Quartet of Top 2012 Draft Picks Headed to for Missoula
Published on June 15, 2013 under Pioneer League (PL)
Missoula PaddleHeads News Release
MISSOULA, MONT. -- Four of the Arizona Diamondbacks' top ten draft picks from 2012, including their 1st rounder and the 26th overall, will be Missoula Osprey in 2013.
Stryker Trahan (1st Round '12 ), Jose Munoz (2nd '12), Chuck Taylor (4th '12 ) and Danny Poma (10th '12 ) will play for the O's this year, along with three players with prior Missoula experience. Cody Geyer (14th '11), John Leonard (9th '11), and Justin Bianco (3rd '11) will return to the Osprey this season after spending parts of last year on the eventual 2012 Pioneer League Championship squad. Those seven are part of a group of 16 players the Osprey announced today.
" Young, talented, and impressive were my first thoughts as I reviewed our first player as signments," explained Osprey Executive Vice President Matt Ellis. "This is an exciting group. Trahan will get deservedly get much of the attention with his raw power and high draft status, but the entire group is very talented. We have heard great things about Munoz and our returning guys are all high picks with great promise. There is lots of upside with this group. This is a solid start to a really good roster."
Trahan (pronounced "traw - haw") comes to Missoula after an All -Star season in the Arizona League. The native of Scott, LA hit .281 with five home runs and 25 RBI, with a .422 on-base percentage and eight stolen bases in nine attempts. Baseball America rated the catcher the league's 7th -best prospect and #8 overall in the Diamondbacks' organiz ation.
In his senior year at Acadania High School Trahan was starting quarterback of the football team, and followed that with a baseball season that earned him Rawlings 1st Team All-American recognition. On the eve of the 2012 Draft, Baseball America sa id, "One scout lauded his 'Cajun makeup,' referencing his toughness and genial demeanor, fitting for a player named after a character in a Burt Reynolds film. Trahan has an ideal build for catching and an athletic frame with strong hands. Trahan has above-average arm strength and he's an excellent runner for his size, often turning in above- average times to first base from the left side." The Diamondbacks took him with their 1st pick and the 26th overall pick of the entire draft.
Munoz, 19, was a teammate of Trahan's in the AZL last year, batting .260 with a pair of home runs and 20 RBI in 47 games. The infielder was ranked as the #21 prospect in the D- backs' organization coming into the 2013 season and was a Rawlings California High School All-Region selection in 2012. He was drafted after his junior year in high school.
Taylor, out of Mansfield, TX, has been described as a "base path burner" with "plus speed." The 19 -year old outfielder showed speed and defense in the AZL last year, stealing 16 bases and committing only three errors in 52 games.
Poma starred at Hofstra University (NY) before being drafted. In 2012, the outfielder set single-season school records for hits (102), doubles (32) and runs (78), and the awards followed. The Monterey, CA native was the Colonial Athletic Association's Player of the Year, a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy and a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper 1st Team All-American. Poma, 24, was also 1st Team All-CAA in 2011.
The three returning players are pitcher Cody Geyer, infielder John Leonard and outfielder Justin Bianco. An injury ended Geyer's 2012 after just two appearances; Leonard played in 31 games for the O's last season; Bianco - the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class 4A Player of the Year in 2011 - clouted three home runs in 27 games for Missoula.
Joining Trahan in the Osprey's catching corps is Jose Queliz, a 20 -year old second-year pro who hit .250 with three home runs and 30 RBI in 46 games in the pitcher-friendly Dominican Summer League last year.
Outfielder Yorman Garcia comes to Missoula after two seasons in the DSL. Last year, the 19-year old batted .277, raising his average by 46 points from 2011 and earning a spot on the league's Mid -Season All-Star team.
New Osprey Anderson Bolivar, a switch-hitting infielder now in his fourth professional season, played error-free defense in 20 games in the Arizona League last year.
The O's announced five other pitchers today. Three have experience in the Arizona organization - Silvino Bracho, Carlos Hernandez and Andrew Potter. Two others, Blayne Weller and Bobby Hillier, join the D-backs chain after stints with independent teams.
Bracho, 20, was a star reliever in the DSL last year. The 19-year old right-hander finished 3-0 with a microscopic 0.32 ERA in 22 appearances, walking five and striking out 30 in 28 innings.
Hernandez, Bracho's teammate, worked exclusively as a starter in 2012. The righty went 7 -3 with a 1.68 ERA, surrendering only 53 hits in 69 2/3 innings.
Potter, 19, went undefeated in the Arizona League a year ago. The right-hander finished 3-0 in 13 appearances, limiting opponents to a .248 average.
Weller was a 14th Round pick by Minnesota in 2008. He posted a 14-13 record and a 3.99 ERA in four seasons in the Twins' organization before playing for the independent Windy City Thunderbolts in 2012. The 23-year old began this season with Windy City before signing with the Diamondbacks on May 28th.
Hillier was a third baseman at NCAA Division III Thiel College and hit.423 as junior. However, his senior season end before it began when he was hit by a pitch in a pre-season scrimmage. He was suffered a broken hand that sidelined him for more than a month, and, in a bid to get back on the field, tried his luck as a pitcher.
He impressed scouts by showing command of three pitches, including a 94-mile an hour fastball. He landed with the independent Normal Cornbelters in 2012. The Diamondbacks signed the 23-year old to a free-agent contract after a tryout this past February.
The defending Pioneer League Champion Osprey begin their season next Thursday, June 20 at home against the Helena Brewers. Tickets can be purchased at the MSO Hub Box Office, located at 140 N. Higgins Ave, by phone at (406) 543-3300, or online at www.missoulaosprey.com.
Pioneer League Stories from June 15, 2013
- Quartet of Top 2012 Draft Picks Headed to for Missoula - Missoula PaddleHeads
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
