MLB Draft coverage
Jun
2008
The MLB amateur draft is nearly upon us. Day one will bring the first rounds (last year in the new format that was rounds 1-5) and based on the last ten years, there is a 60% chance of a D-III player being drafted in the first five rounds. Nobody knows who the first player will be and it is likely that it will be latter than next year. No player has the same buzz that UW-Stevens Point Jordan Zimmermann had last year.
Last year there were 19 players drafted - spot on the average for the last ten years. What we can guess about the first player drafted is that it would be a pitcher as 60% of all D-III players drafted are pitchers. By position pitchers are followed by outfielders (12%), and catchers (8%), leaving 20% divided among the four infield positions.
Six schools have had five or more players drafted in the last ten years. The list starts with UW-Oshkosh with nine; Montclair State, Chapman, and Cal Lutheran with seven; and Cortland State and Carthage with five each. Looking at the list of schools with drafted players, it is interesting to find that Marietta has the same number of drafted players as Mass. College (2) but possessing a National Championship trophy. Talking about schools with a Walnut and Bronze in their hardware case - only Ithaca has not had a player drafted since 1998.
I hope to post updates through the day on Thursday and Friday as players names are called and at the end of each day post a summary of the day’s activity on the front page of D3baseball.com. Look for my preview article tomorrow as D3baseball kicks off its 2008 amateur draft coverage.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
The draft is ongoing and is in the third round. So far no D-III players drafted and this is no surprise. The big day for D-III players is always the second day.
As usual there is a mix of college and high school names being called.
June 6th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Ryan Kulik , Rowan was selected first, no. 245 overall by St Louis in the 8th round. Kurt Yacko’s name was called shortly thereafter by Colorado (257th overall) in the same round.
This completes the D-III players selected in the first 13 rounds
June 6th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Four more players drafted and one who transfered to a DI school
Previously selected:
245. Ryan Kulik, Rowan by St Louis (round
257. Kurt Yacko, Chapman by Colorado (8)
Tee others drafted through round 27:
506. Frank Pfister, Emory by Cincinnati (17)
643. Adan Frost, St, Norbert by Detroit (21)
738. Nelson Gomez, Keystone by Arizona (24)
782. Shane Wolf, Ithaca by Houston (26)
and the transfer:
699. Chick Huggins, UCSB by Toronto (23) - played at Trinty (Texas)
June 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
add
829. Tm Kiely, Trinity (Conn) by Arizona (27)
June 6th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Two more:
1019. Bryan Gardner, Ithaca by Cincinnati (34)
1958. Mike Vass, Chapman by Milwaukee (35)
1088. Evan Bronson, Trinty (Texas) by Milwaukee (36)
This brings the total to 10 + 1 transfer through 36 rounds
2 from both Chapman and Ithaca.
June 6th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
and now two from Trinity (Conn). In addition to Kiely add
1132. Thomas DeBenedetto, Trinity (Conn.) by Boston (37)
Also:
1136. Thomas Phelps, Whittier by Baltimore (38)
1141. Ronnie Labrie, Lynchburg by Washington (38)
the total stands at 13 +1
June 6th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Number 14 is:
1209. Nate Nelson, Worcester State by Toronto (40)
June 6th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
and there were 17.
627. Mike Eifel, Dominican by San Francisco (21)
1368. Dean Laganosky, Haverford by Cleveland (45)
1392. Dan Kauffman, Juniata by Arizona (46)
June 6th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
1392. Dan Kauffman, Juniata, Arizona (46)
1368. Dean Laganosky, Haverford, Cleveland (45)
627. Mike Eifel, Dominican, San Francisco (21)
I have us at 17 selected through the 46th round.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Doh.
