The New Kid, He's Got Money - Draft Report

Here's a breakdown of the Jays' picks on Day 1:

Round 1 - David Cooper - 6'0", 200 lbs, 1B, UC - Berkeley - L/L - 2/18/87
Cooper, who followed in Reed Johnson's footsteps to Cal State Fullerton before transfering to Cal, is said to be a pure hitter type who has a patient approach, a smooth swing, and a strong upper body. Scouts disagree on how much power Cooper will be expected to show, with some tagging him as having doubles power only in the majors while others believe he will develop plus power to all fields. His plate discipline and quality bat will have to be his ticket, as his defense is average at 1st and he lacks other tools.

Round 2- Kenneth Wilson - 6'0", 165 lbs, CF, High School - R/R - 1/30/90
Wilson is an interesting pick for the Jays , as he appears to be more of a work in progress and toolsy type. Wilson has fantastic speed, projects to be a fine defensive centerfielder, and has plenty of potential with the bat, though he's raw there.

Round 3 - Andrew Liebel - 6'1", 195 lbs, RHP, Long Beach State - 3/22/86.
Liebel, to whom truth is an absolute defense, (ouch, lawyer joke) is more of a polished pitcher than a hurler. A college senior, he did get his fastball up to 93 this season , though he sits more in the 90-91 range. Liebel showed good control with the typical 4-pitch arsenal this season and is particularly adept with his circle change. He has excellent control, but isn't too much of a punch-out man.

Round 4 - Rob Sobolewski - 6'1", 200 lbs, 3B, Univ. of Miami, R/R, 12/24/86.
Sobolewski is a player with the skills to succeed as an MLB third baseman. A former SS in high school, he has good footwork at 3rd base and a plus arm, though he needs to work on his consistency in terms of throwing. He is strong and has potential to both hit for average and power, but isn't quite at either yet.

Round 5 - Tyler Pastronicky - 5'11", 170 lbs, SS, High School, R/R - 12/13/89.
Pastronicky seems like a very fine pick in the 5th round, as he projects quite well. He's got a lean atheltic frame with room to add power, and is a very fine all-around athlete who has shown both solid hitting and fielding tools. He projects to stay in the middle infield with great arm strength and speed who projects to hit well enough to hold a job, though obviously is a long way away.

I plan on looking at each of these young men more in depth, one at a time, but for now, what are our thoughts? The Jays went back to the well in the first round for college players, and Cooper is an interesting choice as he seems to be a great bat who doesn't do anything else. They also drafted some speed and athleticism, and only used one of their first 5 picks on a pitcher, and a righty at that, very un-Jays.

I'm moving this post back to the top, since it's better than thinking about our games over the past two days.