At long last, we start the top ten of our Bronx Pinstripes list of 30 of the Yankees’ top prospects. These prospects are the ones who are more likely to find their way to the major leagues within the next few years and who have either demonstrated all-around skill or at least one major-league ready tool. Today, we’ll be covering #10-6, with our top five coming tomorrow. If you’d like to review the first two lists, here’s #30-21 and here’s #20-11.
10. Brady Lail– P- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)- Lail does not strike out too many batters (85 in 148 1/3 innings in 2015), but he throws strikes and commands four pitches. He battles hitters with a fastball that can hit 94 mph, a sinker that sits around 90 mph, a changeup, and a knuckle curve. Lail impressed in his time with AA Trenton, putting up a 2.45 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and a 3.06 FIP and walking just 26 batters in 106 1/3 innings with the team. Lail struggled a bit in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, walking 17 batters in just 37 innings and pitching to a 4.62 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. Still, Lail has the command and ability to keep the ball down to become an efficient back-end starter.
9. Ian Clarkin– P- Tampa (A-Advanced- DNP in 2015)- Clarkin missed all of 2015 with elbow troubles that ultimately didn’t require Tommy John surgery. Fortunately, he was able to return for the Arizona Fall League, and while the numbers did not look great, it was encouraging to see him pitch in 2015. Elbow troubles mean Clarkin may take a while to bounce back, but he still deserves a spot in the top-10. In 2014, Clarkin struck out 71 batters in 70 innings, walking 22 batters and pitching to a 3.21 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. The former 2013 1st rounder will just turn 21 in February and already misses bats with his fastball that sits between 90 and 95 mph and his plus 12-6 curveball. Assuming he puts his health troubles behind him and continues with his development, he has the upside of a solid mid-rotation starter.
8. Dustin Fowler– OF- Tampa (A-Advanced)- The lefty outfielder is coming off a season in which he hit five home runs, drove in 70 runs, and ended with a .298/.334/.394 triple slash line between low-A Charleston and high-A Tampa. Fowler may have struggled with OBP thanks to drawing just 26 walks, but keep in mind that Fowler was just 20 years old all season and still stole a total of 30 bases in 43 attempts. He’s still rough around the edges, but he has five decent tools, as he has the potential to hit for decent power while maybe hitting for average if he can improve his discipline. One good sign is that his strikeout rate during the second half with Tampa was his lowest as a professional while his walk rate was his highest in the pros. In addition, he looked quite good in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .279 and stealing seven bases in just 65 plate appearances while also flashing an improved strikeout rate, albeit in a small sample size. There’s still a lot of room for development for the former 18th rounder, and he may be a top-5 prospect by this time next year.
7. Domingo Acevedo– P- Staten Island (Short-Season A)- Acevedo is a big starter who can regularly hits 100 mph on his fastball, occasionally touching 103, and that helps him rack up the strikeouts. Acevedo struck out 53 batters with a 1.69 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 48 innings for Staten Island in 2015. While the 21 year-old Dominican looks like Michael Pineda or Dellin Betances on the mound, there’s still work to do for him. He gave up 15 walks, which is a bit high, and also has to develop his slider and changeup. In the 2015 Arizona Fall League, Acevedo pitched 12 innings, striking out 11 batters while allowing three runs and three walks. If he can refine his command and develop his off-speed pitches, he could do as well as become a #2 starter, but he’s still a long ways away from the majors. He could eventually profile as a solid, hard-throwing reliever, however. It may be a bit of a stretch to put Acevedo in the top 10 this early, but his raw stuff and high upside earn him a spot.
6. Rob Refsnyder– 2B- New York (MLB)- Refsnyder earned a major league call-up after hitting .271 with nine home runs, 56 RBI, a 73:56 K:BB ratio, 12 stolen bases, and a .359 OBP in 450 at-bats at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 24 year-old also extended his success to the major league level, hitting .302 and smacking two home runs in just 16 games in a late-season call-up to the big club. “Ref” has the upside of a 15-20 home run hitter, but his path to everyday playing time hinges on his defensive development. Refsnyder put up below-average defensive metrics in his limited playing time according to Fangraphs, and put up a solid .967 fielding percentage in AAA. Even if he becomes a major league regular, the Yankees seem a bit down on him, likely due to the fact that he will be 25 by Opening Day next season. Given the Yankees’ wealth of younger middle infield talents, the organization may look to trade him to fill an area of greater need. Still, he looks to have the potential to be an everyday player somewhere, even if not in the Bronx.
Be sure to check Bronx Pinstripes again tomorrow for our top 5!
