The Yankees’ minor league teams bring their seasons to a close this Labor Day weekend. While the postseason may allow some affiliates to continue playing, these are the last few days of the season, and correspondingly, this will be the final Yankees minor league update of the 2016 season. As a way of bookending the season, this week, we will take a look at four prospects still in the minors who can be regarded as “breakout” stars. Hopefully, these prospects will be able to continue to make progress and translate their success this season to next year and beyond.
Jordan Montgomery– SP- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- The 23 year-old has set himself up nicely for an opportunity to make it to the major leagues as early as next season, pitching to a 2.13 ERA between AA and AAA this season. Montgomery’s walk rate was a little high in AA, as he issued 36 free passes in 102 1/3 innings, but he has improved his performance in AAA. Along with just nine walks allowed in 37 innings with the RailRiders, he has also dazzled with a 0.97 ERA and an average of one strikeout per inning over six starts. The southpaw mixes in a curveball, a slider, and a changeup to go with a fastball that sits around 90 mph and reportedly uses a unique, almost overhand arm slot to confuse hitters. His early projection had been as a back-end starter, but he may be making the case to push his upside higher.
Dustin Fowler– OF- Trenton (AA)- Fowler, pictured above, may have one more regular season game left Monday, but his season numbers already demonstrate significant progression. The 21 year-old hit a career-high 12 home runs this season while hitting .283, stealing 25 bases, and far exceeding his career-high total of extra-base hits. The lefty’s ability to hit has shone through this season, but to succeed at the major league level, the Yankees likely expect him to improve his plate discipline and his ability to draw walks before Fowler earns a call-up. With just that small improvement, Fowler could become a long-term piece of the Yankees’ development due to his impressive array of tools.
Chance Adams– SP- Trenton (AA)- Adams wowed in his first full professional season in 2016, putting up a 2.33 ERA between High-A Tampa and AA Trenton, also striking out 144 batters in just 127 1/3 innings. Thanks to a velocity jump on his fastball, which went from near 90 mph to consistently sitting between 93 and 96 (and going as high as 99 mph), the 22 year-old has quickly become a dominant starter. His development of a slider has also helped provide him with an off-speed out pitch. Adams may have been the beneficiary of good luck, given his low batting average on balls in play, but that may be sustainable thanks to his tendency to induce fly balls at a fairly high rate. Given his velocity jump, Adams may be may be able to become a mid-rotation starter and perhaps even more.
Nick Solak– 2B- Staten Island (Short-Season A)- It may be hard to read much into Short-Season stats, but Solak has demonstrated his primary calling card—his bat—in 63 games for the Baby Bombers this season. He hit .322 in Staten Island, including a .415 on-base percentage, while succeeding on all eight of his stolen base attempts and knocking out three home runs. The 21 year-old also demonstrated good plate discipline, with a walk rate over ten percent and a strikeout rate under fourteen percent. Even his defense has been solid, as he has just six errors and a .974 fielding percentage playing at second base. The Yankees may have over-drafted Solak, considered a third or a fourth round pick prior to draft day, in the second round, but the young infielder has paid dividends so far with his stellar performance at the plate.
