Christian Yelich, OF

[Bobbob1313]

I'm hoping he really isn't going to hold out for top 10 money and we can get him for less

unless they took a guy they don't expect to sign and wait to get the pick next year which will be a deeper draft

That looks like what the dodgers did.

[tjfla]

I don't know how that one guy says "power projection" and "20 HR" in the same sentence though. "Power projection" needs to be reserved for 30+.

Regardless, I know baseball is "pick the best guy regardless of position" drafting, but it's nice to see them even out the system with another bat. Once Stanton, Morrison, Dominguez, Cousins, and Petersen (After Maybin, Coghlan, and Gaby already have) get to the bigs in the next 1-2 years, our top 20 will be all pitchers besides skipworth, smolinski, osvaldo (maybe if this is for real, but he could make the bench too), and maybe Galloway's tools get him there. Bat was the right pick. I just hope they took the right one.

I suspect next pick is a left handed high school starter who is 6'5 and will "build to his frame."

Well more than likely 2 HS arms,1 college arm and a athlete OF all who will sign for slot. A typical Benifest draft

[nny]

If a high schooler is bragging about his walks, I'm sold.

This

Guy sounds like he's a plus Gaby Sanchez right now and could hit Logan Morrison status easily. I'm really liking it. Just need to fix his throwing motion.

[DropkickAlex]

If he turns out to be James Loney then it's well worth the pick. I'm worried about him signing though.

[emkayseven]

that's really my only concern, so I'm hoping he backs off his price, but he might not play this year as he may hold out until August, or the Marlins may not announce it till then if they sign him over slot

I mean coming into this year the guy was projected to be a 7-10 round pick, gotta figure he's happy going 23rd overall

[DropkickAlex]

This is probably a dumb question but if a player goes to like GCL or Jamestown, does that count as 1 of the 5 years to qualify for the Rule 5 draft if not brought up? Since the seasons are so short, if it were better wouldn't it be more beneficial for them to start the following year?

If that doesn't make sense I will try to explain further.

[emkayseven]

Not a dumb question, it's a very good question. The answer is that short season leagues don't count because they aren't 90 days long. 90 days of active service constitutes a "season."

[DropkickAlex]

Oh that's good then. Sign his ass and get him to camp then.

[emkayseven]

I'm 99% sure that's accurate BTW, that's how it was once explained to me. I also know that if the player is under 19 on June 5th of the year he signs you have 5 years to put him on the 40 man, so I guess that now since you have to sign players by August maybe that doesn't even matter.

[nny]

actually rule 5 has to do with when you were signed.

After 4 or 5 years as a professional, a player must be added to his club’s 40-man roster or exposed to the 29 other clubs in the Rule 5 draft. (Under the new CBA, a club has 5 years to evaluate a player who signs his first pro contract at 18 years old or younger, but only 4 years to decide on a player who signs at age 19.) For purposes of calculating years as a pro, the counting begins the day a player signs his first pro contract, not the season he begins to play.

[emkayseven]

Yelich first gained widespread scouting attention in the summer of 2008, when he put on an eye-opening batting practice display with wood bats at a Major League Scouting Bureau showcase at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. Bryce Harper overshadowed Yelich that evening, driving several balls off the batter's eye or into the parking lot, but Yelics held his own and has produced other highlights since then, such as the long, opposite-field homer he hit in 2009 off Tyler Skaggs, an Angels supplemental first-rounder last year. Tall (6-foot-3), angular and projectable and possessing a sweet lefthanded swing, Yelich is far more athletic than the usual lumbering first-base prospect, with above-average speed. He consistently runs a 6.75-second 60-yard dash in showcase events, and shows both range and a nifty glove around the bag. That kind of athleticism usually signals a position change, but Yelich has a below-average throwing arm that limits him to first. A Miami recruit, Yelich does not project to have the profile power organizations prefer in a first baseman, but he should develop into an above-average hitter with fringe-average power, along the lines of a James Loney or Casey Kotchman.

from BA

[emkayseven]

Monday, Christian Yelich was watching the live broadcast of the draft when he took a break to respond to an e-mail wishing him good luck.

Just as he began typing at his computer, Yelich heard his name called on the television.

The Florida Marlins had selected the Westlake High senior first baseman/outfielder with the 23rd pick of the first round.

Yelich’s initial response was “What?” while everyone else in the house went crazy.

“It was definitely a shock, but a great moment. It came out of the blue,” Yelich said. “It’s obviously super hard to go in the first round, and to be one of those 32 picks is a great honor.”

Yelich was the only local player selected on the first day of the draft. The remaining 49 rounds will take place today and Wednesday.

It marks the second straight year the county’s highest draft pick has been picked by the Marlins. Last year, the Marlins selected former Royal High pitcher Bryan Berglund in the second round with 66th pick.

