My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Austin Romine

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Tommy Kahnle

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Clint Frazier

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Jordan Montgomery

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Kyle Higashioka

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Tyler Austin

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Chasen Shreve

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Tyler Wade

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Ben Heller

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Chad Green

My Yankees MLB Draft Story: Aaron Judge

The 2018 MLB Draft, Luke Heimlich, and the Morality Behind Drafting Him

In a little under two weeks Major League Baseball will host their annual MLB First Year Players Draft from New York. The event can be seen live on MLB Network for the first few rounds of the draft while the entire event is over the course of a few days. Every team sees their future and their potential on these days as all 30 teams look to draft the next big thing. While evaluating a player a lot of things come into play before a team decides to draft a player. Ability is usually at the top of that list, closely followed by signability I’d say, but another huge factor that a lot of people seem to forget about is character. Character will play a huge role not only when drafted and while the player is in the Minor Leagues, but also when that player gets to the Major League level. Character is huge for the team drafting a player, especially a team with a huge market like the market in New York, which is why Oregon State pitcher Luke Heimlich may have trouble finding a home next month in the draft.  

If you don’t know the name Heimlich is a senior left-handed flamethrower from the Oregon State University baseball program who has had his bout with legal troubles in recent years. Heimlich was convicted for sexual assault for molesting his niece when she was just 6-years old, and he was 15. Heimlich, now 22-years old and the star pitcher on the top ranked team in the country, was placed on probation for the crime after pleading guilty and has served his time, completed his community service, etc. that came associated with the conviction. Heimlich states he only plead guilty as a way to spare his niece and family the pain and trauma of a trial but did admit to having “sexual contact” with the child. I don’t see the distinction, but it isn’t my place to judge. 

Heimlich was a Top-50 projected draft pick last season but went undrafted after his criminal history was revealed. Now Heimlich could be a Top 10, or even a top pick in the 2018 Draft, but will history repeat itself once again for the lefty? Heimlich, at the time of this writing, is sporting a 13-1 record with 129 strikeouts this season before his final regular-season start at home happened with the UCLA Bruins. Are there 30 teams that would once again pass on his talent in order to send a message due to his character?  

That would be nothing but speculations, although I can give my opinion on it. Everyone loves a good redemption story and to the best of everyone’s knowledge there hasn’t been a recurrence of the crime. The crime is heinous and disgusting, but not to sound insensitive the crime happened almost eight years ago when the lefty was 15-years old. It doesn’t excuse him from the crimes, and not to defend him but he did his time in the eyes of the law, but if he is sitting there in the first round when the New York Yankees pick comes to the podium… I’m sorry but if I am in that war room, I am taking him. It may not be the popular opinion, but it is my opinion. You draft for talent, and you work out the rest later in my opinion.  

This is bound to be a hot topic, so I am curious… what say you? 

Yankees Lose Dante Bichette Jr.

Just a quick hit this morning and a little bit of a personal post. The New York Yankees drafted Dante Bichette Jr. in the supplemental round after the first round in the 2011 MLB First Year Players Draft, six years later Bichette Jr. is gone. This is personal to me because I did an interview with Bichette Jr. and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with him throughout the years on Twitter. I wish him well and I totally understand the business side of the game but sometimes the fan side of me just gets me down, and one of those instances is today.

Bichette Jr. has signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies and will look to continue his ultimate goal of reaching the Major League level like his father before him, Dante Bichette Sr.

I wish you well Dante, and I wish your brother Bo well also. I love you guys and your family, you have always been gracious and extremely approachable with us and generally just good people. Stay well and good luck going forward!

Quick Hit: Yankees Sign Jose Carrera

The New York Yankees have been busy on the non-drafted free agent market since the 2017 MLB Draft ended signing a few prospects to minor league deals including senior Jose Carrera. Carrera was attending Manhattan University and played baseball for the school’s Manhattan Jaspers team where he finished his senior season with a .266 average with seven doubles, two triples and 11 stolen bases.

Carrera led the Jaspers to MAAC play after qualifying for the MAAC Tournament on the final day of the season. During the MAAC tournament Carrera upped his game hitting .299. Carrera was assigned to the Gulf Coast Yankees West team joining former assistant coach Elvys Quezada who recently joined the GCL Yankees as a coach.

His former coach, Jim Duffy, was interviewed by the school’s website when news broke about Carrera signing with the Yankees and here is what he had to say about Carrera:


"I'm thrilled for Jose to have the opportunity to play at the next level within the Yankees organization. He has been the heart and soul of the Manhattan Baseball program over the last four years. Now he has his chance to chase his dream. I'm proud of him and his perseverance. He's a great example that hard work, faith and believing in yourself can go a long way."

