2008 Draft, Rd5, #170, Chris Smith

Born: 11/1/1990
Height: 6′0″ Weight: 190 lbs
Position: LF
Bats: L Throws: L
Transactions: Selected in 5th round (170th overall) of 2008 draft out of Centennial High School.

Video
MLB Scouting Video
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w_id=702560&w=/2008/open/draft/broll/br_smith_chris_400.wmv&mid=200805302799995&pid=gen_video&vid=11071&cid=mlb&v=2&bypass=true

Photo
http://yankees.scout.com/PictureGallery.aspx?PlayerId=117123&Title=Christopher%20Smith

Pending Pinstripes
http://mvn.com/milb-yankees/2008/06/05/yankees-5th-round-pick-chris-smith/
The Yankees picked up outfielder Chris Smith from Compton, California, with their 5th-rounder. I don’t know much about his scouting or his level of competition, but what I do know is that he put up absolutely silly numbers: a .708 average, 12 homers in 20 games, and an absurd 1.361 slugging percentage. His OPS: 2.105 (that’s not a typo). He also struck out just 3 times. He also has good speed, stealing 24 bases in 27 attempts. He is a lefty bat who projects best in left field, but has also worked out at first base. He also sounds like a great kid, who has been a role model and mentor to younger kids in Compton. He is committed to USC, but seems to be signable.

River Ave. Blues
http://riveraveblues.com/2008/06/05/yanks-sixth-picks-170-overall-2987/
With their 5th round pick, the Yanks’ selected Chris Smith, LF, Centennial HS (Ca.)
(not finding a picture with a name like that)
Scouting Report: Can’t find anything on him. Baseball America rated him the 105th best prospect in the state of California though. Here’s his scouting video.
My Take: Dunno enough to say. Maybe he’s a tooled up uber-athlete like Austin Jackson. Seems like a little bit of an overdraft.
Outlook: Rookie level GCL I guess.
Looks like they’re going one more round. Those cooky front office execs.
Update: This boy can hit. His line this year: .708-.744-1.361-2.105.

The Pinstripe Press
http://nyyankeesnews.blogspot.com/2008/06/of-chris-smith-compton-centennial.html
Selected by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 2008 MLB Draft, Compton high schooler Chris Smith posted some incredible numbers and drew some lofty comparisons this season.

In 20 games as a senior, Smith hit .708 with 12 home runs, and 43 RBIs. He posted a 1.361 slugging percentage and reached base at a .744 clip. According to Maxpreps.com, his batting average was second in the state; his slugging rate was first. Perhaps even more encouraging, he struck out only three times in 72 at bats.

Compton-Centennial baseball Coach Gerald Pickens believes Smith might be the best player he has ever seen. That is high praise from a coach that has groomed area mega-stars Darryl Strawberry, Eric Davis and Coco Crisp.

Smith projects best in left field, but also worked out at first base prior to the draft. He is a signability pick, having committed to USC.

While his power numbers are obviously impressive, Smith is no lumbering masher. He played quarterback and point guard for the Apaches this past season. He also showed what that athleticism could do on the diamond swiping 24 steals in 26 attempts.

If the Yankees can keep Smith from USC, this is the kind of high-reward draft pick that can pay major dividends down the road.

NYYankeeFans.com
http://www.nyyankeefans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=64983
Committed to USC. He’s a lefty with a nice power stroke, but the impressive thing here is that he hit .708 for Centennial High School in Compton, CA this past season leading all Prep ranks.

The ability to hit the baseball is what has attracted scouts’ attention.

The numbers he’s put up are startling: His .725 (37 for 51) batting average and 1.529 slugging average lead the nation. His on-base percentage of .763 is third nationally. He’s already hit 10 home runs (tied for second in the Southern Section) with 36 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He hit two more homers Friday, including a tape-measure grand slam that cleared two fences, a residential street and a water channel before landing on the grounds of an elementary school.

“He’s a terrific hitter,” Centennial coach Gerald Pickens said. “When he hits, the team gets inspired because they know the scouts are watching and try to piggyback on that.”

Pickens coached current Angel farmhand Andrew Toussaint at Centennial and Boston Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp with his C-BATs Academy team, so he knows something about talented prospects.

“Chris does things they couldn’t do,” he said. “He has dynamite strength and the ability to hit with power to all fields. They had power to only one field.”

“My strength is my bat,” said Smith, who feels his best position is left field, but has been showcased at other spots, including first base, for the benefit of scouts.

Although a talented quarterback who passed for 2,700 yards for the football team this past fall, baseball is his first priority.

