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Strengths:
Slade Heathcott is the premier high school bat in the 2009 MLB Draft and is a five-tool talent. He hits to all fields and has plus power. His arm strength might be his biggest strength, however. He has been known to hit 95 mph. He's an above-average runner with great instincts on the bases and can play all three outfield positions.

Weaknesses:
Heathcott underwent ACL reconstruction in the off-season but has shown plus speed this spring even though he wears a knee brace. Some scouts are worried about character issues in his past.

The Future:
Slade Heathcott has emerged as the top high school talent in the 2009 MLB Draft. He won't fall past the tenth pick.

Hitting ability: Heathcott has plus hitting ability from the left side of the plate.
Power: He has plus power to all fields.
Running speed: Even with a knee brace, he showed above-average speed.
Base running: Has great instincts on the bases and will be a base-stealer in the future.
Arm strength: Also clocking in at 95 mph in the past off the mound, his arm from the outfield is a big plus.
Fielding: He's a plus defender who can play all three outfield positions well.
Range: His speed and his instincts allow him to cover a lot of ground.
Physical Description: Heathcott is muscular with broad shoulders and a v-cut torso.
Medical Update: He had ACL reconstruction surgery in November and has been playing with a knee brace, but shows no ill effects. He recently sprained a shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield, but sustained no structural damage.
Strengths: Plus tools across the board. Intense competitor with instincts beyond his years.
Weaknesses: There are some off-the-field issues that concern some. His makeup on the field is fine, but his character is the question.

He swings a quick bat from the left side and has strength and power in his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame. He earns plus grades for his hitting and his speed, and he has good range and above-average arm strength in the outfield. Heathcott was selected for the Aflac All-American Game last summer as a pitcher, and some clubs like him more as a lefty with an 88-92 mph fastball that touches 94 and a promising curveball. There's effort in his delivery because he approaches pitching like he does everything else: full speed ahead. Heathcott hasn't pitched this spring because of the shoulder injury, however, though Texas High was readying to return him to the mound after winning its first six playoff games. His makeup is a concern for several clubs and he missed the first playoff contest because of an academic suspension. Then Heathcott went on a salary drive, hitting three homers in the next five games and turning in a plus-plus 4.0-second time from home to first in front of heavy hitters from the Phillies and Yankees. He's committed to Louisiana State but should get drafted high enough—possibly in the first round—that he'll forego college

Yankfan21 (Work - still...): So, Heathcott? With Scheppers and Rex Brothers on the board, I am completely underwhelmed and under impressed. Any reason I should not be?

KG: I'd be pretty happy. I think both of those pitchers are relievers in the end. You can find relievers at lot easier than you can find tools like Heathcott.

The scouting consensus seemed to be that Murphy had risen to the top of the pile of Florida prep catchers by the end of the season, after an amazing spring playing for the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Murphy hit .627 with 11 home runs in 102 at-bats, rapping 34 extra-base hits overall and striking out just four times. That built off a strong summer and fall performance, as Murphy starred for the Florida Bombers during Connie Mack play and the World Wood Bat tournament in Jupiter, Fla., in October 2008. Murphy’s bat attracts most of the attention, as he has a short, sharp righthanded swing that generates good bat speed and plate coverage. Scouts grade his hit tool ahead of his power, though he’s expected to produce average power with wood. He’s also athletic, having made a shift from outfield (and occasionally third base) to catcher. He’s shown he’s more than capable of handling catcher, showing plus arm strength, solid receiving ability and a quick transfer. The Miami recruit has intelligence and makeup needed for the position, as well, and had hit his way into supplemental round consideration.

Formerly an outfielder and third baseman, Murphy’s polished bat has produced supplemental-round buzz

Chances are, it’ll be called pretty quickly. Baseball America ranks Murphy as the fifth-best catching prospect in the country, estimating he could go in the supplemental round sandwiched between the draft’s first two rounds. The publication also ranked Murphy’s strike-zone judgment second overall among high school baseball players.

Pharmcat wrote:i agree you dont draft by need in mlb

but come on, cervelli, romine, montero + mauer is a FA in 2011....that seems well set to me

i just think we need to go IF and OF

however, i agree yanks have limit money to spend so they are trying to go conservative

Pharmcat wrote:i still am sad bout not signing cole

i thought he had the tools to be a stud

cmaff051 wrote:Why did Heathcott fall? That excerpt says he would not fall past the Top 10..