June 6th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
A complete list of 19 players drafted in the 2008 MLB draft
245. Ryan Kulik, Rowan by St Louis (round
257. Kurt Yacko, Chapman by Colorado (8)
506. Frank Pfister, Emory by Cincinnati (17)
627. Mike Eifel, Dominican by San Francisco (21)
643. Adan Frost, St, Norbert by Detroit (21)
738. Nelson Gomez, Keystone by Arizona (24)
782. Shane Wolf, Ithaca by Houston (26)
829. Tm Kiely, Trinity (Conn) by Arizona (27)
1019. Bryan Gardner, Ithaca by Cincinnati (34)
1958. Mike Vass, Chapman by Milwaukee (35)
1088. Evan Bronson, Trinty (Texas) by Milwaukee (36)
1132. Thomas DeBenedetto, Trinity (Conn.) by Boston (37)
1136. Thomas Phelps, Whittier by Baltimore (38)
1141. Ronnie Labrie, Lynchburg by Washington (38)
1209. Nate Nelson, Worcester State by Toronto (40)
1368. Dean Laganosky, Haverford by Cleveland (45)
1392. Dan Kauffman, Juniata by Arizona (46)
1435. Brett Holland, Texas-Tyler by Oakland (48)
1452. Zachary Foster, Pitt-Bradford by Pittsburgh (49)
and a transfer for a D-III school:
699. Chick Huggins, UCSB by Toronto (23) - played at Trinty (Texas)
June 6th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Can’t imagine…the two guys that got most obviously rooked out of being 1st team all d3baseball.com…the first two guys drafted.
Hard not to be proud of myself right now. Congrats to Ryan Kulik and Kurt Yacko. Yacko being a 7th round pick as a shortish D-III relief pitcher is, to me anyway, particularly amazing, and a tremendous credit to his talent and production.
June 6th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Indeed congrats to all the draftees and to all those signing free agent contracts. I hope to see everyone gracing a ML ballpark.
The two prospect lists were a poor guide this year. Two players listed on mlb.com were drafted (Yacko and Frost) and four of ten on Baseball America’s list (Kulik, Yacko, Frost, Kiely). I expect a lot of these names not drafted to be given serious offers as free agents.
From d3baseball.com:
MLB.com listed nine top draft prospects who might hear their name called but only . Three come from Wisconsin schools as 1B Ross Bennett, UW-Platteville, C Doug Coe, UW-Stevens Point, and SS Adam Frost, St, Norbert. An additional three have just completed their junior year in OF Mike Avery, Cortland State, LHP George Jweid, Cortland State, and SS/RHP Kurt Yacko, Chapman. Rounding out the MLB prospect list are senior standouts RHP Jacob Husing, Carthage, Jeff Toth, New Jersey, and Mike Zaccardo, Cortland State.
Ten players are listed in Baseball America’s prospect list. Coe, Frost, Yacko and Zaccardo, listed by MLB.com are also on Baseball America’s prospect list. Top pitchers LHP Ryan Kulik, Rowan, RHP Tim Kiely, Trinity (Conn.) and RHP Dan Remenowsky, Otterbein join Chris Pecora of North Carolina Wesleyan as top prospects still on the board. Pecora was drafted in 2007 as a junior and remained at N.C. Wesleyan for his senior year. The final two prospects come from Johns Hopkins: Jonas Fester and Rob Pietroforte.
June 6th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Marietta’s only had 2 guys drafted, but DeSalvo signed before the draft and made the majors and DeMark proved that he should have been drafted by pitching his way out of the Frontier League. Story of his career…having to prove himself every step. I expect him to battle his way into AA by the end of the year.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
They should have just asked me.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’m just wondering where that reliever from MSJ that made 1st team for some reason is gonna get drafted
June 6th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
The qualities that make a great D-III player are not necessarily those that make a MLB player and the difference in the draft list versus any All-American team belies this fact. If the two were the same, you would see Derek David and Kenny Moreland drafted. I challenge anyone to debate that these were not the best player and pitcher in 2008.
This is also not just my opinion but of the colleges that these players play. Out of those 500 players nominated for the D3baseball.com All-American team, six of 19 drafted players were not thought of by their school to be worthy of a AA nomination.
There has been some discussion on whether to include a relief pitcher selection in an All-American team. With the D-III philosophy of inclusion, it begs to have a relief pitcher on an All-American team, as relief pitching is important in today’s game and nobody thinks that a “Stopper of the Year” award is out of line in college and professional baseball. Just because a particular position is not favored in the MLB draft, does not mean relief pitchers do not sererve to be honored for the job they do.
June 7th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Do you really want me to debate the pitching choice?
If there was a reliever on the 1st team, it should have been Yacko. There should not have even been a discussion on this. I should have been unanimous.
June 7th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
It should have been unanimous rather…lol. Though if my opinion were taken as unanimous I think we’d all come out just fine also!
June 9th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
You actually missed one D III player chosen, Ryan Flannery of FDU Madison 47th round (1421) New York Yankees…we played against him for four years and he is a very good pitcher with a 90+mph fastball and a good breaking ball, should be an affective relief pitcher at the next level
June 10th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Thanks. I have added him to the list on the front page list.