Yesterday, two top prospects represented the Yankees at the MLB All-Star Futures Game. Outfielder Aaron Judge played for Team USA, while catcher Gary Sanchez played for the World Team. Sanchez doubled and went 1-2, while Judge singled and finished 1-4. Sanchez hit just .258 in the first half, but already has 12 HR’s in just 225 AB’s. Combined with his defensive potential behind the plate, the 22 year-old has enough offensive upside to become a high-quality major league catcher sooner than later. Judge, meanwhile, has been hot at every level, batting .268 in just 71 at-bats in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after hitting .280 with 12 HR’s and 51 RBI earlier this season for AA Trenton. Judge is still developing honing the raw power in his 6’7” 275 lb frame, so his power hitting potential is almost as large as he is. Sanchez and Judge, however, are not the only hot Yankees minor league players. Here are a few other Yankees farmhands who have been on a tear so far in July.
Jorge Mateo, SS, Charleston (A)- Mateo, one of the Yankees’ higher-ranked prospects, has been a nightmare for opposing catchers this season, having stolen 56 bases already in just 301 at bats. This season, Mateo is hitting .272 with a .338 OBP and has hit 2 HR’s to go with 42 R and 31 RBI. Since the calendar has flipped to July, (up to Saturday), Mateo has hit .364 with 6 R, 2 RBI, and 4 SB’s. Mateo turned 20 late last month and is still a few years away from the major leagues, but he’s already showing great potential. Expect him to be a candidate to represent the Yankees and next year’s All-Star Futures Game.
Kyle Roller, 1B, Scranton-Wilkes Barre (AAA)- Despite already being 27 years old, it’s worth highlighting Roller since he was recently selected as a representative for the International League’s team at the AAA All-Star Game. Through Sunday, Roller is putting up a .240 batting average and a .343 on base percentage to go with 12 HR’s and 49 RBI. He also put up an impressive game on 7/2, going 3-5 with 3 RBI. Roller’s biggest issue is that he strikes out a lot (101 K’s in 312 AB’s), which, combined with his age, may sentence him to a career as a marginal “Quad-A” player. However, given his power and the fact that the Yankees rely on aging veterans at the corner infield positions means that Roller may be able to come up in September and give Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones some rest.
Eric Ruth, P, Trenton (AA)- The 24 year-old righty is well on his way to becoming the second-greatest Yankee with the surname Ruth. Listed at 6’0”, the undersized Winthrop product went undrafted in 2013, but has worked his way up the organization not by dazzling with his stuff, but by working quickly and keeping hitters off-balance. This approach has worked, as Ruth has gone 6-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts) for Trenton. Ruth tossed 7 shutout innings in his latest start on Thursday, allowing only 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Since he doesn’t strike out many batters, relies heavily on balls in play (hitters have a lower-than normal .248 BABIP against him), and has a FIP that’s more than a run above his ERA, it remains to be seen if Ruth can sustain his performance enough to warrant a promotion to the Bronx. If he can improve his command (25 BB’s in 76 innings) and keep balls on the ground, he has a shot.
If you have suggestions for any other Yankees minor leaguers you feel have been playing well enough to warrant a closer look, let us know below in the comments section.
