📌 Join the BPCrew Chapter in your city and meet up with more Yankees fans! 👉 CLICK HERE
Staten Island Yankees starting pitcher Drew Finley fireing a pitch to the plate in the June 18, 2016 game against the Brooklyn Cyclones. (Robert M. Pimpsner/RMP Sports Media, Inc.)

Yankees minor league update- June 20th

"Staten

The Yankees minor league system has absolutely caught fire in recent days, as the AA-affiliate Trenton Thunder have won four straight games thanks to four consecutive scoreless outings by starting pitchers Chance Adams, Dietrich Enns, Daniel Camarena, and Ronald Herrera. To add to the hot streak, the High-A Tampa Yankees locked up a playoff berth by winning the first half North Division title. Meanwhile, the short-season A-affiliate Staten Island Yankees started their season this past week, winning a 20-inning thriller in their season opener and following it up by winning a 10-inning game where pitchers Drew Finley and Josh Roeder combined for a no-hitter. Given some of the astonishing performances that these pitching prospects have turned in, it makes sense to highlight a few of them as part of this week’s Yankees minor league update.

Daniel Camarena- SP- Trenton (AA)- Camarena currently leads all active, qualified starters in the Eastern League in ERA, currently owning a 1.83 ERA in AA this season. Camarena has also made two appearances each in both AAA and High-A, but has spent most of the season in AA, where he has struck out 33 batters and walked just eight in 54 innings while pitching to a 0.89 WHIP. On Friday, the 23 year-old pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out three. Friday’s start was only the latest in his recent dominant stretch for the young lefty, where he has allowed just three earned runs in 34 innings in his last five starts. Normally, a low-strikeout pitcher like Camarena, whose fastball runs in the high eighties, may not be much of a prospect, but he offers pinpoint control on his secondary offerings, a big 12-6 curve and a changeup with good fade. If he keeps this up, he should be able to make it to AAA by the end of the season and may get a shot at the “Scranton Shuttle” as a situational lefty reliever in the big leagues as early as next season.

Ronald Herrera- SP- Trenton (AA)- Herrera has had his ups and downs this season, but cut his ERA down to 3.76 after his start on Sunday, where he tossed seven innings, allowing no earned run (one unearned) and four hits while striking out five. The 21 year-old right-hander also threw eight innings as part of a no-hitter earlier this season, but has also allowed four or more runs in three of his previous five starts prior to Sunday’s outing. He is a bit undersized for a pitcher at 5’11” and does not exactly have electric stuff, but has good command of his pitches and has been able to rack up strikeouts, as he has 72 strikeouts in 67 1/3 total minor league innings this season. Given his young age, it may be a while before he even moves up to AAA, but Herrera provides an interesting opportunity for the Yankees as he continues to develop.

Drew Finley- SP- Staten Island (Short-Season A)- The Yankees drafted Finley out of high school in the third round of last year’s draft, and many prospect evaluators already regard Finley as one of the top pitching prospect in the Yankees organization. The 19 year-old, pictured above, impressed out of the gate in his 2016 debut on Friday, throwing six no-hit innings, allowing one run allowed on base due to a walk while also striking out five. Finley had issues with control while pitching for rookie-level Pulaski in 2015, walking 19 hitters in just 32 innings, but he also struck out 41. His out pitch is his curveball, which has a big break and has received high marks from scouts, but he also offers a low-90s fastball with movement. If he makes it to the major leagues, it will not be for at least three or four years, but as of right now, he shows potential major league upside.

Josh Roeder- P- Staten Island (Short-Season A)- Roeder, drafted in the 21st round of last year’s draft, pitched 28 2/3 innings in relief for Staten Island last year, pitching to a 4.08 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, but putting up an impressive 26:4 K:BB ratio. The Yankees re-assigned him to Staten Island this year, and Roeder made his debut following Drew Finley’s six innings. Pitching the last four innings of the Baby Bombers’ 10-inning victory, Roeder dominated, firing a perfect outing and striking out 10 of the 12 batters he faced. He has the ability to light up the gun, as he can reportedly touch 96 mph with his fastball, although he usually sits in the low-90s with it. He also offers a good slider and also occasionally works in a changeup and a curveball. For a 23 year-old late-round pick in the bullpen in short-season ball to move up, especially without major league quality stuff, would be quite the difficult task, but Roeder’s impressive outing out of the bullpen may be an opportunity for him to break through.

Photo courtesy of Robert M. Pimpsner/RMP Sports Media Inc. and Pinstriped Prospects)