BA draft recap:
Position players
QUICK TAKE Chicago loaded up on power arms like RHP Andrew Mitchell (4), Lowry and Danish, and focused on athletic up-the-middle position players, getting one of the draft’s best athletes in Anderson. Bonus Spending: $5.28 million
Best pure hitter: From a wiry build with strong wrists and forearms, SS Tim Anderson (1) has an easy and simple swing, compact path and above-average bat speed. » Best power hitter: The athletic, switch-hitting 3B Trey Michalczewski (7) has natural strength, bat speed and leverage in his swing, and could eventually hit at least 20 home runs a season. » Fastest runner: Chicago prioritized athleticism, and came away with three runners who grade as 70 or better on the 20-80 scale: Anderson, OF Adam Engel (19) and OF Jacob May (3). May doesn’t maximize his speed out of the box because of a big hack and is learning to use his speed, but he ran the 60-yard dash in 6.3 seconds at his predraft workout. » Best defensive player: Engel has first-step quickness and gets good reads in center and a fringy but accurate arm.
Pitchers
Best fastball: Physical 6-foot-4, 228-pound RHP Brad Goldberg (10) sat 94-96 mph out of the bullpen with above-average sink. RHP Thaddius Lowry (5) can touch 96. RHP Tyler Danish (2) sits in the low 90s from a low arm slot with plus-plus movement at his best and plus command. » Best secondary pitch: Danish has a plus slider and an emerging changeup that flashes plus.
Odds and Ends
Best pro debut: SS Toby Thomas (21) hit .319/.329/.462 for Rookie-level Bristol, May hit .286/.346/.461 at low Class A Kannapolis and Engel hit .301/.379/.414 at Rookie-level Great Falls and led the Pioneer League with 31 steals. Goldberg posted a 1.54 ERA across three levels, and Danish had a 1.38 ERA in 26 Appy League innings. » Best athlete: A standout high school basketball player, Anderson is an outstanding athlete with speed, quickness and natural strength. » Most intriguing background: May comes from a strong baseball lineage. His father (Lee Jr.) was a 1986 first-rounder and is the Mariners hitting coordinator, his grandfather (Lee Sr.) was a three time all-star outfielder and his uncle Carlos played 10 seasons in the majors. RHP James Dykstra (6), whose fastball touches 94 mph, is the brother of 2006 first-rounder Allan. 1B Cody Yount (37) is the nephew of Hall of Famer Robin and the son of former big league pitcher Larry. » Closest to the majors: In a system with a track record of moving arms quickly, Goldberg, who finished at high Class A, has a chance to move swiftly in the bullpen if his slider continues to develop. Danish could move as quickly as any high school pitcher because of his advanced stuff, command and bulldog mentality. » Best late-round pick: Engel at slot. RHP Matt Ball (11), a projectable 6-foot-5, 195 pounder who touches the low 90s, was the only over-slot selection after the 10th round, signing for $150,000. » The one who got away: Chicago signed all but four of its picks. LHP Tavo Rodriguez (33), who had inconsistent velocity but was up to 93 mph at times, will attend Oklahoma.
|