There's a Draft in Here

[Guest seawolf17]

]Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook baseball players Andrew Larsen and Jon Lewis were selected on the first day of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Tuesday afternoon. Larsen was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 13th round while Lewis was picked by the Florida Marlins in the 16th round. The seniors are the first Seawolves to be picked in the draft since Chris Flinn and Alex Trezza were each selected in 2001. Larsen was the first of the duo picked as the Royals took the gritty senior center fielder in the 13th round with the 382nd overall pick. Larsen finished his Stony Brook career ranked first in school history in games played, at bats and doubles while setting a single season SB mark for doubles this season with 25, which ranked him fourth in the entire nation in doubles per game. Lewis was selected three rounds later with the 486th overall pick by the Florida Marlins. The senior right hander concluded one of the finest careers on the pitching mound in Stony Brook history this year, leaving SB as the Seawolves' all-time leader in wins and innings pitched while tying the career strikeout record with fellow SB draftee Chris Flinn. Both Seawolves were instrumental in the Brook's run last season to the first America East baseball championship and Division I NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

Let's go Seawolves!

[Guest Vic Sage]

I had no idea my alma mater was any good!
I guess spending all that money on a new stadium and field house has paid off.

It was still a stupid waste of resources, but what the hey.

go Patriots.... um... i mean... go WOLVES!

what the hell is a seawolf anyway?

:?:

[Guest Edgy DC]

FPC's Spath drafted by Mets; Rangers pick DBCC's Fontaine

By BRENT WORONOFF
Staff Writer

Last update: June 08, 2005


As Matt Spath toiled through his senior season at Flagler Palm Coast High School, he heard from no pro scouts, no Division I colleges.

"The only school I really heard from was St. Johns (River Community College)," Spath said. "I guess I have to call them now and tell them I won't be going."

It's not that Spath doesn't appreciate the interest when other baseball coaches and scouts were ignoring him, it's just that everything has changed now.

N-J/Brian Myrick Matt Spath throws against Lake Howell in 2004.

The New York Mets drafted the outfielder Tuesday in the 12th round, 359th overall. He expects to sign as soon as possible.

"I always told everybody I was going to play pro ball out of high school," Spath said. "I don't know if anybody believed me."

Daytona Beach Community College also had one current player, as well as an incoming freshman, selected on the first day of the draft....

...(blah, blah, blah, stuff about somebody else's prospect)...

...Spath fell through the scouting cracks until he showed up at an all-star camp in Sebring three weeks ago. He went 6-for-7 in two games there and soon heard from 15 major league clubs.

The Mets, led by scout Anthony Campanella, were in the forefront. Campanella, the father of Seabreeze's baseball coach, is an old family friend of the Spaths.

"I worked out for the Mets, sat down and talked with them a bunch of times and they called and kept in touch -- more than anybody else," Spath said.

Spath was the fourth outfielder the Mets selected Tuesday, the second directly out of high school.

"I was a Marlins fan but I'd have to say I'm a Mets fan now," said Spath, who will likely report to the Mets camp in Port St. Lucie next week to prepare for the Rookie League.

Meanwhile, Stetson's John DeStefano and several other area college players will have to wait until today in hopes of hearing their names called. One player who probably won't be picked today is former DBCC third baseman Marquez Smith.

Smith, who has signed with Clemson, recently turned down a sizable bonus offer from the Los Angeles Angels after completing his sophomore season with the Falcons. The Angels drafted him in the 46th round last year.

"He told teams he wants to go to Clemson," Touma said of the Mid-Florida Conference player of the year. "I thought he'd go pretty early, but now there's no reason to take him. Next year will be a different story though. Your junior year is your last year of leverage."

