Yankees: Looking for the Future

Well, one month of the season has passed. We have seen question marks be answered, and some still unresolved. Now some observations on the top-30 prospects in the Yankees’s system.

Austin Jackson: AJax hasn’t quite lived up to last season’s flair. He hasn’t had many XBH (8 on the year) and has failed to homer. Understandably, his slugging is under .400, but he is batting a decent but unspectacular .267. An encouraging stat is that he has an 11:8 K:BB ratio, not too bad.

Jose Tabata: April has been a lost month for Tabata. He just served a 3-game suspension for throwing his bat down after striking out, and has batted .210/.303/.238. The average and slugging are really disappointing, but the isolated patience of .097 is a good sign. He hasn’t driven the ball at all, with only 3 doubles on the year, and has struck out more than twice as much as he’s walked.

Alan Horne: Not much sample size–has been on the DL with a mild oblique tear since his second start.

Dellin Betances: Betances is an intriguing prospect. This year he has been excellent in every category except in control. In 31.1IP (6 GS), he has allowed 18H, 9ER, 3HR, 21BB while striking out 41. He has a 1.00 GO/AO ratio, very good as well. His escape act in his ERA (2.59) is his lack of hitability and his ability to strike guys out to a tune of 11.9K/9. The walks are almost 2007 Kevin Whelan-esque. If you notice the IP:GS ratio, it’s likely low because the Yankees may want him to last as long as he can in the season while controlling his innings.

Humberto Sanchez: Has not pitched this year.

Dan McCutchen: Cutch has been a pleasant surprise this year. In 38.2IP (6GS), he has allowed 28H, 10 ER, only 8BB and has struck out 39, all to the tune of a 2.33 ERA. He would be a more intriguing prospect if he would be younger and in AAA, where he should be soon anyway. He’d be more ahead in his development if he didn’t get suspended for steroids.

Jesus Montero: No one beats Jesus. Period. The guy is raking, hitting .328/.346/.516 with 4HRs (twice last year’s total) and 24RBIs, not to mention a motherload of game-winning hits. He’s been hitting the ball everywhere and a long way. If he continues this through May, he should be in Tampa to give him and Austin Romine full time behind the plate. A few more walks would be nice to see.

J.B. Cox: Between Tampa and Trenton, Cox, returning from TJ surgery, owns a sparkling 1.80 ERA in 10IP, allowing 10H and 2BB while K’ing 6 and producing a 2.13 GO/AO ratio. The strikeouts will come and the hittability will decrease as he gets farther along in the process, from which he is recovering well.

Andrew Brackman: 60-day DL

Mark Melancon: Another TJ guy, this time in Tampa. After struggling initially, Melancon has lowered his ERA to 3.32 in 19IP in 10G for Tampa. He’s allowed 19H and 5BB while K’ing 13. The walks will go down and strikeouts way up (they’ve been doing so already) as he gets farther along. His .8GO/AO ratio is a cause for concern.

Juan Miranda: Miranda’s been a mixed bag at AAA this season, and has shown to be more the guy who had 4HRs in a 1/2 season at Trenton than the guy with 9HRs at Tampa. He’s hitting .267/.389/.367, with 2HRs and 13 RBIs. The AVG is just about what you’d expect, and the OBP is a bit of a surprise, but the SLG and HR’s are down, and that won’t change any time soon as he is on the 7-day DL with a shoulder injury. He did struggle early on, though, and was coming on until now. Impressive: 17:15 K:BB ratio.

Carmen Angelini:

Eric Duncan: If you want a surprise of the year so far, it’s Eric Duncan. He’s leaner, fitter, and even looks happier in his picture. Duncan is hitting .282/.388/.479, with 3HRs and 11RBI’s. He needs to get a few more doubles (only has 3) but has stolen 3 bases (gasp). Should he continue he’ll make his way up the general prospect maps to where he is here (at YLF), now.

Carmen Angelini: Angelini’s been another mixed bag. He’s hitting .242/.298/.294, but he’s been coming on of late. He’s played good defense but has only 4XBH, and has struck out 19 times. The early hype may have been too much, but he’s coming on more now. He’s the only respectable SS prospect we have, and with Jeter aging we need him to develop. I’m confident that, with his tools, he’ll come around.

Francisco Cervelli: 60-day DL. Thanks Elliot Johnson…

David Robertson: D-Rob has skyrocked his way though the system so far, and after a very impressive showing at AA, he’s now in Scranton. In 18.2IP (so far all at Trenton, having yet to appear in Scranton), he’s allowed only 8H and 6BB while K’ing 26. His season and career ERA is 0.96, just amazing. He’ll shoot his way up the prospect boards, and a September call-up isn’t out of the question now.

