With the 32nd pick of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, the New York Yankees have selected switch-hitting short stop Cito Culver, a high school prospect from Irondequoit High School in upstate New York. Culver has committed to the University of Maryland.
From Baseball America’s Draft Blog:
Once again, this wasn’t a consensus first-rounder. Need more proof? Cito Culver ranked No. 168 on our board, but Culver had athleticism, plus tools to play shortstop and good infield actions, and the Yankees popped him at No. 32.
The Yankees usually go for shortstops and middle-of-the-diamond players internationally, but they have hit the catcher spot hard in the draft and have drafted plenty of middle infielders in recent years, such as David Adams, Corban Joseph and Carmen Angelini. The first two picks could still work out, but Angelini got $1 million as a 10th-round pick in 2007 and has yet to stick in full-season ball.
From Aaron Fitt’s draft report:
“The game comes easily to Culver, whose actions, instincts and range are all plus at times, though he has a long way to go to become a consistent defender, and some believe he profiles as a utility player down the road. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Culver is a solid-average runner and a switch-hitter with a loose, whippy swing from both sides of the plate.”
Check in at Pinstripe Alley for more commentary and fan reaction about Culver and the rest of the 2010 MLB Draft as it unfolds.