2003 Draft Breakdown: 20-11

[Chisoxfn]

2003 Draft Breakdown: 20-11

By Randy Brace, Chris Conger, Mike Doyle, and Jason Gage

July 22, 2003

FutureSox.com

 

FutureSox.com will take a closer look at all of the White Sox draft picks. These draft picks are the future of the organization and many will be reporting to their minor league teams after they signed. While many will sign, there are plenty that won't sign as they have opportunities to still play in school or may have another profession in mind. Today, FutureSox will continue with picks 20-11. Coming up next is 10-6.

 

20. Jeffrey (J.J.) Schmidt, 17 – R/R – SS – Mira Mesa High School (California)

Jeffrey Schmidt is the ultimate athlete. Not only is he a great baseball player, but he was also rated as one of the top six senior quarterbacks in San Diego, and was a guard on his school basketball team. Schmidt plays shortstop and also did some pitching, mainly as a reliever/closer. He has a good arm and speed. Schmidt figured to be a tough sign, but the Sox were able to sign him and have sent him to Bristol ®. Schmidt has all the tools to be make it in the majors, but also has a lot more to learn then most players since he never concentrated soley on baseball.

 

19. Mike Moat, 21 – RHP – San Diego State (Junior – California)

Mike Moat was a four year varsity winner at Niwot High School in Longmont, Colorado. He was the Cougars star pitcher and led them to three straight state titles. He was also quarterback for his high school football team. His exceptional high school career led the Rangers to select him in the 11th round of the 2000 draft. Moat passed on that opportunity and decided to play for San Diego State. In his freshman year he went 2-2 with a 5.74 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 42.1 innings of work. He pitched primarily out of the pen. In 2002, Moat went 4-2 with 39 strikeouts in 45.1 innings. He pitched in 15 games, nine of which were starts. In 2003, Moat went 6-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 17 starts (18 games). Moat struck out 72 in 108 innings. Moat features a 90 MPH fastball and a very good slider. He’s done a good job developing his secondary pitches and his control has gotten better each season. Moat has signed with the White Sox and was sent to Great Falls ® where he has pitched primarily as a reliever.

 

18. Corey Haggerty, 21 - L/R – 2nd – State University New York (Senior - Cortland, New York)

Named by Baseball America as one of the top five prospects in all of Division III baseball, Cory Haggerty is a very solid player. Haggerty doesn’t have much pop in his bat, but always finds a way to get on base through his good plate discipline throughout his career at Cortland. He seems to get in the way of the pitch a lot as shown by Haggerty’s 14 HBP count. Being a four-year senior, Haggerty was an easy sign and the Sox sent him to Great Falls ®.

 

17. Guillermo Martinez, 18 – R/R – SS – Coral Park High School (Florida)

Martinez was born on October 5, 1984 and stands 6’0 175 pounds. He is the high school teammate of Robert Valido. Valido’s defensive talents forced the move of not only Martinez, but also Sean Rodriguez, the best hitter of the three, who transferred to nearby Braddock High School and was a third round pick of Anaheim. Martinez is a South Alabama signee and will be difficult to sign. The drafting of Valido will only help, as Martinez has been quoted as saying he would be excited to continue to play with his friend since childhood. He has a solid body type and good skills, but definitely needs to fill out and hit the weight room. He has a quick bat, although he stands upright at the plate. If he signs, he will need a couple years working at the plate in rookie ball before he would be at the point to advance to Kannapolis. He may not have the defensive ability to stay at SS, and there may not be room there in the minors. I expect him to end up at 2B, and be a very good defensive player at that position. His bat is the biggest question.

 

16. Cody Dickens, 19 – RHP – Surrey Community College (Junior, North Carolina)

Cody Dickens was one of the best arms in the entire draft and the Sox lucked out to get him in the 16th round. He was rated as the top junior college prospect in his state and was the 96th best pitching prospect in the country, according to Baseball America. Dickens was taken by the Angels in the 50th round of the 2002 draft, but never signed. Tendinitis and an undisclosed suspension hurt Dickens draft status, but he has a bright future. Armed with a 95-MPH fastball, he also has a plus slider and changeup making him a complete pitcher. In 2002, he was named All-State as well as his teams MVP. Dickens has a high ceiling and should vault through the system, health pending. He may be a tough sign as he will definitely have the ability to transfer to a division I school. He could also be a draft and follow, but many think it would be best to spend the money on him as he has the skills.

 

15. Greg Moviel, 18 – LHP – Saint Ignatius High School (Ohio)

With the 15th round pick, the Sox selected left-handed pitcher Greg Moviel. At 6'7 and 225 pounds he is an imposing figure armed with a ever rising fastball currently clocked between 90-92 mph. Moviel gained 5 mph within the last year on his fastball and he has finally learned a decent breaking pitch. However, being committed to Vanderbilt will make him a tough sign for the Sox.