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Here's everyone:
Rnd Pk Overall Player Position School State Bonus
1 9 9 Mike Pelfrey rhp Wichita State U. KS
4 9 119 Hector Pellot 2b Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Cidra, P.R. PR
5 9 149 Drew Butera c U. of Central Florida FL
6 9 179 Greg Cain of Gahr HS, Cerritos, Calif. CA
7 9 209 Jon Niese LHP Defiance (Ohio) HS OH
8 9 239 Sean McCraw C San Jacinto (Texas) JC TX
9 9 269 Bobby Parnell rhp Charleston Southern U. SC
10 9 299 Courtney Billingslea OF Sinclar (Ohio) CC OH
11 9 329 Luis Martinez c Jackson State (Tenn.) CC TN
12 9 359 Matthew Spath of Flagler Palm Coast HS, Bunnell, Fla. FL
13 9 389 Josh Thole c Mater Dei HS, Breese, Ill. IL
14 9 419 Ian Marshall RHP Gaithersburg (Md.) HS MD
15 9 449 Daniel Martin RHP Harleton HS, Marshall, Texas TX
16 9 479 Eric Domangue lhp Alvin (Texas) JC TX
17 9 509 Pedro Beato RHP Xaverian HS, Queens, N.Y. NY
18 9 539 Eric Brown rhp Wingate (N.C.) U. NC
19 9 569 Tim Grogan 3b Western Kentucky U. KY
20 9 599 Cody Railsback rhp Ryan HS, Denton, Texas TX
21 9 629 Joe Holden OF Molloy (N.Y.) College NY
22 9 659 Preston Paramore c Allen (Texas) HS TX
23 9 689 Joe D'Alessandro rhp College of New Jersey NJ
24 9 719 Kyle Risinger RHP Galveston (Texas) CC TX
25 9 749 D.J. Wabick 1b College of Charleston SC
26 9 779 Kevin Tomasiewicz LHP U. of Wisconsin-Whitewater WI
27 9 809 David Koons rhp St. Leo (Fla.) College FL
28 9 839 Greg Gonzalez of Chico State (Calif.) U. CA
29 9 869 Sal Aguilar RHP Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) College ID
30 9 899 Steven Holquin rhp Porterville (Calif.) JC CA
31 9 929 Matt Anderson 3b UC Irvine CA
32 9 959 Jose Castro SS Miami-Dade CC North FL
33 9 989 Daniel Arizmendi lhp Santa Ana (Calif.) JC CA
34 9 1019 Joseph Mihalics 2B U. of Buffalo NY
35 9 1049 Michael Sharpe of St. Thomas Aquinas College NY
36 9 1079 Jeramy Simmons rhp U. of South Alabama AL
37 9 1109 Alexis Beras RHP U. of Scranton (Pa.) PA
38 9 1139 Pierre Miville-Deschenes rhp Edouard Montpetit HS CN
39 9 1169 Colin Thomson rhp Mountain View HS, Tucson AZ
40 9 1198 Jacob Blackwood 2B Maplewoods (Mo.) CC MO
41 9 1227 Nick Carr rhp Twin Falls (Idaho) HS ID
42 9 1256 Jared Barkdoll C Greencastle-Antrim HS, Greencastle, Pa. PA
43 9 1285 Javier Brown ss Valhalla HS, El Cajon, Calif. CA
44 9 1314 Phillip Pursino c St. Dominic HS, Stewart Manor, N.Y. NY
45 9 1343 Anthony Manuel 2B Biola (Calif.) U. CA
46 9 1372 Peter Tountas SS Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill. IL
47 9 1401 Samuel Lane rhp Pedro Menendez HS, Elkton, Fla. FL
48 9 1429 Jeremy Hefner rhp Seminole State (Okla.) JC OK
49 9 1456 Will Jostock rhp Pensacola (Fla.) JC FL
50 9 1483 Julio Rodriguez OF Wabash Valley (Ill.) JC IL

Some stuff:

Round 23: Joe D'Alessandro of New Jersey has a lame web page here:
[url]http://www.tcnj.edu/~daless2/[/url]

For a closeup of that picture (blackmailable!) see here:
[url]http://www.tcnj.edu/~daless2/index_files/image011.jpg[/url]

Round 38:

Meet Pierre from Montreal. Here's an article about him:

[url]http://www.canada.com/montreal/sports/athlete/story.html?id=750b79e6-4077-4c7e-bf8f-27d47dcc1fab[/url]

[Guest Frayed Knot]

Meet Joe Holden, local boy - both HS & college - and your 21st round draft pick:


http://www.molloy.edu/athletic/

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Anthony Manuel is Jerry's son.

[Guest Elster88]

Why does it jump from round 1 to round 4? No second or third round picks this year?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Nope.

Part of the price of signing free agents.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Thirty-fifth-rounder Michael Sharpe is also a local boy.

