The Yankees didn't have to travel too far to get their man, as the Bronx Bombers selected switch-hitting shortstop and Rochester, N.Y., native Christopher "Cito" Culver with their first-round pick.
The 17-year-old Irondequoit High School senior hit .561 (37-for-66) with 10 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 20 walks in 22 games this season. The slugger also hits 94 mph on the mound and was committed to the University of Maryland prior to the draft.
"We were able to draft a very athletic kid who can play a good shortstop," Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' vice president of amateur scouting, told MLB.com. "He has a plus arm, is a solid runner, and is an excellent hitter. He's a player we are happy to have. It was an easy decision for us."
Culver's father, Christopher Culver Sr., won't be joining in on any draft parties, as he is scheduled to be imprisoned for at least six more years after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree burglary and third-degree arson. He burned down the family's Rochester home on Easter Sunday 2008.
The 6-foot, 172-pounder is just the second high school shortstop drafted by the Yankees in the first round since the Bombers nabbed Derek Jeter with the sixth overall pick in 1992. C.J. Henry was the other, selected in 2005.
