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2013 Draft: Jonathon Crawford

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The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

(AP Photo/Dave Martin)
(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Jonathon Crawford | RHP

Background
Heavily recruited as an outfielder out of Okeechobee High School in Florida, Crawford wound up on the mound at Florida after declining to sign with the Marlins as a 42nd round pick in 2010. He’s pitched to a 4.03 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 33 walks in 80.1 innings spread across 14 starts this year. In his first two years with the Gators, he managed a 3.18 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 25 walks in 82 innings.

Scouting Report
Crawford, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 lbs., came into the spring as a potential top ten pick thanks to his power arsenal. His fastball has sat anywhere from 89-95 mph this year, though mostly at the higher end of that range in recent weeks. He was 93-96 and touching 99 regularly as a sophomore. A low-to-mid-80s slider with sharp bite is his top secondary offering, but he doesn’t locate the pitch well enough consistently. His changeup remains a distant third offering. Crawford’s delivery is a little rough thanks to an Aaron Crow-esque wrist wrap, a short stride, and a stiff landing. It hinders his command and leads to some projecting him as a reliever. There’s isn’t much video out there, but you catch a quick glance at him at 0:22 mark of this clip.

Miscellany
Baseball America and Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranked Crawford as the 24th and 46th best prospect in this year’s draft in their latest rankings, respectively. Crawford has been trending upward in recent weeks and in a draft short on potential impact college pitching, his high-end arsenal and upside could land him in the first round despite the statistically meh year. The Yankees have three first round picks (26th, 32nd, 33rd) and are in a position to gamble on a huge yet risky arm like Crawford this spring.

2013 Draft: Cody Reed

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The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Reed during a pre-draft workout for the Rangers.
Reed during a pre-draft workout for the Rangers. (Photo via @Linsey_Hebert)

Cody Reed | LHP

Background
Stemming from the Memphis suburb of Horn Lake, Mississippi, Reed went undrafted both out of high school (2011) and as a freshman out of Northwest Mississippi Community College (2012). He’s a so-called pop-up guy this spring thanks to improved stuff and strong performance — 2.39 ERA with a 96/40 K/BB in 73.1 innings across 12 starts — and he’s committed to attend Ole Miss next year.

Scouting Report
Reed has the goods. He offers size (listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 lbs.), athleticism, fastball velocity (92-95 mph), an out-pitch breaking ball (low-80s curveball), and a clean and repeatable delivery. Reed has worked hard to iron out his mechanics, which feature a long stride and clean arm action, and he’s working on adding a slider and changeup as well. Despite the delivery and added polish, he still struggles to command all his pitches and that’s the biggest negative right now. Reed offers almost everything else otherwise, include a good work ethic. I can’t find any video of him actually pitching, but are some interview clips on YouTube.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked Reed as the 37th and 104th best prospect in the draft in their latest rankings, respectively, so there’s a huge difference in opinions. That’s not surprising considering all the improvement he’s made this spring, it’s natural to remain skeptical. The one thing everyone agrees on is the upside, which lies somewhere between frontline starter and mid-rotation workhorse if he figures out a third pitch and irons out his command. The fallback is a bat-missing lefty specialist. The Yankees haven’t been too active on the JuCo front under Damon Oppenheimer, but Reed isn’t most JuCo prospects. With four day one picks (26th, 32nd 33rd, 66th), they are in a position to gamble if they want.

2013 Draft: Michael O’Neill

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The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

Michael O’Neill | OF

Background
The nephew of Paul O’Neill, Michael has hit .329/.384/.525 with six homers and 19 steals in 40 games for Michigan this year. He hit .316/.368/.447 with eight homers and 48 steals in 94 games during his first two years on campus, and it wasn’t until he performed well in the Cape Cod League last summer that his draft stock really took off. The Yankees drafted O’Neill out of high school with their 42nd round pick in 2010.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 lbs., O’Neill’s game isn’t all that similar to his uncles. He has true center field skills with above-average speed and a strong throwing arm, though he has often played the corners for the Wolverines in deference to senior (and likely top 5-8 rounds pick) Ryan Biondi. O’Neill has solid power from the right side, but he doesn’t always tap into it because he struggles against breaking balls and his plate discipline needs work. During his three years in school, he’s struck out 88 times while drawing only 31 walks (21/9 K/BB in 2013). Most college hitters with legit pro potential are closer to a 1.0 K/BB. Like his uncle, O’Neill is an intense competitor and hard on himself. There are a few more videos available on YouTube.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked O’Neill as the 77th and 80th best prospect in the draft class in their latest rankings, respectively. He was much more of a nepotism pick back in 2010, but O’Neill is a legitimate prospect and someone the Yankees could target with their second round selection (66th overall). There are some adjustments that will have to be offensively for him to hit at the upper levels, but he has the talent to develop into a 15/15 center fielder with above-average defense if things break right.

2013 Draft: Sean Manaea will not pitch again this season

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3:10pm: I’m an idiot. Manaea will not pitch again because Indiana State’s season is over, not necessarily due to the injuries. Teams still will not get another chance to evaluate him before the draft, however.

