Draft 13 - Round 9 (266th overall) - CF - Patrick Biondi

5'09" 165lbs DOB: 01/09/91  Michigan - I had him at #260

MLB -   College seniors got a lot of attention in last year's Draft as teams took many of them early to try to be creative with the new bonus pool system. That could work to Biondi's benefit, who's speed an defensive ability should be of interest to many teams. Biondi is a Brett Gardner type, a left-handed hitter who sprays line drives and uses his speed to get on and then wreak havoc on the basepaths. The Cape Cod League batting champion is also an excellent defender and can no doubt stay in center field at the next level. The only thing Biondi doesn't have is power, but he has the chance to be a leadoff-type hitter who can impact the game with his legs as much as with his bat and glove.


.306/.412/.412, 32 SB, 12 CS


Al Skorupa ‏@alskor - Mets strong draft continues taking Michigan OF Pat Biondi. Cape batting champ. Speedy, small put the ball in play guy. Tough out. 4th OF


Baseball America - One of the more attractive senior signs in the 2013 class, Biondi offers two well above-average tools with his speed and center-field defense. A 35th-round pick by the Tigers out of a Michigan high school in 2009, he went undrafted last year when he sought fourth- or fifth-round money. He spent the summer in the Cape Cod League, where he won the batting title with a .388 average. Though he has been hampered by a sprained thumb that cost him three weeks this spring, Biondi has impressed scouts by doing a better job of putting the ball on the ground and taking advantage of his speed. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder has a slashing lefthanded swing and produces little power. He set a Big 10 Conference record with six steals in one game against Eastern Michigan on April 23, and he holds the Wolverines career mark with 103. He has an average arm and had recorded 14 assists this year with a week to go in the regular season. A slightly slower version of Tony Campana, Biondi is a gamer who gets the most out of his tools. A club seeking a senior discount without compromising much in the way of tools could pluck him in the fifth round.