The 2009 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft has come and gone, but beyond first overall pick Stephen Strasburg, what do we really know about the other 50 players selected by the Nationals? Here are a few thumbnail factoids about some of them:
Washington’s second first rounder, closer Drew Storen, became the first first-rounder to sign, and has already reported to Hagerstown. Storen is kin to Mike Storen, the former commissioner of the American Basketball Association (and a former Baltimore Bullets PR man), as well as ESPN sportscaster Hannah Storm, so it’s a good bet he can already handle himself in an interview.
Georgia right-handed pitcher Trevor Holder was the Nats’ third round pick. Holder, one of 11 Bulldogs drafted — they’ve got some baseball program there — was drafted in the 10th round by the Marlins last year, but did not sign. He’s an Alabama native, 6’3″, 205 pounds, with what the scouts say is a pitcher’s body. He averaged better than 6 innings per start — Georgia had a 12-man bullpen — and struck out 72 in 92 innings of work.
There was some surprise when Kansas State righty A.J. Morris was still available in the fourth round. Morris, recently named a First Team All-American by Rivals.com (where he’s joined by Strasburg), averaged more than 7 innings per start in 16 starts, and had a better-than-5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Morris’ K-State teammate, first baseman Justin Bloxom, was taken by the Nats in the 11th round. Bloxom, a switch-batting Arizona native, led the Wildcats in virtually every offensive category this year, slugging .607 with 12 home runs and 63 RBI in 62 games.
2009 Atlantic-10 Pitcher-of-the-Year Pat Lehman, out of George Washington University, was tabbed in the 13th round. A New Jersey kid, Lehman led the conference in ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched. Two other GW products have already worn the Washington uniform: pitcher Mike O’Connor, still in the organization, and catcher Steve Korcheck, with the 1954-59 Senators.
Outfielder Naoya Washiya was Washington’s 14th round pick, out of the College of the Desert (COD). Admittedly, I’d never heard of the COD before now, but I looked them up online and discovered that wear a red cap with an old English “D” and are called the Roadrunners. Washiya’s current stats weren’t available, but there’s something right about a player who’s last name starts with “Wash” coming to D.C.
Overall, the Nationals picked 30 college prospects and 21 high school players, broken down thusly: 21 right-handed pitchers, 9 left-handed pitchers, 4 catchers, 10 infielders and 7 outfielders. Only a handful will become productive major leaguers; that’s just the way it works. Baseball has the most difficult skill sets to master, and for many, the wooden bat changes everything. Many of these players will never progress beyond the low minors, and some late rounders won’t sign, preferring to see if they go higher next year.
It’s only door number one.
Phil Wood is a contributor to Nats Xtra on MASN. Contact him at [email protected].
