MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select RHP Austin DeCarr 91st overall

With the 91st overall pick of the 2014 MLB Draft, the Yankees have selected right-hander Austin DeCarr from Salisbury School in Connecticut. Baseball America ranked him 68th overall, ranking 2nd in the state of Connecticut. MLB.com has him at No. 70, while Minor League Ball wasn't as high on him, placing him at No. 156. He's the Yankees' highest high school pitching selection since taking Ian Clarkin in the first round of last year's draft.

DeCarr comes in at six-foot-two and 211 pounds, giving him a big build to work from. After a postgraduate year, he's 19 years old out of the draft and is committed to Clemson University, which is likely why he was able to drop to the Yankees. MLB.com graded him as having a 55-fastball with a 60-curveball, 45-curveball, and 50-control. They also have him as one of the top high school arms coming out of the Northeast region, describing him as:

more advanced than many, with more consistent pitchability. He'll pitch at 92-93 mph, but can reach back for 95 mph when he needs it. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus offering, and his changeup gives him the chance to have a very effective three-pitch mix. He can throw all three pitches for strikes .

He's improved greatly in the last year, improving a mid-80s fastball into the low-to-mid-90s last year. Baseball America describes him "at his best, DeCarr can sit 92-94 mph with downhill plane from a high-energy delivery and high three-quarters arm slot...He has an out pitch hammer curveball with 11-to-5 tilt that has plus potential. His third offering is a seldom-used (or needed) mid-80s changeup that is a below-average offering."

He will be 19 on draft day because of his postgraduate year, but is described as having "pitchability and control of his fastball, allowing scouts to project average control. His fastball/curveball combination gives him the floor of a power bullpen arm, so the development of his changeup and command will likely determine whether he can end up in a rotation." The Yankees will likely start him out in the rotation and see how he does from there.

The focus seems to be on the fact that he has little mileage on his arm and has the body to support his career on the mound. He's not a high-ceiling guy, but he offers some solid potential. The Yankees might be going safe again with their third-round pick, but sounds like a solid arm to have in the system. He might not have the high ceiling that most Yankee picks have, but his high floor makes him a solid pickup in the third round.