Here are the respective lists so you can take a look, and then we’ll get into some thoughts:

Baseball America:

1. OF Jasson Dominguez
2. RHP Clarke Schmidt
3. RHP Deivi Garcia
4. RHP Luis Gil
5. SS Oswald Peraza
6. SS Anthony Volpe
7. RHP Luis Medina
8. RHP Roansy Contreras
9. RHP Alex Vizcaino
10. RHP Albert Abreu

Baseball Prospectus:

1. RHP Deivi Garcia
2. OF Jasson Dominguez
3. RHP Albert Abreu
4. RHP Luis Medina
5. RHP Luis Gil
6. SS Anthony Volpe
7. OF Estevan Florial
8. 2B Ezequiel Duran
9. RHP Clarke Schmidt
10. OF Kevin Alcantara

Disagreement on Deivi

BP has Deivi Garcia as the top overall prospect whereas BA puts him third. In their write-up, BP mentioned Garcia has developed a plus slider in addition to his already excellent fastball and curveball. Here’s some video of Garcia’s fastball and curveball from the MLB Futures Game this July:

Deivi Garcia is just one step away from the majors. He’s good, y’all. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/qqyWsTo1pi

— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) July 7, 2019

That combination alone is lethal and could make Deivi a solid starter in the big leagues. Throw in another off-speed pitch like the slider and you have the makings of a top-tier starter. BP also wrote about how Garcia’s curveball and changeup improved this season, which shows his growth as a pitcher and the ability to tighten his arsenal moving forward. The slider was the big development though, and they highlight that pitch as the reason which makes Garcia potentially a No. 1 or 2 starter who could make the majors as early as next season. BA is likely less high on the slider development and may be concerned with Garcia’s command struggles in AAA. Since reaching AA in 2018, his BB% is over 11%, which is much higher than what you want. In 2020, look for Garcia to lower the walks and improve his command as the final step before he is ready to contribute to the big leagues.

Dominant Dominguez

The Jasson hype is real, people. The newly signed 16-year-old is in either the top or second spot on both of these lists, which is unheard of for a 16 year old. Interestingly, BP has no confidence in this ranking because they have not seen him themselves. To which I say, let’s watch some video:

Good morning. Jasson Dominguez is going to be a problem.

Just close your eyes and listen. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/RHY3O60VX4

— Prospects 365 (@Prospects365) November 20, 2019

Just hearing that sound tells you all you need to know about the bat potential. That’s music to my ears and I’m excited to see what Jasson is able to do once he is stateside. International scouting director Donny Rowland told BA, “He’s possibly the best combination of tools, athleticism and performance that I’ve run across,” which is huge praise for Dominguez. That article also mentions players like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Wander Franco, who have all risen up the ladder quickly as teenagers. If Jasson is anywhere near as good as these reports, we could be talking about him as a top prospect in baseball within 2 years and reaching the bigs in 3.

No Consensus on Clarke

The biggest surprise in the BA list was having Clarke Schmidt, the Yankees 2017 first round pick, as the top pitching prospect over Deivi Garcia. BA says after recovering from Tommy John, Schmidt’s fastball has touched 97 with good movement, and his curve and chageup have plus potential. Three above average pitches is the recipe for starters, and if Schmidt can harness his potential there is upside there as a No. 2/3 pitcher. BP has him 9^th, citing injury concerns as well as a lower view of his changeup. 2020 could be a huge year for Schmidt. If he can put it all together, he could reach the majors by the end of the year either as a starter or out of the bullpen.

Flailing Florial

Everyone’s favorite potential center fielder Estevan Florial took another step back this year, and it shows in the prospect rankings. BP ranked him 7^th, which is a downgrade from his #2 ranking last year. Florial was expected to spend 2019 in AA, yet he performed so poorly he spent the season still in High A ball. In 78 games, he hit .251/.309/.397 which just isn’t getting it done. A series of wrist and hand injuries have hampered Florial the past few years, and the farther away he gets from those injuries the better he can hit. We all remember how it took Mark Teixeira half a season to get his power back after a wrist injury, so I’m still holding out hope for Florial. BA doesn’t even have Florial in their top 10, which shows how far he has fallen over the past 2 seasons.

BA vs. BP

In reading the lists, it looks like BP favors upside whereas BA places a high value on reliability. That philosophical difference can explain ranking Clarke Schmidt ahead of Deivi Garcia as well as the exclusion of Florial. BA ranked Oswald Peraza 5^th and Anthony Volpe 6^th, both of whom are lower-upside players who will likely rise through the system linearly. In general, I tend to prefer high-upside because those guys become superstars. Yet there is a case to be made for safe prospects with the high volatility inherent with any prospect. It is good see those differences and let us form our own opinions about which guys we are high on.

I was excited to see Luis Medina ranked 4^th on the BP list and 7^th on BA’s. He has some of the best stuff in the system, with a fastball that reaches 100 and two plus off-speed pitches, but he could never command it. In the 2^nd half of this season, he suddenly started to. In fact, he was able to move up to High A ball and still pitch into the 6^th inning in both his starts. He is still only 20, and if this newfound command is real, I could see him making a leap like Dellin Betances did way back in the day after he learned how to throw the ball over the plate.

Two other prospects on both lists are Luis Gil and Anthony Volpe. Gil was acquired in the Jake Cave trade which is starting to look like a steal. He has a great fastball-curve combo and could be the next great reliever prospect. Volpe was the Yankees first round pick out of New Jersey this year, and he has solid tools all around. He has the defensive chops to stick at short, and if he can develop as a hitter, he could rise quickly.

It’s clear after years of graduating top position players like Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Gary Sanchez, and Aaron Judge that the Yankees system strength right now is right-handed pitchers. 7 of the top 10 on BA’s list and 5 on BP’s list are RHP. Ideally 1-2 of those guys can stick as starters and contribute to the rotation. Garcia, Schmidt, and Medina are most likely to do that. Even if those guys don’t develop as planned, it looks like the bullpen pipeline will remain strong for years with all of these guys likely able to air it out for 1-2 innings at a time.

Even after years of graduating several prospects, the Yankees system is in good shape. With a strong developmental year in 2020, the system could easily be top 10 again, which bodes well for a team currently in a contention window set up to compete for the next 5-10 years.

You can contact Rohan on Twitter @rohanarcot20

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On episode #243 of The Bronx Pinstripes Show, Andrew Rotondi and Scott Reinen hosted MLB.com’s Jim Callis in a conversation about exactly that – prospects. Callis is a senior writer for MLB Pipeline, which is a branch of MLB.com that focuses on baseball prospect news.

On the show, Callis offered his expertise on a variety of different topics that were both Yankees-specific and MLB-general. He discussed the MLB draft and why it does not get as much attention as the NFL and NBA Drafts, the Yankees current prospects, and more.

Of course, Callis also talked about the Yankees recent draft. Notably, he had high praise for their first-round selection – catcher Anthony Seigler (who’s a switch-hitter and a switch-pitcher if you hadn’t heard).

Callis emphasized that while people mostly talk about Seigler’s ability to switch hit and pitch (like I just did), it’s important to remember that he’s very talented on top of that rare skill. Callis also complimented his athleticism, and compared his play style to Austin Barnes.

.@JimCallisMLB joined us to talk about the #Yankees draft class and versatility of Anthony Seigler.

Listen here: https://t.co/Rlyd8IGjnq pic.twitter.com/RYEoZPRdHV

— The BP Show (@YankeesPodcast) June 22, 2018

“He moves really well behind the plate, he’s got a solid arm and gets rid of the ball pretty quickly. I think you’re feeling pretty good with his athleticism I think he’ll be a good pitch framer. [He’s a] switch hitter, good line drive swing… I don’t think it’s gonna be big power necessarily… I think it’s more of a line drive, hit-for-average than a power guy. This is a guy who can help you offensively and defensively.”