Yelich, who has committed to play at the University of Miami, was rated No. 52 among draft-eligible players by Baseball America and No. 26 by Keith Law of ESPN.com.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound left-hander batted .451 with 14 doubles, nine home runs and 25 RBIs for Westlake this season. Yelich also stole 28 bases in 30 attempts.

The Marlins’ owner and scouting director called to congratulate Yelich after he was drafted. Yelich will soon have to decide whether he’s going to Florida to attend college or to begin his professional baseball career.

“We have until August to come to terms on a contract deal with them,” Yelich said. “I will work it out and see what happens. I definitely want to be a professional baseball player.”

Having just attended his prom and preparing to attend his graduation, Yelich wasn’t quite prepared for the latest whirlwind.

“It’s been one of the craziest days of my life,” Yelich said. “My phone has been blowing up all day. I haven’t even thought about celebrating, honestly, because I didn’t know if would happen today or not. It’s overwhelming, but a welcome surprise.”

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/...ound-of-draft/
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bleacherreport.com gave the pick a C+ for a first round pick, which is ranked 19th among all teams
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Christian Yelich was listed as the top first-base prospect in the draft by Baseball America. He also played third base most of this season for Westlake High School in Southern California and has filled in at shortstop.

But when the Marlins took Yelich with the 23rd pick in Monday's draft they were looking at another position - outfield.

"We're going to utilize the speed," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins' vice president of player development and scouting.

"There's just a lot of tools here. There's still some growth to go. He's going to be a big man. There's tons of things to like about this player."

Yelich, an 18-year-old left-handed hitter who does everything else right-handed, has more athletic ability, more speed - and less power - than a prototypical corner infielder. He is 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and should develop into an above-average hitter. He has drawn comparisons to James Loney and Casey Kotchman.

"I'm thrilled to be drafted as an outfielder," said Yelich, who played left field early in his career. "I definitely wanted to play the outfield. I just liked it out there. I feel comfortable."

The one negative is his arm, although Fleming said: "It might grade out a tick below average. We think we can get it to average by smoothing out his throwing action."

After selecting eight pitchers in the first round from 2003-06, the Marlins have now added position players with their No. 1 pick in each of the last three years: Yelich, catcher Kyle Skipworth last year and third baseman Matt Dominguez in 2007.

Mike Stanton, who will make his debut Tuesday night in Philadelphia, was Florida's second round pick in 2007.

Yelich, who said he hit around .450 with nine home runs and 30 stolen bases in 28 games this season, had committed to the University of Miami after committing to UCLA as a sophomore, which must have not gone over well in his household. Yelich's dad and uncle went to UCLA and he has a cousin who plays football for the Bruins.

Yelich said he realized that UCLA "just wasn't right" for him and that Miami was the "best fit for me."

But that all changed Monday.

"This definitely has been a dream since I was 4 years old and today it was realized," Yelich said about turning pro.

Yelich, who grew up a Yankees fan, describes himself as a patient hitter with a relaxed stance.

"I try to have a fluid swing," he once.

That patience and ability to draw walks turned him into a leadoff hitter for his high school.

Before the season, Yelich's coach, Zach Miller said, "If you walk (Yelich) he's going to steal second and steal third. If you're going to pitch him away, he'd going to put the ball in the gap. He can hit lefty on lefty or hit righties. He just hits the ball, period."

Outfielder Bryce Harper from the College of Southern Nevada was the No. 1 pick by the Nationals. Harper, 17, skipped his final two years of high school - after he was the subject of a Sports Illustrated cover story in which he was dubbed the "Chosen One" - to enroll in a wood-bat junior college league. A year ago, the Nationals selected right-hander Stephen Strasburg No. 1. Strasburg will make his major league debut tonight.

Jameson Taillon, a right-handed pitcher from The Woodlands (Texas) High School, was the second pick by the Pirates.

Shortstop Manny Machado was the first player drafted with South Florida ties, taken No. 3 by the Orioles. Machado, a 6-3, 185-pound senior from Miami Brito High School, is of Dominican descent and has been compared to Alex Rodriguez, another Miami high school sensation.

Kansas City selected shortstop Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton No. 4 and the Indians went with left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz from the University of Mississippi with the fifth pick.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/...er-733184.html

[Todd]

Boys blowing up his phone phone.

[LocoMarlinFan]

The Phillies had been tied heavily to him at 27. Read on a Phillies site that an ESPN insider post said Yelich wanted 2 million and not a penny less
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Foudn the exact quote from Law:

They'd better be damned certain they can sign him and not be paying him 2 million

BA latest podcast pretty much said the same thing.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2742

IMO if it takes anything more than 1.6 million to sign Yelich we should pass and instead sign Randy Leblanc for 1.3 million, get the additional pick next yr, and hopefully use what ever is left over to sign Taylor Ard and Daniel Johnston.

[DropkickAlex]

Anyone kind of hoping to just get two first rounders next year?