Mets draft Milledge in first round + All draftees

[Baseball Guru]

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20030603&content_id=351817&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyn


NEW YORK -- The Mets bucked their recent historical trend Tuesday and selected outfielder Lastings Milledge with the 12th pick in the First-Year Player Draft.

Milledge is a highly touted outfielder from Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton, Fla. He is the first outfielder and the first position player the Mets have chosen with their top pick since Jason Tyner in 1998. New York's last four first-round picks have been pitchers.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Milledge was rated as the seventh-best prospect available in the draft by Baseball America. This season he hit .414 (41-for-99) with 10 homers, 35 RBIs and 42 stolen bases. Baseball America also rated him as the best five-tool talent available among high school players and the rated as the second-best high school player available overall.


Though Milledge had some off-the-field issues to deal with in 2002, the Mets are confident that any personal problems he had are now behind him. Outfielder Ryan Harvey of Dunedin High was considered by many to be the top available high school player in Florida but Milledge's numbers and ability compare favorably.

Milledge has a very quick bat and has displayed a strong arm and great speed, as evidenced by his stolen base totals.


"We saw him just like we saw everyone else," said Jack Bowen, the Mets director of amateur scouting. "We saw him play last summer in Canada for Team USA and followed him last fall and this spring. He's a well-rounded player who we think can stay in center field though he has the type of bat that can hit in several spots in the batting order.

"We scouted him like he was going to be available at 12 and he was the best guy on the board when we picked."

Milledge, when and if he signs, will likely begin the season at Class A Brooklyn of the New York-Penn League.

[Baseball Guru]

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/draftday/tracker_team_nyn_1.html

[Cyberlibrarian]

Lakewood Ranch is right near my parents' house. If it's the school I think it is, we pass it on our way to church.

[GaryMrMets]

Here are all the players the Mets drafted:

Pick Team Player School Position B/T Ht Wt DOB Class Video
12 LASTINGS MILLEDGE LAKEWOOD RANCH HS CF R/R 6'1" 180 1985-04-05 HS
COMMENT: Strong and compact.

109 SHANE HAWK OKLAHOMA ST U LHP R/L 6'4" 180 1981-09-10 4YR
COMMENT:

139 COREY COLES U LOUISIANA CF L/L 6'0" 180 1982-01-30 4YR
COMMENT:

169 MATTHEW MIRAMONTES U NEVADA RHP R/R 6'4" 200 1981-12-24 4YR
COMMENT: Tall, room for future strength. Fastball best pitch, 89-91, bores in on RH hitters. Hard slider with tight rotation, quick nickel break, 79-80. Curveball has slurve action. Chance to be quality ML pitcher with added strength and better command of curve.

199 BRIAN BANNISTER U SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RHP R/R 6'1" 207 1981-02-28 4YR
COMMENT: Solid build. Similar to Donne Wall. Boring life on fastball. Relies on slider as out pitch. Fair deception and downer movement on circle change. Tough competitor. Excellent make-up. Son of Floyd Banister.

229 SETH PIETSCH OREGON ST U LF R/R 5'9" 195 1981-09-16 4YR
COMMENT: Small frame, compact build. Powerful legs. Built like Chuck Knoblauch. Open stance. Uppercut swing. Drives the ball to all fields with lift. Average speed. plays hard. Surprising pop of bat. Disdains walks. Needs to steal more bases.

259 VINCENT CORDOVA LOYOLA MARYMOUNT U RHP R/R 6'3" 210 1982-04-16 4YR
COMMENT: Strong, well-proportioned body. Turk Wendell type body. Quick, compact arm. Plus curveball, big rolling, downer type. Good motion. Deceptive on sinking changeup. Throws strikes with all pitches. Good competitor. Big, strong kid with major league pitches. Mixes pitches well.

289 DAVID REAVER U RICHMOND SS R/R 5'11" 185 1981-05-16 4YR
COMMENT:

319 ANDREW SIDES DE SOTO HS RHP L/R 6'7" 210 1984-08-05 HS
COMMENT: Fastball & slider will improve. Threw much better in past. Better days ahead of him.