Welcome to the organization Jose and also, welcome to the family. 

Meet a Prospect: Jimmy Herron

In this crapshoot that is the Major League Baseball First year Players Draft you generally don’t know many of the players that get drafted outside of maybe the first three-to-four rounds. There are just too many schools and too many players to keep up with nationwide and it would literally be  full-time 80 hours per week job to try and keep up with it all so no one will hold it against you if you don’t know the name Jimmy Herron. The New York Yankees drafted Herron out of Duke University in this year’s 2017 MLB Draft as a sophomore in the 31^st round, 932^nd overall. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Jimmy Herron Edition.

During the 2016 collegiate season Herron was named a freshman All-American leaving a lot to live up to for Herron in 2017. Herron started every game for the Blue Devils in 2017, one of three players to do so this season at Duke, compiling an impressive .326 batting average with 17 doubles, 53 runs, 74 hits, 39 RBI, five home runs and 17 stolen bases. Herron’s impressive season led to the Yankees drafting him in the 31^st round of the draft making Herron the third Duke University player to be drafted in 2017 including Justin Bellinger by the Cincinnati Reds in the 22^nd round and James Ziemba by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim also in the 22^nd round.

In two seasons at Duke, Herron owns a .325 batting average which is 12^th best all-time in Duke history. Herron also has 41 stolen bases in two seasons which is 13^th best in school history. Not bad for a sophomore outfielder that many casual fans never heard of. The biggest question regarding Herron, which explains why he was taken in the 31^st round, is whether or not the pros will entice him enough to walk away from his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility.

Will Herron sign or will he look to improve his draft status while making another attempt at a strong season for Duke in 2018 as a junior? Only time will tell so stay tuned. All drafted players have until July 15^th to decide whether they will sign with the teams that drafted them or return to school so we are just over two weeks away from the decision.

If Herron signs we here at The Greedy Pinstripes wish him well next season and have total respect for his decision. If Herron decides to sign then we want to be the first to welcome him to the organization and more importantly we want to be the first to welcome him to the Yankees family. Welcome Jimmy, just in case. 

Meet a Prospect: Cody Brown

Every year we hear about these Cinderella type signings by teams in the days following the MLB First Year Players Draft. Players like Cody Brown are not totally unheard of in the league, players that get passed over by 30 MLB teams in all 40 rounds of the MLB Draft, but these players reaching the Major Leagues are more of a rarity. Well Brown has signed a minor league deal with the Yankees after going undrafted and will look to break the mold, defy the odds and reach the show…. so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Cody Brown Edition.

If the Yankees hadn’t called Brown the former Mississippi State Bulldog was ready to register for final classes and prepare to become a physical therapist, he was that close to seeing his professional baseball dreams shattered in an instant. Instead Brown, who worked under former Yankee Andy Cannizaro, heard his phone buzz shortly after the draft ended. It was his coach informing Cody that he was going to do everything he could to get the ball rolling, and get the ball rolling he did.

Brown, a college senior, spent time at first base, second base, third base and in the outfield for the Bulldogs while posting a .323 average, nine home runs, 42 RBI, a .433 OBP, a .539 SLG% and 10 stolen bases. Brown only got better during the Hattiesburg Regional where he was named the Most Outstanding Player after going 10-for-10 in five games with a pair of home runs and seven RBI.

Brown credits Cannizaro with the lengthening of his baseball career and for turning his amateur career around so let’s how that translates now that he is a professional. Welcome to the organization and welcome to the family Cody. Let me be the first one to say on behalf of all Yankees fans that we are behind you and we are rooting for you. Put in the work, have fun and everything will fall where it is supposed to. Enjoy!

So it Seems that Matt Sauer WILL Sign

Good morning everyone, I hope your Tuesday is starting out well. According to Matt Sauer himself the Yankees second round pick’s morning should be going well as he has confirmed his intention to sign with the club. Welcome to the club and the family Matt!

Matt, who was committed to the Arizona Wildcats baseball team, will take his $2.5 million signing bonus and begin his professional career. The $2.5 million signing bonus was first reported on Santa Monica News and then reported by us, take that Joel, and is basically double his $1.236 million slot value recommendation passed down by the league.

Now we know why the Yankees took Tommy John victim Clarke Schmidt and a few college seniors with their first ten picks of the draft, they wanted Sauer. The Yankees usually get their man and they did this time once again. Congratulations to the Yankees, to Matt and to his family.

And hey you. I hope you had a great weekend and I hope you have a better day today than you had yesterday. I love you.