Bradley Suttle: Suttle’s been injury-prone this year, only appearing in 13G (50 AB’s). He’s been productive in those Ab’s, hitting .320/.382/.500, shaking off some of the doubts after his Hawaii performance. He already has 2 doubles and 2 triples to go along with 1 HR and 3RBI’s. He won’t be a fast-riser.

George Kontos: Kontos has been the Greek God of Giving Walks, allowing 15 in 30.2IP. He’s been extremely ordinary this year, allowing 28H, 15BB, and 5 HR’s. He’s posted a 1.12 GO/AO ratio. The breakout hasn’t come yet.

Jeff Marquez: Marquez has struggled at AAA this year. At least I get to look good with Marquez while I look bad (pleasantly) about Melky Cabrera. In 31.1IP (6GS), he’s allowed 38H, 10BB, and an International League-high 9HR’s, which is especially bad for a sinkerballer. He does have a 2 GO/AO ratio, and his K rate has risen a bit, K’ing 20 this year.

Zach McAllister: This guy has broken out with such a splash. He’s arguably the Yankees’s best pitching prospect, though I personally believe it’s Dellin Betances. In 39IP (6GS), he’s allowed 26H, 5BB, only 1HR, and a 0.92 ERA, the lowest in all of baseball. The best part? A sick 3.29 GO/AO ratio. Don’t believe me? It’s right here.

Kevin Whelan: 7-day DL with a shoulder injury

Christian Garcia: 7-day DL, recovering from TJ

Brett Gardner: Here’s another break-out guy. He’s hitting .314/.385/.480, continuing his hot hitting from spring training. He also has 2HR’s–matching last year’s total–and 14RBIs. He’s stolen 5 bases but has been caught 4 times, and also has a 21:13 K:BB ratio. However, he has 9XBH–3 doubles, 4 triples, and 2 homers–and has played a solid LF.

Marcos Vechionacci: Vech was playing well before getting injured. He’s hitting .302/.387/.396 in 53ABs (17G). He had 5 doubles, an impressive number, before getting injured, but had no HRs or triples.  He also posted an impressive 11:8 K:BB ratio.

Jairo Heredia: Heredia has been impressive again this year, posting a 3.48 ERA in 20.2IP, allowing 19H, 7BB, and 4HRs while K’ing 22. The WHIP is solid and the strikeouts are great, but you’d like to see the HRs go down. Keep in mind he’s only 18.

Justin Snyder: Snyder has continued his hot hitting from last year, hitting .313/.374/.461, driving the ball and showing good power (11 XBH, 2HRs). However, he’s made 10E playing up the middle (SS-2B-CF), which is a big problem. He needs to get his fielding adjusted, or he can’t possibly go up to Tampa and improve his hitting. I see him as a Wilson Betemit-type, in that he has solid gap power but doesn’t hit enough to justify his lack of a glove.

Mitch Hilligoss: Another baby of the hype, “Hit-Streak” has only hit .240/.252/.260, with a bevy of 0-fers in between. His fielding has been alright, but his contact ability is what’s going to keep him as a legit prospect. I don’t expect to see him on the Top 30 next year.

Angel Reyes: Boy did I miss on him. He was just busted for using stanozol, and is suspend 50 games. So now I don’t know much of his talent is juice or natural. He won’t be in the Top 30 next year at this point. Not that he doesn’t have a chance, being 20 and at Staten Island.

Now for some non-top prospects, but people who should be there or who are doing a nice job:

Mike Dunn: The 22-year-old is the only lefty worth mentioning who is being developed by the Yankees. As is normal for many former OFers, control is an issue, as he has walked 15 in 29.2IP at Tampa. Otherwise he has allowed 29H, 3HRs, and has struck out 26. The WHIP, coupled with the .84GO/AO ratio, make me wonder if his 2.92 ERA is somewhat smoke and mirrors.

Austin Romine: The 19-year-old 2007 2nd rounder has played a very solid C position while also hitting .351/.367/.439. A little more power would be appreciated, but he still has 5 doubles with no homers and 6 RBIs. He has stolen a base, though. As with fellow catching prospect Jesus Montero, a few more walks would be necessary.

Scott Patterson: Patterson, the 28-year-old former Indy Leaguer, has disappointed somewhat at AAA. He’s allowed 15H, 5BB, and 1HR in 13.1IP, making for a 4.05 ERA. While he’s struck out 14, he hasn’t quite found his groove. He doesn’t have much time, as there are younger arms with better stuff waiting to take his place, not to mention he was an Indy Leaguer.

Hope you enjoyed following on your top prospects. It’ll be interesting how this shapes up by mid-year, and then in the offseason.