Highlights from rounds 11 to 15:
• The Cubs took the son of one of their former shortstops, Shawon Dunston in the 11th round. He didn't have a consistent performance this spring and figures to fulfill his commitment to Vanderbilt, but Dunston is a raw outfielder with plus speed. A lefthanded hitter, he could develop gap power and hit for average.
• The Mets' 11th round pick, righthander Christian Montgomery, flashed stuff last summer that had him among the top prep arms in the country. But he had a very inconsistent spring and scouts were scared off by his makeup. If he doesn't sign, he'll head to Chipola (Fla.) JC.
• The Marlins took Georgia Tech shortstop Jacob Esch in the 11th round, but as a righthander. He has a strong arm and touched 95 mph in the fall while sitting 89-91 this spring.
• Davidson lefthander Chris Lamb had some buzz in the back of the Top 200, but fell to Oakland in the 11th. He is a funky lefty that projects as a specialist out of the bullpen. His fastball sits 88-92 and he also has an average splitter that can be plus at times.
• Despite being listed at a generous 5-foot-8, 179 pounds, Auburn middle infielder Casey McElroy slugged .602 for the Tigers. The Padres nabbed him in the 11th round.
• The Phillies are known for drafting toolsy players and got one at the end of the 11th in shortstop Tyler Greene. He's a plus runner with good leverage in his swing, but his tools haven't translated to game play. He is committed to Georgia.
• In the 12th round, the Red Sox jumped on Deshorn Lake, though he may wind up on campus at East Carolina. He has a live arm that has generated a low-90s fastball, but he lacks secondary stuff and command.
• Lefty Kenny Mathews went to the Mets in the 12th and figures to be the next player in a long line of two-way standouts at Cal State Fullerton. He throws strikes with a below-average fastball but has a good feel for secondary offerings.
• Xavier Macklin was among college home run leaders this season with 22. He is a raw outfielder from North Carolina A&T and was taken by Oakland in the 12th round.
• The Royals went with a basketball player in the 13th with Stephen Lumpkins. From American University, he pitches in the high 80s and touches 92 on occasion. He has cleaned his delivery up since being drafted in the 42nd round in 2010. He average 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds on the hardwood.
• Unless the Cubs pony up some cash for their 14th-round pick, Dillon Maples will land on campus at North Carolina in the fall. He has the stuff of a first-rounder in most years with a plus fastball and curveball, but questionable mechanics have affected his command and raised red flags for scouts. He is a very good athlete with a strong lower half and will get a chance to kick for the Tar Heels football team as well.
• Stetson backstop Nick Rickles generated some buzz as a back of the Top 200 hitter thanks to a durable frame at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. He has a contact-oriented approach and had more home runs (11) than strikeouts (seven). Scouts aren't sold on his catch-and-throw skills.
• Lefthander Adam McCreery from Bonita High in La Verne, Calif. burst onto the scene in the fall with an 88-91 mph fastball coming out of a 6-foot-8, 200-pound frame. However, he sat in the mid 80s this spring and had poor command.
• Rookie Davis likely won't sign as a 14th-rounder to the Yankees, but it will be interesting to see which side of the ball he ends up on after three years at East Carolina. He has huge raw power thanks to a 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame. He sits 88-91 on the mound and has shape to his curveball.
• Philip Evans, a shortstop at La Costa Canyon High in Southern California played well on the showcase circuit in 2010, but didn't show the plus arm strength or average run tool he had then. He projects as second baseman where he could be an average defender. He has strong forearms and projects to have fringe-average power.
• Ryan Garvey, the son of Steve, is an outfielder from Palm Desert (Calif.) High. He is committed to Southern California. He has plus raw power and scouts think he can hit for average.
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Have the Tigers had the worst draft in the league? It seems like they picked a lot of older guys, including seven college seniors among their first 15 picks, without much projection.
Posted by Roger | June 7, 2011 at 8:38 pm | ShortcutIt is really kind of amazing that the only mention the Dodgers get , in your publication – today, is that the team has money issues. No kidding! I believe that every Dodger fan, alive, knows that the team is owned by that financial disaster known as Frank McCourt.
Posted by Chris | June 7, 2011 at 11:11 pm | ShortcutThat being said, I (and other Dodger fans I have talked too) think that this might be Logan White's best work ever with the monetary constraints he had to work under. Yes, Chris Reed is a huge reach, but it isn't like anyone expected anything different. But, to not mention any of the good work White and his scouts did today is a criminal injustice. I doubt any other scouting director (I include the Mets, who seem to be in the same money crunch, but can go overslot for a pick or two) who had zero money to work with and still managed to put together a decent draft. Mind you, I expect few of these kids to sign, but the Dodgers deserve more of a mention than reminding us that the team has no money. Trust us, 99.9% of us get it.
Chris, I think we’ve been telling people about Logan and the job his scouts do for nine years. We were the outlet last year that said they weren’t punting their first-round pick on Zach Lee and that they took him intending to sign him. The story of their draft this year, though, is what it is. I don’t think we’ve done anyone an injustice.
Posted by John Manuel | June 8, 2011 at 11:20 am | ShortcutFor the record, the Dodgers got a specific mention for their good work on their pick of Ryan O'Sullivan (Editor: suffice it to say David is not a big O’Sullivan fan.)
Posted by David | June 8, 2011 at 12:10 pm | Shortcut