The @Yankees got one of the more intriguing first-rounders in the 2018 @MLBDraft & still have one of the deepest systems around … I enjoyed talking to @BronxPinstripes about both. https://t.co/Y0v3pRJS3e

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) June 21, 2018

In addition to Seigler, Callis had plenty to say about the Yankees and their other prospects, including Justus Sheffield and Estevan Florial. But if you want to hear more about that, you’ll have to listen for yourself using this link. You won’t regret it.

The post The Bronx Pinstripes Show discusses prospects with MLB.com’s Jim Callis appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Even for avid Yankee fans, the name Jonathan Loaisiga probably held little significance until November 20 of last year. Each season, MLB teams need to decide which young players to protect from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster. Highly touted young pitchers Albert Abreu and Domingo Acevedo unsurprisingly had their contracts selected, being some of the top Yankees pitching prospects at the time. But somewhat unexpectedly, the young Nicaraguan was protected though he had never pitched above Short Season Single-A at the time.

Clearly, this was a sign of things to come as the Yankees have aggressively moved Loaisiga through the system this year, culminating in his Big League debut last Friday. He made just four starts in High-A Tampa and six starts in Double-A Trenton before being called up to The Show, a sure sign of the Yankees confidence in his stuff. Skipping Triple-A is something the Yankees rarely do, with the last pitcher promoted from a lower level being Chase Wright in 2007. This kid has moved up the ladder faster than any Yankee pitcher in recent memory with the possible exception of staff ace Luis Severino.

But his meteoric rise through the Yankee system is made even more remarkable by the significant obstacles Loaisiga has overcome in the past few years. Johnny Lasagna, as he’s affectionately known by teammates, started his MLB journey with the Giants back in 2014. He bounced around rookie ball for the better part of two seasons before being released by San Francisco after the 2015 season due to persistent injury issues. There are rumors he actually agreed to leave the US to go play in Italy in January of 2016, but in February the Yankees offered him a Minor League contract and added him to their farm system.

His career suffered yet another major setback in his first season with the Yankees when he blew out his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery. His persistent injury issues remain a red flag as his career progresses, but he has remained relatively healthy since. The Yankees placed him in rookie ball upon his return from surgery last year, and he did no less than pitch to a 2.63 ERA and 2.19 FIP in his six starts at the level. His continued success in Staten Island warranted his addition to the protected roster after last season’s conclusion.

This year Loaisiga posted a 58:4 strike to walk ratio in the Minors, also doing an excellent job of keeping the ball out of the air.  And while he walked as many guys in his MLB debut as in his prior 45 IP in the Minors, the rest of his outstanding skill set was on full display against the Rays last Friday. He attacks hitters with a mid-to-high 90s fastball that he locates well and used about 50% of the time in his first start. He also draws upon a plus low 80s curveball with an elite spin rate, and a high 80s changeup that shows some excellent fade away from lefties. All the weapons in his arsenal were on display in his five shutout innings in his debut, as well as his strong makeup and ability to escape jams.

Moving forward, there’s strong reason to believe his excellent first start was no fluke. While the Rays offense is hardly elite, Loaisiga generated 17 swinging strikes on just 91 total pitches, and did so with each of his three main offerings. Missing bats, keeping the ball out of the air, and fooling hitters with three separate pitches is a surefire recipe for success at the Big League level. While the walks would normally be a red flag, his outstanding record of control in the Minor Leagues points to the wildness likely being a byproduct of nerves and adjustments in his first Big League outing.

For all the good that has already been on display by the young pitcher, there are two big concerns moving forward. The first has to be his health. Despite his recent track record of durability, Loaisiga has an ugly injury history including elbow and shoulder issues. Though he’s just 23-years-old, his longevity moving forward will be something to watch. Secondly, he has not yet shown an ability to go deep in games. Not once in his young career has Loaisiga pitched past the 5th inning in a ballgame. Admittedly, some of this has to do with workload management by the Yankees to protect his fragile arm. But Loaisiga was typically sitting at 75-90 pitches when he was removed after the 5th, an unsustainably high rate of pitches per inning. If he can stay healthy and start going deeper into ballgames, he has all the makings of an excellent Major League starter going forward.

There is no doubt Johnny Lasagna has overcome his fair share of adversity to reach this point. Given his injury history and near exit from professional baseball, it is a remarkable achievement in itself that he has reached the Majors. But now, with a strong repertoire and a solid debut behind him, the challenge for Loaisiga will be to demonstrate consistency and durability in the Bigs. Moving forward, it will be fascinating to watch whether this youngster has the potential to stick in the the Majors and become yet another success story in the Yankees excellent recent record of pitcher development.

The post Player Profile: Jonathan Loaisiga appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The 2018 MLB draft has come and gone. After three long days, the Yankees made 40 selections and somewhere between 20-30 of them are likely to sign and join the farm system. Here is a breakdown of the draftees by age and position:

• 31 college players, 9 high school players
• 16 hitters, 24 pitchers
• 6 catchers
• 21 college pitchers, 3 high school pitchers
• 21 righty pitchers, 3 lefty pitchers

As you can see, the Yankees went heavy on catchers, righty pitchers, and college pitchers. Below I will recap day three and give general thoughts on the Yankees’ haul. We also have detailed recaps of first round pick Anthony Seigler, second round pick Josh BRO, I mean Breaux (read the post to get the pun), and day two.

Day Three Recap

In my day two recap, I mentioned how day three is more exciting because teams take chances on a few high-end talents hoping one will sign. You use the savings from day two to try and lure prep talents with overslot bonuses. It’s very easy for someone to say that they are going to college, but sit them down with an offer for over $1 million and you never know what could happen. The Yankees took two players that fit this criteria.

In the 35th round, they picked Austin Wells, a catcher from Bishop Gorman High School in Nevada. MLB Pipeline ranked him the 170th best player overall and said that if healthy, he could be “a big strong left-handed hitter who can stay behind the plate.” Damon Oppenheimer told Mandy Bell of MLB.com that Wells is most likely going to college, but you never know. The other top talent is 37th round pick Landon Marceaux, a RHP from Destrehan High School in Louisiana. Marceaux has an advanced approach and excellent command for a high school pitcher. It is very doubtful that the Yankees can convince him to forgo college at LSU, and by all accounts, Marceaux seems like the type of player who could develop in college and be a first round pick in three years. When that happens, maybe the good will the Yankees built up by taking him and talking to him now could help if they draft him again later on.

All the Catchers

In addition to Seigler and Breaux, the Yankees took Alex Guerrero (HS) in the 18th round, Jack Thoreson (College), Patrick Winkel (HS), and Austin Wells (HS) to help replenish the catching depth in the minors. It’s no secret that catching is an organization weak spot – try to name one catching prospect on the Yankees, I can’t. Seigler has already signed and Breaux, Guerrero, and Thoreson likely will in the near future whereas Winkler and Wells will likely go to college. Adding four catchers to the system will help with depth and fill the organizational need.

Righty College Pitchers

Overall, the Yankees took a whopping 18 right-handed pitchers. 18! That’s nearly half their entire draft haul. And when you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. The Yankees are loaded with high-end pitchers in the lower levels of the system (such as Freicer Perez and Luis Medina) but have fewer pitching prospects in the higher levels of the minors. College pitchers are likely to climb the ranks quickly and could be in AA or AAA by the end of the season or early next year. The Yankees also have a history of helping college pitchers improve their stuff and become better prospects than people thought they could be (see: Jordan Montgomery and Chance Adams). If they can do the same with one or two of these guys, they would be an absolute steal based on draft position.

