2008 Draft Slot: 74th overall (Second round)
Top Pick: Tyler Chatwood, RHP, California high school
Best Pick: Tyler Chatwood
Keep an Eye On: Michael Kohn, RHP, College of Charleston (13th round)
Notes: Michael Kohn has posted excellent pro numbers as a reliever and he has the stuff to succeed: A mid-90s fastball and potentially plus breaking ball. He’s allowed just seven hits and five walks in 17.1 innings so far this season in low A-ball. Tyler Chatwood has actually posted solid numbers even though he has no idea where the ball is going (2.85 ERA, 7.80 BB/9). Just imagine what he could do with some polish.

2007 Draft Slot: 58th overall (Supplemental first round)
Top Pick: Jonathan Bachanov, RHP, Florida high school
Best Pick: Trevor Reckling, LHP, New Jersey (Eighth round)
Worst Pick: Trevor Pippin, OF, Georgia junior college (Fourth round)
Notes: Prep right-hander Matt Harvey, considered a first-round talent who would be a difficult signing, fell to the Angels in the third round and would have been a great player to have. But he headed to the University of North Carolina instead. Top pick Jonathan Bachanov had Tommy John surgery and has yet to make an official pro appearance. Trevor Reckling has become the top pitcher in the system. The soon-to-be 20-year-old hurler is already dominating in double-A.

2006 Draft Slot: 25th overall
Top Pick: Hank Conger, C, California high school
Best Pick: Jordan Walden, RHP, Texas high school (12th round)
Worst Pick: Clay Fuller, OF, Texas high school (Fourth round)
Notes: With no second-round pick and unable to come to terms with its third-round pick, the Angels chose a raw prep outfielder in Clay Fuller and appear to have missed on him. He strikes out way too much and is hitting .220 while playing at high-A ball in his fourth pro season. If he can stay behind the plate (a big IF), Hank Conger could provide above-average offense for the position. The Angels were extremely lucky to find a pitcher of Jordan Walden’s caliber in the 12th round, although he is currently injured.

2009 Draft Slot: 24th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Prep hitters and pitchers
MLB Club Need: Starting pitching, Third base, First base
Organizational Need: Outfield, Third base, Second base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Shortstop? Maybe catcher??
Notes: The amateur draft has not been an area of strength in recent years for the organization. The club has thumbed its nose at the draft while preferring to build a winning organization through free agency and trades. The club, though, is running out of tradable commodities. Despite losing its 2009 first round pick (32nd overall) for signing reliever Brian Fuentes, the club actually gained two higher picks (24th, 25th) after losing free agents RHP Francisco Rodriguez and 1B Mark Teixeira. The club also has three supplemental first round picks, so now is the time to rebuild the farm system.

2008 Draft Slot: 12th overall
Top Pick: Jemile Weeks, 2B, University of Miami
Best Pick: Jemile Weeks
Keep an Eye On: Jeremy Barfield, OF, Texas junior college (Eighth round)
Notes: Son of Toronto great Jesse and brother of Cleveland’s Josh, Jeremy Barfield has good bloodlines and plus arm strength that would make his father proud. He’s only appeared in 11 low-A ball games so far this year but he’s started well with a .359 average and four homers. Barfield, 20, also had a solid debut and may have slipped a bit in the draft due to some makeup concerns. Jemile Weeks, brother of Milwaukee’s Rickie Weeks, has yet to appear in a regular season game due a hip injury, although he is expected back by the end of May. Given that speed is a big part of his game, it remains to be seen what kind of long-term impact the injury will have, if any. Prep outfielder Rashun Dixon (10th round) is another player to keep an eye on, although he’s very raw.

2007 Draft Slot: 26th overall
Top Pick: James Simmons, RHP, UC Riverside
Best Pick: Sean Doolittle, 1B/OF, University of Virginia (Supplemental first round, 41st overall)
Worst Pick: Grant Desme, OF, Cal Poly U (Second round)
Notes: With five picks before the third round, the A’s picked up some minor league depth, as well as a few players who could make an impact in Oakland before too long. The draft would have been even better if the club had been able to come to terms with Daniel Schlereth, who went to Arizona 26th overall in ’08, Collin Cowgill, who was also drafted by Arizona in ’08, and Seth Blair, who headed to Arizona State University and could be a top pick in 2010. Already 23, Grant Desme is currently playing in low-A after appearing in just 14 games during his first two seasons, due to injuries. Even if he can get back on track, he needs to move quickly. RHP James Simmons was supposed to move quickly but hasn’t and should top out as a No. 3 or 4 starter. The excitement over Sean Doolittle has been tempered a bit now that he’s posted modest numbers at both double-A and triple-A.

