Elliott: 2017 CBN Draft Blog; Day 3 (11-to-40)
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Three years ago the 2014 draft headed into Day III.
Day III is a day which always drags.
There are 900 picks to go on the third and final day of the draft of high schoolers and collegians.
Three years ago the Blue Jays were at home ... blanked by Shelby Miller of the St. Louis Cardinals, who tossed a complete-game, three hitter.
Meanwhile in Arlington, Tex. the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 8-3. I was in Arlington, but not to see Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana homer behind Josh Tomlin. Nope draft headquarters were inside a hotel on the Nolan Ryan Expressway.
And as rounds 37, 38 and 39 moved along I was as anxious as a young Brett Lawrie tapping his foot in the dugout awaiting a turn at bat.
And when the Chicago White Sox chose White Sox OF Julian Service (Whitby, Ont.) from the Howard College Haks in the 40th round (1,188th over-all) I hit the send button and was off. I went to see George Strait’s final concert at the space ship known as AT&T Stadium.
King George had a few guests Sheryl Crow, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Asleep at the Wheel, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Vince Gill and Alan Jackson. It was a day he sang The Cowboy Rides Away for a final time in concert.
As a tribute to their late manager, general manager, player development guru and everything else within the organization the Philadelphia Phillies made their 11th pick in honour of the Dallas Green. They selected Pinnacle High Schoool SS Jake Holmes.
Big D was one of the best ... The Greens, Whites and Russell Martin
Under the title of we're dancing as fast as we can ... we had an executive decision to make ... continue with the Blue Jays and Canadians postings on this blog OR chose to update our Canadians drafted page ... You can guess what we chose ... follow along with all the pick here ...
Now that we're back ....
In the 11th round ... The Blue Jays selected RHP Donnie Sellers of High Point, SC ... and he signed June 19 by scout Chris Kline, former Baseball America scribe.
Sellers pitched for the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons. The 5-foot-11, 180 pounder was 3-5 this season in 17 games, making 14 starts. He walked 29 and stuck out 60 in 84 innings.
In his three years at Wake, he was 12-11 with a 5.09 with 29 walks and 60 strikeouts in 159 innings.
And in the 12th round ... the first Canuck name out of the box was Seminole State Trojans OF Jonathan Lacroix (Montréal, Que.), selected by Houston Astros scout Jim Stevenson, who used to coach at The Shrine known as Talbot Park in Leaside.
Lacroix hit .447 with 23 doubles, one triple, 17 homers and 67 RBIs. Not quite .700 but good enough to be the top dog on Day III. He had an OPS of 1.333.
Eight picks later ... the Jays selected RHP Matt Shannon, of Plesanton, Tex. from the Angelo State Rams was signed June 19 by scout Gerald Turner.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder was 9-5 with a 3.22 ERA and one save, pitching in 19 games, 17 outings were starts. Shannon was a workhorse for the Rams walked 35 and strikining out 93 in 100 2/3 innings.
And in the 13th round ... where else should the Jays turn but Minnesota State-Mankato to find LHP Brody Rodning. A native of Gaylord, Minn., he went 6-4 with a 3.47 earned run average this spring. Rodning, who fanned 77 and walked 34 batters in 70 innings of work, earned All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Second Team and was a member of the 2017 NSIC All-Tournament Team.
Rodning, who went 6-2 as a sophomore in 2015, garnered First Team All-NSIC honors as a freshman in 2015 when he crafted a 9-0 record and a 2.85 ERA. He was also Daktronics Second Team All-Region and was named to the NCAA DII Central Region honours.
And four picks ... later the Washington Nationals, not major players in Canada, scooped OF Eric Senior (Toronto, Ont.) from the Midland College Chapparals. A former Toronto Met, he hit .398 with 90 hits, including 15 doubles, seven triples. 17 homers and 91 RBIs. Senior was 12-for-12 stealing bases and had a 1.190 OPS in 58 games.
And in the 14th ... the Blue Jays went to Steinbrenner High in Lutz, Fla. to find 1B P.K. Morris. Now there were eras or decades where George Steinbrenner would be the most disliked figure in the city of New York. Yet, from his home in Tampa he was benevolent man. Hence the name of the school named after the late Yankee co-owner. Morris, a 6-foot-1, 195 pounder signed late with a school and we’re told he is with Florida Atlantic.
And in the 15th ... the Arizona Diamondbacks and scout Doug Mathieson (Langley, BC) selected OF Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta. ) from the Okotoks Dawgs.
The, the busy 15th ... continued as the Jays took OF Ryan Noda, of Volo, Ill., from the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and he was sisgned June 19 by scout Coulsen Barbiche.
Noda hit .236 with 12 doubles, two triples, nine homers and 42 RBIs. The 6-foot-3, 230 pounder had a .866 OPS.