Concluding Thoughts

The Yankees had a nice draft overall. They started out by taking high-end high school talent with Anthony Seigler in the first round and Ryder Green in the third. Addressing catching depth was definitely a priority on day three which the Yankees did by taking four catchers. And true to their nature, they loaded up on college arms that they hope can help the team soon. The signing deadline for everyone except college seniors is July 6, in just under a month. College seniors can sign anytime up to one week before the 2019 draft, but most sign very quickly to get their pro careers started. Seeing which players sign and join the Yankees system is always exciting, and this year will be no different.

You can contact Rohan on Twitter @rohanarcot20

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And day two of the 2018 MLB draft is in the books. You find my recap of the Yankees first and second round picks.  Yesterday covered rounds 3-10 and the Yankees took two outfielders and eight pitchers. I’ll recap each selection, give overall thoughts on day two, and then preview day three.

Round 3: Ryder Green, OF Karns High School, Tennessee. In addition to having an awesome baseball name, Green is known for his prodigious power. Along with second rounder Josh BRO, sorry, I mean Breaux, the Yankees doubled down on huge right-handed power. Fun little tidbit, Green is the first Yankee player born in the 21st century drafted by the Yankees. Green was ranked 82nd overall by MLB Pipeline who had the following to say about him:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

A standout on USA Baseball’s gold medal-winning 15-and-under team in 2015, Green has played for three high schools in Knoxville, Tenn., in four years. He spent his first two seasons at Hardin Valley, transferred to Knoxville Christian in 2017, then shifted to Karns for his senior season. His plus raw power could thrust him into the top two or three rounds, though he’ll have to be signed away from a Vanderbilt commitment.

A batting-practice standout on the showcase circuit, Green has physical strength and plenty of bat speed from the right side of the plate. He has had some swing-and-miss issues in the past but is making more consistent contact this spring. That bodes well for his ability to fully tap into his power potential, which ranks among the best in the 2018 high school crop.

Green is more than just a hitter, however. He’s an average runner out of the batter’s box and quicker once he gets going. He’ll have to move from center to right field at the next level and has the arm for it, as he has been clocked up to 93 mph and flashed a hard curveball on the mound.

Here also is some video on Green:

Round 4: Frank German, RHP U North Florida. German was the first pitcher taken by the Yankees in this draft. He was ranked 191st overall by MLB Pipeline, and this is what they said about him in their scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

North Florida has never had a pitcher taken in the top five rounds of the Draft, with only outfielders Todd Dunn and Donnie Dewees going that early. German, who began the year as the Ospreys’ Tuesday starter but worked his way to being their Friday night ace en route to being a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, has the chance to become the first.

German has a solid three-pitch mix that points to a future as a starting pitcher at the next level. He’ll throw his fastball in the 90-94 mph range and maintains his velocity, able to reach back for that 94 late in starts when he needs it. His breaking ball is close to a 12-to-6 curve with late and sharp break to it and he throws an effective mid-80s circle change that has the bottom fall out of it. He commands all three pitches well and has thrown a lot more strikes, while missing more bats, this year compared to his sophomore season.

German has a limited ceiling, that of a No. 4 or 5 starter. But his performance in his Draft season has had more than GSA voters take notice, giving him a good chance to become the first North Florida pitcher to go in the top six rounds since the Tigers took Tyler Stohr in 2008.

Mandy Bell of MLB.com has a detailed report on German, and his coach said that German “grew into his body…The spin rate that all these guys are talking about now, he’s got that. I talk to other college coaches, and they say that players just can’t follow the baseball.”

MLB also has some video of German that you can view below:

Round 5: Brandon Lockridge, CF Troy University. Lockridge is a speedster who stole 25 out of 27 bases successfully this past season. With his speed, he profiles well in center field and the hope is that he can hit enough to move up the minor league ladder. He also played infield in college and it will be interesting to see if the Yankees try to move him around in the field.

Round 6: Rodney Hutchison, RHP UNC. Hutchison is a big dude at 6’ 5” and 225 lbs. He fits the Yankees profile both as a large pitcher and someone who performed well in the Cape Cod League. In that league last summer, he pitched to a 0.60 ERA in 30 innings. He also likes to mess with hitters’ timing by varying up his delivery which is always fun (see below)

Rodney Hutchison Jr. (UNC), 3 Pitch Filthy K Sequence/Messing with Timing. Excellent use of varying tempos + nasty movement. @rodhutch9 pic.twitter.com/VnrHbfpvfu

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 31, 2017

Round 7: Daniel Bies, RHP Gonzaga University. Bies is even bigger than Hutchison, showing up at 6’ 8” 245 lbs. The Yankees really love their large baseball players – Jordan Montgomery, CC Sabathia, Dellin Betances, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton are all 6’ 6” or taller – and Bies fits right in. He had a great K/BB ratio of 124/25 this past season which shows he has control which is difficult in pitchers his size. You can see the downhill plane he generates and easy motion here:

Round 8: Connor Van Hoose, RHP Bucknell University. Van Hoose is the first player from Bucknell taken by the Yankees in the draft. At 6’ 1” and 195 lbs, I could see the Yankees asking Van Hoose to put on some muscle and get him on their velocity improvement program that has worked wonders for pitchers like Chance Adams and Jordan Montgomery.

Round 9: Mick Vorhof, RHP Grand Canyon University. The Yankees likely discovered Vorhof while scouting his college teammate, Jake Wong. Vorhof projects as a reliever who struckout 48 in 38 innings with just 3 walks this past season.

Round 10: Josh Maciejewski, LHP UNC Charlotte. Maciejewski is the first lefty pitcher taken by the Yankees this year. His numbers improved big time this past season, and he more than doubled his K/BB ratio from 1.9 to 4.2

Day Two Summary

After taking two catchers on day one, the Yankees loaded up on pitchers on day two, taking six total compared to just two position players. For more details on these players, including many quotes from coaches, I definitely recommend the Mandy Bell piece. Ryder Green is easily the best prospect of this group, and he combines huge power with good athleticism. If he can make consistent contact, he can be a special player because he has all the other tools. On the pitching side, Rodney Hutchison is very intriguing because of his size and ability to change his motion from pitch to pitch. As expected, the Yankees loaded up on college seniors in rounds 7-10 to save bonus pool money.

These players have very little leverage, so they usually sign for underslot bonuses. You can then use these savings to offer more to players selected on day three of the draft.

Day Three Preview

Day three is a lot more fun than day two because many high upside high schoolers with signability risks will be taken. According to Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, the Yankees likely saves some bonus pool money on day one and day two of the draft, so they can use those savings to entire hard to sign high schoolers that they take on day three.

You can contact Rohan on Twitter @rohanarcot20

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With their second round pick last night, the Yankees picked catcher Josh Breaux. To announce the pick, the BRO-tastic Nick Swisher, who says bro more often than Eduardo Nunez’s helmet flies off, got to do the honors and it was beautiful. To the video:

In addition to being an amazing announcement, I think I figured out how to make the MLB draft more popular – have Nick Swisher announce every pick! You know he would love to do it. But back to Josh BRO, I mean Breaux.

Breaux is different from first round pick Anthony Seigler in the sense that Breaux is a larger more power-oriented catcher. He is 6’ 1” and 220 lbs. and has some of the best right-handed power in this draft. There are concerns about his ability to stay behind the plate because of his size, but he put in a lot of work this past offseason and alleviated many of those concerns. Breaux went to a JuCo and was able to be drafted as a 20-year-old sophomore. He was previously drafted last year by the Astros in the 36th round but decided to return to school for another year. MLB Pipeline ranked him the 71st best prospect in the draft and Fangraphs had him at 96th overall.

Scouting Director, Damon Oppenheimer, was effusive with his praise for Breaux and according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Oppenheimer said the following about Breaux:

“Josh Breaux is another guy with a really good makeup,” Oppenheimer said. “He’s still young as a junior college guy, but his arm is huge and he has raw power. His ability to hit has really matured this year. With Breaux, we think we have an impact tools guy who’s a catcher. You’re talking about a big, strong player who shows up and people understand right away why you took him.”

