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LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 20: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the Spring Training game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 20, 2015 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 11-2. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Yankees top 30 prospects: 5-1

Here’s what we’ve all been waiting for. The Yankees’ five best prospects, at least in our opinion. All of these guys are either in the majors or on the fast track to getting there eventually. Hopefully for the Yankees, once they arrive, they’ll stay for a while. If you want a reminder on who else may be coming, check out our previous lists: #30-21, #20-11, #10-6. While there may be other future Yankees besides these players, get to know these five names because they should play key roles on the Yankees roster if all goes right.

5. Tyler Wade– SS- Trenton (AA)- Wade has risen quickly through the Yankees organization after being selected out of high school in the 4th round of the 2013 draft. Wade impressed in Tampa in the first half of the season, hitting .280 with a .349 OBP and stealing 31 bases in 98 games. Wade does not have much home run power, hitting just three in 481 at-bats between Tampa and Trenton, but makes up for it with his speed and ability to cover a lot of ground at shortstop. Wade struggled after being promoted to Trenton, but seemed to consistently be making hard contact despite being one of the youngest players in the Eastern League. His defense has been rough around the edges as he made 31 errors at shortstop in 100 games in 2015, but Wade still has a lot of time to develop and has the raw tools to develop as a plus defender at short. It’s not unlikely he finds a spot in a major league infield down the road.

4. Gary Sanchez– C- New York (MLB)- Sanchez made his major league debut this past October, but because he made only two plate appearances, he can be considered for this list. Sanchez has been hailed as a top prospect for seemingly forever thanks to his power potential and ability to stay behind the plate through the minors. The Dominican catcher put up a solid age-22 season in 2015, batting .274 with a .330 OBP, 18 HRs and 62 RBI in 365 at-bats between AA Trenton and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He also tacked on seven stolen bases, displaying rare base-stealing skill for a catcher, and showed off his arm behind the plate as well. Sanchez threw out 35.6 percent of base stealers, which if it translates to the major leagues, would rank 6th among all catchers. Sanchez also succeeded in cutting down his errors this season, making 10 in 2015 compared to 17 in 2014. Defense has been the biggest concern with Sanchez, but he seems to be making some improvement. He still has the potential to be an everyday player if he has to move off the plate, but he could be an All-Star if he develops as a catcher.

3. James Kaprielian– P- Staten Island (Short-Season A)- The Yankees’ 2015 1st rounder was lauded by scouts for being one of the most major-league ready prospects available in the 2015 draft, and demonstrated his advanced command in a small sample size in his first professional season. After a couple of rough prep outings in the Gulf Coast League, the Yankees sent Kaprielian to Staten Island for a few late-season starts, where he allowed just three runs in 21 1/3 innings, struck out 22 batters, and allowed just four walks in three regular-season and two playoff appearances. The UCLA product offers a low-90s fastball, which he often uses to get strikes early in the count, a high-70s curveball as an out pitch, a splitter/change, and an occasional slider. His polished presence on the mound and use of four pitches means that he has a high floor, but there have been questions about just how high of a ceiling he may have. Kaprielian has the floor of a back-end starter, but it is likelier he ends up in the middle of a major league rotation in the years to come.

2. Jorge Mateo– SS- Tampa (A-Advanced)- Mateo’s biggest selling point is his blinding speed. He stole 82 bases in 117 games this past season. Those numbers may come down as he faces tougher catchers, but Mateo has the potential to steal more than 50 bases on the major league level. But Mateo has more to him than just his speed. While he hit only two home runs, he still totaled 34 extra base hits between low-A Charleston and high-A Tampa this season and has the power to drive the ball into the outfield gaps. He showed impressive presence and discipline at the plate as well, hitting .278 with a .345 OBP and putting up a 98:43 K:BB ratio. His hitting numbers even improved in Tampa, as he hit .321 with a .374 OBP in just 84 at-bats. Mateo made 30 errors at shortstop this season, which is a little high, but he’s still working at his defense and has both the speed and the arm strength to stick at shortstop. Mateo will also not turn 21 until late June and is way ahead of the curve in his development. He’s just a little too young and a little too far from the majors for us to call him the #1 prospect in the Yankees system just yet, but once Judge is up and perhaps even before then, Mateo should jump to the #1 spot if he can handle pitchers in the higher levels of the minors. It may not be unreasonable to expect him in the major leagues by the end of 2017, but assuming he arrives, he has the potential to claim a spot at the top of the Yankees lineup for years to come.

1. Aaron Judge– OF- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- Judge has earned his claim to being the Yankees’ #1 prospect as he looks poised to claim a starting outfield job in the next couple of years. Judge hit .284 with 12 home runs in 250 at-bats in AA for Trenton, but hit just .224 in 228 at-bats with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in AAA. Looking at his full-season totals, he still ended his season with 20 home runs, 72 RBI, and a .255/.330/.448 triple slash line. Judge has developed a lot since being selected in the 1st round of the 2013 draft, demonstrating good plate discipline and shortening up his swing. Judge draws a lot of strength from his 6’7”, 275-pound frame, but focuses more on trying to hit line drives and use the whole field. As of right now, he looks like he could hit 20-25 home runs and hit around .275 at the major league level, but could hit 30 or more, albeit with a lower average, if he lengthens his swing and sells out for power. He plays about average defense, but his value comes from his bat. While you may see a bit of Judge in the Bronx in 2016, it may be more realistic to expect him to assume a starting outfield position in 2017 after Carlos Beltran comes off the books.

Now we’ve arrived to the end of the list. Objectively, the Yankees farm system is the strongest it has been in many years, given the team’s decreased priority on free agency. It’s just a little over a month until pitchers and catchers, so soon we’ll get to see these players take their next steps to the majors. Here’s hoping many of these guys make the major leagues and have success with the Yankees, possibly leading them to World Series in the future.