Signed!

Yesterday, the Yankees signed their 2019 MLB Draft First Round Pick, SS Anthony Volpe from Delbarton School in nearby Morristown, NJ.

Volpe is someone who comes with great makeup, although reports were divided on if he was worthy of the 30th overall pick. Obviously the Yankees have had a chance to see him up close and personal in their own backyard, plus were doing double duty scouting his teammate, Jack Leiter.

He was committed to Vanderbilt, but I'm sure the Yankees had an idea they'd be able to sign up before committing their first pick for him. The Yanks have a bit of a history with reaching for high schoolers in Round 1, so hopefully Volpe turns out to be a franchise cornerstone.

On Draft night, I was able to snag this autograph of Volpe. I think I actually got it before the pick was official, as the Yankees connection to Volpe was really heating up. As Zippy Zappy's excellent post showed, a lot of these first round picks already have cards by the time their names are called. An on-card autograph of a Yankees first rounder was just too hard to pass up.

Draftin'

As many know, tonight is the first part of the 2019 MLB Draft.

It's a pretty weird event. In the NFL, Kyler Murray went #1. Most interested fans had seen him play at Oklahoma, taking home the Heisman. In the NBA Draft in two weeks, Zion Williamson will go #1. Again, a household name after his larger-than-life season at Duke.

The MLB Draft, while much more mainstream than in the past, is 40 rounds of guys you've mostly never heard of. There are times when that's not quite the case, like when Bryce Harper and Strasburg were drafted. But for the most part, it's a lot of unknowns to a more casual viewer.

The first pick tonight is owned by the tanktastic Orioles, and most believe they'll take Adley Rutschman, a catcher from Oregon State. By all accounts he's an excellent player, but outside of a few appearances on ESPN over the last couple weeks, I doubt most have heard of him.

One cool thing about the MLB Draft: bloodlines! In the first round alone, we'll see Bobby Witt Jr taken, and possibly Jack Leiter, son of Al.

Regardless, I'll still likely tune in around the time the Yankees are on the clock at #30, and hopefully one of the highly ranked players find a way to fall to them. And just a side note, #30 is where Ty Hensley was picked in 2012!

All this rambling just to show a card of the Yankees 2017 first rounder, Clarke Schmidt:

Schmidt has been good to very good when healthy, but finds himself on the IL for the second time this season. I can't seem to find an explanation. The first time wasn't arm related, as he was sick. Still, his last outing showed why he was a highly touted player, firing 6 innings, allowing three hits, and striking out nine back on May 20. If he can stay healthy and put together a few solid outings in a row, he should find his way up to AA later in the summer.

Big IF when it comes to Yanks draft picks though.

The first 2018 draft pick cards arrive

The MLB Draft is super boring. None of us know who any of these guys are or have seen them play. I applaud MLB for trying to make it a little more interesting and televising the event, but it's never going to be like the NFL or NBA Draft.

One way I've made it more interesting for myself is to try and grab a card of the draft pick after he is selected by the Yankees, if one exists. Luckily with all of the the USA baseball releases, the top picks usually have some sort of card out there.

I struck out on adding anything autograph or relic-related for the Yankees first pick, Anthony Seigler. I think Zippy Zappy was touting this guy too much and drove up his autograph prices!

I did manage to score a nice relic and base card of the Yankees 3rd round pick, high school OF Ryder Green. He's shown as a pitcher in these cards, but the Yanks drafted him as a power-hitting outfielder.

I found a pretty cheap lot that had a relic /99 and a few base cards, so I pounced. The base will definitely be used for TTM once he starts his pro career, assuming he signs.

A new Otto-graph

Similar to the Matt Sauer card I showed yesterday, I also snagged an autograph of Yankees 5th Rounder Glenn Otto, a RHP out of Rice University.

Otto has already signed with the Yankees for a straight up slot bonus. I'd fully expect him to head to Staten Island, although sometimes minor league assignments can be a little unexpected. Although he pitched at a major program, he only made two starts, and the Yankees are planning to groom him as a starter. For this reason, maybe he'll actually head to Pulaski or the GCL.

Either way, I'm happy to already add his autograph to my collection!

Sweet and Sauer

Every year for the MLB Draft, one of my favorite traditions is trying to quickly scoop up a card of the Yankees top picks. It's fun to beat the clock before sellers add "Yankees" to the title and jack up the price.

In the second round, 54th overall, the Yankees took Matt Sauer, a HS right-handed pitcher from California.

Sauer was ranked 28th overall by MLB.com, but the Yankees were able to snag him mid-way through the second. From what I've read, he intends to sign and turn pro. The Yanks took Clarke Schmidt in Round 1, a pitcher who just had TJ Surgery, and the thought is that they'll sign him underslot and use the savings to sign Sauer for an above-slot bonus to help sweeten the pot.

I quickly snagged this 2016 Leaf Perfect Game National Showcase jersey/autograph of Sauer. It's a neat card with a cool patch, although "patch" is a loose term since it's more of a t-shirt material with screen-printed letters. I'd assume that this is from the jersey he's wearing on the card's photo.

