University of South Carolina Friday night starter Jordan Montgomery is selected by the New York Yankees with the 122nd in the draft.

With the 122nd selection in the 2014 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees select University of South Carolina pitcher Jordan Montgomery.

As the Gamecocks Friday night started Montgomery posted a 3.42 ERA in 100 innings. He showed an improvement in his strikeout rate this year and his strikeout to walk ratio overall. Montgomery is viewed as low ceiling, high floor pitcher. Which means he has a good chance to make the major leagues, but will likely be a back of the rotation starter for the Yankees or another team.

Montgomery joins pitcher Jacob Lindgren out of Mississippi State and DeCarr Austin a pitcher out of a High School in Connecticut, in the Yankees current draft class. The Yankees are considered to have a middle-to-lower ranked farm system in Major League Baseball.

I thought for sure that Montgomery would have gone later in this draft and certainly after Joey Pankake, but it appears the Yankees really liked the improvements he showed and think he has a pretty good chance to help them at the major league level.

DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER

I don't know if you've heard, but this is the last season for Derek Jeter, the captain of the Yankees. Jeter has been overrated for so long he's become underrated by the stat community in some respects. For all the ridicule over how the media fawns over him and overrates his defense, "clutchiness" and leadership, he is a player with the ninth most hits and eleventh most runs in baseball history, the ninth best OPS+ among all shortstops, and the second most offensive WAR among shortstops in baseball history (min. 3000 PA). Aesthetically, he's a fun player to watch, he's been a model citizen off the field, and he dated Minka Kelly who is just absolutely gorgeous. So you might want to get out to the K this weekend, because this will be the last time you get to see him play here.

Still, some of the fawning is...a bit much. There's a good case to be made that handing the man presents is a bit of overkill, and I can't imagine Jeter really cares much about a #2 surfboard given to him by the Angels. Let's give him a round of applause and....that's it. He's a Yankee after all.

Here is the scouting report on Derek Jeter:

Oh. OK.

The Yankees were tired of relying on players like Jayson Nix and Lyle Overbay, so this past winter they splurged on free agents like Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Japanese import Masahiro Tanaka, who the Royals will miss in this series. However, they also let Robinson Cano walk, and have had to fill the void from his departure and the suspension of Alex Rodriguez with guys like Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson, and Yangervis Solarte. Solarte is a rookie infielder who has come out of nowhere to put up solid numbers for the Bronx Bombers because, of course, its the Yankees. However, New York still has a lot of old dreck on this roster, like Roberts, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki, Jeter (sorry My Captain!) and even Carlos Beltran, who the Royals pursued this past winter (dodged that bullet!). Subsequently, the Yankees are just 11th in the league in runs scored, with a disappointing .316 team on-base percentage.

The Yankees splurged with a $155 milion contract to Masahiro Tanaka, and he has been worth every penny with a 9-1 record and a 2.02 ERA. Fortunately, the Royals will miss him and the injured (and declining) C.C. Sabathia, leaving them to face a hodge-podge of unproven youngsters from New York. As a team, the Yankees are eleventh in runs allowed per game, and lead the league in home runs given up, yet are the stingiest in walks allowed. The Yankees pitching staff has been much better away from cozy Yankee Stadium, with a 3.42 ERA away, compared to a 4.62 ERA in the Bronx.

The greatest closer in the history of the game is gone, but the front of the Yankees pen has still been effective with closer David Robertson and rookie Dellin Betances each striking out over 15 hitters per nine innings. The rest of the pen has been a motley crew of no-namers like Adam Warren, Jose Ramirez, Matt Daley, and Wade LeBlanc. The bullpen as a whole has given up the fifth most runs per game in the league.

The Saturday game will be a nationally televised FOX game, so be prepared for talk about DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER DEREK JETER. Oh, and DEREK JETER.

Pitchers, pitchers, and more pitchers.

The story of the draft so far has been pitchers for the Yankees, and their sixth round pick of right-hander Jonathan Holder out of Mississippi State at 182nd overall is no exception. He was not ranked on MLB.com's Top 200 list coming into the draft, but came in at #286 in Baseball America's draft prospect rankings. Holder is ranked 11th in the state of Mississippi.

Holder has served as a reliever for the Bulldogs, tying an SEC record in single season saves last season. His fastball can hit 93 mph, but generally sits in the very low 90s. His only other remarkable offering is a curveball that comes in at 70-73 mph. The two-pitch pitcher motif is one that does have the ability to play out of the bullpen where it wouldn't work as a starter. His stuff is not overpowering but he makes up for it a bit with his control. The Yankees have now taken two pitchers out of Mississippi State in the draft, both of them working out of the Bulldogs' bullpen.

