Blue Jays 2006 Draft - Day 1
Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 01:00 PM EDT
Contributed by: Pistol
The Blue Jays first round pick is Travis Snider, OF, Jackson HS (WA).
Round 1: Travis Snider, OF, Jackson HS (WA)
6-0, 220, 2/8/88
BA: Snider appears to be the best hitter to come through (Washington) since Grady Sizemore. He's mature physically with a strong frame. Snider's powerful lefthanded swing generates above-average bat speed and raw power, and he's become noted not just for hitting lots of home runs, but for hitting lots of long home runs. He does a good job of hanging in against lefthanded pitchers and staying back on breaking balls, trusting his hands. His work ethic earns raves from scouts; he organizes practices three times a week for his Jackson High team, which was undefeated through 21 games, and gives hitting lessons to local children as a senior class project. Snider's value rests almost completely in his bat, as he's a below-average runner and fringe-average defender due to his modest throwing arm.
Scouts Inc (Law): The left-handed hitter has a sound, conventional swing that generates significant raw and in-game power, with a number of long home runs on his résumé. He'll need to hit and hit for power, however, as he is likely to end up in left field or at first base in the pros, due to his body type and his below-average arm.
MLB.com: He has the chance to be a prototypical corner OF or 1B in terms of power, though there are questions about his defense. He's as complete a high school hitter as there is in this draft.
Brewerfan.net: Snider is a big-bodied outfielder that may move to first base at some point in his career if he continues to grow and add weight. For now he's a rightfielder, where his powerful bat and throwing arm make him a perfect fit at the position. It may not matter where he plays on the field, as his bat is big enough to play anywhere, on any level. He has prodigious power potential that is only matched by three or four other draft eligible players. Despite his large frame, he moves well for his size, and shouldn't be a liability in the outfield.
Round 4: Brandon Magee, RHP, Bradley
6-5, 190, 7/23/83
| Year |
Innings |
ERA |
K/9 |
BB/9 |
HR/9 |
H/9 |
| 2006 |
105.0
|
2.66 |
8.7
|
2.4 |
0.5 |
9.3
|
| 2005 |
103.2 |
4.43
|
6.8
|
2.8 |
0.5 |
9.3
|
| 2004 |
69.0 |
6.00 |
6.8
|
4.0
|
0.8 |
11.6 |
BA: Magee could have gone in the eighth to 12th round a year ago if scouts had had a better feel for his signability. The extra year has helped him. He has gotten stronger and his stuff has improved. His fastball is up a tick to 89-94 mph with good life down in the zone and his slider is up to 81-84 mph with increased bite. He's commanding his pitches better as well. Magee also employs a changeup, and on his best days all three of his pitches will be average or better. Magee's long, lean 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame continues to draw comparisons to Matt Clement's, though scouts don't care for his maximum-effort delivery. He's one of the oldest players in the draft, as he'll turn 23 in late July.
MLB.com: An improved college senior, he has reached as high as 95 with his fastball. His slider is better now too and he's mixed in a changeup.
Round 5: Luke Hopkins, 1B, New Mexico St
6-2, 240, 4/15/85
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
149
|
0.403 |
0.548 |
0.799 |
0.5 |
13.3% |
| 2005 |
212
|
0.392 |
0.478 |
0.679 |
1.0
|
15.1% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BA: Hopkins has a sound, natural swing that produces above-average lefthanded power, and he repeats it. He's patient and isn't afraid to go the other way, and he has shown some athleticism despite his 6-foot-1, 240-pound body. He's a below-average fielder but not a slug--not yet, anyway. Hopkins was slowed by a hamstring injury late, which further clouded the draft-eligible sophomore's signability as scouts had less time to evaluate him.
