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Yanks’ outfield is crowded, but Blake Rutherford believes he’ll one day land a job

Considering how dynamic, clutch and affable the Yankees’ outfield pack has appeared this season, it would be difficult to envision someone new in the lineup, potentially breaking up a fine-tuned machine. But the way New York’s farm system is assembled, that change is almost inevitable in the coming years, as successors are currently in the midst of being groomed.

Of those select farmhands is 20-year-old outfielder Blake Rutherford, who believes he offers all three of the aforementioned traits.

“I think I’m a player who can do a lot of things on the field, whether it’s offensively, defensively or on the basepaths,” Rutherford said in a recent Yankees On Demand interview. “But more importantly, I think that I can affect the game just by the type of teammate I am. I’m going to go out there and fight whether I’m slumping or not. I’m going to continue to be determined and work my hardest, day in and day out.”

Rutherford, who swings lefty and throws righty, was drafted 18th overall in last June’s Amateur Draft, and is playing his first full professional season with Low-A Charleston. In 46 games, Rutherford has hit .280 (175 ABs) with 13 doubles, 18 RBI, 21 walks and 40 strikeouts, while also being the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.

Although he’s considered to be a natural center fielder, Rutherford has played eight games apiece in both left and right, and with that flexibility and a steady bat, his value will remain high.

“I think he’s on the path that we all hoped he’d be on,” Charleston manager Pat Osborn said. “It’s a very comforting feeling when he comes to the plate. He’s going to give you a solid at-bat with the ability to drive in runs, hit the ball over the fence, put the ball in the gap for extra bases. 

“It’s tough for a kid like that because you’ve got all these expectations placed upon you. To try to live up to all that can be difficult. God has blessed him with a lot of ability and as long as he just plays the right way, the results are gonna come.”

While Rutherford displays the right attitute and presents himself as a multi-tool player, baseball is still no stranger to failure. In a sport so fickle, the concept is as ordinary and habitual as it is distressing and humiliating. Every minor leaguer will attest to it, but for the very first time this spring, Rutherford got to experience those struggles firsthand.

“I’ve already been in a couple slumps this year and it’s definitely a first for me,” said Rutherford, who hit .438 in four varsity seasons at Chaminade High in California. “You’ve got to learn how to fail and how to overcome the failure, kind of take it and turn it into a positive. But I think you’ve just got to go day by day and try to get better at one little thing each day so that if you are lucky enough to make it to the big leagues you’re ready to get up there and stay there.”

Rutherford is still a few seasons away from sniffing the Bronx, but his rank and reputation make him one of the Yankees’ most interesting youngsters. So far, rookie Aaron Judge has garnered a great deal of attention at the big league level, and the hope is that Rutherford will be the next star outfielder to burst out. Of course, playing time is in question, as New York is under contract with Jacoby Ellsbury until 2021, and No. 2 prospect Clint Frazier and No. 8 prospect Dustin Fowler are already at the Triple-A level. But Rutherford will try to make his case, and he understands that the journey to the pros takes time, regardless of potential and expectations.

“Baseball is one of the few sports where when you get drafted, you go back to the bottom,” Rutherford said. “And you’ve got to work your way up and earn the respect and earn the stripes of one day making it to the big leagues.”