The MLB Draft continued on Friday and Saturday, with the Yankees making 38 selections. Those 38 players will likely start in short-season or rookie levels of the minor leagues later this season, and some of them may find their way to the Bronx in the years to come. Here are profiles of a few notable names who may make their presence felt in the Yankees organization sometime soon.
Nolan Martinez- SP- Culver City High (CA)- Martinez, who will be 17 until the end of this month, comes to the Yankees as the 98th overall pick in the draft and the Yankees’ third selection. Martinez has committed to San Jose State, but seems to have the tools to develop professionally should he choose to sign, as he can touch 95 mph with his fastball and throws a high-70s slider that consistently finds the strike zone. Baseball America ranked him the 67th best prospect in the draft and Martinez may be able to pay off if he builds around his power slider. At 6’3” and 165 pounds, Martinez may also add a few miles per hour on his fastball and should fill out into a projectable frame. As an added bonus, Martinez called getting drafted by the Yankees “the best day” of his life and is reportedly leaning toward signing with the team.
Dom Thompson-Williams- OF- University of South Carolina- Thompson-Williams, a center fielder out of South Carolina, became the Yankees’ 5th round pick Friday after hitting .323 with 7 HR, 40 RBI, and 18 SBs in 62 games for the Gamecocks this season. Originally from Sioux City, IA, Thompson-Williams was the Gatorade Iowa High School Player of the Year in 2013 and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 19th round of that year’s draft. He has plus speed, but has issues with his bat speed that some scouts believe may limit his upside. Picking Thompson-Williams may be a risk, but his raw athleticism and his combination of plus speed and defense provide an opportunity for the Yankees to focus on developing his hitting.
Joe Burton- OF- Harford Community College (MD)- Burton, the Yankees’ 24th round pick, offers an interesting set of tools, as he has great bat speed and power but still needs to work on his approach. Baseball America ranked him as the 370th best prospect and in 62 games this season, he hit .407 with 16 HR, 65 RBI, and 23 SBs. The latter is particularly impressive for a 6’4” 240 pound player. Burton may need to move to first base due to his defense, but Burton has the power to stick and likely work his way up, even if he may start out in rookie ball.
Zack Hess- SP- Liberty Christian Academy (VA)- Hess is a high school pitcher who the Yankees picked in the 35th round. Despite being regarded as a top-200 prospect by Baseball America, Hess fell to the 35th round because of signability concerns, as he is currently committed to LSU. He can use his 6’6” 200 pound frame to consistently throw 92-95 mph and can even touch 97 mph on his fastball. He currently throws a slider as his second pitch and will likely develop a changeup. There are questions as to whether he will stick as a starter or become a reliever, but if he chooses to sign, the young right-hander has high upside in either role.
Image courtesy of Beyond the Box Score.