[Guest Vic Sage]

It's never too early to start working on nicknames:

Mike "bats in the" Pelfrey - Batboy
Hector Pellot "fighter" - Pills
Drew "knocks em on their" Butera - The Buttonman
Greg "Sugar" Cain - Sweetness
Jon "No, you may not dance with my" Niese - Dancer
Sean "Quickdraw" McCraw - Quick
Bobby "Pardner" Parnell - Cowboy
Courtney "Barbara' Billingslea - Babs
Luis "teddy" Martinez - Teddy Bear
Matthew "primrose" Spath - Rosie
Josh "Ath" Thole - Leo the Lithp
Ian Marshall "Dillon" - Sheriff
Daniel "Dean" Martin - Crooner
Eric "Lemon" Domangue - The Pieman
Pedro Beato "You over the head-o" - The Beast
Eric "No Neck" Brown - Downtown Leroy Brown
Tim 'Steve" Grogan - QB
Cody "Rides the" Railsback - Choo Choo
Joe Holden "on for dear life" - Gripper
Preston Paramore "to open, trips to win" - Loverboy
Joe "Warhol" D'Alessandro - Soupcan
Kyle "i see a bad moon" Risinger - Moony
D.J. "kill the" Wabick - Fudd
Kevin Tomasiewicz - Gezhundteit
David "Cal" Koons - Cal
Greg "Speedy" Gonzalez - Speedy
Sal "adoc" Aguilar - Black Cloud
Steven Holquin - Dutch
Matt "Mr." Anderson - Neo
Jose Castro "Convertible" - Sleeper
Daniel Arizmendi - A-rab
Joseph "Taj" Mihalics - Taj
Michael "ain't too" Sharpe - Dummy Hoy
Jeramy "Ted" Simmons - Little Ted
Alexis "Yogi" Beras - Bear
"Gay" Pierre Miville-Deschenes - Frenchy
Colin "all cars" Thomson - Tommygun
Jacob "Sportin" Blackwood - Stick
Nick "stolen" Carr - Hotwire
Jared "Barbie's dog" Barkdoll - Pooch
Javier "long neck" Brown - Chug
Phillip Pursino "cherry" - Cherry
Anthony Manuel "labor" - Digger
Peter "Poca" Tountas - Chief
Samuel "Penny" Lane - Rockstar
Jeremy "Hugh" Hefner - Playboy
Will Jostock"s and bonds" - Willie B
Julio Rodriguez - J-Rod

[Guest seawolf17]

Impressive work, Vic!

[Guest Elster88]

All right, who invited Chris Berman?

[Guest Edgy DC]

How about that freakin' Jon Heyman, who had the Mets getting Pelfrey on his card?

[Guest Frayed Knot]

Hey how 'bout Baseball America? -- in a draft that deals with players of varying ages & backgrounds (HS, college Jrs & Srs, Juco, returning non-signees, etc) who are distributed (w/o trades) to teams with widely disparate budgets - BA called the first 18 picks in correct order!!

Meanwhile, those gurus of the NFL drafts - who are predicting a draft w/none of the above variables, with game films widely available, and where bonus money is virtually dictated by the league office - routinely get 80% of the 1st round picks wrong.

[Guest MFS62]

Nice job, Vic.
But to those of us who remember him, there will only be one "Choo Choo".

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

NFL prognosticators also have the advantage of knowing teams draft to fill an open position, something that almost never happens in baseball.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mihalic: Yankee fan

