Yanks' Day 2 evenly split between arms, bats

June 10th, 2016

The Yankees continued to scour the Draft pool for high-end talent and depth on Friday, weaving across the board to grab touted high school right-hander Nolan Martinez with the 98th overall selection. They then used their remaining seven picks of the afternoon on players from the collegiate ranks, tabbing three pitchers and four position players.
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Yankees vice president of domestic amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer said that, given the variety of avenues they pursued, Day 2 of the Draft has the potential to produce hidden gems down the line.
"Sometimes you're going to have guys down the line that turn out to be just as good; you just don't know it right away," Oppenheimer said. "When we took Brett Gardner in the third round [in 2005], you thought there were guys ahead of him that were better. It didn't turn out that way. I'm sure that we'll have some surprises."
The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at noon ET.
Round 3 (98th overall), Nolan Martinez, RHP, Culver City (Calif.) HS
While the 6-foot-2, 165-pound Martinez isn't a prototypical tall and projectable right-hander, his stuff has made scouts take notice. He has seen his velocity spike this spring, firing his fastball from 88-93 mph, and he backs it up with a solid to average curveball and developing changeup.
• Martinez: 'Best day of my life'
Martinez has been inconsistent with his fastball at times over the course of the spring, but there is room for him to add strength, and he should be able to maintain velocity in the future.
His clean delivery and projectability moved the San Diego State commit into top 3-round consideration.

Round 4 (128th overall), Nick Nelson, RHP, Gulf Coast CC (Panama City, Fla.)
Nelson was the second pitcher selected by the Yankees in this year's Draft. A strong hurler with an athletic build, the 20-year-old Nelson reaches up to 95 mph with his fastball and features a solid curve.
In 15 starts this year, Nelson was 9-5 with a 4.48 ERA, permitting 86 hits while striking out 99 against 38 walks in 90 1/3 innings. Observers speculate that the Panama City, Fla., product's future could be in a bullpen role. He was previously selected by the Giants in the 31st round of the 2014 Draft but did not sign.
Round 5 (158th overall), Dominic Thompson-Williams, CF, South Carolina
The left-handed-hitting Thompson-Williams has an enticing blend of tools, speed and raw power potential that has made him a fan favorite as a member of the Gamecocks, though scouts believe his swing still needs work.
The Yankees will be hoping that Thompson-Williams taps into that power potential at the next level while taking advantage of his speed, which rates as an above-average 55-60 on the 20-80 scouting scale. If he can't stick in center field, hitting for power could help Thompson-Williams grab hold of a corner-outfield spot. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 19th round in 2014.

Round 6 (188th overall), Brooks Kriske, RHP, University of Southern California
Scouts believe the Palm Desert, Calif., product, who served as the Trojans' closer during his senior season, could contribute to a big league bullpen in the near future. He misses bats and induces weak contact, having posted a 2.55 ERA in 26 appearances, with 42 strikeouts against 15 walks in 35 1/3 innings. Kriske's fastball has registered as high as 95 mph.
Round 7 (218th overall) Keith Skinner, C, University of North Florida
A Johnny Bench Award finalist who hails from Berkeley Heights, N.J., the senior backstop led his league with a .382 average this season, earning a First Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection. He started all but one game at catcher, including the first 47 games of the season, and cut down 17 runners attempting to steal. His .998 fielding percentage was tops in the ASUN, and Skinner was the 29th-toughest player in the country to strike out, whiffing just once every 15.1 at-bats.
Round 8 (248th overall) Dalton Blaser, 1B, Cal State Fullerton
The big-swinging left-handed hitter could have already considered himself part of the Yankees family, as his father, Mark, played in the Bombers' farm system from 1981-85. Blaser led Cal State with a .485 slugging percentage as a senior, batting .359 (74-for-206) with 14 doubles, four homers and 38 RBIs. The Roseville, Calif., product was previously selected by the Athletics in the 39th round in the 2012 Draft.
Round 9 (278th overall), Tim Lynch, 1B, University of Southern Mississippi
The left-handed power hitter put together a strong senior season, leading his team with a .365 batting average while reaching double digits in home runs (10). Lynch also posted a high walks total (39) and was difficult to strike out (39 K's in 233 at-bats), making him attractive to those interested in analytics.
Round 10 (308th overall), Trevor Lane, LHP, University of Illinois-Chicago
The 22-year-old southpaw has been a strikeout machine during his time with the Flames. As a senior, he posted a 1.41 ERA with five saves in 26 appearances, permitting 41 hits while walking 35 and striking out 90 in 70 1/3 innings. The North Bend, Wash., native was named the Horizon League Relief Pitcher of the Year after leading the league with a .169 opponents' batting average and ranking among the NCAA leaders in ERA (5th), hits per nine innings (5th, 5.25) and strikeouts per nine (13th, 11.52).