Rendon Top Pick as A's Load-Up Minors

Post date: Jul 23, 2009 2:26:30 PM

Anthony Rendon of Rice University was the #1 pick of the A's in the Amateur Draft, the fourth overall selection

The brain trust of the Philadelphia Athletics FBC has been retooling the entire minor league system over the past few years, and they took a major step forward in that process over the past week. After holding four of the top eight picks in the 2008 WFBL Amateur Draft, the club had five of the top thirty picks this time around. They not only made use of those, but added two later round picks, another in a post-draft trade, and then added two more prospects on waiver claims. After emphasizing pitching for a few years, the A's were determined to add offense to the system, and so the first six players selected were bats.

The process began with the 2009 WFBL Amateur Draft held on Wednesday, July 15th. The A's held three choices in the first round at #4, #8 and #13 overall. With those picks the team selected 3rd baseman Anthony Rendon (pictured above), outfielder Everett Williams, and catcher Luke Bailey. With two 2nd round selections (20th & 30th overall) the club selected outfielder Bryce Brentz and shortstop Christian Colon. With the 4th pick in Round 3, the A's selected 3rd baseman Victor Sanchez. Later in that round the St. Louis 66ers drafted pitcher Sonny Gray, who was traded to the A's in a prearranged post-draft deal. The club tried to deal away their 4th round selection before eventually drafting pitcher Danny Hultzen to complete their 8-player haul

With the farm system fully stocked, the club appeared set for awhile as far as prospects were concerned. However, over the next few days the rival Boston Bulldogs made a couple of moves, and released a couple of prospects that the A's felt they could not pass up taking a shot on at this point. So on back to back days the club made a pair of waiver claims that were successful, and added catcher Kyle Skipworth and pitcher Alex Meyer to the system. As a result of this 10-player bulge, the A's promoted prospect arms Chris Tillman and Brad Lincoln. Neither pitcher is on an MLB majors roster at this stage, but the A's needed Minors room, and these two were determined to be the most likely to have a shot to help at some point this season.

Rendon is a multi-talented player for Rice University who was honored as the Freshman Player of the Year by Baseball America. Williams is a 5-tool outfielder from a Texas high school who was selected by the Padres in last month's MLB Draft. Bailey was one of the top prep catching prospects in the U.S. this year from Georgia before having to undergo Tommy John surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery, has a powerful bat, and should be able to remain behind the plate as he develops. Brentz as a slugging outfielder with Middle Tennessee State, and Colon as an all-around shortstop talent from Cal State-Fullerton should be 2010 MLB Draft first rounders. Sanchez is from San Diego University, also was injured this year, and should recover to be one of the top power bats in college baseball next season. Gray, Hultzen, and Meyer are power arms projected high in the 2011 MLB Draft. Skipworth was a 1st round MLB pick a year ago by Florida.

This infusion of talent joins draftees and trade acquisitions of the past couple seasons in pitchers Rick Porcello, Stephen Strasburg, Alex White, Kyle Drabek, Kyle Gibson, and Gerritt Cole, outfielder Kentrail Davis, and first basemen Yonder Alonso and Hunter Morris to fully stock the Athletics system with prospects who are emerging now or will emerge from the amateur ranks in the next couple of seasons to help the parent club continue to contend in the always tough Owens/East division.