Fangraphs had the following brief write-up about Breaux: Two-way player who has been up to 100 on the mound, has plus power at the plate. Catching needs work, has dealt with shoulder issue that might undo everything.

And MLB Pipeline had the following more detailed report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 20 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Josh and his older brother Joe teamed to help McLennan (Texas) reach the 2017 Junior College World Series, with Josh ranking among the national juco leaders with 19 homers and 82 RBI, before both were drafted in the 36th round. Joe turned down the Phillies and transferred to Alabama, while Josh returned to the Highlanders as the consensus top juco prospect for 2018. He has maintained that status despite elbow issues that prevented him from catching for a month and have limited his appearances on the mound, where he has been clocked as high as 100 mph.

Breaux has well above-average raw power to all fields and an aggressive right-handed swing that generates uncommon bat speed. He has a maximum-effort approach at the plate (and on the mound), and while he doesn’t strike out excessively, his lack of patience is a cause of concern. He did show that his pop plays with wood bats and against better pitching when he finished fifth in the Cape Cod League with six homers last summer.

Scouts were skeptical of Breaux’s ability to stay at catcher when they saw him as a freshman, but he has improved defensively and projects as at least an adequate receiver. His arm strength is an asset behind the plate, though the Arkansas commit needs to improve his throwing accuracy. Despite his impressive radar-gun readings, his violent delivery would make it difficult for him to hold up as a full-time pitcher.

My take: You can never have too many catchers and a good offensive catcher might be the most valuable commodity in baseball. There are definitely similarities between Breaux and Gary Sanchez – they’re both on the bigger size for catchers, have huge power, and rocket arms. I like that the Yankees went for upside with this pick and took someone who they felt was one of the best talents remaining.

Day Two Preview

The draft continues today with rounds 3-10. There are several high-end talents remaining such as Kumar Rocker, Mike Siani, and Jake Wong who have all been connected to the Yankees at various points this draft season. If they Yankees choose to go the high talent route, they have been connected to Adam Hackenberg, a(nother) high school catcher and Tristan Beck, a pitcher from Stanford who they picked last year and did not sign. Unfortunately, day two tends to be the most boring day of the draft and it is unlikely that these guys will be picked because of how the bonus pool system works. Teams have a set amount of money to spend on their Round 1-10 picks. If they do not use up all of that money, they can roll it over and use it on players drafted in rounds 11-40. These high-end high school players are still on the board because they have signability concerns and there is much less risk in taking one of them in the later rounds and offering them a large bonus. If they take it, great. If not, you lost out on the players available in round 23 or whatever instead of losing out on the guys available in the earlier rounds.

You can contact Rohan on Twitter @rohanarcot20

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I called it! With their first pick in the draft tonight, 23rd overall, the Yankees picked Anthony Seigler. If you missed our draft preview from earlier, you can find it here.  Seigler is a catcher from Cartersville High School in Georgia, and he has become famous for being both a switch-hitter and switch-pitcher. Sadly we will have to rely on high school videos to see that trick because with the Yankees he will be used strictly as a catcher. Here is some video from Baseball America:

A really cool profile by Zach Braziller in the New York Post talked about how Seigler developed his ambidextrousness and just how unique his versatility is. Matt Blood, the USA Baseball U-18 director said that Seigler “can literally do everything…I have never seen a guy like that.” And a former coach called Seigler “octopus.” At the very least, he becomes one of the most interesting prospects in the Yankee system.

Seigler was ranked 46th overall by MLB and 24th by Fangraphs. Here are the scouting reports from both places.

MLB:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

Seigler has gained notoriety as a switch-throwing pitcher who can throw in the upper 80s and is equally effective with either arm. He also switch-hits and is proficient from both sides of the plate, but his ambidextrousness shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he’s one of the best all-around catchers in the Draft. He could be the first high school backstop selected, perhaps even in the late first round.

Fellow Georgia prep product Will Banfield has louder defensive tools, but Seigler is solid behind the plate, a better hitter and played ahead of him on the U.S. national team that won the 18-and-under World Cup last September. He’s agile behind the plate, has a quick transfer that helps his arm play as plus at times and shows promise as a receiver and pitch framer. He’s more athletic than most catchers, along the lines of Austin Barnes, and could profile as an everyday second baseman as well.

Seigler makes consistent hard contact from both sides of the plate and employs an all-fields approach. There’s some question as to how much power he’ll have, but he has solid bat speed and should provide at least double-digit home run production once he gets stronger. The Florida recruit has close to average speed, making him quick for a catcher, and shows good instincts in all phases of the game.

Fangraphs:

TLDR

There’s some risk in being a prep catcher that’s old for his class, but Seigler has great feel for the game, above-average athleticism, is a near finished product offensively and has plus defensive ability

Full Report

Seigler was known entering summer showcase season as somewhat of an oddity: a switch-hitting, switch-throwing catcher who is also an ambidextrous reliever. As the summer wore on, Seigler was chosen as the backup catcher for Team USA and quickly took the starting job from fellow Georgia prep catcher, Will Banfield, due to his innate present feel for contact at the plate and receiving behind it.

This spring he’s steadily moved up boards, into the late first round area, because Seigler has been putting the bat on the ball and lifting it in games against top Georgia high school competition. Seigler is an average runner with an awkward gait, but even if he loses a step as he ages he’ll still be an above-average athlete for the position. Some teams don’t like the horrendous track record of prep catchers and have considered moving Seigler to an infield spot in pro ball, but most would not since he’s already so advanced, defensively. His plus arm and active framing and receiving reminds some of M.J. Melendez from last year’s draft, but Seigler is more advanced offensively, though a bit less twitchy. The Royals took Melendez last year and are the most interested team in Seigler, along with the Dodgers (who love multi-positional, athletic catchers), Braves and D’Backs. Seigler’s mother is Navajo. He’d be the first Native American big leaguer to debut since Joba Chamberlain and second ever Navajo, joining Jacoby Ellsbury.

My Take: Seigler was my personal choice for this pick and it was awesome seeing that he was the selection. I am definitely intrigued by how versatile he is because that speaks to his athleticism. Hopefully he continues to stay behind the plate and develops some more power as he comes up through the minor league system.

 You can contact Rohan on Twitter @rohanarcot20

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Somewhere deep inside the Yankee clubhouse, Didi Gregorius is vigorously searching through his emoji keyboard to find the perfect fit for the newest Bronx Bomber, Gleyber Torres.

The 21-year-old budding star was reportedly informed of his call-up to the Major League roster after being pulled during the third inning of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s game on Saturday. Torres is expected to to be with the team for Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays.

Torres has been off to a torrid start this season in the minors entering Saturday’s game batting .370 with a home run and 11 RBIs, but before GleyberMania takes over, let’s take a closer look at Major League Baseball’s preseason No. 5 overall prospect:

GLEY-BURR or GLAY-BAR?

Survey Says: GLAY-burr is how Kay & Sterling SHOULD be pronouncing his name going forward, but I’m sure there will be more than a few funny sound bytes to look back on in the coming weeks.

Where will he play:

Expect to see Torres at multiple positions before eventually finding at a permanent home at either second or third base. The versatile infielder has been taking reps at third after Brandon Drury’s migraine issues surfaced and Miguel Andujar struggled early at the plate (although he has been on fire the past few games).

Should Drury return healthy and productive, Torres could take over second base where Neil Walker and Tyler Wade have not been able to secure the position due to poor offensive performances. If Andujar stays hot, it will be interesting to see how Aaron Boone utilizes the combination of Andujar, Drury, and Torres.