Here's Baseball America's scouting report on Holder:

Holder emerged as one of the most dependable relievers in college baseball the past three years while helping the Bulldogs reach the College World Series final in 2013. He saved 21 games in 2013, tying a Southeastern Conference single-season record. He has an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 93 and plays up with armside run. He is mostly a two-pitch pitcher, with a curveball that offers a large velocity separation off his fastball at 70-73 mph. He fills up the strike zone, with 2.1 walks per nine in his career with a 6.1 strikeout-walk ratio. His delivery has some effort and he is unlikely to win a bodybuilding contest at a husky 6-foot-2, 242 pounds, but his track record and control could be coveted in the top six rounds by a performance-driven team.

It's interesting to see the Yankees take so many college pitchers early. Particularly on the reliever side, these guys have the ability to really move quickly through the system and help the big league club sooner rather than later.

With their seventh round pick of the 2014 MLB Draft, the Yankees took left-handed hitting center fielder Mark Payton from the University of Texas, making him the first position player they have taken this year. Baseball America has him ranked 270th overall and 22nd in the state of Texas, while Minor League Ball has him at 266.

The biggest thing that MLB Network talked about was that he does a lot of things well, but there's question about where he can fit on the field. He doesn't have the power of a corner outfielder and doesn't have the speed of a center fielder. He can't be placed as an infielder either because he throws left-handed, so the outfield has to be where he goes.

Looking at Baseball America's scouting report, they don't seem very optimistic about his future as an impact player:

The Longhorns’ best players were Indiana native Dillon Peters and Illinois native Payton, who had a very productive senior season. Just 5-foot-8, Payton takes advantage of his small strike zone, ranking in the top 10 in the country in walks. On a good day, he resembles White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton, though he’s just an average runner and thrower. A solid situational hitter, Payton has little home run power and focuses on a line-drive approach. If he improves his routes a bit in center field, he can reach the majors as a fourth outfielder.

Matt Garrioch of Minor League Ball agrees with the assessment, saying that he is "a contact approach and solid all around tools scream future 4th OF. He doesn't have any tools that are elite but he can run and throw. He won't hit for much if any power." Sure, a fourth outfielder isn't terrible, but here's another situation of a low-ceiling, high-floor (maybe even a low-floor), meaning that he's a bit of a risk for someone who might not offer much upside. With the Yankees outfield seemingly set with Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury for a few more years, Payton could be a useful role player if he moves quickly through the system. His ability to work the count and take a walk reminds me somewhat of Ramon Flores.

Two position players in a row!

With their eighth round pick, the Yankees selected their second straight position player by drafting first baseman Connor Spencer out of UC Irvine at 242nd overall. He was ranked #422 by Baseball America coming into the draft, and is ranked 87 in the state of California. Spencer is a left-handed hitter who has more of a line drive swing than one that hits for a lot of power. He batted .361 as a junior at Irvine this season.

Spencer walks nearly as much as he strikes out, showing promising plate discipline as a college hitter. He has only hit one home run in three seasons at UC Irvine, but he has gap power that allows him to rack up doubles. There could be hope for more power after he leaves Irvine's pitcher-friendly ballpark. His limited power doesn't scream major league first baseman, but his more polished bat could help him quickly move up through the ranks of the minor leagues.

Here's Baseball America's complete scouting report on Spencer:

Spencer is simply a hitting machine who has performed for three years at UC Irvine, batting .306 as a freshman, .373 as a sophomore and .361 as a junior this spring. His sweet lefthanded swing is tailored to use the opposite field and the middle of the diamond, and he rarely pulls balls with authority. But he controls the strike zone, walking about as much as struck out each year of his career, and he can hit fastballs as well as offspeed stuff. Spencer has enough strength in his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame to rack up doubles to left-center, but he has just one home run in his three-year career, partly a product of playing in cavernous Anteater Ballpark-dubbed the "John Savage Memorial Graveyard" by Irvine coach Mike Gillespie. He has played sparingly in left field but will be tied to first base in pro ball, and Gillespie said he has become a "surprisingly good" defender at first, saving his infielders numerous errors by making good digs on balls in the dirt. As a first baseman with limited power, Spencer doesn't profile as an everyday player, but his feel for hitting gives him a chance to work his way through the minor leagues.

College players have been the name of the game in the first eight rounds with the exception of Austin DeCarr. Exciting news for people who follow the farm system and like to see players move at a more rapid pace.

Another college position player. This time, a middle infielder!

The Yankees drafted second baseman Ty McFarland with their tenth round pick, 302nd overall. The left-handed senior middle infielder out of James Madison University is 6'2" and 195 pounds. He led James Madison in batting average and slugging percentage this spring at .317 and .507, respectively. He also led the team in hits with 72, multi-hit games with 21, and home runs with nine. His father is his baseball coach at James Madison.

