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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.
Blue Jays 2006 Draft - Day 1 | 58 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mylegacy - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 01:32 PM EDT (#148352) #

I'm happy.

The mlm.com announcers say he has excellent left power, good strike zone judgment, ok arm.

BUT: is he the guy that BA says is 6'3" 220, or that mlm.com says is 5'11" 230 or that mlm.com says (on another screen) is 6'1" 220???

If we were ever going to take a HS bat this guy seems like an excellent choice for an AL East bomber.

Now, lets see how he looks in 2010 when he makes it to Toronto. The long wait is the downside of drafting HS guys.

 

Sister - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 01:41 PM EDT (#148355) #
The video footage of Snyder on the MLBTV broadcast should him to have a strong (muscular), solid frame in the Clemens mold and not of the John Kruk variety.
Pistol - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 01:48 PM EDT (#148358) #
Well, given that I took Snider in the Sickels Mock Draft I'm obviously pleased with the pick.  It'll be fun to follow him over the next few years and hopefully he develops like some other HS hitters like Ian Stewart or Billy Butler (not necessarily in the type of hitter that they are).

Gerry probably knows better than I, but if Snider is really advanced for a HS player it's possible that he'll go to Auburn to play this year.  However, I suspect that they'll start him slow in Pulaski.  Next year he'll probably start in Lansing.

The interesting thing will be whether the Jays try to keep him in the OF or move him to 1B now.

If you follow the MLB.com link above you can also see video of Snider.  I'm not sure you can get much from watching the swing (there's a bunch of check swings which is funny) but you can see what he looks like.  He's pretty wide for a HS kid.

Mike Green - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 01:54 PM EDT (#148359) #
Very good.  Snider's got a nice swing, and runs fairly well at this stage.  However, from the little clip on milb.com, he doesn't look like much of an outfielder. Willie Stargell was a leftfielder when he was young, but whether that was a good thing is another matter.

By all accounts, Snider has the best bat, college or high school, available in the draft. One rarely loses making that choice.

Paul D - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 01:58 PM EDT (#148360) #
Also at 3PM, Keith Law has a chat at www.espn.com.

The chats are free while they're going on, but about 10 minutes after they're over they go behind the insider wall.

Bruce Wrigley - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 02:02 PM EDT (#148362) #

Well the DH role looks to be sewed up from 2010 onwards.  Snider is slow and doesn't start well.  He's thick-waisted and he looks strong but not what I'd consider athletic.  It's tough for a guy 6-0 or below to cut it at first base; most 1B are taller.  But if he can hit, and everyone says he can, I don't care.  Welcome aboard, kid.

Sister - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 02:21 PM EDT (#148367) #
The comments on his defense are mixed -- some suggest passable outfield defense while others suggest a move to first is likely. I want to see what he can do in the outfield after he has had a good year of coaching from the Jays system on the less atheletic aspect of playing defense (such as positioning, footwork, etc). While many aspects of the *highschooler* are scoutable, I would think that the impact of proper coaching might get overlooked.

My guess is that there is a great deal of variability in the quality of coaching at the highschool level and that once placed in a major league farm system (and associated coaching), perceived limitations in players can be corrected (perhaps not to star levels but certainly to passable, league average quality).



Pistol - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 02:34 PM EDT (#148370) #
Last year when we spoke with Jon Lalonde he said something along the lines that they feel it's easier to teach someone to play defense than it is to get them to hit.


Newton - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 03:06 PM EDT (#148376) #

This kid is huge, muscle mass wise, for a high schooler of his stature.  If  he continues to fill out and devotes himself to conditioning he's going to be an absolute monster.   He essentially has the same dimensions of Jeff Bagwell as a grade 12.  

I'm excited about this pick and was even more excited when I saw the footage on MLB.com  He has great bat speed.  

The knee bend in his batting stance reminds me a little of Vernon Wells.

Thomas - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 03:15 PM EDT (#148378) #
Keith on Snider:

Keith Law: (3:13 PM ET ) No, I think Snider is a good four years away. But considering the college talent available to them at 14, taking the best high school bat available was the right move. Vernon Wells is a free agent after '07, and I'm not ready to buy fully into Alexis Rios based on two hot months with mediocre plate discipline.

Bruce Wrigley - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 03:29 PM EDT (#148383) #
Blue Jays 4th-rounder is college senior Brandon Magee of Bradley University, a fireballer.
Mylegacy - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 03:31 PM EDT (#148385) #
BA says,  he one of the top college seniors and he's improved after pricing himself out of the 2005 draft.
Bruce Wrigley - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:03 PM EDT (#148394) #
Blue Jays 5th-round pick is 1B Luke Hopkins of New Mexico State, the best hitter's school in the nation.  Unless his hitting stats are out of this freakin' world, this ain't a stats pick.
braden - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:09 PM EDT (#148397) #

Law on Magee:

SportsNation Keith Law: (4:04 PM ET ) Solid back of the rotation candidate, pitched for Bradley, good sinker, throws strikes. My only inside info is to say that Aaron Jersild (the area scout who has Illinois for Toronto) is probably a happy man right now.

Pistol - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:11 PM EDT (#148400) #
Unless his hitting stats are out of this freakin' world, this ain't a stats pick.

I don't think the Jays make true 'stats picks' this early, but they almost are out of this freakin world.
Mylegacy - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:21 PM EDT (#148401) #

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/05/30/100pre_c1ts001.cfm

The above is a local newspaper story on Snider.