Where will he be slotted in the batting order:

Torres could be the eventual replacement for Brett Gardner in the leadoff spot, but he certainly has the potential to hit in the heart of the order (see the offensive evolution of one Sir Didi). For this season, however, Torres will probably be slotted towards the bottom of the order to get his reps against tired arms and the underbelly of team’s bullpens. An interesting move would be to slot him ninth if he shows the ability to be effective on the bases.

Injury History:

Unfortunately, Torres missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery after tearing the UCL in his left elbow. But the good news: he appears to have fully recovered and has shown no signs of any lingering effects at the plate or in the field. It will be imperative for the team to keep a close eye on his arm and his swings as the season progresses and he puts more miles on his body than he ever has before.

Past Yankee Comparison:

Robinson Cano. Robbie best fits the bill here because of his combination of offense and defense to go along with a smooth swing and ability to hit to all fields. At 6’1” and 200 lbs., Torres probably has more raw, natural athleticism than Cano, but he lacks the size and strength to be compared to an Alex Rodriguez.

Bottom Line:

Gleyber Torres is a future staple in the Yankee lineup and infield. Fans should be excited to witness his debut in pinstripes, and hopefully he can serve as an immediate plug to one of the leaky infield positions.

Next up: Sterling’s home run call.

The post Get to know the newest Yankee, Gleyber Torres appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

On a day the New York Yankees celebrated the naming of Aaron Boone as their new manager, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner made some waves in the 2018 starting rotation. Steinbrenner spoke of Chance Adams as one of the host of young players the club is excited about heading into next season.

This comes after Steinbrenner praised Adams, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, Domingo German, Justus Sheffield and Albert Abreu following the Owners Meetings in November.

Hal Steinbrenner singled out Chance Adams as one of the young players the Yankees are excited about potentially seeing in the major leagues in 2018.

— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) December 6, 2017

As of this writing, the team has Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and Sonny Gray penciled into the starting five. Depending on whether CC Sabathia or another veteran is signed, one would have to believe Jordan Montgomery as the lone lefty with a year under his belt would have a leg up on a spot. This would leave Adams, Chad Green, and German to battle it out for the fifth spot.

Meanwhile, some reports are suggesting Adams could be included in a package for Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber. If one needed any indication of Matt Holliday’s status at the designated hitter spot, it was on full display with Boone being issued No. 17. While Adams may be the most Major League ready among their prospects, his fate could be determined by virtue of the Yankees re-signing Sabathia or signing an Alex Cobb and deeming other pitchers in the system as having a higher ceiling.

Yet, much like Severino, Adams has Yankees fans buzzing and clamoring for his arrival in the Bronx. The excitement is well warranted with Adams breezing through five levels since 2015, sporting a record of 31-7 and a 2.70 ERA. With an above-average fastball and slider and his changeup and curveball on the come, Adams has the makeup and presence on the mound to compete for a Major League job.

Though he’s young enough to garner more seasoning at Triple-A, one wonders if Adams doesn’t make the rotation if the team wouldn’t have him learn and develop out of the pen like Severino and Green these past two seasons? Before making the switch from reliever to starter, Adams compared himself to St. Louis Cardinals reliever Trevor Rosenthal, which the Yankees might gladly take at least initially if Adams isn’t immediately in the rotation.

The fact Adams is on the radar of Steinbrenner speaks volumes of his development and the organization’s focus on its emerging young stars.

The post A Chance sighting in the Bronx in 2018? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

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Which of course leads us to where the money could be spent next. Recently the Atlanta Braves were stripped of 13 prospects for circumventing international signing rules from 2015-17. Their former general manager John Coppolella was banned from MLB for life.

All 13 are able to keep their bonuses from the Braves. Couple this with the Yankees and their bonus pool money and there’s plenty of intrigues and opportunity to add to the farm system.

The free agents include Venezuelan infielder Kevin Maitan, Venezuelan catcher Abrahan Gutierrez, Venezuelan shortstop Livan Soto, Venezuelan outfielder Antonio Sucre, Dominican shortstops Yunior Severino, Yenci Pena, Angel Rojas, and Robert Puason, Dominican right-handed pitchers Juan Contreras and Yefri del Rosario, Dominican outfielder Brandol Mezquita, Colombian right-handed pitcher Guillermo Zuniga and South Korean shortstop Ji-Hwan Bae.

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Among the 2016 international free agent prospects, Baseball America ranked Maitan No. 1, Severino No. 8, Gutierrez No. 15 and Contreras No. 41.

Maitan is said to have a ceiling of Miguel Cabrera. Baseball America rated him higher than Gleyber Torres when he signed at 16 and note him to be the best young international free agent sign since Miguel Sano in 2009. Scouts peg him as a power guy capable of hitting in the 20-25 home run range but his size and lack of speed may eventually necessitate a shift to third base. The 17-year-old shortstop is a switch-hitter, who between 42 games and two stops with the rookie ball GCL Braves and Danville Braves, batted .241 with two home runs, 18-RBI, and a .629 OPS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lecugb4HscE

Severino is also a switch-hitting shortstop and Baseball America has him pegged as a 20-25 home run talent as well. The one question mark scouts have surrounding Severino is his range, which necessitates a move to second base eventually. Playing mostly second base last season at age 17, between the Dominican Summer League Braves and GCL Braves, Severino in 58 games batted .270 with three home runs, 29-RBI and a .766 OPS.

The 17-year-0ld Gutierrez caught for Venezuela’s 15 and under World Cup team. Scouts say the catcher is athletic with an accurate arm, has solid receiver skills, soft hands and controls the game. Gutierrez is being pegged as a line drive hitter with gap to gap power. Former FanGraphs analyst Kiley McDaniel initially compared his bat to Mike Piazza. In 35 games with the GCL Braves, Gutierrez hit .264 with one home run, 12-RBI, and a .676 OPS.

Contreras is being pegged as a power pitcher, tall and lean with a plus fastball. Scouts say his slider could eventually be his best pitch and he’s attempting to hone a changeup. Contreras is also said to have a fearless demeanor and isn’t afraid to challenge hitters, much like current Yankees ace Luis Severino. Depening on how his secondary pitches come along, scouts say his stuff could still translate to the bullpen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbG3dMIIPrc

The aforementioned players can sign elsewhere as free agents, between Dec. 5 and Jan. 15; they cannot sign with an additional signing bonus after that period. Atlanta would only be able to attempt to re-sign their former players on May 1. Teams can also draw money from their 2018-19 bonus pools but can’t combine with their current pool money.

Depending on which way the Yankees want to go, they could make a big splash signing or instead of throwing all of their bonus pool money at one player, as they likely would have with Ohtani, they can divvy up the cash on a few of those players mentioned above.

The post Out of Ohtani sweepstakes, Yankees should turn attention to former Braves prospects appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Playing under skipper Jay Bell for the Scottsdale Scorpions, let’s take a look at how those aforementioned prospects are faring.

Florial, outfielder and No. 3 prospect, is batting .242, slugging .323, has a .356 on-base percentage and a .679 OPS.

Sheffield, starting pitcher and No. 4 prospect, in five starts, is 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA, fanning 22 in 20.1 frames, holding opposing batters to a .192 average.

Abreu, starting pitcher and No. 7 prospect, in six starts, is 1-2 with a 2.60 ERA, fanning 23 in 27.2 frames, holding opposing batters to a .219 average.

Estrada, shortstop and No. 17 prospect, is batting .352, slugging .451, has a .395 on-base percentage, .845 OPS and has a home run and nine-RBI.

McKinney, outfielder (also seeing action at first base), is the No. 23 prospect and is batting .300, slugging .450, has a .400 on-base percentage, .850 OPS and has one home run and 20-RBI.

Carroll, relief pitcher and No. 25 prospect has four saves in eight games, 16 K’s in 10.2 frames and is holding opposing batters to a .061 average.

