Aug
10
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Samuel Mende, a shortstop from Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Florida was selected in the 40th round by the Yankees, as the 1220th overall picked. Mende, who turned 18 in January is a 6’1, 166lbs. right-handed middle infielder. He was named to the first team All State Baseball team for 3A players as a middle infielder. His high school squad at CCHS finished the 2008 season with a final record of 26-4.
Mende does not have a ton of power, but he seems to hit the ball well. His expertise is really on the other side of the ball though, where some may call him a “wizard” of the glove. It’s always nice to have a reliable middle infielder and that is exactly what Mende can bring to the club. He has been signed for the league minimum of $400,000.
In the 43rd round of the draft the Yankees selected Matthew Summers, a right-handed pitcher out of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is listed at 6’1, 195lbs and turns 19 years old in August. He has shown tremendous work ethic and that should serve him well as he tries to prove himself at a young age. Currently, Summers has also signed with the Yankees for the minimum of $400,000/year.
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jul
25
Just like always, the Yankees aren’t willing to settle for less than a championship this year. Thank god we have management that always wants to win. With the trade deadline approaching, Cashman’s crew was busy once more despite some suggestions not too long ago that it was time to call it quits for 2008. What they came up with will certainly be a nice help for this year and thankfully not too big a hit for the future.
First off I want to say that Cashman hasn’t sold out. He is still sticking by our young prospects and the fact that we still have Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes shows that. This move does send away prospects, but without them the farm system is far from depleted. We still have good depth at their positions and it really shouldn’t be a big hit. Add that with the fact that Nady and Marte are in their prime and not on the downhill just yet, and this move makes a lot of sense for us.
The prospects we will part with are Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, Phil Coke, and George Kontos. Kontos and Coke aren’t likely to become anything special, although Tabata and Ohlendorf certainly seem to have a future. Tabata is considered one of the best athletes in the organization, but he is an outfielder, a position that we have a huge abundance at. Add that with the fact that he is struggling this year and that Nady is also an outfielder, and it doesn’t seem that bad to let him go. Nady will be a great addition to the squad, as he will certainly help the struggling lineup. He bats right-handed as well, which is a big plus since most of our bats are lefties at the moment. He will also be some good insurance should we choose to let Abreu walk next year.
Ross Ohlendorf showed some good potential this year, but the Yankees have a lot of good arms in the farm system, but most just aren’t ready yet. Marte gives us someone who can help the team right now, in a bullpen that will welcome him. With a cohort of young pitchers and the extensive resources we have, I am not too worried about our pitching situation in the future.
So, that’s basically what the trade is all about. Of course everyone won’t agree with my views, but I believe that letting go of these prospects was worth it, especially considering what we got in return and what we have left. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about keeping a strong farm system, but sometimes you just have to let some guys go if you want to win in the present (if we did a deal like IPK for Fuentes, as the Rockies are supposedly seeking, then I would be 100% against it, but looking at who we lost and who we got, it certainly isn’t bad.) Although the 2008 Yankees have received a lot of scrutiny this year with predictions that we wouldn’t make it in the ultra-competitive AL East, I think that we do still have a chance and I am glad to know that the organization feels similarly.
Update: Instead of George Kontos and Phil Coke, the Pirates will be receiving Dan McCutchen and Jeff Karstens. Apparently they had a choice of two players out of a pool of several (including Kontos and Coke) and decided to go with Karstens and McCutchen. It really isn’t that big a deal because none of them are anywhere near big prospects and chances are none of them will have a big impact in the future.
Jul
23
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Erik Lovett, a first baseman and outfielder from Mount Olive College was selected by the New York Yankees in the 2008 MLB draft. Lovett, who will turn 23 in August is a 6’1, 220lbs. lefthander.
As a junior, Erik played in all 64 of Mount Olive’s games. He hit .371, with 28 doubles, 18 homeruns, and 77 RBI’s. His walk to strikeout ratio was 52:44. In the field Erik split time between first base and outfield. His fielding percentage for the 2008 season was .990. We see Erik best served as a first basemen. If he continues to develop, he could have a serious career in the big leagues.
In the 50th round (1502nd overall) of the 2008 MLB draft, the New York Yankees selected Nikolas Turley, a southpaw out of Harvard- Westlake High School in La Canada, California. He turns 19 years old on September 11th and is a 6’3, 210lbs lefthander.
At Harvard-Westlake, Nikolas led his squad to a 14-13 record his senior season after going 13-12 his junior year. As the last pick, it would appear Turley has a lot of work to do to improve his mound presence, but that is nothing a little collegiate baseball can’t help solve. It will be interesting to track Turley’s performances from here on out, especially as we (and scouts) track his progress on whether or not he is MLB material.
