MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select 2B Ty McFarland 302nd overall

The Yankees drafted second baseman Ty McFarland with their tenth round pick, 302nd overall. The left-handed senior middle infielder out of James Madison University is 6'2" and 195 pounds. He led James Madison in batting average and slugging percentage this spring at .317 and .507, respectively. He also led the team in hits with 72, multi-hit games with 21, and home runs with nine. His father is his baseball coach at James Madison.

Along the same lines as other college players the Yankees have taken so far in the draft, McFarland has the ability to move up through the system faster than a younger player would. This gives the Yankees some talent they can infuse at higher levels of the minors instead of starting out a whole crop of draftees in Rookie Ball. Drafting a senior who doesn't have the ability to return to school is also a way to save on slot money. Taking older players could also work to balance out the work the team plans to do in the international draft next month, which should bring in a lot of players who are on the much younger side.

McFarland has also played a bit of third base and worked a bit as a right-handed pitcher. He's the fourth straight position player taken by the Yankees in the draft today. In his senior year at JMU, he batted .317/.390/.507 with 12 doubles. His slugging percentage increased each year of his four-year college career. With the selection of McFarland in the final round of the draft today, Austin DeCarr remains the Yankees' lone draftee out of high school to this point.