]Mihalics ready to meet the Mets Jack Karlis Thursday, June 09, 2005 BUFFALO � Perhaps it�s fitting that the new era of University at Buffalo baseball at the Division I level would be marked by its all-time hits leader making it to the big time. Tonawanda native and UB infielder Joe Mihalics was selected in the 34th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Wednesday, making him the first UB player to be selected since the Bulls reinstated baseball at the Division I level in 2000. Bulls pitchers Bob Williams and Marty Cerny were both selected in the 1986 draft and shortstop Paul Daddario, selected in 1983, was the last position player to enter professional baseball. Mihalics first heard about his future from a second-hand source. �I was laying around all day and walked upstairs. My buddy called me and he�s telling me �congrats.� My other buddy was trying to click in and he told me �congrats� too,� the senior said. �I had no idea. Then, the Mets called in to let me know.� While Mihalics was being looked at by the Cincinnati, Toronto, St. Louis and Minnesota, it was the Mets who showed the most interest. Mihalics was ranked 16th in Baseball America�s draft report of New York state prospects. �I filled out my player info sheet and then worked out for them at Coney Island. I kind of knew,� Mihalics said. �I was one of four out of 35 that worked out that they wanted. I�ve had a lot of time to think about it. I just wanted to know what I was doing.� Mihalics grew up a Yankees fan and his played shortstop for UB, but at this point he could care less about the uniform or position. �They drafted me as a second baseman, but I�ll play all over,� Mihalics said. �I�ll go wherever they�ll need me � short, outfield, wherever.� Mihalics will fly to St. Lucie, Fla., next week for a mini camp to see where he is designated. Mihalics may likely end up with the Mets� short-season Class A affiliate in Brooklyn or their rookie ball team in Kingsport (Tenn.). Mihalics would prefer to stay in New York state, but he�s not going to complain if heads cross country. �I�ve gone away in the past few summers. My girlfriend Maggie will support me,� Mihalics said. �Brooklyn would be good because it�s close to home. My family and friends are all here. As long as I get to play, I don�t care.� Mihalics will also leave his alma mater with a slew of records. The Timon/St. Jude product was the first player in school history to reach 200 hits and finished with a .322 career average along with his school-record 234 hits. He is also the school�s all-time leader in runs (136), single-season hit (76 in 2004) and run leader (43 in 2004). Mihalics is in the top 10 in career RBI (97, fourth), triples (12, third), doubles (30, fifth) and games played (191, second). Mihalics believes that his legacy will leave a formula for success for incoming players. �It helps the undergrads that come in. It tells them, �you can make that next step at UB,�� Mihalics said.

[Guest metirish]

Interesting article on Slate about the draft, also this guy points out just like Wide did about the physical descriptions given for each player...

http://slate.msn.com/id/2120486/

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Here's an article on the Mets' unusual draft choice, Bobby Parnell.

I will also use this post to adopt him as Blake's weird little brother. (Does that forum exist here yet? I will see....)



Baseball draft: Mets draft former East Rowan star Parnell

Arm-strong: The New York Mets think Bobby Parnell has unlimited potential.
Salisbury Post

Statistics aren't always worth the paper they're printed on.

Former East Rowan standout Bobby Parnell posted ugly numbers during his junior baseball season at Charleston Southern, but the New York Mets see happier days in Parnell's future.

New York selected the quiet, 6-foot-3, 175-pound fireballer in the ninth round of Tuesday's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Parnell was the 269th overall pick.

"That's No. 269 out of about 750,000 kids that were out there," said Allen Wilson, who scouts for the Mets and coaches the South Rowan American Legion team. "I know how much the Mets like him and I know 29 other teams had him on their draft board somewhere."

Wilson recommended Parnell, despite his 3-5 record and 8.86 ERA. Parnell struck out 45 batters, while walking 29. He uncorked 13 wild pitches and plunked nine batters. The scariest stat of all might be that opposing hitters batted a robust .330 against the right-hander.

Those aren't typical draft-pick numbers, but Wilson insisted all that alarming arithmetic isn't a big deal.

"Kids can't control the team they play for," Wilson said. "Besides, no big-league team drafts stats. They draft potential, and Bobby's potential is incredible."

Bottom line?

"The Mets wouldn't be drafting him if they didn't believe he could play in the major leagues," Wilson said.

It's just a matter of everything coming together for Parnell, and the Mets believe they are the ones that can make it happen.

Parnell has several natural gifts. He has serious juice in his right arm, and he has the perfect pitcher's body. He's long, lean and loose, and he has a textbook arm-swing that unleashes fastballs that travel in excess of 90 miles an hour.

"Bobby has some things you can't teach," agreed Jim Gantt, who coached Parnell when he played for the Rowan County American Legion team. "You can't teach a kid to be tall and to throw hard."

Parnell seldom pitched at East Rowan, where he was mostly a gold-glove, rocket-armed third baseman.

He also didn't throw much for the Rowan Legion, where he was a .300-hitting first baseman for the 2002 state champions.

"Bobby pitched almost none at East, just about none for Rowan," said Wilson, who has known Parnell since the prospect was 10 years old.

"But he's always kept working. He's never given up. He got a college scholarship, and now he's a draft pick."

