Draft Dope: Yankees

June 6, 2007

Draft History (Click the year to view the picks)
Year	Top Pick
1992	Derek Jeter
1993	Matt Drews
1994	Brian Buchanan
1995	Shea Morenz
1996	Eric Milton
1997	*Tyrell Godwin
1998	Andy Brown
1999	David Walling
2000	David Parrish
2001	John-Ford Griffin
2002	Brandon Weeden
2003	Eric Duncan
2004	Philip Hughes
2005	C.J. Henry
2006	Ian Kennedy
* did not sign

Scouting Director: Damon Oppenheimer (first year: 2004)
Order in 2007 Rotation: 30th
Extra Picks: None
Lost Picks: None
Trend: After years of conservative drafting, the Yankees hired Damon Oppenheimer as scouting director and gave him the money to take high-ceiling players. The club has set the record for eighth-round signing bonuses each of the last two years, for example. The Yankees have especially been aggressive drafting high-ceiling pitchers.
This Year's Outlook: New York picks 30th and not again until No. 94 overall--because of this year's huge supplemental round, and surprisingly not because of picks lost to free-agent compensation--but it still likely will have its pick of players falling due to signability. The question is, do the Yankees want to spend that kind of money on the draft? The organization's impressive stockpile of pitching depth could push the focus on hitters this year.