Draft Day 1, Part 2

With their third pick of the draft, the Yankees have taken Scott Bittle, the closer for the Ole Miss Rebels. Bittle doesn't have classic closer stuff, as his fastball sits around 90mph, but he dominated hitters with a devastating cutter, striking out 130 in just 70 innings. Don't, however, make the mistake of comparing him to any other closers who rely on a devastating cut fastball. Unlike Mariano Rivera, Bittle doesn't break 90mph with his cutter, and it's more of a swing and miss pitch than a breaker of bats. To me, it seems like a kind of high pick for someone whose ceiling is as a setup man. I'd rather have seen them take Preston Paramore, the catcher for the Arizona State Sun Devils who walks more than he strikes out and is very good defensively.

Update 7:25PM:I'm much happier with the next pick, David Adams. The second baseman for the University of Virgina Caviliers, Adams began the year as a possible first round pick, but had a disappointing season where he was merely good and not the star he was in his previous two seasons. If he can bounce back to his earlier form, he'll be a steal in the third round.

Update 7:59PM:We're reaching the limits of my knowledge, but what little I know of the Yankees' fourth round pick, Corban Joseph, is good. A shortstop out of Franklin High School in Tennessee, Joseph possesses a short lefthanded swing and uses the whole field. He has the ability to stay at shortstop, though he probably won't be a gold glover, and is only an average runner. It sounds like a solid pick to me.

And I think that's it for me tonight. I'll be back tomorrow with a review of the entire draft.