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Selected by the New York Yankees in the 11th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

NYP Mid-Season All-Star on 08/18/2009
NYP Player of the Week on 07/20/2009

HIGH SCHOOL: Neil Medchill lettered in baseball and basketball at Lake Orion High School. He was named first-team All-State as senior in 2005 as a catcher after hitting .380 with 10 home runs and was also first-team all-state dream team and all-region. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 30th round in 2005 but opted for college.

Personal information:
Majored in economics in college. Is the son of Dudley and Jan Medchill. He was born on June 25, 1987 He has two sisters named Michelle and Julie. His favorite athlete is Joe Mauer and his favorite team is the Minnesota Twins. Nei’s favorite baseball moment is winning the NBC World Series and he enjoys collecting sports memorabilia and watching movies.

Colleges:
Chandler-Gilbert Community College Coyotes and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

2006-07:
Was named NJCAA All-American and won the Rawlings Big Stick Silver Slugger Award as a redshirt freshman at Chandler-Gilbert CC in 2007. Was the school’s first-ever baseball All-American. Hit .452 and had 36 stolen bases in his only JUCO season. Redshirted due to injury as a freshman. He chose OSU over Arizona State, Arkansas, South Carolina, Oral Roberts and Nebraska.

2008:

Neil Medchill earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in his first season as a Cowboy and ranked fourth on the team with a .349 batting average. Led OSU with a .370 batting average in Big 12 play which ranked fifth in the conference in league games. He led his OSU team and ranked fifth in the conference with a .628 slugging percentage.

He singled in his first-career at bat against Gonzaga on 2/23 and finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the game. Went 3-for-6 with a career-high six RBIs and four runs scored against UAPB on 3/19 and went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs in a win over Nebraska on 4/12.

Was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on April 21 after leading the Cowboys to a sweep of Texas in Austin and was 6-for-13 with a double, homer and three RBI in the UT series.

In the series-clinching second game against the Longhorns, went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run. Was named to the NCAA Stillwater Regional All-Tournament Team.

Drafted in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Mets. The Mets failed to sign him after he led the Santa Barbara Foresters to the NBC World Series.

Neil Medchill hit 25 home runs in two years at Oklahoma State. He signed for $125,000 as a fourth-year junior in 2009.

Staten Island Yankees:
In his first at-bat he hit a home run and then didn’t have a hit for the next sixteen. After struggling early, he approached the hitting instructor about his struggles, watched some video and put some time in the film room. He led the Yankees and New York-Penn League in home runs(14), RBI(41) and Slugging Percentage.(.551)

Scouting report:

Batting and Power:

Neil Medchill’s best tool is his pure, left-handed power swing, has power to all fields and his bat stays in the zone. Baseball America rates his power a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has a big strong frame and an upright stance. He doesn’t get cheated when he swings.

He needs to refine his approach he sometimes takes against left-handed and hard throwing fastball pitchers. Has some holes in his swing and will strike out. Had to get used to wooden bats when first coming to the Yankees.

Base Running and Speed:

He has a little speed. He stole seven bases in 62 games for the Staten Island. Not bad for a guy that stands 6′3 and weighs 218 lbs. Medchill has added some extra bulk the last two years and that has cost him a step and made him a slightly below-average runner.

Defense:

The former catcher is limited defensively as an outfielder. He plays left-field and can play a little center-field as well and not embarrass himself. He has an average arm.

YankeesDaily’s Take and Projection:

Neil Medchill has struck out 66 times in 62 games. That’s a high rate but he has a lot of power in his bat. He’s also a tireless worker who has a great desire to get better and has a great work ethic.
He’s made some adjustments and is a gamer that plays hard and plays to win. Has intensity that you can’t teach. He just has “it.”

Has a deep desire to learn and is always asking questions on how to get better. He’s liked by his teammates and is a fun guy to be around. He’s got a lot of power in his swing. Even though he has a lot of work to do with his overall offensive approach, he’s so tenacious about improving that he should and will improve. He will also do what’s asked of him. He’ll do anything to win.

He should go through each step of the minor leagues before joining the pros and I’m estimating around 2012.

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