Holder, second baseman, is batting .350, slugging .525, has a .386 on-base percentage, .911 OPS, one home run and six-RBI.

Schwaab, relief pitcher, is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, fanning six in 9.1 frames, opposing batters are hitting .324 against him.

For a list of the Yankees top 30 prospects, click here.

The post Yankees’ top prospects star in Arizona Fall League appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The minor league baseball season is officially complete.

On Sunday evening, Baseball America announced their Classification All-Star teams for the 2017 season. The teams feature the players from different organizations that had standout seasons in their respective leagues.

All-stars from Rookie ball, including Appalachian, GCL, AZL and Pioneer leagues, including No. 1 pick Royce Lewis.https://t.co/T6ei7rVpev

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 18, 2017

The New York Yankees organization had three prospects selected to their respective All Star teams:

Short Season

Jorge Guzman (Staten Island Yankees)

Age: 21

Position: Starting Pitcher

2017 Stats

Games: 13
Wins: 5
Losses: 3
ERA: 2.30
Innings Pitched: 67
Strikeouts: 88
Walks: 18
Opponent’s Average: .212
SO/9 Rate: 11.9

Guzman was acquired by the Yankees as part of the trade that sent Brian McCann to the Houston Astros. In his first season with the Yankees, the 21-year-old Dominican Republic native has been very impressive.

Not only does the right-hander have an impressive strikeout rate, but he also has showed the ability to limit walks. After struggling a bit during his first two seasons with the Astros, Guzman seems to have gotten back on track during his fresh start with the Yankees.

Low Class-A

Estevan Florial (Charleston Riverdogs)

Age: 19

Position: Outfielder

2017 Stats

Games: 91
Average: .297
On-Base Percentage: .373
Slugging Percentage: .483
Hits: 102
Doubles: 21
Triples: 5
Home Runs: 11
Walks: 41
Stolen Bases: 17

This season, Estevan Florial quickly became known as one of the Yankees’ top prospects.

Florial is currently ranked as the Yankees’ No. 4 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old spent the majority of the season in Charleston, but was promoted towards the end of the season to High-A Tampa.

With raw power and above-average speed, many around the baseball industry believe that Florial is destined for the big leagues. He still needs time to develop more, but there is a belief that he will one day be an impact player in the Bronx.

Triple-A

Chance Adams (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders)

Age: 22

Position: Starting Pitcher

2017 Stats

Games: 21
Wins: 11
Losses: 5
ERA: 2.89
Innings Pitched: 115
Strikeouts: 103
Walks: 43
Opponent’s Average: .197
SO/9 Rate: 8.0

It’s safe to say that Yankees fans are excited for Chance Adams’ arrival in the Bronx.

Adams is currently ranked as the club’s No. 3 overall prospect. As he is currently at the Triple-A level, the belief is that the right-hander could make his Major League debut as early as next season.

The 22-year-old was used in a relief role early in his Yankees career, and it looked like he would fast track his way to the big leagues. In 2016, the organization decided to try him as a starter, and the move has panned out so far.

Adams utilizes a four-pitch repertoire, including an above-average fastball and slider. The right-hander has also worked on his changeup and curveball, which have become useful in helping get hitters out.

The Yankees had an innings limit on Adams this season, and wanted him to gain more experience at the Triple-A level. Once he’s fully ready, the Yankees believe he will be a quality starting pitcher in the big leagues.

The post Yankees’ prospects named to Baseball America’s Classification All-Star Teams appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

On Monday evening, MLB Pipeline released their midseason Top 100 Prospects List, including their updated Top 30 list for each team.

Here you go, folks: Our midseason re-rank of @MLB‘s Top 100 Prospects, all 30 teams’ Top 30s & Top 10 by position! https://t.co/mGXS3Sl2nO pic.twitter.com/1z9AuvplhF

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 25, 2017

The Yankees organization is well-represented on the list, as they had six players named as Top 100 prospects.

No. 3 – Gleyber Torres
No. 27- Clint Frazier
No. 63- Chance Adams
No. 79- Dustin Fowler
No. 91- Estevan Florial
No. 94- Justus Sheffield

No. 3 Gleyber Torres- Infielder

Torres continues to be one of the more highly-touted prospects in all of baseball. The 20-year-old is out for the season due to Tommy John surgery, but the Yankees still expect their talented young star to be an impact player at the big league level in the near future.

Prior to suffering the injury, Torres posted a slash line of .287/.383/.480 in 55 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

No. 27 Clint Frazier- Outfielder

As a main piece in the Andrew Miller trade last summer, Clint Frazier is already becoming a fan favorite in the Bronx.

The 22-year-old has provided a spark for the Yankees since being called up from Triple-A. In 16 games, Frazier has posted a slash line of .295/.302/.607. He has the ability to play all three outfield positions, and has shown great bat speed and athleticism in his short stint in the Bronx.

No. 63 Chance Adams- Starting Pitcher

With the big league club needing starting pitching help, Yankee fans have been vying for the organization to call-up Chance Adams.

The 22-year-old has dominated this season between Double-A and Triple-A. Through 19 starts, the right-hander has posted a 10-3 record with an astounding 1.92 ERA. In 103.1 innings pitched, Adams has struck out 99 batters.

With the club having an innings limit on the talented right-hander, it might not be likely that Adams finds himself in the big league starting rotation this season. However, it’s possible that the Yankees look for a way to have Adams impact the Major League roster at some point in the near future.

No. 79 Dustin Fowler- Outfielder

Fowler made his MLB debut on June 29, but his time in the big leagues was short-lived. During the first inning of his debut against the Chicago White Sox, Fowler crashed into the outfield wall in foul territory. Due to the collision, the 22-year-old ruptured his right patella tendon, ending his 2017 season.

Although he is out for the season, Fowler is still regarded as one of the game’s top prospects. In 70 games at the Triple-A level, the left-handed hitting outfielder posted a slash line of .293/.329/.542. Once he’s fully healed, expected Fowler to get an opportunity to impact the big league roster.

No. 91 Estevan Florial- Outfielder

Recently, Estevan Florial has begun to make a name for himself as one of the Yankees’ top prospects.

At just 19-years-old, Florial is having a really good season for Single-A Charleston. In 86 games, Florial has posted a slash line of .293./.372/.485. With his recent success, Florial has ascended his way not only into the Yankees top 30 prospect list, but into baseball’s top 100 prospect list.

No. 94 Justus Sheffield- Starting Pitcher

As another piece acquired in the Andrew Miller trade, Justus Sheffield rounds out the group of Baby Bombers on the top 100 prospect list.

The 21-year-old left-hander has spent the 2017 season with Double-A Trenton. In 16 starts, Sheffield has posted a 7-5 record with a 3.09 ERA. If he continues to have success in the minor leagues, Sheffield could definitely find his way to the Bronx soon.

Of the players left off the list, the most surprising is infielder Jorge Mateo. After being named to the preseason top 100 list, the 22-year-old fell off the updated midseason list. Mateo also dropped three spots on the Yankees top prospects list.

MLB Pipeline also released the top 30 prospects for each individual team. Prior to the season, the Yankees top 10 prospects looked like this:

No. 1- Gleyber Torres
No. 2-Clint Frazier
No. 33-Blake Rutherford
No. 4-Aaron Judge
No. 5- Jorge Mateo
No. 6- James Kaprielian
No. 7- Justus Sheffield
No. 8- Chance Adams
No. 9- Dustin Fowler
No. 10- Miguel Andujar

The Yankees updated top prospect list has a bit of a new look.

Aaron Judge is not eligible for the list anymore due to his MLB service time. Blake Rutherford is also off the list, as he was recently traded to the Chicago White Sox.

In terms of moving up the list, Adams and Fowler both moved up five spots to the team’s No. 3 and No. 4 prospects respectively. Kaprielian had the biggest ranking drop, as he slid six spots and out of the organization’s top 10.

