Kyle McYankee?

In the 30th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, Thayer Academy’s own Kyle McKenzie was drafted by the NY Yankees. Out of Canton, McKenzie has helped lead Thayer Academy to back-to-back ISL Championships. After throwing a perfect game last year, he finished his senior season with a 7-0 record, 0.88 ERA, and 93 strikeouts in only 48 innings. He surrendered an average of .33 hits per inning (16 total). He throws his fastball in the mid-nineties, with a devastating curveball, as well as a changeup and a cutter. Not to take anything away from Kyle, but being drafted by the Yankees isn’t really as promising as is might sound. We all know the Yankees have been the most dominant franchise in the Major Leagues for the past decade, but that’s not because of their expert scouting and draft choices—more because their willing to shell out gobs for every free agent available. Since 2000, only nine of the forty-eight Yankee draftees to go in the top five rounds have any Major league experience, with only one (Joba Chamberlain) having much success. Me, I’d rather be drafted by the Red Sox, who have one of the most highly-touted farm systems in baseball, led by scouting director Jason McLeod. Since 2000, nineteen of the Red Sox forty-two picks in the first five rounds have played in the pros. Among these nineteen are Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jon Lester.

McKenzie’s situation is quite unlike most draft picks, however: in last year’s Draft, only 17 of the Yankees 51 draft choices were under the age of 20, and McKenzie is not even 19 yet. K-Mack still has a ways to go as he progresses through the minor leagues, where the average age of a rookie is 24.2 years old (according to the NY Times). Now, since McKenzie hasn’t entered college yet, he has the option of playing for Tulane this year and reentering the MLB draft next year, instead of signing with the Yankees. His other option is entering negotiations with NY and signing a contract, which, for early-round picks, can be worth over $1 million. If McKenzie decides to sign with the Yanks, he’ll have to do so by the August 15 deadline. Should K-Mack refuse to sign with the Evil Empire this year, and he enters the 2010 draft after a season in college, the Yankees will not be able to draft him for a second time.