There has been much discussion about the Yankees farm system in the early part of the 2015 season, especially with the sluggish start of Stephen Drew and others. The farm system has made significant strides over the past couple of years and is starting to have a large number of players get attention and through their performance are knocking on the door for playing time in the Bronx. But, what exactly is the best way to utilize these young players and what is the organization’s philosophy now and in the past? Let’s examine it in more detail.
The next big thing in baseball is always eagerly awaited. Prospect lists and rankings are examined today like never before. The hype is unlike at any other time in the history of the sport. Fanbases around the country swoon when a prospect is said to be the next Randy Johnson or has a swing like Joe DiMaggio. These prospects not only offer a team an infusion of young talent, but help balance out payroll by giving years of team control on salaries.
The Yankees have a varied degree of results when it has come to dealing with prospects. The early George Steinbrenner years were highlighted by trading prospects for veteran players who could help the team instantly. Fans may remember that Bucky Dent and Dave Righetti were both acquired by trading highly touted prospects. Of course, there were many instances where this backfired. The list includes Doug Drabek, Fred McGriff, Willie McGee, and of course, Frank Contanza’s favorite, Jay Buhner.
The Yankees of the 90’s used the development of their farm system to bring the Core Four to the Bronx. They supplemented these players by using other prospects to trade for established veterans. These trades brought Chuck Knoblauch, Tino Martinez, and Roger Clemens, and the Yankees went on a run of dominance during the last half of the 90’s.
After years of very little production from their farm system, the Yankees seem to be back to a point in time similar to the early to mid 90’s. The Yankees have had to turn to expensive free agent signings in the past 7 years to make up for a system that has only produced a handful of big leaguers such as Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, and Phil Hughes. Now Rob Refsnyder, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, and Luis Severino seem nearly ready to jump into the fray by 2016.
Until these players make their mark in the big show, it is anyone’s guess how they will turn out. Having a productive farm system as one of your organization’s strengths seem to be a no brainer. Being able to supplement these younger players with established veterans and role players has been the prescription for many World Series victories in the past. As a general rule, teams seem to overvalue their own prospects and after racking up impressive numbers in the lower levels of the minors, many stall out at AAA. The Killer B’s and the highly touted catching prospects in the Yankees system come to mind here.
So the questions going forward have to deal with not only how to develop players, but properly valuing them and moving them when the best opportunity arises to help your club. Speculation about trading for Cole Hamels and what kind of return would it take are part of this valuation process. Rob Refsnyder’s bat is MLB ready according to scouts, but his glove at second base is not. If he is that ready with his bat, do you at some point move him back to the outfield to maximize his ability to help your club if he continues to struggle defensively? A highly touted prospect at 2B is coveted and the Yankees outfield situation seems crowded, but that’s no reason to let a top prospect stall out in his development.
The Yankees seem to have shifted to the organizational philosophy of building from within in order to get younger and give the club payroll flexibility. In order for this to be successful, this first wave of prospects will need to be pushed by a second wave. The Yankees have not been extremely successful with what few high draft picks they have had in recent years. The focus on the international market has bolstered the lower levels of the minors and will hopefully begin to pay off in 3 to 4 years. Building from within will test the patience of a fan base that is used to instant results. The growing pains of player development will test even the most faithful. Just ask any current Cubs or Astros fan.
The Yankees seem to be on the right track, but everyone will have to keep in mind that not all top prospects make it to the majors. And of those that do, an even smaller number become stars. Exciting times are coming with the influx of young talent, but they are going to be young and will make mistakes. Hopefully, the bright lights of the big city don’t get in their way.
