The Yankees selected UNC RHP Adam Warren with their fourth rounder. Here is what I could dig up on him:
UNC senior Adam Warren’s postseason success has been hard for scouts to overlook — six earned runs in 22 1/3 innings, with 23 strikeouts against just two walks. But the evidence is not just in the statistics. Scouts in attendance for the NCAA Tournament clocked Warren’s fastball consistently in the low 90s and were overheard noting that he was clearly better than they had previously evaluated. Baseball America’s Aaron Fitt told the Raleigh News & Observer that the third or fourth round is now a realistic possibility for Warren.
Warren actually has his own blog. Mike at RAB thinks this is an overdraft, and a sign that the Yankees may actually be sticking to a budget.
In the 5th round, they selected Vanderbilt righty Caleb Cotham:
Vanderbilt also had a disappointing season, though the Commodores at least made NCAA regionals. No pitchers after Minor stepped forward, though sophomore-eligible righthander Caleb Cotham showed flashes. He was a sinker-slider pitcher most of the time and missed time due to knee soreness. He came back working in more of a relief role and showed a plus slider at times out of the bullpen. He works off the slider and his 88-92 mph fastball with decent sink, though for many starts his velo was in the 87-88 range. Cotham throws a curveball and changeup as well, but he rarely has all four pitches working. That accounted for his 14 home runs allowed in 70 innings.
He does have some success against wood bats, something Oppenheimer usually focuses on:
Went a team-best 5-1 with 2.54 ERA in eight starts for Brewster in the Cape Cod League over the summer. Struck out 51 in 46 innings of work. Opponents hit just .209 off him. He was named a Cape Cod League All-Star reserve.
(Quotes from comments at RAB).
Mike at RAB considers it a solid pick for this round. Apparently he would be a first day pick in 2010 who dropped due to his knee problem.
From BA:
Two good college senior values in the fourth: Kent Matthes, Alabama outfielder who led the nation with 28 homers this spring, to the Rockies, who continue their fine draft; and North Carolina righthander Adam Warren to the Yankees. Warren pumps his fastball up to 93 mph regularly, sits average with it and his slider and has solid-average command of both pitches.
From BP:
“Caleb Cotham, rhp, Vanderbilt. Many of you know the affinity I hold for the Cape Cod League, and Cotham was very good with the Brewster Whitecaps one year ago. The right-hander allowed just 34 hits in 46 innings, striking out 51 batters on the summer. Inconsistency, as it has throughout his career at Vanderbilt, plagued his season, as Cotham managed only a 4.10 ERA in 13 starts as a junior. Commodores coaches put Cotham in the bullpen towards the end of the season, but when they let him loose as a starter in the postseason, the Cape version of Cotham was there: a complete game shut out of Middle Tennessee State and a seven-inning, one run domination of Arkansas in the SEC Tournament. All told, 16 innings, with a strikeout-to-walk of 15/1, thanks to the rediscovery of a two-plane slider. Tim Corbin tells me he thinks with one more season, his coaches could make Cotham a first rounder. If I’m a team in the middle rounds, I don’t let Corbin get the chance.
BA on Cotham:
Tough sign alert—Vanderbilt eligible sophomore righthander Caleb Cotham went to the Yankees near the end of the fifth. Cotham made some money with a complete game effort in the Louisville regional. At his best, he’s a power sinker-slider pitcher, with his slider reaching 87 mph in shorter outings.
6th rounder was 3B Robert Lyerly. He apparently has immense power but poor plate discipline.
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4 Responses to Yankees 4th Rounder: Adam Warren, 5th Rounder: Caleb Cotham
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TIQ IQ
I like the Heathcott pick the Yankees need more position players and and though a ss would have been perfect-if this kid can play to his potential then I am very happy-seems we have a lot more power pitchers than hitters anyway so I thnk this was the right pick-young athletic outfielders to go with AJAX
Good lord with Renfroe, Volz & Younginer Boston is sure planning to spend some big money this year.
Don’t know a lot about our guys, Sean Black was on the Klaw Top 100 though.
I doubt they sign all three. Renfroe wants 3 million, a lot for a third rounder.
I agree, I say they get Volz for sure and 1 of the other 2. Renfroe seems to want to stay at SS and Boston likes him as a pitcher. I can see him going to college. Younginer is going to cost them big too.