Rounds 4-30 were held today, meaning dozens more future big leaguers heard their names called. It's definitely not as exciting as Day 1, but it is action-packed, and a good chance for teams to get some depth and find sleepers. With the last 20 rounds on tap for tomorrow (starting at 10:30), here's what I thought about today.- The Rangers had a rough day (save for a couple picks), though they have still gotten tons of upside in the draft so far. The Brewers, another first-day standout, had a decent second day, leaving the Diamondbacks to trump everyone and possibly have the best draft in the business. Arizona grabbed the players mentioned yesterday (Bobby Borchering, A.J. Pollock, Marc Krauss, etc.), and today they got more of the same. The D-Backs kicked off the morning with David Nick, a pure hitter from the high school ranks, and Loyola Marymount 1B Ryan Wheeler, an above-average hitter himself. They got talented, but tough-to-sign, prep 3B Matt Helm; college slugger Paul Goldschmidt; power-armed Oklahoma righty Chase Anderson; and more solid college players in C Tyson Van Winkle (Gonzaga), Charles Brewer (UCLA), David Narodowski (Kansas), Andrew Wolcott (Duke), Evan Button (Ole Miss), Brad Gemberling (Princeton), and Jake Hale (Ohio State). Arizona also got LHP Patrick Schuster (aka Mr. No-Hitter) and C Roidany Aguila. The first few rounds will make this draft a keeper, but I also like the depth here.
- I was surprised that Long Island's James Jones went as an outfielder. He was absolutely horrendous on the mound this year (1-9, 7.40 ERA), but he has a loose, easy motion and excellent arm strength. (The lefty topped out in the mid-90s with his fastball). He headed into the year looking like a first 3 rounds talent as a pitcher. Jones has great makeup, giving me some hope that he could work on his secondary stuff and control. The Mariners must have looked at his superior offensive numbers and his athletic ability in the outfield when deciding which way he'd go.
- For Cub fans out there, I don't see much potential for the Northsiders after their first two picks. Cal OF Brett Jackson, their 1st-rounder strikes out too much, but has outstanding tools. D.J. LeMahieu (2nd round) is a good candidate for a bounce-back (he had an underwhelming year at LSU) and could be an offense-minded shortstop. LHP Austin Kirk (3rd round), LHP Chris Rusin (4), RHP Robert Whitenack (8), C Richard Jones (9), C Sergio Burruel (19), and Steve Grife (26) are decent picks, but most of the others are duds in my mind. The real intriguing one is Texas A&M LHP Brooks Raley, a three-pitch lefty who isn't overpowering, but who controls his pitches well, is athletic, and competes. It's too bad for me that one of my favorite college players is now on the hated rivals.
- I like that Chris Dwyer pick by the Royals in the 4th round. The Clemson hurler has an above-average fastball from the left side and a dandy hammer curveball capable of freezing even advanced hitters. He should be able to improve on the rest of his game easily, as he's got some pitching aptitude. The Royals' first 3 picks (Aaron Crow, Wil Myers, and Dwyer) all have big-time ceilings.
- High school C Max Stassi (rated as the 30th-best talent in the draft) unexpectedly fell all the way to the 4th round. The A's did well to stop his fall there, and I also liked how they snapped up Ian Krol in the 7th round and Sam Dyson in the 10th (though signability will be an issue with Dyson).
- The Rays had a good run on high schoolers in the 3rd-5th rounds. They got OF Todd Glaesmann (Drew Stubbs with less speed and a better bat?), C Luke Bailey (injured, but extremely talented), and Jeff Malm (a great hitter who will require serious buckage to sway him for USC). Also keep an eye on Eastern Illinois OF Brett Nommensen in the 8th round and Colorado HS RHP Pierce Johnson in the 15th. RHP Dylan Floro would be a coup for a 20th-rounder, but he's probably headed off to Cal State Fullerton.
- Derek McCallum (4th round to the Twins) bears watching. The second baseman was the best player in the Big 10 this year, and he hit .409 with 18 HRs. I hate to compare a college player to an MVP, but the best-case scenario for McCallum is becoming a lefthanded version of a Dustin Pedroia-type player.
- Round 5 was the round of the crazy names. Damien Magnifico went to the Mets and Seth Schwindenhammer went 4 picks later to the Red Sox.
- The Pirates found a great value in the 6th round in Louisiana HS RHP Zack Von Rosenberg. Assuming he goes pro over LSU, he'll give Pittsburgh a projectable frame and good control of a 88-91 mph fastball, curveball, and changeup. Colton Cain (8), Brock Holt (9), Jeffrey Inman (12), and Sam Spangler (20) were also good choices in those rounds. Those selections somewhat make up for an overall below-average draft for the Pirates.
- Two supplemental-round talents that lasted until the 7th round will both provide excellent value for their teams if they are signed. Brody Colvin (Phillies) and Madison Younginer (Red Sox) each hit the mid-90s and flash power breaking balls. Colvin is committed to LSU, and Younginer to Clemson.
- My favorite pick in the 14th round was RHP Graham Stoneburner (barely over OF Jacob Stewart and LHP Nick Greenwood). The Yankees nabbed the Clemson redshirt sophomore with the 435th overall selection. Stoneburner has been inconsistent and is still recovering from surgery to repair a labrum tear, but he flashes mid-90s heat and a plus slider, and he keeps the ball in the park. That's a nice pick for New York, assuming they can get a deal done.
- Mike Nesseth, a Nebraska righty drafted in the 15th round, was just one of many interesting Angels' picks. The eligible sophomore slumped this spring, losing his low-90s velocity and sharp slider, but he could be a steal if he regains his supplemental-round stuff and command. He could be a workhorse, but he rotated between the rotation and the bullpen with the Cornhuskers. Los Angeles also got OF Mike Trout and LHP Tyler Skaggs (both high schoolers) early, and Josh Spence, Tyler Kehrer, Carlos Ramirez, Andrew Del Colle, Dillon Baird, and Casey Haerther later. Garrett Richards and Wes Hatton were some of their more curious selections.
- By the way, did anyone notice how the Mariners raided UNC? Dustin Ackley at #2 overall, Kyle Seager in the 3rd round, and Brian Moran in the 7th round. Looks like there will be a Tar Heel reunion in Seattle's farm system.
- Jeff Rowland could be a 21st-round sleeper. The Georgia Tech sophomore was chosen by the Indians with the 635th overall pick. He had a great year for the Yellow Jackets, hitting at a .340 clip with 8 home runs and 21 stolen bases.
- The 7th round featured a trio of good college centerfielders. Fullerton's Josh Fellhauer went to the Reds, Oklahoma's Jamie Johnson to the Tigers, and Mississippi's Jordan Henry to the Indians. All have similar packages--hitting ability, good defense, above-average speed, and a bit of pop. In Henry's case, it is plus-plus speed but below-average power. All three are good 7th-round picks.
- I'll provide a final recap and analysis tomorrow after the draft is complete. We'll also continue to get a feel for which high schoolers dropped and may head off to college.
Max Stassi
*Photo courtesy of www.chriskaufman.com
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