2006 Draft Slot: 66th overall (Second round)
Top Pick: Trevor Cahill, RHP, California high school
Best Pick: Trevor Cahill
Worst Pick: Matt Sulentic, OF, Texas high school (Third round)
Notes: When you lack picks before the second round, you need to make the most of the choices you do have. Oakland did a nice job with Trevor Cahill, who is already in the rotation, but Matt Sulentic hasn’t looked all that good outside of his debut season in 2006. He’s still young (21), though, and hit .309 last year in high-A ball (in a good hitter’s park). Andrew Bailey, currently working out of the A’s bullpen, was a nice find in the sixth round.

2009 Draft Slot: 13th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College bats or prep arms
MLB Club Need: Third base, First base, Starting pitching
Organizational Need: Center field, Third base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: First base, Second base, Right-handed pitching
Notes: Thanks to the free agent signing of Orlando Cabrera, the A’s will be in unfamiliar territory this season: The club will not have any supplemental picks and it lacks a second round selection. The organization will really be tested to find quality over quantity as this is a similar situation to 2006, when the club still managed to nab MLB starter Trevor Cahill with its first pick (second round) and reliever Andrew Bailey in the sixth round.

2008 Draft Slot: 20th overall
Top Pick: Joshua Fields, RHP, University of Georgia
Best Pick: Brett Lorin, RHP, Long Beach State (Fifth round)
Keep an Eye On: Aaron Pribanic, RHP, University of Nebraska (Third round)
Notes: This draft was not overly exciting, especially with the use of a first-round pick on a college senior, who could end up topping out as a set-up man. It also took far too long to get Joshua Fields under contract. He currently has a 6.00 ERA (although a 3.20 FIP) with nine walks and 15 Ks in 10 Double-A games. Brett Lorin is absolutely dealing in low A-ball with a 1.00 ERA (2.53 FIP) in six starts. He has a nice repertoire and good size (6’7”, 245 lbs) and could develop into a No. 3 starter.

2007 Draft Slot: 11th overall
Top Pick: Phillippe Aumont, RHP, Quebec (Canada) high school
Best Pick: Phillippe Aumont
Worst Pick: Matt Mangini, 3B, Oklahoma State University (Supplemental first round)
Notes: Seattle received some flack for moving Phillippe Aumont into the bullpen so early in his career, but he has absolutely thrived since the move and is dominating in a very, very good hitter’s league. He could be in Double-A before too long – and he’s only 20 years old. Clubs knew Matt Mangini had below-average power for a third baseman, but he was supposed to hit for a high average. His career minor league batting average is .240.

Bonus: My 2007 pre-draft interview with Phillippe Aumont, who really thought he was getting drafted by the Washington Nationals.

2006 Draft Slot: Fifth overall
Top Pick: Brandon Morrow, RHP, University of California
Best Pick: Chris Tillman, RHP, California high school (Second round)
Worst Pick: Tony Butler, LHP, Wisconsin high school (Third round)
Notes: The organization has selected three right-handed relievers with its last three first-round selections, although all three have the potential to be big-league closers. In fact, Brandon Morrow already is the Mariners’ late-game stopper. With Morrow seemingly out of the starting rotation for good, right-hander Chris Tillman has a chance to overtake him as the best pitcher from the draft. Unfortunately, Tillman was sent to Baltimore in the ill-fated Erik Bedard trade. Tony Butler’s career has been littered with injuries, but luckily he was also sent to Baltimore.

2009 Draft Slot: Second overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Pitchers… college arms… relievers…
MLB Club Need: Third base, First base, Starting pitching
Organizational Need: Starting pitching, Left-handed pitching, First base, Second base
Organizational Strength: Outfield (especially center), Third base, Catcher
Notes: Obviously, the organization would love to have San Diego State hurler Stephen Strasburg fall to them, but that is highly unlikely to happen. There is no clear second-overall pick, although a lot of clubs are high on CF/1B Dustin Ackley. The club can really add depth to the system with this draft since it also owns the 27th overall pick, as well as the first pick of the supplemental first round (Both of which come from Raul Ibanez’ signing with Philadelphia).

