Archive for 2009 mlb draft

2008 Draft Slot: 24th overall
Top Pick: Anthony Hewitt, SS, Connecticut high school
Best Pick: Jason Knapp, RHP, New Jersey high school (2nd round, 71st overall)
Keep an Eye On: Vance Worley, RHP, Long Beach State (3rd round)
Notes: The club selected Anthony Hewitt with its first pick, but the oufielder is rawer than raw and struck out 55 times in 117 at-bats in rookie ball last year. It will be a long, long time before he’s ready to contribute in the Majors. Second selection Zach Collier (34th overall), another prep outfielder, is hitting well in low-A. Jason Knapp has been excellent so far in pro ball and his value has risen in a lot of people’s eyes. So far this season, he’s allowed 31 hits in 41.1 innings pitched with rates of 3.70 BB/9 and 12.63 K/9. College right-hander Vance Worley won’t wow you with his stuff, but he’s been consistent and could fit in at the back of the Phillies’ rotation in a couple of years.

2007 Draft Slot: 19th overall
Top Pick: Joe Savery, LHP, Rice University
Best Pick: Michael Taylor, OF, Stanford University (5th round)
Worst Pick: Travis Mattair, 3B, Washington high school (2nd round)
Notes: Joe Savery had some well-documented injury problems in college, but that did not scare the Phillies organization away from drafting him in the first round. He has pitched OK, but his stuff and results do not really scream “First-round pick!” He looks like a No. 3 starter at this point. Michael Taylor, on the other hand, is looking more and more like a huge steal (literally and figuratively) in the fifth round. The 6’6” outfielder is showing raw power and the ability to hit more than .300. Two high draft picks that were chosen out of high school have had disappointing 2009 seasons in low-A ball: catcher Travis D’Arnaud, and infielder Travis Mattair. Mattair’s slugging percentage has dropped in each of his three pro seasons down to .287 so far in 2009.

2006 Draft Slot: 18th overall
Top Pick: Kyle Drabek, RHP, Texas high school
Best Pick: Adrian Cardenas, SS, Florida high school (Supplemental first round, 37th overall)
Worst Pick: D’Arby Myers, OF, California high school (4th round)
Notes: Everything is bigger in Texas, except Kyle Drabek. The son of former pitcher Doug Drabek (Pittsburgh, Houston), Kyle showed good stuff in high school but some teams were turned off by his slight stature (5’11’) – even though he threw in the mid 90s. Drabek did break down and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2007, but he’s back now and throwing very well in high-A ball. There are still questions about his makeup and maturity, though. The club also picked up a very good prospect in Adrian Cardenas, whom the club shuffled to Oakland in the Joe Blanton trade last season. The Phillies picked up some more useful parts early in the draft, including shortstop Jason Donald, outfielder Quintin Berry, and right-hander Andrew Carpenter.

2009 Draft Slot: 75th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): The organization mixes in prep and college picks
MLB Club Need: Starting pitching, Catcher, Third base
Organizational Need: Left field, First base, Second base, Shortstop
Organizational Strength: Third base, Right-handed pitching
Notes: Perhaps with the way outfielder Raul Ibanez is playing in Philly, fans will be less upset that the club gave away its first-round pick to sign him away from Seattle. It still won’t make for a fun day on June 9, though, as the club will be the last organizations to make a selection.

2008 Draft Slot: 18th overall
Top Pick: Ike Davis, 1B/OF, Arizona State University
Best Pick: Reese Havens, IF, University of South Carolina (1st round, 22nd overall)
Keep an Eye On: Javier Rodriguez, OF, Puerto Rico high school (2nd round)
Notes: Javier Rodriguez was the first selection out of Puerto Rico but he hit just .193 in his rookie-ball debut. No one is worried, though, as the outfielder is very young and loaded with talent. Both Ike Davis and Reese Havens had disappointing debuts, while supplemental first round pick Brad Holt surprised everyone with his success. All three are in high-A ball in 2009 and Holt is still pitching well. Havens is showing more power than people expected (7 HR, .225 ISO) but he’s struggling to hit for average (.254). Davis is hitting for average, but he has just one home run in 352 at-bats, which is puzzling and very, very worrisome.

2007 Draft Slot: 42nd overall (Supplemental first round)
Top Pick: Eddie Kunz, RHP, Oregon State University
Best Pick: Dillon Gee, RHP, U of Texas-Arlington (21st round)
Worst Pick: Nathan Vineyard, LHP, Georgia high school (Supplemental 1st round, 47th overall)
Notes: Nathan Vineyard was not overly effective as a pro before blowing out his shoulder. He should be back in the second half of May, but it remains to be seen how effectively he’ll be as he already didn’t throw very hard prior to surgery and his best pitch (a slider) may have been the cause of the injury. Eddie Kunz is a perfect example of why it’s risky to choose relievers early in the draft. If a starter struggles, he can move to the bullpen. If a reliever struggles, he… Dillon Gee was a steal in the 21st round as he is already in triple-A and pitching well. The downside is that with a modest fastball that plays up due to command and control, Gee’s ceiling is that of a No. 4 starter or middle reliever.

