On Monday night, the New York Yankees selected Anthony Seigler with the 23rd overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He is ambidextrous with a tremendous amount of potential.
The Cartersville, Georgia high school catcher who has committed to the University of Florida (for now) became the first catcher drafted by the Yankees in the first round since 2000 when they selected David Parrish with the 28th pick. Parrish spent all 9 seasons in the minor leagues and exited baseball at age 29.
This isn’t an uncommon trend for first-round draft picks. However, Seigler may just have something that gives him an edge. He offers something that baseball executives and scouts value more than ever right now. Versatility.
Kyle Tucker, Seigler’s high school coach said that Anthony Seigler would most likely be Cartersville’s best outfielder, pitcher, infielder, and catcher.
This past spring, Seigler switch-pitched (yes, you read that correctly) and finished with a 1.09 ERA, while striking out 29 batters in 25.2 innings. He even has a six-finger glove in his arsenal. In 107 at-bats, Seigler batted .421, with 13 HRs and 34 RBIs. He also turned heads as he stole 16 bases and threw out over 50% of those who attempted to steal a base on him.
If you had any doubts that Anthony Seigler was a polished switch hitter… check out this sequence: #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/o1kxibLUSq
— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) May 7, 2018
While the Yankees look to have drafted someone who can do it all, scouts see Seigler making his way through the ranks as a catcher. His prospect report states that he is agile behind the plate, has a quick transfer which helps his arm play and shows promise as a receiver and pitch framer.
Sure, the Yankees have a 25-year-old Gary Sanchez cemented at catcher right now, but that shouldn’t matter. Seigler is just 18 years old and will likely need five years in the minors to develop. It will be a good problem to have if he comes knocking on the door at age 23 when we have a 30-year-old Gary Sanchez still in pinstripes.
Still, we should anticipate the Yankees using Seigler at a variety positions as he makes his way through the minors. They have a recent history of doing just that with their young core players.
That could serve as good news for Seigler, as he seems capable of mastering that type of role. At the end of the day, it will only improve his value within the organization.