2016 Draft Report Card: New York Yankees

BEST PURE HITTER: OF Blake Rutherford (1) has a loose swing and covers the plate well; he has a knack for hitting line drives from gap-to-gap. Nick Solak (2) was a consistent college performer for three years in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Yankees feel that his bat will carry him.

BEST POWER: Rutherford’s raw power grades as at least plus, and some in the organization believe it could be better as he gets stronger and fills out his frame.

FASTEST RUNNER: OF Edel Luaces (25) has elite speed, with the ability to reach first base in less than four seconds from the right side. Luaces has run the 60-yard dash in less than 6.30 seconds, and at one workout this spring he ran it in 6.15 seconds. OF Jordan Scott (14) and OF Evan Alexander (19) are also impact runners.

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Rutherford’s out-of-the-box run times don’t line up with what’s usually seen in premium center fielders, but the Yankees like his instincts and routes.

BEST ATHLETE: Scott is a plus runner and a graceful athlete who could have gone on to play college football. OF Dominic Thompson-Williams (5) was also recruited as a football player.

BEST FASTBALL: RHP Taylor Widener (12) is a power reliever who can bump 97 mph, and his fastball jumps on hitters from his long-limbed frame. RHP Nick Nelson (4) has reached 96 mph and projects well after being a two-way player in junior college.

BEST SECONDARY PITCH: RHP Nolan Martinez (3) has an out pitch in his curveball, a hard vertical breaker; it projects as a plus pitch long term.

BEST PRO DEBUT: Rutherford batted .351/.415/.570 across two of the lowest level minor leagues. Widener’s stock erupted in his debut; he struck out nearly 14 batters per nine innings and allowed only two runs over 38 innings.

MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: Luaces is Cuban-born, though he came to U.S. as an adolescent. His mother was an accomplished hurdler in Cuba. Luaces graduated high school in Hialeah, Fla., in 2013, then played at Globe Tech (N.Y.) as a freshman in 2014 before spending some time in the Dominican Republic, which caused confusion among scouts as to whether he’d be an international free agent. He didn’t play in games this spring, but worked out for teams in South Florida. Yankees area scout Carlos Marti had scouted Luaces dating back to his high school days.

CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: Widener could move through the system quickly, having already excelled in a full-season league as a power reliever. Solak also has a chance to develop quickly. The Yankees say his bat will carry him, and his makeup will allow him to improve his defense.

BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Power relievers with Widener’s profile typically come off the draft board much sooner than the 12th round. Luaces’ combination of power, speed and athleticism make him a steal.

THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: RHP Zach Linginfelter (16) has physicality and has shown a powerful fastball; his spring got off to a slow start due to mono, and his velocity was down as a result. Linginfelter could be an immediate contributor at Tennessee.