“Baseball is my passion,” he said. “I’ve just loved the game since I started playing T-ball at 4 at Gonzalez Park.”

Smith’s reputation extends beyond his teammates. His talent has made him an icon to baseball-playing youngsters in the Compton community.

“Chris is bringing baseball back to the inner-city because the kids at the parks are looking up to him,” Pickens said. “Some of these kids don’t know who Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is, but they know who Chris is.”

“It makes me feel good being a peer to these kids,” Smith said. “It’s an honor and a big responsibility to be a role model.”

As for which way he’s leaning, he said, “It all depends on where I go in the draft.”

MLB Comp: Young Barry Bonds

NoMaas’ Yankee Draft Blog
http://www.nomaas.org/draft/?p=25
Smith is 6′2″, 200 lbs, and committed to USC. He’s a lefty with a nice power stroke, but the impressive thing here is that he hit .708 for Centennial High School in Compton, CA this past season.
That’s not a typo.
I’ll spell it out just to make certain. He hit Seven-Oh-Eight.
Smith looks like he could be a diamond in the rough, and his coach certainly thinks so:
“He’s a terrific hitter,” Centennial coach Gerald Pickens said. “When he hits, the team gets inspired because they know the scouts are watching and try to piggyback on that.”
Pickens coached current Angel farmhand Andrew Toussaint at Centennial and Boston Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp with his C-BATs Academy team, so he knows something about talented prospects.
“Chris does things they couldn’t do,” he said. “He has dynamite strength and the ability to hit with power to all fields. They had power to only one field.”
“My strength is my bat,” said Smith, who feels his best position is left field, but has been showcased at other spots, including first base, for the benefit of scouts.
Although a talented quarterback who passed for 2,700 yards for the football team this past fall, baseball is his first priority.
“Baseball is my passion,” he said. “I’ve just loved the game since I started playing T-ball at 4 at Gonzalez Park.”
This kid could be a major find. It seems He’s got a good head on his shoulders to go with the skills:
Smith’s reputation extends beyond his teammates. His talent has made him an icon to baseball-playing youngsters in the Compton community.
“Chris is bringing baseball back to the inner-city because the kids at the parks are looking up to him,” Pickens said. “Some of these kids don’t know who Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is, but they know who Chris is.”
“It makes me feel good being a peer to these kids,” Smith said. “It’s an honor and a big responsibility to be a role model.”
Consider me very intrigued. VERY intrigued.

Perfect Game (by Allan Simpson)
SCOUTING REPORT: Veteran Centennial coach Gerald Pickens was instrumental in the development of two prominent inner-city Los Angeles players, Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis, and says Smith compares favorably to the future long-time big leaguers at a similar stage of development. Above all else, Smith can hit. He was one of the nation’s leading hitters this spring with a .708 average, to go with 12 homers, 43 RBIs and 24 stolen bases—in a 20-game schedule. Though he spent most of his high school career at first base, his speed and athletic ability will enable him to settle into the outfield. Smith gained acclaim a year ago as the RBI (Reviving Baseball in The Inner-Cities) Player of the Year. He also earned his share of attention at Centennial High as a point guard on the basketball team and a quarterback who passed for more than 2,700 yards last fall, but he has always professed that baseball is his favorite sport.

2008 Draftee Info (3)

From Pending Pinstripes

Thoughts on the Draft

So, Dennis Shulman won the primary… and the campaign immediately sent me down to D.C. to work on some training. Its been a long 2 weeks. I was busy enough that I couldn’t even follow the draft live, a long-time ritual of mine. I’ve had some time for the Yankee picks to ruminate in my head, so here are my thoughts.

Gerrit Cole, 1st Round - What a great pick. He’s a little risky, but has tremendous upside. He’s the kind of pick where we might be recounting the chain of events five years from now that had to line up in order for him to fall to us. By all measures, he was the best player available and we grabbed him. His scounting video reveals a fairly violent, cross-body motion that could cause problems in the future, but I’m sure that the Yankees are already thinking about how to smooth out his delivery once he signs. He’ll also be forever compared to Phil Hughes by minor league folks like ourselves. There is no such thing as a truly “safe” pick for a pitcher in the draft, so the Yankees went for the biggest upside pick they could.

Jeremy Bleich, Supplemental Round - He seems like an overdraft. Lefties tend to be overrated as is on draft day, and there are very few remarkable things about Bleich. He has good control, but was never that strong of a pitcher in college. He followed his poor sophomore year (5.56 ERA) with a strong partial season this year (1.38 ERA), but didn’t improve on his peripherals. His career rates stand at 3.05 BB/9 and 5.59 K/9.