And in the same busy round ... Chicago Cubs scout Billy Swoope swooped in to draft 2B Jared Young (Prince George, BC) of the Old Dominion Monarchs.
He hit .367 with 19 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 34 RBIs. He had an 1.021 OPS in 58 games. A Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball News, he also earned Conference USA Newcomer of the Year a First Team All-C-USA selection and a C-USA All-Academic Team selection. He was first ODU All-American since Ben Verlander in 2013.
And in the 16th ... Minnesota Twins scout Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC) was at it again in the 16th selecting RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) Chilliwack Cougars, who are not a member of the BC Premier League. However, Burrows saw the 6-foot-5, 205-pounder work for the Canadian Junior National Team.
Next came ... OF Raphaël Gladu (Trois-Riviéres, Que.) in the 16th from the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Claude Pelletier chose Gladu, who hit .378 to leading his team with 19 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 55 RBIs. Had a 1.018 OPS in 56 games.
RHP Ty Tice, shown here pitching for the Willmar Stingers against Thunder Bays in the Northwoods League last summer. Photo: Jake Schultz/Tribune.
And two picks later ... the Jays chose RHP Ty Tice of Prairie Grove, Ark. from the Central Arkansas Bears and scout Dallas Black signed him JUne 19.
Tice was 2-3 with a 4.45 ERA in 22 games, making seven starts. He walked 34 and fanned 67 in 56 2/3 innings.
And in the 17th ... The Jays selected C Kobie Russell, as high schooler from Waipahu, Hawaii. He is six-foot-195 pounds.
And in the 18th ... the Jays close LHP Jordan Barrett, of Margate. Fla. and the Elon Phoenix. He was signed June 19 by scout Chris Kline.
Barrett was 4-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 17 games, making 13 starts. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior walked 32 and fanned 100 in only 78 1/3 innings.
C Cordell Dunn when he committed to play for the Texas A@M Aggies.
And in the 19th ... the Jays grabbed another high school catcher Cordell Dunn from Olive Branch, Miss. The six-foot- 190-pounders wears No. 42 ... just like Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson.
And in the 20th round ... the Toronto Blue Jays finally dipped their toe into the Canadian talent pool after missing on the first 10. They chose CF Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) from the Niagara Purple Eagles. Kirwer received a $40,000 signing bonus and the final year of schooling when he needs it by scout Jamie Lehman.
Kirwer led the team with a .327 batting average, ad a team-high 29 RBIs, 14 doubles, .458 slugging percentage and .978 fielding percentage.
After the Purple Eagles’ three-game sweep of Saint Peter’s, Kirwer was 10-for-14 at the plate, with seven runs and 12 RBIs, to earn a pile of honors. Selected to an All-MAAC team First Team, making him 3-for-3 in all of his three seasons at Niagara. His first two years he was on the All-Maac Second team.
And in the 21st round ... Cincinnati Reds scout Bill Byckowski drafted RHP Christian Lindsay-Young, who was born in Oakville, Ont. and now lives in Hamburg, NY from the Niagara County ThunderWolves.
Helping coach Matt Clingersmith reach the JUCO Div. III World Series, he was 6-2 with one save and a 1.57 ERA in 12 games, making 10 starts. Lindsay-Young walked only nine and whiffed 106 in 57 1/3 innings.
A few picks later ... in the same round the Jays selected RHP Turner Larkins, from the Texas A&M Aggies. The 6-foot-3 200-pounder from Arlington, Tex., was 1-2 with a 3.37 ERA in nine games, making five starts. He walked 11 and fanned 20 in 26 2/3 innings.
And in the 22nd round ... the Miami Marlins chose C JD Osborne (Whitby, Ont.) from the University of Tampa Spartans. The former Whitby Chief earned NCBWA Division II Preseason All-South Region Second Team, First Team All-Sunshine State Conference and ABCA First Team All-South Region.
He had 86 hits for a .387 average, recording a .743 slugging percentage hitting 19 doubles and launching a team high 20 home runs. He led the team with 86 RBIs in 43 games.
And a few picks later ... the Jays drafted SS Guner Halter from Seminole State Trojans. The 6-foot-2, 180 pounds from Overland Park, Kan. Halter hit .440 with 13 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs and 55 RBIs. He had an 1.271 OPS in 56 games
And in the 23rd round ... The Blue Jays chose RHP Daniel Ritcheson, a high schooler from Northridge, Calif. The 6-foot-4, 175-pounder attended Perfect Game showcase with the SBG Wahoos/CBA Marucci earning Rawlings-Perfect Game Second Team All-American California and All Region First Team.
