It has been a ridiculously hectic week for the Yankees minor league system, as Yankees GM Brian Cashman has conducted an overhaul of the farm system. Prospects Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, Justus Sheffield, and Billy McKinney enter a revamped Yankees top prospect list along with other pieces from the Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller deals. The Yankees’ minor league system has jumped from the middle of the pack compared to other organizations to one of the best in just a week. By the time you read this (or by 4 p.m. Monday when the non-waiver trade deadline passes), the Yankees may have added more prospects in the event they choose to sell off further.
Nevertheless, the Yankees still have many other prospects who have been with the organization and still will after the deadline. How have some of them been doing lately? It has been a while since we have checked, since last week’s minor league update focused exclusively on new acquisitions. Here are some minor leaguers who have been hot as of late, including one former prospect working his way back.
Ike Davis– 1B- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- Who would have thought back in 2012, when Ike Davis hit 32 home runs for the crosstown Mets, that just four years later he would be languishing in the Yankees’ minor league system? Well, languishing may not be the perfect word, as despite a .243 batting average, Davis still has a .354 on-base percentage and three home runs in just 70 at-bats. The 29 year-old had been cut loose by the Rangers earlier this season and now sits in AAA with the Yankees after the big club signed him as a replacement for the then-injured Mark Teixeira. The lefty has 23 strikeouts already as a Yankee, but has also drawn 12 walks, and in his last ten games he has gone 10-33 with a home run and five RBI while stringing together a six-game hitting streak. Davis may return to the big leagues as a reserve in September, or earlier if an injury were to beset Teixeira again.
Tyler Austin– 1B/OF- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- A former top-tier prospect for the Yankees who had fallen on hard times at the plate entering 2016, Austin has found new life since earning a call-up to AAA earlier this year. In 171 at-bats in AAA, Austin has batted .316 with a .416 OBP, slugging 13 home runs, driving in 45 runs, and even chipping in five stolen bases. On Saturday, Austin hit a home run and drove in four runs , part of a nine-game stretch in which he hit .384. His 49 strikeouts indicate reason for concern, but he has also drawn 30 walks in the same span. While this may indicate that Austin may end up as a “three true outcomes” player, his success in AAA serves as a testament to his improvement, as he batted .240 last season in a year which included a demotion to AA. The 24 year-old may be able to earn a long-awaited call to the big leagues if he can keep up his hot streak before rosters expand on September 1st.
Jeff Hendrix– OF- Tampa (A-Advanced)- Hendrix has just one home run all season from his half-season stint in Charleston, but has exploded out of the gate since being called up to High-A Tampa on July 17th. In just 53 at-bats, he has hit .396 with seven RBI, three extra-base hits, and two stolen bases. He has only drawn two walks so far, but drew 35 of them in Charleston, helping him post a .397 OBP there. Overall on the season, the 23 year-old has consistently hit well, batting .317 with a .401 OBP, adding some decent speed with 13 stolen bases. While he may need to cut down his strikeout rate a bit given his 71 strikeouts in 287 at-bats, that number will not be much of a concern as long as he hits the way he has. While he will steadily regress, Hendrix offers an interesting combination of speed and an ability to hit for contact. He has played most of the season in center field and has the speed and defensive ability to stick there. The question for him will be whether or not his bat can progress enough to earn him promotions to higher levels.
Nestor Cortes– P- Tampa (A-Advanced)- Cortes has bounced between starting and relief this season, but he has been lights out in either role. Between both levels of A-ball and one appearance in AA, he has posted a sparkling 1.10 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, striking out 84 batters in 81 2/3 innings. While not all of his appearances have been starts per se, most have involved at least four innings pitched, so the Yankees likely believe Cortes can stick as a starter. On Saturday for Tampa, he threw five innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and two earned runs while striking out two. Cortes has gotten quite lucky, as despite allowing significantly more air outs than ground outs, has only allowed four home runs this season. Still, Cortes has pinpoint control, having walked only 19 batters this season. His fastball sits in the low-90s and tops out at 93 mph, with three other pitches—a changeup, a curveball, and a slider—that all sit in the 70s. At 5’11”, Cortes’ upside as a pitcher may be limited, but he has beaten the odds thus far and may be able to work his way up if he continues to do so.