2008 Draft Slot: 11th overall
Top Pick: Justin Smoak, 1B, University of South Carolina
Best Pick: Justin Smoak
Keep an Eye On: Robbie Ross, LHP, Kentucky high school (second round)
Notes: Taken 57th overall, Robbie Ross has yet to appear in an official pro game and will likely pitch in rookie ball this season, beginning in June. He’s short for a pitcher at about 5’11’ but he can touch 94 mph with the fastball. So far, the Rangers organization has received little from draftees not named Justin Smoak. But the club is OK with that, as he’s smoakin’ the ball in Double-A with less than a year of pro experience. If not for Chris Davis, Smoak could already be in the Majors.

2007 Draft Slot: 17th overall
Top Pick: Blake Beavan, RHP, Texas high school
Best Pick: Julio Borbon, OF, University of Tennessee (Supplemental first round, 35th overall)
Worst Pick: Matt West, 3B, Texas high school (Second round)
Notes: With five picks before the second round, thanks to free agency compensation, the Rangers added a lot of depth – and talent – to the system with this one draft. Matt West was not a terrible second round pick; his numbers have been OK so far… He’s just shown less so far than the other top picks. First pick Blake Beavan has been a bit of a disappointment too, as his stuff has not been as overpowering as it was in high school. If Julio Borbon, already in Triple-A, can learn to take a few more walks to help his on-base percentage, he could be a threat at the top of the Rangers’ batting order. In this draft, the club also grabbed pitching prospects Michael Main, Neil Ramirez, and Tommy Hunter.

2006 Draft Slot: 12th overall
Top Pick: Kasey Kiker, LHP, Alabama high school
Best Pick: Chris Davis, 1B/3B, Texas junior college (Fifth round)
Worst Pick: Chad Tracy, C, Pepperdine University (Third round)
Notes: Lacking a second-round selection, the club took catcher Chad Tracy, who quickly played himself out from behind home plate, which hurt his value. Chris Davis was an absolute steal in the fifth round for Texas, as he is already the club’s starting first baseman (But is he turning into Russell Branyan?). Keep an eye on shortstop Marcus Lemon, who just keeps hitting. At worst, he should be a MLB utility player.

2009 Draft Slot: 14th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): The club likes prep arms, but it does a nice job of finding good college hitters too.
MLB Club Need: Starting pitching, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Catcher, Second base, Third base
Organizational Strength: Right-handed pitching, Center field
Notes: The depth amongst the fielding positions is not overly deep at any position, but the organization is loaded with good, young pitching. The club has an extra selection in the supplemental first round (44th overall) for the free agent loss of outfielder Milton Bradley.

2008 Draft Slot: 14th overall
Top Pick: Aaron Hicks, OF, California high school
Best Pick: Aaron Hicks
Keep an Eye On: Tyler Ladendorf, SS, Texas junior college (second round)
Notes: Tyler Ladendorf was drafted with the reputation of being an offensive-minded player who might not stick at shortstop. The 21 year old, though, struggled in his first taste of pro ball and is currently working in extended spring training. He’s someone to keep an eye on when short-season ball begins in June. Aaron Hicks surprised just about everyone when he hit .318 last season after signing, because he was supposed to be more raw offensively. The 28 walks in 178 at-bats (13.9 BB%) were also a nice bonus.

2007 Draft Slot: 28th overall
Top Pick: Ben Revere, OF, Kentucky high school
Best Pick: Ben Revere
Worst Pick: Danny Rams, C/1B, Florida high school
Notes: The 71 strikeouts in 149 at-bats last season in his second year in rookie ball do not bode well for Danny Rams’ future. Ben Revere was yet another smart first-round pick by the Twins… He has shown a lot more polish than expected and the consistent ability to hit .300 has been a surprise. At 5’9” Revere is not going to hit for power so he needs to keep playing ‘small ball.’ Puerto Rican outfielder Angel Morales is another toolsy pick with massive power potential but huge strikeout totals.

2006 Draft Slot: 20th overall
Top Pick: Chris Parmalee, OF/1B, California high school
Best Pick: Danny Valencia, 3B, University of Miami (19th round)
Worst Pick: Garrett Olson, 3B, Franklin Pierce College (Fourth round)
Notes: This was the last of a string of disappointing first-round draft picks (three out of four years from 2003-06, minus Matt Garza in ’05) by the Twins. Chris Parmalee has struggled to hit more than .240 in the past three seasons. He’s only 21, though, so he has time to improve. Danny Valencia, whose contract demands caused him to slip a bit in the draft, has exceeded expectations with a .303 pro average.

