Draft Day Two: Rounds 2-30

Here's a rundown on some of the interesting players the A's drafted yesterday.  For a full list, click here.

Round 2 - Yordy Cabrera, 3B, Lakeland Senior HS, FL
The A's got great value here, as Cabrera was rumored to have been eyed by several teams at the end of the first round.  At 19, he is a bit older than most high school seniors, which is not ideal as his physical tools are further along than his baseball experience.  He does, though, have very highly rated tools and is the son of a former minor leaguer.  He played shortstop in high school, but the A's announced him as a third baseman, where most scouts thought he'd end up eventually.  He's a big kid, listed anywhere between 6-1 and 6-3 and between 200 and 220 pounds, with a powerful arm, so strong that he has draftable pitching talent as well.  Offensively, his calling card should be power, as his size and strength have the potential to turn into home run abilities.  Video here.

Round 3 - Aaron Shipman, CF, Brooks County HS, GA
Shipman is a very raw talent, but has the physical abilities to be an impact player.  He has very good speed and a projectible frame.  Physically, the only question is how much power he'll develop.  As a ballplayer, though, he has a long way to go.  He's the definition of a project player, a guy who is just as likely to be an all-star in eight years as he is to be out of baseball.

Round 4 - Chad Lewis, 3B, Marina HS, CA
The A's nabbed another high school third baseman in the 4th round, picking Lewis out of a Southern California high school.  You can't find a description of him that fails to mention that he looks like a powerful third baseman.  See for yourself here.  Like Cabrera, he's a former shortstop, so he should be able to stick at third.  His hitting ability may be more advanced than Cabrera's, but he may not have the same power potential.

Round 5 - Tyler Vail, RHP, Notre Dame HS, PA
Vail is a 6-1, 190 pound righty out of Pennsylvania.  He currently works in the high-80s and has hit 95 on the radar gun, so the potential to add velocity as he fills out is there.  Vail is committed to play at the University of Maryland, but doesn't figure to be an especially difficult sign.

Round 6 - Tony Thompson, 3B, University of Kansas
Entering the year, Thompson was looking like a potential first rounder.  A broken kneecap at the start of the 2010 collegiate season slowed him down, though and he had a bit of a rough junior year.  Even before his injury there were concerns about his agility, so a move to first base may come down the line.  Offensively he's fairly advanced and has some power potential.  Video here

Round 9 - Antwoin (AJ) Kirby-Jones, 1B, Tennessee Tech University
 AJKJ is a bit of a stathead curiousity, as his raw numbers are interesting, if not somewhat impressive.  He's already a bit of a three true outcomes type, hitting .383/.531/.847 with 26 homers in 209 at bats.  There are caveats galore, as one might expect from a guy with these numbers drafted so late.  Obviously, the fact that he went to a small school that played in the Ohio Valley Conference, one of the weakest D-I baseball conferences.  He also struck out a whopping 53 times, or about 20% of his PAs (he also walked 58 times).  Lastly, he's only listed at 5-10, which is not the typical build for a power hitter.  In all likelihood, AJKJ flames out, but there's a chance he can have a Cust-ian career.  Regardless, it should be interesting to see how he develops.