2008 Draft, Rd1, #28, Gerrit Cole

Born: 08/09/1990
Height: 6′3″ Weight: 195 lbs
Position: SP
Throws: R
Transactions: Selected in 1st round (28th overall) of 2008 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School.

Video
MLB Scouting Video
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w_id=701934&w=/2008/open/draft/broll/br_cole_gerrit_400.wmv&mid=200805302799367&pid=gen_video&vid=11071&cid=mlb&v=2
ESPN
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3412808
OLU Gerrit Cole ends game with strikeout
http://www.vimeo.com/1021100
OLU Gerrit Cole interview
http://www.vimeo.com/1021142

Photo
http://yankees.scout.com/PictureGallery.aspx?PlayerId=116982&Title=Gerrit%20Cole

Pending Pinstripes
http://mvn.com/milb-yankees/2008/06/05/yankees-1st-round-pick-gerrit-cole/
I just got back home, right in time to see the Yankees’ selection. With their 1st round pick, the Yankees went for ceiling, selecting Cole, a high school righty out of southern California. He is one of the top high school pitchers available, and certainly the hardest thrower among them, reportedly reaching 100 mph in a recent outing. He also has a very promising slider, though He has some issues with makeup, not the best mechanics, and high bonus demands, but the 6′3″ righty has a dynamite arm, and I trust Nardi Contreras and the Yankee organization to develop him well. It wouldn’t surprise me if they try to teach him a curveball like they did with Hughes and others. There were some rumors that he could slide further in the draft, but the Yankees’ drafting him in the first round seems to indicate that he is serious about signing. This was a very good selection.

River Ave. Blues
http://riveraveblues.com/2008/06/05/yanks-first-pick-28-overall-2981/
With their first round pick, the Yanks selected Gerrit Cole, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS

Scouting Report: Big fastball, 96-97 consistently and touching triple digits, and there’s some projection left. His two seamer comes in a little slower, at 93-94. Sharp breaking ball that’s somewhere between a slider and curve, but it needs improvement. Decent changeup that fades. Not the prettiest delivery, but he’s got time to work on it. Here’s his scouting video, and another clip from ESPN

My Take: I love the pick. He was the best player on the board, and the Boras factor certainly helped. Best high school righty to come out of SoCal since Phil Hughes said Baseball America. All of the concern about his makeup didn’t pop up until people found out he signed with Boras, so I’m going to reserve judgment on that until I learn more.

Outlook: Signing the kid will probably go right down to the August 15th deadline, so he might not get more than a handful of innings in the Rookie level GCL, if any at all.

The site’s a bit overloaded right now, apparently day games and draft broadcasts don’t mix well. Please be patient if the site loads slow, don’t hit refresh over and over, it only makes it worse. Use this thread until the Yanks pick again.

The Pinstripe Press
http://nyyankeesnews.blogspot.com/2008/06/rhp-gerrit-cole-orange-lutheran-hs-28th.html
To the surprise of no one, the New York Yankees selected the best available pitcher in the first round of last week's MLB Draft. As predicted by many, that player happened to be Gerrit Cole, a strong-armed right-handed high schooler who dropped due to signability concerns.

Cole, 18, has been described as the best right hander to come out of Southern California since Phil Hughes. His four-seamer sits in the mid-90s, topping out at 98. He has a hard, late-breaking curve with good bite, tilt and depth. His changeup, used sparingly in his high school career, needs the most work.

Scouts are split as to whether Cole profiles best as a starter or closer. Those who believe the former, including the Yankees, point to his ability to maintain velocity and pitch movement deep into games. Scouts that see him as a closer zero in on his sometimes inconsistent command and a tendency to run up high pitch counts trying to strike out every hitter.

Cole's delivery will likely be tweaked. He lands on a stiff front leg and recoils his arms during his follow-through (think vintage Pedro Martinez). Also contributing to his availability at 28 was concerns over Cole's maturity. He didn't endear himself to scouts or teammates with his mound demeanor. On several occasions, he became animated with umpires and teammates.

