Now that the trade deadline has come and gone and it is now safe to say that the Yankees minor league system is at its best in years. The trades made by the Yankees front office have allowed the Yankees to build for the long term. The club now has one of the strongest farm systems in all of baseball thanks to the new influx of talent.
But despite the new additions over the past few weeks, the Yankees already had an impressive crop of prospects playing very well. First baseman Tyler Austin, profiled last week, has continued his offensive surge, batting .368 in the six games for AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre since last Monday. He should be knocking on the door of a major league call-up. Pitcher Chance Adams, profiled here on multiple occasions, twirled a gem Saturday for AA Trenton, throwing six shutout innings for the Thunder, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out two. He currently has a 1.91 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP while posting an 8-0 record in 10 starts for the Thunder.
This week, however, we will be taking an in-depth look at four additional young arms in the Yankees organization, including details on an impressive performance from one of the team’s new acquisitions.
Dietrich Enns– SP- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- Enns has had a stellar season in the Yankees’ system this year, with a miniscule 1.35 ERA and 1.11 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings for the AAA RailRiders. The 25 year-old earned his call-up with a similar performance in AA, with a 1.93 ERA in 70 innings down in Trenton. The 25 year-old, a former 19th round pick of the Yankees back in 2012, has consistently put up stats that outpace his scouting report. He offers four pitches, a low-90s fastball, a mid-80s slider, a plus changeup, and a work-in-progress curveball. None of his pitches are particularly strong, but Enns makes it work, as his impressive season falls in line with his career minor league ERA of 1.85 and WHIP of 1.10. The left-hander has had control issues in the past, but his 46 walks in 116 2/3 innings this season indicate some improvement. He has an outside shot at a big league appearance when rosters expand.
Luis Cessa– SP- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- The 24 year-old has already made six major league appearances for the Yankees out of the bullpen with a 3.95 ERA, but the AAA rotation is where he has really made his presence felt. The righty had a dominant outing Friday, going 7 2/3 innings, striking out 11 while allowing five hits, one run, and one walk. In 77 1/3 innings this season, he has struck out 69 batters while walking just 23 and pitching to a 3.03 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. His fastball sits in the low-90s and can touch 95 mph, and has both a changeup and slider that flash potential. Cessa does not necessarily demonstrate the qualities of a future ace, but he may eventually find a spot in the back end of the Yankees’ rotation as early as next season.
Daniel Camarena- SP- Trenton (AA)- Camarena is the kind of pitcher who survives thanks to his excellent control, as he can locate his curveball, changeup, and slider well while still getting good break on his pitches. The 23 year-old’s fastball sits around 90 mph, but he has still done well for himself this season. After sitting out 2015 due to a surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow, Camarena has bounced back with a 3.31 ERA and 1.06 WHIP on the season while pitching mostly for Trenton. In 114 1/3 innings, he has 89 strikeouts while issuing only 17 free passes. His progression through the Yankees’ system may have been slowed by surgery, but he could still make it to the Bronx next season if he finishes 2016 strong.
Justus Sheffield– SP- Tampa (A-Advanced)- It’s not very often that we profile pitchers twice within a week, but Sheffield, pictured above, has earned it. We discussed Sheffield’s statistics and repertoire after the Yankees acquired him last Sunday, but he has earned a spot in this week’s update thanks to a phenomenal Yankees organization debut on Friday, allowing just two hits, one earned run, and one walk in six innings while recording a career-high 11 strikeouts. Sheffield will need to keep his walk rate down, as he had a fairly alarming 40 walks in 95 1/3 innings for Cleveland’s High-A affiliate. Nevertheless, Sheffield’s first impression indicates that he has handled the change of scenery well early on.
(Image courtesy of Mark LoMoglio/Yankees and MiLB.com.)
