The Blue Jays GM Andy has been asked to share his quick thoughts on this years draft class:
Round 1 (29th Overall) - RP Corey Matteson - Andy "This young man has an electric arm. At 19 he's able to throw 95-97 mph, his fastball is already major league ready, and he is working on the devastating split finger fastball. When you're talking about a future closer's repetoire - that's it right there. He projects to be an overpowering pitcher that has good late movement on his pitches. His frame also projects well to avoid injury. We expect Corey to be a future closer, possibly even an elite closer"
Round 2 (59th Overall) - MI Leon Barriero - Andy "With the best shortstop prospect in this draft off the board before the Jay's first pick, we zeroed in on the next best middle infield prospect. Leon doesn't have the same kind of speed that Cornwell did, but he is one of the 10 fastest players in this draft. Leon also brings to the table outstanding plate discipline and contact. He has walked twice as much as he struckout in college and has consistently been able to get on base at over a .400 clip. Leon is a bit big for a middle infielder at 6'2 and has an injury history, but he has shown all of the tools to be a very good fielder as he matures. Leon is likely destined for a move to second base in the future.
Round 3 (65th Overall) - SP Hirohisa Furukawa - "Rumors around the league were that the draft was top heavy and most of the starting pitching worth anything was gone in the first round. Our organization love Hirohisa's future and feel that some pitchers taken in the top 15 of this year's draft will be lucky to match his future success. At 18 years old Hirohisa has control of his pitches that many players in AA would be happy to have and projects to have two plus pitches and possibly one plus-plus pitch (curve). Hirohisa is an average player in terms of inducing ground balls but he will need to improve the movement on his pitches. We project a very good mid-rotation pitcher but he is young enough to raise that ceiling considerably with progress"
Round 3 (79th Overall) - RP Jamie Buckun - "This tall right-hander is 20 years old and has had two excellent seasons in college. He has outstanding control and has shown the ability to consistently gain strike-outs on opposing batters. He has shown a plus fastball and two nice complementary pitches to go with it. We expect Jamie to develop in a viable late-innings reliever for our team"
Round 3 (89th Overall) - LF Aaron Wiedemann - "Aaron has a good build for the type of player he is - solid speed and lots of power potential. What Aaron will need to develop is the ability to make consistent contact with the ball and see the strike zone better. However, his college numbers suggest he's on the way to doing that with a near .400 batting average in college the last two years and roughly an equal number of Ks and BBs. If Aaron can continue that pace and add the power element - he could be a future starting outfielder for the club. Defensively, he has the ability to play all three positions, but must work on his ability to cover ground. His fielding instincts and skills are very nicely developed already."
Round 4 (95th Overall) - RP Pete Diebel - "At 20 years old Pete had one year in college and was dominant posting a 64k/9BB ratio in just 43 innings. Pete throws in the mid-90s and has three pitches that he can overpower opposing hitters with. Pete has everything the Jays look for in mid-round arms and we think he has potential to be a breakout candidate in this draft. With the potential for three very good pitches, sound control, and over-powering stuff - Pete could very well be a better player down the line than Corey Matteson."
Round 4 (112nd Overall) - C Simon Moore - "The Jays believe they got the best catcher in this year's draft. Simon is a bit undersized at 5'7 and 165 pounds, but his durability suggests this won't be a problem for injury. Simon is about as slick behind the plate as any prospect and shows an outstanding ability to field his position. He will need to improve his ability to throw out runners and handle pitching staffs, but he will be given every opportunity to do so. Offensively he will remind Jays' fans of current Jay Mike Vanner - great power, good eye at the plate, and able to produce a 270 type average. In high school and college Simon showed a fantastic ability to drive the ball and we expect the same as he develops into a big league player"
Round 4 (119th Overall) - LF Micah Gabriola - "Micah showed us a well-rounded set of skills that were difficult to pass up at this pick. He doesn't have elite speed, but he has great instincts on the bases. He demonstrated considerable power in high school and college and also a decent ability to make contact and gauge the strike zone. There is a lot of room for Micah to grow offensively, but the foundation is there for a very solid hitter in the back third of a lineup. His real strength is defensively where he plays all three positions with a good arm and fantastic hands. He's raw...but the skill set is there to be a very interesting project for the Blue Jays"
Round 5 (122nd Overall) - RP George Klingerman - "His near 50% ground-ball ratio combined with a solid blend of control, power, and movement makes George an attractive late-round gamble. He's got a good fastball that should be a very good pitch for him and a solid complementary curveball. He projects as a tall lefty, with good health, and a solid specialist option out of the pen against lefties"
Round 5 (125th Overall) - 2B Braden Briddon - "Braden slid in the draft considerably more than we had expected. He doesn't have any elite skills but in his college career he has hid for respectable power with an impressive ability to get on base. Defensively he'll have to improve on his range but he has an excellent arm and should develop a decent defensive game. He may end up as a third baseman long term."
Round 5 (142nd Overall) - RF Carlos Gorostiza - "Carlos is another player that lacks the eye-popping tools you sometimes look for in projects, but he has the skill set to provide a very balanced player. In high school he showed strong gap power, great ability to get on pase, and servicable speed. We believe he is a solid future 4th outfielder who can hit for gap power and field in either corner outfield position"
Round 5 (149th Overall) - SP Austin Green - "At 18 years old the Jays are hoping Austin can develop his strengths. He has shown great ability to control his pitches and put great movement on them. His repetoire currently contains 4 pitches with at least two plus pitches including a very good cut fastball. His health and endurance caused some of his slide, but with more consistent work as a starter it is hoped he can blossom. He has potential to be the biggest steal of our draft"
Round 6 (152nd Overall) - RP George McMichael - "At 20 years old and just finishing high school George has room to develop but currently he sports two future plus pitches in a fastball and change. His pitches have excellent movement and he can overpower hitters. What he lacks is the control to keep hitters off the basepaths. The big right-hander is durable and has a lot of upside for a pick this late in the draft"
Round 6 (155th Overall) - 1B Bryan Schroeder - "What Bryan does well...he does well. Tape measure home run shots and a ton of power. Of all the high school bats in this draft, none could match his power potential. However Bryan struggles to make contact in the past, but he showed signs of blossoming his last year by hitting .321. Bryan should be able to develop into a servicable platoon player who murders left-handed pitching"
Round 6 (172nd Overall) - RP Cristian Zamoras - "At this stage in the draft we identified Cristian's excellent ground ball rate, solid fastball-curve combination, and excellent control as reasons to take a chance on this 20 year old. We think he fits the mold of our pitchers very well and is worth the gamble to rise above his draft position"
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