It's pretty easy to tell that this is part of the "E" and "R" in his last name, which is another reason I liked this particular card.

I'm looking forward to Matt signing and starting his career with the Yankees.

Draft night fun

The last few years, I've had fun snatching up a card of the Yankees top draft pick as soon as the pick is announced. This year was no different.

I was half-watching the MLB Draft, not paying a ton of attention, but started to hone in on the TV when the Yanks were almost up. The MLB Draft is the worst of the pro sports drafts to watch (although I can't say I've seen an NHL Draft). In the NBA, you know a lot of the top picks from their runs in the NCAA Tournament, plus there are a hundred trades. It's exciting and can be a major whirlwind trying to keep up, but in a fun way. The NFL Draft is a spectacle, and the first few picks are fun, then it gets boring. However, again there is star power in the form of Heisman Trophy winners and other well-known college stars throughout the seven rounds.

In baseball, no one has seen these guys, unless they are making a College World Series run at the same time, or unless they are a guy like Bryce Harper. Most of the time, it's a high schooler that no one has seen, yet everyone wants because what they read on the internet is true and this guy is going to be the next Mike Trout.

As I anticipated the Yankees pick, I couldn't help but notice that Blake Rutherford was the "best available player" scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Most experts had him going in the top 10, yet here he was, on the board at #18. The Yankees putting a stop to that, gobbling up one of their most exciting Draft picks in ages. The pick was pretty much universally praised, as some analysts actually preferred Rutherford to some of the other top picks. The major knocks on him were "Prospect fatigue" and that he was old. He's 19. So old.

The big question is: can the Yankees sign him away from his UCLA commitment? Most seem to think it's going to happen.

Anyhow, right when his name flashed on screen, I raced to eBay, found a relic and a Crusade, and quickly purchased them. I checked back an hour or two later, and these same cards were going for a lot more. Many auctions had been revised to say "Yankees" in the title.

Here's to hoping Blake signs! Otherwise, I have cards of some college player for UCLA. No thanks.

Snagging some draft picks

One of my favorite activities during the MLB Draft is waiting to see who the Yanks pick early on, then checking eBay to see if that player has a card. Usually I can still snag it cheap before prices go up the next day. It’s a good way to stay interested in the MLB Draft, which is crazy boring compared to NFL and NBA because pretty much no one has seen these guys play, much less heard of them.

Sure, there is a risk the Yanks don’t sign these guys, but it’s still fun.

The Yanks first pick was James Kaprielian from UCLA. He was one of the most polished arms in the draft, and while not the sexiest pick in terms of upside, it was a solid and safe pick. He should be a mid-rotation big league pitcher. That’s valuable. He’ll move pretty quickly after playing at a huge program in UCLA. This Crusade card of Kappy (future Girardi nickname?) ran me less than a buck. I also have a Kaprielian Team USA jersey card on its way.

The Yanks then had a really nice pick in Drew Finley in the 3^rd round at 92^nd overall. If he signs, he’ll definitely be someone to keep an eye on. He has a commitment to USC, but hopefully the Yanks can pay him enough to change that decision. He is the son of David Finley, who is the VP of Amateur and International Scouting for the Dodgers. He’s got some good bloodlines there. I snagged this auto for a couple of bucks, and it’s numbered 5/5. Would be sweet to see him become a bonafide prospect and then have a really good card on my hands. 

That one time I had a good idea

Last year while watching the MLB Draft, the Yankees selected Ian Clarkin as one of their first rounders. As soon as the pick was announced, I went on eBay, found a cool Clarkin USA relic, and snagged it. I went back later, and a lot of the prices had shot up since he was now a Yankee. Opportunistic sellers, indeed.

I employed a similar strategy this year. The Yankees first pick, at number 55 overall, was Jacob Lindgren, a fast track college reliever. I did a quick eBay search, but alas no cards.

The next day, the Yankees grabbed high school righty Austin DeCarr in the third round. I took a chance, and found a cool low-numbered auto of his right after the pick was made. Again, I checked eBay later, and nearly every seller had raised his prices to ridiculous amounts. I got mine for only a couple bucks.

DeCarr decided to forgo his commitment to Clemson and sign with the Yanks for a cool million bucks, so another solid young arm has been added to the system, as well as another sweet autograph to my collection.

Trade loot from Jaybarkerfan's Draft

Jaybarkerfan’s First Annual Trade Bait Draft took about a month to complete. Not to be outdone, it’s taken me about two months to post about it.

My first pick in the draft netted me an Eddie Murray RC. While it is a trade bait draft, I may keep this card. I’ve always admired it, just never imagined I’d own it.

Next up, a sweet on card auto of former Blue Jay prospect Chip Cannon. He had a few really good years in the minors, but nothing after 2009. Not sure what happened to him.

I also nabbed a game used jersey of Andruw Jones.

Here is the rest of my haul. It’s all for trade, so let me know if there’s anything that strikes your fancy.

As he has been known to do, Wes threw in a few Yanks for me, including this sweet Hideki Matsui jersey. It’s my first relic of Godzilla.