Vanderbilt occupied the No. 1 spot in the
college baseball polls much of the 2007 season, only to suffer a crushing 4-3,
extra-inning, season-ending setback in regional play when a little-used
Michigan pinch-hitter took lefthander David Price deep, handing the No. 1
overall pick in the 2007 draft his only loss of the season. The loss denied
Vanderbilt its first-ever trip to the College World Series.
Though Price is gone, the Commodores return most of the remaining pieces from
their powerful 2007 team and rank as the pre-season favorite to win the
highly-competitive Southeastern Conference again this year. That elusive CWS
berth also appears within their grasp as PG Crosschecker has
Vanderbilt at No. 5
in its ranking of the nation’s Top 100 Division I teams.
The 2008 college season kicks off in two weeks and all 12 SEC teams are ranked
in our top 100, from No. 5 Vanderbilt to No. 76
Tennessee. Extensive, in-depth 2008 previews of all teams are available to
Insider-level subscribers.
Here’s how we’ve lined up the first 10 SEC teams, with national ranking noted:
|
| |
| SEC Ranking |
School |
PGX National Rank |
| 1. |
Vanderbilt |
5 |
| 2. |
South Carolina |
6 |
| 3. |
Mississippi |
9 |
| 4. |
Auburn |
20 |
| 5. |
Georgia |
24 |
| 6. |
Kentucky |
30 |
| 7. |
Arkansas |
32 |
| 8. |
Mississippi State |
37 |
| 9. |
Louisiana State |
42 |
| 10. |
Alabama |
58 |
|
| -- Allan Simpson |
Top Ten List Archives |
|
|
Mike Piazza is credited with being the
lowest-round draft pick to play in the major leagues in 2007. He was a lowly
62nd-round selection of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988 and one of only eight
big leaguers who was active a year ago that was drafted after the 50th round at
the time they signed.
But Piazza has nothing on Philadelphia Phillies reliever Clay Condrey. Condrey
was signed in 1998 as a non-drafted free agent by the San Diego Padres (by
current Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, no less), but he had previously been
drafted in the 94th round in 1996 out of Angelina (Texas) Junior College,
though went unsigned at the time. It gives the journeyman reliever the
distinction of being the lowest-round draft selection ever to reach the big
leagues. Tom Glavine’s brother Mike, who played briefly in the big leagues, was
an unsigned 93rd-rounder in 1994.
Piazza’s status as a 62nd-rounder who hit paydirt is impressive, but it doesn’t
even crack the top 10 among 2007 big leaguers. In fact, Diamondbacks catcher
Robby Hammock has the distinction of twice being a lower-round pick than
Piazza. He went in the 66th round out of a Georgia high school in 1995 and in
the 89th round out of junior college two years later, before eventually signing
with the Diamondbacks in 1998 as a 23rd-rounder. Righthander Matt Wise also was
drafted twice after the 50th round before he signed.
Travis Phelps, an 89th round pick in 1996, and Scott Seabol, an 88th-rounder
that year, are the lowest-round selections in draft history to play in the big
leagues among players who signed when they were drafted. But Condrey has the
record for being the lowest-round pick to reach the big leagues.
His record is almost certain to stand the test of time as the draft has been
limited to 50 rounds since 1998. It was also 50 rounds in 1992, before teams
were permitted to draft at will in a five-year window from 1993-97.
While acknowledging that Piazza has the distinction of being the lowest-round
pick to play in the majors among those that signed at the time they were
drafted, here’s the actual list of the lowest-round draft picks among players
that were active in 2007. None of the 10 players signed at the time.
|
| |
|
Ranking. Player Pos. |
Team, Year (Round) |
| 1. Clay Condrey, rhp |
Yankees ’96 (94) |
| 2. Robby Hammock, c |
Devil Rays ’97 (89) |
| 3. *Travis Driskill, rhp |
Astros ’90 (76) |
| 4. *Eric Bruntlett, ss |
Dodgers ’96 (72) |
| 5. *Johnny Estrada, c |
Marlins ’94 (71) |
| 6. Heath Bell, rhp |
Devil Rays ’97 (69) |
| 7. *Robby Hammock, c |
Marlins ’95 (66) |
| 8. Matt Wise, rhp |
Yankees ’96 (64) |
| 9. *Paul Hoover, ss |
Marlins ’94 (64) |
| 10. Jay Witasick, rhp |
Astros ’91 (63) |
|
|
* High school selection |
| -- Allan Simpson |
Top Ten List Archives |
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|