Gantt wasn't shocked at all that Parnell's name was called.

"The thing I always liked about Bobby is that he was always the first one at the ballpark," he said. "I'd be out there mowing grass, and I'd see him come in and I'd know it was about an hour before the team was supposed to be there.

"He always wanted to be good. Every day, he wanted to be good. You talk about desire, well, he has it. He always had it."

Parnell, who has a good slider as well as a blinding fastball, has the option of returning to Charleston Southern for his senior year, but there's a pretty good chance that he'll sign.

He would have zero bargaining power next June, but if he signs now, he can expect a substantial bonus.

The 269th pick in the draft last year was UCLA third baseman Ryan McCarthy. He signed with the Chicago White Sox for $70,000.

If Parnell does become a Met, he would most likely be assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones of the short-season New York-Penn League.

Whatever his stats are in Brooklyn, the Mets won't be overly concerned.

They're looking at the big picture.

"I see Bobby and I see long arms and a skinny body that's gonna fill out," Wilson said. "A lot of people in the Mets organization believe in him."
***


BOBBY PARNELL
Pos.: P Ht.: 6-3 Wt.: 175
Hometown: Salisbury, NC
Previous School: East Roman HS
Eligibility: Jr. Major: Undecided

Perhaps the team�s top pitching prospect in terms of the professional draft � fastball is lower 90�s � has developed better off speed pitches and had outstanding fall ... could be the team�s number one starter in 2005 �

2004: struggled with consistency en route to a 1-6 record and a 6.82 earned run average � did lead the team with two saves � best outing of the season came against nationally-ranked East Carolina on March 13 when he allowed seven hits and no earned runs in eight innings � lone victory came in relief on April 14 against The Citadel � pitched 68.2 innings, striking out 59 hitters with 47 walks ...

2003: Posted a 2-5 record with a respectable 5.03 earned run average as a true freshman ... also recorded two saves out of the bullpen ... struck out 59 hitters in 77 innings of work ... allowed only one homerun all season ... earned his first collegiate victory on February 22 against Marshall ...

High School: Prepped at East Rowan High School and was a four-year member of the varsity ... helped lead his American Legion team to the 2002 state championship ...

Personal: Born September 8, 1984 in Salisbury, North Carolina ... son of Tonya and Bob Parnell.

Start a new A-A-P Forum.... NOW!!!!

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

NOW!!!! up for adoption:

Daniel Arizmendi

SANTA ANA, CA - Santa Ana College sophomore all-America pitcher Daniel Arizmendi (Nogales HS) became the first Dons' baseball player to be selected in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft when the New York Mets took him in the 33rd round with the 989th overall pick.

The lefthander from Nogales High School led the Dons to a share of their second consecutive Orange Empire Conference title and 17th overall. Arizmendi was named the OEC Pitcher of the Year after posting a perfect
7-0 record and a 2.65 ERA in league play. The lefthander led Santa Ana with a 9-2 overall record and a 3.25 ERA in 102.1 innings pitched. He tossed one complete game while striking out 80 and walking 53 in 16 appearances.

As a freshman in 2003, Arizmendi appeared in nine games making six starts. He finished the season with a 2-3 record with a 7.48 ERA. He gave up 27 runs in 27.2 innings and struck out 29 Taloawhile walking 26.
****
Handsome Matt Anderson


Junior redshirt Matt Anderson was a 31st-round pick by the New York Mets. Anderson, a two-time all-conference selection was fourth on the team with a .332 batting average. Anderson, who has played first base and third for the Anteaters, was also a designated hiter and was tied for second with 64 hits and tied for the No. 2 spot in the Big West with 18 doubles. Anderson was a Big West Player of the Week this season, was tied for second with four home runs and fourth on the team with 10 stolen bases. Anderson is fifth in the UCI career records with a .350 average over three years. His 18 doubles this season give him 48 and move him into second in the career records and he belted 13 home runs (No. 5) during his tenure. Anderson is also in the top 10 of the UCI season annals. He batted .379 (10th), recorded 59 games played (t-6th), recorded 239 at bats (6th), scored 57 runs (6th) and amassed 91 hits (2nd) all during his freshman campaign. Anderson joins former second baseman Matt Fisher, who was a 33rd-round selection by the Mets in 2004.

