Baseball America's 2013 Draft Review

ace3113 · October 16, 2013

Dantzler, Tellez, and Bickford make the lists.

2013 Draft Report Cards: First Impressions Of The Draft Classes

We put a final bow on the 2013 draft with our annual team-by-team review of all the selections and how the players’ professional careers have started. Editor in chief John Manuel, managing editor J.J. Cooper and assistant editor Clint Longenecker spoke with scouting directors, as well as other scouting and player development personnel, to break down each of the 30 draft classes.

For most categories, we consider only players who signed professional contracts. The notable exceptions are Most Intriguing Background and The One Who Got Away. Best Late-Round Pick applies to selections from the 10th round or later. Numbers in parentheses indicate the round in which a player was chosen.

Best Draft

1. Pirates

2. Diamondbacks

3. Yankees

4. Athletics

5. Rockies

Best Pure Hitter

1. D.J. Peterson, 3b/1b, Mariners (1)

2. Dominic Smith, 1b, Mets (1)

3. Austin Meadows, of, Pirates (1)

4. Billy McKinney, of, Athletics (1)

5. Colin Moran, 3b, Marlins (1)

Best Power Hitter

1. Kris Bryant, 3b, Cubs (1)

2. D.J. Peterson, 3b/1b, Mariners (1)

3. Hunter Renfroe, of, Padres (1)

4. Austin Wilson, of, Mariners (2)

5. Aaron Judge, of, Yankees (1)

Fastest Runner

1. Johnny Davis, of, Brewers (22)

2. Omar Garcia, of, Brewers (7)

3. Matt McPhearson, of, D’backs (4)

4. Adam Engel, of, White Sox (19)

5. Champ Stuart, of, Mets (6)

Best Defensive Player

1. Reese McGuire, c, Pirates (1)

2. Luis Guillorme, ss, Mets (10)

3. Stuart Turner, c, Twins (3)

4. J.P. Crawford, ss, Phillies (1)

5. Daniel Rockett, of, Royals (9)

Best Fastball

1. Jonathan Gray, rhp, Rockies (1)

2. Kohl Stewart, rhp, Twins (1)

3. Braden Shipley, rhp, D’backs (1)

4. Mark Appel, rhp, Astros (1)

5. Sam Wolff, rhp, Rangers (6)

Best Secondary Pitch

1. Jonathan Gray, rhp, Rockies (1)

2. Marco Gonzales, lhp, Cardinals (1)

3. Rob Kaminsky, lhp, Cardinals (1)

4. Tom Windle, lhp, Dodgers (2)

5. Kohl Stewart, rhp, Twins (1)

Best Pro Debut

College Players

1. Kris Bryant, 3b, Cubs (1)

2. Jonathan Gray, rhp, Rockies (1)

3. L.B. Dantzler, 1b, Blue Jays (14)

4. Michael Ratterree, of, Brewers (10)

5. Michael Fish, of, Angels (32)

Junior College Players

1. Vic Caratini, 3b/c, Braves (2)

2. Omar Garcia, of, Brewers (7)

3. Tim Anderson, ss, White Sox (1)

4. Kenny Mathews, lhp, Indians (7)

5. Toby Thomas, ss, White Sox (21)

High School Players

1. Austin Meadows, of, Pirates (1)

2. Justin Williams, of, D’backs (2)

3. Gosuke Katoh, 2b, Yankees (2)

4. Ryan McMahon, 3b, Rockies (2)

5. Reese McGuire, c, Pirates (1)

Best Athlete

1. Kohl Stewart, rhp, Twins (1)

2. Cord Sandberg, of, Phillies (3)

3. Trey Ball, lhp, Red Sox (1)

4. Adam Engel, of, White Sox (19)

5. Jacob Hannemann, of, Cubs (3)

Most Intriguing Background

Baseball Relatives

1. Mike Yastrzemski, of, Orioles (14)

2. Joe Jackson, c, Rangers (5)

3. Colin Moran, 3b, Marlins (1)

4. Jacob May, of, White Sox (3)

5. Ben Verlander, of, Tigers (14)

Human Interest

1. Chad Jones, lhp, Reds (9)

2. Tanner Vavra, 2b, Twins (30)

3. Max Beatty, rhp, Padres (32)

4. Luke Farrell, rhp, Royals (6)

5. David Ledbetter (3) and Ryan Ledbetter (19), rhps, Rangers

Closest To The Majors

College Players

1. Michael Lorenzen, rhp, Reds (1s)

2. Kyle Crockett, lhp, Indians (4)

3. Jonathan Gray, rhp, Rockies (1)

4. Kris Bryant, 3b, Cubs (1)

5. Mark Appel, rhp, Astros (1)

High School Players

1. Kohl Stewart, rhp, Twins (1)

2. Tyler Danish, rhp, White Sox (2)

3. Hunter Harvey, rhp, Orioles (1)

4. Austin Meadows, of, Pirates (1)

5. Clint Frazier, of, Indians (1)

Best Late-Round Pick

1. Rowdy Tellez, 1b, Blue Jays (30)

2. Tony Rizzotti, rhp, Padres (25)

3. Trevor Clifton, rhp, Cubs (12)

