And we're off
It'll be interesting to see what direction the Jays take today. Other than Arencibia they didn't take a college hitter in their first 10 picks. I imagine that this will change today and we'll see a lot of college hitters if only because it doesn't make a lot of sense for a HS player to sign at this point in the draft (as they can go to college and try again in future drafts).
The other thing to look for today is drafting players who dropped because of signability and other players that become 'summer follows'. That is, if a team takes a player they have until August 15th to sign them. They'll follow the progress of the player in summer leagues and if the player is worth what they're asking for the team may sign them. The other possibility is that these players could be fall back options if players at the top of the draft don't sign (although I suspect the Jays knew about the signability of all the players they took).
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Round 6: Michael McDade, 1B/C
Silerado HS (NV)
6-2, 250 lbs; Bats - switch, Throws - right
5/8/89
BA: The top high school hitter in the state is 6-foot-2, 260-pound Mike McDade,
a switch-hitting masher who lacks a true position. McDade's body
already has gone south, drawing Prince Fielder comparisons. McDade was
the state player of the year after hitting 14 home runs this spring and
has a plus arm behind the plate. He'll have to get in better shape to
stay at catcher long-term.
Round 7: Randy Boone, RHP
Texas University
6-3, 215 lbs;
8/6/84
| Year | Innings | ERA | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | H/9 |
| 2004 | 44 | 3.27 | 6.1 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 9.4 |
| 2005 | 109.1 | 3.46 | 7.8 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 8.5 |
| 2006 | 42.2 | 3.59 | 8.7 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 8.7 |
| 2007 | 71.1 | 2.52 | 8.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 8.1 |
Round 8: Robert Leffler, RHP
University of Tampa (profile)
6-2, 210 lbs;
8/7/84 (one day younger than Randy Boone)
BA: The crop of college arms was so thin that a converted catcher from
Tampa Robert Leffler created interest. In his first year as a pitcher,
Leffler has shown enough arm strength to bump 94 mph, and he's learning how to
command an 85-87 mph slurve. His velocity and control are inconsistent, but his
arm works well and his delivery is clean and on line.
Round 9: Marcus Walden, RHP
Fresno CC
6-0, 195 lbs;
9/13/88
Round 10: Joel Collins, C
University of South Alabama
6-1, 195 lbs; Bats – right, throws - right
4/24/86
| Year | AB | Ave | OBP | SLG | K/BB | K% |
| 2005 | 182 | 0.264 | 0.338 | 0.335 | 2.1 | 14.3% |
| 2006 | 197 | 0.299 | 0.430 | 0.457 | 1.0 | 10.7% |
| 2007 | 191 | 0.335 | 0.453 | 0.550 | 0.8 | 6.9% |
Round 11: Bradley Emaus, 2B
Tulane University
6-0, 190 lbs; Bats - right, Throws - right
3/28/86
| Year | AB | Ave | OBP | SLG | K/BB | K% |
| 2005 | 262 | 0.321 | 0.424 | 0.542 | 0.9 | 12.2% |
| 2006 | 242 | 0.289 | 0.390 | 0.434 | 0.8 | 11.2% |
| 2007 | 219 | 0.329 | 0.439 | 0.443 | 0.6 | 8.7% |
BA: Emaus is a gap
hitter with the ability to make adjustments at the plate, but he doesn't fit a
true position profile. Second base is his likely spot as a pro, but he's a
slightly below-average runner who carries 210 pounds on his 6-foot frame,
leading to concerns about his future range. He'd fit better defensively at
third base and has enough arm strength to play there, but he doesn't have the
home run power teams want in a corner infielder.
Round 12: Steven Condotta, SS
Florida Tech
6-0, 180 lbs; Bats - right, Throws - right
3/18/85
Round 13: Jonathan Talley, C
Carlsbad HS
6-4, 220 lbs; Bats – left, throws - right
2/18/89
Round 14: Cody Crowell, LHP
Vanderbilt University
6-3, 215 lbs
8/23/85
| Year | Innings | ERA | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | H/9 |
| 2005 | 16 | 1.12 | 9.6 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 7.9 |
| 2006 | 84.1 | 3.95 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 9.7 |
| 2007 | 66.2 | 4.05 | 8.0 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 7.9 |
BA: Being lefthanded with an occasional plus breaking ball, Crowell has value as a situational reliever. His fastball sits between 85-88 mph.
Round 15: Nathan Jennings, RHP
Univ Texas - Tyler
6-0, 180 lbs
12/24/84
BA: Tyler closer Nate Jennings put up amazing numbers. He allowed no runs and just four hits and four walks in 25 innings while striking out 47. He has a quick arm that generates low-90s fastball and low-80s sliders.
Round 16: Darin Mastroianni, 2B
University of S Indiana
5-11, 190 lbs; Bats - right, Throws - right
8/26/85
BA: Second baseman Darin Mastroianni hit .409 and topped NCAA Division II with 64 steals in 67 attempts. He doesn't have the arm for shortstop, though he might be able to handle center field as a pro.
Round 17: Adalberto Santos, 2B
New Mexico JC
5-11, 185 lbs; Bats - right, Throws - right
9/28/87
BA: Adalberto Santos put up stunning numbers. He hit .520/.570/.861, leading the nation in batting while adding a team-high 20 stolen bases. One of the team's better athletes, Santos is best suited for second base.
Round 18: Christopher Corrigan, RHP
San Jacinto Col North
6-2, 155 lbs
12/24/87
BA: Corrigan has a low-90s sinker and a hard slider despite standing at just 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds.
Round 19: Brian Letko, LHP
Embry-Riddle University
6-5, 195 lbs
1/23/85
Round 20: Willie Hale, RHP
Ohio State
6-7, 190 lbs
12/11/85
| Year | Innings | ERA | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | H/9 |
| 2006 | 64 | 3.38 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 0.1 | 8.0 |
| 2007 | 65.2 | 4.25 | 6.6 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 9.8 |
| Year | Innings | ERA | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | H/9 |
| 2005 | 5 | 12.60 | 3.6 | 12.6 | 0.0 | 10.8 |
| 2007 | 18.2 | 5.79 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 0.5 | 12.9 |
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20070608103812794