Yankees First Round Recap
The
Yankees came into the 2015 MLB draft with the 16th pick and the 30th
pick in the compensation round thanks to the departure of David Robertson. With
uncertainties as to which direction the Yankees would go, the Yankees exited
the first round drafting a pitcher and a shortstop.
With
the 16th pick, the Yankees drafted UCLA pitcher James Kaprielian
whose pre-draft ranking was 21 according to MLB.com.
Kaprielian’s
repertoire consists of a fastball in the lower 90’s with a slider and curveball
to go along with his best pitch, his changeup. Kaprielian’s ability to locate
pitches is what makes him so effective as he’s lead the PAC 12 in strikeouts
during the past two seasons with 108 and 114, respectively. He went 7-6 with a
2.29 ERA with 108 strikeouts to 35 walks in 106 innings in 2014 and 10-4 with a
2.02 ERA with 114 strikeouts and 33 walks in 106.2 innings in 2015.
Overall,
the 6’4” 200 pound right-hander was a pretty safe pick in the middle of the
first round for the Yankees as a guy who projects as a number three starter
with the upside of a number two. He can potentially be the first pitcher in the
2015 draft to reach the majors. His scouting grades on the 20-80 scale per
MLB.com are as follows:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50
In
the compensation round, the Yankees drafted University of San Diego shortstop,
Kyle Holder with the 30th overall pick. Regarded as the best
fielding shortstop in the draft with good range and a good arm, Holder was
ranked as the number 51 prospect before the draft according to MLB.com. The 6’1”
185 pound shortstop is a left-handed hitter who needs to work on his “raw”
hitting ability to become a legitimate prospect.
The
Yankees obviously believe in the kid’s ability to consistently put together
good at-bats as his numbers over the past two seasons from an offensive
standpoint have been pretty good. Holder hit .298 with 3 home runs and 29 RBIs
in 52 games in 2014 while striking out just 16 times. He was even better in
2015 putting together a slash line of .348/.418/.482 with an OPS of .900. He
hit 4 home runs with 31 RBIs and struck out just 19 times in 55 games.
The
certainty with Holder is that he will stay at shortstop as he works his way
through the Minor League system. As yet another collegiate player selected by
the Yankees, the big leagues could be just a few short years away for this kid
if he hits the ball in the minor leagues. Holder's scouting grades on the 20-80 scale per MLB.com are as follows:
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50
Although
the Yankees may not receive rave-reviews for their first round draft picks, the
team’s selections weren’t too shabby in my mind. As I stated on our twitter,
baseball’s prospects are too difficult to project for one to get too upset
about a team’s draft picks, so as fans, let’s sit back and hope and believe
that the kids will make it! Positivity and optimism for the farm is something I
am a strong advocate and the future of the Yankees from the farm’s standpoint is
a lot brighter than it has been in year’s past.
Article
by: Chad Raines
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me on twitter @Chad_Rain
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