In the same round ... Cleveland Indians scout Steffan Segui chose RHP Jordan Scheftz, who was born in North York, Ont. and lives in Irvine, Calif. With Central Florida Scheftz was 1-2 with a 1.76 ERA, walking 19 and fanning out 40 in 30 2/3 innings, covering 26 games. He worked 19 scoreless outings, holding opponents to a .160 batting average.
And in the 24th round ... the Seattle Mariners and scout Amanda Hopkins chose SS Louis Boyd (North Vancouver, BC) from the University of Arizona. Boyd hit .265 with three doubles, one triple, one hhomer and 17 RBIs. This spring Boyd was 5-for-6 stealing bases with a .687 OPS.
Ex-pro Brooks McNiven coached Boyd with the North Shore Twins recalling: “Louis was one of the best kids I have ever coached when it came to work ethic and attitude. His athleticism was off the charts as well! He is an outstanding kid and really deserves this opportunity. Many people over looked him over the years because of his size.”
Five picks later ... the Baltimore Orioles selected their second Canadians of the draft. Scout Brandon Verley, chose INF Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) of the Victoria Mariners.
And then the Blue Jays drafted ... RHP Colin Brockhouse from Ball State from Fort Wayne, Ind. A 6-foot-3, 194-pound right-hander he was 3-2 with a 3.98 ERA in 10 outings, making eight starts. He walked 19 annd struck out 40 in 40 2/3 innings.
And in the 25th round ... the Jays drafted OF Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) of the Ontario Blue Jays. Davis has a healthy scholarship to play the outfield for the Vanderbilt Commodores so -- like Clayton Keyes a year ago -- opposing scouts think it's highly unlikely that Davis will sign.
And in the 26th round ... the Jays selected OF DJ Neal from University of South Carolina-Sumter Fire Ants aby scout Chris Kline on June 19.
nd he was signed A former South Carolina wide receiver Neal left the Gamecocks sat out a spring and transferred to Sumter opted to go a different route. After deciding just before spring football practice to transfer, A two-sport man in high school, he was selected with the No. 960 overall pick in 2015 by the Atlanta Braves, but headed to South Carolina.
The 6-foot-3, 201-pounder from Lithonia, Ga. batted .331 with seven doubles, two triples, three homers and 28 RBIs. He was 8-for-9 stealing bases and had .844 OPS in 46 games.
And in the 27th round ... the Jays took LHP Sam Weatherly, a 6-foot-5, 175 pound high schooler from Howell Mich.
3B Davis Schneider, a 28th round pick by the Jays. Photo: Jesse Bair, NJ Advance Media.
And in the 28th round ... the Blue Jays drafted Davis Schneider from Berllin, NJ. He has a scholarship offer to Rutgers University. Schneider was 40-for-90 this spring — .444, with 16 doubles, five home runs and 40 RBIs.
And in the 29th round ... the Jays selected LHP Joe DiBenedetto, a Staten Island NY senior from the Nova Southeastern Sharks. He was signed June 19 by Jay scout Matt O'Brien.
The 5-foot-9, 180 pounder was 6-4 with a 4.30 ERA. He walked 24 and struck out 58 in 58 2/3 appearing in 17 games, making eight starts.
And in the 30th round ... the Detroit Tigers scout Jeff Kunkel selected RHP Kyle Thomas (Mississauga, Ont.) from the Northwestern Ohio Racers. Thomas went 10-1 with a 3.28 ERA. He walked only 30 and fanned 104 in 98 2/3 innings.
We were not sure which team Thomas played for: no on the Ontario Blue Jays, no on the Ontario Terriers, but yes on the Oakville Royals, according to John Milton, who said Thomas pitched for Mike Steed, Mike Siena and Milton. In fact on draft day, Thomas phoned his old coach to thank him.
And everyone on this list should do the same.
Later ... the Blue Jays grabbed C Reilly Johnson, of Lake Wales, Fla. from the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. He was signed June 19 by scout Matt Bishoff.
A 5-foot-9, 160 pound JUCO sophhomore hit .343 with 10 doubles, two triples, two homers and 24 RBIs. He had an .836 OPS.
And in the 31st ... Reds coach Bill Byckowski selected Toronto Mets 2B Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, Ont.). He has a scholarship to attend the University of Cincinnati this fall and play for the Bearcats next spring.
Later in the same round ... the Jays chose RHP Graham Spraker, of Tuscon, Az., from the Quincy Hawks. He was signed June 19 by scout Jeff Johnson.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior was 7-5 with a 2.44 ERA, walking 33 and striking out 80 in 88 2/3 innings.
And in the 32nd ... the Oakland Athletics scout Matt Higginson (Oakville, Ont.) selected 2B Jake Lumley (Windsor, Ont.) – Oakland A’s from Mike McRae’s (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Canisius Golden Griffins.
