Defense draws Yankees to Holder at No. 30
University of San Diego shortstop known for his outstanding glove
NEW YORK -- With their second selection in the 2015 Draft, the Yankees believe they have selected a shortstop who might already be able to handle that position at the big league level defensively.
New York used the 30th overall pick on Monday to take Kyle Holder from the University of San Diego. It was a compensation pick for losing right-hander David Robertson to the White Sox via free agency last offseason.
"Holder is about as elite a defender as we've seen come through the college ranks," said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' vice president of domestic amateur scouting. "He's got a tremendous glove. He also had a productive year offensively and does not swing and miss."
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As a junior in 2015, the 21-year-old Holder was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year after batting .348 (78-for-224) with 45 runs scored, 14 doubles, four home runs and 31 RBIs in 55 games for the Toreros.
The left-handed hitter appeared on the 30-player watch list for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award -- given annually to the best amateur player in the country -- and is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2015 Brooks Wallace Award, which recognizes the nation's top collegiate shortstop.
A former two-sport athlete who was also recruited to play basketball before opting to focus on baseball, Holder has been rated as arguably the best defensive shortstop in the Draft class, thanks to outstanding hands, range and footwork.
The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 3-10 beginning at 1 p.m. ET.