Looking Back at the Yankees 2014 Draft

With the 2015 MLB First Year Player’s Draft just one day away I thought now would be a good time to take a look back at the haul the Yankees got in the 2014 version of the draft. It’s a complete crap shoot after the 10^th round, or probably earlier to be honest, but I decided to recap the Yankees Top 10 picks in last year’s draft. Remember that the Yankees forfeited multiple first round picks last season when they signed Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury. Here’s the list:

2nd Round - LHP Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State)
3rd Round - RHP Austin DeCarr (Salisbury High School)
4th Round - LHP Jordan Montgomery (South Carolina)
5th Round - RHP Jordan Foley (Central Michigan)
6th Round - RHP Jonathan Holder (Mississippi State)
7th Round - CF Mark Payton (Texas)
8th Round - 1B Connor Spencer (University of California Irvine)
9th Round - SS Vince Conde (Vanderbilt)
10th Round - 2B Ty McFarland (James Madison University)

The Yankees currently showcase Lindgren in their major league bullpen while DeCarr skyrocketed towards the top of many prospects lists before this season. While Montgomery, Foley and Holder have been quiet the team has enjoyed more than they could have expected from Payton in his short professional career. The team will absolutely need more than one calendar year to judge how well they did in the draft obviously but for what the Yankees had to work with the early results look quite impressive for New York. Let’s hope they are twice as effective in this year’s draft with three picks in the first 60 picks overall.

New York, you’re on the clock.... almost. 

Meet A Prospect: Connor Spencer

The New York Yankees used their eight round pick on UC Irvine's first basemen Conner Spencer. Spencer is an extra base hit and hitting in general machine but lacks the power, to this point anyway, to probably stick at first base. Spencer, who is still playing to the best of my knowledge but don't quote me on it,  has a career .351 batting average with 36 doubles, 13 triples, and one home run in his college career.

Some players can make up for their lack of power with their defensive ability but that's not something Spencer can do either. Spencer is adequate defensively but he is no Mark Teixeira. Although UC Irvine's home field is a pitchers park just one home run in three seasons speaks volumes for the future of Spencer. It seems like he will be more organizational depth than a big time prospect in the Yankees system.

Unless the Yankees hitting guru Kevin Long can get a hold of him and find some mechanical flaw this may be a guy that was drafted simply to sign well below slot and save money for an Austin DeCarr.

Yankees 2014 Draft Picks Updated

Here is a list of who the New York Yankees have drafted through the first 10 rounds of the 2014 MLB Draft:

2nd Round - LHP Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State)
3rd Round - RHP Austin DeCarr (Salisbury High School)
4th Round - LHP Jordan Montgomery (South Carolina)
5th Round - RHP Jordan Foley (Central Michigan)
6th Round - RHP Jonathan Holder (Mississippi State)
7th Round - CF Mark Payton (Texas)
8th Round - 1B Connor Spencer (University of California Irvine)
9th Round - SS Vince Conde (Vanderbilt)
10th Round - 2B Ty McFarland (James Madison University)