Tune in at 11:30 for a reaction piece from our very own Eric Schultz. Until then, here is a roundup of the reactions to the Yankee selections last night. From Baseball Prospectus:
Kevin Goldstein (5:36:43 PM PT): Yankfan21 (Work – still…): So, Heathcott? With Scheppers and Rex Brothers on the board, I am completely underwhelmed and under impressed. Any reason I should not be?
KG: I’d be pretty happy. I think both of those pitchers are relievers in the end. You can find relievers at lot easier than you can find tools like Heathcott.
From Baseball America:
Then we have to ask about, well, the instant analysis of “losers” seems ridiculous to say but it is what it is. What teams left you wanting a bit more? I would say I wasn’t hot on the Fuentes pick with Boston, and also Cincinnati, with Mike Leake seeming a bit too high at 8. And last, I’d say the Yankees, because I really have questions about Heathcott’s makeup.
Also from BA, via SI:
Slade Heathcott gets a Josh Hamilton comparison from Frank Marcos of the ML Scouting Bureau, which frankly is not too accurate. But he does have major tools, with power from the left side, a big-time arm and some real makeup issues.
From Baseball Analysts:
Rich: Heathcott wouldn’t have been available had he not been injured or had personal issues. He might ask for more than slot but the Yankees can afford to give it to him. Don’t see New York losing its first-round pick two years in a row.
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Marc: Nice, nice pick by the Yankees. Definitely fell because of makeup issues and he has the talent to be a monster.
Rich: I saw Heathcott hit and pitch at the Area Code Games last August. I also watched how he carried himself after the game. The kid seemed a little cocky to me and has enough hot dog in him that he did a cartwheel and back flip before the Aflac Classic in honor of Ozzie Smith, who was the honorary chairman. But there is no doubting his talent. Hit 91 on the gun and struck out the side (although not in order). He hit a groundball single up the middle in one of the two ABs I witnessed. Grounded out to shortstop in the other. In the Aflac game, he went with a pitch on the outside corner and singled in a run against Zack Wheeler in the first inning that gave the West an early 1-0 lead. He also pitched the ninth inning and was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs. I wrote down “most athletic player” next to his name on my scoresheet even though I didn’t care for his attitude.
And from nomaas:
The important thing about Murphy though is that he’s not only a bat-first guy, but Baseball America ranked him as having the 2nd best strikezone judgement of all HS hitters in the draft. Getting, young, bat-first position players into the system was something that we all had hoped to see from the Yankees, and today they landed two of them. The beautiful thing about this is that both project to keep improving because of there athleticism in conjunction with present hitting tools – these are not maxed out guys, but at the same time they aren’t major projects. Murphy is an offensively driven catcher who spent his senior year moving up draft boards, and has all the tools necessary to keep getting better. This is what I like to call an elevator pick – you know it came up some already to stop at the floor you take it, but you get on it anyway because you you have reason to believe it will keep going higher.
With Murphy not being a potential multi-million dollar signing, the Yankees have given themselves room to go out and get a lot of really solid signability guys on day two.
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4 Responses to Draft Reactions
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TIQ IQ
Okay seriously what are these character issues we keep hearing about? Is there a story that we don’t have access too regarding Slade?
There seems to be no knock on this kids talent, especially since the injury isn’t expected to have lingering effects. yet everyone mentions the character issues, why?
His parents are deadbeats, so that makes him a deadbeat? I don’t see the logic there. From every interview I’ve read he seems very respectful and he is hungry to play the game.
The only potential knock on character I’ve heard was something about failing a test in school, am I wrong on that? O ther than than that what are we missing here, did he do time in jail or something?
Exactly. He seems like a bit of a hotdog, but otherwise, there doesnt seem to be anything specific on him.
What great highschool athlete isn’t a hotdog though? I heard a million times how cocky Shelby Miller was, yet he was seen as a top 10 pick.
Josh Beckett and Pedroia are cocky sob’s but the media won’t get off their junk. Sometimes it works in the players advantage to be cocky.
But until I hear a valid reason why Slade has “issues” then its all a bunch of baloney to knock the kid down. If you tell me his swing sucks then fine, at least thats a valid argument.
i concur