***
Tomasiewicz Picked in MLB Draft

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater lefthander Kevin Tomasiewicz was selected in the 26th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets Wednesday, June 8. Tomasiewicz went 15-1 with a 2.83 earned run average in 2005. Tomasiewicz set school and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference records for both wins in a season (15 in 2005) and career (35). He went 35-5 over his four years at UW-Whitewater. He also led all National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III pitchers in wins in 2005. For his career, Tomasiewicz is also UW-W's record holder for innings pitched, and he is among the top five in the school record book for walks per nine innings, strikeouts and ERA. He was named Second Team Division III All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2005.
edit: Huge photo edited out!

[Guest Edgy DC]

[code:1]"Kids can't control the team they play for," Wilson said. [/code:1]

Well yes, to some extent, they can.

Besides, how relevant is that to an 8.84 ERA?

]"Besides, no big-league team drafts stats. They draft potential, and Bobby's potential is incredible."

That's not really what I hear.

[Guest seawolf17]

Edgy DC wrote: ]"Kids can't control the team they play for," Wilson said. Well yes, to some extent, they can. Besides, how relevant is that to an 8.84 ERA?

The problem is that every time he pitched, all seven fielders would all bunch up around second base, which meant everything down either line was just an inside-the-park home run. It's tough, being a pitcher in that situation. You're bound to give up runs.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Who speaks French? What does this say?

La d�faite va � la fiche de Pierre Miville Desch�nes, qui a �t� rep�ch� hier par les Mets de New York. En quatre manches, il a permis six points, dont quatre m�rit�s.

(beaten)

[Guest seawolf17]

According to the Web translator, it says:

The defeat goes to the card of Pierre Miville Desch�nes, who was fished out yesterday by the Mets of New York. In four handles, it allowed six points, including four deserved.

Translated from that to baseball:

Deschenes, who was drafted by the Mets yesterday, took the loss, giving up six runs (four earned) in four innings.

edit: I like the Web translation better.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

John Sickels on the Mets (thx nyfs)

Mets Draft Review

By John Sickels
June 12, 2005 -

The problem for the Mets in this draft is the big gap early: with no second or third-round picks, the Mets have to be damn sure they pick the right people in the middle rounds, or risk a negative impact on farm system depth. How did they do? Let�s find out.

The focus here is on the balance between risk and reward for each pick. The ETAs should not be taken especially seriously at this point, and are more of a guide to readiness than anything.

1) Mike Pelfrey, RHP, Wichita State University��������
��� Undaunted by a potential tangle with uberagent Scott Boras, the Mets selected Wichita State right-hander Mike Pelfrey with the ninth overall pick. Pelfrey is at least as good as 2004 first-rounder Phil Humber; most believe that Pelfrey has a higher ceiling, and he certainly would not have fallen this far in the draft without the Boras factor. It may take awhile, but it�s hard to see how Pelfrey won�t sign eventually, given that finances should not be a factor for a New York franchise. In scouting terms, Pelfrey offers everything you want: velocity, command, physical size, intelligence, emotional maturity. His fastball hits the mid-90s, with movement. He�s refined his breaking ball and changeup, and he throws strikes. If he stays healthy, Pelfrey should develop into an impact starter. ETA: late 2006-2007.
�
4) Hector Pellot, SS-2B, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
��� A 5-11, 185 pound infielder, Pellot is athletic and toolsy and has been compared to Jose Valentin. There is mixed opinion about his chances. Some people think he will hit for power in time, while others believe he will max out as a gap hitter and never be much of an offensive force. He�s rather raw on defense, particularly with his throws, but he runs well and should be fine defensively with more experience. It boils down to his hitting, and that is uncertain at this point. A rather risky selection, given the lack of picks above him, but he does have upside. ETA: 2010+.

5) Drew Butera, C, University of Central Florida
���� The son of former Major League catcher Sal Butera, Drew Butera is similar to his father, who was a good-field/no-hit catcher for the Twins, Expos, and Reds. Drew is an excellent defender with great quickness behind the plate, an accurate arm, and a good rapport with pitchers. His hitting is better than his dad�s, although that�s not saying much. Sal hit .227/.302/.295 in 359 career games, while Drew should be able to hit 20-30 points higher than that with more power. He�ll never be a significant offensive force, but his glovework should move him up the ladder quickly. Low risk due to his defense, but not a lot of offensive upside. ETA: 2007-2008.