Scott Bittle, 2nd Round - Unlike Bleich, Bittle was flat-out dominate this season. 70 2/3 innings, 30 walks, 130 strikeouts, 1.78 ERA. Watching his video, he seems to generate powerful downward movement on the ball. Had Melancon been healthy, this is the kind of position that he would have occupied. While I’m not certain that the Yankees need another strong set up man relief prospect, Bittle looks like a strong pick when viewed independently. He should also be a fast mover. Depending on when he decides to sign, Bittle could be available for the majors as soon as late 2009.

David Adams, 3rd Round - Derek Jeter would be jealous of his opposite-field swing. He’s a better version of Colin Curtis, but playing 2nd base.

Corban Joseph, 4th Round - Watching his draft video, the man’s got a power swing. I’m not sure if he’s a shortstop in name only (meaning, he’s just the most athletic guy on his high school team), but he seems to be a good enough hitter to profile lower down the spectrum. Eric reported that he hit over .700 in high school, but we’ll have to see how he does against real competition. Definitely a guy to keep an eye on.

Chris Smith, 5th Round - I don’t have much of an opinion on Smith, so I won’t insult your intelligence by offering one. He’s a fast guy who chokes up on the bat.

Brett Marshall, 6th Round -He’s a classic high upside pick. You can’t teach 95. He’s a project, but the Yankees should end up paying him the kind of money that he’ll demand.

Other Thoughts - We got Pat Venditte back! And this time, he’s a senior. I’d say that there is now an 80% chance that the switch-pitcher will play for one of the Yankee’s minor league affiliates. How good he is remains to be seen, but I can’t wait to see him pitch. The Yankee draft appears appears to be an ambitious one - they drafted lots of upside. For the second year though, I will reserve judgment on the draft until the August signing deadline.

2008 Draftee Info (1)

From Yankees: Looking for the Furture

Draft Recap and Review

Overall, I’d say the Yankees had a pretty good draft. First, I’ll review and grade each notable selection (note that the Yankees selected in every round but not every pick is analyzed):

1st rd., 28: Gerrit Cole, RHP, HS (California): The only reason Cole was available was due to signability concerns coupled with some overrated makeup issues. Either way, Cole has one of the better arms in the draft, boasting a plus 94-97MPH fastball, a sharp slider at 87-88, and a raw but fading changeup. The latter two pitches have plus potential as well. He still has some projection left, so the velocity may eventually rest in the high 90’s. His delivery is concerning as it is max effort along with other small, incorrect mechanics (showing the ball to CF, etc.) that can be injury concerns. However, these flaws will most likely be corrected by proper professional coaching. There is debate about whether he helps out best as a starter or as a dominant closer. I say to begin with him as a starter and to see how things pan out. Grade: A.

1st suppl., 44: Jeremy Bleich, LHP, Stanford: Bleich was on the prospect radar for a while, pitching very well at Stanford in his sophomore year and also doing very well at the Cape Cod League. However, an elbow strain that caused him to miss part of the season really put a damper on his star, and he didn’t have much in terms of stuff (88-91 FB, fading 78-79 change, loopy 72-73 curve), but, according to some reports, Bleich was throwing 93-94 upon returning from his injury late in the year. Apparently the Yankees, interested in a left-handed starter for their system, took Bleich based on seeing that. If he can improve his curve and if the 93-94MPH fastbal report is true, then I like this pick. Last night, at least, he was consistently in the low 90’s and had a very low pitch count throughout the game, which does a lot for me. If he still throws as had originally been reported, then there were certainly better options available–Robbie Ross, Nick Maronde, etc. Grade:B+

2nd rd., 75: Scott Bittle, RHP, Mississippi: Bittle throws a sick cutter in the mid-to-high 80’s with plenty of movement that no one can hit, and which he throws about 80% of the time. He can complement that with an 89-92MPH fastball. He struck out almost 2 batters per inning in college, in the SEC no less. His changeup has the potential to be an average pitch. Bittle is a solid grab here, and he should soar through the system as a college closer. Without the big fastball he projects to be a solid set-up guy in the Yankee ‘pen. He was drafted last year in the 48th round. Grade: B+

3rd rd., 106: David Adams, 2B, Virginia: Adams reminds me of Dustin Pedroia. A great contact hitter with 10-15HR power at best, not a burner but is good with the glove. And don’t forget all that gritty, hard-nosed stuff too. If the Yankees ever get sick of Cano’s slow starts/slumps and decide to trade him he wouldn’t be a bad replacement. Middle infielders are in short supply in the system but there were probably better options out there. Grade: B