Round 6: Brian Jeroloman, C, Florida
6-0, 190, 5/10/85
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
190
|
0.242 |
0.381 |
0.374 |
1.0 |
15.7% |
| 2005 |
248
|
0.298 |
0.432 |
0.440 |
0.8 |
13.6% |
| 2004 |
151
|
0.318 |
0.448 |
0.364 |
0.9
|
16.4% |
BA: Jeroloman was always considered a defense-first backstop, but even without big expectations offensively he took a step back this spring. His poor hitting seemed to carry over to his defensive play at times, as well. He showed sure hands, sound footwork and above-average receiving skills as an underclassman, and played well for Team USA last summer. Jeroloman has well-above-average arm strength and has turned in 1.9-second pop times in games. He has agility and good lateral movement behind the plate and is adept at blocking balls in the dirt. He has good rapport with pitchers and calls a good game. At the plate, he showed a feel for the strike zone and an ability to keep his hands inside the ball in the past, but showed an impatient, pull approach as a junior. Scouts also question his bat speed. He has below-average power and running speed.
MLB.com: Perhaps the best defensive catcher in the class, he's quick behind the plate and possess an outstanding arm. Questions remain about his ability to hit at the next level as his average plummeted this season.
Round 7: Jonathan Baksh, OF, Florida Tech
6-1, 200, 3/1/85
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
213
|
0.469 |
0.523 |
0.732 |
0.6
|
5.5% |
| 2005 |
218
|
0.422 |
0.469 |
0.555 |
0.8 |
6.3% |
| 2004 |
152
|
0.316 |
0.386 |
0.428 |
1.1
|
8.9% |
No BA or MLB profile, but he is originally from Missassauga, Ontario. You probably know more about him than I do.
Florida Tech profile.
Round 8: Daniel O'Brien, LHP, Western Michigan
5-10, 190, 9/12/84
| Year |
Innings |
ERA |
K/9 |
BB/9 |
HR/9 |
H/9 |
| 2006 |
87.1
|
2.68 |
9.6
|
2.4 |
0.5 |
8.5
|
| 2005 |
81.2
|
2.98
|
7.3
|
1.8
|
0.7 |
9.6
|
| 2004 |
63.2
|
5.09
|
6.6
|
3.4
|
1.4
|
9.8
|
BA: Dan O'Brien may not have even an average pitch, but he throws strikes with an 85-88 mph sinker, an 83-86 mph cutter, a curveball and a changeup. Some scouts say his cutter is his best pitch while others say it's his sinker, and his changeup may have the most potential. He's undersized at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds and lost velocity down the stretch. He didn't help his chances when he pitched against Ball State's Ben Snyder in front of a crowd of scouts in April. O'Brien walked four guys in the second inning, including three with the bases loaded, and battled his command all day.
Round 9: Stephen Figueroa, SS, Lincoln HS (FL)
5-10, 180, 6/30/87
No profile available.
Round 10: Scott Campbell, 2B, Gonzaga,
5-10, 190, 9/12/84
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
211
|
0.389 |
0.488 |
0.488 |
0.4
|
6.7% |
| 2005 |
211
|
0.332 |
0.462 |
0.403 |
0.7 |
12.2% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BA: Gonzaga's Scott Campbell hit his way into consideration for pro ball by batting .388 for the Bulldogs and posting a .488 on-base percentage, thanks to a 39-17 strikeout-walk ratio. Better yet, Campbell has an interesting story: He's from New Zealand. The native of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city with approximately 400,000 residents, Campbell played both soccer and baseball in high school and would be the first New Zealander ever drafted.
Round 11: Matthew Lane, C, Washington
6-1, 225, 5/23/84
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
220
|
0.268 |
0.353 |
0.491 |
1.2
|
12.0% |
| 2005 |
114
|
0.254 |
0.363 |
0.500 |
1.6
|
19.4% |
| 2004 |
133
|
0.301 |
0.391 |
0.511 |
1.9
|
22.1% |
BA: Catcher Matt Lane has decent power, has recovered from a knee injury that cut his 2005 season in half and had shown enough receiving skills to handle Lincecum's electric stuff. If he goes in the first 15 rounds, it will speak to the scarcity of catching in the draft, because his arm is below-average and he hit just .267.