Meet a Prospect: Chad Whitmer

Wow guys and girls, ten editions of “Meet a Prospect” in just two-or-three days. Are you all tired of hearing about prospects yet? I hope not because I am far from tired of writing about them. With the Yankees 10^th round pick in the 2017 MLB First Year Players Draft the team took, you guessed it, a pitcher in Chad Whitmer. Whitmer is a right-handed arm out of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Chad Whitmer Edition.

Whitmer, another college senior that will likely sign and sign well below the cap allocation, threw a team high 104 innings in 2017 on the way to a 6-3 record and 3.46 ERA in 15 starts. Whitmer was the team’s ace and it showed as the righty struck out 95 batters while walking just 26 en route to making the All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team.

Whitmer looks to be another potential fast mover through the system because of his advanced development, age and the amount of innings that are already on his arm. In the comments section on the site the other day the name Ian Kennedy was brought up and for whatever reason Whitmer reminds me a lot of Kennedy as far as why he was drafted.

Kennedy was drafted to fly through the system and reach the Major Leagues as soon as possible. At the time the Yankees didn’t have a farm system to speak of and were looking to rebuild their prospects through the draft. Now whether the plan was to get Kennedy to the Bronx to groom him or showcase him in a trade at the time of his drafting is anyone’s guess but it ultimately ended up being the latter and not the former when the dust settled. Whitmer could be another Kennedy that simply signs quickly and progresses quickly through the system. Whitmer doesn’t project as an ace but then again neither did Kennedy and he has a Cy Young Award to show for his efforts so hey, you never know.

Welcome to the organization Chad and welcome to the family as well!

Meet a Prospect: Austin Gardner

The last time the New York Yankees drafted some guy named Gardner it really seemed to work out for them. I can only assume that this did not enter the minds of the people making the decisions during this year’s draft but if right-handed pitcher Austin Gardner, the Yankees 9^th round selection of the of the University of Texas at Arlington, can be half as good and half as beloved as Brett Gardner then New York may have found a diamond in the rough here with Austin.

Gardner is yet another pitcher and yet another closer being added to the Yankees system but unlike the others this righty does not have experience at the collegiate level as a starting pitcher. Not to say that the team cannot convert him to one and try it out later but as it stands now I am highly doubtful that this is in the plans right now, and that’s ok. If Gardner signs and pitches strictly out of the bullpen he could be one of the first Yankees prospects out of this draft class to reach Triple-A and the Major Leagues, if not the first. Gardner, Austin, like Gardner, Brett, has the term “fast mover” written all over him in my opinion.

Gardner stands 6’2” and weighs in at 215 lbs. which makes him an intimidating presence when on the mound at the end of games. Gardner appeared in 29 games for UTA as their closer in 2017 posting a 2-1 record with a 2.42 ERA and two saves. Gardner struck out 55 batters in 44.2 innings allowing just 36 hits and 10 walks. Dominance at the collegiate level.

Gardner also has baseball coursing through his veins as his father, Scott Gardner played baseball at Oklahoma before pitching inside the Houston Astros organization from 1980-1983. There’s a good chance that Gardner will sign so let me be the first to congratulate the right-hander and welcome him to the family. Welcome, Austin!

Meet a Prospect: Kyle Zurak

The New York Yankees went searching for, you guessed it, a pitcher in the 8^th round of the 2017 MLB First Year Players Draft and they came back with a right-handed pitcher by the name of Kyle Zurak. Zurak was drafted out of Radford University in Virginia after spending his tenure there as the team’s closer and occasional starter. When I see that a pitcher has some starting experience but was drafted as a reliever by the Yankees my mind always wonders if this pitcher could be the next Jonathan Holder or Chance Adams. I guess only time will tell with Kyle so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Kyle Zurak Edition.

Zurak was named one of the 25 semifinalists for the Gregg Olson Award in 2017 which honors college baseball’s Breakout Player of the Year. Zurak posted a 4-4 record this season with nine saves and a 2.40 ERA in 60 innings pitched. Along the way Zurak struck out 73 batters while only allowing nine extra-base hits all season long due in large part to a huge spike in velocity.

Zurak once possessed a fastball that only touched 85-87 MPH as a freshman but during his senior season the right-hander saw his fastball touching 95 MPH. Zurak was dominant as a closer and in his one start of the season he threw a complete-game two-hitter against Presbyterian in the Big South Finals. Zurak can do it all.

Zurak is a college senior, he’s going to sign. He is going to sign and he is going to sign for cheap so I feel comfortable welcoming him not only to the organization but to the family as well. Welcome!