6) Greg Cain, OF, Gahr HS, Cerritos, California
��� A toolsy outfielder from California, Cain did not get huge attention before the draft, but offers significant upside. His two best current tools are speed and arm strength. He is physically strong, but right now his swing doesn�t translate that strength into game power that often. But his plate discipline appears workable, and with time and experience he could develop into a solid player, perhaps similar to a young Ron Gant. He is praised for his work ethic, which can only help of course. I think he is a sleeper, but the Mets will need to be patient. ETA: 2010+.

7) Jon Niese, LHP, Defiance HS, Defiance, Ohio
��� A projectable left-hander, Niese is the kind of guy who could have gone a few rounds higher if he�d had the same exposure as a California or Florida kid, but he is well-known to Midwest scouts and is one of the best pitchers in recent Ohio high school history. His fastball sits at 86-88 MPH, but should get faster in time, and he mixes it well with a slider, a curve, and a splitter he uses like a changeup. Scouts also like his pitching instincts, intelligence, and feel for the game. He will have to be bought away from college at Cincinnati, but rumor has it that that shouldn�t be too difficult. Personally, I think this is a great pick in the seventh round. ETA: 2009-2010.

8) Sean McCraw, C, San Jacinto JC (Texas)
��� On a national basis, college and high school baseball talents get a lot more attention than they did fifteen years ago. But the junior college ranks are often overlooked, not so much by professional teams and scouts (who follow them closely of course), but by fans and the media. McCraw went 2-3 rounds sooner than expected, but he has a power bat from the left side, and enough athleticism that he should be able to remain behind the plate if the Mets are patient with him. ETA: 2009.

9) Bobby Parnell, RHP, Charleston Southern University
��� First, the bad news. Parnell posted a horrendous 8.86 ERA for Charleston Southern this year, allowing 62 hits in 44 innings. The good news is that college statistics are often not predictive, and that Parnell did manage to strike out a hitter per inning, which is a positive marker. He has a low 90s fastball, but is still working on his off-speed pitches and his control. If he can sharpen his command and develop something to go with the fastball, he could be a big surprise. There are usually two types of college players available in the ninth round: guys with good stats but mediocre physical tools, and guys with bad stats but good physical tools. Parnell fits into the latter category, and some of them do pan out. ETA: 2008-2009.

10) Courtney Billingslea, OF, Sinclair CC (Ohio)
���� A former college punter at Alabama A&M, Billingslea is a tools monster at 6-6, 215 pounds, with power/speed potential. He�s 19 years old, raw, but has high upside, which seems to be a theme with several of the Mets picks. At this point Billingslea could develop into anything, or nothing.

11) Luis Martinez, C-OF, Jackson State CC (Tennessee)
������ Martinez had a successful junior college season, showing power and good defensive skills. There seems to be some confusion about his position; he was a catcher/outfielder in college (mostly catcher), and scouts seem to think that is his better position, but he is listed as an outfielder in the Major League Baseball draft database. Either way, he fits in with what the Mets tried to do in the middle rounds: collect high-ceiling athletes.

12) Matthew Spath, OF, Flagler Palm Coast HS, Bunnell, Florida
����� A dominant statistical performer in high school, and a good-enough athlete to be offered a college scholarship as a Division I defensive back, Spath isn�t a huge guy at 6-1, 185, and that hurt his draft status. But a late flourish this spring got him on the draft boards, and he has sleeper potential as a 12th round pick. He will attend junior college if he doesn�t sign right away, which would make him a draft-and-follow.
���������
OTHER DRAFTEES OF NOTE

17) Pedro Beato, RHP, Xaverian HS, Queens, New York
����� Two years ago, the 6-6, 215 pound Dominican immigrant Pedro Beato looked like an early round pick for �05. But he blew out his elbow and had to have Tommy John surgery last year. He didn�t look especially impressive this spring, lacking his normal velocity. But just a year removed from the surgery, that is not unusual, and given his size and previous track record, he is an intriguing pick. Word before the draft was that Beato would head to junior college to finish his recovery. He could end up being an excellent draft-and-follow pick.