Lumley had 259 career hits, making him the all-time hits leader in program history, surpassing the 256 combined by Ian Choy (Mississauga, Ont.). Lumley hit .355 with 12 doubles, three triples, two homers and 21 RBIs in 57 starts, with an .897 OPS, going 17-for-21 stealing bases.
Later in the same round ... the Jays drafted fifth-year senior Jacob Condra-Bogan of Woodruff, SC, from the Georgia Southern Eagles. A 6-foot-3, 215-pounder was 5-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 19 appearances, making six starts. He walked 18 and fanned 52 in 56 innings.
And in the 33rd round ... the Jays took Matthew Gunter of Orangevale, Calif. and the Hawaii Pacific Sharks. He was signed June 19 by scout Jim Lentine.
The lefty -- 6-foot-1, 190 pounder was 6-4 with a 2.08 ERA in 12 starts. He walked 29 and fanned 102 in 86 1/3 innings.
And in the 34th round ... the Blue Jays grabbed Maverik Buffo, of Salem, Utah, which is a boffo name from BYU. Buffo signed June 19 by Pete Holmes.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder Buffo was 7-7 with a 6.01 ERA in 16 starts. He walked 34 and fanned 73 in 88 1/3 innings.
And in the 35th ... the Houston Astros scout Noel Gonzalez drafted SS Trei Cruz, who was born in Toronto, when his poppy Jose Cruz played for the Toronto Blue Jays. Cruz participated in the Tournament 12 last fall and this summer he will play in the California Collegiate League. Now, we’ve heard from some that Cruz does not qualify as a Canadian.
Where was he born? Toronto? Period. End of story.
And later in the same round ... the Jays looked to Kevin Pillar’s old school to select centre fielder Brandon Polizzi, from Cal St Dominguez Hills. He signed June 19 by scout Bud Smith.
At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, from Belflower, Calif., led the Toros with a .381 average, hitting 11 doubles, a triple and 21 RBIs. He had a .870 OPS in 49 games.
And in the 36th round ... the Jays chose RHP Jonathan Cheshire, of Howell, Mich., who pitches for Davenport University. Cheshire was signed June 19 by scout Coulsen Barbiche
The 6-foot-1, 185 pound senior was 9-3 with a 2.21 ERA out of the bullpen. He walked 15, struck out 113 and held opposing hitters to a .227 average.
So that is two Jays drafts from Howell, Mich. (POP: (5,548) ... and one -- one who is unlikely to sign from the province of Ontario.
And in the 37th ... Philadelphia Phillies drafted talented hitter 2B Edouard Julien (Québec, Que.). Julien plays for the Canadian Junior National Team and the Diamants de Québec. He has a commitment to Auburn.
And later in the round ... the Jays chose RHP Justin Watts, from Bryan Ohio, who is a senior from Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles. Watts was signed June 19 by scout Jeff Johnson.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior went 5-2 in 22 games, making one start. He walked eight, struck out 42 in 32 2/3 innings.
And in the 38th ... the Jays plucked LHP Marcus Reyes, of Vista, Calif. from San Diego State. A five-foot-11, 188-pound senior, He was signed June 19 byJim Lentine.
Reyes was 4-2 with a 2.96 ERA in 27 games. He walked 14 and fanned 40 in 54 2/3 innings.
And in the 39th ... the Jays chose RHP Ben Fariss, a high schooler from Valencia Calif. The six-foot, 175-pounder has signed a letter of intent to UC Santa Barbara.
And in the 40th ... former Phillies scouting director Marty Wolever, who know works for the Tigers grabbed a right-hander line drive hitter from the Langley Blaze, a la Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) and Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC), INF Rhys Cratty (Langley, BC).
And later in the round ... the Jays picked OF Sean Ross, a high schooler from El Cajon, Calif. This year Ross earned Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American
California All Region First Team honours.
And so in all 23 Canadians were selected, down four from last year, but six more than 2014
Canadians selected on Day 1: 2.
Canadians selected on Day 2: 2
Canadians selected on Day 3: 19
Total ... 23
By Team: Astros 2, Blue Jays 2, Orioles 2, Reds 2, Tigers 2, Twins 2, A’s 1, Angels 1, Cubs 1, Diamondbacks 1, Dodgers 1, Indiians 1, Marlins 1, Mariners 1, Mets 1, Nationals 1, and the Phillies 1.
By Province: Ontario 13. BC 5, Quebec 3, Alberta 2,
A year ago:
Canadians selected on Day 1: 2
Canadians selected on Day 2: 7
Canadians selected on Day 23: 16.
Total ... 25
Teams: Diamondbacks 4, Astros 3, Blue Jays 3, Tigers 2, Reds 2, Red Sox 2, Twins 2, A’s 1, Cardinals 1, Mariners 1, Mets 1, Nationals 1, Padres 1, Pirates 1, Rangers 1, White Sox 1.