 

14. Richard Nanita, 22 – L/L – CF – Florida International University (Senior, Florida)

Just before the beginning of the 2003 school year at FIU, Ricardo Nanita transferred from Chipola junior college, the same school Adam Loewen attended, to FIU in the hopes that he could propel himself into the draft. Nanita succeeded in his goal, mainly by leading Florida International in almost every offensive statistical category. The most impressive thing about Nanita though, is his plate discipline. Nanita walked 39 times in 196 at bats, which in-turn led to his .490 OBP. Drafting Nanita could turn out to be as big a steal for the Sox. Nanita has signed with the White Sox and is currently dominating at Great Falls ®.

 

13. Wes Hodges, 18 – S/R – 3rd – Baylor High School (Tennessee)

Wes Hodges was born on September 14, 1984, and is a tad over 6’1 and 180 pounds. He is a big kid with a powerful frame. Early in his senior season, he broke the hamate bone in his left hand. Instead of missing most of the season, he started hitting exclusively from the left side for the first time. He had considerable success, despite lacking the power he showed from the right side. Before the injury, he was considered a top five round pick, something that shouldn't have changed considering his talent and work ethic are outstanding. His speed would be above average at third base, where many scouts envision this switch-hitting playing. He has been compared to Clemson’s Jeff Baker. He has a very powerful and short swing from the right side and can drive the ball out to all fields. He is pretty fluid in the field with a strong, accurate arm and soft hands. He is ranked by Baseball America as the 10th best third base prospect in the draft. He has signed a letter-of-intent to play for Georgia Tech University, thus making him a difficult player to sign, taking fifth round money at the least. I don’t know that the White Sox will be willing to do so, despite knowing this in advance of drafting him. If they do, the White Sox will have landed another steal in the draft.

 

12. Donald Veal, 18 – LHP – Buena High School (Arizona)

Donald Veal was one of the steals of the draft, if the Sox can sign him. The problem was, it was signability issues that led Veal’s stock to plummet. The Sox called Veal and were ready to draft him in the early rounds of the draft, but Veal turned down a $500,000 offer and asked for more money. It’s unknown whether the Sox will up their offer, but it is believed that their $500,000 offer is still on the table. Veal has committed to the University of Arizona and has plans of becoming a doctor.

 

"He wants to go to the University of Arizona. His mind is pretty much decided," Tanya Veal said. "We are sure they will make a late run before school starts with another offer, but we are at peace with his decision."

 

As far as ability, Veal already throws a high-80s fastball, that’s reached as high as 93, and has lots of projectability. He features a solid curveball and is developing a changeup. Time should do Veal wonders and while he needs to develop his pitches he has a very smooth delivery and gets a lot of movement on all his pitches. Veal was rated as the ninth best player in the state and one of the 50th best high school players by Baseball America. Veal went 7-0 with a 1.23 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 49 innings.

 

11. Richard Brooks, 19 – RHP – North Tonawada High School (New York)

Ricky Brooks was the Sox 11th round pick in 2003. Brooks is a 6'3, 170-pound right-handed pitcher. Brooks was a senior at North Tonawanda High School in New York. His fastball sits at 87-88 but touches 92. With a little added muscle he could add a few mph to his fastball. He is still working on breaking pitches but with a little time and about 20 pounds, he projects to be a solid starter for the Sox, although some scouts believe his future may enly as a closer.

 

2003 Draft Breakdown: 50-41

2003 Draft Breakdown: 40-31

2003 Draft Breakdown: 30-21

[Jim Fainter]

Thanks again, Jason for these reports. It always struck me that a position playing prospect coming out of high school would be in immediate danger of being severely overmatched in Rookie ball, because so many of those players have had college experience. That's why I was surprised that a couple of really good high school athletes, Sweeney and Schmidt, signed with us, because they had obvious college opportunities waiting for them. Both are struggling at Bristol, although I know it is waaaaay too early to cast judgement. Do you know what we do with these kids at the conclusion of the Rookie Ball seasons? Do they go to the Tucson facility and continue working out, or do they go home for the winter. Thanks again.

[Chisoxfn]

Thats an awesome question Jim. I'll ask the media rep for Great Falls what exactly happens. I know all the minor leaguers (Or I think its all of them) get sent to Arizona in March (Same time as spring training) and they work out there. Work on fundmentals and all that stuff.

 

I'm also guessing if Bullard is lurking around in the next few days he could give us a real good answer as to what the off-season is like.

 

Schmidt was one guy I was surprised that signed. He was an unbelievable athlete and from the looks of it had offers to play in multiple sports. Baseball was obviously the safer option (More so then football at least).

 

I have never seen him play, but I'd guess that his athletic ability made things easy for him at the high school level, so he probably had some things that he may of never had to do. The adjustment is definately a harder one, but in the case of Schmidt and especially Sweeney they are amazing atheletes and if they have the will to play they will be good players.

