To some, the Yankees may have gotten one of the steals of the recent MLB First-Year Player Draft when they selected outfielder Blake Rutherford from West Hills Chaminade in Los Angeles with the 18th pick.
Rutherford was thought by many to be a top-10-quality player, but Yankees’ VP of domestic scouting, Damon Oppenheimer, isn’t ready to call Rutherford a steal just yet.
“I can’t answer why the other teams above us didn’t draft him,” Oppenheimer said Monday. “I know I’ve read some of the mock drafts and didn’t think he would get to where we picked. I try not to put a lot of stock into those things because I’m not sure who those guys are getting their information from anymore.