With their first pick in the 2014 amateur draft (second round, 55th overall), the Yankees selected Mississippi State LHP Jacob Lindgren. They did not have a first round pick after signing all those free agents over the winter. Here is what I wrote about Lindgren a few weeks ago and here is the obligatory video:

“Jacob has two Major League pitches that are above average and possess swing-and-miss quality. He has been extended for multiple innings and holds his stuff consistently,” said scouting director Damon Oppenheimer in a statement. “Jacob has been very successful in a tough conference and has produced exceptional strikeout numbers. We are very happy to have selected him.”

Lindgren, 21, was a full-time reliever this spring after trying out the rotation last year. He pitched to a 0.81 ERA with a 100/25 K/BB ratio in 55.1 innings this year, and his 16.27 K/9 would have been by far the highest in the country if he had enough innings to quality. As @collegesplits notes, Lindgren also had the second highest ground ball rate in Division I at approximately 79%.

Here is what the big three scouting publications have to say about the 5-foot-11, 205 lb. southpaw:

Baseball America (ranked 50th best prospect in the draft):

He regularly reaches 93-94 mph with his fastball with heavy life and arm-side run. He’s tabled his curve and changeup in a relief role, sticking to the heater and his hard, plus slider in the low to mid 80s. His stiff delivery likely leads him to a future relief role as well, and his 16.8 strikeouts per nine indicate he can dominate in that job. Lindgren lacks command, and his control usually is just enough.

MLB.com (51st):

He has overmatched hitters more than ever in shorter stints, making it unlikely that he’ll last past the second round of the Draft. His best pitch is a wipeout slider that arrives at 82-84 mph with late bite. His fastball has jumped from 87-91 mph as a starter to 91-95 as a reliever … Because Lindgren has a sinking changeup and throws strikes, a pro team could be tempted to develop him as a starter. But his stuff plays up as a reliever, and he could reach the Majors very quickly in the role. He has closer upside.

Keith Law (67th):

His fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range as a starter, but that has shot up to the 92-94 range in relief. That velocity plays up even more because of his slider, which flashes plus-plus with outstanding late tilt that is practically unhittable for left-handed hitters … Someone might be tempted to see if Lindgren’s two plus pitches can play in the rotation, but more than likely he’s a high-leverage reliever who can be death to left-handed hitters and hold his own against right-handers as well.

I am not at all joking when I say Lindgren might be better than Matt Thornton right now. Unless the Yankees try him in the rotation — always a possibility, but I think it’s unlikely — Lindgren should fly through the system and become a big league bullpen option very soon. There’s a chance he can pitch in the show later this season, a la Paco Rodriguez for the Dodgers two years ago. It’s really a question of whether the Yankees will let him more than anything.

New York is reportedly planning to spend a ton of money internationally this summer, upwards of $30M between bonuses and penalties, so that is where they’re going to add the high-ceiling prospects this year. They opted to use their top draft pick to add a player who can help the MLB club in short order. It’s a reasonable strategy given their low draft slot and upcoming international spending spree. Plus they’ve stunk at player development lately and Lindgren doesn’t need much work. The Yankees have plenty of power righty relievers in the system and he helps balance things out.

Slot money for the 55th overall pick is $1,018,700 and there are no concerns about Lindgren’s signability. Mississippi State’s season ended earlier this week, so he is free to sign at any time. I would expect it to happen soon. The Yankees didn’t take a reliever with their top draft pick to wait around. They want to get his career started as quickly as possible.

Jacob Lindgren | LHP

Background
Lindgren is from Bay St. Louis in Mississippi, which is basically halfway between Biloxi and New Orleans. He did not sign with the Cubs out of high school as their 12th round pick in the 2011 draft, instead following through on his commitment to Mississippi State. Lindgren had a 3.84 ERA with an 89/25 K/BB in 84.1 innings split between the rotation and bullpen his first two years on campus — he missed time with an ankle injury last year after being hit by a comebacker — but this spring he has a 0.88 ERA with a 93/21 K/BB in 51 innings while pitching exclusively in relief.

Scouting Report
Lindgren is not very big — listed at 5-foot-11 and 205 lbs. — but he offers nasty stuff from the left side. His fastball sits in the 93-95 mph as a reliever, and the pitch runs back in on left-handers. Lindgren’s sharp mid-80s slider is true out pitch and it has eaten up college hitters this spring. That 16.41 K/9 is no accident. A twisting delivery and somewhat stabbing arm action adds deception and makes the fastball/slider combination play up. Lindgren has all but shelved the curveball and changeup he used as a starter now that he’s in the bullpen full-time.

Miscellany
In their latest rankings, MLB.com, Baseball America, and Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranked Lindgren as the 41st, 89th, and 93rd best prospect in the draft class, respectively. He has a chance to do what Paco Rodriguez did for the Dodgers in 2012, going from second round pick to the big league bullpen in a matter of weeks. The Yankees have done a fine job of filling out their bullpen with later round picks in recent years, and while I’m not a fan of taking a pure reliever with a top pick, Lindgren could be someone they grab with their second rounder (55th overall) and fast track to the show. With a bevy of international signings on the horizon, using that pick to get near immediate help for the MLB club is a reasonable strategy.