2008 Yankees Draft

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

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[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

Selection 1.28

 

Player Name: Gerrit Cole

Position: Starting Pitcher

School: Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.)

School Type: High School

Academic Class: Senior

Birthdate: 09/08/90

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 195 lbs.

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Report Date(s): 03/08/08

Game(s): Tesoro HS

 

 

Focus Area Comments

Fastball: Cole was throwing 95-98 mph early and settled in at 92-94 throughout his start.

Fastball movement: He usually has plus arm-side sink and bore, though he was fairly straight in this outing.

Slider: It's an average pitch now, which he throws 78-82 mph, but it projects as a plus pitch in the future. It has some depth coming from a 3/4 arm angle.

Changeup: It's a little too firm at 79-80 mph, but he's got a good feel for it.

Control: He's an above-average strike-thrower for a high schooler, letting his stuff work for him in the zone.

Poise: His makeup on the field can be an issue, as he gets animated with umpires and teammates at times.

Physical Description: Cole is a projectable high school right-hander who compares a bit to Kyle Farnsworth.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: His projectability and his stuff, with the ability to throw three average to plus pitches, and to throw them for strikes.

Weaknesses: He has some mechanical issues with his delivery, with an arc in the back and a tendency to throw across his body; he gets too emotional on the mound.

Summary: A projectable high school right-hander with the capability already to throw a fastball up into the upper 90s is bound to garner interest. Throw in a future plus slider and a changeup, all for which he can throw for strikes, and it's no wonder Cole is considered one of the top prep pitchers in the class. He's going to have to work out some kinks in his delivery and he's got Scott Boras as an advisor, but neither of those issues should keep him from being drafted early.

[Optimist]

Physical Description: Cole is a projectable high school right-hander who compares a bit to Kyle Farnsworth.

 

Oh no.

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

Selection 1.44

LHP Jeremy Bleich

Jr., Stanford U.

 

Sophomore left-hander is one of the top pitchers on the club. Had an excellent freshman campaign on the Farm going 4-4 with a 4.05 ERA over 60 innings. Notched seven saves as the team's closer during the first half of the season. Made seven starts during the latter part of the year, primarily as the club's Sunday starter. Had an excellent summer in the Cape Cod League earning All-Star honors. Finished the summer with a spectacular 1.77 ERA in 56 innings. An incredibly poised pitcher on the mound, Bleich features a fastball in the high 80's with an above-average curve ball and change-up. Should be one of Stanford's weekend starters throughout the '07 campaign. Expected to be a top draft prospect in 2008.

 

Career stats:

[TABLE]Year|ERA|W-L|App|GS|CG|SHO/CBO|SV|IP|H|R|ER|BB|SO|2B|3B|HR|BF|B/Avg|WP|HBP|SFA|SHA|BK

2006|4.05|4-4|24|7|0|0/0|7|60.0|63|35|27|16|37|10|3|4|260|.269|1|5|3|2|0|

2007|5.56|2-8|16|16|1|0/0|0|98.2|119|67|61|31|60|30|2|9|451|.299|8|8|3|11|1

2008|1.38|2-2|5|5|0|0/0|0|26.0|17|17|4|16|18|5|0|0|113|.189|0|3|2|2|1

TOTAL|4.48|8-14|45|28|1|0/0|7|184.2|199|119|92|63|115|45|5|13|824|.276|9|16|8|15|2

[/TABLE]

http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/stats/2007-2008/histcarr.html

[YAZMAN]

Can either of them start next week?

[VA Sox Fan]

Can either of them start next week?

 

 

LMMFAO!!!!!!! :lol: :lol:

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

LOL

[Youk Of The Nation]

Oh no.

 

So he's going to throw 101mph wild pitches and beat the s*** out of opposing batters?

 

Nice!

