Jeremy Bleich (by Mike A.)

From River Ave. Blues

Background

Born and raised in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, Bleich is the son of Stan the Cardiologist, a die-hard Yankees’ fan from Brooklyn. Jeremy attended the prestigious Isidore Newman High School, which also produced The Mannings and Moneyball author Michael Lewis. During his final three years with the Greenies, Bleich went 23-7 with 348 strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA in 206.2 IP while also hitting north of .360. He helped the school to the 2003 state championship and 2005 district championship as a sophomore and senior, respectively.

Bleich was named to the All-District, All-Metro and All-Orleans teams every year from 2003-2005, and was selected as the 2005 All-Metro Player of the Year. As a senior, Baseball America named him a third team All-American, while Collegiate Baseball named him to the first team. Bleich also earned All-State and District MVP honors as a junior and senior. Rated the 97th best prospect for the 2005 draft, Bleich ultimately went undrafted because he wanted first round money to pass on his commitment to Stanford, which is historically a tough school to pry draftees from.

Bleich started his collegiate career working out of Stanford’s bullpen, posting seven saves in nine chances before moving into the rotation near the end of the season. He finished the year with a team high 24 appearances, sporting a 4.05 ERA in 60 IP (his ERA ballooned nearly half-a-run in his final start of the season). He headed to the Cape Cod League that summer and went 1-1 with a 2.09 ERA in 43 IP (10 appearances, 6 starts) for the Wareham Gatemen. Bleich was named to the Western Division All-Star Team and started the Championship Game, taking the loss after allowing three runs (only one earned) in six innings (Side note: David Robertson closed out that game with three perfect innings of relief, striking out Bradley Suttle for the final out). Baseball America named him the 19th best prospect in the circuit (sub. req’d) despite only being a freshman.

Inconsistent as a sophomore, Bleich spent most of the season as Stanford’s Friday starter despite going 2-8 with a 5.56 ERA. He alternated brilliant outings with horrific ones before finishing strong in his final three starts, posting a 3.91 ERA while pitching into the 8th inning each game. Bleich returned to Wareham and the Cape after his sophomore year, going 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 44.1 IP for a team that won only 15 of their 44 games. Despite his success, Bleich was named only the 29th best prospect in the league by Baseball America.

Expectations for Bleich were high coming into his junior year, as many expected him to take that next step and become one of the best lefthanders in the country. After pitching to a 1.38 ERA in his first five starts, Bleich came down with a strained elbow ligament and missed two months before returning to the team in the postseason. In his first game back, Bleich provided four dominant innings of relief as Stanford took down Arkansas in the Regionals. He followed that up by shutting down Fullerton in the Super Regionals and keeping Florida State in check in the College World Series. Bleich got knocked around in his next start, and ultimately took the loss in his final game with the Cardinal, giving up 6 runs in 3.1 IP as Georgia eliminated Stanford.

Baseball America rated Bleich only the 54th best draft prospect in California because of the elbow troubles, however the Yanks grabbed him with their second pick, number 44 overall in the sandwich round. After the draft Jim Callis noted that Bleich could have been considered a consensus sandwich round talent had it not been for the injury. Negotiations went down to the August 15th signing deadline, but Bleich eventually agreed to a $700,000 bonus, roughly $163,000 below slot.

Pro Debut

Bleich joined Short Season Staten Island after signing, making one regular season start and one postseason appearance in relief of a rehabbing Jon Albaladejo. In those outings he combined to allow six baserunners (all hits) and two runs in seven innings of work while striking out ten.

After the regular season Bleich was assigning to the Waikiki Beach Boys of Hawaii Winter Baseball, where he finished second in the league with 35.2 IP and second amongst starters with a 1.77 ERA. He was also one of three starting pitchers named to the All-League Team. Bleich left the team briefly in late October/early November to attend a wedding in his family, however he threw a side session during the hiatus.

Scouting Report

While watching Bleich’s postseason starts with Stanford I saw two fastballs: a pretty true four-seamer at 89-91, and a two-seamer with a nice wrinkle to it at 87-89 (disclaimer: I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I’m supremely confident in my abilities to recognize different types of pitches). Reports indicate that he could dial his fastball up to 93-95 before the injury, however he has yet to regain that kind of velocity. His best pitch is a fading changeup that he throws with the same arm action as his fastball. He also throws a short & tight curveball, not a big ol’ Barry Zito bender.

