New York Yankees Top 10 Prospects For 2017
The New York Yankees utilized the trade deadline to drastically improve their minor league system, putting them among the top in the entire game.
An Introduction
Our minor league top 10 series is coordinated by Benjamin Chase, one of our contributors at Call To The Pen.
He has poured over thousands of minor league games over the course of the year via milb.tv along with speaking with a number of team and independent scouts. These lists are based out of those conversations.
Each system will have prospects from 10 to 1, and then finish with one newcomer to the system that is worth keeping an eye on that is not in the top 10 at this time.
Conversations are certainly encouraged in the comments section on each system as we go along!
nearly any team would take the ability to rebuild their minor league system the way that the Yankees did while also having a legit chance to compete up to the last month of the season
Yankees System Review
The New York Yankees aren’t used to losing, and neither are their fans, but it’s quite intriguing to listen to the sudden interest online of Yankee fans in the minor leagues as their team has become a player in the minor league market.
While the Yankees did finish 4th in the AL East in 2016, they also finished with 84 wins, and nearly any team would take the ability to rebuild their minor league system the way that the Yankees did while also having a legit chance to compete up to the last month of the season.
The team was able to utilize trades of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, and Carlos Beltran at the trade deadline to bring in their top two prospects in their system and 4 of this top 10.
The Yankees started to see the fruits of their big 2014 international expenditure, especially on their Appalachian League team this season. That gives the Yankees not just the top end talent, but also very solid depth.
That depth will allow the Yankees to compete among the best systems in the entire game when I present my list of the top systems in a few weeks.
Next: #10
9. Dillon Tate, RHP
Birthdate: 5/1/94 (22 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: low A
Stats in 2016: 82 1/3 IP, 4.70 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 8.94 BB%, 18.97 K%
Tate was the most highly-regarded college starter in the 2015 draft and was selected #4 overall due to that based primarily on his two-pitch mix of a plus-plus fastball and a plus slider.
Tate seemed to be worn down as a pro in 2015, which many figured would tick back up in 2016 with a fresh season to pitch. That didn’t happen until he was traded from the Rangers to the Yankees in the Carlos Beltran deal.
(Tate’s) slider is one of the best in the minors when it’s on
At its best, Tate’s fastball touches 99 and sits 92-95. He gets excellent run on the pitch along with solid late dip that’s more of a quick hitch than true sink, but is very effective nonetheless. While he had the same sitting velocity, he couldn’t seem to reach back for the same top-end early in the season, and he also struggled with getting the same movement.
His slider is one of the best in the minors when it’s on, touching 90 MPH, which would make it one of the highest velocity sliders in the minors, along with having tremendous break.
Tate hurt his hamstring early in the season and never seemed to be able to get his legs right the rest of the first half of the season, which hurt his movement.
The Yankees sent Tate to the bullpen and had him working with their staff to rebuild his mechanics after he had developed bad habits due to his injury earlier in the year. His velocity and movement were both back, and he was stretched out longer and longer in his relief appearances, indicating the Yankees intend to move him back to the rotation.
In fact, they did state just that to multiple sources at the AFL, and Tate should have an opportunity at high A in 2017 to re-establish his value and very possibly leap up the system once he gets his mechanics right.
Next: #8
5. Jorge Mateo, SS/2B
Birthdate: 6/23/95 (21 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: high A
Stats in 2016: .254/.306/.379, 8 HR, 36 SB
While not an elite talent coming into signing season, Mateo was still talented enough that the Yankees spent $225K on him because of his ridiculous speed.
The speed has certainly not disappointed, as Mateo is a legit 80-run tool player on the 20 to 80 scouting scale, one of perhaps a dozen in the entire minor leagues.
It’s the rest of his offensive game that has come and gone in fits and spurts, with his power flashing, his contact skills flashing, and the biggest issue continuing to be his pitch recognition.
Mateo is a legit 80-run tool player on the 20 to 80 scouting scale
Mateo moved to second base with the arrival of Torres into the system, and that is probably a better location for him, in spite of his plus arm as he struggled with his accuracy from short. He could also profile well in center field with his speed and arm if the Yankees decide to make that transition.
