TO A FUTURE AS A STARTING PITCHER AT THE NEXT LEVEL. HE’LL THROW HIS FASTBALL IN THE 90-94 MPH RANGE AND MAINTAINS HIS VELOCITY, ABLE TO REACH BACK FOR THAT 94 LATE IN STARTS WHEN HE NEEDS IT. HIS BREAKING BALL IS CLOSE TO A 12-TO-6 CURVE WITH LATE AND SHARP BREAK TO IT AND HE THROWS AN EFFECTIVE MID-80S CIRCLE CHANGE THAT HAS THE BOTTOM FALL OUT OF IT. HE COMMANDS ALL THREE PITCHES WELL AND HAS THROWN A LOT MORE STRIKES, WHILE MISSING MORE BATS, THIS YEAR COMPARED TO HIS SOPHOMORE SEASON. GERMAN HAS A LIMITED CEILING, THAT OF A NO. 4 OR 5 STARTER. BUT HIS PERFORMANCE IN HIS DRAFT SEASON HAS HAD MORE THAN GSA VOTERS TAKE NOTICE, GIVING HIM A GOOD CHANCE TO BECOME THE FIRST NORTH FLORIDA PITCHER TO GO IN THE TOP SIX ROUNDS SINCE THE TIGERS TOOK TYLER STOHR IN 2008.

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“HAD 11 OUTINGS WITH ONE EARNED RUN ALLOWED OR FEWER INCLUDING THREE WITH 0 EARNED RUNS ALLOWED.”

From last year....
College interview (april 2017) - ( New Window )

NYY takes UNC RHP swingman Rodney Hutchison in the 6th, 52:16 in 56 IP with a 4.79 ERA, 0.79 in 25.1 IP on the Cape last year, 14:6 K:BB working exclusively in relief

Struggled as a JR at UNC, didn't sign, went back and improved as a SR. Hutchison's stuff is good enough, the results have lagged, much like Warren. Now Warren had more success as a soph than Hutchison did at any point at UNC, and they trusted him as a starter beginning his soph year (Hutchison has been a swingman), but it's still reminiscent.

NYY 7th Rounder is Gonzaga SR RHSP Daniel Bies, 124:25 in 112 IP w/ a 2.49 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, 3.09 ERA and a 27:10 K:BB in 32 IP on the Cape last year. Big at 6'8" and 230, likely a significant underslot but still interesting

really interesting pick.

NYY 8th rounder: Bucknell SR RHP Connor Van Hoose, didn't pitch this year (for whatever reason), 2.28 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 83 IP last year, with a 97:19 K:BB. Didn't pitch in 2016 either, not sure why.

NM, 2018 stats just not up on Baseball Cube yet. 2.36 ERA over 76.1 IP, 108:31 K:BB in 2018. Probably a rotation stalwart for SI.

lots of things he has overcome to be a draft pick. Some upside here.

draft. The fact of the matter is, we have no idea how this draft will turn out at this point. However, track record says.....

And how many catchers can you play at one time?

In comment 13984222 Jim in Hoboken said:

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draft. The fact of the matter is, we have no idea how this draft will turn out at this point. However, track record says..... And how many catchers can you play at one time?

You can always choose to not enjoy it as well. The hit rate on young guys going into MLB is low, this is universally understood to even the casual baseball fan. That being said, you need to draft multiple players at positions with the understanding most will fail.

In comment 13984222 Jim in Hoboken said:

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draft. The fact of the matter is, we have no idea how this draft will turn out at this point. However, track record says..... And how many catchers can you play at one time?

You've got the four in Tampa, Trenton, Scranton, and the Bronx, and a couple more if you include the low-A leagues and whatnot. And if the Yankees are so fortunate that both catchers shine on their way up the ranks, they can serve as very valuable trading chips.

In comment 13984222 Jim in Hoboken said:

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draft. The fact of the matter is, we have no idea how this draft will turn out at this point. However, track record says..... And how many catchers can you play at one time?

Breaux is a bat first. Seigler is a legit catching prospect, the best prep receiver in the draft. I don't think the redundancy is an issue. Green could be a stud too.

lots of good information. Glad we got our obligatory 6'8" pitcher :)

Seigler and Breaux sound interesting, as does Green. Hope we get them signed.

In comment 13984244 dune69 said:

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lots of good information. Glad we got our obligatory 6'8" pitcher :) Seigler and Breaux sound interesting, as does Green. Hope we get them signed.

You can bank on all three, barring something in the medicals. They discuss bonus in advance, there is too much at stake to risk failure. The difficult signs will probably be tomorrow.

...but doesn't offer him the bonus money equal to his slotted value? Does he become a free agent or does he have to wait until the following year's draft?

In comment 13984260 Milton said:

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...but doesn't offer him the bonus money equal to his slotted value? Does he become a free agent or does he have to wait until the following year's draft?

Unless there is a legit accusation of bad faith, they would have to wait until the next year.

