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Rays Will Make Beckham No. 1 Draft Pick

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 5, 2008

Updated: 06/05/2008 12:24 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays will make Tim Beckham the top overall pick in today's draft.

The Griffin (Ga.) High School shortstop is their pick over the other finalist, Florida State catcher Buster Posey. Of the two, Posey was considered the "safer" pick and the player closer to the majors but Beckham was seen as having a higher ceiling, with more potential to become a star player.

Beckham will be the Rays' first high school selection with their No. 1 pick since Delmon Young (who also went first overall) in 2003. Their last four top picks have been college players – Jeff Niemann (2004), Wade Townsend (2005), Evan Longoria (2006) and David Price (2007).

Beckham, 18, is a right-handed hitter who has drawn comparisons to B.J. Upton – a shortstop when the Rays made him their first-round pick in 2002. Though Beckham handles the bat well, he isn't considered in Upton's class as a hitter, but he is superior defensively.

Asked last week whether the Rays project Beckham as a shortstop or envision him moving to a different position down the road, Tampa Bay scouting director R.J. Harrison said: "Absolutely, he's going to be a shortstop – if he's our guy."

Baseball America's annual "best tools" survey pegged Beckham as No. 2 on the "best pure hitter" list among high school players and the third-best defensive player. The two ahead of him on the defense list also were shortstops – Sarasota High's Casey Kelly and Rolando Gomez of Pembroke Pines Flanagan.

The Rays also like Beckham's intangibles.

"He plays the game with a great deal of enthusiasm, and then when you spend time with him away from the field, he's the same guy," Harrison said. "He's a fun guy to be around."

Once the Rays make the Beckham pick official (the draft begins at 2 p.m. and will air on ESPN2), their focus will turn to getting him signed and in their farm system. Last year's top pick, Price, went all the way down to the MLB deadline of Aug. 15 before signing, late enough that the Rays decided not to let him play in minor-league games with only a couple of weeks remaining in the season.

Especially with a younger player like Beckham, the Rays would prefer to get him some exposure to professional ball this summer, so they'll hope to get a deal done quickly.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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