Slade Heathcott

Yesterday, before the professionals got their collective asses handed to them (again) in Boston, the Yankees drafted Slade Heathcott, a left-handed outfielder from Texarkana, Texas, in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. By all accounts, Heathcott, who also pitches, is an all-around talented baseball player, a real 5-tool player. MLB.com describes him as "an intense competitor with instincts beyond his years" and a "plus defender who can play all three outfield positions well." The site also says he is "muscular with broad shoulders and a v-cut torso." So there's that, too. 

Although he's verbally committed to play ball at Louisiana State University, odds are that Heathcott will sign with the Yankees, which is a good thing because Heathcott was taken with the compensatory pick the Yankees received after failing to sign their 2008 top selection, Gerrit Cole: if they can't sign Heathcott, they lose the pick. For those scoring at home, that would be two consecutive drafts in which the Yankees pissed away their first-round picks. Never a good thing for the organizational depth chart.  

For more information about Heatchott, check out No Maas, an amazing website that is simply over the moon about this pick--and, for that matter, the Yankees' second pick, T.J. Murphy, a power-hitting catcher. No Maas was way out in front of the Heathcott selection, interviewing the kid back in March. Check it out here. Among the many things I learned about Heathcott is that he grew up a Red Sox fan, holds a healthy sized man-crush on Josh Hamilton, and compares his game favorably to Rusty Greer. Also, his baseball role model is Mickey Mantle, which, I assume, is why he wears No. 7.