Along the same lines as other college players the Yankees have taken so far in the draft, McFarland has the ability to move up through the system faster than a younger player would. This gives the Yankees some talent they can infuse at higher levels of the minors instead of starting out a whole crop of draftees in Rookie Ball. Drafting a senior who doesn't have the ability to return to school is also a way to save on slot money. Taking older players could also work to balance out the work the team plans to do in the international draft next month, which should bring in a lot of players who are on the much younger side.

McFarland has also played a bit of third base and worked a bit as a right-handed pitcher. He's the fourth straight position player taken by the Yankees in the draft today. In his senior year at JMU, he batted .317/.390/.507 with 12 doubles. His slugging percentage increased each year of his four-year college career. With the selection of McFarland in the final round of the draft today, Austin DeCarr remains the Yankees' lone draftee out of high school to this point.

Superstar pitcher Chase Whitley holds the Royals to two runs over seven innings as Derek Jeter leads the Yankees to victory from the bench.

When you face the New York Yankees, you have to do your best and not get swept up by the history and tradition of the franchise and blinded by the big names they feature on their roster. Names like Brian Roberts. Yangervis Solarte. Chase Whitley. Yes it was THAT Chase Whitley, the perennial Cy Young contender, who sliced through the Royals lineup like a hot knife through butter. The right-hander allowed just five hits and two runs over seven quick innings of work, without walking a single hitter. How can we expect to compete when we cannot afford players like that?

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie had a rough third inning, but avoided catastrophe and the long ball, and worked seven solid innings, giving up four runs despite just two strikeouts. The back of the bullpen got some work in, and Francisley Bueno worked around trouble for a scoreless eighth, and Wilking Rodriguez recorded his first Major League strikeout - and pickoff, in a scoreless ninth.

But the offense was once again punchless. Alex Gordon - who is absolutely red-hot - had two hits and a walk, to go with a stolen base. Everyone else failed to show up. Let's look at some of these slumps now:

Salvador Perez - .220/.258/.288 over his last 15 games

Eric Hosmer - .179/.222/.238 over his last 20 games

Omar Infante - .138/.162/.200 over his last 15 games

Nori Aoki - .159/.240/.205 over his last 12 games

Mike Moustakas - .213/.268/.344 over his last 251 games

Welp. Let's hope Dale Sveum is on it.

Chase Whitley pitched 7 innings to earn his first win.

Chase Whitley took the mound tonight, looking to prove that the Yankees can win games started by pitchers who aren't named Masahiro Tanaka, and he did just that. Not only did he notch the first win of his career, but he pitched seven innings, which is a season high. Whitley hadn't even made it past five innings in any of his previous starts, but he got off to a promising start tonight, only throwing six total pitches in the first inning. By the end of his night, he had allowed five hits, zero walks, two earned runs and he struck out three batters.

The Yankees' offense struck early, then stayed quiet for the rest of the game. All of their runs came in the second and third innings. Mark Teixeira led things off the second with a single to right field, and after a walk to Yangervis Solarte, Brian Roberts was able to drive in Tex on a single up the middle. The third inning started in a similar fashion, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner hitting back-to-back singles. Teixeira was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Brian McCann, who drove in all three runs on a double to left. Brendan Ryan, Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki all hit singles later in the game, but no one could drive them in.

Luckily, the Royals struggled to get much of anything going. They scored their first run during the second inning after Alex Gordon doubled to right and Salvador Perez hit an RBI single. Their final run came in the fifth after Gordon singled and Lorenzo Cain doubled on a grounder up the middle. Brian Roberts had a mental lapse at the end of this play, when he decided to run over to first base while Ellsbury was retrieving the ball, leaving no one covering second. Cain took the opportunity to run to second (and it was scored a double). Dellin Betances pitched a clean eighth inning, notching two strikeouts and only allowing one hit. David Robertson was able to close out the game and get the save, but not before he decided to make things a little more interesting. With two outs (both Ks), Billy Butler hit a line drive to deep left. Robertson then walked Gordon, before finally getting Perez to ground into a force out to end the game. Phew.

David Phelps will face off against lefty Danny Duffy tomorrow at 7:15 EST. Finally a Saturday game that doesn't start at 1.

Box score.

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

• Yankees 4, Royals 2: Whitley earns his first win
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select 2B Ty McFarland 302nd overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select shortstop Vince Conde 272nd overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select 1B Connor Spencer 242nd overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select center fielder Mark Payton 212th overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select RHP Jonathan Holder 182nd overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select RHP Jordan Foley 152nd overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select LHP Jordan Montgomery 122nd overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Yankees select RHP Austin DeCarr 91st overall
• MLB Draft 2014: Day Two Open Thread
• Daily Yankees Predictions 6/6/14: Whitley Repartee
• Yankees prospects: Rob Refsnyder is destroying Eastern League pitching
• What do Dellin Betances' historical comparisons tell us about his future?
• Baby Bomber Recap 6/5/14: Rob Refsnyder keeps rollin; Ian Clarkin goes five strong

Yankees News

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins: New Yankees prospect Jacob Lindgren could move through the system fairly quickly.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Damon Oppenheimer talks about the first 10 picks the Yankees made in the 2014 MLB Draft.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: The Yankees are unhappy with Matt Thornton and are probably pooling together alternatives.