4. Billy Roth, rhp, Pirates (16)

5. Kyle Westwood, rhp, Astros (13)

The Ones Who Got Away

College Players

1. A.J. Vanegas, rhp, Athletics (19)

2. Ross Kivett, 2b, Indians (10)

3. Ben Wetzler, lhp, Phillies (5)

4. Jason Monda, of, Phillies (6)

5. Jason Jester, rhp, Padres (30)

High School Players

1. Phil Bickford, rhp, Blue Jays (1)

2. Matt Krook, lhp, Marlins (1s)

3. Ben DeLuzio, 2b, Marlins (3)

4. Connor Jones, rhp, Padres (21)

5. Kyle Serrano, rhp, Rockies (29)

kgm1 · October 18, 2013

Here is the Jays review

2013 Draft Report Card: Toronto Blue Jays

October 18, 2013 by Clint Longenecker

Position players

QUICK TAKE

Toronto took pitchers with its first nine picks. Losing Bickford hurt, but the Jays continued to load up on high school hurlers with fastball velocity, athleticism and upside, like Hollon and Brentz.

Bonus Spending: $3.05 million

BEST PURE HITTER: 1B Rowdy Tellez (30) has the ability to become an above-average hitter because of his sound approach, ability to drive the ball to all fields and strong hand-eye coordination. » Best power hitter: The lefthanded-hitting Tellez could become an above-average power hitter at the major league level and has unparalleled raw power in this class, especially to his pull side. » Fastest runner: OF Jonathan Davis (15) and SS/2B Tim Locastro (13), who went 40-for-41 in stolen base attempts at Ithaca (N.Y.) last spring, both have well above-average speed. » Best defensive player: With Davis’ speed and quickness, he could become an above-average defensive center fielder. He has a fringy arm.

Pitchers

BEST FASTBALL: RHP Clint Hollon (2) has a quick arm that produces fastballs up to 95 mph with downhill plane and above-average life and sink. LHP Jake Brentz (11) shows inconsistent velocity but toches 97 at his best. LHP Matt Boyd (6) worked at 88-92 mph in the Oregon State rotation as a senior but hit 96 on the Cape the summer prior out of the bullpen. » Best secondary pitch: Hollon has a plus slider to go with a developing changeup and curveball.

Odds and Ends

BEST PRO DEBUT: 1B L.B. Dantzler (14) led short-season Vancouver to the Northwest League title and was league MVP after leading the league with 20 doubles and nine home runs and batting .302/.385/.504. LHP Matt Dermody (28), who has a fastball up to 93 mph and above-average command, had a 1.77 ERA in 41 NWL innings. OF Chaz Frank (20) finished third in the NWL in OBP (.282/.412/.365). » Best athlete: Locastro and Davis among position players. Hollon has rare athleticism for a pitcher. » Most intriguing background: Boyd is a distant relative of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller and former first lady Dolly Madison. RHP Patrick Murphy (3) had Tommy John surgery last summer but touched 93 mph as a junior and offers athleticism and projection. » Closest to the majors: Under the current regime, the Jays have not moved their draft picks quickly, but Boyd, who finished at high Class A, could advance quickly because of his command and the tough looks he gives same side hitters.» Best late-round pick: Though he was a 30th-rounder, Tellez received the most money of any Jays pick ($850,000). Danzler, Dermody and C Mike Reeves (21), a lefthanded hitting catcher who grew up in Canada before attending Florida Gulf Coast, stand out among those who signed more conventional deals. » The one who got away: The only unsigned first-round pick in this year’s draft was RHP Phil Bickford, who went No. 10 overall and will attend Cal State Fullerton. Toronto never came that close to signing him, though it’s still not clear exactly why. The Jays will have the No. 11 pick of the 2014 pick as compensation.

ace3113 · October 18, 2013

You mind posting the rest of the East Kgm1? I usually don't subscribe during the offseason.

z3r0s · October 18, 2013

Go Kohl Go!

