Yanks Signed Draft Picks

I've received a few emails about which draft picks the Yankees have signed over the last few weeks. Well, finally, here's your answer via Chad Jennings:

1 Culver, Cito
2 Gumbs, Angelo
3 Segedin, Robert
4 Williams, Mason
5 Kahnle, Thomas
6 Encinas, Gabe
7 Anderson, Taylor
8 Roller, Kyle
9 Morton, Taylor
10 Gamel, Benjamin
11 Varce, Zachary
12 Burawa, Daniel
13 Austin, Christopher
15 Whitley, Chase
16 Rutckyj, Evan
17 Claiborne, Preston
20 Ferraro, Michael
21 Hobbs, Dustin
22 Johnson, Trevor
23 Brown, Shane
24 Mullee, Conor
25 Stevenson, Casey
30 Nuding, Zachary
31 Gipson, James
32 Sneed, Kramer
35 Oliver, William
36 McCoy, Nick
46 Forer, Nathan
47 Lewis, Frederick

With each new signing I'll update this list and repost.

Yanks Sign First Round Pick Culver

From the Democrat and Chronicle, with a hat-tip to Zell's Pinstripe Blog:

Irondequoit’s Cito Culver has signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees, with a reported bonus of nearly $1 million.

“We are very excited to get Cito signed so quickly and get him out on the field to begin his development as a Major League prospect,” said Damon Oppenheimer, vice president of amateur scouting for the Yankees.

Apparently, he's so happy to be a Yankee that he even shaved the interlocking NY onto his head.

Looks Like Yanks Will Be Able To Sign 1st Rd Pick Culver

From Jim Mandelaro:

Cito Culver has passed on his athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland and is ready to talk contract with the New York Yankees.

Tomorrow night, the Irondequoit High shortstop will fly to Tampa, site of the Yankees’ minor-league complex, for a three-day visit. Culver said he’s not sure what is on the agenda, other than a physical.

He graduates from high school on Sunday and is not allowed to sign a contract with the Yankees until then.

“They asked me to come down to Tampa,’’ he said today. “I’m excited.’’

Speaking of signing draft picks, here a list of all the Yankees signed draft picks so far:

8th round - 1B Kyle Roller, East Carolina University

11th round - RHP Zachary Varce, University of Portland

15th round - RHP Chase Whitley, Troy University

17th round - Preston Claiborne, Tulane University

20th round - LF Michael Ferraro, University of San Diego

22nd round - LHP Trevor Johnson, College of the Desert

23rd round - OF Shane Brown, University of Central Florida

24th round - RHP Conor Mullee, St Peters College

31st round - RHP James Gipson, Florida Atlantic University

35th round - RHP Williams Oliver, Palomar College

36th round - C Nick McCoy, University of San Diego

46th round - RHP Nathan Forer, S. Illinois University Carbondale

47th round - LHP Frederick Lewis, Tennessee Wesleyan College

(hat-tip to Chad Jennings)

Yankees Draft Picks (Rounds 11-50)

Domenic already broke down the Yankees top ten picks, and here's a quick look at the rest (hat-tip to Chad Jennings):

11 (#355) Zachary Varce RHP - University of Portland (Ore.)

12 (#385) Daniel Burawa RHP - St. John’s University

13 (#415) Christopher Austin C - Heritage HS (Ga.)

14 (#445) Travis Dean RHP - Newton South HS (Mass.)

15 (#475) Chase Whitley RHP - Troy University

16 (#505) Evan Rutckyj LHP - St. Joseph’s HS (Windsor, Ontario)

17 (#535) Preston Claiborne RHP - Tulane University

18 (#565) Kevin Jacob RHP - Georgia Tech

19 (#595) Kevin Jordan CF - Northside HS (Ga.)

20 (#625) Michael Ferraro LF - University of San Diego

21 (#655) Dustin Hobbs RHP - Yavapai College

22 (#685) Trevor Johnson LHP - College of the Desert

23 (#715) Shane Brown C - Central Florida

24 (#745) Conor Mullee RHP - St. Peters College (N.J.)

25 (#775) Casey Stevenson 2B - University of Calif. – Irvine

26 (#805) Richard James Hively RHP - Santa Ana College (Calif.)

