Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Prep baseball: Catching up with some area draft picks

(minorleaguebaseball.com)

Now that Palmetto grad Granden Goetman has begun his professional baseball career with the Gulf Coast Rays, we check in to see how other area draft picks are faring on their road to the big leagues.

If you know of any we may have missed, please email me at jlembo@bradenton.com.


MICHAEL OHLMAN - Ohlman, pictured above, was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th round of the 2009 draft, and is currently with the franchise's Single-A affiliate in Delmarva. In 51 games this season, the Lakewood Ranch grad is hitting .247 with three home runs and 23 RBIs and a .367 slugging percentage. Ohlman, 20, has been behind the plate for 41 games and has thrown out 26 percent of runners trying to steal.


J.R. MURPHY - The New York Yankees selected this Pendleton School alum during the second round of the '09 draft, and like Ohlman, Murphy is playing with his team's Single-A club based out of the South Atlantic League. Murphy, 20, is hitting .297 with the Charleston RiverDogs and is sixth in the league in hits (76) and tied for first in doubles (23). He has driven in 23 runs and slugged six home runs while slugging a .476 clip, and has split time between third base, catcher and DH. Both Ohlman and Murphy have been picked for tonight's SAL All-Star Game.


TYLER PASTORNICKY - Another Pendleton grad, Pastornicky was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008 and dealt to the Atlanta Braves last summer. A shortstop, the 21-year-old Pastornicky is hitting .301 with the Braves' Double-A team in Mississippi, with 14 stolen bases (good for fifth in the Southern League) and 33 RBIs in 66 games.


RYAN POPE - The Bayshore grad made history in 2007 when the New York Yankees made him the first baseball player drafted out of the Savannah College of Art and Design. A third-round pick, the 25-year-old Pope is with the Yankees' Triple-A team in Scranton/Wikes-Barre, but has struggled. He is 2-1 with a 8.14 ERA in 14 games, allowing 19 earned runs and 29 hits in 21 innings. Pope showed promise last year, when he saved 17 games and posted 4.20 ERA with the Yanks' Double-A club in Trenton.

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