2009 Draft Slot: 22nd overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): High school athletes, college pitchers
MLB Club Need: Shortstop, Second base, Third base
Organizational Need: First base, Second base, Shortstop
Organizational Strength: Right-handed pitchers, Outfield
Notes: If there is one thing we can say for certain, it’s that the Twins organization loves to draft raw, toolsy, prep players. There is no reason to expect this to change. The club is also very smart when it comes to drafting ‘second-tier’ college pitchers who end up having a fair bit of success in pro ball. The Twins get a supplemental first round pick after losing reliever Dennys Reyes to free agency.

2008 Draft Slot: Third overall
Top Pick: Eric Hosmer, 1B, Florida high school
Best Pick: Eric Hosmer
Keep an Eye On: Tim Melville, RHP, Missouri high school (Fourth round)
Notes: Tim Melville has yet to appear in a pro game but the fourth-round pick from last year had first-round talent and teams were scared off by his murky signability. The Royals organization spent a lot of money on this draft and it could end up with a lot to show for it, as supplemental first round pick Mike Montgomery had a dazzling debut in 2008 but the team is being cautious with the prep pick and he will open 2009 in short-season ball. First baseman Eric Hosmer has had a bit of a slow start this season but he should be an absolute offensive beast.

2007 Draft Slot: Second overall
Top Pick: Mike Moustakas, SS/3B, California high school
Best Pick: Mike Moustakas
Worst Pick: Sam Runion, RHP, North Carolina high school (Second round)
Notes: Sam Runion, now in his third season, has a career 5.38 ERA, and his FIP is not much better. Fellow prep pick Dan Duffy, selected in the third round, has a chance to make up for that pick, though. Mike Moustakas looks like a solid choice with the second overall pick, although Matt Wieters (Fifth overall, Baltimore) and Madison Bumgarner (10th, San Francisco) look pretty good too, in retrospect.

2006 Draft Slot: First overall
Top Pick: Luke Hochevar, RHP, Independent baseball
Best Pick: Luke Hochevar
Worst Pick: Jason Taylor, IF, Virginia high school (second round)
Notes: Jason Taylor has been a frustrating pick. Even though he has flashed some real talent, the former second-round pick missed all of 2007 for disciplinary reasons and he has yet to appear in a game this season. Luke Hochevar has made it to the Majors, but he certainly hasn’t been the staff ace that you would be hoping for from a No. 1 overall selection.

2009 Draft Slot: 12th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best overall player, and the club has invested heavily in prep players the last two years.
MLB Club Need: Pitching, Shortstop, Third base, Catcher
Organizational Need: Corner outfield, Shortstop, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Right-handed pitching, Center field, First base
Notes: For the first time in quite a few years, the Royals organization will not have one of the top five picks, so it will be interesting to see what approach is taken – and how good of a pick the club can make.

2008 Draft Slot: Eighth overall
Top Pick: Gordon Beckham, SS, University of Georgia
Best Pick: Gordon Beckham
Keep an Eye On: Kenny Williams Jr…. just kidding. Dexter Carter, RHP, Old Dominion (13th round)
Notes: The club got an absolutely steal with Dexter Carter, who posted some ugly college numbers despite possessing good stuff (including a 96 mph fastball). His control has been solid in pro ball and so have his numbers, although he has pitched in rookie ball and low A-ball, so we need to see how he does in high A-ball and Double-A before we get too excited. Gordon Beckham is growing on me as a prospect, but I am still not his biggest fan. Third baseman Brent Morel looks like a pretty good third-round pick. He’s hitting just .258 in high A-ball, but his BABIP is .264, he’s hitting more homers and his contact rates are pretty good.

2007 Draft Slot: 25th overall
Top Pick: Aaron Poreda, LHP, University of San Francisco
Best Pick: Aaron Poreda
Worst Pick: Nevin Griffith, RHP, Florida high school (Second round)
Notes: Nevin Griffith gets tabbed as the worst pick of the draft mostly because he was taken in the second round and he’s only pitched 20 pro innings thanks to Tommy John surgery. Right-hander John Ely was a nice third-round pick and could develop into a solid No. 3 or 4 starter. Aaron Poreda has great velocity on the fastball but the secondary stuff is still lacking. He could be a dominating closer.