27 (#835) Martin Viramontes RHP - Loyola Marymount University

28 (#865) Josh Dezse RHP - Olentangy Liberty HS (Ohio)

29 (#895) Stewart Ijames LF - Louisville University

30 (#925) Zachary Nuding RHP - Weatherford College

31 (#955) James Gipson RHP - lorida Atlantic University

32 (#985) Kramer Sneed LHP - Barton College

33 (#1015) Michael Hachadorian RHP - San Diego Mesa College

34 (#1045) William Kish RHP - Germantown Academy (Pa.)

35 (#1075) William Oliver RHP - Palomar College

36 (#1105) Nick McCoy C - University of San Diego

37 (#1135) Cameron Hobson LHP - University of Dayton

38 (#1165) James Ramsay CF - Brandon HS (Fla.)

39 (#1195) Jaycob Brugman OF - Desert Vista HS (Ariz.)

40 (#1225) Michael Gerber CF - Neuqua Valley HS (Ill.)

41 (#1255) Tymothy Pearson CF - Columbia Basin CC (Ore.)

42 (#1285) Michael O’Neill CF - Olentangy Liberty HS (Ohio)

43 (#1315) Kyle Hunter LHP - Kansas State University

44 (#1345) David Middendorf LHP - Northern Kentucky University

45 (#1375) Tyler Johnson OF - Penn State University

46 (#1405) Nathan Forer RHP - Southern Ill. Univ. – Carbondale

47 (#1435) Frederick Lewis LHP - Tennessee Wesleyan College

48 (#1465) Alex Brown RHP - Amphitheater HS (Ariz.)

49 (#1495) Will Arthur OF - Abbotsford Sec. School (B.C.)

50 (#1525) James Rice C - Western Kentucky University

Analyzing the Draft (Rounds One through Ten)

While it may go without saying, I feel the need to say it anyway - the MLB Draft is the biggest crapshoot within the big four professional sports and, as a result, is the most difficult to accurately gauge. That being said, that also makes it the easiest to pick apart, as the fruits are not likely to ripen until two or three years into the future (at the earliest). In the interest of time and space, I'll offer three or four sentences about the Yankees first fifteen selections. Let's dive right into the team's top-ten picks.

Round 01 - Cito Culver, SS, 08/26/1992
Culver's greatest strength lay in his glovework - it is quite likely that the Rochester native will remain at shortstop for the foreseeable future. Further, his athleticism should allow him to perform ably all over the diamond should his bat not pan out - which is the greatest question mark. While Culver's frame suggests he can add bulk and power, his offensive approach reminds me of David Eckstein - he'll need to retool his mechanics prior to adding power.

Round 02 - Angelo Gumbs, SS, 10/13/1992
A shortstop by trade, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that Gumbs will make the move to centerfield sooner rather than later, and I suspect that his speed and athleticism will make that transition fairly smooth. I'm a bit leery of calling him a true five-tool prospect, as his bat only began to show in his senior year, but his progress was admirable… and I don't think it's fair to criticize high school players for struggling with breaking stuff. Think 80% of Slade Heathcott.

Round 03 - Robert Segedin, 3B, 11/10/1988
Segedin's back woes of 2009 worry me a bit, and I highly doubt that he'll be able to remain at the hot corner (though he doesn't appear to be an embarrassment there). Scouts have raved about his bat speed and approach at the plate, and he's been labelled as one of the best "pure hitters" in the draft by many (whatever that means). I see him as a more athletic version of Blue Jays prospect Brett Wallace.

Round 04 - Mason Williams, CF, 08/21/1991
I won't waste much space here - he appears to be Brett Gardner 2.0, with strong marks across the board, save for below-average power.

Round 05 - Thomas Kahnle, RHP, 08/07/1989
A starter by trade, Kahnle was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA National and South Regional Tournament in 2008 as a reliever, and it appears that that will be his destiny in the majors. Kahnle is more of a thrower than a pitcher, touching 98 with his fastball (with movement), yet demonstrating no feel or control for his curve or change. He's built in the Chamberlain/Gagne mold, though I can't think of a performance comparison.