349 ANTHONY PIAZZA SOUTHWEST MISSOURI ST U C R/R 6'1" 220 1980-06-22 4YR
COMMENT:

379 CARLOS MUNIZ CALIFORNIA ST U-LONG BEAC RHP R/R 6'0" 180 1981-03-12 4YR
COMMENT:

409 CHARLES BENNETT ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC ST U 3B L/R 6'2" 200 1982-04-02 4YR
COMMENT:

439 HAROLD MOZINGO ESSEX SCHOOL RHP R/R 6'1" 175 1985-03-29 HS
COMMENT:

469 DAVID SMITH PFEIFFER U LHP L/L 6'2" 185 1982-03-12 4YR
COMMENT:

499 RYAN MEYERS ROUND VALLEY HS RHP L/R 6'5" 195 1985-07-17 HS
COMMENT:

529 KYLE MCCULLOCH BELLAIRE HS RHP R/R 6'2" 170 1985-03-20 HS
COMMENT: Medium frame. Excellent body. Loose, quick arm. High ceiling. Projectable arm and body. Limited mound experience. Converted middle infielder. A lot of upside potential.

559 RYAN HARVEY U CALIFORNIA LF R/R 0'60" 190 1979-12-17 4YR
COMMENT:

589 DENNIS MEALOR OCONEE COUNTY HS RHP R/R 6'4" 240 1985-05-20 HS
COMMENT: Same body type as Dave Burba. Drifts, throws uphill, across body. Big, natural strong w/ quick arm. No real command, but around plate. Del needs to be re-worked.

619 TRAVIS GARCIA IONA COL SS R/R 6'3" 205 1982-04-18 4YR
COMMENT:

649 GREG RAMIREZ PEPPERDINE U RHP R/R 6'4" 205 1980-09-12 4YR
COMMENT:

679 DANTE BRINKLEY SOUTHWEST MISSOURI ST U CF R/R 5'10" 170 1981-08-21 4YR
COMMENT: Small, athletic body. Leadoff type hitter. Sound hitting approach. Good knowledge of strike zone. Arm playable. Accomplished, defensive player. Reads ball off bat very well. Smart baserunner.

709 TROY FRY BERRY COL RHP R/R 6'5" 220 1981-06-23 4YR
COMMENT:

739 EVAN MACLANE FEATHER RIVER COLLEGE LHP L/L 6'2" 170 1982-11-04 JR
COMMENT:

769 KEVIN RIOS CONCORDIA U SS R/R 6'1" 180 1981-07-21 4YR
COMMENT:

799 DEUNTE HEATH NEWTON COUNTY HS RHP R/R 6'4" 205 1985-08-28 HS
COMMENT: Same body type as Ferguson Jenkins. High knee lift, some hip turn. Sits on back leg then pops out of it. Often throws all arm. Very loose, fairly athletic RHP. Flashes easy delivery and quick arm. Curve Ball tight, rotates, some down bite. Doing it on raw ability, not getting a lot of exposure. Can come on quickly. Plans to attend a JC.