Bleich’s two best assets are his command and his aggressiveness. He commands all four of his pitches very well and they play up because of it (he was rated as having the third best command of all high schoolers prior to the 2005 draft). He models his game after fellow Yankee and Louisiana native Andy Pettitte, and he pitches with the same mentality, attacking hitters in the zone and consistently pitching inside. That’s particularly impressive because college guys tend to shy away from coming inside because hitters can still drive a ball in on their hands with metal bats. His makeup and work ethic is strong as well.

Big and solid at 6′2″, 190 lbs, Bleich has a great pitcher’s frame with wide shoulders and a powerful lower half. He repeats his delivery well, but it still needs some fine tuning, particularly on the follow through. While there are some nice similarities to Pettitte, one thing Bleich doesn’t have is Andy’s pickoff move, or even a decent one for that matter. He fields his position well, primarily because he finishes his delivery square to the plate. The elbow strain is also a negative, but he’s been pitching pain free since signing and doesn’t have any other medical red flags.
You can see his draft video here.

2009 Outlook

There’s no reason to think that Bleich won’t start the season with High-A Tampa. I’m guessing the Yanks will look to move him up the ladder quickly like they did with Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain, although I would prefer to see him spend at least one full season in minors, probably even two. I don’t want Bleich to run into a situation like Joba is in now, where they’re trying to figure out how the work around his innings limit. Hopefully they learned from the mistake and will let Bleich develop stamina and arm strength in the minors.

My Take

I was way to harsh with my criticsm of Bleich back on draft day, I tend to get caught up in the moment. I’m still not in love with the pick, I think there were better players on the board (namely Kyle Lobstein, Robbie Ross, and Josh Lindblom) but the Yanks’ (hopefully) have better information than I do. Bleich was a solid addition to a system seemingly allergic to lefties, and he seems like a strong, competitive kid that will give the Yanks whatever he has. Let’s call it … one thumb up, not quite two.

Jeremy Bleich (by Alex Eisenberg)

From Hardball Times

Breaking down the draft: Picks 44-49

Bleich has a pretty good tempo—he comes out around 24 frames from the point at which his knee reaches its uppermost point until release. Usually, the faster one's tempo, the better one's velocity; however, Bleich's velocity registered only between 87-91 mph.

One thing I was not impressed with was his arm action—it's a bit long, and he didn't generate much arm speed from the loaded position into release. He appears to be pushing the ball rather than throwing it. Also, he's a little too "tall-and-fall" for my taste, meaning that he comes to a balance point before driving toward home plate. He is essentially stopping his momentum mid-way through his wind-up. He isn't a complete tall-and-fall pitcher, but I would rather see his hips moving toward home plate a little earlier.

One thing that Bleich seemed to struggle with was his release point, which is probably one reason for his poor control at Stanford this past year. I can think of a couple reasons for this:

1. Front-side mechanics - Bleich's front-side mechanics aren't necessarily bad, but there is something that's not quite right. It could be Bleich firming up a little too late, or not leaving the glove extended out in front of his chest. Instead of letting the chest meet the glove, Bleich pulls the glove back, which I'm not really a fan of.

2. A somewhat late body rotation - I actually like the fact that Bleich has a fairly late body rotation, since it adds deception to his pitches, but it can have a negative impact on a pitcher's command if he doesn't have great body control and precise timing for when his body rotates and the arm is brought around into release.

Fastball Grade - 40 Now, 45 Future

Curveball Grade - 45 Now, 50 Future

As I mentioned earlier, Bleich's fastball clocks in only between 87 and 91. However, his fastball does have some decent tailing action. In addition to his fastball, Bleich has a low-to-mid-70s curve, which he actually commands a bit better than his fastball. He has issues with the consistency of the curveball, and as of now it profiles as a close to average pitch. I've read that his change-up is his best pitch, but he didn't throw one in the video I saw.

If you're a numbers guy, then you probably aren't happy with this pick. Bleich's strikeout numbers were okay (8.0 K/9), but his control scares the death out of me (5.1 BB/9). In addition, he appears to be a fly-ball pitcher (though the sample size is small). That isn't a combination that I would like in any pitcher.

Now, if you're searching for positives, Bleich's control was much better in '06 and '07. However, his K rate was also lower. Also, he gave up just one home run this past year; on the other hand, his home run rate was a lot higher the prior two years, as was his H/9.

Overall, I'm not very impressed with Bleich, and I feel that there better picks on the board, even among players who were drafted for their "signability."

