This is my sixth season shadow drafting for the Yankees. It is a fun thought experiment I use to help me think more deeply about draft prospects.This year, the Yankees had a small bonus pool. That dictated what type of players I could pick. Once Rutherford fell to 18, and both the real Yankees and I picked him, that put some things in flux. I wasn't sure how much it would take to sign him, and pegged him at $3.1 million. He signed for about $180,000 more than that. In order to deal with the uncertainty, I had some backup picks to help with money. I ended up having to change two of my top ten picks to accommodate. I will go into more details below.

Here is the results of my shadow draft:

• Rutherford at 18 was a no-brainer for me. I originally could only offer him $3,158,700, which was 3.7% less than what he actually received. I almost stuck with it, with the logic that he took all the Yankees had left, and this is all I had left. Instead, I changed two of my picks to make up the difference to two of my backups. I changed Devin Smeltzer to Kyle Roberts - I wanted one of these two JC lefties, and figured Roberts would be cheaper than Smeltzer, which he was by $100,000. And I changed one of my senior picks, Duncan Robinson, who received $30,000, to Jesse Scholtens, an Ohio guy who was quite similar statistically to Robinson (both were top 20 ranked statistical guys for me) - that saved $29,000.
  
• I originally picked Burnes in the second and Martinez in the third. But it made more sense to switch them around, given their bonuses. It was just a matter of visuals. I love Burnes's stuff and performance, he checks the California box the real Yankees like, and my farm system needed to focus on some higher ceiling college arms.
• Martinez was a community mock draft pick of mine, the second year in a row I guessed the Yankees third round prep Cali arm correctly. Dude has projection and plus present stuff. He was one of the more underrated prep arms this year.
  
• Jeremy Martinez was also a community mock draft pick of mine that I stuck with in the fourth. I loved him in high school, and thought he was a perfect Yankees target three years ago. He had a breakout year with the bat, but has never struck out, and is solid defensively. High polish college bat at an up the middle position? I'll take that in the fourth any day.
• Kyle Roberts is a lefty with a big time fastball who was successful at a little JC in Michigan. Yankees have been known to pick guys out of Michigan. And I need some higher ceiling arms.
  
• Andrew Lantrip was #1 with a bullet when looking at statistical performers in D1 college ball. He was a target of mine from the beginning of the draft. That the Indians took him makes me feel even better - they've really upped their draft and development game. Not a high ceiling, but a high floor, and hopefully a quick mover.
• Scholtens was quite successful at Wright State here in Ohio. Always try to grab a few of those guys. Similar to Lantrip. The first of four straight seniors to save money for Rutherford
  
• Panaccione was another strong statistical performer, and has legit defensive tools up the middle. He can stay at SS, but given my SS depth, I may need to (theoretically) move him to second. He was my 8th-ranked senior bat.
  
• Lynch was the top ranked senior bat for me, based on his performance. He had three walks for every strikeout his senior season! Yankees pick that I gladly stuck with, as he was a top target pre-draft, like Lantrip.
• Rounded out my top ten rounds with another up the middle guy with strong defense and surprisingly strong offensive performance, with Kevin Lachance. He was my 12th-ranked senior bat.
• In the 11th, I went with a college junior who was my 25th ranked JR/SR DI bat, Gavin Stupienski. I will look to give him a chance to stick at catcher, but he may have to move to another position.
• In the 12th round, I originally went with Matt Cleveland, a favorite under the radar prep arm and Yankees fan. But I knew even if he signed with the Mets in real life, it would be for an amount I couldn't afford. So instead, I took my sixth-ranked JR/SR DI arm, Reggie McClain. The sinkerballer should have a shot at starting in pro ball, but with his sinker can pretty easily reach an MLB middle reliever ceiling.
• In the 13th, I picked my top ranked college player going into day three, Logan Gray. I'm not sure why he fell this far, but he could be a surprising breakout guy.Good glove at third, strong overall offensive game.
• In the 14th round, I stuck with Jordan Scott, the Yankees draft pick. I have noticed that most high school players the Yankees pick, they sign (outside the obvious ones like Zach Linginfelter this year). I found some video of Scott, and really liked his swing from both sides of the plate, and the athleticism he showed. Nice find by the Yankees scouts.
• In the 15th, I grabbed the NCAA DI leader in home runs, Spencer Johnson. Not sure why he fell this far, the swing looks good to me, and he was a senior. Perhaps he refused to sign a super cheap deal in the top ten rounds?
  
• Next I grabbed Brad Haymes, another strong statistical performer, who ranked second behind Lantrip.
• In the 17th, I grabbed Dustin Frailey, a strong college performer who ranked 11th for me.
• In the 18th, I stuck with real Yankees pick Weissert, who was a NY guy with big strikeout numbers. The Yankees have been known to find good bullpen arms in the 10-20 rounds, so let's see if they do it again.
• In the 19th, I again stuck with the real Yankees pick of Evan Alexander. Knew nothing about him (his dad was an NFL player iirc), but with the logic that these are the prep guys that are signable in the later rounds. Big time speed, and up the middle athleticism. Could do worst for a late round lottery ticket.
  
