It has been a few years since the Yankees have had this strong of a minor league system. Sure, recent call-ups like infielder Jose Pirela and reliever Jacob Lindgren are familiar to many Yankees fans, as are some prospects still in the minors, including pitcher Luis Severino and Futures Game representatives outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez. But there are at least a few players who have been putting up good stats despite being less heralded as prospects. These players are worth watching, as there is a chance some of them will be as heralded as the aforementioned players before long.
Dustin Fowler, OF, Tampa (A+) – Fowler, an 18th round pick out of a Georgia high school, has been proving himself the last few seasons at lower levels in the minors and recently earned a call-up to Class A-Advanced Tampa. Fowler hit .307 this season for Class A Charleston, hitting 4 home runs, driving in 31 RBI, and stealing 18 bases in 58 games. Despite hitting only 4 home runs, Fowler still has more power potential as he grows into his 6’0”, 185 lb frame, and he also hit 9 HR’s for Charleston in only 257 AB’s in 2014. He has also answered the call so far in a small sample size with Tampa, batting .383 and stealing 7 bases in just 14 games. Assuming the 20 year-old can keep this up, expect to see Fowler on the Yankees top-10 prospect list by the start of next season.
Eric Jagielo, 3B, Trenton (AA) – Jagielo entered the season ranked outside Baseball America’s ranking of top-10 Yankees prospect, and is currently ranked 8th among Yankees minor leaguers by MLB.com. The 23 year-old has done a fine job in AA this season, hitting .284 with 9 HRs and 35 RBI in 222 AB’s. One worrying trend for Jagielo is that his strikeout rate has remained high at 23.4% this season, but his walk rate is in single digits for the first time as a professional. The hope is that Jagielo can develop into an above-average regular for the Yankees, providing plus power and defense from the hot corner, but he will need to improve his plate discipline to provide sustainable production at the major league level. The issue is that Jagielo will now miss the rest of the 2015 season after suffering a knee injury. Regardless, it’s worth keeping an eye on him long-term.
Rookie Davis, P, Tampa (A+) – The 22 year-old is now three years removed from Rookie league, but the name has stuck. At this point, you might want to call him “stud.” Davis, a 22 year-old righty listed at 6’3” and 235 lbs, despite being completely off almost anyone’s prospect radar, has struck out 86 batters in just 75 innings, going 5-4 with a 3.48 ERA. Signs show that Davis is pitching worse than he should, as he has a 2.05 FIP this season and has had a FIP either near or below his ERA at every level so far. He has a strong repertoire, as he has control over his mid-90s fastball and seems to have improved his breaking pitches. If he can keep up the strikeout rate and continue to polish his stuff, Davis may eventually be a rookie in the Bronx.