"Gerrit has a big, strong, projectable body with a high ceiling," Damon Oppenheimer told the NY Daily News. “He throws a power fastball with sink in the 94-98 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.”

As a senior at Orange Lutheran High School, Cole went 8-2 with a 0.47 ERA, striking out 121 batters in 75 innings. He was named the Trinity League’s Pitcher of the Year, a 2008 Rawlings Preseason All-American and was selected to the AFLAC All-American team as a senior.

NYYankeeFans.com
http://www.nyyankeefans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=64983
Cole is the best righthander out of Southern California since Phil Hughes. Blessed with a lightning quick arm, Cole has the perfect pitcher’s proportions making him one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the draft. His fastball easily sits a 93-97 and according to sources has touched 101 MPH. He throws an inconsistent slider right now around 78-82 mph, but it projects as a plus pitch in the future. It has some depth coming from a 3/4 arm angle. His change-up needs some work but he 'has a feel for it.' Cole commands the ball very well for a High School Pitcher. His weakness' are mechanical. He tends to throw across his body and some scouts think some slight mechanical tweaks would lengthen his career. Tends to peeve people on the mound. Some question his maturity and he tends to be too emotional on the mound. Boras signing. He's going to play tough but he'll be signed shortly before the deadline.

Note: Can't find senior stats?: As a junior at Lutheran High, Cole was 3-0 with two saves and a 0.97 ERA. In 29 innings he had 36 strikeouts and 11 walks and allowed 12 hits

Random shizzle: Cole is active in community service, and has volunteered at the Children's Hospital of Orange County. He enjoys surfing, playing golf and playing acoustic guitar in his spare time. He has committed to UCLA. He considers Lou Gehrig his role model in life and Derek Jeter as his role model in baseball.

MLB Comp: Jake Peavy.

Note the Comps are based on similar players and the player reaching his HIGHEST ceiling... So take it lightly.

MLB Scouting Report
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.

Baseball America
Cole is the best righthander out of Southern California since Phil Hughes starred at Santa Ana's Foothills High in 2004. Cole's four-seam fastball ranges from 93-96 mph, occasionally peaking at 97-98. He adds a hard, late-breaking curve which shows bite, tilt and depth. Cole used his changeup sparingly early in the season, though he used it more later. Adding to Cole's considerable appeal to scouts is his tall, lanky and projectable frame, which is nearly ideal for a prep righthander. Scouts are split over whether Cole profiles as a starter or closer. He maintains velocity and pitch movement deep into games, but his inconsistent command and tendency to run up high pitch counts may move him to the bullpen. Some scouts have compared him to Mariners closer J.J. Putz. Cole does bring mechanical concerns. He lands on a stiff front leg, and he recoils his arm during his follow-through. Both hurt control and raise injury concerns. Complicating the situation, Cole's adviser is the Scott Boras Corp., which may eliminate many clubs from consideration. Cole also hasn't endeared himself to scouts or teammates with what one scout described as his immature mound demeanor.

At 28, the Yankees took Gerrit Cole, no surprise. A Scott Boras Corporation client who fell for signability reasons, Cole also fell for his immaturity and mound demeanor, which didn't endear him to many scouts and teams. That said, Cole has the biggest arm in the prep class, and he fell to the Yankees, and that's probably win-win for the Yanks, SBC and Cole.

Baseball Analysts (by Rich Lederer)
Cole may have the best teenage arm in this draft. He throws a four seamer that peaks at 97-98 and a heavy two seamer that runs in the low-90s. Baseball America has ranked his fastball at the top of the high school class. There are two questions that have dogged Cole this spring: (1) his makeup and (2) his signability, as he is represented by the Scott Boras Corporation and has committed to UCLA. Slot money probably won't do the trick here. The tall righthander could slide like Rick Porcello last year, but it is unlikely that he will receive a signing bonus approaching Detroit's first pick in the 2007 draft.

