Picks 170 and 200

We continue to look at last week's amateur draft this week, starting with the 170th and 200th picks overall. The 5th round choice was Chris Smith, a high school outfielder from California. Here's what Damon Oppenheimer had to say about him,

Of fifth-rounder (No. 170 overall) Christopher Smith, a shortstop from Centennial High School in California who hit .708 this season, Oppenheimer said: "He's another guy who can really hit and has power potential."

The Yankees went back to pitching with their next pick, Sterling High School (TX) pitcher Brett Marshall. His scouting report is below, courtesy of mlb.com.

Biographical Data
Player Name:	Brett Marshall
Position:	Starting Pitcher
School:	Sterling HS (Tex.)
School Type:	High school
Academic Class:	Senior
Birthdate:	03/22/90
Height:	6'0"
Weight:	195 lbs.
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Report Date(s):	03/25/08
Game(s):	Atascocita HS

Focus Area	Comments
Fastball:	Marshall threw his fastball in the 94-96 mph range.
Slider:	It's a plus pitch now and he threw it in the 84-88 mph range.
Changeup:	It's a below-average pitch right now.
Control:	His command was slightly below average, but it projects to average with more experience.
Poise:	He was very competitive on the mound.
Physical Description:	Marshall isn't that tall, but he's strong and has a Jason Marquis-like build.
Medical Update:	Healthy.
Strengths:	A huge jump in velocity has him with a plus fastball to go along with a plus slider.
Weaknesses:	Formerly a shortstop, he's still learning how to pitch. His mechanics are inconsistent as he doesn't always maintain his arm slot.
Summary:	Marshall has leapt on the map showing a huge jump in velocity, from 87-88 mph a year ago all the way up to 96 this year. He's got a plus slider to go along with it. The changeup lags behind, but that can come in time. He's relatively new to pitching and it shows in his delivery and his inability to repeat his mechanics. But with two plus pitches right now, Marshall's name is certainly on the rise.

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