Oppenheimer Discusses the New York Yankees First-Round Pick
June 8, 2010 · Greg Cohen · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Here’s some quotes from Amateur Scouting Director Damon Oppenheimer via Chad Jennings about first-round Yanks’ pick Cito Culver:
“I’ve had basically over 100 years of scouting experience…go in and see this kid.”
“We’ve been able to see him play for a long time. We’ve probably got a couple of hundred at-bats from him… We were ahead of the game because we knew so much about him.”
“He really wants to be a Yankee. I think that we’re going to get him. We should get him signed and get him out playing really soon.”
The Yankees project Culver as a shortstop, and that picking him was “an easy decision.”
The Yankees did consider waiting until the second round, but Oppenheimer said he was glad they didn’t because he received a call from another team telling him that Culver wouldn’t have been around when the Yankees were back on the clock.
Jennings also had this scouting report from Oppenheimer :
BAT: “Switch hitter. We like him from both sides of the plate. An above average hitter. He has pop in his bat, even with wood. It’s high school, but he’s hitting the ball over the fence in center field with a heavier wood bat than most of these kids we see using. The kid only struck out twice. We saw him all summer against the better stuff, guys throwing hard, and he squared the ball up well during that time so we think he’s going to hit. We think there’s a chance for power too.”
GLOVE: “You always keep your mind open, but his tools and his ability were what attracted us as a shortstop. You never know how long it will take for a guy to get there, and what’s in front of him when he does get there, but I think the fact that he’s in the middle of the field right now, we project him to be a shortstop. Worst-case scenario, if somebody was there blocking his way, you’re talking about a switch hitter that can run and do some other things, it would allow him (to change positions) if you need to.”
ARM: “He has a great arm. He’s up to 95 on the mound, but the idea of being able to get a switch-hitting shortstop is more attractive right now than a thrower, which is really what he is as a pitcher.”
The Yankees seem pretty high on this kid. Hopefully he’s not another C.J. Henry .
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