Yankees Select A Junior

Jr.

Sr.

Around 10:50 PM EDT tonight the Yankees made their first pick in the MLB amateur draft. Pick #51 is a name familiar to baseball and Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Dante Bichette Jr., son of the former Major Leaguer, Dante Bichette Sr. And on top of that, I learned from @TylerKepner that Girardi's son Dante is named after Sr., one of the Yankees manager's best friends (Bichette in turn has a son named Joseph).

The 6'1", 215 lb off-spring of the former Rockies' slugger is set to play shortstop at U of Georgia (per @TroyRenck), but with his power is expected to move to third base when he goes pro. According to mlbdraftguide.com, Jr. is one of the top prep players in country. "He is a pull hitter with excellent bat speed. Some adjustments to his swing may have to be made, including cutting down on lifting his front foot while hitting."

Here's some action of Bichette from 2010.



Bichette already knows what it is like to play under pressure- he was a member of the Georgia team that represented the Southeast during the 2005 Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. In 30 games this season for Orangewood Christian High School Baseball, the younger Bichette hit .640-10-40 with 55 runs scored, 14 doubles, and a pair of triples. He also walked 20 times and posted a 1.921 OPS...yes, you read that correctly. Bichette also used his speed to swipe 15 bases in as many attempts.

Now the question remains will Bichette become a Bulldog or a member of the GCL Yankees?