• In the 20th, I went with LJ Kalawaia, one of my favorite seniors. Big time college production, ranked 14th among seniors (44th among JR/SR). At this point, I had not grabbed enough arms, so I decided to focus on arms for a while (seven of the following 8 picks), passing on some bats I liked.
  
• Next up was my 16th-ranked JR/SR pitcher, 6th-ranked SR pitcher, Washington closer Troy Rallings, who reminds me a bit of Houston Street with a low 3/4 slot. He's perhaps the pitcher I'm most confident will make the big leagues after the 20th round.
  
• In the 22nd, I went with Puerto Rican prep righty Dariel Rivera, my favority PR arm this year. The Mets tend to sign their later round prep arms more than most teams, and Puerto Rican prepsters tend to sign more often than their stateside counterparts.Rivera gives me some upside and youth in this draft, where I have little money and only one other prep arm at this point.
• In the 23rd, I grabbed one of my favorite finesse lefties that came on my radar last summer in the Cape Cod League, Evan Hill - another Michigan guy. I think he has a shot at starting, especially if pro coaching can unlock some velocity and/or movement. If not, a lefty has plenty of chances to be a LOOGy.
• I can haz all teh Hills? I grabbed Kevin Hill, the stocky righty from South Alabama. He has a rubber arm and a low-90s fastball that should be given a chance to start, but his stuff could play up out of the pen. He was my 19th ranked senior arm.
  
• With the 25th round pick, I broke up my streak of arms by taking Cole Gruber. He's an outfielder with plus speed and a good batting eye. If you can get a player with one plus tool this late, you take it and hope your developmental guys can work out the rest.
  
• Back to the arms, and I took Andrew Vernon, another big strikeout senior who fits into my shadow system as a bullpen arm.
  
• In the 27th, I stuck with the Yankees pick of Phillip Diehl. I needed a lefty, and he had good strikeout numbers. Plus, he went to Moeller HS in Cincinnati, so he has an Ohio tie. He's the type I'd give a chance to start in the minors.
• In the 28th, I went with Eric Villanueva, a Puerto Rican righty. Gives me another young arm, diversifying my shadow draft.
  
• In the 29th, I grabbed Chris Cook, another up the middle talent. He had good numbers, and his last name is Cook. Nepotistic pick, with no apologies.
• In the 30th round, I grabbed Joey Roach, a college catcher who should be able to stick behind the plate, and with a nice bat. Another senior I fully expected to go in the back half the of the top ten rounds, that somehow fell this far. A steal if you ask me.
• Next, I had to get my little scrappy dude - even better, from down the interstate in Toledo, Deion Tansel. Plus glove, good speed, and gets the most out of his body at the plate. Could be a David Eckstein type if everything breaks right (but probably an org filler). I love rooting for guys like this.
• I stuck with the Yankees pick of Juan Cabrera, an unknown to me prep righty from Arizona. Assuming he signs (he hasn't yet), and could be a Nestor Cortes type (a guy I wish I stuck with).
• In the 33rd round, I grabbed my second-ranked bat in the nation, behind (by quite a bit) only Super Phenom Seth Beer. As a nice surprise, the Yankees grabbed him as well - Bryson Bowman. The dude just hits. He still hasn't signed, though.
• In the 34th, I continue to stack up some arms, grabbing David Bednar. The righty was a strikeout machine in college, and probably fits best in the bullpen. He was the 54th ranked JR/SR DI arm for me.
  
• In the 35th, I grabbed Nick Yarnall, an outfielder with nice pop and more walks than strikeouts, ranked 36th JR/SR DI bat for me.
• In the 36th round, I grabbed Herbie Good, a post-HS pitcher who chose to workout at Kyle Boddy's Driveline baseball, while turning a huge 6'8" body into a muscular mass capable of hitting the mid-90s. I'm a sucker for these types, and have been following Boddy for a while. I am hoping he wants to play (and for $100,000 or less), but he hasn't signed yet, and may be too expensive for me even if he does.
• In the 37th round, I grabbed Luke Gillingham, a successful starter for Navy. It's always nice to be able to grab guys from the military branches. It didn't hurt he was my 10th-ranked senior arm, and a lefty at that!
• In the 38th, I grabbed the second Cook drafted, Sean Cook. I thought he might sign given he is planning to try out as a walk on at Maryland, but all signs point towards no on that. I suspect if he doesn't make the team, he'll transfer, likely to a JC.
• In the 39th, I stuck with the Yankees pick of Brian Keller, a senior righty who doesn't walk many guys. My 24th-ranked senior arm.
• In the 40th round, I did something different this year. I waited to see which of the guys I was following for UDFA to pick in the 40th. Hunter McIntosh was my top target. Then I saw Tyler Stubblefield get signed by Texas out of DII Emporia State. I was a fan of his coming out of high school, and a lefty with a fastball that can hit mid-90s is always something you grab.

There it is, all 40 rounds, 2500+ words. Let me know what you think, ask any questions you may have below!