http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080605&content_id=2846021&vkey=draft2008&fext=.jsp
06/05/2008 7:45 PM ET
Yankees draft fireballer in first round
Righty Cole goes No. 28; Stanford lefty first compensation pick
NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees selected right-hander Gerrit Cole on Thursday with their first-round pick in the 2008 First Year Player Draft, using the 28th overall pick on the hard-throwing hurler from Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif.
Cole, 17, has been clocked in the high-90s with his fastball and, as a top high school prospect, has drawn comparisons to current Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes as one of the best Southern California products in recent years.
"Gerrit has a big, strong, projectable body with a high ceiling," said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' vice president of amateur scouting. "He throws a power fastball with sink in the 94-98 [mph] range and has also developed a good changeup. He's a competitor every time he takes the mound, and he pitches with a lot of confidence."
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Cole went 8-2 with a 0.47 ERA as a senior at Orange Lutheran this year, striking out 121 batters in 75 innings, allowing 13 runs (five earned) and walking eight.
Labeled as one of the top prep arms in the draft, Cole is weighing a scholarship offer to attend UCLA for the 2009 college season and is represented by the Scott Boras agency.
Cole is expected to incorporate mechanical tweaks once he begins the next phase of his career, and he could see his future development come as either a starter or as a closer. He was ranked by Baseball America as the ninth-best pitcher in the First-Year Player Draft and the 17th-best prospect overall.
Though Boras' representation has played a factor for some smaller-market teams not inclined to extend large contracts to prospects, New York has not been shy about pursuing Boras clients in recent years; first-round picks Ian Kennedy (2006) and Andrew Brackman (2007) were also contracted with Boras.
With their Compensation Round A pick at No. 44, the Yankees selected junior left-hander Jeremy Bleich from Stanford University. A product of Metairie, La., Bleich was drafted for the first time after being limited to five games in 2008 at Stanford, battling tendinitis from March through mid-May.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound southpaw was 2-2 with a 1.09 ERA, allowing four earned runs in 33 innings and striking out 26 while holding opponents to a .189 batting average. He closed out the season with a stretch of 14 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Yankees were provided with the compensation pick to select Bleich for losing right-hander Luis Vizcaino to the Colorado Rockies via free agency this past offseason.
"We were really pleased with both of our first two selections," Oppenheimer said.
The Yankees were represented by Tino Martinez at the Draft, held at the Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Earlier in the day, the Yankees made a symbolic pick when they selected Emilio Navarro in the Negro Leagues draft as part of the ceremony to commemorate the historic league.
At 102, Navarro is the oldest living professional baseball player and was the first Puerto Rican to play in the Negro Leagues. Known by the distinctive nickname "Millito," he played shortstop and second base for the Cuban Stars in the Eastern Colored League from 1928-29.
In the first round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, the Yankees selected Brackman from North Carolina State, signing him to a four-year Major League contract in August. Brackman is slated to miss all of the 2008 season as he recovers from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.
Here is a look at the Yankees' selections on Day 1 of Thursday's First-Year Player Draft:
Round 1: Gerrit Cole, RHP, Orange Lutheran High School, Orange, Calif. Cole tops out in the high-90s and sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, and he could project as either a starter or a reliever when he begins his professional career. He was 8-2 with a 0.46 ERA as a high school senior.
Compensation Round A: Jeremy Bleich, LHP, Stanford University: Bleich was 2-2 with a 1.09 ERA in five games for Stanford as a junior. He also played with the USA Junior National team in 2005 and earned Cape Cod League All-Star honors while playing for the Wareham Gatemen in 2006.
Round 2: Scott Bittle, RHP, University of Mississippi: Bittle was 7-1 with a 1.78 ERA and eight saves coming out of the bullpen for Ole Miss in 2008. In 70 2/3 innings, he allowed 35 hits and 15 runs (14 earned), walking 30 and striking out 130. A product of Texarkana, Texas, Bittle also lettered two years at Northeast Texas Community College and was named an All-Conference selection.
Round 3: David Adams, 2B, University of Virginia: Adams is a hard-nosed type who has drawn comparisons to Jeff Kent as an offensive player who is steady defensively. Adams hit .286 (66-for-231) with six home runs and 51 RBIs in 61 games for the Cavaliers in 2008. He was taken by the Detroit Tigers in 2005.
After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
6/5/2008 4:58 PM