829 CORY WELLS PLANT CITY HS CF R/R 6'0" 185 1984-11-18 HS
COMMENT:

859 JUSTIN VALDES DUNEDIN HS RHP R/R 6'1" 160 1985-08-16 HS
COMMENT:

889 ADAM CARR WEST VALLEY JC RHP R/R 6'1" 185 1984-04-01 JR
COMMENT:

919 JORDAN NEWTON LARUE COUNTY HS C R/R 5'10" 185 1985-08-29 HS
COMMENT:

949 HUMBERTO GONZALEZ FEATHER RIVER JC SS R/R 5'9" 166 1981-03-06 JR
COMMENT:

979 BENJAMIN NEWTON U ARKANSAS FORT SMITH JC RHP R/R 6'1" 225 1985-02-23 JR
COMMENT:

1009 ROBERT JOHNSON WYLIE HS RHP R/R 6'3" 205 1985-04-12 HS
COMMENT:

1039 PATRICK HOWE FAITH BAPTIST HS LHP L/L 0'63" 195 1984-10-23 HS
COMMENT:

1069 JAMES WALLACE SANTA CLARA U C R/R 6'3" 220 1981-03-27 4YR
COMMENT:

1099 CLIFTON TURNER CCBC CATONSVILLE RF R/R 6'2" 198 1983-09-25 JR
COMMENT:

1129 SIMON GAGNON MONTMORENCY COL LHP L/L 6'0" 175 1984-11-16 JR
COMMENT:

1159 GARRETT YOUNG EDISON HS 3B R/R 6'2" 195 1984-09-09 HS
COMMENT:

1189 DANIEL FISCHER LOS ANGELES PIERCE JC RHP R/R 0'0" 0 1983-05-19 JR
COMMENT:

1219 MICHAEL BARTLEY ALLEGHANY HS RHP R/R 6'5" 215 1984-05-31 HS
COMMENT:

1248 BRIAN BAUGHER BRUNSWICK HS RHP R/R 6'3" 210 1985-12-05 HS
COMMENT:

1277 MICHAEL CHAMBLESS ROUND ROCK HS C R/R 6'2" 175 1985-02-09 HS
COMMENT:

1305 THOMAS SGUEGLIA ROCKLAND CC 3B R/R 6'2" 205 1984-01-13 JR
COMMENT:

1332 JEAN-MICHEL ROCHON-SALVAS EDOUARD MONTPETIT COL RHP R/R 6'0" 175 1984-10-01 JR
COMMENT: Solid, athletic build. No windup, 3/4 release. Loose, live arm. Most fastballs 87, late, tailing life. Downward 3/4 rotating curveball has depth. Straight change sinks and fades. Agile, projectable body.

1359 JOEL THORNEY LEASIDE HS RHP R/R 6'4" 180 1985-08-18 HS
COMMENT:

1386 DAVID TORRES U CENTRAL FLORIDA RHP R/R 6'1" 205 1981-03-23 4YR
COMMENT:

1413 JONATHAN MALO MIAMI-DADE CC SS R/R 6'0" 180 1983-09-29 JR
COMMENT:

1439 GROVER BENTON WEBBER INTERNATIONAL U CF R/R 5'9" 185 1982-02-28 4YR
COMMENT:

1465 LESTER ARAGON BRITO MIAMI PRIVATE SCHOO C L/R 5'10" 185 1984-07-04 HS
COMMENT: Medium build. Strength throughout. Soft hands. Blocks well. Solid average arm. Bat speed through zone, occasional power. Solid catch and throw player. Has improved his all-around game.

[GaryMrMets]

Here is the breakdown by position:

