After drafting Vaughn No. 3 overall, White Sox zero in on pitching
Passing on Andrew Vaughn with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft Monday was not an option for the Chicago White Sox.
"We had Andrew above the rest of the guys in the draft that were still available just due to the fact that we loved the tool set and we loved the ability for him to just roll out of the bed in the morning and swing that bat," said Nick Hostetler, the Sox's director of amateur scouting. "He is a guy who is advanced at the plate, so you would like to think that skill set would offer the ability for him to move through our system more quickly than someone who might need a swing overhaul or someone that is just a pure athlete and needs time to work on the bat."
Vaughn is a 21-year-old first baseman and right-handed hitter who batted .376 with 35 doubles, 50 home runs, 163 RBI and 122 walks over 160 games in three seasons at Cal.
There is little doubt he'll fit in the middle of the White Sox's lineup of the future if he continues hitting the baseball in the professional ranks.
The Sox headed into the draft with an obvious need for pitching depth, and they added plenty in Rounds 2-10.
"The pitching was something that I had mentioned we were going to try to address," Hostetler said.
In a draft that was woefully short on quality collegiate pitchers, the White Sox drafted high school arms on Rounds 2-3.
Matthew Thompson was the Sox's second-round pick (No. 45 overall). A 6-foot-3, 185-pound righty, he was 13-0 with a 0.87 ERA for Cypress Ranch H.S. in Texas.
"He's a guy that we had targeted early," Hostetler said. "Last summer, he was a kid we were really excited to follow. We thought the arm, the athletics ability, the ability to throw strikes with his breaking ball, was premium. The fastball was 90 to 96 (mph), he averages about 94, with the power curveball.
"We all evaluated him as a front-line starter. We were really happy when he was there at 45."
On the third round, the White Sox selected another 18-year-old righty - Drew Dalquist. Pitching for Redondo Union High School in California, Dalquist was 9-0 with a 1.78 ERA this season.
"Drew Dalquist is a player, as we started the season, he wasn't a guy really high on the radar," Hostetler said. "He was a guy we scouted, we saw in the fall, but he really made a jump as the season started. The fastball is anywhere from 92-96 (mph), the power breaking ball, he's another one that's extremely athletic.
"Him and Matt Thompson have a lot of similar qualities. We actually had them very close to each other on our (draft) board."