If Seigler and Breaux are approximate slot signings and Ryder Green gets $1 mil, give or take, we might have a couple small splurges left. Kicks off at noon.

a number of guys with limited hype before the draft are having very impressive seasons thus far. Stephan owned Tampa and is doing well at Trenton. Garrett Whitlock has been nails at Charleston and at Tampa. Janson Junk took a shutout into the 7th and still finished 7 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER (solo HR) 0 BB HBP 7 Ks, has been better in each of his four starts at Charleston. Dalton Lehnen has been outstanding for Charleston, and Dalton Higgins has done well thus far. Only Stephan had any significant pre-draft press, and all are legit prospects.

praising the "loud tools" from our draftees.
Link - ( New Window )

Rangers picked Cameron Simmons in the 15th round. Cross your fingers that he comes back, because the Hoos will need him.

In comment 13984805 Greg from LI said:

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Rangers picked Cameron Simmons in the 15th round. Cross your fingers that he comes back, because the Hoos will need him.

He has a shot to be a Top 3 round pick next year, it'd be a reasonable gamble to come back.

Bucknell draftee!!

In comment 13984839 Dunedin81 said:

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In comment 13984805 Greg from LI said: Quote: Rangers picked Cameron Simmons in the 15th round. Cross your fingers that he comes back, because the Hoos will need him. He has a shot to be a Top 3 round pick next year, it'd be a reasonable gamble to come back.

College Seniors usually don't go that high. The question is whether $125K now is worth the shot at being the one or two seniors who get above that next year, but if you gamble incorrectly you are looking at 1/10 of that number

But Simmons only dropped to the 15th round because he missed all of 2018 with a shoulder injury. He was expected to have a big year. If he's 100% recovered and has that big year in 2019, he could definitely climb up into the top three rounds.

In comment 13984850 Greg from LI said:

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But Simmons only dropped to the 15th round because he missed all of 2018 with a shoulder injury. He was expected to have a big year. If he's 100% recovered and has that big year in 2019, he could definitely climb up into the top three rounds.

I was thinking he was a DES, my mistake. Yeah in his case it probably makes more sense to sign.

I tweeted that based on the lack of preps the Yankees drafted, Ryder Green had a big bonus demand and the Yankees were going to meet it. He liked the tweet.

Prep catcher Alex Guerrero (18th round) will sign for $125K, counts $25K toward the pool.

Any other promising preps?

So Guerrero won't count at all.

Jim I'm working on a write-up, will probably be early next week. But of the guys who are realistic to sign, probably no big overslots. Green will get almost all of the extra money.

A number of intriguing guys early today, but I'll wait to read up before I pass judgment. First blush, seems like a lot of eggs in a couple baskets.

I'll reserve judgment, DO usually does a couple interviews and I want to read them. But my initial instinct seems to be broadly shared, that the class is heavily reliant on their first three picks developing into at least good prospects, hopefully elite ones. Their pitching development will turn some lackluster college results into High A studs, it's what they do, and a couple of kids will surprise, but I don't think it's a draft that, in two or three years, is going to fill up a Top 30 prospects list.

What they don’t understand. Particularly pundits. Anyway the Yanks are in the position to draft for want and not for need. They wanted to develop some catchers again, so they cluster drafted them. That helps the whole system not just catchers and pitchers.

one of my favorite Day 3 players. Won't be able to pitch until next year, but if he was healthy he'd have been an early Day 2 pick.

In comment 13985947 Dunedin81 said:

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one of my favorite Day 3 players. Won't be able to pitch until next year, but if he was healthy he'd have been an early Day 2 pick.

Rather, will sign.

didn't expressly say so, but he seems like he wants to sign.
Link - ( New Window )

Picks 4,5, 8, 9, and 10 have signed. Pick 6, Rodney Hutchison, can't sign until UNC is eliminated.

So that's out of the way.

The biggest organizational hole was catcher. The Yankees cluster draft, plus the catchers they signed in the international draft, means they should be in a much stronger position in a couple of years. It also seems like they tried to corner the market on lefty swinging catchers. Some of the catchers (Seigler especially) offer positional flexibility. He will absolutely be a catcher, but his infield experience and ability to switch hit, throw and catch makes first base a real option as a second position.

In IFA.

typically the Monday after the draft is when the physicals and the formal signings really pick up. They have a handful of draftees still playing; Hutchison, Alex Junior and Marcus Evey.

slight underslot (savings of $21K or so).

Best TennTech today. I saw Junior single then get caught stealing.

the team being legit major leaguers.
DotF from RAB - ( New Window )

Little guy, just 5'10", but he commands a mid-90's (T96) FB, he has a curve he uses as a put-away pitch, and he has a mature change he throws for strikes. He's a good control guy too, with a mature approach. Doesn't have the velocity of a Severino (though at 19 he has time to fill out and maybe throw harder), but he's still a legit prospect going forward.

2nd rounder, should hear about terms soon. Ryder Green and Rodney Hutchison are the remaining Top 10s, and Hutchison can't sign until the college season is over.

We’ll have to see how much.

Breaux and Green each got roughly $400K and change overslot, German got roughly $80K underslot.

Have spent 5M of tfe 6.1 on the first three rounds.

looking forward to tracking Green. Like Gilliam a few years ago, these are prospects I first became aware of after drafting them for years in OOTP.