4th rd., 140: Corban Joseph, 3B, HS (Tenn.): Joseph is an offensively-minded SS who doesn’t project to stay there for long. He has power to all fields as well as the ability to make solid contact. He has some frame to fill, so there should be more power (and a position change) coming. A good value at this spot and he has good potential. Grade: B+

5th rd., 170: Chris Smith, LF, HS (Cal.): I have mixed feelings on this guy. His coaches rave about his abilities, and one, who coached both him and Coco Crisp liked Smith’s skillset more. He had the highest batting average in the country at any level, batting .708 (that’s right, .708). However, BA had him as only the 109th best prospect in California, a baseball hub. Still, .708 is .708 anywhere you go, and if what his coaches say about him is true, I say it’s a good pick. Grade: B

6th rd., 200: Brett Marshall, RHP, HS (TEX): Another signability guy. This is an insanely good value pick at 200–plus mid-90s fastball and a potentially plus 87-88 slider. His fastball went up about 10MPH from last year to this year, and has pitched very well. He will take $1M to sign, but that shouldn’t be a problem. He needs to learn how to repeat his delivery, but he is relatively new to pitching. Grade: A

9th rd., 290: Michael O'Brien, RHP, HS (FLA): Brown fell because of the so-called “undersized righty syndrome.” Brown is 5′11″, 185, but he has a low-90s fastball with both a solid change and curve. He has a little projection and has plus command. A great value at this spot. Grade: A

10th rd., 320: William Mitchell, RHP, Clemson: Mitchell is a lanky guy (6′2″, 165 lbs) who doesn’t have much in terms of stuff but gets the most out of it by being aggressive. Doesn’t really seem like more than a Grade C prospect until I see otherwise. Could be a back-of-rotation guy. There were better options out there, though. Grade: C/C+

15th rd., 470: Matt Richardson, SS/RHP, HS (FLA): Scouting report from Perfect Game via NoMaas:
Matt Richardson is a 2008 SS/P with a 6′2”, 180 lb. frame from Lake Mary, FL who attends Lake Mary HS.Tall athletic build, projects well, solid bat speed, quick hands, short swing plane, high level hitting tools, runs well, very good raw arm strength in the field, quick actions, good release, hands work well, quick arm on the mound, high 3/4 arm slot, nice late life on fastball, tight spin on curveball, drop and drive delivery, big upside, strong student, highest-level two-way prospect with high draft potential.
According to this report, in the 15th rd., this is an excellent value pick. I would try him as a SS first. Grade: A

27th Rd., 830: Garrison Lassiter, SS, HS (SC): Lassiter is a “major signability case” per NoMaas. According to Perfect Game, again via NoMaas:Garrison Lassiter is a 2008 SS/3B/OF with a 6′3”, 195 lb. frame from High Point, NC who attends West Forsyth HS. Tall athletic build, body projects well, solid hitting mechanics, easy swing, quick hands, good bat speed, stays inside the ball, turns on the ball easily, strong infield actions, quick hands, good transfer and release, raw arm strength, runs well, strong student, highest-level prospect with early round draft potential.Another early round talent falling because of signability. Great value at this time, no let’s get him signed. Grade: B+, A if he signs

30th Rd., 920: Ben McMahan, C, HS (FLA): McMahan is a defense-first catcher with good speed for his position. He can eventually evolve into an above-average-hitting catcher with Gold Gloves at best, but is more likely to end up as a backstop. Still a little frame to fill out. I’d like to see him play before I make judgments Grade: B+

36th Rd., 1100: Chris Dwyer, LHP, HS (CT): I absolutely adore this pick. HOWEVER (big however): He is a huge signability concern. At 6′4″ and 200 lbs., he is pretty much filled out, though that isn’t a concern. Dwyer is an exceptional outfielder, and he also throws 92-94 with his plus fastball, to go along with a “tremendous” curve, per SI. If sign this year, at 20 he’ll be a draft eligible freshman, a rare occurence in the draft ranks. Either way, he may end up being the second best player the Yankees selected in this draft. Grade: A+

So, there are your most important draft picks. There are some other interesting picks (Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte [no gimmick], 1B Luke Anders [massive guy], etc.), but the listed players are the ones who should be on your prospect radar now. Overall, the grade of this draft is A- right now. I truly believe there is a great draft. You can’t compare any draft with the legendary 2006 draft, which produced, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, and Dellin Betances. Many of these ‘08 guys are raw and young and have great potential, and could make a huge impact on future Yankee teams. We’ll see it in the future.