19) Tim Grogan, 3B, Western Kentucky University
����� Considered a possible fourth-sixth round draft pick a year ago, Grogan had problems hitting with wooden bats in the Cape Cod League last summer, then had a bad year this spring, hurting his stock significantly. But he�s quick, strong, and athletic, and if he can make some offensive adjustments, there�s always the chance he could rebound.

26) Kevin Tomasiewicz, LHP, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
����� A finesse southpaw, Tomasiewicz owns one of the best pitching track records in Division III history. His status is hurt by a mediocre fastball (85-88 MPH), but he changes speeds well and knows how to pitch. He should do well in A-ball, but we�ll have to see what happens to him when he reaches advanced competition in Double-A. His college performance was strong enough to at least make him a sleeper.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
���� Judging a draft two days afterward is problematic. We really don�t have any idea how any of these guys are going to pan out. Even the �safest� pick, someone like Pelfrey, can flame out unexpectedly, while a raw guy can develop his skills suddenly and come out of nowhere. But we can at least get an idea about the kind of risks a particular class runs, and the �05 Mets draft is a risky one.

���� Pelfrey is as close to a sure thing as you can find in a pitcher, but after him the Mets took a lot of chances. Rather than play it safe due to the lack of second and third round choices, the Mets braintrust drafted many high-ceiling/high-reward/high-risk guys. Drew Butera�s glove will get him to the Show, even if his bat doesn�t develop much. Of the high school and JC guys, my favorites are Greg Cain and Jonathan Niese.

����� In any event, it will be at least three years before this draft can be legitimately judged. There is a lot of long-term upside here, but this class will present a challenge to New York�s player development team. Whether this is a solid, gutsy draft, or a shaky, excessively risky one, depends on your point of view.

***
Also, a word from a blog guy:

New York Mets: To be honest, all I really see coming from this class is a future battery: Mike Pelfrey on the mound, and Drew Butera behind the plate. If that is true, Omar Minaya might not be too disappointed. That is simply how good of a talent Pelfrey is, a tall, projectable player with a developed arsenal. He certainly projects better than (gasp!) Jered Weaver, the top collegiate pitcher from 2004. Butera profiles to be his personal catcher, one of the back-up variety, as his bat even pales in comparison to Taylor Teagarden's. But the kid can catch-and-throw with the best of them, and the Mets teaming him up with Pelfrey early and often would be in their best interests. Certainly not a great draft by the Mets, but with Pelfrey and no second and third-round picks, it will be hard to frown upon it.

(He ranked the Mets with the 8th best draft in the NL).

[Guest Rotblatt]

Very interesting piece! Thanks, JD. I hadn't seen a comprehensive assessment of our picks yet.

From someone who knows little about prospects, I rather like the idea of going for high ceiling players. Oddly enough, I feel like our 2-round gap makes that even more essential. We missed out on a lot of the surer high-ceiling players, so we tried to compensate by getting the riskier ones. Our options were pretty much go for the safest picks, who would most likely have low ceilings since they're available after the 4th round, the risky ones who have high ceilings but have some perceived flaw, or something in the middle. Since we're a large-market team, there's no reason for us to consistently go the safe, low-ceiling route. We can afford to sign solid bench or role players if we have to, so why not be aggressive with our picks?

Sounds to me like we did a fine job.

[Guest MFS62]

So, my question prior to the draft about Omar's strategy has been answered. He went for "toolsey" players instead of going for College players who may be closer to being ready for prime time.
Now let's see how well the organization can turn those tools into productive baseball skills.

Good article. Thanks.

Later

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I believe the "high-risk" strategy was as much a part of the draft position as anything, but I guess it fits with the overall developing Omar Era MO of aiming high.

In the past (Phillips era), the Mets had been criticized for being overly safe, going for organizational guys/college seniors who don't have real leverage, so maybe this does indicate a change afoot. They turned over a good bit of their scouting/draft staff from last year, from what I understand.

[Guest Elster88]

]he will max out as a gap hitter and never be much of an offensive force. He�s rather raw on defense, particularly with his throws, but he runs well and should be fine defensively with more experience. It boils down to his hitting, and that is uncertain at this point.

So now not only are they going for a tool guy, but a tool guy whose tools are uncertain?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

He's only 17. You can't be sure of anything at that age. You also have to realize that many of the guys with "surer" tools were prolly gone at that point.

I think you should adopt this kid, nuture him and see him grow.

Is the AAP Forum up yet?