Here is the second part of our list of the top 30 Yankees prospects. This portion of the list ranks prospects #20-11 and includes at least one current Yankee, a new acquisition, some of this year’s draft picks, and some more tenured prospects. You can find part one of the list, which includes prospects #30-21, here.
20. Jordan Montgomery– P- Tampa (A-Advanced)- A 4th round pick from the 2014 draft, Montgomery earned a midseason promotion to Tampa after striking out 55 batters and putting up a 2.68 ERA in 43 2/3 innings in Charleston. After graduating to Tampa, Montgomery had a 3.08 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in 16 games (15 starts) in high-A, with a 77:24 K:BB ratio in 90 2/3 innings. In addition, Montgomery had a 2.09 FIP in Charleston and a 2.87 FIP in Tampa, meaning that he was not just benefitting from batted ball luck. Montgomery has four pitches at his disposal, allowing him a high floor in terms of value. As of right now, he projects as a future back-end starter.
19. Mason Williams– OF- New York (MLB)- Williams had formerly been regarded as a top Yankees prospect, but a failure to put it all together has led to him falling off. Williams still has immense physical talent, but his power potential has dipped even if he hit for good average and flashed speed in 2015. Williams hit .318 with a .397 OBP and 13 stolen bases while also walking more than striking out. He also went 6-21 with a home run and 3 RBI in the majors this year before hitting the disabled list. Williams could grab a reserve outfield spot for the Yankees in 2016, but he’ll turn 25 next season and he may be aging out of prospect status soon.
18. Luis Cessa– P- Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit AAA- acquired in offseason)- The 23 year-old Mexican arrived from Detroit in the deal for reliever Justin Wilson, and profiles as a solid prospect. He throws strikes, having walked just 36 batters in 139 1/3 innings across AA and AAA in 2015. The right-hander had a 1.8 BB/9 ratio prior to 2015 and had put up a 2.56 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 77 1/3 innings for the Mets’ AA affiliate before being called up to AAA. Cessa struggled with both the Mets’ and Tigers’ AAA teams, although five of his 12 AAA starts came with the Mets’ affiliate in the hitters’ haven of Las Vegas. He can hit 95 mph on his fastball, has been improving his breaking ball, and also has a decent changeup. Cessa will probably start in AAA and may make the occasional appearance for the big club in 2016.
17. Slade Heathcott– OF- New York (MLB)- The 2009 1st rounder has been a prospect for seemingly forever, but graduated to the major leagues in 2015. Still, because he played in only 17 games and had only 25 at-bats, he still qualifies here. Heathcott is another one of those players who does everything pretty well, although his offense did not show much in 260 minor league at-bats in 2015, where he hit .265 with two home runs, 27 RBI, six steals in 11 attempts, and a .650 OPS. Heathcott plays solid defense, however, and impressed in his September call-up, going 10-25 with six runs scored and two extra-base hits in 17 games. Heathcott is a solid, defensive-oriented fourth outfielder who can stick in center, but his offense would need to improve if he wants a starting gig.
16. Wilkerman Garcia– SS- GCL Yankees (Rookie)- Garcia is quite the raw prospect, but merits consideration as he will not even be 18 until April 2016 but has already hit .299 with a .414 OBP in 127 at-bats across two rookie ball levels. Garcia has discipline at the plate, walking 24 times and striking out only 19 times and has raw speed that still needs to be refined, with just 11 steals in 20 attempts. Garcia did not hit a home run, but totaled seven extra-base hits and may develop a bit more power as he fills out his 6’0”, 175-pound frame. Garcia had a .925 fielding percentage with the GCL Yankees, and has the athleticism to potentially stick at shortstop.
15. Miguel Andujar– 3B- Tampa (A-Advanced)- Andujar is just 20 years old but flashes solid tools across the board, putting up eight home runs, 57 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 485 at-bats with Tampa in 2015. He only hit .243 and had a .288 OBP, but hit .291 after July 4th, with three home runs, 25 RBI, and seven stolen bases after that date. Andujar still needs to put it together defensively, however, as he made 26 errors and had just a .908 fielding percentage. Still, Andujar has a very strong arm and may also have the hands to stick at the position long-term.
14. Drew Finley– P- Pulaski (Advanced Rookie)- Finley, a 3rd round pick in the 2015 draft, has the refined stuff you don’t typically find among high school picks, but held his own fairly well in the Appalachian League. The 19 year-old pitched to a 3.94 ERA and while he was a bit wild, walking 19 batters in 32 innings, he also struck out 41 batters. Finley has a fastball that sits in the low-90s and has movement, a solid curveball, and a decent changeup. Assuming he refines his command, he has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.
13. Hoy Jun Park– SS- Pulaski (Advanced Rookie)- Park hit just .239 in 222 at-bats with the short-season club, but still accumulated a .351 OBP thanks to 34 walks. Park hit five home runs, drove in 30 RBI, and stole 12 bases in 19 attempts in 2015. He totaled 19 extra-base hits, and while he’ll never be a true slugger, he should at least have solid doubles power. Park made 14 errors in 54 games, and while his consistency has yet to develop, he has all the raw tools to become a good defender at shortstop. At 19, Park was young even for the Appalachian League, but has the makings of a prospect who should provide a good return on the $1 million signing bonus he received on the 2014 international free agent market.
12. Kyle Holder– SS- Staten Island (A-Advanced)- Holder, a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, showed some fatigue by the end of last season, as he had been playing since February between college and professional ball. That may explain why he hit just .213 with a .273 OBP in 56 games with Staten Island. Still, despite a lack of home runs, Holder accumulated eight extra-base hits and six stolen bases in 225 at-bats, and also kept himself to 34 strikeouts. But Holder’s calling card is his defense. Scouts crowned him as the best defensive player in the draft and project him as a potential Gold Glove-winning shortstop thanks to his hands, arm, and footwork. He put up a stellar .970 fielding percentage, committing just 8 errors in his 56 games at short. Holder may never blossom into much at the plate, but his defense is already stellar and has more room to grow.
11. Jacob Lindgren– P- New York (MLB)- Lindgren (pictured at the top of this article), a 2014 2nd round pick, made it to the majors earlier this season as a lefty arm out of the bullpen. He gave up four runs in just seven innings before going under the knife for bone spur surgery that ultimately kept him out for the rest of the season. Lindgren has the repertoire of a dominant reliever, including a fastball that can touch 95 mph and a wipeout slider that comes in between 82 and 84 mph and has late bite. Lindgren should be able to rack up strikeouts and induce weak contact, and has a likely floor of a lefty one-out guy. But if he improves on his control (he walked 10 batters in 22 minor league innings last season), he could end up as a top-tier setup man or perhaps even a future Yankees closer.
Part three of the Bronx Pinstripes Yankees top 30 prospects list, which will include profiles of the players ranked #10-6, will come out tomorrow.