YES Network | Lou DiPietro: Read about all the Yankees' draft picks from day two of the MLB Draft.

It's About the Money | Michael Eder: How could Kendrys Morales hypothetically fit onto this roster?

ESPN Boston | Brendan C. Hall: Yankees draftee Austin DeCarr was able to impress scouts after he spent time away from throwing.

Pinstriped Pundits | Chris Mitchell: The Yankees drafting Jacob Lindgren could actually turn out to be a very smart move.

Baseball America | Ben Badler: Rob Refsnyder and Aaron Judge are two of the hottest players in Minor League Baseball this week.

Sports Illustrated | Jay Jaffe: A look through the long and winding baseball career of Don Zimmer.

An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: An explanation for the Yankees choosing Jacob Lindgren with their first pick in the draft.

Fangraphs | Jeff Sullivan: Eduardo Nunez against Vidal Nuno produced one of the wildest swings of the week.

Sports on Earth | Leigh Montville: Don Zimmer was a rare breed as a man who spent his entire life in baseball.

CBS Sports | Dayn Perry:Masahiro Tanaka has the most valuable splitter in baseball, because of course he does.

Pinstriped Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Looking around for a comp to Jose Ramirez to figure out exactly what he might offer the Yankees this year.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from June 6th: Lightning round style*.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 12-6 vs. Norfolk Tides

LF Jose Pirela 3-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB - 4th homer of the season, batting .340
RF Adonis Garcia 4-5, 3 doubles, HR, 3 RBI - 4th homer of the season
1B Kyle Roller 4-5, double, HR, 2 RBI, K - 5th homer w/ SWB
C Austin Romine 2-5, 2 doubles, RBI, 2 K

Bruce Billings 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K
Danny Burawa 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, K, WP
Mark Montgomery 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Double-A Trenton Thunder: L 2-11 vs. Altoona Curve

CF Mason Williams 1-5, K
LF Ben Gamel 2-4, BB, CS
C Gary Sanchez 0-3, 2 BB
DH Peter O'Brien 0-4, 2 K
1B Tyler Austin 2-4, triple, RBI
2B Rob Refsnyder 3-4, double, RBI - batting .500/.512/.929 over his last 10 games

Graham Stoneburner 5 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K - 51 of 81 pitches for strikes

High-A Tampa Yankees:W 4-1 vs. Charlotte Stone Crabs

CF Jake Cave 0-3, RBI, BB, K
DH Francisco Cervelli 0-3, BB, K
1B Greg Bird 2-4, double, RBI
3B Dante Bichette Jr, 1-4, K

Rafael De Paula 5 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, hit batsman - 4 AO/0 GO
Nick Goody 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 4-10 vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

LF Michael O'Neill 3-5, RBI, K, SB
SS Tyler Wade 0-4, BB, K
RF Aaron Judge 2-4, BB, E9(3rd) - batting .319 this season
3B Miguel Andujar 2-5, K, E5(15th)
1B Jackson Valera 3-5, 2 doubles, RBI, 2 K
C Eduardo de Oleo 2-4, RBI, BB, K, E2(6th)
2B Gosuke Katoh 1-4, K, CS

Caleb Smith 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, E1
Eric Ruth 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Evan Rutckyj 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Giovanny Gallegos 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R/1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

*Sorry for the abbreviated version tonight. These posts will be back to full capacity on Monday. :)

The Yankees have made a habit of drafting the younger relatives of their former players and it might not be the best draft strategy.

In the spring of 1997 the Yankees organization was feeling pretty good and confident about itself. After a decade and a half of high hopes followed by major disappointments, the team was fresh off a World Series championship and cruising to a 96-win season. Their confidence was riding so high that in that year's amateur player draft they selected a player seemingly because his last name was familiar and not because he was a good baseball player. Move over Midas, whatever the Yankees touched was now going to turn to gold.

Except it didn't. In the 54th round they selected a 21-year old outfielder out of Washington University in St. Louis named Russ Chambliss. The scouting report was most likely two words long: Chris' kid. Chris Chambliss was a longtime major league first baseman who made his hay as a Yankee in the late 70's, belting one of the most famous home runs in franchise history, and was now serving as the team's hitting coach. Either this pick was a favor to Chris, or nostalgia got the best of the Yankees because if they hadn't drafted him, nobody else would have. The younger Chambliss kicked around the Yankees' system for a couple years but never reached higher than class A-ball. He was also clearly overmatched by minor league pitching as he had a combined .115/.174/.128 slash line from 1997 to 1998. He was done with professional baseball by 2000.