Boxcar · October 18, 2013

Sweet, 3 of the 5 best hitters are in my MiLB roster.

The Jays had an awful draft. 9 pitchers before taking a position player, that's a recipe for success.

DuckDuckGose · October 18, 2013

Sweet, 3 of the 5 best hitters are in my MiLB roster.

The Jays had an awful draft. 9 pitchers before taking a position player, that's a recipe for success.

At least Hollon and Tellez seem like real steals. AA can save the draft by going big this year, there should be a ton of talent on the board in the 10-12 range. Here's hoping he doesn't keep loading up on arms.

kgm1 · October 20, 2013

The Rays

QUICK TAKE

The Rays drafted a nice core of up-the-middle high school players in the first four rounds and grabbed one of the biggest power arms in the draft with their second first-rounder by taking Stanek.

Bonus Spending: $6.34 million

Best Pure Hitter: Like his older brother, Cardinals 2B and 2011 first-rounder Kolten, 2B Kean Wong (4) is a natural hitter. The lefthanded hitter has a quick, compact swing conducive to hard line drives, an advanced approach and gap power. Switch-hitting SS Riley Unroe (2) has a short stoke, quick hands and uses the whole field.. » Best power hitter: With a 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame and natural strength, C Nick Ciuffo (1) has above-average raw power, especially to his pull side, that should only improve. OF Hunter Lockwood (11) has plus power potential from a strong build and led the Appalachian League in extra-base hits (25). » Fastest runner: OF Tom Milone (3) and Unroe are both plus runners with athleticism. Wong is an above-average runner, as is 2B Coty Blanchard (15), who is a good athlete with good actions. » Best defensive player: The Rays say Ciuffo, Unroe and Milone all have the ability to stay at premium defensive positions. Ciuffo has an above-average arm and leadership ability. Unroe has soft hands, good quickness and an average arm. Milone could be an above-average center fielder.

Pitchers

Best Fastball: RHP Ryne Stanek (1) can sit 92-95 mph and touch 98 with downhill plane and sink. He was shut down after signing but was pitching at instructional league. RHP Jaime Schultz (14) can touch 97 mph with late life through the zone. » Best secondary pitch: Stanek offers a plus breaking ball. RHP Austin Pruitt (9) has a plus changeup to pair with good fastball command and a solid breaking ball.

Odds and Ends

Best Pro Debut: Wong hit .328/.377/.390 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Pruitt, a $5,000 senior sign, had a 1.44 ERA across two levels. LHP Ben Griset (13) piled up 55 SO/10 BB in 66 IP for short-season Hudson Valley, and RHP Aaron Griffin (10) was right behind him with 54 SO/8 BB in 76 IP. » Best athlete: Milone, who was a football standout in high school and generated college recruiting interest on the gridiron. » Most intriguing background: Unroe’s father is former major league infielder Tim. Griffin is the younger brother of A’s righthander A.J. Unsigned C David Sheaffer (38) is the son of former big league catcher Danny, who is the manager of the Rays’ Appy League affiliate. Blanchard played both baseball and football at Jacksonville State, where he started at quarterback and punter as a sophomore, accounting for 2,000 total yards before losing the starting spot as a junior. » Closest to the majors: Stanek, with his electric fastball/breaking ball combo.» Best late-round pick: Lockwood, who received an over slot $247,500, and Schultz among those who signed for slot money. OF Julian Ridings (18) is a good athlete with power and speed in center field. » The one who got away: 2B Willie Calhoun (17), who stood out because of his bat, went to Arizona. RHP Stephen Woods (6) has a fastball up to 93 mph and will attend Albany.

kgm1 · October 20, 2013

The Red Menace

Position players

QUICK TAKE

Boston invested heavily in building pitching depth in this draft, taking Ball as the first high school lefthander in the draft, and Denney, who looked like a first-round pick heading into the spring.