[jacksonianmarch]

Love the pitching in our draft. Cole, Marshall, and O'Brien are 3 hard throwing HS pitchers with big upsides. Bleich will go through our system quickly. Bittle will rush through our system out of the pen. We fill out some org pitching depth in Phelps and Greinke. We have the high end HS late rounders in Richardson, Monar, and Dwyer who will be tough signs. If we can sign them all, then the pitching we will have acquired will be ridiculous.

[jacksonianmarch]

Corbin Joseph signed, he is one of the higher end HS bats we drafted.

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

Here are the latest Yankees, via Damon Oppenheimer

 

11. CF Ray Kruml (South Alabama)

12. RHP Luke Greinke (Auburn)

17. SS Addison Maruszak (South Florida)

18. RHP Brandon Braboy (Indianapolis)

20. RHP Patrick Venditte (Creighton)

22. RHP Corey Arbiso (Cal State Fullerton)

23. 2B Ryan Wilkes (Kentucky)

24. 3B Michael Lyon (Northeastern)

25. C Jeff Nutt (Arkansas-Fayetteville)

28. RF Chad Gross (Cuesta JC)

31. INF Spence Lucian (Princeton)

34. RHP Brad Rulon (Georgia Tech)

35. RHP Andy Shive (Azusa Pacific)

39. 1B Erik Lovett (Mt. Olive College)

42. LHP Clint Preisendorfer (San Diego Christian)

47. RHP Ryan Flannery (Fairleigh Dickinson)

 

The Yankees also signed two non-drafted free agents: RHP Mike Obradovich (Florida Atlantic) and C Ryan Baker (Cincinnati).

 

 

http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/06/11/updated-signings-list/

[Gom]

Love the pitching in our draft. Cole' date=' Marshall, and O'Brien are 3 hard throwing HS pitchers with big upsides. Bleich will go through our system quickly. Bittle will rush through our system out of the pen. We fill out some org pitching depth in Phelps and Greinke. We have the high end HS late rounders in Richardson, Monar, and Dwyer who will be tough signs. If we can sign them all, then the pitching we will have acquired will be ridiculous.[/quote']

I don't know how you guys tolerate Jacko. God Bless you all.

[jacksonianmarch]

you philosophy is exactly why we havent won anything in 8 yrs. IE, you suck.

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

I don't know how you guys tolerate Jacko. God Bless you all.

 

Do you think the Mets would take our entire 2008 draft for Santana?!1??1?!?!

[YAZMAN]

you philosophy is exactly why we havent won anything in 8 yrs. IE' date=' you suck.[/quote']

 

And yours is exactly like the organization's:

 

1) Over rank players

2) Over value their worth

3) Over pay them

4) Underachieve

 

It also may be more easily explained as:

 

1) Underpants

2) ?

3) Profit

[26 to 6]

Anyone have any clue if they're gonna groom Venditte exclusively as a righty or are they gonna let him switch-pitch? They're listing him as a righty but it would be pretty awesome to have a switch-pitcher on the mound haha. The last one I remember was Greg Harris, the former Red Sox (And prior to Alan Embree the last pitcher to pitch for both the Yankees and red Sox in the same year; 1994).

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

If they were to make Venditte throw with just one arm, wouldn't they make him a lefty?

[jacksonianmarch]

they are grooming him as both.

[Jayhawk Bill]

I would've expected San Francisco to be the first MLB team to have a pitcher that goes both ways, but I'm not surprised that the Yankees are trying to develop one, either.

[a700hitter]

Wow, this is what has Yankee fans interested-- some draftee that is a novelty act. Pathetic.

[26 Reasons to Hate Us]

Wow' date=' this is what has Yankee fans interested-- some draftee that is a novelty act. Pathetic.[/quote']

 

ROFL 700 u totally pwned us!!!1!!!11

[Jayhawk Bill]

ROFL 700 u totally pwned us!!!1!!!11

 

I credit you for accepting reality.

[26 to 6]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/06/12/2008-06-12_ambidextrous_pitcher_pat_venditte_headed-2.html

[Jayhawk Bill]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/06/12/2008-06-12_ambidextrous_pitcher_pat_venditte_headed-2.html

 

From your link:

 

Pat Venditte, the ambidextrous pitcher from Creighton whom the Yankees drafted in the 20th round last week and signed, will get a chance to pitch with both arms when he starts his pro career at Class-A Staten Island.