Click the links below to find the full rankings for both prospect lists:

Major League Baseball Midseason Top 100 Prospect List

New York Yankees Midseason Top 30 Prospect List

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The Yankees invited 23 additional players to spring training, and several of them are big name, non-roster prospects who have been generating a lot of buzz among fans, journalists and Yankees minor league affiliates.

INF Gleyber Torres, OF Clint Frazier, and LHP Justus Sheffield are three of the top non-roster players invited to the big league camp. These invitees are listed among the team’s top 10 prospects for 2017 by Baseball America and are sure to bring a lot of attention to their appearances later this month.

Torres and Frazier (prospects no. 1 and 2 respectively) are getting strong media coverage and have a lot of hype around them this offseason, seemingly carrying the banner for the “youth movement” the Yankees have embraced. Sheffield (no. 7) is getting a lot of praise as a top pitching prospect who still has a couple years to develop.

Let’s take a closer look at where these three prospects came from and what they’re bringing to the table.

Gleyber Torres
Position: INF
Prospect Rank: 1

Torres was originally signed by the Cubs in 2013 as an international free agent for $1.7 million. He signed at 16 and started his career splitting his 2014 time between the Cubs’ rookie-level Arizona League and the Northwest League, where he hit .291/.381/.429 (132 wRC+).

For the 2015 season, Torres played for the Cubs’ low-A affiliate, where he continued his successful hitting streak, batting .293/.353/.386 (116 wRC+). At the close of the 2015 season, Torres was already considered one of the Cubs’ top prospects and one of the best all-around infielders in the minors.

In 2016, Torres moved up to play in the Cubs’ high-A affiliate in the Carolina League, where he hit .275/.359/.433 (121 wRC+). After a successful start to the 2016 season, Torres caught the Yankees’ eye and was traded for closer Aroldis Chapman. Torres then played for high-A Tampa and was sent to the Arizona Fall League after the season, where he hit .403/.513/.645 (218 wRC+) and was named the youngest batting champion in league history.

Torres’ ability to go the opposite way with authority separates him from other prospects. He has the potential to be a 15-20 homer guy at the big league level, as well as hitting for average. A shortstop by trade, Torres could probably make a successful transition to either second or third. Expect to see Torres ready for the majors by 2018.

Clint Frazier
Position: OF
Prospect Rank: 2

Frazier started his career as a fifth overall pick for Cleveland in 2013. The Indians were able to lure him away from the University of Georgia with a rookie league contract and a $3.5M bonus. At the time, Frazier was considered the best overall high school prospect. While playing for the Indians’ rookie league Arizona affiliate in 2013, Frazier hit .297/.362/.506 (137 wRC+).

In 2014, Frazier played for the Indians’ low-A team in the Midwest League, where he hit .266/.349/.411 (120 wRC+). He also clubbed 13 home runs.

In 2015, he was promoted to the Indians’ high-A affiliate in the Carolina league. Here he hit .285/.377/.465 (147 wRC+) before having similar success with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.

Frazier started 2016 playing at double-A in Akron where he hit .276/.356/.469 (129 wRC+) before being moved up briefly to Columbus in triple-A.

Frazier came to the Yankees organization as part of a trade that sent Andrew Miller to the Indians at last season’s trade deadline. Because of his “legendary bat speed,”according to Brian Cashman, many believe Frazier has perennial all-star written all over him. He’s probably best suited for center field, although he does have the arm strength to play a corner outfield position. If Frazier continues to develop in the right direction, expect to see him in the Bronx at some point in 2017.

Justus Sheffield
Position: LHP
Prospect Rank: 7

Sheffield was also initially part of the Indians organization, who selected him as a 31st overall pick in the 2014 draft. He was sent to their Arizona League affiliate where he managed a 4.87 ERA with 29 strikeouts (20.1 IP).

In 2015, Sheffield played for the Indians’ low-A team in the Midwest League, where he pitched to a 3.31 ERA with 138 strikeouts and allowed 135 hits (127.2 IP). After the season, Sheffield was ranked as the Indians’ fourth best prospect.

For the 2016 season, Sheffield was promoted to the high-A Carolina League where he had a 3.59 ERA with 93 strikeouts (95.1 IP). Sheffield was then acquired by the Yankees as part of the same trade that brought Frazier to the organization.

After the trade, the Yankees assigned Sheffield to high-A Tampa, where he had a 1.73 ERA with 27 strikeouts (26 IP). Late in the season, the Yankees moved Sheffield to double-A Trenton, where he posted a 4.97 ERA with 17 strikeouts (12 IP).

With a fastball that consistently sits at 92-93 mph, Sheffield has been able to touch 96 at times. His curveball projects to be a plus-pitch in the majors, while his changeup is still developing. Sheffield is currently on track to become a quality mid-to-high rotation starter.

All three of these guys are generating an unbelievable amount of hype for good reason. The youth movement is in full swing for the Yankees, and Torres, Frazier and Sheffield are three prospects who are going to make spring training very interesting for Yankees fans.

The post A closer look at Yankees 2017 top prospects: Torres, Frazier, and Sheffield appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Before the Yankees re-stocked their farm system with guys like Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres and Blake Rutherford to name a few, there was Jorge Mateo.

Signed as a 17-year-old back in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic, Mateo possessed the kind of game-changing, eye-popping talent the Yankees had lacked in years past. He was even labeled as the best shortstop prospect since someone named Derek Jeter.

In 2015, Mateo flashed his potential. Between low-A Charleston and high-A Tampa, he hit .268/.338/.378 and swiped 82 bases, leading every single level of professional baseball. Mateo finished the year in Tampa and hit an impressive .321/.374/.452 in 21 games, and seemed poised to go on a meteoric rise in 2016.

Mateo was invited to participate in the big league camp as a 20-year-old last spring and had the chance to play front-and-center for manager Joe Girardi. He went 3-for-15 (.200) with a homer, triple and three RBI’s in 10 Grapefruit League games. With a taste of his first big-league camp in the books, Mateo was ready to take the next step towards the Bronx.

Then the suspension came.

The specifics to why Mateo was slapped with a two-week suspension last July were never made public. But, because of the suspension, Mateo was unable to compete in the Futures Game during All-Star weekend.

Mateo wound up hitting .254/.306/.379 in 2016 with 108 strikeouts, marking arguably his worst season as a minor leaguer. With the addition of Frazier and Torres at the deadline, Mateo dropped down to third on the organization’s top prospect list, according to mlb.com.

Determined to regain his status as the most dynamic position player in the organization, Mateo looks to use 2016 as motivation going into a new season.

“[I’m} gonna keep on working hard, stay focused and come with a different mentality for 2017,” Mateo said. “Working out Monday through Saturday, come back stronger and ready to go.”

Up until 2016, Mateo had never played anywhere else but shortstop. With the emergence of Didi Gregorius at the big-league level, Tyler Wade at Trenton and the acquisition of Torres, there seemed to be a roadblock on Mateo’s road to the Bronx. The Yankees decided to give him reps at second base in the second half of ’16. In 40 games and 175 chances there, Mateo committed just one error.

In order to make him more versatile, the Yankees even gave Mateo a look in the outfield during the Instructional League a couple months ago. Although he doesn’t know where he’ll play in 2017, Mateo hopes to be ready for wherever he’s needed.

“The Yankees haven’t told me where I will be playing,” he said. “I don’t have a problem playing anywhere on the field, I just go out there with the same mentality to work hard. I’ll play everywhere the team wants me to play.”

Shortstops are usually the most athletic players on the field. It’s often said that it’s easier to move out from the infield than to come in from the outfield. At six-feet, 190 pounds, Mateo’s physical build is similar to a young Alfonso Soriano. Mateo believes his athleticism can make the transition from shortstop to the outfield an easy one.