Mateo has average power that should allow him to tap into double-digit home runs a time or two in his major league career, but he’ll most likely get his extra base hits in the form of doubles and triples. However, getting on base will need to be a priority for Mateo, as he has struggled with pitch recognition thus far.
Mateo will likely join Torres in AA in 2017, and if he maintains his current levels, he’d be an elite 9-hole hitter in the AL. However, if he could get his strike zone recognition to tick up a level, he could be a very impactful piece at the top of the lineup.
Next: #4
3. James Kaprielian, RHP
Birthdate: 3/2/94 (22 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: high A
Stats in 2016: 18 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 4.62 BB%, 33.85 K%
Right now, this spot is based on Kaprielian staying healthy, which is a concern that spiked in 2016.
Kaprielian was a key reliever on the UCLA 2013 College World Series champion, and then he took over as the Friday night starter for the next two seasons. He was highly regarded due to his feel for pitching coming into the draft.
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Kaprielian throws three plus pitches along with an above-average slider to give him an elite four-pitch mix. However, he got a ton of notice this summer when he made a few starts in the Florida State League and was able to hold velocity to 94-96 and touching 99 deep into ball games.
Even before the velocity spike, Kaprielian was regarded with a plus fastball due to the elite sink he got on the pitch, so adding that velocity immediately would bump Kaprielian to a potential front-line starter.
After some innings in the Arizona Fall League, it’s possible that the Yankees give Kaprielian the opportunity to move up to AA in 2017.
Next: #2
2. Clint Frazier, OF
Birthdate: 9/6/94 (22 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AA, AAA
Stats in 2016: .263/.335/.447, 16 HR, 13 SB
Frazier was the first high school hitter taken in the 2013 draft at #5 overall, and many considered him a legit option at #1 overall in that season’s talent pool.
Frazier has displayed exceptional tools across the board in his pro career with plus power, fringe-plus speed, a plus arm, and solid ability in the field and with contact.
He was the centerpiece of the Andrew Miller trade that sent him from the Indians to the Yankees, and while the Indians wouldn’t swap the World Series appearance for anything, most likely, they will miss Frazier’s bat going forward.
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Frazier is not a guy who will likely hit .300 with a swing that isn’t necessarily long, but does have some load on the back side. Once entering the zone, there are few with a faster bat in the entire game, leading to raw power that’s been easily rated plus-plus.
Frazier has shown excellent ability to control the strike zone, though his strikeout rate did spike in his AAA time for both the Indians and Yankees. He is a guy who will likely be a .350+ OBP guy with big power as a big leaguer.
Frazier is athletic enough to play center field, but his arm and instincts play best in right field. He will likely spend the entire 2017 season in AAA, short of a September call-up, but he should be in line to be starting in the Bronx in 2018.
Next: #1
1. Gleyber Torres, SS
Birthdate: 12/13/96 (19 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: high A
Stats in 2016: .270/.354/.421, 11 HR, 21 SB
I got to see Torres in April and was incredibly impressed in the drastic change to his physical build from 2015. While he looked to be at a similar weight, his build was completely different.
The offensive results followed the change in build. Initially, Torres worked to adjust his swing to his new build, but as he did, he cut down on strikeouts and began making LOUD contact.
Torres saw no reduction in his defensive ability, likely even gaining more strength in his legs to make leaps that he’s received notice for in the lower levels of the minors.
Torres progressed throughout the entire 2016 season as he moved from the Cubs to the Yankees as the primary piece of the Aroldis Chapman return and then to the Arizona Fall League, where he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the league.
Torres has improved to a legit fringe-plus power tool along with his plus contact and plus run tool. This should allow him to tally a ton of gap hits, and he did collect 45 extra base hits.
Torres will likely open 2017 at AA at 20 years old, which is incredibly impressive, and he’s secured himself as one of the top 10 prospects in the entire game.
Next: Newcomer To Watch