With the 18th overall pick in the 2016 Draft, the Yankees have selected Blake Rutherford from Chamindale College Preperatory in Canoga Park, Calif. Prior to the draft, Rutherford was projected to go as high as ninth overall to the Tigers according to ESPN. Meanwhile, MLB.com had him going just one pick later to the White Sox, and Baseball America had Rutherford slipping all the way to the Mets at 19th overall. Rutherford, though older than most high school draftees at the age of 19, the UCLA-commit has the potential to be an above-average hitter with raw power, according to MLB.com's Prospect Watch.
Among the Yankees top 10 prospects, Aaron Judge and Dustin Fowler are outfielders like Rutherford. With the major league outfield locked up with aging stars like Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, and Carlos Beltran, the young crop could supplant them in the next few years.
John Sickels at Minor League Ball says that Rutherford has a mix of tools and polished skills. Numerous pre-draft reports note Rutherford's ability to hit and his raw power, though he doesn't necessarily have the arm to be an average fielder.
The 6'2", 190 lbs. righty was ranked 10th in a top draft prospects list by Baseball America this past May. MLB.com's Prospect Watch ranks Rutherford 8th in a list of top draft prospects.