The Yankees thought they were on to something, though, and undauntedly pushed their new late-draft strategy. With their 47th round pick of the 1998 draft they chose Jeff Nettles, a 19-year old third baseman. Of course, Jeff is the son of Graig Nettles, arguably the greatest third baseman to ever don the pinstripes. Jeff wasn't quite the disaster that Russ Chambliss was but he underwhelmed at each level and the closest he got to the big leagues was a few cups of coffee at Triple-A Columbus. Two years later, and again in the 47th round, the Yankees drafted Jeff's older brother Tim, a 23-year old outfielder out of the University of North Carolina. Tim played only 52 games during his two years as a Yankee minor leaguer before calling it quits.

After three swings and misses, the Yankees decided to up the ante in 2003. In the 42nd round they selected an 18-year old first baseman named Taylor Mattingly and three rounds later took Andre Randolph, a 22-year-old second baseman. If those names and positions sound familiar, it's because Taylor and Andre are the offspring of Don Mattingly and Willie Randolph, respectively. Those two men held down the right side of the infield for the Yankees throughout the majority of the 80's and Randolph was serving as the team's third base coach at the time while Mattingly was on the verge of being named the team's hitting coach. The picks were symbolic, poetic and heart-warming, but also terrible baseball decisions. Taylor played 24 unimpressive games for the Tampa Yankees in 2003 and never played professional baseball again. Andre was even less impressive in 11 games for the Staten Island Yankees that year and was done professionally by 2004.

The team seemed to come to their senses when Brian Cashman was given more control over personnel decisions in the middle of the 2000's. For a few years the bottom of their draft board didn't look like a long lost lineup card. However, recent drafts have proven that the Yankees may be in the middle of a nepotism renaissance. When their 42nd pick of the 2010 draft came along they selected high school outfielder Michael O'Neill, you may know him better as Paul O'Neill's nephew. Michael chose not to sign with the team in favor of playing baseball at the University of Michigan, but the Yankees would not be denied. In last year's draft they took Michael again with their 3rd round pick and this time he stuck around. While he still has plenty of time to get on the right rack, so far Michael is slashing .223/.292/.327 over his two seasons in Low-A Charleston.

The Yankees weren't done handing out favors though. In the 26th round of that draft they selected a high school pitcher named Cal Quantrill. Apparently as reparations for Joe Torre abusing the right arm of his father, Paul Quantrill, during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Eleven rounds later the Yankees chose another high school pitcher named Joshua Pettitte. It just so happens that this was the same day that Joshua's dad, legendary Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte, was busy recording his 250th career win for the team. Alas, both Cal and Joshua decided to attend college rather than sign with the Yankees, but there's always next time.

All of these picks are great personal stories for everyone involved. There's probably no greater joy for a big league baseball player than seeing his son get drafted by a team that he played for. Sometimes a pick like this can even result in a team striking gold, just ask Tommy Lasorda and Mike Piazza. However, once the feel-good narrative wears off, the organization is more often than not left with a useless player that they just wasted a draft pick on. In their current state, the Yankees are not an organization that can afford to do this. By most accounts their farm system ranks in the bottom third of the MLB, which is bad news considering how old and injury prone the big league roster is. It would be in their best interest to draft players, even in the later rounds, based on things like scouting reports, analysis and actual results rather than their family tree.

Nevertheless, while you're tracking the twilight of the 2014 draft today, be sure to put on some Sly in the background. You'll probably see a real-life story that will make you all warm and fuzzy inside. At least for a little while.

The historical draft information in this article was taken from The Baseball Cube.

Things aren't all bad. The Yankees are elite as far as one metric is concerned.

Sixty games into the season and the Yankees look like a pretty middling team. In fact, if you go by their run differential they're worse than middling. Their pitching has basically been Masahiro Tanaka and the front of the bullpen and their lineup is pretty half-baked at the moment. They have been doing something very well, though, and that's running the bases. Now, I'm sure you're probably thinking of a couple of instances of the Yankees making pretty stupid mistakes on the basepaths (like last night), but those aside, it's been a very good year for Yankees baserunners. In fact it's been their best in recent memory. The Yankees have gotten a reputation as a plodding franchise, and for the most part it's been true in the last few seasons, but not this year.