North Carolina righthander Adam Warren wasn't considered on the same level as other Tar Heels pitcher as a prospect, but the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder had a breakout senior season and was the team's most consistent pitcher. He was 29-4 over the last three seasons entering super regional play, and his stuff took a step forward this spring. Warren figures to go in a single-digit round after improving the velocity on his four-seam fastball and honing his command. He was hitting 94 mph late in the season and sitting 88-92. He has added a two-seam fastball and cutter over the years to go with his solid-average changeup. He throws a slow, early-count curveball, and his inability to spin a better breaking ball is his biggest limitation.

Warren pumps his fastball up to 93 mph regularly, sits average with it and his slider and has solid-average command of both pitches.

Vanderbilt also had a disappointing season, though the Commodores at least made NCAA regionals. No pitchers after Minor stepped forward, though sophomore-eligible righthander Caleb Cotham showed flashes. He was a sinker-slider pitcher most of the time and missed time due to knee soreness. He came back working in more of a relief role and showed a plus slider at times out of the bullpen. He works off the slider and his 88-92 mph fastball with decent sink, though for many starts his velo was in the 87-88 range. Cotham throws a curveball and changeup as well, but he rarely has all four pitches working. That accounted for his 14 home runs allowed in 70 innings.

Tough sign alert—Vanderbilt eligible sophomore righthander Caleb Cotham went to the Yankees near the end of the fifth. Cotham made some money with a complete game effort in the Louisville regional. At his best, he’s a power sinker-slider pitcher, with his slider reaching 87 mph in shorter outings.

Didn't think we'd be hearing Sam Elam's name in the top 10, a lefty from Notre Dame. Elam has a one of the better raw left-handed relief arms in the country, but it's been a long time since he's known where a ball is going. 29 walks in 31.1 innings this season, and he was worse over the summer. A Yankees scout must see something fixable, because if it gets straightened out, it's great stuff.


SENIOR SEASON (2009): Rare commodity as 6- foot-3 hard-throwing lefthander who was projected by Baseball America as BIG EAST Conference's top prospect for 2008 Major League draft (rankings prior to `07 season) ... likely to fill a relief role in 2009 ... noted for arm strength, high release point and lively fastball ... keys to his progress include repeating his delivery and improved command ... looking to turn in a steady and more consistent season in 2009 - as his first three seasons with the Irish included record-setting low hit totals allowed (23 H in 45.0 innings; 4.6 H/9 IP, .146 opp. batting avg.) but plenty of free bases surrendered (35 BB, 10 HBP, 9 WP; 9.4 BB+HB+WP per 9 IP) ... his other career stats with the Irish include a 4.20 ERA, 0-2 record and one save in 25 appearances (seven GS) ... his four career appearances in Notre Dame's Blue-Gold World Series include a pair of tough-luck losses ... spent the summer of 2008 with the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk League ... made 10 appearances and two starts ... went 0- 1 with a 8.03 ERA in 12.1 innings of work ... allowed just three hits as opponents batted just .083 against him and struck out 14, but walked 28.

I gave you a heads up about this one a few days ago. Lyons was a potential 1st round pick prior to this season, but due to a slight decrease in velo and a down season statistically, he fell down draft boards. Lyons came on stronger at the end of the season and impressed the Yankees in his workout, so this could be a real steal if he can build on that.

My vote for best pick in the 11th: Oklahoma State outfielder Neil Medchill, who went to the Yankees at No. 345 overall. The No. 160 prospect on our Top 200, Medchill was expected to go around the third round thanks to his solid tools across the board and big-time lefthanded power potential. The Yankees have taken a number of talented college players who have slipped for one reason or another (Medchill, Tyler Lyons, Gavin Brooks and Graham Stoneburner), and it will be interesting to see how aggressively they attempt to sign those players.