Thomas - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:36 PM EDT (#148402) #
6th round: Brian Jeroloman, C, Florida U
Mudie - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:40 PM EDT (#148404) #

Brian Jeroloman C 6' 190lb U Florida

56  190  40  46   7   0   6  39   71  .374  38   7  37   4  .242 .381

Mike Forbes - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:42 PM EDT (#148405) #
Hello Kevin Cash V2.
Bruce Wrigley - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:49 PM EDT (#148406) #
Cash was an infielder with a reasonable bat who had to make the switch to catching; anyway, he was so lightly regarded that I think he didn't even get drafted.  There's nothing remotely comparable about the two.  Jeroloman's an honest-to-goodness catcher who can work on his hitting instead of spending his time working on learning how to catch.
Bruce Wrigley - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:53 PM EDT (#148407) #
Jonathan Baksh, an outfielder from Mississauga, was the Jays' 7th-rounder.  Baksh plays for Florida Tech in NCAA Division II.
Bruce Wrigley - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 04:59 PM EDT (#148408) #
Jays' 8th-rounder is college LHP Daniel O'Brien of Western Michigan.
Gerry - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 07:32 PM EDT (#148419) #

11th - Matthew Lane (4yr) C

12th - Jonathon Diaz (4yr) SS

13th - Mikal Garnarino (HS) CF

14th - Shaun Scobee (4yr) CF

15th - Seth Overbey (4yr) RHP

16th - Chase Lirette (4yr) RHP

17th - Kyle Ginley (JC) RHP

18th - Kyle Walter (4yr) LHP

 

robertdudek - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 07:51 PM EDT (#148420) #
Why don't we start a thread with our predictions as to what month and year Snyder makes his major league debut.

I choose August 2009.


robertdudek - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 07:52 PM EDT (#148421) #
"Snider". Apologies.
John Northey - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 08:26 PM EDT (#148424) #
I figure most 4th year seniors are just fodder to fill rosters in A ball.  If one does develop, great.  However the main use is to keep those teams competitive thus giving a push to the 'real' prosects (normally guys drafted in the first 5 rounds).

Remember, only 7 guys a year per team make the majors.  Since 1997 there has been an average of 3-4 hitters per team making the majors for the first time and 3-4 pitchers (higher than I expected due to the creation of the 7 man bullpen I suspect).

How much do those 10 guys play?  For players who debuted in the 1980's 29% of the pitchers didn't pitch 50 innings in their career, 39% below 100, 52% below 250 IP.  For hitters 26% didn't get 100 PA, 49% didn't reach 600 (a full season).

The draft is really two parts.  One for finding a potential everyday player/starting pitcher (rounds 1 and 2) then the rest is a mix of finding a diamond in the rough and filling in the minor league rosters.  In the Gillick days the Jays largely went for high ceiling prospects from rounds 1 to 100.  Now they seem focused on the prospects early then just filling rosters with solid guys to generate that 'winning feeling' in the low minors and to push the real prosects.  Both methods have their pluses - Gillick's method would hit gold more often, JP's pushes the prosects to be all they can be (no country club).  I'm sure the fans in Dunedin and the like prefer JP to Gillick, over the next couple of years we'll know for certain if we do.
John Northey - Tuesday, June 06 2006 @ 08:32 PM EDT (#148425) #
Scary thought for anyone here who remembers the 90's - the Jays first pick was under 2 years old when the 90's hit and that means that this year someone will sign a free agent (if they haven't already) at the age of 16 who was born in the 1990's.

Geez, I remember when the Jays first signed a guy born in the 70's (Jimy something - a dominican shortstop who was in spring training a couple of times but never made it) and how weird it was when guys born in the 80's were getting signed.  Guess I'm getting old.

mendocino - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 12:06 AM EDT (#148436) #

http://www.trojanpride.com/

Figueroa goes by the first name "Cole"

mendocino - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 03:39 AM EDT (#148443) #
Pistol - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 09:47 AM EDT (#148445) #

Here's the Globe's story on the draft, several Lalonde quotes on Snider.  It sounds like he'll be in the OF for Pulaski.

Bob Elliot , after taking a few more shots at the Jays, says Snider followed the draft on some crazy thing known as the world wide web.

Bruce Wrigley - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 11:36 AM EDT (#148450) #

Shawn Scobee is a great pick, has a potential plus power bat.  Think a Chip Cannon type, but in rightfield.  These guys are worth a shot at that level of the draft.

Kyle Walter's a very interesting pick - only the second player ever to be a four-time All-Patriot League player - but as a big-hitting outfielder.  The Jays see lefthandedness and great size (6-3, 200) and arm strength, I guess, and figure he's a pitcher instead of a hitter.

 

Mike Green - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 12:33 PM EDT (#148455) #

Like Bruce, I like the Scobee and Walter picks.  Although they're college players, they both have high upside for their draft placement.  Bruce has covered Scobee well, but Walter is at this point a raw arm who is not yet 22 and does not have a lot of mileage on his arm at a young age. The odds are against Walter, but if he succeeds, the credit will be almost entirely to the development people in the organization.

Dave Stieb started out as an outfielder...one can always wish.

Dr B - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 05:07 PM EDT (#148479) #
10th round pick, Scott Campbell, made national morning news in NZ. Not often does a 10th round pick make the national news. They didn't say who he was drafted by, since nobody actually cares about that, just that he's a New Zealander. But I for one and chuffed to see him taken by the Jays. NZ news also failed to mention that 10th round picks rarely make the major leagues, but hey, why rain on the parade? NZ is something of an untapped market, but baseball is a complete minority sport. (Softball is much more popular but still a minority sport). BA appears to have got it's Auckland population figures from Grandma's pre-war almanac...



ayjackson - Wednesday, June 07 2006 @ 07:23 PM EDT (#148488) #

aukland's population is over 1.3 million

mendocino - Monday, June 19 2006 @ 05:34 AM EDT (#149245) #
Travis Snider signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, picking up a $1.7 million signing bonus.
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The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.