BsR is a combination of Ultimate Baserunning (proper advances, tagging up) and Weighted Stolen Base Runs (stealing and effectiveness in doing so), so it's factoring everything the Yankees are doing on the bases. Obviously, the addition of Jacoby Ellsbury has been a major factor in the team's improvements in this area. He not only steals a lot, but steals with great success and is a smart baserunner. His 3.0 BsR is almost the sole reason the Yankees are as improved as they are. Brett Gardner has obviously been a constant baserunning boon for this team and is again this season, as is Ichiro Suzuki, while Brian Roberts has been quicker than I would have assumed.

On the negative side of things, it's unsurprising that Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira have been negative performers by this metric. They do run like they filled their pants with sand, after all. Surprisingly, your most negative contributor in BsR has been Yangervis Solarte (-1.9 BsR). Solarte's not a noticeably slow runner, but he doesn't steal bases and his rookie exuberance has gotten him into a couple of mistakes to be sure. So he should probably tighten up in that regard, although I feel guilty asking any more of the surprising rookie.

These definitely aren't the same Yankees of years gone by. Their slugging ways have gone mostly by the wayside, so in the very least it's good that they're running into more runs than outs. It seemed to be a concerted effort by the front office to get better on the bases, so that much has been a success. However, they probably need to post a wRC+ upwards of 93 to really take advantage of their speedy efforts.

Chase Whitley pitched the best game in the majors last night vs. the Royals. Phelps will hopefully follow suit for the Yankees this evening. Offense still needs to do the whole offense thing. PSA DP results are here.

The Yankees need starters not named Masahiro Tanaka to go the distance. Young rookie Chase Whitley did exactly that, in what was easily the best game of his young career in the majors. It was a pleasure to watch.

6/6/14 Daily Prediction Answers

The Aardvarks are once again both happy and sad. Happy because more people were able to participate yesterday, but sad that there were no winners. The Raul Mondesi Era and ASR (aaronshelbyrose) tied with 3,000 points a piece. Better luck today, ladies, gentlemen, and possible animals among us.

6/7/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Question

Gaming: Pick your favorite - Atari / Nintendo / Sega / Sony / Microsoft / Other / None

If you had a time machine, where would you want to go more? The past or the future?

Favorite card game?

If you had a food truck, what would you call it and what would you serve?

David Phelps takes the mound for the Yankees in Game Two against the Royals. Here's hoping he can match Whitley's performance from yesterday and continue to give the bullpen some rest. Also, another shout out to Tanya & Jason for their dedicated work during the MLB Draft. They're incredible.

Let's Go Yankees

Good morning everyone. Today is Day Three of the 2014 MLB Draft. We'll be here all day to host discussion. Once the draft is done, I will work up my impressions of each draft class for each team, which will be the main work focus in the next few days. After that we'll return to normal operations, with a Top 150 Prospects list update for early July being the major large project on the agenda.

I will also be announcing some major news about the long-delayed 2014 Baseball Prospect Book. Don't worry, it is good news. Expect that news on Monday or Tuesday.

Anyway, the DRAFT! We saw a bunch of college seniors come off the board yesterday. Will that continue on Day Three, or will we see some higher-upside picks off the board that teams can pursue using bonus money saved with all the seniors that went yesterday? I imagine it will be a mix of both. I wonder if some clubs that went cheap in the draft are going to use that "player development" money aggressively in the Latin American market, bonus limits and penalties for 2015 be damned. That seems likely in the Yankees case.

Wait, what?

The Minnesota Twins are signing Kendrys Morales. Contract terms, per Twitter sources:

RT @SportsTaxMan: #MNTwins agree on contract w/ Kendrys Morales 1 yr $12M. Will make $65,574 per #MLB in season day = $7,540,984 for season.

— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) June 7, 2014

This signing comes out of nowhere. In recent weeks, Morales had been connected to the Brewers, Mariners, Rangers, and Yankees, but not the Twins. Minnesota has a history of keeping negotiations quiet, but things like this always seem to find a way to leak to the public. Not this time.

By waiting until the draft, the Twins avoided losing out on a draft pick by signing Morales, who had declined a qualifying offer from Seattle. As for how this move will affect the Twins' roster, it remains to be seen. I'll be back with more on the roster fallout, and any additional information, later this afternoon.

The Detroit Tigers select Alabama's Spencer Turnbull at the 63rd pick in the 2014 MLB Draft.

Thursday on day 1 of the 2014 MLB Draft, Alabama pitcher Spencer Turnbull was selected at the 63rd pick by the Detroit Tigers. Turnbull, who had never been drafted before, came to Alabama and was able to vastly improve his fastball. That was the key that put Turnbull over the top.

This past season, which was Turnbull's junior year, his fastball reached 98 and was able to consistently hit 94. Although he struggled in the wins column -- going 5-7 on the year -- he was able to maintain a 2.22 ERA this season, holding opposing batters to a mere .192 batting average.