1:00pm: Via Jon Heyman: Indiana State LHP Sean Manaea will not pitch again this season. He was scratched from Thursday’s start due to shoulder soreness and nagging hip trouble, which first popped up when he rolled his ankle earlier this spring and pitched through it. Here’s my profile.

Manaea, 21, came into the spring as a potential top three pick after a dominant showing on the Cape Cod League last summer. His stuff was not as lively this spring though, and his stock had been steadily dropping prior to be scratched a few days ago. The Yankees are one of the few teams with extra picks and draft pool money, meaning they’re in a position to gamble on a player like Manaea if they choose. I’m guessing he won’t get drafted high enough/offered enough money and returns to school for his senior season.

Baseball America had the Yankees selected Manaea with one of their three first round picks in their latest mock draft, but that was before the news that he will not pitch again this spring.

2013 Draft: Baseball America’s Mock Draft v2.0

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Baseball America’s Jim Callis posted his second mock draft today (no subs. req’d), and he has the Astros taking former Yankees draft pick/Oklahoma RHP Jonathan Gray with the first overall selection. Callis notes Houston is rumored to be seeking a pre-draft deal with a college bat — likely San Diego 3B Kris Bryant or UNC 3B Colin Moran — so they can redistribute the draft pool savings elsewhere. The Cubs and Rockies are projected to take Stanford RHP Mark Appel and Bryant with the second and third overall picks, respectively.

The Yankees have three first round picks, and Callis has them selecting New Jersey HS LHP Rob Kaminsky (26th overall), Indiana State LHP Sean Manaea (32nd), and Oklahoma HS C Jon Denney (33rd). Click the links for my profile of each player. The Yankees have been connected to Denney, an offense-first catcher, in every single mock draft so far. Callis suspects the Yankees will roll the dice on Manaea — he missed his last start with shoulder stiffness and hip soreness that has lingered all spring — thanks to their extra picks and draft pool money ($7.96M), but they have become risk-averse in recent years, at least when it comes to their highest selections. Those three players might represent the best case scenario for the Yankees, unless they’re willing to take on an another injury risk in Minnesota HS OF Ryan Boldt.

Other Mock Drafts: Baseball America (v1.0), Keith Law (v1.0), and MLB.com (v1.0).

2013 Draft: Dustin Peterson

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The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts.

(Photo via AzDiamondReport.com)
(Photo via AzDiamondReport.com)

Dustin Peterson | SS

Background
Peterson attends Gilbert High School in the Phoenix suburbs, and he has his brother D.J. to thank for his prospect stock. D.J. will come out of New Mexico as a fringe first rounder this year after going undrafted in 2010, leading a lot of teams to believe they dropped the ball while scouting him in high school. That has led to Dustin getting a lot of extra attention this spring. He is committed to Arizona State and played very well in front of scouts this spring.

Scouting Report
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 180 lbs., Peterson’s best tool is his sweet right-handed swing and high-end bat speed. He’s very quick to the ball and he uses his lower half well, generating above-average power in addition to the ability to hit for average. Peterson has no trouble against good fastballs and he recognizes offspeed stuff well.

The bat isn’t much of a question, but his long-term position is. Peterson is a good athlete but he lacks the first step quickness needed to play shortstop long-term. His hands are fine but his arm isn’t anything special, making second base a more likely destination than third. The outfield could also be a possibility. Peterson is just an okay runner who won’t steal many bases. He’s not a bat-only prospect, but he is bat-first. I can’t find any video — there’s another kid named Dustin Peterson with a bunch of YouTube clips, but it’s not this Dustin Peterson.

Miscellany
Keith Law (subs. req’d) and Baseball America ranked Peterson as the 36th and 61st best draft prospect in their latest draft rankings, respectively, so there’s a pretty big split of opinions. Dustin is more advanced than his brother was at this age, and there’s a chance D.J. will be a top-15 pick in a few weeks. If a team thinks Dustin can remain at shortstop, he could go in the back-half of the first round. If not — and I’m guessing at least one of the 30 teams thinks he can play short long-ish term — he might be more of a second round guy. The Yankees have three first rounders (26th, 32nd, 33rd) and they love up-the-middle athletes, especially when they can hit. Peterson is right up their alley.

2013 Draft: Broadcast Schedule & Representatives

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Via Conor Glassey: MLB has announced details for the 2013 Draft broadcast. A total of 73 picks — First round, Supplemental First Round, Competitive Balance Lottery Round A, Second Round, and Competitive Balance Lottery Round B — will be broadcast by MLB Network at 7pm ET on Thursday, June 6th. The broadcast will be preceded by an hour-long preview show. Day two (rounds 3-10) and day three (rounds 11-40) will be broadcast online at MLB.com on June 7th and 8th.

Willie Randolph and area scout Andy Cannizaro will represent the Yankees at MLB Network during the day one broadcast. Tino Martinez, Lee Mazzilli, and CC Sabathia have represented the team in previous years. The Bombers have four picks that night — 26th, 32nd, 33rd, and 66th overall — so that will be a lot of fun. The Yankees will be in Seattle for the start of ten-game, 12-day road trip that night, which means we’ll get to focus on the draft for a few hours before first pitch. Not as nice as last year’s off-day, but better than having to juggle with Red Sox-Yankees like 2008.