2006 Draft Slot: 62nd overall (Second round)
Top Pick: Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Villanova University
Best Pick: Daniel Murphy, 3B, Jacksonville University (13th round)
Worst Pick: John Holdzkom, RHP, Salt Lake community college (4th round)
Notes: Like brother Lincoln, John Holdzkom just could not stay out of trouble or make the most of his blazing fastball. Daniel Murphy, already in New York, was a steal in the 13th round and he would be even better if he could play defense like he can hit. Now with the Twins organization, Kevin Mulvey – who has yet to get to the Majors – was used as part of the bait for Johan Santana.

2009 Draft Slot: 72nd overall (Second round)
Draft Preference (2006-08): College pitchers and hitters
MLB Club Need: First base, Starting pitcher, Catcher, Left field
Organizational Need: Outfield, Second base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Shortstop, Third base
Notes: Thanks to the signing of closer Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets will not pick until 71 players have already gone off the board, so the club will have to scout really well to find a good sleeper, or hope that a top player slides due to signability concerns. The good news is that the club has worked with similar draft scenarios in the past few seasons, so it should be getting used to it. The bad news is that the club has had a number of disappointing drafts for that very reason. Another plus, though, is that the organization does very, very well in the international market, which always seems to make up for poor draft showings.

2008 Draft Slot: Sixth overall
Top Pick: Kyle Skipworth, C, California high school
Best Pick: Kyle Skipworth
Keep an Eye On: Isaac Galloway, OF, California high school (8th round)
Notes: Kyle Skipworth has not performed as well as the club probably would like, but young catchers have a lot to learn – both offensively and defensively, so there is a larger learning curve. Isaac Galloway was given an above-slot deal to sign in the eighth round and he’s shown respectable numbers so far while playing in low-A ball as a 19 year old. He just needs to cut down on the strikeouts and use his plus-plus speed a little more effectively on the bases. Second-round pick Brad Hand (Minnesota high school) had a very nice debut but he’s been brutal in 2009. The southpaw hurler has a 10.23 ERA in six starts.

2007 Draft Slot: 12th overall
Top Pick: Matt Dominguez, 3B, California high school
Best Pick: Michael Stanton, OF, California high school (2nd round)
Worst Pick: Jameson Smith, C, California community college (3rd round)
Notes: It’s far too early to give up on Jameson Smith, a young catcher, but he has limited power and strikes out too much right now. Matt Dominguez continues to be a good prospect, but he has been surpassed by Michael Stanton, one of the top power-hitting prospects in all of baseball. Stanton has shown some improvements this season in high-A ball, while maintaining a good batting average, solid power and cutting down on his strikeouts (from 32.7 K% in 2008 to 26.1 in ’09). Keep an eye on OF Bryan Petersen (fourth round, UC Irvine).

2006 Draft Slot: 19th overall
Top Pick: Brett Sinkbeil, RHP, Missouri State University
Best Pick: Chris Coghlan, 2B, University of Mississippi (Supplemental first round)
Worst Pick: Brett Sinkbeil
Notes: Brett Sinkbeil has been brutal above A-ball. In the past two seasons, the right-hander has allowed 236 hits in 178.1 innings of work. He’s also struck out just about five batters per nine innings during that span of time. Chris Coghlan was a nice grab and should be the club’s second baseman of the future. They don’t have huge ceilings, but the club has found useful part-time (at the very least) players in outfielders Scott Cousins (3rd round), and John Raynor (9th), as well as pitcher Graham Taylor (10th).

2009 Draft Slot: 18th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Prep hitters
MLB Club Need: Starting pitching, Relief pitching, Center field
Organizational Need: Right-handed pitchers, Left-handed pitchers, Left field, Shortstop
Organizational Strength: Center field, First base
Notes: Wow, the organization really loves to take high school prospects out of California. The club has actually not been all that successful with its first-round picks in recent years but it has made up for that fact with subsequent selections. The club could really use some pitching depth in the minors, but it has not had a lot of luck drafting pitchers in recent years. The last good pitching selection was Chris Volstad out of a Florida high school in 2006. That year the club selected four other pitchers before the second round (3 prep, 1 college) and missed on Jacob Marceaux, has seen promising things from Ryan Tucker, but is still waiting to see what it got with Aaron Thompson and Sean West.

2008 Draft Slot: Ninth overall
Top Pick: Aaron Crow, RHP, University of Missouri (Did not sign)
Best Pick (that signed): Destin Hood, OF, Alabama high school (2nd round)
Keep an Eye On: J.P. Ramirez, OF, Texas high school (15th round)
Notes: After taking the collegian hurler, Washington then selected prep prospects with three of the next four picks (Long Beach State infielder Danny Espinosa was also nabbed). Of those three high school picks – Destin Hood, LHP Graham Hicks, and C Adrian Nieto – (plus J.P. Ramirez, who was given a huge over-slot deal to sign after being taken in the 15th round), all of them began 2009 in extended spring training and will be making their season debuts in June in short-season ball.

