Most Popular Article of the Week: Meet a Prospect: Blake Rutherford

With the 18th pick in the 2016 MLB Draft the New York Yankees selected Blake Rutherford, an outfielder from Chaminade College Preparatory School in Chatsworth, California. Boy Damon Oppenheimer loves his Southern California players doesn’t he? The Yankees may have gotten one of the best bats in the draft with this pick and one of the very best prospects in the entire draft class so it’s all the more important to get Rutherford to sign. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Blake Rutherford Edition.


Rutherford is a left-handed hitting power hitting outfield who can do just about anything in the field and at the plate. Rutherford is projected to have above-average contact and above-average power when he reaches his full potential and his speed will allow him to wreak havoc on the basepaths while keeping him in center field as a professional. Rutherford may outgrow the center field position and some question whether he may be a right fielder when he reaches the Major Leagues but with his bat you let him play any outfield position he wants, his offense is potentially a game-changer.


Rutherford, a potential game-changer at just 19-years old. Rutherford is committed to UCLA and will likely have to sign an over-slot deal to forego that commitment and begin his professional career. The slot recommendation for Rutherford is $2.44 million but the Yankees have a knack for signing cheaper college seniors in rounds two through ten, see Nick Solak as an example of this, to save cap money. Expect to see that happen this season as well as it may take $3 million or more to lure Rutherford away from SoCal.


Rutherford was considered by many to be the best pure hitter in the 2016 Draft and some even thought he would go first overall before the Philadelphia Phillies took Mickey Moniak. Keith Law had Rutherford listed as his 6th best prospect overall while MLB.com had him 8th and Baseball America had him 9th. Welcome to the organization, unofficially, and welcome to the family Blake! I know a ton of people that are excited to potentially have you.