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Tyler Austin has lit up the South Atlantic League in the first half of the season for Charleston

Five Possible Upcoming Promotions in the System

Tyler Austin has lit up the South Atlantic League in the first half of the season for Charleston

Around the Florida State League and South Atlantic League All-Star breaks, many teams often look to move up some of the top players in their organizations to test them at the next level. For the Yankees, there are quite a few players in Charleston and Tampa who should be considered for moving up. Let’s take a look at five in particular who it wouldn’t be surprising to see advancing a level in the coming weeks:

Mark Montgomery, RP
Current level: High-A Tampa

Montgomery has been all sorts of lights out this season in High-A, and a promotion to Trenton would be well deserved for the Tampa closer. In 21 games, Montgomery has put together a 4-1 record and nine saves. That’s impressive enough from the 21-year old phenom out of Longwood University, but those numbers don’t really show how impressive he’s been. In 29.2 innings this season, Montgomery has allowed just seventeen hits and nine walks, good for a 0.88 WHIP. His ERA of 1.21 is one of the best among relievers in the Florida State League. The most defining statistic about Montgomery is his strikeout rate – with 47 strikeouts on the season, his K/9 IP is an astounding 14.25. These numbers all show that Monty is more than ready for the ride north to Trenton, where he’ll likely see a lot of late inning work and possibly even a few save opportunities this season.

Tyler Austin, OF
Current level: Class A Charleston

Austin’s breakout season was put on hold after he hit the disabled list last week with a foot bruise. Prior to that though, Austin was absolutely dominating the South Atlantic League. His fourteen home runs are leading the league even with missing the past few games, and his .330 batting average currently comes in at fifth in the league. Austin is also ranked in the top ten in RBIs, with 50. He has also stolen 14 bases in 15 tries. With a promotion to High-A, the 20-year old Austin would be well on his way to what appears to be a bright future in the big leagues. His promotion may take a little long than others as he may need a few games after returning from the disabled list, but he should be up to Tampa by early July.

Rob Segedin, OF/3B
Current level: High-A Tampa

The man who would have to move up to make room for Tyler Austin, Rob Segedin is one of three representatives for Tampa in the All-Star game on Saturday night. His performance this year has certainly been worthy of the All-Star selection, and the Jersey native should soon be returning to his home state with a promotion to Trenton. Segedin has been Tampa’s leading hitter this season, as he tops the charts in batting average (.286) and RBIs (32), and is second only to Kyle Roller in home runs, with six. His .794 OPS is also tops on the team among full-time players. While not exactly a speed demon, Segedin’s been relatively successful on the bases this season, swiping 8 of 10 bases. At 23 years old, Segedin needs to move up sooner rather than later, especially with Tyler Austin nipping at his heels.

Gary Sanchez, C
Current level: Class A Charleston

There is no doubt that Charleston’s All-Star catcher is ready to take on new challenges in Florida with the Tampa Yankees. His .298 average has him third on the team amongst full-time players, trailing only Tyler Austin and Mason Williams. With nine home runs and 47 RBI (second in both categories only to Austin), Sanchez has displayed the bat that those in the Yankees organization have come to expect of him, and has added some speed as well, stealing 10 of 13 bases successfully. At just 19 years old, Sanchez has plenty of room still to grow, but a prospect as highly touted as Sanchez is going to face adversity to make it to the major leagues. He may as well begin getting used to that adversity now with a trip to High-A Tampa for the remainder of the summer.

Cody Johnson, OF/DH
Current level: Double-A Trenton

I’m throwing a curveball in here, after a pair of players from both Charleston and Tampa by including Johnson, who has some really good qualities developed, but also some really bad ones. First, let’s take a look at the good. Johnson, 23, has Adam Dunn-like power. His 15 home runs this year lead the Eastern League, and his 36 RBIs come in seventh in the league. Now, for the bad. Johnson leads the Eastern League in another hitting category – strikeouts. Through 54 games played, Johnson has struck out a whopping 80 times – almost 1.5 strikeouts per game. He’s also limited significantly in the field, playing only a handful of games in left field. While there is definitely still holes in the swing, Johnson’s power is just too much to ignore, which should earn him a ticket to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the near future.