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jul
17
Draftees: Rob Scahill and Matt Veltmann
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This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
In the 48th round of the 2008 MLB draft, the Yankees selected Rob Scahill out of Bradley University, a private school in Peoria Illinois. Rob, a 6’2, 205 pound right-hander had a nice season for the Braves in 2008. It was a great comeback after missing the 2007 season with a torn labrum. In 2008, Rob threw 83.2 innings, allowing 78 hits, striking out 79, and walking 41. Opponents hit a combined .244 against Scahill.
Scahill has a nice fastball that hits the low 90’s, and a curveball plus a changeup that he seldom uses (but does have in his arsenal.) Part of Scahill’s downfall throughout his career has been his control and his weakness of using the middle of the plate way too much. Hopefully after he has recovered completely from his injury this will be something Rob fixes. Chances are Rob will return to Bradley for his senior season, as the Yankees track his progress.
In the 46th round (with the1394th overall pick) of the draft the Yankees selected right-handed pitcher Matt Veltmann out of San Diego Community College. Veltmann, 6’5, 200 has great stuff, and only pitched one collegiate season. A 2007 graduate of Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, Veltmann appears to be able to throw in the lower 90’s and throws a bit from the side. His curve has great ability, and he is able to pitch a nice hard slider, along with a sweet split.
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jul
15
A Closer Look: Patrick Venditte
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This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
With the 620th overall pick (20th round) of the 2008 MLB draft, the New York Yankees selected a right-handed pitcher out of Creighton University- Patrick Venditte. Patrick is an extremely unique draftee, as he is the only ambidextrous pitcher in the country. He is successful at pitching with both arms and that can certainly be a very valuable trait if he can make the bigs. The 6-1, 190lbs also bats from both sides of the plate, making him extremely desirable.
Venditte was born and raised in Omaha Nebraska, attending Omaha Central High School, and then electing to stay at home and attend Creighton University, a small Jesuit Catholic University. He was drafted in the 45th round of the 2007 draft, also by the Yankees, but elected to return to school for his senior season where he made the All-American first team going 9-3 with a 3.34 era and 7 saves. He pitched 86.1 innings, and appeared in 37 games, which led the conference and ranked second in the country. He struck out 101 batters in those 86.1 innings.
He recorded a strikeout with both his right and left arm in 17 of his 35 games this year, and 39 times in his career. Venditte was used out of the Blue Jays’ (Creighton Blue Jays, not Toronto) bullpen and pitched upwards of three innings an outing. He made his second career start against Nebraska on April 23rd.
This guy could be a very valuable asset to the Yankees bullpen in the future. He doesn’t have the most over-powering stuff, but he can throw strikes and fool hitters. How about a righty specialist and a lefty specialist, all in one? Very good decision by the Yankees to pick this guy up for a second straight year!
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jul
13
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Addison Maruszak, a 22-year-old shortstop out of the University of South Florida, was selected in the 2008 MLB draft by the New York Yankees. Maruszak, taken in the 17th round, was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is 6-2, weighs 190lbs, bats right and throws right.
During his junior season Maruszak hit .362, compiling 72 hits, 52 runs, and 6 homeruns for the Bulls. He was named to the All Big East Team. He was also a candidate for the Brooks Wallace Award. In 2008 Maruszak came in second in the Big East in batting average, hitting .416 and compiling a .496 on base percentage. On April 26, 2008, Addison hit two home runs in the same game (against Villanova) to become the first Bull to ever achieve that feat.
During Spring Training, Addison was able to play with his USF team against the Yankees, in what he claims was his greatest moment in baseball to this date. With his solid bat, along with good defensive abilities as a middle infielder, look for Addison to become a special player in the major leagues someday!
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jun
24
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Luke Anders was chosen as the 500th pick overall in the 16th round of the 2008 MLB draft. Anders, a first basemen out of Texas A&M University, is 6’6 and weighs 225lbs. Luke attended high school at Texas A&M Consolidated school.
During the 2008 season, Luke hit .348, mashing out 13 homeruns and driving in 50 runs. His slugging percentage for the season was .652. During his sophomore season he was selected on the first team all Big Twelve team as a DH, hitting .336 with 11 homeruns, and 46 rbi’s.
Anders looks to be a power hitting first basemen, that has potential to be strictly a designated hitter, if need be. Anders fielding is above average, and his speed is just average, so DH may be a good fit for Luke.
Michael Jones, who was a star receiver on the Arizona State University football team, was drafted as an outfielder by the New York Yankees. Jones, a native of Sugarland Texas, played his high school athletics at Fort Bend Austin High School.
During Michael’s freshman year, he hit .313 for the Sun Devils, playing in only ten games, after a late start due to football. His sophomore season, Jones hit .319, and on April 25 was a homerun shy of the cycle against the University of Hawaii. His junior season, he struggled with the bat, but his defensive presence, along with his quick feet make him a valuable asset in the Yankees farm system.
