Johnny Almaraz discusses Phillies' 3rd-10th draft picks

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On a conference call Tuesday night, Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz discussed the team's draft picks in Rounds 3 through 10

Here is a transcript of Almaraz's thoughts:

What did you think of Day 2 of the draft?
I think we got a nice balance of college pitchers and some college hitters, a really nice high school arm and guys that will have a chance to hit and pitch at the major-league level. We’re all very excited.

Are the high school players expecting any signing issues or will you be able to get everyone in?
No, we are extremely confident that everybody pretty much will report here soon.

Do you think the college pitchers you drafted on Day 2 will be quick movers through the farm system?
Yes, Yes. We feel that they both have pitchability, the ability to pitch. They have above average fastballs, above average breaking balls and they have the feel to pitch. If you’re a college pitcher, you can map a strike zone and move quicker than others.

What do you like about Luke Leftwich, the third-round pick? Is he seen as a shortstop or can he move around?
He caught before he moved to the shortstop position. He’s somebody that we feel is really good with the ability to hit. He can run, he can throw and he possesses really good tools. We see him more as a third baseman if he can have some type of power. He’s a just a really good athlete and we're pleased to get him. I don’t know if you guys noticed and paid attention to the draft, but those bats were coming off the board pretty quick, and [Leftwich] is somebody that we feel has a high ceiling. Also, just the fact that he knows how to play the game and he’s got the ability to hit the baseball with some type of power.

You talked about the bats being off the board early. It seems like you got one late with Greg Pickett. Were you surprised that he was still around?
We were, but our area scouts did a great job at keeping the lines open with a lot of these high school and college kids who have a tendency sometimes to not give us very accurate signability (information), so we stayed on him and we got some information that really made us make the decision to take him. Pretty sure we're sending him out here pretty quickly to start his career in the Gulf Coast League.

Of your first 10 picks, you have six college guys and four high school guys. Is that just the way the board worked out, or was there a conscious effort to get a good balance?
The guys that we selected are guys that we believe all have a chance to play at the major-league level. Along with taking some of these high school picks, I wanted there to be some type of balance, but I didn’t forfeit any type of high school ability that I felt was beyond the college players that were still available. At the certain points that we picked, I felt that those were the best players for our organization, so that’s how we made the decision to select them.

The last guy that you guys drafted, Josh Tobias (5-9), is the smallest guy you guys got. Is size something you guys look for, or is it just the way it happened?
No, if you guys looked at Tobias, my biggest interest with Tobias was that he just started hitting left-handed this year and he led all of the SEC in hitting at .410 this year. He is an above average runner. He is somebody that we feel, even though he is a senior, he possesses above average ability and you never know with somebody like that. It's somebody who is going to be attractive and possesses ability, and at that point in the draft, if you can select somebody who can have an impact to a major-league club whether it be as an everyday player, a left-handed guy off the bench, or even an extra outfielder or utility type guy, it's considered a really good draft.

Talk a little about Kyle Martin and Mark Laird, two of the SEC players drafted.
Kyle Martin, we believe, is a really good prospect. He’s a first baseman, he’s got above average power, he's got the ability to go the other way or pull the pitch out of the ballpark. We see him as an average first baseman with average range. He's got an above average arm at first base. He came to our workout and answered a few questions as far as his athleticism is concerned, and we feel that we are getting a good college bat with potential to play at the major-league level.

As far as Laird is concerned, he can really run, he can really play defense and he is an extremely good centerfielder. With those speed guys, if they learn to bunt and use both sides of the field better, they are going to create havoc. Again, it was the right place to pick somebody like that with those types of moves and we were very happy to get him.

Luke Leftwich’s dad played in the big leagues, his grandfather played in the big leagues. How much does that get your attention in the process, and what were your impressions of him overall?
I was reading the reports on him and what really stuck out in my mind was his fastball. He pitches between that 92 and 95 (mph) range. He's got an above average curveball, he's got an above average changeup with command, and the ability to pitch. We felt that at that point we’re getting somebody who has the ability to start and stay in that starting role because of those tools. Along with the ability to pitch and command the baseball, our people felt that he was an extreme competitor. He is somebody who has that fight in him. That’s why we made that choice, not because his dad or grandfather played at that level.

Do you expect all three pitchers selected on Day 2 to be starters in the majors, or are any of them guys that you see finding the most success out of the bullpen?
We see them all as starters. (Bailey) Falter is someone who we call a projection. I saw Falter about two weeks ago out in California, he was throwing 87 to 91. He pitched mainly 87, 88 and 89. Really good curveball and good changeup, but what I liked about him was I felt he was one of the top pitchers in the county, whether it be college or high school. The ability to pitch and command his pitches is something you cannot teach and he possesses that innate ability to throw the baseball. For me, he’s got a bright future and has a chance to be a starter along with the other two (Leftwich and USC lefty Tyler Gilbert). They have the ability to pitch and throw strikes. We believe we got three starters, two of them are going to be faster movers than the youngest one of the group.

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