Round 06 - Gabe Encinas, RHP, 12/21/1991
Encinas demonstrated great control for a High School pitcher, and he has a heavy sinker which generates tons of grounders. He has flashes of brilliance with his curve, but it's fairly unrefined, and he has a decent feel for his change. A criticism that I've heard fairly often is that he doesn't really pitch downhill, which would make the 6'4" righty even deadlier.

Round 07 - Taylor Anderson, CF, 12/03/1991
A centerfielder by trade, I've heard that Anderson may end up as a second baseman - I'm not quite sure why, though, as I haven't heard anything other than solid reviews for his glovework in center. Anderson's swing has been referred to as 'sweet,' 'perfect,' or 'beautiful' more times than I can remember and, while he hasn't demonstrated too much home run power, he has hit a terrific amount of doubles and triples.

Round 08 - Kyle Roller, 1B, 03/27/1988
In a semi-hilarious circumstance, Roller may not be athletic enough to stick at first… a rare feat, indeed. That being said, Roller is a masher with solid plate discipline - and he's had success using wooden bats, to boot. His swing is a bit long, so he may need to work on handling breaking stuff, however.

Round 09 - Taylor Morton, RHP, 12/18/1991
I, for one, remember Morton as the pitcher that struck out Bryce Harper in a High School talent showcase in 2009. Morton stuff impresses me, as he has a good feel for a circle change, which baffled High School hitters over the past couple of years and could work out to be a plus-pitch. With his fastball sitting in the low-90s and no other real offspeed offering, he is certainly a project - but an intriguing one, at that.

Round 10 - Benjamin Gamel, CF, 05/17/1992
Gamel's older brother Mat is an all-hit, no-glove prospect in the Brewers system. I would call Benjamin his opposite per say, but he is likely to stick in the outfield (perhaps not in center, but he could be a plus fielder in either corner) and has a line-drive stroke with middling power.

And the Yankees 2nd and 3rd Round Picks Are...

SS/OF Angelo Gumbs of Torrance (California) High School and 3B Robert Segedin out of Tulane University. Gumbs was taken 89th in the second round and Segedin was the 112th pick in the third round.

Baseball America (subscription required) has some really good things to say about the 6-foot, 200 pound, Gumbs. They say he's fast, has a great arm, makes "spectacular" plays in the field. His tools, they say, are "impressive but not overwhelming," though his bat has improved "immensely" on the last year. Like a lot of young players, he struggles with off-speed stuff and breaking pitches, and he also has "a tendency to pull off the ball." Most importantly, they say he "has the ability to be an electrifying outfielder with five average to plus tools," and that since he's so young and raw drafting him "could provide an enormous payoff" for the Yanks.

As for Segedin, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder hit 434/.516/.788 for Tulane in the regular season. He has good strength and hits the ball well, making "consistent, hard contact." According to BA, "there aren't many quality bats like Segedin's in this draft." On the defensive side he does the job, but isn't especially fast. He has a great arm and hit 94 mph on the gun when he used to pitch, but back problems basically put an end to his pitching days.

I'll post another update tonight with the rest of the day's Yankees picks.

Oppenheimer Discusses The Yankees 1st Round Pick

Here's some quotes from Amateur scouting director Damon Oppenheimer via Chad Jennings:

“I had basically over 100 years of scouting experience go in and see this kid.”

...

“We’ve been able to see him play for a long time. We’ve probably got a couple of hundred at-bats from him… We were ahead of the game because we knew so much about him.”

...

“He really wants to be a Yankee. I think that we’re going to get him. We should get him signed and get him out playing really soon.”

The Yankees project Culver as a shortstop, and that picking him was “an easy decision.” The Yankees did consider waiting until the second round, but Oppenheimer said he was glad they didn't because he received a call from another team telling him that Culver wouldn't have been around when the Yankees were back on the clock.

Jennings also had this scouting report from Oppenheimer:

BAT: “Switch hitter. We like him from both sides of the plate. An above average hitter. He has pop in his bat, even with wood. It’s high school, but he’s hitting the ball over the fence in center field with a heavier wood bat than most of these kids we see using. The kid only struck out twice. We saw him all summer against the better stuff, guys throwing hard, and he squared the ball up well during that time so we think he’s going to hit. We think there’s a chance for power too.”