 

If Sweeney didn't play in Iowa, he probably would of been a Top 10 pick. To me he rates in the same skill level as Harvey and some of the other high school outfielders.

[Guest JimH]

Great job on the draft choices report.

 

The Sox are pretty good at getting guys signed with a last minute push, so hopefully some of these guys will sign on the bottom line.

 

I'd have a hard time turning down $500,000 ... especially if I'm a pitcher. Who knows if your arm will go out on you?

 

"Take the money".

 

I hope they sign as many of these left handed pitchers as possible.

[Chisoxfn]

Great job on the draft choices report.

 

The Sox are pretty good at getting guys signed with a last minute push, so hopefully some of these guys will sign on the bottom line.

 

I'd have a hard time turning down $500,000 ... especially if I'm a pitcher.  Who knows if your arm will go out on you?

 

"Take the money".

 

I hope they sign as many of these left handed pitchers as possible.

Yep, I'd take that 500,000 and invest in some real estate and know that even if I never played in the majors i"d be able to hopefully get enough of a head start with that money to the point I can pay for college and put myself in a real good position.

 

I think anyone that turns down a huge contract (Anything over 1.5 mill) is a fool cause it means they take another year and you never know what happens during that time period. Is it really worth making an extra couple hundred thousand knowing that their is the possiblity that you could get nothing or a whole lot next the very next year.

 

Matt Harrington is the biggest fool in recent history. Could of had like 3 or 4 million and he's still yet to sign. By the next year his velocity had dropped big time and now I don't think he'd ever make it, plus he stil isn't willing to sign.

[Clarkdog]

Great job on the draft choices report.

 

The Sox are pretty good at getting guys signed with a last minute push, so hopefully some of these guys will sign on the bottom line.

 

I'd have a hard time turning down $500,000 ... especially if I'm a pitcher.  Who knows if your arm will go out on you?

 

"Take the money".

 

I hope they sign as many of these left handed pitchers as possible.

Veal's older brother (Ronnie) was a quarterback for the U of A football team in the late 80's, so his name is known in the athletic department, and is likely what is driving his allegiance towards heading for college. His brother wasn't much of a football player, but Arizona is definately one of the top baseball programs in the country. Probably figures that he'll be taken care of, get a degree, and likely garner a bigger bonus if he plays a little college ball.

[dasox24]

I'd have a hard time turning down $500,000 ... especially if I'm a pitcher.  Who knows if your arm will go out on you?

 

"Take the money".

I'll have to agree with JimH here. If you go to college and get hurt then you wont get anything(if you can't come back), but then again I understand the point that some people make when they say that if a player goes to college and gets hurt then at least he'll have a degree. Personally, I think I would take the money if I was drafted and offered $500,000 for a signing bonus as it is said Veal was offered.

By the way, ya'll are doing a GREAT job on the draft reports! I'm really glad ya'll are doing this. I love finding out about these players we drafted.

[Cerbaho-WG]

I'd have a hard time turning down $500,000 ... especially if I'm a pitcher.  Who knows if your arm will go out on you?

 

"Take the money".

I'll have to agree with JimH here. If you go to college and get hurt then you wont get anything(if you can't come back), but then again I understand the point that some people make when they say that if a player goes to college and gets hurt then at least he'll have a degree. Personally, I think I would take the money if I was drafted and offered $500,000 for a signing bonus as it is said Veal was offered.

By the way, ya'll are doing a GREAT job on the draft reports! I'm really glad ya'll are doing this. I love finding out about these players we drafted.

Thanks man, we do it all for the fans out there. We're currently working on a rehashed version of the Top50, looking really good now.

[dasox24]

Thanks man, we do it all for the fans out there. We're currently working on a rehashed version of the Top50, looking really good now.

SWEET!! I can't wait for the next Top 50 to come out. I'm really looking forward to reading it! O yea, will there be some of our 2003 draft picks on the list too? I sure hope so, I'd like to see where ya'll think Anderson, Sweeney, Valido, Nanita, etc. would rank in our Top 50. I would guess Anderson, Sweeney, and Nanita would all be fairly high.

[Chisoxfn]

SWEET!!  I can't wait for the next Top 50 to come out.  I'm really looking forward to reading it!  O yea, will there be some of our 2003 draft picks on the list too?  I sure hope so, I'd like to see where ya'll think Anderson, Sweeney, Valido, Nanita, etc. would rank in our Top 50.  I would guess Anderson, Sweeney, and Nanita would all be fairly high.

Yep, the new draft picks are included. Hopefully it will be up really soon.

 

The final portion of the draft preview will be up tomorrow morning. Were shooting for next week for the Top 50, but thats a rough estimate.

[supermaggs]

I'm real excited about Nanita, I'd imagine in a few years we'll have even more depth than when we had Christianson, Rowand, Ramirez, and Simmons. It sounds like Anderson is a 3 year guy in the minors, same with Sanders. Can't wait to see if Jeremy Reed is a September call up.