Baseball Prospectus (by Kevin Goldstein)
This is a great pick on a talent/slot level. Most talented high school pitcher in the draft, and the Yankees can pay him. As bad as the Brackman pick was last year . . . that's how good this one is. I'm not a big fan of low arm slot guys, but at 28, this is a fantastic pick for the Bombers.

Minor League Ball (by John Sickels)
Gerrit Cole, RHP, California HS: 6-3, 190 pounds, has been clocked as high as 97 MPH, also shows promising changeup and slider. Concerns: his mechanics aren't textbook, he can be emotionally volatile, and the Scott Boras Factor. Depending on what happens over the next two weeks, could go anywhere from 10 to 30.

Perfect Game (by David Rawnsley)
For pure electric stuff, Cole might stand on top of the list of pitching prospects in the 2008 class. His fastball was up to 97 mph with tons of late life and movement at the World Wood Bat Association fall championship in Jupiter, Fla., and his changeup, low-80s curveball and upper-80s slider showed the same kind of quality and life. His fastball velocity was the highest recorded at the 80-team event. Cole has some pitchability and command, and plenty of projectability in his young 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame. His extended mid three-quarters release point is a bit lower than standard and helps add to his fastball life. The question for scouts this spring is going to be seeing him extend himself. Few scouts have seen him pitch deep into games, as he competed on the showcase circuit during the summer—he worked only four innings in Jupiter—and has thrown less than 40 innings at the high school level (3-0, 1.21 with two saves in 29 innings as a junior) due to a deep pitching staff at Orange Lutheran High, where he also plays right field. He was a 2007 Aflac All-American.

UPDATE (5/1): Cole is one of the enigmas of the 2008 draft. He answered some questions very well this spring, throwing 61 innings while going 7-1, 0.57 with 98 K’s and only 16 walks, and pitching deep into pitch counts. His fastball was dominant, touching 97 mph at times with very good life. Questions arose about his curveball consistency, his exaggerated long and extended arm action and his approach to the game. Throw in a Scott Boras-signability scenario and it’s very difficult to tell how June 5 will play out for Cole.

ESPN (by Keith Law)
This is a great pick; he fell to the Yankees for financial reasons. Cole has the best arm among the prep pitchers in the draft. He has a loose, quick arm. He has the best fastball of the high school pitchers; it tops out 97 mph. He needs more consistency on the breaking ball. And he needs to just throw his changeup instead of guiding it. He's a high-ceiling arm that could be a No. 1 starter. If that doesn't work, he could be a dominant reliever.

ESPN (by Matt Meyers)
Like the Tigers, the Yankees have made a habit of waiting for Boras clients with big bonus demands to fall to them and then pay them the big bucks. Lo and behold, it's happened again.
Cole isn't considered a sure thing by any means. His fastball touches the high 90s, but he has what scouts refer to as "severe makeup questions." That translates loosely as, "he's a punk."

Yankees
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Cole went 8-2 with a 0.47 ERA as a senior at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif., in 2008, striking out 121 batters in 75.0 innings pitched with 13 runs allowed (five earned) and 18 walks. He was named the Trinity League's Pitcher of the Year as well the 2008 Co-Orange Lutheran Male Athlete of the Year. The right-hander was named a 2008 Rawlings Preseason All-American and was selected to the AFLACAll-American team as a senior.

Cole was ranked by Baseball America as the ninth-best pitcher in the First-Year Player Draft and 17th-best prospect overall. He was tabbed by the publication as the fourth-best high school pitching prospect in the draft and rated as the having the best fastball among high school hurlers.

"Gerrit has a big, strong, projectable body with a high ceiling," said Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees Vice President of Amateur Scouting. "He throws a power fastball with sink in the 94-98 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. We were really pleased with both of our first two selections."