Jones says Ken Griffey Jr. is the baseball player who looks up to most. Let’s hope Michael gets the opportunity to play in the same game with Griffey Jr. before he retires!
Raymond Kruml, a speedy centerfielder out of the University of South Alabama, was chosen by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Ray stands at 6’0 and weighs just 185lbs. He bats left and throws right. Kruml grew up in a Chicago suburb of Wheaton, IL.
Kruml hit .350 for the Jaguars of USA in 2008, and had an on base percentage of .421. He also added 8 homeruns, 21 doubles, and knocked in 46 runs. He has great speed, and looks to be a good lead-off hitter in the future.
His coach at USA had this to say about Richard: “He has outstanding speed, he can steal bases and he reads pitchers well.” Sounds like a good catch for the Yankees in the 11th round!
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jun
21
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
John Rye, is a 6’1, 200lbs. Senior out of Florida State University. Rye, who turned 22 in March can play any outfield position, but specializes in right field. Otherwise known as Jack, he played his high school baseball in Irvine, CA, at Woodbridge High School. He bats and throws left.
As a Junior, John was named the team captain at FSU, and started all 62 games for the Seminoles. He also hit 10 homeruns, and drove in 61 runs, which ranked second on his team in both categories. In his senior season (2008), John hit .371, which ranked fourth on his team, starting 61 of 62 games. He hit 7 homeruns, and drove in 52, ranking 6th in both categories for the ‘Noles.
John’s father was a collegiate baseball pitcher at UCLA.
Kyle Higashioka, a catcher from Edison High School in Huntington Beach California was selected by the Yankees as the 30th pick and the 230rd overall pick in the draft.
Kyle stands at 6’1, and weighs 180lbs, and has been a catcher his entire baseball career. His best attribute is of course his defensive prowess behind the plate, but he also seems to have potential to become a power hitting catcher. Some say Kyle reminds them of Victor Martinez. The Yankees would love to get a young catcher like that.
Higashioka, and his agent have told the Yankees they will need to sign him for $500,000 for him to pass up his opportunity to play collegiate ball for the Golden Bears of the University of California.
William Mitchell, a 6’2, 165lbs. righthanded pitcher was selected in the 12th round of the 2008 MLB draft. Mitchell, otherwise named D.J., turned 21 in May, and became the first Clemson Tiger to be drafted by the Yankees since 1990.
During the 2008 season, Mitchell went 6-5 with an ERA of 3.47, in 20 starts. He allowed 97 hits, while walking 40 batters, and striking out 106 in 98 innings. The strikeout total for Mitchell was the most since Kris Benson struck out 204 during the 1996 season.
Mitchell throws in the mid 90’s with great movement. He appears to be very versatile, and was used quite often in the outfield for Clemson. Projections show that Mitchell will be a mid to late inning reliever, with a shot at starting if everything shakes out well for him.
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
Jun
10
Brett Marshall was the 6th round pick for the Yankees out of Ross S. Sterling High School in Texas. The young pitcher displayed great velocity, having improved by a few mph from the previous season to the 94-96 range. He still has some inconsistencies with control, but that is something that he will be working on as he plays in the minors. Marshall throws a fastball, plus slider, and a change-up.
Corban Joseph is a shortstop out of Franklin High School in Tennessee. He was named the state’s high school player of the year and was dratted in the 4th round by the Yanks. He had a tremendous senior year with a batting average of .510 and 15 home runs. Both of these stats show that he can hit for both power and average, a great combination for any hitter.
Center fielder, Mykal Stokes, was drafted 1250th overall by the Yankees. He went to Tustin High School in California, where he batted .432 during his senior year. He hit for 14 RBI, had a .476 OBP and racked up 41 hits in the 26 games he played.
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 draftee informations series.
Jun
9
A Closer Look: John Folino, Mike Lyon
Filed Under Prospects | 2 Comments
Since the MLB draft is so big, there are always tons of players who many fans don’t know about. To help with giving you more info on specific draftees by the Yankees, I am starting a new series where I will take a few of the draft picks in each post and give you a little background on them. So here we go, with the first MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees post:
Jonathan Folino was chosen in the 49th round of the 2008 draft. He played with the UConn Huskies and had an overall record of 4-4 this season, having started seven games and pitched in thirteen total. His four wins, lead his team as did his 39 strikeouts. His ERA was 5.02 in a little over 57 innings pitched.
Mike Lyon was drafted in the 24th round of the 2008 draft. He played for Northeastern University, where he had a batting average of .357, 14 home runs, and 46 RBI in the 2008 season. He broke several school-records this past season including most extra-base hits (36) and total bases (138) in one season. He also now holds many school-career records as well.
This post is part of the MLB Draft 2008 get-to-know the draftees series.
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