The 2013 amateur draft is fast approaching and that means mock drafts are upon us. It's hard to look too deeply into such things, but they can be a fun way to see who might be available for the Yankees to pick. Thanks to the loss of Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano, the Yankees have three first round picks (#26, #32, #33), the most in the draft. Baseball America, Keith Law, Minor League Ball, Sports Illustrated, MLB Draft Insider, and Jonathan Mayo have all released their mock drafts with a total of thirteen different possible Baby Bombers.
In BA's mock draft has the Yankees drafting Notre Dame third baseman/outfielder Eric Jagielo, with their 26th pick, to help fill in the aging left side of the infield. The Yankees will hope that New Jersey HS left-hander Rob Kaminsky, who is committed to the University of North Carolina, will trickle down to their 32nd overall pick. Their final pick of the first round would be the Oklahoma HS offensive-minded catcher Jon Denney, who has a commitment to Arkansas.
Keith Law's mock draft has the Yankees choosing Stanford outfielder Austin Williams with their first pick of the day. Their next pick of the draft would be Denney, since the Yankees love offense-first catchers. Their third pick would be Arizona HS shortstop Dustin Peterson, who is thought to be able to stay as a middle infielder.
In John Sickels' draft over at Minor League Ball, he has the Yankees taking Kaminsky with their first pick, believing there's a chance he could fall that far as "the best prep arm still available." From there the Yankees select right-handed pitchers Chris Anderson, out of Jackson University, and Teddy Stankiewicz, out of Seminole State Junior College.
Sports Illustrated has the Yankees drafting California HS right-hander Phil Bickford 26th overall. They then draft Kaminsky 32nd overall and a shortstop named Tim Anderson, who has a commitment to Alabama-Birmingham, 33rd overall. It's obvious that the Yankees need to find another shortstop with Derek Jeter's career winding down and with the failure that has been Cito Culver, the Yankees try again.
ScoutingBaseball.com has the Yankees drafting Kaminsky first, who they will pluck from the Reds, who draft right behind them, and hope their other preferences last until their next pick. The Yankees then draft Anderson, who they have shown a lot of interest in, and Cal St. Fullerton right fielder Michael Lorenzen, who could also project as a high velocity, fastball-slider reliever.
MLB Draft Insider says the Yankees will draft Minnesota HS outfielder Ryan Boldt, right-handed pitcher Jonathon Crawford out of University of Florida, and California HS lefty Blake Taylor.
MLB's Jonathan Mayo says the Yankees take Jon Denney, who he describes as having been inconsistent recently, though he can hit, the polished Kaminsky, and the toolsy Anderson.
All seven drafts have the Yankees' 2011 10th round pick, Jonathan Gray, being drafted first or second overall. The Yankees offered him $500K but he did not sign. He has since transfered from Eastern Oklahoma State to Oklahoma and added near-triple digit velocity and has improved his secondary offerings and command.
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