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 Draft, Rd1s, #44, Jeremy Bleich

Born: 18/06/1987
Height: 6′2″ Weight: 190 lbs
Position: SP
Throws: L
Transactions: Selected in 1st round supplemental (44th overall) of 2008 draft out of Stanford University.

Video
MLB Scouting Video
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl_3_1.jsp?w_id=701870&w=/2008/open/draft/broll/br_bleich_jeremy_400.wmv&mid=200805302799302&pid=gen_video&vid=11071&cid=mlb&v=2

Photo
http://yankees.scout.com/PictureGallery.aspx?PlayerId=61678&Title=Jeremy%20Bleich

Pending Pinstripes
http://mvn.com/milb-yankees/2008/06/05/supplemental-round-selection-jeremy-bleich/
With their sandwich round pick at #44, the Yankees selected lefty Jeremy Bleich, who was limited by injury to 33 innings on the season. The 6′2″ 185 pound lefty did very well in those 33 innings, however, posting a 1.09 ERA, with 26 strikeouts, though his 21 walks were concerning. He was Stanford’s ace before being sidelined in March with an elbow strain. He also pitched well in the Cape Cod League last summer, which put him on the map as a prospect to follow. Bleich is also repped by Scott Boras, so that makes 2 Boras clients in 2 picks for the Yankees. He supposedly has a high 80’s-low 90’s fastball with a good curve and changeup, good stuff for a lefty, . It seems like the Bleich pick came somewhat out of nowhere, and he could have been available later, and I would have preferred a higher ceiling with this pick. Nonetheless, repeat after me: In Oppenheimer I trust!

River Ave. Blues
http://riveraveblues.com/2008/06/05/yanks-second-pick-44-overall-2983/
With their second pick, the Yanks selected Jeremy Bleich, LHP, Stanford

Scouting Report: Neither BA nor Keith Law nor MLB have a report on the guy, so we’re out of luck. Here’s his video.

My Take: Don’t like the pick, it’s an overdraft. Can’t even find the kid on BA’s top 200 list.
Outlook: Bah. Staten Island I guess.

The site’s a bit overloaded right now, apparently walkoffs 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 next post is up.

Update: Got a scouting report: 88-91 with movement, good change and curve. Missed a good chunk of the season with an elbow strain.

The Pinstripe Press
http://nyyankeesnews.blogspot.com/2008/06/lhp-jeremy-bleich-stanford-university.html
The Yankees supplemental draft choice, Jeremy Bleich missed much of the Pac-10 season (March 28 and May 19) with tendinitis in his elbow. With the system devoid of young lefthanded pitching, the Oppenheimer regime once again overlooked injury issues to select who they consider to be the top talent available - think 2007 first round draft pick Andrew Brackman or ninth-rounder Mark Melancon.

A Scott Boras client, Bleich is an intelligent but not overpowering lefty with the stuff to have a solid career.

During his injury-shortened regular seasoon Bleich made six starts (eight total appearances) posting a 2-2 record, 1.09 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 33.0 innings pitched. He limited opponents to a .197 batting average against him.

Bleich pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer, going 1-1, 2.09 with 31 strikeouts in 43 innings in the regular season. His best performance was a playoff start against Cotuit when he blanked the league’s best-hitting team for seven innings in a 1-0 win.

The Yankees received the supplemental selection as compensation for the loss of Luis Vizcaino as a free agent.

NYYankeeFans.com
http://www.nyyankeefans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=64983
Bleich doesn't have the greatest numbers in the world. But neither did George Kontos. Its hard not to like a lefty with two plus pitches. The Louisiana native, returned from his elbow strain in late May and was projected to move into the first five rounds with a strong NCAA postseason. He sits in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball that has natural lefty movement, complemented by a solid curveball and a plus straight change. He has a great feel for both pitches would should project as plus down the road. The scout that covers the Stanford baseball team says that Bleich's been pitching 93-94 lately as he's gotten farther away from injury. His velocity has been steadily climbling since HS and he can sit around 92 the Yankees could have a steal. According to him he models his game after Yankee Andy Pettitte.
MLB Comp: Cliff Lee

Baseball America
Bleich, a Louisiana native, returned from his elbow strain in late May and could move into the first five rounds with a strong NCAA postseason. At his best, he sits in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball that has natural lefty movement, complemented by a solid curveball and a plus straight change

John Manual on the NoMaas’ Yankee Draft Blog
Bleich is far from “under the radar.” He was in our Top 100 college players entering the year, and he was a big deal coming out of high school. He just had an elbow strain most of the year, then returned in the last three weeks, throwing 4 scoreless IP against Arkansas in the regional. He’s a three-pitch guy, 89-91 mph when he’s at his best, more like a lefthanded Ian Kennedy. If you search www.BaseballAmerica.com, he should pop up in a Cape Cod League top 30, forget which year. But he’s a guy.