With this pick, the Tigers receive a power pitcher who knows how to win. A pitcher who knows how to keep runs to a minimum when his own teammates aren't able to score. Turnbull is just as excited as Detroit is to be the highest draft pick from the University of Alabama since 2006, in Wade LeBlanc.

Just wanted to say thank you to the Detroit Tigers for believing in me! I can't wait to get to work! #RollTigers

— Spencer Turnbull (@spencerturnbull) June 6, 2014

In addition to Turnbull, right fielder/catcher, Ben Moore was drafted in the 8th round by the Boston Red Sox and left-handed pitcher Justin Kamplain went to the Yankees in the 18th. All three drafted Bama players are juniors.

A couple of other players are projected to be drafted by the time the draft is over including first baseman Austen Smith who is a solid prospect who could be picked up in the later rounds of this year's MLB Draft.

Others to take note of: Alabama signees such as Matt Morgan (MLB.com's 126th overall prospect), Jamal Howard, Zach Coker, and a few others all have great chances of being drafted. So for Tide fans, make sure to stay tuned to Roll 'Bama Roll for updates on Alabama baseball players and signees being drafted into the MLB.

[EDITOR UPDATE: Senior 1B Austen Smith picked by the Marlins in the 33rd round. -CB969]

RS Sophomore lefty was BC's top starter. He'll now face a decision to head to the Cape for the summer or sign with the Yanks and forego his final two years at The Heights.

With the 452nd pick in the MLB Entry Draft, the New York Yankees selected left-handed pitcher Andrew Chin in the 15th round. Chin, who was the arguably the best and most consistent pitcher for Boston College this past season, was the only Eagle starter to post a winning record.

Should Chin sign, he would likely be assigned to either the Rookie League or Short-Season Single-A League to start his professional career.

Chin was one of the most heralded and intriguing recruits brought into Chestnut Hill over the last couple of seasons.  He posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 0.69 ERA as a junior at the Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols school as he helped the team to a 20-0 overall season.  Named a TPX Preseason Second-Team High School All-American, he seemed a sure-fire bet for a top draft choice, possibly in the first round.  But his career was temporarily derailed when he tore his elbow five innings into his senior season.

The Toronto Blue Jays still drafted Chin with their fifth round selection after he graduated from BB&N, but he opted to come to Boston College instead of starting his pro career.  Redshirting his freshman year after Tommy John surgery, Chin began his road back last year, immediately making the starting rotation in his RS-Freshman year and starting 13 of his 14 games appeared in.

Despite a 1-8 record in '13, he led the Eagles with 45 strikeouts (20 of which were looking) and tied for the most starts with 13.  His 3.88 ERA was second-best on the team, holding hitters to a .255 batting average.  In what was perhaps his finest outing, he went 7.2 innings against Maryland on the season's final day, allowing two runs on four hits.

That led to a rocky summer in Chatham on the Cape, where he started seven of his nine appearances.  He went 2-2, but his ERA ballooned to 6.45.

This past season, Chin was fantastic, once again saving his best for last.  In his final start of the year against Clemson, he spun the first two hitter of the ACC era and the first complete game of the Mike Gambino era as he defeated the Tigers, 3-1.  Chin would retire 10 straight in that game and 14 of the final 16 batters he faced, allowing just five base runners over nine innings of work.

The scouting report on Chin centers on his command and a deceiving repertoire.  He has a fastball that can touch into the 80s and is rated out very well, but his game centers on a sinker with deceptive off-speed movement.  He has good movement inside and out against hitters, and he entered Boston College as one of the most complete pitchers Massachusetts had ever produced.  His smarts are also unmatched, and he can outfox hitters by setting them before blowing them away with any one of a number of dangerous out pitches.

Chin is scheduled to join the Chatham Anglers for a second season, starting on June 11th at Orleans.  Chin can play on the Cape for roughly a month, but he will be faced with signing a contract to begin his minor league career or return to Chestnut Hill.  He must sign by July 15th.

Congratulations to Andrew Chin on his drafting by the Yankees!

Hello, Mariano Rivera!

Here is a rundown of the players the Yankees selected on Day Three of the 2014 MLB Draft in rounds 21-30. As always, so much of our information on these players comes from Baseball America, who we really couldn't do this without. In case you missed it, here is Jason's post on the players taken today in rounds 11-20.

It's pretty exciting to see the Yankees take Mariano Rivera's son, even if he ultimately decides to return to college. What do you think about the other picks from rounds 21-30? Are you happy that they have continued picking up nearly all college players? What would you like to see them take in rounds 31-40?

The Derek Jeter Show starring Derek Jeter will not be seen tonight so that we can bring you this awesome catcher hitting things with his bat.