Bonus Spending: $6.24 million

Best Pure Hitter: OF Nick Longhi (30) could become an above-average hitter, with an easy swing, quick bat and an ability to use the whole field. The righthanded hitter faces questions about his ability to hit for power in games but has above-average raw power. » Best power hitter: C Jonathan Denney (3) has natural strength in his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame and plus raw power, especially to his pull side. His power might not show up in games right away, as he is still learning to hit and adjusting to quality breaking stuff. » Fastest runner: OF Bryan Hudson (15) did not get many looks this spring but is a well above-average runner with a quick first step. He is working on getting out of the box quicker. NDFA OF Jervenski Johnson from Louisiana can run the 60-yard dash in 6.4 seconds. » Best defensive player: SS Mauricio Dubon (26) is a former soccer player who grew up in Honduras and moved to California during high school. He has great body control and feet, soft hands and the ability to throw from all angles.

Pitchers

Best Fastball: Physical 6-foot-5, 225-pound RHP Joe Gunkel (18) was the talk of instructional league after showing a 90-94 mph fastball with life and command from a low arm slot. RHP Myles Smith (4) can touch 97 mph, and RHP Teddy Stankiewicz (2) can touch 96. » Best secondary pitch: LHP Corey Littrell (5) has a plus changeup that flashes even better. Stankiewicz can get caught between two breaking balls at times, but his slider has plus potential. LHP Trey Ball (1) has the makings of a plus curveball.

Odds and Ends

Best Pro Debut: Gunkel struck out 43 percent of the New York-Penn League hitters he faced, with a nearly 11-1 strikeout-walk ratio and 1.29 ERA in 20 innings. RHP Kyle Martin (9) had an inconsistent arm slot and velocity at Texas A&M. Boston raised his slot, and the 6-foot-6 Martin’s velocity returned to 91-95 mph, and he registered a 1.25 ERA at two stops. » Best athlete: A lean 6-foot-6, 185-pound athlete, Ball is a plus runner who showed potential with the bat and can dunk a basketball. RHP Jalen Williams (16) has a low-90s fastball and was committed to Nicholls State as a wide receiver. At 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Johnson has rare athleticism and was committed to Southeast Louisiana as a football/baseball athlete. » Most intriguing background: OF Jeff Driskel (29) was Florida’s starting quarterback this fall but was lost for the season to a leg injury. LHP Gabe Speier (19) is the nephew of Reds bench coach and former major leaguer Chris. Littrell’s father Jack played in the minors and his grandfather played in the majors. » Closest to the majors: Gunkel as a reliever and Littrell as a starter.» Best late-round pick: Longhi netted $400,000, the most of four over-slot signings after the 10th round; Gunkel for under slot. » The one who got away: OF Ryan Boldt (22) entered the year as a potential first-rounder, but a knee injury clouded his outlook, so he’s now at Nebraska.

kgm1 · October 20, 2013

O,s

Position players

QUICK TAKE

Baltimore had a young draft focused on high-upside preps, but still found potential college contributors in Bierfeldt, Brault and Keller. A farm system in need of depth got an infusion of it.

Bonus Spending: $6.35 million

Best Pure Hitter: The Orioles are excited about C Chance Sisco (2), mostly because of his bat. He has tremendous plate discipline for his age, natural rhythm and a feel for the barrel of the bat with some strength from the left side. » Best power hitter: OF Conor Bierfeldt (12) was a Division III stud as a two-way player, and he has the Orioles intrigued with his well above-average raw power. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder does a lot right in the batter’s box, from a short swing with strength and leverage to getting plenty of extension and using the opposite field. » Fastest runner: OF Josh Hart (1s) earns 70 grades on the 20-80 scale for his 3.98-second times to first base. » Best defensive player: OF Mike Yastrzemski (14) has solid defensive tools, with an average, accurate arm and slightly above-average speed. He layers on tremendous instincts and skilled footwork and routes in center.

Pitchers

Best Fastball: RHP Hunter Harvey (1) has a fresh, lively arm with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and has touched 97, and it’s easy to project more consistent premium velocity. RHP Jon Keller (22) was expected to get drafted higher thanks to a 90-95 mph fastball that comes out easy. He has also touched 97. » Best secondary pitch: Harvey’s curveball flashes plus; the Orioles describe it as “electric” thanks to his good hand speed. LHP Stephen Tarpley (3) also flashes plus with his curve.