John Manual on the BA podcast:
"At 44, Jeremy Bleich. I love this pic for the New York Yankees. They need left-handed pitching. Jermey Bleich has first-round talent. He was inured this year; elbow strain. He has come back. He's pitched four very good innings in the Regional ... the Yankees had an extra pick and they spent it on a high-ceiling lefthander, something they really don't have in their farm system."

Jim Callis (Ask BA):
"Some media outlets have described Bleich going in the supplemental first round as a reach, perhaps because he didn't make our our overall Top 200 Prospects list. But last summer, I ranked him as the second-best 2008 draft-eligible lefthander in the Cape Cod League, trailing only Christian Friedrich, who went in the first round to the Rockies.

"I don't think Bleich would have been an early first-rounder had he been healthy all season, but he could have been regarded as a consensus sandwich-rounder. He's a lefty who knows how to pitch with an 88-91 mph fastball, a curveball and changeup, and his changeup grades as his best pitch. I wouldn't call him a steal in the supplemental first round, but he wasn't a reach either."

Baseball Analysts (by Rich Lederer)
Bleich (pronounced Blishe) began the year as Stanford's No. 1 starter before suffering an elbow injury that sidelined him for almost the entire Pac-10 schedule. The tendinitis went away and he returned in the last half of May. Has a fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s with good movement and deception. Also throws a curveball and changeup. Known for his competitiveness on the mound. Had a 4-2 record with a 2.44 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 44.1 innings in the Cape Cod League last summer. Bleich has never been drafted before.

Baseball Prospectus (by Bryan Smith)
I can almost guarantee that Jeremy Bleich made himself quite a bit of money by proving his health in the Stanford regional last weekend. He was very good in the Cape last summer and to start this year, but the Yankees needed to see his health. He showed it with 4 great innings.

Baseball Prospectus (by Kevin Goldstein)
This pick makes me think the Yanks wanted [Wade] Miley [another college lefty who was taken by Arizona with the 43rd pick] here. Unlike Cole, this is a surprise that he went this high, not this low.

Perfect Game (by Allan Simpson)
Bleich sandwiched his second straight impressive season in the Cape Cod League in 2007 around an ugly sophomore campaign at Stanford, where he went 2-8, 5.56 with just 60 strikeouts and 119 hits allowed in 99 innings. He was decidedly gun shy from the experience in his first two or three outings of the summer season for Wareham but eventually got his confidence back and went 4-2, 2.44 with 47 strikeouts in 44 innings. Just like the previous summer, when he went 1-1, 2.09, he had command of three average or better pitches. His fastball was 87-89 mph, touching 91, but his 75-77 mph curveball and changeup were more effective offerings. A crafty lefthander, he gets occasional late, sharp bite with good rotation on his breaking ball and good deception with fade and tail to the arm side with his changeup. He has pitching knowledge and polish beyond his years, but needs to work on putting away hitters with his stuff instead of nibbling with his fastball

UPDATE (5/15): Bleich got off to an encouraging 2-2, 1.38 start this spring as the No. 1 starter for Stanford, but went to the sidelines after five starts with a strained tendon in his pitching elbow. He was checked out by some of the best elbow specialists in the country and they all agreed there was nothing major wrong with his elbow, but he still had not resumed pitching by mid-May. He had begun throwing again, however, and there was a strong likelihood he would be pitching again by the end of the month, particularly if Stanford advances to post-season play. His prospects for the draft remain in limbo and will hinge on whether he pitches again before the draft, and is pain-free.

Yankees
Bleich, 20, was limited to five games in 2008 at Stanford, battling tendinitis from March through mid-May. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior went 2-2 with a 1.09 ERA (33.0IP, 4ER), 26 strikeouts and a .189 opponent's batting average, closing out the season with a 14.2 scoreless-innings stretch. He 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.