“Adjusting to the outfield should play well to my abilities and would be a smooth transition,” Mateo said.

2016 could prove to be a major turning point in Mateo’s career. He’s experienced the high of being the crown jewel of the organization, to the low of being suspended. He’s in unchartered waters heading into 2017, unsure of where he’ll play or where he’ll ultimately end up. Regardless, the goal is the Bronx.

“[I’m going into 2017 with the] same motivation, come to work hard and work towards the future, no distractions,” Mateo said.

Seemingly playing with a chip on his shoulder and out to prove that he has a bright future, look for Mateo to regain that momentum he was building in 2015.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Jorge Mateo ready for a big 2017 appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

It’s safe to say that Aaron Judge‘s Yankees career has started in historic fashion.

Judge was called up to the big league roster before Saturday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 24-year-old went 2-4 with an RBI in his MLB debut, and found himself as part of unique MLB history in the process.

Right after fellow rookie Tyler Austin hit his first MLB home run in the second inning, Judge followed by hitting a homer of his own. His first big league homer traveled 446 feet, going over the center field wall into Monument Park.

Austin and Judge became the first pair of teammates to ever homer in their first big league at-bats in the same game. Nonetheless, the two rookies accomplished the feat by hitting back-to-back homers, which makes the accomplishment even more unique.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has requested the bats the Yankees rookies used during the game, but Judge isn’t ready to part with his bat just yet. The 24-year-old outfielder plans on sticking with the bat until it breaks or when he starts to feel uncomfortable with it.

Sticking with the same bat turned out to be a wise choice for the 24-year-old. On Sunday afternoon, Judge followed up his impressive MLB debut by hitting a screaming line drive into the right-center-field bleachers, his second homer in as many days. The Yankees ended up losing the ballgame, but fans got to witness first-hand how much power this young outfielder truly possesses.

In his third Major League game on Monday night, Judge went 2-3 with a walk, and his RBI double in the fourth inning off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey proved to be the game winner for the Yankees in a 1-0 victory.

Since RBI became official in 1920, Aaron Judge is 1st Yankee with extra-base hit and RBI in his first 3 career games pic.twitter.com/Zngpe6qTmY

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 16, 2016

Judge wasn’t done making history after his big league debut. Since RBIs became an official stat in 1920, Judge is the first Yankee ever to record an extra-base hit and RBI in his first three games with the team.

Since spending time with the big league club during spring training, Judge has made some adjustments to his swing that have definitely benefited him. The YES Network team of Bob Lorenz, Jack Curry and John Flaherty went into further detail on the adjustments the 24-year-old has made.

.@boblorenz, @JackCurryYES & @flash17yes break down the improvements Aaron Judge has made to his powerful swing.https://t.co/DZBIiV1okp

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 16, 2016

For the Yankees, the future definitely looks bright. With some young prospects such as Judge recently making an big impact on the big league roster, Yankee fans are hopeful that these young talents can play big roles in helping bring the Yankees back to the top of the baseball world in the very near future.

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The New York Yankees organization announced that they have suspended one of their top prospects for two weeks for “violation of team policy.”

SS Jorge Mateo has been suspended for two weeks by the Yankees for violation of team policy. He will not participate in the Futures Game.

— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) July 6, 2016

According to multiple reports, Jorge Mateo, who many regard as the Yankees’ most talented prospect, was frustrated after he wasn’t promoted from Single-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton. When the organization made promotions earlier in the week, Mateo expressed his frustration with team management, which is believed to be why he was suspended.

After hitting .337 in April, there was speculation that the team would promote Mateo sometime around the All-Star break, but the talks were delayed after the speedy shortstop started struggling offensively in the month of June. 

Mateo is ranked as the Yankees No. 1 prospect by Baseball America, and No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline. In 76 games so far this season, Mateo has posted a slash line of .266/.323/.396, and is second in the Florida State League with 26 stolen bases. The 21-year-old was signed in January 2012 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic 

Due to his suspension, Mateo will not take part in the MLB Futures Game, which will take place on Sunday in San Diego. New York Mets shortstop prospect Amed Rosario was selected to replace Mateo on the roster.

It will be interesting to see how the Yankees handle their top prospect once he returns from his suspension. The organization sees him as a future big league player, and they hope that Mateo will learn from this situation moving forward.

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Aaron Judge has been named the International League’s Player of the Month for June, according to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre beat writer Shane Hennigan.

Aaron Judge has been named the International League’s Player of the Month for June.

— Shane Hennigan (@RailRidersTT) July 1, 2016

In 28 games in June, Judge hit .343 (35-102) with nine home runs and 25 RBIs. He had 11 multi-hit games in June, including his first career multi-home run game. He failed to reach base in just three of the games he played in.

Judge becomes the first RailRider to earn International League Player of the Month honors since Jose Pirela won the award in June of 2014. 

In 28 games in June, Aaron Judge hit .343 (35-102) with 9 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 21 BB, 4 SB and a .686 SLG%.

— Shane Hennigan (@RailRidersTT) July 1, 2016

The 24-year-old continues to make a case that he belongs at the big league level.  After hitting just .183 in the month of May, Judge made some adjustments and got back on track. His outstanding month at the plate helped the RailRiders retake the top spot in the International League North standings.

In 76 games this season, Judge has posted a slash line of .270/.362/.491, including a league best 16 home runs. He was recently named to the Triple-A All Star team, as he will represent the International League against the Pacific Coast League on July 13 at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game can be seen live on MLB Network.

Fans have been anticipating the arrival of Judge in the Bronx for quite some time now. If he continues to hit at a high level, it might not be long before Judge is playing right field at Yankee Stadium.

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The Yankees have been in no rush to promote its hulking outfield prospect Aaron Judge this spring, but the 24-year-old is beginning to show big league strides.

In his last 10 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Judge has been red hot at the plate, hitting .389 (14-36) with eight runs batted in, while also recording a pair of home runs in the last two games, putting an end to a home run drought that began on May 9.

Judge’s recent stretch also resolved his five-game hitless streak from May 28 to June 2.

With 60 games in the books, Judge has earned a slashlline of .247/.326/.413 with the Railriders, including nine homers and 33 RBI, surpassing totals that he reached last season in only 61 games with Triple-A.

As veteran right-fielder Carlos Beltran continues to provide offensively in the Bronx, ‘Judgement Day’ has yet to be determined, but with Beltran’s name circulating in trade rumors, Judge’s first big league appearance is imminent.

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The 6’7″, 275 pound Judge is obviously a power hitter.  In fact, Yankees Universe, after scrutinizing his batting practice reps in Florida, is most impressed with his home run power and potential.

After dominating in the minor leagues, scouts think Judge is having difficulty adjusting to the Major League pitchers’ arsenal of secondary and tertiary pitches.  “The Major League level is the highest level, so it’s just getting used to playing in the games….” Judge said. “Last year… I was surrounded by a lot of good veterans and they showed me the way….”

This spring training, he has 13 at-bats and a batting average of .077. “I think his at-bats have been pretty good,’” Manager Joe Girardi remarked. “I think he’s been really patient. I don’t see him chasing pitches. He’s struck out a little bit, but it’s early in spring training so you don’t make too much of it. But I think he’s having patient at-bats.”

The sequence of The Judge’s swing. #NYYSpring pic.twitter.com/moOCuNyKML

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 8, 2016

Judge, at 23 years of age, is demonstrating a mature outlook on spring training. “That’s what [it] is for,” he said. “I’m getting to see good pitching, getting my timing down. It’s great, I’m excited. I don’t pay too much attention to results right now.”

In 2016, with 7 strikeouts in 13 at bats and his only hit being a three run home run, cautious optimism is advised before fans make a Judge-ment.

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