The Yankees lost their second and fifth round draft picks after signing Carlos Rodon, pulling in a college-heavy class after starting with one of the best high school shortstops in the country. It's a class that fits the Yankees' developmental strengths, focusing on hitters with strong batted ball data more so than positional flexibility as well as pitchers with power arms and projectable offspeed stuff.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-26: SS George Lombard, Gulliver HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $3.07 million. Signing bonus: $3.3 million ($235,000 above slot value).
My rank: #27. MLB Pipeline: #31. Baseball America: #31. Prospects Live: #28.
The Yankees were consistently tied to a slew of prep bats towards the end of the draft cycle, and the rumors came true when they picked up George Lombard, a toolsy shortstop out of Florida. He had been a bit streaky throughout much of his prep career, but he came out of the gate red hot during his senior season and never looked back. Standing 6'3", he is beginning to fill out his projectable, athletic frame and has plenty of room to continue adding strength naturally. He channels that strength into a powerful right handed swing that produces above average power for now, and his swing is geared to tap it in games. As I mentioned, the hit tool had been streaky at times, but when he's going right, you can't get anything by him. Fool Lombard once, and he'll adjust within the at bat to ensure you can't get the same pitch by him again. It's a really well-rounded offensive profile for a kid who just turned 18 in June, putting him on the younger side for the high school class. In the field, there are split opinions on whether he sticks at shortstop, but I think he has a good shot. The arm is closer to average than plus, but it plays up because he has a quick release and the body control and the ability to throw from multiple angles. Foot speed will be the other determining factor, as he's a solid runner for now but may slow down as he gets stronger. Still, with the potential for 20+ home runs per season and high on-base percentages while likely sticking in the infield, it's a potential All Star profile that is well worth the over slot bonus here to keep him from a Vanderbilt commitment.
3-97: LHP Kyle Carr, Palomar JC [CA] {video}
Slot value: $692,000. Signing bonus: $692,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #174. Baseball America: #123. Prospects Live: #280.
It was down year for junior college prospects, allowing Kyle Carr to push to the front and be the first one drafted this year. He began his career at San Diego but didn't make much of an impact, instead transferring to Palomar College in his hometown of San Marcos, California. Carr was lights out for the Comets, going 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA and a 111/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 innings, looking stronger and stronger as the season progressed and closing it out with back to back scoreless starts of double digit strikeouts against Southwestern and East Los Angeles. The 6'1" lefty sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and touches 97, holding that velocity throughout his starts with nice life as well. His slider has sweeping action but is very inconsistent at this point, needing to add significant power in order for its bite to play better. While he rarely uses his changeup, it's actually ahead of his slider at this point with fading action to the arm side when he commands it. Carr is skinny but has room to fill out, with a very athletic delivery that helps him generate his velocity effortlessly while pounding the strike zone. The Yankees likely see this as a package they can continue to refine over the long term, with all the puzzle pieces in place already to become a starting pitcher with more development. Though his fastball is his lone established average pitch, it's not hard to imagine a strong Yankees pitching development system bringing those secondaries along. He fits very well in this organization and signed away from a TCU commitment for slot value to get there.
4-129: 2B Roc Riggio, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $506,800. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: #156. MLB Pipeline: #130. Baseball America: #139. Prospects Live: #224.
If you watch college baseball, especially if you watched in 2022, then you know who Roc Riggio is. He was actually a well-known prep prospect as well out of Thousand Oaks High School in California, where he was teammates with A's 2021 first round pick Max Muncy and A's 2023 first round pick Jacob Wilson. Riggio had looks in the top five rounds, but made it to campus at Oklahoma State where he made an immediate impact, especially capturing national attention with his high energy, in-your-face style of play at the 2022 Stillwater Regional where he went 15-27 with four home runs in five games. Though he got more national exposure in 2022, Riggio quietly put together a better season in 2023 where he slashed .335/.461/.679 with 18 home runs and a 48/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. He's a compact player at just 5'9", but he leaves it all on the field with big left handed hacks with natural loft and adjustability to help him hit for power and average despite average exit velocities. He did struggle on the Cape a little bit last summer (.200/.258/.339) and we'll see how the power plays with wood, but he's still trending in the right direction and has a long track record of hitting quality pitching dating back to his prep days. Defensively, the Southern California native isn't remarkable, with a gritty style of play that will work at second base or the potential to move to left field with his fringy arm and speed. The Yankees are buying the bat and the energy here and he'll look to provide both.
