Yankee Draft `13: Day 2 Review/ Day 3 Preview

On Day 2 of the MLB Draft, the Yankees picked 8 more players.   We've already talked a bit about what type of players they are, but let's for a moment look at what type of players they aren't.    For any longtime Yankee draft follower, it must seem almost incredible that the Yanks have not taken a Catcher, a second Prep Pitcher, or a Prep OF yet.  Taking those kinds of players has been a long term theme in the Damon Oppenheimer Draft Era.   So why a disruption this year?   I think we can attribute it to two things.   First, the new draft rules don't reward taking risks in the first ten rounds.   In fact, they reward attempts to chisel people out of bonus money, but smart teams are making that work, too.  Second, I think teams are onto some of the things the Yanks have been up to like taking preps from cold weather climates.   As a matter of fact, I think the Tampa Bay Rays beat us at our own game today

In the third round, I had reason to be pretty positive that the Yanks were going to pop Connecticut Prep CF Thomas Milone.   He was looking like a Matt Hyde Special and I nearly chocked on a donut - it being national donut day and me being a good American - when the Rays took him 6 picks before we could.  Now what the hell was Tampa doing in Connecticut?   That's our's (and Boston's).   They have all of Florida.   Anyway, Milone, and I don't know who else got intercepted, but the Yanks did pretty well just the same and tomorrow should be epic.

Here's why:  though the new rules encourage chiseling in the first ten rounds, they do not discourage swinging for the fences in the back 30 rounds.   Teams with really good scouts - and the Yanks have spent the last several years rebuilding a powerhouse staff from around the league - are going to have all sorts of talent more or less stashed for tomorrow and those last thirty rounds.   All the below slot shenanigans of the past two days, should get paid off - unless Hal gets kookie and wants to keep chiseling tomorrow.

The only prep player the Yanks took on Day 2 was shortstop Taylor Wade, I think that will change tomorrow.   Sure, the Yanks will still pop talented collegians, and the numbers will probably never balance this year, but the Yanks have not one but 2 GCL teams starting soon, and those teams need  starting pitchers and players,  so we should see more prep picks tomorrow.   Also, whether it's a collegian or a prep, we will grab a Catcher or two.