by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
High socks? Yes, please!
After taking a high school player with their top pick last year, the A’s stuck strictly with college players for their first three picks on day one of this year’s amateur draft. But they did shake things up a bit by making a rather unconventional selection with their top pick.
The team took talented outfielder Kyler Murray, who also happens to be in line to be the University of Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, and he fully intends to spend this fall on the gridiron leading the Sooners.
Of course, a college quarterback can frequently find himself in plenty of physical peril on the playing field. But A’s scouting director Eric Kubota said in a conference call after day one of the draft that the A’s felt that the risk posed by him playing football was “outweighed by the upside on the baseball field.”
Kubota called the 20-year-old Murray “a unique talent.” And he went on to say, “We just don’t see athletes like this on the baseball field very often. He’s a very instinctive baseball player.”
Kubota also said that the A’s were comfortable with the fact that Murray would miss the chance to play baseball this summer and in the instructional league, and he indicated that Murray would begin his baseball activities with the organization during spring training in 2019.
Murray admitted in a conference call that football can be “a little difficult on the body.” But he described himself as “a very confident guy.” And he went on to say, “I feel like I can do anything on the field.” He also claimed that his greatest strengths as a player were his “mindset” and his “work ethic.”
Most objective observers would probably define Murray’s speed as his most impressive tool, but he’s also shown plenty of pop, and he could have the potential to develop into a legitimate 20/20 player.
With their 2nd-round selection, the A’s went with another speedy 20-year-old college outfielder, Jameson Hannah out of Dallas Baptist. Hannah successfully swiped 28 bases in 30 attempts in his college career. He’s also known for his smooth swing and his solid plate discipline. Hannah led his team in both doubles and triples while notching just as many walks as strikeouts with 35 of each this season. And Kubota said of him, “We really like Hannah’s bat…we really think he can hit.”
And with their third and final selection of the day in the Competitive Balance Round B, the A’s took shortstop Jeremy Eierman out of Missouri State. Eierman was generally expected to be taken sometime late in the 1st round, and many considered him to be the top college shortstop in the draft. Kubota admitted that the team was pleasantly surprised to be able to take him with the 70th overall pick in the draft.
The 21-year-old possesses both power and speed. He hit 23 home runs in his sophomore season, stole 20 bases in his junior year and totaled more than 40 homers and more than 40 stolen bases over his college career. Eierman is also known for his exceptionally strong arm at shortstop. Though there’s been some speculation that he might eventually end up moving to third or second, Kubota said, “We think there’s a chance he can stay at shortstop. We like his defensive ability.”
#1 – 1st Round
Kyler Murray
Outfielder
University of Oklahoma
Age: 20 / Height: 5’11” / Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats: Right / Throws: Right
2018 College: 189 AB/10 HR/28 BB/56 K/.296 AVG/.398 OBP/.556 SLG
#2 – 2nd Round
Jameson Hannah
Outfielder
Dallas Baptist University
Age: 20 / Height: 5’9″ / Weight: 184 lbs.
Bats: Left / Throws: Left
2018 College: 236 AB/6 HR/35 BB/35 K/.360 AVG/.444 OBP/.555 SLG
#3 – Competitive Balance Round B
Jeremy Eierman
Shortstop
Missouri State University
Age: 21 / Height: 6’1″ / Weight: 205 lbs.
Bats: Right / Throws: Right
2018 College: 212 AB/10 HR/25 BB/45 K/.292 AVG/.383 OBP/.533 SLG
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