GLOVE: “You always keep your mind open, but his tools and his ability were what attracted us as a shortstop. You never know how long it will take for a guy to get there, and what’s in front of him when he does get there, but I think the fact that he’s in the middle of the field right now, we project him to be a shortstop. Worst-case scenario, if somebody was there blocking his way, you’re talking about a switch hitter that can run and do some other things, it would allow him (to change positions) if you need to.”

ARM: “He has a great arm. He’s up to 95 on the mound, but the idea of being able to get a switch-hitting shortstop is more attractive right now than a thrower, which is really what he is as a pitcher.”

The Yankees seem pretty high on this kid. Hopefully he's not another C.J. Henry.

Yankees Make SS Cito Culver Their 2010 1st Round Pick

With the 32nd pick in the first round, the Yankees took Cito Culver in this year's MLB Draft. He's a 6'1'', 167-pound switch hitting shortstop from Irondequoit HS in Rochester, N.Y. He also pitched in high school, but scouts don't see it in his future.

John Manuel of Baseball America had this to say about the pick:

Once again, this wasn't a consensus first-rounder. Need more proof? Cito Culver ranked No. 168 on our board, but Culver had athleticism, plus tools to play shortstop and good infield actions, and the Yankees popped him at No. 32.

...

From Aaron Fitt's draft report:

"The game comes easily to Culver, whose actions, instincts and range are all plus at times, though he has a long way to go to become a consistent defender, and some believe he profiles as a utility player down the road. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Culver is a solid-average runner and a switch-hitter with a loose, whippy swing from both sides of the plate."

Here's a profile on Culver from John Kilma. He says that Culver's athleticism and quickness stand out, as does his arm, which hits 90-91 mph on the radar gun.

On one play, a kid fouled a pitch back behind the screen. Culver came off the mound, full speed, and caught up to his catcher deep in foul territory. It was a throwaway play to some scouts, but it showed me reflexes, his first step and his acceleration. The guy is an athlete.

He was very new to hitting with wood when I saw him and he didn’t have the strength. But all this guy would have to do is learn how to slap the ball and put it on the ground and he can run you .300 and have the arm and range for 2B, SS and 3B. So the guy could become a very good bench player or a very good everyday player if the offense comes along. What you cannot discount is the easy and loose athletic actions. You can’t buy those and they don’t sell them at the gym.

Besides what's said above, I know nothing about the guy besides that he's been offered a scholarship at St. Johns. The kid sounds pretty raw and most are surprised by this pick, as many expected the Yankees to go with a pitcher. Maybe we'll see them go in that direction as the draft continues.

Open Thread: 2010 MLB Draft

Tonight is day 1 of the three-day MLB First-Year Player Draft. The draft begins at 7 pm and the Yankees will pick 32nd in the first round. Yesterday, I showed you who the experts think the Yankees will target. You can track the draft live via MLB.com's draft tracker.

The Yankees aren't expected to pick until 10 pm, but I'll be back with some updates throughout the night... Until then enjoy the draft.

The Experts Talk About The Yankees First Round Draft Target

The MLB First- Year Player Draft will begin tomorrow. The Yankees have the final and 32nd pick of the first round. Here is some info from the experts on the Yankees potential targets.

First there's this from Frankie Piliere:

Yankee fans are desperate to hear what their team will do at the back of the round. Now, there is some real noteworthy information rolling in on New York's preferences. High on their short list is prep right-hander Robby Rowland, according to sources. Rowland is a tall, projectable hard thrower and would be a very interesting gamble at 32nd overall. It's difficult to tell if they are looking at him with their first pick or the 82nd overall pick, but he doesn't figure to be available that low.

Keith Law put together his third mock draft, and has the Yankees taking Gary Brown, a CF out of Cal State Fullerton. He goes on to say:

Also hearing them on Vettleson, Mike Lorenzen, Todd Cunningham, Jesse Biddle, Tyrell Jenkins, A.J. Cole and about a trillion other players.