Wyndam Makowsky, Stanford Daily via Pete Abe
This was a bit of a reach, but the Yankees are desperate for lefty talent. It is certainly a need pick. Now, why Bleich instead of someone else? He has a nice, three pitch arsenal: his curveball and change up both have good movement. Additionally, his velocity has gotten better over the course of his career. He consistently throws his fastball in the low 90s whereas previously, he would stay in the high 80s and only scrape 90. Lefties with good fastballs and two put-out pitches aren't easy to come by, and so while the Yankees may have extended themselves a bit here, it isn't as much of an odd selection as it initially appears.

Bleich is very smart and knows how to alternate well between his pitches. He is fairly calm on the mound, and has shown an ability to get out of bad situations. His biggest weakness was always maintaining control, but that has become less of an issue over the past year. Since returning from injury late last month, he has been lights-out.

[Abraham: Can you compare him to anybody in the majors now?] A nice comparison is Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies. They have a similar repertoire, although Hamels has a better change up. Both have battled through injuries. Hamels, though, is supposed to be the Phillies' fixture at the top of the rotation. I doubt that's where Bleich projects. I see him as either a fourth or fifth starter, or as a top left-handed reliever. He dabbled in relief pitching when he came back from injury, and did very well out of the bullpen.

2008 Draftee Info (2) LHP

From NoMaas’ Yankee Draft Blog

Stop your blood-clot crying about LHP

We all know that there is a dearth of LHP in the Yankees system. When Sean Henn is the closest thing that a farm system has to an impact lefty, you’re at a low point. During the draft I received many e-mails and read much commentary critiquing the Yankees for not taking chances at lefties as their picks wore on.

The truth of the matter here is that the Bombers actually did a fantastic job of picking LHP talent in the draft this year, contrary to popular opinion. As I’ve mentioned before, talent level is not distributed linearly in the draft. Kids with top three round talent can be drafted at the very end of the draft, or perhaps not at all.

It also needs to be restated that David Price’s and Clayton Kershaw’s aren’t in abundance. Left-handed pitching talent is few and far between, and very often a LHP taken in the 1st round is only taken there because he’s a lefty. To illustrate this, we can look at the LHPs taken in the first round in recent years who have had a chance to sort themselves out.

2003:
Paul Maholm, John Danks
2004:
Jeremy Sowers, Bill Bray, David Purcey, Scott Elbert, Glen Perkins, Taylor Tankersley, Matt Campbell
2005:
Rickey Romero, Mark Pawelek, Aaron Thompson, Brian Bogusevic
2006:
Andrew Miller, Kershaw, Kasey Kiker

Besides Kershaw, no one there has me salivating. The Yankees have done the right thing in recent years, and that is take the best pitching talent available, regardless of what hand he throws with.

SO we come to the 2008 draft, and Jeremy Bleich is taken with the 44th overall pick in the supplemental round. At first it is met with a bit of consternation, but after hearing multiple opinions on him, and seeing one of his outings, most reasonable people agree that the Yankees did their homework. However, when no additional lefties were taken right after that, the clamoring began.

Well, if you look closely at this draft, you will see that the Yankees took multiple LHP, and some of them have very high ceilings. In the order of their ceilings, here are the lefties taken by the Yankees this year.

1) 36th round pick, Chris Dwyer. If you missed my earlier commentary on him, you can find it by clicking here. This kid has the size, arm, and athleticism to be a big league starter. He’s just going to be very, very expensive. Cross your fingers.

2) Supplemental round pick, Jeremy Bleich. The Stanford lefty looked fairly impressive in his national television appearance last night. John Manuel likens him to a lefty Ian Kennedy in many ways.

3) 50th round pick, Nik Turley. Pay attention to this one, folks. Turley is 6′4″, 210 lb, and currently commited to BYU. In the recruiting process he was also being pursued by UCLA, Pepperdine, and Cal-State Fullerton. He has a lot of projection in him, and is probably a long shot, but the Yankees took the chance. This ain’t no Larry Day.

4) 26th round pick, Blake Monar. The Indiana recruit sits in the mid to upper 80s, but has two plus breaking pitches. Speaking with a source, he expected to go earlier in the draft, and is another signability case at this point.

5, 6) 32nd round pick, Andy Suiter; 42nd round pick, Clint Preisendorfer. Neither would seem to be a signability case, but they both have solid stuff, large frames, and were noted prep recruits before they went to college. These are the solid LHP in the bullpen the Yankees fans have been missing.

So, all in all, they took SIX lefties. Three are legitimate signability cases, two are solid bullpen arms, and one is a legitimate, signable starter. Make sure to check back here often to follow the signability cases, and no more crying about the Yankees not selecting LHPs.

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.