6-192: RHP Cade Smith, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: $285,400. Signing bonus: $282,900 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #390.
Cade Smith did not rank highly on any public boards, but fits the Yankees profile of athletic, physical power arms. He has been a key cog in the Mississippi State rotation for a couple of years now, but never quite put it together in Starkville and in 2023 posted a 5.23 ERA and a 46/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 43 innings. He throws a low to mid 90's fastball that can touch 96 in relief, with nice life on the pitch that the Yankees can work with. His power slider has gotten harder and sits in the mid 80's now with lite tilt, and he can work it into more of a cutter in the upper 80's as well. The 6'1" righty is athletic on the mound with the sturdy frame to handle a future in the rotation, though to do so he'll have to clean up his inconsistent command that led to a 14.4% walk rate in 2023. He's cleaned up his delivery a little bit in Starkville but there's still more ground to cover. This seems like a project not too dissimilar to Chase Hampton a year ago (and Smith was selected just two picks later in his respective draft, #190 vs #192) and Hampton is quickly establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the system.
7-222: 1B Kiko Romero, Arizona {video}
Slot value: $224,700. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($27,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #198.
Kiko Romero is a senior sign, set to turn 23 in September, but he has plenty of track record with the bat. He mashed for three years at Central Arizona JC, parlaying an especially huge 2022 season into a spot on the Arizona squad in 2023. He continued to rake in Tucson, slashing .345/.441/.724 with 21 home runs and a 56/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, putting up one of the better offensive seasons in the Pac-12. Only listed at 5'11", 185 pounds, he's plenty strong for his size and has room to continue filling out. He holds his hands high in his stance, with a slight hitch before bringing them down to with strong barrel accuracy and natural loft in his left handed swing. Romero produces strong batted ball data that should continue to play in pro ball, and he had no problem transitioning from the Arizona JuCo circuit to the Pac-12 while actually lowering his strikeout rate from 25.4% to 19.6%. The Tucson native could stand to get a little more disciplined in the box, which may be his biggest hurdle transitioning to pro ball, but he has a pretty adjustable barrel and has stepped up against good competition before. He played mostly first base at Arizona and that's where the Yankees drafted him, but he's a pretty good runner that actually stole 19 bases at Central Arizona last year and could make it work in a corner outfield spot. He profiles as a future bench/platoon bat with some power.
8-252: RHP Nicholas Judice, Louisiana-Monroe {video}
Slot value: $188,000. Signing bonus: $185,500 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #175. Baseball America: #420. Prospects Live: #162.
The Yankees got great value here in the eighth round with Nicholas Judice. Another senior sign, he was an unremarkable reliever for three years at Louisiana-Monroe before his velocity took off in 2023 and he posted a 3.82 ERA and a 41/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 33 innings. Judice is a massive, 6'8" right hander that comes from a low, wide arm slot that creates an extremely unique look for hitters. He sits comfortably in the low to mid 90's but has the arm strength to eventually touch triple digits in short stints, with running and sinking life. The Baton Rouge native can also spin a nasty, sweeping slider that dives across the plate and flashes plus, while he's been working to incorporate a fringier changeup into the mix as well. Though he filled up the strike zone at ULM, he allowed more free passes in his brief Cape Cod League stint after the season and likely develops into average command. If the Yankees are willing to be patient with the 22 year old and work on the changeup and command, they could develop him into a back-end starter, but he fits better as a power fastball/slider reliever that provides a different look in high leverage spots.
