Yankee Draft `13: I Guess They're Keeping The New Stadium

Ever since the Original Yankee Stadium opened with it's Babe Ruth inspired short porch in right and it's deeper Center, Right Center and Right Fields, the Yankees had put a premium on finding left handed hitters who could jack the ball over the Right Field wall, and left handed pitcher who could pitch to the bigger parts of the park.   The Yanks have continually looked for lefties.  In the `50s they imported Johnny Mize at the end of his career to add some homers, in the `90s they added Strawberry and recently they've been getting good use out of Pronk.   They've also found a way to import LHP's like Tommy John, David Wells,  Randy Johnson and CC Sabathia.

In the 2013 MLB Draft, the Yankees got back to drafting lefties.    In all they took 12 left handed hitters, and one switch hitter.   Several of them are likely to sign.

Starting in the first round, the Yanks took 3B Eric Jagielo.   I don't really know how he projects yet, because he hasn't been at 3B too long in his career, and he just really started taking a lot of walks in the last year and a half or so.  So I don't know if he has the walk gene, like a Willie Randolph, Charlie Keller or Mickey Mantle, or if it's more something he'll have to keep working at in his Yankee career.   I have no doubt he will sign, but I have no idea where on the Mike Paliaruglo - Eric Chavez scale he could fall.  He does seem to have what we used to call a stadium swing, so there should be plenty of homers, and they do see him staying at third.   Hopefully Nettles will come work with him.  Actually Boggs was a guy with the walk gene as well as a guy who made himself into a good 3B, and maybe he should work with him.   I don't especially trust anyone else among the development staff regulars, so we'll have to see.

In round 2, the Yanks took 2B Gosuke Katoh.  Another lefty bat who says he patterns himself after Ichiro and Cano.   But he seems, from his numbers, to also have the walk gene.  So I have some hopes for this kid.  He's a 70 runner.   That's fast, and when you combine that with OBP skills, it's even more valuable.

In the 4th round, the Yanks took another lefty bat in SS Tyler Wade.   This kid is exciting on tape.  I don't know his speed grade, but he is disruptive and says his job is to  get on base.  The knock on him is no power yet, but he's got time to add that and it really doesn't take a lot of power to hit a Right Field homer in Yankee Stadium.  He says his job is to get on base, and in reality that's every hitters job.  I hope he has the walk gene.

In the 6th, the Yankees took another lefty swinging SS in John Murphy.  Murphy was a senior pick, and has a stadium swing.  He's made himself stronger and faster through hard work.  And he's also made himself take more walks.  I hope he keeps that up, because he is a good looking player on tape, even if he is a college senior.  That's the way the Yanks have been trending on their senior picks before even before rules started encouraging it.

In the 8th ,the Yanks took switch hitting CF Brandon Thomas.  Another college player who could be a bit of a sleeper.  Obviously he'll bat lefty most of the time because there are so many more RHP's than LHP's in baseball.  The reason he's a bit of a sleeper is that last year he was a high 4th rounder and turned it down, with the expectation of getting bigger money as a senior.   Now, that's a hard bet to make, but he was willing to make it.  Then he got mono which weakened him this season, held down his numbers and relegated him to the 8th round, where he was no doubt asked to give a discount.  But if he can stay healthy, we really got a nice value here.

Those were the lefty hitters they took in the first ten rounds.  All of them will sign, unless something really weird happens.  But they also took at least four really intriguing left handed hitters on day 3, and they started right off in the 11th round.

RF Kendall Coleman is one of the most intriguing players they drafted.   A big, powerful lefty hitter with a great arm who had played CF in HS, but the Yanks listed him as a Right Fielder yesterday.  He is 6'4" and can run.  He projects to have a very good power bat.   Hopefully he also has the walk gene, and also gets signed.   He tweeted to the effect that he would.  I hope he does or has.

In the 20th Round, the Yanks took CF Dustin Fowler.  This kid's dad put up some highlights set to country music on YouTube, and what you see is an absolute Stadium Swing.  Really, it was a little reminiscent of Graig Nettles or Bobby Murcer.   I hope they can get something done with the guy.  Seems like a ringer.


In 22, they took left slugger Drew Bridges.   They listed him as a 3B, others have him as a 1B, but all agree he has enough power to play 1B.  I'm not sure what will be possible here under the new rules, but this is another guy they really need to do everything in their power to get done.  Since Ruth the Yanks have been built of lefty power hitters and this kid is a big time power guy.  Hopefully they can get something done, teach him the corners and let him do his thing.    Huge bat.

In the 28th round, they took  C Trent Garrison, the lefty swinging twin brother of Taylor Garrison, a power reliever who has already been promoted from low A to high A this year.  And that's impressive. He is also a teammate of Aaron Judge and shared MVP honors with him.   This is a senior with some cool things going for him.  He will sign and should be in SI any day now.  Maybe he'll catch up with his bro at some point.

In 29, they took lefty swinging DES CF Charles White.   This guy is another really fast player.  He's already as old as the seniors we drafted so hopefully he'll sign.   Speedy guys are quick twitch, so maybe we can teach him to hit the ball a little harder.  He might need a lighter bat.

At 30, we took one of our longest shots by popping Cody Thomas.  This kid looks all world on tape.  He's a big, Josh Hamilton type CF prospect.  Unfortunately, he is also scheduled to be a starting QB for Oklahoma and the new rules preclude us taking a serious run at him.  This is a tremendously intriguing kid.

In the 38th, they took lefty swinging LF Andrew Schmidt.   I don't know much about this guy, accept that he's a scout's kid, and the Yanks have listed him as a Left Fielder.  Yesterday I pointed out that there could be a problem with his D cause he was playing Left, but for all I know he was playing CF, like Kendall Coleman was, and the Yanks just listed him at left.

In any event, that's the impressive group of lefty bats the Yanks took.  I have no doubt they will sign the guys from the top ten - lest they lose their corresponding slot money. and really hope they can sign Coleman,  Fowler, and Bridges.  I'll pray for a miracle with Cody Thomas.

Later or tomorrow we'll look at the Lefty pitchers the Yanks collected and how odd that was given the discipline they've developed about handedness over the past few years.