Houston Astros Baseball

Draft Day 1 In A Nutshell

Although the draft isn't over for today yet, The Astros have made quite a splash with their early picks. The top ten in the draft overall today went as:

1) Tim Beckham
2) Pedro Alvarez
3) Eric Hosmer
4) Brian Matusz
5) Buster Posey
6) Kyle Skipworth
7) Yonder Alonso
8) Gordan Beckham
9) Aaron Crow
10) Jason Castro (Astros)

The Astros made possibly the biggest surprise move of the day by selecting Jason Castro 10th. When The White Sox selected Beckam with the 8th pick most would have bet their life saving that The Astros would end up with either RHP Aaron Crow or 1B Justin Smoak. When Aaron Crow was selected 9th that all but sealed the deal for Smoak. However, in a surprise move The Astros chose the 3rd catcher of the day and a player thought not to selected until the end of the first round. Smoak was immediately chosen next by The Texas Rangers. This single move may be Heck's early statement for his new team. Let's compare the two and you can decide who you would have chosen.


Justin Smoak

Justin Smoak, 1b, South Carolina
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 188. Age: 21.



A switch-hitting first baseman with power, Smoak draws natural comparisons to Mark Teixiera. Drafted out of high school in the 16th round by the Athletics, he has started every game for South Carolina since arriving on the Columbia campus, doing nothing but produce. After batting .303 with 17 home runs, Smoak earned Freshman All-America honors. He followed that with a .315 batting average and 22 home runs in his sophomore year enough to be tabbed as a third team All-American. He also competed for Team USA last summer. As a first baseman, Smoak has Gold Glove-caliber actions and soft hands. His footwork and instincts around the bag are advanced and his arm strength is adequate. As a hitter, he is consistent from both sides of the plate, and he has superior pitch recognition. A power threat against any pitch, Smoak has the ability to hit to all fields. Smoak proved his power translates to wood when he hit 11 home runs in 39 games while playing in the Cape Cod League following his freshman year, though he struggled with Team USA last summer. He is thought to be the best combination of offense and defense at first base in this draft class.
(Credit: Baseball America)

Additional Info: MILB.com


Jason Castro
Jason Castro, c, Stanford
B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 215. Age: 20.



A catcher most of his prep career, Castro entered this season thought of as a bat first after his strong summer in the Cape Cod League. He hit just .263 combined in his first two seasons at Stanford, then hit .341 in the Cape (second-best in the league), but he played mostly first base or outfield in deference to Florida State's Buster Posey. This spring, Castro has put it all together, showing he can hit for average and power while being Stanford's primary catcher. At 6-foot-3, he's tall but athletic enough to have good lateral movement and agility, and he's improved as a receiver, where he's considered fringe-average at worst. His arm also grades as average, and he's an above-average hitter, particularly for his position. Offensively, Castro stays inside the ball and has a fundamentally sound, strong swing. One scout likened his offensive package to that of former Athletics supplemental first-rounder Mark Teahen, who also played collegiately in the Bay Area, only with more power. In some years, Castro would be the best catcher on the board, but this he's third behind Posey and Southern California prep phenom Kyle Skipworth. He's not expected to last past the first round.
(Credit Baseball America)

Additional Info: MILB.com


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The Astros Day 1 Draft Picks (As of 9:00 ET)

Rnd 1. Jason Castro C (College)
Rnd 1*.Jordan Lyles RHP (HS)
Rnd 2. Jay Austin OF (HS)
Rnd 3. Chase Davidson 1B (HS)
Rnd 3*.Ross Seaton RHP (HS)
Rnd 4. T.J. Steele OF (College)
Rnd 5. David Duncan LHP (College)
Rnd 6. Jack Shuck OF (College)

*Indicates supplemental sandwich pick


Draft Day Analyst Extras

Baseball America On Astros 2nd Round Pick

Sandwich Shocker
"The Astros are the Astros, and after taking Jason Castro at 10 overall—considered a reach for a late-first-round talent—they went off the board with their supplemental pick, taking 6-foot-4 Jordan Lyles. He didn’t make BA’s Top 200, and ranked seventh in the state of South Carolina, tops among prep players. Here’s Matt Blood’s scouting report on Lyles:

Righthander Jordan Lyles leads the high school ranks. Blessed with a clean and easy delivery, Lyles offers a fastball in the upper 80s and can break 90 mph on occasion. He also has room in his 6-foot-4 frame to add strength and velocity. Lyles also throws a curveball and changeup and can command all three pitches. A three-sport star in high school, Lyles is athletic on the mound. He is committed to South Carolina."

Keith Law On Castro and Smoak

"Castro didn't get to catch last year in the Cape Cod League because his team also had Posey. Castro was expected to go in the second half of the first round. He's a contact hitter; he will not hit for a lot of power. He's an average regular catcher in the big leagues. But I don't see him as a star. By the way, the next best college catcher in the draft is well below Castro."

"This is the best pick in the draft so far. Smoak is the third-best player on my board. He's a switch-hitting Adrian Gonzalez with more power. In the Rangers' ballpark, he has a good chance to hit 40 home runs, if he develops. There are no major holes in his game. I saw this scenario possibly unfolding last night. A lot of things had to go right for them to get Smoak, and they did."


One last thing to think about regarding the draft and a teams success or failure. A team can select whomever they chose, but the big question is will that player actually play for your team? Signability is the buzz word this year and this may shed some light on how The Astros made their selections this year.

Even though Astros Scouting Director Bobby Heck claimed he would draft based on choosing the best player available over a clubs needs, one would have to wonder if that is really true. Also, keep in mind that it's fair to assume that Castro won't demand nearly the same bonus money as Smoak would have seeing as Castro was expecting to be picked towards the end on round 1, and that fact alone could have left Heck with very little options as McClane has shown his displeasure with giving draftees large signing bonuses. This same idea "signability" may have also contributed to The Astros 2nd round selection of Lyles. Lyles isn't even on the top 200 draft list yet he was selected in the thirty's.

In the end roughly 25 players from an average hull of 50 from a draft actually sign, and if we are able to sign most players because of a smaller price tag on the big picks then we may end up on top. Lastly, remember that these drafts are so deep that it's easy to forget that some of the best players in baseball have come from rounds 20 and higher, including Astros ace, Roy Oswalt (23rd rnd).

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