2007 Draft Slot: Sixth overall
Top Pick: Ross Detwiler, RHP, Missouria State University
Best Pick: Jordan Zimmermann, RHP, Wisconsin-Stevens Point (Second round, 67th overall)
Worst Pick: Jake Smolinksi, 3B, Illinois high school (Second round, 70th overall)
Notes: With five picks in the first two rounds, Washington grabbed a number of key prospects and completely remade (and significantly improved) its minor league system. Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler are currently pitching in the big league rotation. OF Michael Burgess (supplemental first round) is the organization’s best hitting prospect. Catcher Derek Norris (fourth round) might be the second-best hitting prospect. Getting LHP Jack McGeary to sign in the sixth round was another steal.

2006 Draft Slot: 15th overall
Top Pick: Chris Marrero, 1B/OF, Florida high school
Best Pick: Chris Marrero
Worst Pick: Stephen Englund, OF, Washington high school (2nd round)
Notes: The club spent quite a few picks on prep players and did not fare very well. Chris Marrero is the best pick of the draft, but he’s been inconsistent and injured. Sean Black did not sign after being selected with the team’s first pick of the second round. Stephen Englund, also taken in the second, and Stephen King, the third-round selection, have both struggled to hit pro pitching. Fourth round pick LHP Glenn Gibson has fallen off the map since being traded to Tampa Bay.

2009 Draft Slot: 1st overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): College pitching, prep hitters
MLB Club Need: Pitching, Pitching, Pitching
Organizational Need: Right-handed pitching, third base, second base
Organizational Strength: Outfield, catcher
Notes: Along with the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, with which the club should take Stephen Strasburg (unless there is a catastrophic injury), the Nationals club also possesses the 10th overall pick in the draft for failing to sign its first round selection from 2008 (RHP Aaron Crow, who is back in the draft). The Nationals organization has the opportunity to significantly improve its minor-league depth in the span of 10 picks. A future starting rotation including Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Collin Balester, Ross Detwiler, and John Lannan or Shairon Martis should look pretty good in the National League East, if everyone stays healthy and reaches his potential.

2008 Draft Slot: 40th overall (Supplemental first round)
Top Pick: Brett DeVall, LHP, Florida high school
Best Pick: Zeke Spruill, RHP, Alabama high school (2nd round, 70th overall)
Keep an Eye On: Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Georgia community college (Third round)
Notes: The organization focused on pitching in the early rounds, taking three prep hurlers (Brett DeVall, Tyler Stovall, and Zeke Spruill) and one southern community college pitcher (Craig Kimbrel) before the fourth round. Kimbrel had a nice start to the year and earned a quick promotion to high-A but his control collapsed and he’s walked 18 batters in 10.2 innings of work (with 15 Ks too). Stovall is still in extended spring training, while DeVall was assigned to low-A in May. Spruill has been with low-A since the beginning of the year and he has a 1.91 ERA (2.73 FIP) in 42.1 innings.

2007 Draft Slot: 14th overall
Top Pick: Jason Heyward, OF, Georgia high school
Best Pick: Jason Heyward
Worst Pick: Jon Gilmore, 3B, Iowa high school (Supplemental first round, 33rd overall)
Notes: Jon Gilmore helped the Braves acquire Javier Vazquez from the Chicago White Sox, but the infielder has yet to hit more than .200 above rookie ball in two tries. Along with Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman (78th overall) has the chance to develop into a special offensive player. This was a very unusual draft for the Braves because the organization usually focuses on pitching, but it stayed true to its roots by drafting mostly prep players.

2006 Draft Slot: 24th overall
Top Pick: Cody Johnson, 1B, Florida high school
Best Pick: Cole Rohrbough, LHP, Nevada community college (22nd round)
Worst Pick: Cody Johnson
Notes: With seven picks in the first three rounds, the organization mixed pitching and hitting while taking just one college player. The club shocked a lot of people by taking Cody Johnson with its first pick, as the youngster was known for his massive power – and high strikeout totals in high school. The club has had a lot of bad luck with the prep pitchers it took early in the draft. Both RHP Cory Rasmus (Colby’s brother) and LHP Steve Evarts have had surgery, and Evarts has also had disciplinary issues (which haunted him in high school too). LHP Jeff Locke (51st overall) has had the best luck (and success) and is currently holding his own in high-A. LHP Cole Rohrbough has been slowed by injuries this year, but he was an absolute steal in the 22nd round.

2009 Draft Slot: Seventh overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Prep pitchers, then high school hitters
MLB Club Need: Relief pitching, Outfield
Organizational Need: Third base, Shortstop, Second base
Organizational Strength: Right-handed pitching, Left-handed pitching
Notes: The club has a lot of pitching depth, especially in the low minors. Triple-A starter Tommy Hanson (2005 draft) is probably the best of the bunch even though he’s been passed over for a promotion a couple of times. There is not a ton of outfield depth, but there are a few very promising young outfielders like Jordan Schafer (currently in Atlanta) and Heyward.

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: 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.