10-312: RHP Brian Hendry, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $164,400. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Out of the Yankees' eighteen picks this year, Brian Hendry was the only one from the northeast. A South Jersey native from Medford, where the Pine Barrens meet the Philadelphia suburbs, he pitched three years at St. John's from 2019-2021 but never put it together, finishing with a 5.12 career ERA. After missing the 2022 season, he showcased some impressive stuff in the Cape Cod League that summer and got picked up by Oklahoma State, but where he pitched to a 6.63 ERA and a 51/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 36.2 innings. Hendry sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, which can touch 97 in short stints with downhill plane and some riding action. He can really spin the ball, with a pair of distinct power breaking balls in a curveball and a slider that both miss bats in bunches, while his changeup gives him a fourth usable pitch. Though Hendry is experienced and has a pretty easy delivery, he is very much control over command and that ultimately led to his stuff getting hit over the plate. He was a swingman at Oklahoma State and may be able to continue earning spots in pro ball, but he'll have to tighten up that command in order to do so. As a fifth year senior sign, Hendry is also extremely old and will turn 24 in October, so he'll want to get moving up that pro ladder quickly.
15-462: C Tomas Frick, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #448.
This is more of a depth play than an upside play. UNC's starting catcher since he stepped on campus as a freshman, Tomas Frick broke out in 2023 by slashing .322/.408/.571 with 12 home runs and a 36/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. He lacks a standout tool, instead showing well in a broad array of categories. Frick makes a lot of contact from the right side, showing the ability to get to balls all over the zone with a quick bat and a simple swing. There's some sneaky power to the pull side, though he lacks projection in his compact 6' frame and will likely top out with fringy pop. The Upstate South Carolina native is also a solid defender behind the plate, making up for average actions with a strong arm and a frame built for blocking baseballs. Set to turn 23 in October, he profiles best as a backup catcher who could move relatively quickly.
18-552: OF Coby Morales, Washington {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Coby Morales began his career at Cypress JC in California, then transferred to Washington. He was unremarkable as a sophomore in 2022, but broke out in 2023 by slashing .332/.432/.548 with 12 home runs and a 59/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. Morales is big and strong at 6'3", with above average power playing to all fields from big left handed hacks. A patient hitter, he does a good job of waiting for a pitch he can drive, though he can get in trouble deeper in counts with fringy pure bat to ball skills that lead to elevated strikeout rates. That's the tradeoff this late in the draft, but getting this kind of power/on-base combination in the eighteenth round is always a nice find. Morales is not a great runner and will likely be limited to an outfield corner, where he profiles as a power hitting platoon bat.
20-612: RHP Bryce Warrecker, Cal Poly {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #286. Prospects Live: #433.
The second 6'8" righty drafted by the Yankees this year, Bryce Warrecker brings an interesting profile to the table. He didn't do much over his first two years at Cal Poly, but earned a spot in the Cape Cod League and was named the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher, where he posted a 2.03 ERA and a 36/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 40 innings. Returning to San Luis Obispo for his junior season, he turned in middling results with a 4.96 ERA and a 79/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 81.2 innings. Warrecker works off deception, coming from a low three quarters slot where he hides the ball well behind his big frame. The fastball sat in the low 90's on the Cape but dipped into the upper 80's at times with Cal Poly, and either way it's not likely to be an overpowering pitch in pro ball. His slider has shown flashes, with more depth at times and sweep at others, and it missed a lot of bats on the Cape. He also shows an above average changeup, giving him a solid three pitch mix. The Santa Barbara native commands everything well and kept advanced Cape hitters off balance consistently. In order to miss more bats in pro ball (he ran just a 22.6% strikeout rate on the Cape and 21.7% at Cal Poly this year), he'll need to find a way to add more power to his stuff, which may only come with a move to the bullpen. There, he could work as a junkballing reliever that gives hitters fits for a couple innings at a time.
Undrafted: RHP Aaron Nixon, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: unreported.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
The Yankees plucked one of the better undrafted arms in Aaron Nixon, who was a key piece of the Texas bullpen for two years before transferring to Mississippi State this year and posting a 2.66 ERA and a 24/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 20.1 innings. It's a power arm that gets up into the mid 90's in relief, while his downer slider has flashed plus at times and should get there consistently with pro coaching. A former two-way player out of high school in the Rio Grande Valley area, he's also a strong athlete on the mound that repeats his delivery fairly well, though the command is fringy. He's a pure reliever going forward but a sleeper that could move up quickly and provide the Yankees with middle innings help in the near future.
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