Annual Amateur Draft Notes
The annual Brewster draft completed its first round today, and the Yellow Springs Nine fished three interesting prospects out of the stream, two starting pitcher and a controversial selection in the outfield. Three picks, the first their natural selection at #42, the second, #43) a result of their first round pick last year spurning several buckets of cash to go back to school, and the third (#50) coming as compensation for losing long-time catcher Aaron Stone in last season’s Free Agent market.
The team said they focused on the mound at the beginning of the process due to issues they had in finding rotation prospects last season. Let’s take a look at the selections the team made:
The 18-year-old Bermudez impressed scouts in Havana (where he went to high school) when he at 127 sardines in one sitting without either throwing up or gaining even a single pound. Originally from Hondouras, the kid they call “Shorty” started six games in school this season, and went 2-0 with a 4.66 ERA. His K/BB ratio was a solid 2.09. He throws an already interesting fastball/slider/splitter combination that is developed enough that the team is considering staring him up in short A rather than at the rookie level.
Most insiders project him into a #3/#4 kind of slot in a big league rotation, perhaps in 2045, give or take a season.
Per a public article on Soufax, “After pulling a prank in Hebrew School, Kandy feared the worst and ran away from home, living on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. It was there, while throwing baseballs at milk jugs, that Kandy was discovered by a local area scout. Kandy returned back to his family in New Brunswick with a newfound passion for pitching and the Torah.”
We don’t know about any of that, but we’re pretty sure that the Nine will be pouring as many PPT as possible into the dream of being able to start a guy named Kandy Soufax. I mean, this is a team that spent a #1 overall on another flameout named Ferguson Gibson, after all.
Soufax throws a fastball, changeup, curve combination that scouts think can all be superlative, and adds in the occasional slider. He was 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in school this year.
The Japanese born Kawashima played his high school ball in Sspain, where he put up blistering numbers, hitting .508/.577/.789 in 128 AB. Those numbers included 10 doubles and 8 homers, giving proof to scouts’ view of him as a thumping line-drive kind of hitter who can and will hit the gaps. Add in that, at least as a youngster, the left-handed hitting outfielder hasn’t exhibited horrific splits, and you’ve got an interesting ball player.
The problem here is that Kawashima is considered “immature for an 18-year-old,” which is a frightening idea. Add in that his glove is still somewhat suspect, and that his wheels are about as inspiring as any old junker you’ll find rolling down main street, and you’ve got yellow flags raising.
“We love the skillset Sazui brings to the organization,” said GM Ron Collins. “Fans can be assured we’ll bring every aspect of our player development staff to bear to help him adjust to our culture and out game. Don’t be surprised if he can turn himself into an every day player.”