Odds and Ends

Best Pro Debut: Sisco fell short of the playing time to qualify for the batting title (.371/.475/.464 in 97 at-bats) but dominated the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League before a promotion to short-season Aberdeen. Bierfeldt led Aberdeen to its first-ever playoff berth, ranking second in the New York-Penn League with 12 homers and leading it in slugging while hitting .264/.351/.511. 1B Trey Mancini (8), who also has plus raw power, set Aberdeen’s single-season hits record (84) while batting .328/.382/.449. » Best athlete: Hart. » Most intriguing background: Yastrzemski is the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl. Harvey’s father Bryan was a two-time all-star closer with the Angels and Marlins. 3B Federico Castagnini (30) was born and raised in Italy before moving to Colorado in high school and then playing at Creighton. LHP Travis Seabrooke (5) is the son of former NHL player Glen. » Closest to the majors: The Orioles see Harvey moving quickly, but Keller could beat him if he relieves.» Best late-round pick: Keller, Bierfeldt and LHP Steven Brault (11), a polished Colorado product who is a good enough singer to have performed the national anthem prior to a Northwoods League game last summer. » The one who got away: The new coaching staff at Georgia successfully re-recruited projectable RHP Robert Tyler (28).

GD · October 20, 2013

The Rays had an amazing draft imo. And I know a guy the Orioles drafted. Tarpley. Friend of a friend.

kgm1 · October 20, 2013

Yankees

Position players

QUICK TAKE

With three first-rounders, New York came away with a good haul of talent. After five of the first six picks were position players, the Yankees emphasized pitching depth in rounds five-15.

Bonus Spending: $8.07 million

Best Pure Hitter: 3B Eric Jagielo (1), who had a late start to his summer because of a strained quad from the spring, has a smooth stroke with loft to all fields, a disciplined approach and the ability to make consistent hard contact. » Best power hitter: Six-foot-7 OF Aaron Judge (1) has raw power that rates at least 70 on the 20-80 scale, and he can put on a show in batting practice. He has tremendous natural strength in his extra-large frame. Judge injured his quad before he could appear in a game and will play this winter in the Dominican. » Fastest runner: OF Michael O’Neill (3) has well above-average speed and could profile in center field. But 2B Gosuke Katoh (2), a plus runner, might get to first base faster because of his first-step quickness. » Best defensive player: SS Tyler Wade (4), who could hit for average, is a good athlete with above-average speed, good actions, steady hands and an above-average arm.

Pitchers

Best Fastball: The Yankees took four college RHPs who touch 96 mph or better: David Palladino (5), Nick Rumbelow (7), Cale Coshow (13) and Phillip Walby (12), who was up to 98. LHP Tyler Webb (10) pitches with average velocity, but his fastball plays up because of his command and deception. » Best secondary pitch: LHP Ian Clarkin (1) has the makings of a plus curveball. Palladino’s curveball and Rumbelow’s slider are plus at their best.

Odds and Ends

Best Pro Debut: Double-play partners Katoh and Wade had big summers in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Katoh led the GCL with six home runs and ranked second in slugging at .310/.402/.522. Wade batted .309/.429/.370 with 11 steals. LHP Caleb Smith (14) struck out nearly 10 per nine while registering a 1.89 ERA at short-season Staten Island. » Best athlete: OF Brandon Thomas (8) is a switch-hitting center fielder with power and speed, and O’Neill is also a strong athlete. But Judge was one of the best athletes in the draft, a physical specimen with light-tower power, plus arm strength and average speed. » Most intriguing background: O’Neill is the nephew of former Yankees right fielder Paul. C Trent Garrison (28) was drafted by the Yankees a year after his twin brother, RHP Tyler, was selected in the seventh round. Unsigned LHP Josh Pettitte (37), who is attending Baylor, is the son of recently retired Yankees LHP Andy. » Closest to the majors: Jagielo is an advanced hitter.» Best late-round pick: Smith has a potentially plus changeup and fastball up to 94. OF Dustin Fowler, who received $278,000, is a good athlete with a simple lefthanded swing and above-average speed. » The one who got away: Canadian RHP Cal Quantrill (26), the son of former major league pitcher Paul, is a good athlete with a fastball up to 94 mph and an emerging slider. He is also a strong student and is attending Stanford.

Sign In

Baseball America's 2013 Draft Review

Recommended Posts

ace3113

kgm1

ace3113

z3r0s

Boxcar

DuckDuckGose

kgm1

kgm1

kgm1

GD

kgm1

ace3113

Abomination

kgm1

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Member Statistics

Prospect News & Highlights

JoJo Parker

Recent News

Notes & Rumors

Recent Blog Entries

Recent Status Updates

Blue Jays Resources

Minor League Resources

MLB Draft Resources

History Resources

Recent Activity

My Activity Streams