Yankees dip into college ranks on Day 2 of Draft

NEW YORK -- After selecting high school infielder George Lombard Jr. with their first-round selection in the MLB Draft, the Yankees shifted their attention toward the collegiate ranks as the picks came fast and furious on Monday afternoon.

Round 3: Kyle Carr, LHP, Palomar College (Calif.)
Notable skill: Carr has been one of the country's more productive junior college pitchers, returning strong from a Tommy John surgery to showcase a fastball that has touched 97 mph and sits more frequently in the 90-94 mph range with life up in the zone.

Notable fact: Injuries have been a dominant theme for Carr, a TCU commit. He had reconstructive elbow surgery in October 2020, broke his hand in February 2022, then tore his right labrum while swinging a bat in March.

Quotable: “I struggled with injuries and school at [the University of San Diego]. And they were related. As I fought my way through the injuries, I let my schoolwork slip. And you can’t do that in college. You have to stay on top of your classes. I didn’t do that.” -- Carr (_San Diego Union-Tribune_)

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Round 4: Roc Riggio, 2B, Oklahoma State
Notable skill: Riggio’s stature (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) and outsized swagger are reminiscent of Dustin Pedroia, and he is similarly aggressive at the plate. Riggio has a quick left-handed swing, good timing at the plate and some pop.

Fun fact: Riggio has already appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter, having celebrated in uncommon fashion after homering in the 2022 NCAA Tournament Regional against Arkansas. After receiving some heat, Riggio homered again the next day, sprinting around the bases in 16 seconds.

Quotable: “I like having a target on my back. I like when guys go at me. I like when people talk [trash] to me. I love all that. Let me hear it. Give it to me because I know I can handle it. It’s different for other guys who can’t handle it, but I know whatever you throw at me, I can handle.” -- Riggio (_The Oklahoman_)

Round 6: Cade Smith, RHP, Mississippi State
Notable skill: Smith is a high-ceiling, high-velocity arm with some injury risk, having enjoyed a standout sophomore season behind an electric fastball-slider combination. He wasn’t quite as effective as a junior, going 1-2 with a 5.33 ERA in 10 games (nine starts), partly because of spotty command and an early-season injury.

Fun fact: Smith helped DeSota Central High School to back-to-back 6A state championships as a sophomore and junior, finishing high school with a 3.98 GPA.

Round 7: Kiko Romero, 1B, University of Arizona
Notable skill: The big-swinging Romero enjoyed one of the greatest offensive seasons by an Arizona Wildcat this past season, hitting .345 with 60 runs scored, 17 doubles, four triples, 21 homers, a .724 slugging percentage and a .441 on-base percentage. He’s also a slick defender at first base, committing just three errors in 557 total chances.

Fun fact: The MVP of the 2022 Junior College World Series, Romero’s 89 RBIs this past season shattered an Arizona record set by Ron Hassey in 1974. Hassey caught for 14 seasons in the Majors from 1978-91, including a stint with the Yankees from 1985-86.

Quotable: “Right after that World Series, I definitely expected to [get drafted]. After that … I decided I was going to come [to Arizona], see if I can do what I did last year at [Arizona] Central and then maybe get drafted this year.” -- Romero (_Arizona Daily Star_)

Round 8: Nicholas Judice, RHP, University of Louisiana-Monroe
Notable skill: A reliever for almost all of his college career, Judice moved to the rotation in May and maintained his stuff. After averaging 87 mph with his fastball last year, Judice has worked between 91-95 mph and touched 100 mph this spring. His No. 2 pitch is a solid mid-80s slider with horizontal and vertical action.

Quotable: “He works his tail off every day. He studies film. He's put on weight. He's relentless. When we signed him years ago, we thought this was the possibility to happen, and now he's got to go out and do it all the time, whether it's as a reliever or as a starter, we need him to give us those innings like that." -- ULM head baseball coach Michael Federico

Round 9: Jared Wegner, OF, University of Arkansas
Notable skill: One of the oldest college players on the Draft board (born September 1999), Wegner joined Arkansas as a grad student and mashed against challenging competition, slashing .313/.457/.673 with 15 homers and 51 RBIs. His exit velocities clearly were a selling point, averaging 93 mph and maxing out at 110 mph this past season.

Fun fact: Wegner represented Nebraska (Kearney Little League) in the 2012 Little League World Series, with his father, Brad, serving as the team’s coach.

Round 10: Brian Hendry, RHP, Oklahoma State
Notable skill: Strikeouts are Hendry’s game, as the 6-foot-4 righty from Medford, N.J., fanned 51 batters in 36 2/3 innings this past season, posting 12.52 strikeouts per nine innings along with 3.44 walks per nine innings. He began his college career at St. John’s, where he missed all of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.