2006 Draft Slot: 29th overall
Top Pick: Kyle McCulloch, RHP, University of Texas
Best Pick: John Shelby Jr., 2B/OF, University of Kentucky (Fifth round)
Worst Pick: Kyle McCulloch
Notes: John Shelby Jr. is by far the best pick of the draft and the club really, really missed with Kyle McCulloch, as well as the second and third round picks… OK, basically all the picks were bad. The White Sox could have had Joba Chamberlain (41st overall) or Adrian Cardenas (37th) instead of the Texas southpaw.

2009 Draft Slot: 23rd overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College players, usually an arm if available
MLB Club Need: Center field, Third base, Relief pitching
Organizational Need: Outfield, First base, Second base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Third base, Shortstop
Notes: Does Kenny have any more draft-eligible sons? OK… I’m done now. The White Sox had a nice draft in 2008, so it will be interesting to see how organization does in 2009 with a couple extra picks in the first two rounds.

2008 Draft Slot: 21st overall
Top Pick: Ryan Perry, RHP, University of Arizona
Best Pick: Ryan Perry
Keep an Eye On: Alex Avila, C, University of Alabama (Fifth round)
Notes: The Tigers organization did not select many high-ceiling players, if any. What it did do was grab a whole whack of hard-throwing college relievers, many of whom could make it to the Majors quickly… and the Tigers desperately needed depth. Ryan Perry is already pitching in the Majors, although he should probably be in Double-A right now working on his fastball command and control.

2007 Draft Slot: 27th overall
Top Pick: Rick Porcello, RHP, New Jersey high school
Best Pick: Rick Porcello
Worst Pick: Cale Iorg, SS, University of Alabama (Sixth round)
Notes: Keep an eye on LHP Casey Crosby, who was drafted out of an Illinois high school in the fifth round. He’s back pitching well after missing most of 2008 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Infielder Cale Iorg has a famous family name but he does not make enough contact. He’ll be lucky to carve out a career as a MLB utility player. Only two years after being drafted out of high school, Rick Porcello is already pitching in the Majors, but he should be in Double-A. The organization is trying to Bonderman him. Porcello, though, should not have been available with the 27th pick but clubs were scared off his signability.

2006 Draft Slot: Sixth overall
Top Pick: Andrew Miller, LHP, University of North Carolina
Best Pick: Andrew Miller
Worst Pick: Ronnie Bourquin, 3B, Ohio State University (2nd round), or Brennan Boesch, OF, University of California (third round)
Notes: Andrew Miller has not been nearly as advanced as expected but he was sent to Florida in the Miguel Cabrera deal. Miller is still trying to prove himself to be a No. 5 starter thanks to a lack of command/control. 1B Ryan Strieby and 2B Scott Sizemore were nice finds in the fourth and fifth rounds.

2009 Draft Slot: Ninth overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best talent, but a fast mover
MLB Club Need: Shortstop, Left field, Starting Pitching
Organizational Need: Depth everywhere
Organizational Strength: Relief pitching
Notes: The club needs to find some high-ceiling talent. The club has not done an overly good job of finding talent in the later rounds of the draft. The 2008 draft tossed some good arms into the mid-to-upper minors, but the ceilings seem to stop around set-up man with most settling in at middle reliever.

2008 Draft Slot: 29th overall
Top Pick: Lonnie Chisenhall, IF, North Carolina community college
Best Pick: Chisenhall
Keep an Eye On: Trey Haley, RHP, Texas high school (2nd round)
Notes: The Tribe did a nice job scouting Lonnie Chisenhall, for whom some clubs had serious makeup concerns. By all reports, though, he’s been a model citizen for the Indians organization and has hit better than expected early on in his pro career. The club went over-slot with a number of players (Bryce Stowell, T.J. House) and could end up with one of the better drafts when we look back in five years at the 2008 selections.

2007 Draft Slot: 13th overall
Top Pick: Beau Mills, 1B, Lewis-Clark State college
Best Pick: Mills, from a weak pool of picks
Worst Pick: T.J. McFarland, LHP, Illinois high school
Notes: The club drafted slugger in 1B Beau Mills and then did not pick again until the fourth round, which certainly hurt in terms of depth. No one else has really stepped up their game since then. Prep pick T.J. McFarland has a history of elbow problems and he hasn’t looked very good since signing.