Pitchers
109 SHANE HAWK OKLAHOMA ST U LHP R/L 6'4" 180 1981-09-10

169 MATTHEW MIRAMONTES U NEVADA RHP R/R 6'4" 200 1981-12-24

199 BRIAN BANNISTER U SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RHP R/R 6'1" 207 1981-02-28

259 VINCENT CORDOVA LOYOLA MARYMOUNT U RHP R/R 6'3" 210 1982-04-16

319 ANDREW SIDES DE SOTO HS RHP L/R 6'7" 210 1984-08-05

379 CARLOS MUNIZ CALIFORNIA ST U-LONG BEAC RHP R/R 6'0" 180 1981-03-12

439 HAROLD MOZINGO ESSEX SCHOOL RHP R/R 6'1" 175 1985-03-29

469 DAVID SMITH PFEIFFER U LHP L/L 6'2" 185 1982-03-12

499 RYAN MEYERS ROUND VALLEY HS RHP L/R 6'5" 195 1985-07-17

529 KYLE MCCULLOCH BELLAIRE HS RHP R/R 6'2" 170 1985-03-20

589 DENNIS MEALOR OCONEE COUNTY HS RHP R/R 6'4" 240 1985-05-20

649 GREG RAMIREZ PEPPERDINE U RHP R/R 6'4" 205 1980-09-12

709 TROY FRY BERRY COL RHP R/R 6'5" 220 1981-06-23

739 EVAN MACLANE FEATHER RIVER COLLEGE LHP L/L 6'2" 170 1982-11-04

799 DEUNTE HEATH NEWTON COUNTY HS RHP R/R 6'4" 205 1985-08-28

859 JUSTIN VALDES DUNEDIN HS RHP R/R 6'1" 160 1985-08-16

889 ADAM CARR WEST VALLEY JC RHP R/R 6'1" 185 1984-04-01

979 BENJAMIN NEWTON U ARKANSAS FORT SMITH JC RHP R/R 6'1" 225 1985-02-23

1009 ROBERT JOHNSON WYLIE HS RHP R/R 6'3" 205 1985-04-12

1039 PATRICK HOWE FAITH BAPTIST HS LHP L/L 0'63" 195 1984-10-23

1129 SIMON GAGNON MONTMORENCY COL LHP L/L 6'0" 175 1984-11-16

1189 DANIEL FISCHER LOS ANGELES PIERCE JC RHP R/R 0'0" 0 1983-05-19

1219 MICHAEL BARTLEY ALLEGHANY HS RHP R/R 6'5" 215 1984-05-31

1248 BRIAN BAUGHER BRUNSWICK HS RHP R/R 6'3" 210 1985-12-05

1332 JEAN-MICHEL ROCHON-SALVAS EDOUARD MONTPETIT COL RHP R/R 6'0" 175 1984-10-01

1359 JOEL THORNEY LEASIDE HS RHP R/R 6'4" 180 1985-08-18

1386 DAVID TORRES U CENTRAL FLORIDA RHP R/R 6'1" 205 1981-03-23

Catchers
349 ANTHONY PIAZZA SOUTHWEST MISSOURI ST U C R/R 6'1" 220 1980-06-22

919 JORDAN NEWTON LARUE COUNTY HS C R/R 5'10" 185 1985-08-29

1069 JAMES WALLACE SANTA CLARA U C R/R 6'3" 220 1981-03-27
1277 MICHAEL CHAMBLESS ROUND ROCK HS C R/R 6'2" 175 1985-02-09

1465 LESTER ARAGON BRITO MIAMI PRIVATE SCHOO C L/R 5'10" 185 1984-07-04

Infielders
289 DAVID REAVER U RICHMOND SS R/R 5'11" 185 1981-05-16

409 CHARLES BENNETT ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC ST U 3B L/R 6'2" 200 1982-04-02

619 TRAVIS GARCIA IONA COL SS R/R 6'3" 205 1982-04-18

769 KEVIN RIOS CONCORDIA U SS R/R 6'1" 180 1981-07-21

949 HUMBERTO GONZALEZ FEATHER RIVER JC SS R/R 5'9" 166 1981-03-06

1159 GARRETT YOUNG EDISON HS 3B R/R 6'2" 195 1984-09-09

1305 THOMAS SGUEGLIA ROCKLAND CC 3B R/R 6'2" 205 1984-01-13

1413 JONATHAN MALO MIAMI-DADE CC SS R/R 6'0" 180 1983-09-29

Outfielders
12 LASTINGS MILLEDGE LAKEWOOD RANCH HS CF R/R 6'1" 180 1985-04-05

139 COREY COLES U LOUISIANA CF L/L 6'0" 180 1982-01-30

229 SETH PIETSCH OREGON ST U LF R/R 5'9" 195 1981-09-16

559 RYAN HARVEY U CALIFORNIA LF R/R 0'60" 190 1979-12-17

679 DANTE BRINKLEY SOUTHWEST MISSOURI ST U CF R/R 5'10" 170 1981-08-21

829 CORY WELLS PLANT CITY HS CF R/R 6'0" 185 1984-11-18

1099 CLIFTON TURNER CCBC CATONSVILLE RF R/R 6'2" 198 1983-09-25

1439 GROVER BENTON WEBBER INTERNATIONAL U CF R/R 5'9" 185 1982-02-28

[metsfan5432]

I've heard good things about Lastings. Hope he's got some good talent. Has anyone actually seen him play before, live, on tv, video, etc.