I don't know if you've heard, but the Derek Jeter Show on FOX has been cancelled after nineteen terrific seasons. In its last season, FOX has recycled some of the themes it has used during the entire run of the Derek Jeter Show - class, leadership, limited defensive range. But tonight, its main star Derek Jeter took a complimentary role to a younger, fresher castmember - Salvador Perez. Perhaps FOX is gauging the audience's temperature for a spinoff show? The Sal Perez Show in New York? Right, Rex?

While the FOX announcers were detailing every aspect of Derek Jeter's life, Salvador Perez put on a show. The All-Star catcher collected three hits, falling just a triple short of the cycle. His three-run home run, a team-leading sixth dong of the year, would give the Royals a lead they would not relinquish. The Royals went into the sixth inning with a 3-0 lead, thanks to back-to-back doubles in the second by by Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, and RBI singles by Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Danny Duffy cruised over the first five innings, but struggled in the sixth. An RBI double by Carlos Beltran should have signaled to Ned Yost it was time to pull Duffy, but our fearless skipper left Duffy in to give up a two-run single by Yangervis Solarte to tie the game.

Joe Girardi would one-up Yost in the bottom of the frame however. After David Phelps walked the first two hitters, Girardi left him in to give up Perez's bomb to give the Royals a 6-3 lead. Girardi would let Phelps continue to pitch, allowing a triple to Lorenzo Cain, which led to another run when Nori Aoki singled off reliever Matt Daley.

Then in the seventh - it happened. Many had heard the stories, but you had to see it to believe it. Not the Yeti. Not the elusive Chupacabra. It was - an Eric Hosmer home run!

That put the game out of reach which surely bummed out the FOX announcing team and the numerous Yankees fans from the area who will now have to resort to wearing their Miami Heat jerseys tomorrow. ROLL TIDE!

The game was going okay, until...

Despite allowing a couple early runs, through five innings, it was looking like this was going to be a decent start for David Phelps. Then the sixth inning happened. Phelps allowed four runs in the sixth to put the Yankees in a hole they couldn't get out of, as the Royals won 8-4.

The Royals opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the second. Billy Butler led off the inning with a double and scored when Alex Gordon hit a double of his own. Salvador Perez then blooped a single into left feld, putting two on with still no one out. Lorenzo Cain then singled, scoring Gordon. After Mike Moustakas grounded into a force out at third, Alcides Escobar singled. That scored Cain. Phelps then got Nori Aoki and Omar Infante out to end the inning, but after two, it was 3-0 Royals.

After that, Phelps calmed down. Other than when he allowed two hits in the fourth, he pitched the next several innings without much trouble. But the Yankees' offense was failing to do much of anything. After managing just two hits and two walks in the first five innings, the Yankees' lineup finally got going in the sixth. With one out in the inning, Derek Jeter singled. Jacoby Ellsbury then flew out, bringing Mark Teixeira to the plate. Teixeira drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Carlos Beltran then ripped a double to left field. That scored Jeter and put runners at second and third. Yangervis Solarte then hit a ball to center. It wasn't hit that hard, but it looked like it might drop. Cain dove for it, but missed, allowing Teixiera and Beltran to score. That tied the game at three. In addition to tying the game, that hit also chased Royals' starter Danny Duffy from the game. Reliever Aaron Crow got out of the inning, but the Yankees were now back in it.

The first five innings went mostly okay for Phelps, but he got off to a bad start in the sixth. Phelps walked both Butler and Gordon, putting two on with no one out. The next batter was Perez, who took one over the left field wall to put the Royals right back up three runs. Cain then added to Phelps' misery by tripling. However, Phelps then got Moustakas to ground out for the first out of the inning. After getting Escobar to pop up, Aoki singled. That would be it for Phelps. He went 5.2 innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits and two walks. It looked somewhat promising through five, but the sixth inning doomed Phelps and put the Yankees in a big hole. Matt Daley came in and got a pop up to escape the inning. But after six innings, the Royals led 7-3.

After the Yankees went down in order in the top of the seventh, Eric Hosmer led off the bottom half with a home run off Daley. Daley then got two outs, but hit Gordon with a pitch and allowed a single to Cain. That would be the end of Daley as Jose Ramirez was brought in. Ramirez struck out Moustakas to get out of the inning. Ramirez also pitched a scoreless eighth inning, sending to the game to the ninth inning with the Yankees down 8-3.

Solarte tried to get a Yankee rally going when he led off the ninth with a double. A pinch-hitting Ichiro Suzuki added a single to put runners at the corners. Brian Roberts then grounded out, but it was enough to score Solarte. Brian McCann was sent up to pinch hit, but he could only hit a deep fly out that moved Ichiro to third. That left the game up to Brett Gardner. Gardner wound up grounding out to third, ending the game. In game two of the series, the Royals came away with an 8-4 win.

In the third game of the series, Hiroki Kuroda will take the mound for the Yankees. The Royals will send out James Shields. First pitch is at 2:10 eastern.

Box score.