The most notable name not here is Kaleb Cowart, who may be a victim of the flight to safety that has teams shying away from prep pitchers (for now -- that may change by Monday) and a somewhat high price tag that would make him a tough sign outside of the top 10 picks. Today's projection, if I continued into the sandwich round, would make Canadian catcher Kellin Deglan available for Toronto at No. 34.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus also has the Yankees taking Gary Brown.

Jim Callis over at Baseball America has the Yankees taking Ryan LaMarre, an outfielder from Michigan. He also thinks they will look at Virginia Tech outfielder Austin Wates, West Virginia shortstop Jedd Gyorko, Texas high school pitcher Tyrell Jenkins, and California high school first baseman Christian Yelich.

Make sure to check back tomorrow to see who the Yankees picked.

A Unique Look at Recent Drafts

With the draft coming up soon I thought this post might be interesting. In a recent Q&A with Baseball America's Jim Callis, he was asked:

What would the ideal draft of the last five years look like? Who's the best first-round pick, second-round pick, all the way through round 25, since 2005?

Here's what he came up with:

1. Tim Lincecum, rhp (Giants, 2006)
1s. Joba Chamberlain, rhp (Yankees, 2006)
2. Brett Anderson, lhp (Diamondbacks, 2006)
3. Zach Britton, lhp (Orioles, 2006)
4. Jeremy Hellickson, rhp (Devil Rays, 2005)
5. Michael Taylor, of (Phillies, 2007)
6. Andrew Bailey, rhp (Athletics, 2006)
7. Mickey Brantley, of (Brewers, 2005)
8. Austin Jackson, of (Yankees, 2005)
9. Ryan Kalish, of (Red Sox, 2006)
10. Desmond Jennings, of (Devil Rays, 2006)
11. *Mat Latos, rhp (Padres, 2006)
12. Adam Rosales, ss (Reds, 2005)
13. Dan Murphy, 3b (Mets, 2006)
14. Graham Stoneburner, rhp (Yankees, 2009)
15. Chris Carter, 3b (White Sox, 2005)
16. T.J. House, lhp (Indians, 2008)
17. Josh Reddick, of (Red Sox, 2006)
18. Lars Anderson, 1b (Red Sox, 2006)
19. Danny Valencia, 3b (Twins, 2006)
20. Domonic Brown, of (Phillies, 2006)
21. Logan Watkins, ss (Cubs, 2008)
22. *Tommy Hanson, rhp (Braves, 2005)
23. Drake Britton, lhp (Red Sox, 2007)
24. Kyle Allen, rhp (Mets, 2008)
25. *Derek Holland, lhp (Rangers, 2006)
*Draft-and-follow signing.

There were not many big leaguers from the last 5 drafts and those that made it mainly came from the first two rounds. His toughest call was in the first round where he chose Lincecum over Evan Longoria. I agree with his choice given how hard it is to find a pitcher of Lincecum's caliber. In the late rounds, Atlanta's top prospect Tommy Hanson stands out as a quality pick. Not many others have made a significant impact so far.

For Yankee fans Joba Chamberlain, the 2006 1st round supplemental selection, tops the list. He has made a meaningful contribution so far in his short major league career, and could finally be on the path of eventually replacing Mariano as the closer. The other two Yankee picks on this list were Austin Jackson and Graham Stoneburner. Jackson has performed well so far for the Tigers and was a key chip in the Curtis Granderson trade. Stoneburner, last year's 14th round pick, has been impressive so far at Single-A Charleston and could be moving up quickly. If you believe this list, it looks like the Yanks have done well keeping pace with division rivals the Red Sox, who had the most with 4, and the Rays with 2.

Continuing with prior Yankees drafts and looking at their top picks each year, since 1992 when a guy named Jeter was picked, the Yanks have not done very well. Andy Brown, David Walling, David Parrish, Jon Skaggs, Bronson Sardinha. John-Ford Griffin, Eric Duncan, and CJ Henry, to name a few, have all disappeared from the top prospect lists. However since 2004, the Yankees have had some other decent selections besides Joba, like Phil Hughes, and the recently traded Ian Kennedy. Let's hope last year's number 1, Slade Heathcott joins this short list.