2006 Draft Slot: 39th overall (supplemental first round)
Top Pick: David Huff, LHP, UCLA
Best Pick: Wes Hodges, 3B, Georgia Tech (second round – 69th overall)
Worst Pick: Steven Wright, RHP, University of Hawaii (second round – 56th overall)
Notes: Perhaps worried that the club lacked a first-round pick, the organization went with an “advanced” college arm that had a lower overall ceiling but would move quickly. Clubs are now realizing that category of draft pick is pretty much a myth. It’s now 2009 and David Huff hasn’t pitched in the Majors yet. His ceiling is that of a third or fourth starter. Steven Wright is looking like a future middle reliever in the Majors, but the club made up for that second-round pick with another in the same round: third baseman Wes Hodges. The right-handed hitter won’t be a star but he should at least be a league-average third baseman.

2009 Draft Slot: 15th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Definitely college players
MLB Club Need: Pitching, Pitching, more Pitching, and Third base
Organizational Need: Center field, Right field, LHP Pitching, RHP Pitching
Organizational Strength: 1B/LF, Third base
Notes: The club has not really made a splash with its first overall pick in quite some time… although Chisenhall could change that. The club is picking in the middle of the first round, so a lot is up in the air… but you have to figure the club is leaning to a college pitcher, unless a good (college) bat finds its way to them.

2008 Draft Slot: 17th overall
Top Pick: David Cooper, 1B, University of California
Best Pick: David Cooper
Keep an Eye On: A.J. Jimenez, C, Puerto Rico high school (9th round)
Notes: A.J. Jimenez slid in the draft because of concerns about an elbow injury that proved to be less serious than originally thought. He is a defense-first catcher that has above-average athleticism. David Cooper has been in a neck-and-neck race with St. Louis’ Brett Wallace (a former Jays draft pick out of high school) for the fastest moving college hitter from the draft. Both began the 2009 season in Double-A; Cooper played at three minor league levels in 2008. The club’s second and third round picks do not thrill me, but the club made up for it with Jimenez and Eric Thames (seventh round), a college outfielder who also slid due to injury concerns.

2007 Draft Slot: 16th overall
Top Pick: Kevin Ahrens, 3B, Texas high school
Best Pick: J.P. Arencibia, C, University of Tennessee (21st overall)
Worst Pick: Trystan Magnuson, RHP, University of Louisville (supplemental first round)
Notes: The club had seven picks before the third round so it gambled on some players and also dove head-long into the prep picks for the first time in years (After dipping the toe in the previous season with Travis Snider). The results have been muted so far with all three top prep picks struggling: Kevin Ahrens, Justin Jackson, and John Tolisano. Jackson appears to be the best of the bunch but he has huge contact issues (as in he doesn’t make much). Trystan Magnuson was a big overdraft for a fifth-year college senior who had only really dominated for one season. J.P. Arencibia, though, has 30-homer power as a catcher – but he might hit .230. Left-handed starters Brad Mills (4th round), Marc Rzepczynski (5th), and second baseman Brad Emaus (11th) were good value for their draft slot.

2006 Draft Slot: 14th overall
Top Pick: Travis Snider, OF, Washington state high school
Best Pick: Travis Snider
Worst Pick: Luke Hopkins, 1B, New Mexico State U. (5th round)
Notes: Fourth round pick Brandon Magee has been nothing special, but Luke Hopkins was even worse. He signed on the dotted line for $172,000, played half a season and then retired. Catcher Brian Jeroloman was a nice grab in the sixth round and Scott Campbell (10th) could be a future offensive-minded utility or platoon player. Second baseman Cole Figueroa (drafted by the Padres in 2008) would have been a nice sign out of high school, but he went to the University of Florida. Travis Snider makes the draft, though, as he is already playing regularly in the Majors.

2009 Draft Slot: 20th
Draft Preference (2006-08): Hitters with the first pick, and it’s been prep hitters in two of the last three drafts
MLB Club Need: Starting Pitching, Shortstop
Organizational Need: Third base, Shortstop, Right-handed pitching, Outfield
Organizational Strength: Second base, Left-handed pitching, Catching
Notes: By picking 20th, the Jays will likely be looking at a college hitter or pitcher but it’s hard to know at this point how the draft will unfold. Luckily, the organization has a supplemental first round pick as well as an extra third-round pick, both of which come as compensation for the loss of free agent A.J. Burnett. On the downside, those extra picks would have been much higher if the Yankees had not also signed C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.