The Mets drafted Medchill in the 33rd round as a redshirt sophomore a year ago, failing to sign him after he led the Santa Barbara Foresters to the NBC World Series championship in August. He could go as many as 30 rounds higher this June to a team looking for a college power hitter. Some scouts grade his raw lefthanded power as a 7 on the 2-8 scale, and it's reminiscent of that of former Cowboy Corey Brown, an Athletics sandwich pick in 2007 who hit 30 homers in his first full pro season last year. Medchill has reached double figures in home runs in each of his two seasons at Oklahoma State after beginning his college career at Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) CC, and he'll deliver more power if he turns on more pitches and adds more lift to his swing. Like Brown, he has some holes in his swing and will strike out. Medchill has added 18 pounds in the last year and now carries 218 on his 6-foot-4 frame. The extra bulk has cost him a step and made him a slightly below-average runner, and he has an average arm. He probably fits best as a left fielder in pro ball.

A 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, Gerritse has an awkward delivery and less-than-ideal arm action, but his stuff will get him drafted. Big and physical, he delivers a 90-91 mph fastball and 80-81 mph curve that at times is a plus pitch. His changeup may be his best pitch, as it has split-finger movement late.

Mack, one of the SEC's most improved players, has added significant polish since he arrived on campus, particularly improving his two-strike approach. He has opposite-field power, stays back on offspeed stuff and has a good pro body. His offensive tools grade out as average, not plus, and he may not hit for enough power to be an everyday corner regular. He doesn't' run well enough to be a center fielder.

Besides having one of the best names in the entire draft, Stoneburner is also one of it’s the hardest throwers, routinely working in the mid 90s as both a reliever and starter for the Clemson Tigers this season. He tore his ACL going into his freshman year of college, so he was red-shirted and is now a DES. The reports on Stoneburner are that he has great velocity, and solid control, but that he lacks command at times and hasn’t developed his secondary stuff. Because of this many publications say scouts see him being an exceptional closer candidate in the pros.

Stoneburner does not have great size, checking in at 6′0″, 185 lbs, but he’s an intelligent pitcher who has twice made the ACC Academic Honor Role. If Stoneburner were to return to Clemson he’d have the chance to compete for a weekend starter’s position and improve his draft stock a bit more, so it’s likely to take a decent bonus to get him to give up that leverage.

Stoneburner, a redshirt sophomore, has lacked consistency in his performance, though not with his velocity. He consistently hits 94 mph with his four-seamer, a sign that he's come back completely healthy from a torn ACL and back injury (fractured vertebra) from high school that caused him to miss his freshman season. At times, Stoneburner is just an arm-strength guy, with scattershot command and below-average secondary stuff. At other times, he throws strikes to all four quadrants at 94-95 mph, stays tall in his delivery well for a 6-foot, 185-pounder and keep the ball in the ballpark, as he'd allowed only two homers all spring. At times he shows some power on his slider, which still needs to add depth and tilt and doesn't project as anything more than an average pitch. His ability to pitch off his fastball was more successful in the bullpen, which was his primary role once the calendar turned to April. His changeup is a bit better than his slider, though it lacks life and is as straight as his fastball at times. Stoneburner's feel for pitching also is inconsistent, but his consistent velocity is as good as any college righthander in the Southeast, and he generally throws strikes, if not quality strikes. He had just 17 walks in 56 innings.

“He hit 90 mph on the gun,” Touma said. “He had great stuff, including a very good breaking ball, and he pounded the strike zone. That’s the biggest thing with Tommy John surgery is getting your command back. No one could have guessed what he did.”

A couple of weeks after that outing, pitching at a local field near his home, Greene was clocked by a Yankees scout at 92 mph. At a workout last Wednesday, he was faster yet again, this time at 94 mph. Before the surgery he had never topped 89 mph.

Green had planned to be a redshirt sophomore next season at DSC, but after recent workouts with the Yankees and Angels that could change.

“This has been a spur of the moment thing,” the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Greene said. “Obviously, if the money is right I’m going to fulfill my lifetime dream.”

Mitchell is 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, and has some life on his downhill fastball, which can touch 90-91 mph. He also spins a power slider and throws his fastball for strikes. Concerns about his future projection, as well as a commitment to North Carolina could cause him to fall out of the first 10 rounds.

According to a more recent article from a local paper, Mitchell has put on nearly 20 lbs of weight:

This season, Mitchell (6-2, 195) was 5-2 with one save and a .62 earned run average. He had 87 strikeouts in just 45 innings – including 18 in the Cougars’ first-round playoff loss.