Round 12: Jonathan Diaz, SS, North Carolina St
5-8, 165, 4/10/85
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
200
|
0.255 |
0.400 |
0.320 |
0.7
|
10.4% |
| 2005 |
183
|
0.317 |
|
|
1.3
|
14.3% |
| 2004 |
162
|
0.167 |
0.280 |
0.216 |
2.1
|
19.1% |
No profile available.
Round 13: Mikal Garbarino, CF, San Dimas HS (CA)
6-1, 185, 4/7/88
No profile available.
Round 14: Shawn Scobee, CF, UNLV
6-0, 205, 10/11/84
| Year |
ABs |
Ave |
OBP |
SLG |
K/BB |
K% |
| 2006 |
170
|
0.371 |
0.538 |
0.847 |
1.1
|
20.1% |
| 2005 |
163
|
0.258 |
0.379
|
0.626 |
2.6
|
30.8% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BA: Nevada outfielderShawn Scobee has tools that tantalize scouts, particularly his power. He was a fifth-round pick out of high school and spent his freshman season at Cal State Fullerton, where it became quickly apparent he was not going to fit in. Execution isn't Scobee's strength. He's there to mash and has two plus tools: raw power and a throwing arm that is well-suited for right field. Scobee was taking advantage of his strength and Nevada's hitter's ballpark to rank second in the nation in slugging percentage (.828). He has a long swing and an overly aggressive approach, and strikeouts (and a low batting average) will always be part of the deal. He's a hard worker and good teammate.
Round 15: Seth Overbey, RHP, Maryland
6-2, 175, 4/30/84
| Year |
Innings |
ERA |
K/9 |
BB/9 |
HR/9 |
H/9 |
| 2006 |
49.0
|
3.49
|
7.3
|
1.8
|
0.7 |
9.6
|
| 2005 |
23.1
|
7.71
|
8.6
|
4.7
|
1.2
|
13.6
|
| 2004 |
28.2
|
7.22
|
8.6
|
3.5
|
0.3 |
12.4
|
| 2003 |
15.1
|
7.04 |
6.0
|
4.2
|
1.8
|
10.7
|
BA: Overbey experimented with a low three-quarters arm slot as an underclassman and embraced the angle this season. He led the Terrapins with 29 appearances and five wins, and he had a 4-1 strikeout-walk ratio. His fastball sits at 89-90 mph, and he pitches down in the zone and works ahead in the count. His slider is a fringe-average pitch with sweeping break near 80 mph. If he doesn't improve it, it's hard to see him as more than a situational reliever who can come in and induce ground balls.
Round 16: Chase Lirette, RHP, South Florida
6-4, 220, 6/9/85
| Year |
Innings |
ERA |
K/9 |
BB/9 |
HR/9 |
H/9 |
| 2006 |
105.0
|
2.66 |
8.7
|
2.4 |
0.5 |
9.3
|
| 2005 |
103.2 |
4.43
|
6.8
|
2.8 |
0.5 |
9.3
|
| 2004 |
69.0 |
6.00 |
6.8
|
4.0
|
0.8 |
11.6 |
BA: Chase Lirette made a good showing in the Cape Cod League last summer and ranked in the top 10 nationally in appearances for South Florida this spring. He pitches near 89 mph with a good split-finger fastball.
Round 17: Kyle Ginley, RHP, St Petersburg JC
6-2, 195, 9/1/86
No profile available.
Round 18: Kyle Walter, LHP, Bucknell
6-3, 200, 7/16/84
| Year |
Innings |
ERA |
K/9 |
BB/9 |
HR/9 |
H/9 |
| 2006 |
10.0
|
7.20
|
11.7
|
8.1
|
0.0 |
9.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No profile available.
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