A Quick Look At The Yankees 1st Round Picks

The Yankees had three picks in the first round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft. They originally just had pick #26, but thanks to Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano turning down qualifying offers and going elsewhere, they also received picks #32 and #33.

With pick #26 the Yanks took Eric Jagielo, a third baseman out of Notre Dame. Jagielo is a left-handed batter that's shown above average power. He was second in the Cape Cod league in home runs, and let's keep in mind that they use wood bats there, so there's no concern about him transitioning from metal/composite bats.  No doubt that the Yankees were thinking about the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium with this pick. Other than his power, Eric is looked at as an average hitter, but a below average runner. The running thing is not a big concern to me, as the team does have some quick guys coming up through the minors already. As for defense, Jagielo has good arm strength, but could see a move to the outfield.

The Yankees next pick came at #32, and they decided to draft Aaron Judge, a centerfielder out of Fresno State University. Judge is a really big guy, standing 6'7" and weighing in at 255 pounds, and was actually set to play football at Fresno St. before checking out the baseball tryouts. Don't let that size make you think he's slow, though, as Aaron is said to be very fleet of foot, making a future at centerfield a real possibility. Judge went on to win the College Home Run Derby in 2012, and actually this past season he hit a home run off of this year's #1 overall pick Mark Appel. Not only is he quick, but Aaron also is said to be an above average fielder with a good arm.

With their final pick in the first round, the Yankees took left-handed pitcher Ian Clarken. Ian is from James Madison High School in California. Many were surprised he fell this low, as Clarken has some big upside thanks to a 92-93 mph fastball, a good changeup, and what some scouts believe is the best curveball out of all high school pitchers. There's a good chance that Ian moves through the minors faster than the average high schooler as well. The real question when it comes to Clarkin is his command, which was a bit inconsistent in the Area Code Games.

I think the Yankees did a really good job with their three first round picks. Of course, nobody can say for sure that any of these three could fill roles for the Yankees in the future, but they certainly made better picks than they have in past drafts.