He’s a member of Andy Partin’s famous North Carolina Dirtbags traveling team that current Yankee propsects DJ Mitchell and Garrison Lassiter have played for. UNC is a notoriously difficult school to break, especially for the non-1st round picks.

Thompson is sort of the Dellin Betances of the 2009 draft. He’s huge (6′-8″, 210 lbs), raw, and didn’t really pop up on the radar until he flashed premium arm strength on the showcase circuit the year before he was draft eligible. Unfortunately for him, the promise of a top three rounds pay day went out the window when he blew out his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery last Friday.

Thompson was as raw as it gets before the injury, even more raw than Betances was when he came out of high school. He shows mid-90’s velocity but doesn’t hold it because he struggles mightily to repeat the thing he calls a delivery. Both his breaking ball and changeup are as underdeveloped as Dustin Pedroia’s hair follicles. Thompson is a major project, but his upside is in orbit. TJ is likely to knock him out of day one of the draft, but if someone pops him in the late rounds and is willing to pony up a six figure bonus, Thompson may forego his commitment to Arizona State. He could be a major, major coup.

I mentioned this one before today’s action, and any draft fan worth his/her salt could see this as a major opportunity as soon as the news came out a few weeks ago that Thompson was going to have Tommy John Surgery. Being highly regarded and extremely projectable, and then having a major injury is rule number one in instant signability issues.

The thing that jumps out at you about Thompson is that he is listed at 6′8″, 215 lbs. In a much anticipated matchup from earlier in the year he dueld with mega-prospect Tyler Matzek:

Thompson quickly dispelled the doubters Saturday by firing a blistering fastball that sat between 91 and 93, peaking at 94. He mixed in an intriguing change at 78 that exhibited nice arm side movement and dip.

Comparisons between Thompson and righthander Chris Tillman (Orioles No. 2 prospect) are apt. However, Tillman’s curve and mechanics were more advanced than Thompson at a similar stage. The latter’s curve is barely a wrinkle, thrown at 75 with virtually no two plane break.

Thompson’s college commitment is to Arizona State, another fairly difficult school to break, and considering his ceiling and the recent arm injury (surgery was on 5/1/09) it’s going to take a decent chunk of change to break him free. As always I’ll be following his potential signing closely as we move forward.

In yet another pick of a good-framed, highly projectable pitcher, the Yankees popped Missouri State LHP, Aaron Meade. The lefty checks in at 6′2″, 175 lbs, and has a good amount of leverage as a DES.

Meade averaged more than a strikeout per inning as a freshman, using an upper-80s fastball and very deceptive changeup as his main weapons. A more consistent breaking ball is the next item on his learning curve.

nykgeneralmanager wrote:Here are some things about Joe Murphy...

The scouting consensus seemed to be that Murphy had risen to the top of the pile of Florida prep catchers by the end of the season, after an amazing spring playing for the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Murphy hit .627 with 11 home runs in 102 at-bats, rapping 34 extra-base hits overall and striking out just four times. That built off a strong summer and fall performance, as Murphy starred for the Florida Bombers during Connie Mack play and the World Wood Bat tournament in Jupiter, Fla., in October 2008. Murphy’s bat attracts most of the attention, as he has a short, sharp righthanded swing that generates good bat speed and plate coverage. Scouts grade his hit tool ahead of his power, though he’s expected to produce average power with wood. He’s also athletic, having made a shift from outfield (and occasionally third base) to catcher. He’s shown he’s more than capable of handling catcher, showing plus arm strength, solid receiving ability and a quick transfer. The Miami recruit has intelligence and makeup needed for the position, as well, and had hit his way into supplemental round consideration.

Can play multiple positions, but everything I've come across is that he will play C.

Formerly an outfielder and third baseman, Murphy’s polished bat has produced supplemental-round buzz

Chances are, it’ll be called pretty quickly. Baseball America ranks Murphy as the fifth-best catching prospect in the country, estimating he could go in the supplemental round sandwiched between the draft’s first two rounds. The publication also ranked Murphy’s strike-zone judgment second overall among high school baseball players.

You can complain about drafting a C, but you can't worry about position in the baseball draft because too many things happen over the years before a guy makes the majors. The Yankees obviously liked him enough to draft him, even if some people think there were some better players available.