 

"We do think he can do both," said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yanks' vice president of amateur scouting. "We'll let (pitching coordinator) Nardi Contreras and those guys decide moving forward, what they think. But he's had success from both sides, so I think we're going to give that a shot."

 

...

 

Venditte throws harder from the right side - 86-89 mph and he can touch 90, according to Creighton coach Ed Servais. Lefthanded, Venditte throws 78-82 mph.

 

I've rarely heard of a pitcher throwing 86-89 mph in college getting drafted, and I've never heard an MLB team seriously discuss using a non-knuckleball pitcher capable of reaching no more than 78-82 mph.

[jacksonianmarch]

20th round. Remember that. They did nab some high end late rounders but this guy screams filler. He did K a ton of hitters this yr. Regardless, he drops down from the left side and throws a mean slider. If he can utilize that, then he'll have a role. His RH side sounds pretty good for a long man, but right now his secondary stuff sans the lefty slider is totally undeveloped.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Here's Boston's 20th pick:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=meyer

 

18 years old, already 200 lbs, 6' 7", and throwing 90-93 mph with years to develop into an MLB power pitcher.

 

This guy DOES NOT scream filler. Boston nabbed him in the same round that the Yankees selected Venditte.

[jacksonianmarch]

good luck signing him. We got some high upside guys late as well. You do usually start filling in the roster after pick 10 or so and then nab some guys later who you think could help.

 

For us, Dwyer is a biggest late round selection, with Lassiter and the catcher committed to Fla a close second

[Jayhawk Bill]

good luck signing him.

 

Thanks for the kind words! See, everybody, Yankees fans can have their moments of good sportsmanship!

 

***

 

You're missing the point, though. I didn't search for a better pick--I chose the exact same pick as Venditte was for the Yankees, and the difference in projectable talent between Venditte and Meyer is very significant. The Yankees chose a college pitcher to get swifter payback on their draft pick, but they sacrificed peak potential to do that.

 

Quite seriously, although it's a big draft, I'm not sure that Boston picked any pitcher with an 86-89 mph fastball, let alone a 78-82 mph fastest pitch. Yes, he throws ambidextrously--but it's not as if the hitters can't tell on which hand he's wearing his glove, and most MLB hitters can handle 80 mph pitches easily if they know that a fastball isn't coming (and the 80 mph pitch isn't a knuckleball). Venditte will almost certainly be exclusively a RHP if and when he reaches MLB, and with an 89 mph fastball he'd better have a great variety of breaking stuff as out pitches to survive his first cup of coffee in The Show.

[jacksonianmarch]

JHB, come on now. There are plenty of filler picks in the draft. It is how it is always done. On both sides, you can see picks in the 20s and above where you just know they wont see the light of day in the bigs. What I did like about both of our drafts was how deep the talent pool collectively was from round 10 or so on. The sox with Meyer in the 20th was a solid pick. The Yankees with Dwyer, Monar and the kid they chose in the last round are all high end lefties with good arms and high demands. The point is, you need to be able to fill out your roster AND sign high end talents. A lot of teams dont go for the big bonus kids late because they know they wont sign them. We think we can. Regardless, I dont see Venditte making it past AA. I also dont see the sox signing Meyer. What I do see is venditte selling car insurance in 2011 and meyer being the 1st overall selection out of the U of Kentucky (that wasnt my original idea, I think Callis brought that up).

[Jayhawk Bill]

JHB' date=' come on now...Regardless, I dont see Venditte making it past AA. What I do see is venditte selling car insurance in 2011...[/quote']

 

OK, with you so far.

 

I also dont see the sox signing Meyer.

 

We'll see. Meyer is being advised by Boras, and the Red Sox FO appears to have a "special relationship" with Boras at times. :thumbsup: