NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: A detail of a baseball bagwith a Tankee logo is seen during batting practice prior to Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium on October 28, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the New York Yankees!
Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the New York Yankees.
This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.
The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!
Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.
Brian Cashman has wanted to rebuild and go away from huge, burdensome contracts for years, and in 2016, he was given permission to pursue just that. He had built up a number of quality prospects in the Yankees farm system of his own doing, but rather than trading those prospects away in 2016, he was allowed to add to them.
From July 1st of 2016 to opening day of 2017, the Yankees traded away Aroldis Chapman (later re-signed over the 2016-2017 offseason), Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran, Ivan Nova, Ben Gamel, and Brian McCann and received back 17 prospects that have given the system depth and top end strength as well.
In 2017, the Yankees made a trio of deals that traded away 8 prospects and a major leaguer for 5 major league players that helped toward their playoff run. Of the 8 prospects traded, only two would be on this list, which is the level of depth the system had to move.
The Yankees are also set up very well financially going forward, with ~$50 million of 2017 opening day payroll off the books going into 2018. Another ~$30 million will come off the books after this offseason with the Yankees actively looking to move some of the bigger contracts left on their team currently, like Jacoby Ellsbury and Starlin Castro, by offering to eat some of their remaining contract.
The Yankees may have seen the talent level dip at the top end of their system with a number of players shipped off and a few guys graduate as well, but this is still one of the top 10 systems in the entire game and certainly one of the deepest systems in the whole game.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/24/94 (23) 2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Tampa Yankees 2017 Stats: 27 GS, 119 1/3 IP, 3.39 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.2% BB, 26.4% K
Info: A 12th-round selection in 2016 out of South Carolina, Widener fit the Yankees prototype college 2nd and 3rd day pick in the draft in the last few seasons – big time stuff that hasn’t really harnessed it in college due to control or a lack of role. Widener was more in the latter group as primarily a reliever in his college career.
Widener has seen his fastball tick up in grade as a starter, getting more movement on the pitch, though it’s more of a cut movement, so the vertical movement is often flat on the pitch, and as a mid-90s pitch with some readings up to 98, having little movement up and down in the zone could lead to some hard contact.
Widener has an elite slider that can rank in the plus to even double-plus range
Widener has an elite slider that can rank in the plus to even double-plus range on its best days. When both are ticking, the slider in combination with his cut-action fastball are a wicked duo for hitters to attempt to make quality contact. The slider does get sharp, deep break, though, and it can sometimes get away from Widener.
His change is right on the average to fringe-average range, but it does work better low in the zone, and it is the one pitch he seems to have consistent feel for commanding.
If he can continue progressing in his command and control along with adding some depth into the fastball (or possibly add a two-seam pitch for sink), his repertoire would move to that of a very solid mid-rotation guy or elite reliever, and that’s a very good return from a 12th round pick.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 1/11/95 (23) 2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Tampa Yankees, AA Trenton Thunder 2017 Stats: .297/.384/.452, 538 PA, 12 HR, 14 SB, 63/100 BB/K
Info: Solak came out of one of the best collegiate programs in the country when was the New York Yankees 2nd round selection out of Louisville in 2016. Solak isn’t a big guy at 5’11” and around 180 pounds, but he gets very solid contact on everything he hits and has the speed to consistently steal double-digit bases.
Solak showed a much better glove thus far than anyone saw in his pre-draft time, as he was seen more of a bat-first guy with Louisville with enough glove to play second base, but certainly he was not considered a guy with an elite glove by any means, but he’s received some discussion in that realm now with scouts I’ve talked with (though, to be clear, he’s not received that type of praise with everyone). His arm is going to force 2B if he’s on the dirt, however.
Solak has a quick bat through the zone that he does well to adjust to pitches, and his advanced zone and pitch recognition will serve him well as he moves quickly, likely opening at AA Trenton in 2018, and he could find his way to New York in 2019, especially if the team can find a different home for Starlin Castro.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/6/94 (24) 2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Tampa Yankees, AA Trenton Thunder, AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2017 Stats: 23 GS, 133 IP, 3.25 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6.2% BB, 26% K
Info: In spite of having a 6’7″, 250-pound frame, Acevedo’s calling card since being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 has been exceptional control.
Acevedo is no “control artist” with marginal stuff, though. He runs his fastball up to 98, sitting 93-95 in games I watched this summer with both elite command and control. His change is one of the best in the entire New York Yankees system.
The deciding pitch for Acevedo in his success is his slider. The slider comes in with low-80s velocity and sharp, short break. The pitch’s break can get soft, however, and that’s when it can get his hard.
The Yankees have been working on Acevedo to pitch “backwards” to get away from a heavy reliance on his fastball, a pitch he threw almost 80% of the time in 2016. That is really the last hurdle Acevedo has to being a major league starter.
Acevedo has the type of stuff that he could be an excellent guy in multiple innings in the bullpen if he’s not able to make the full development as a starter. He will start the season in AAA most likely, but he’ll likely be there the entire 2018 season, outside of a September call up.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/14/96 (22) 2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Charleston RiverDogs 2017 Stats: 24 GS, 123 2/3 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.7% BB, 22.7% K
Info: Freicer’s frame is absolutely eye-catching. Standing 6’8″ tall, Perez towers on the mound. Of course, he’s still quite lean, needing to fill out his lengthy frame.
He was signed “late”, signing with the New York Yankees in 2015 and getting his pro feet wet with the Yankees Dominican club, where he threw 69 innings and struck out 68 while only walking 17.
Perez has an impressive delivery that he can repeat
Perez has an impressive delivery that he can repeat, allowing him to both generate upper-90s velocity while also having excellent control of all four pitches.
He works with a slider, curve, and change that each have days where they can flash plus and each can have days of showing below-average effectiveness as well, mainly due to struggles Perez has in maintaining consistent spin on the ball, even with his fastball.
Even when he struggles with his feel on the ball, quality control and excellent plane will allow him to continue to be effective.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/2/95 (23) 2017 teams/levels played for: AA Trenton Thunder, AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, MLB New York Yankees 2017 Stats: Minors: .315/.352/.498, 522 PA, 16 HR, 5 SB, 29/71 BB/K; Majors: .571/.625/.857, 8 PA, 0 HR, 1 SB, 1/0 BB/K
Info: If you wanted a perfect profile third baseman, Andujar might be exactly it. He has plus raw power with a plus arm. He’s put in the time to improve his defense from the time he was signed in 2011 out of the Dominican Republic to current.
Andujar struggled out of the gate in 2017, but after mid-May, he tore up the Eastern League, and continued to tear things up with AAA when he got there. The one downfall of his time in AAA was that he seemed to focus on power numbers, and that did lead to some heavy strikeout numbers.
The Yankees may be trying to get a spot for their top prospect, but if Andujar has his say, third base may not be open at the major league level. He could force the team’s hand this offseason with his excellent play this offseason, with the Yanks looking to move Chase Headley to open a spot at the hot corner.
Andujar will be at AAA if he’s not in the major leagues to open 2018. He may not develop into a 30-homer bat, but he could be a guy that puts together years akin to Mike Lowell, who was a .279/.342/.464 guy with 40 doubles and 23 home runs per 162 games.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 9/26/95 (22) 2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Yankees East, low-A Charleston RiverDogs, high-A Tampa Yankees 2017 Stats: 14 G, 13 GS, 53 1/3 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 8.1% BB, 27.6% K
Info: In pure, raw, stuff, only Freicer may have a higher ceiling than does Abreu. When the Yankees acquired Abreu and Jesus Guzman last offseason in the McCann deal, they acquired two incredibly live arms.
While Abreu’s stuff is absolutely top-of-the-line, his control can be flat-out dangerous. He can run his fastball all the way to triple digits, and while he usually is more a command struggle over control struggle, it is scary when he loses both with that level of velocity heading to the major leagues.
While Abreu’s stuff is absolutely top-of-the-line, his control can be flat-out dangerous.
Abreu works with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and runs to triple digits. He can manipulate the ball to cut it and see it rise as well. He pairs that with a power curve that sits in the low-80s. His change is below-average, and due to an arm motion that is shorter than most, he struggles to get consistent changeup action and repeat his arm action.
Abreu’s biggest challenge will be staying in line with his inconsistent arm action and explosive delivery. If he can find some minimal delivery adjustments (a specialty of the New York Yankees system), he could see his fastball play up even more and his change become even more effective.
Abreu will most likely open with AA Trenton in 2018, but I could see the Yankees keeping him in high-A Tampa to open the season with their primary instructors still close at extended spring for the first few months of the season to work with him.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/13/96 (21) 2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Yankees West, AA Trenton Thunder 2017 Stats: 19 GS, 98 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 8% BB, 20.8% K
Info: The Indians took Justus Sheffield out of high school in Tennessee in the 1st round, 31st overall. His small size (5’11”, 175-180 at draft) was a big worry for most teams in seeing him stay healthy long term. The New York Yankees got him as part of the return for Andrew Miller.
Sheffield has filled out to roughly 200-210 pounds, but he does tend to miss short spurts each season, though he has avoided the big stuff each time, like a Tommy John surgery or a torn knee ligament or something like that.
The Yankees hope to get the AFL version of Sheffield going forward.
The violence and inconsistency of Sheffield’s delivery is the biggest thing that leads to worry for scouts on Sheffield. Due to being under 6′, he also struggles to get good plane on his pitches, which has led to struggles throwing consistent strikes as well.
When he’s at his best, Sheffield can bring it with a fastball sitting 92-95 that can touch 97-98. He has a slider with incredible break and a change.
Sheffield has the potential to be a dominant reliever if he cannot get things figured out as a starter. Those watching Sheffield in the Arizona Fall League this season got to see the type of starter that Sheffield could be at this top end. The Yankees hope to get the AFL version of Sheffield going forward.
He will open with AAA most likely in 2018, and the Yankees would like to see him get a full season of healthy starts under his belt.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/10/94 (23) 2017 teams/levels played for: AA Trenton Thunder, AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2017 Stats: 27 GS, 150 1/3 IP, 2.45 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.6% BB, 22.3% K
Info: Coming from Dallas Baptist in the 5th round in 2015, Adams was part of a staff that featured multiple hard throwers, but most of them also projected more as relievers than as starters, including Adams, who hadn’t started until his final year of college.
The Yankees have had as much success with Adams’ transition into a starter as they have with any other pitcher in recent memory. Adams is a guy who isn’t the physical size of your ideal pitching prospect at 6’1″ and 200-215 pounds, but he has the type of mentality you want in a starter, attacking hitters and working for early swings from hitters to keep his pitch count low and allow him to get deep into ballgames.
Adams works with a fastball that sits in the 92-94 range in games I watched this season, but he can run up to 97-98, and the quick, intentional delivery he has on the mound doesn’t give a hitter a lot of time to think about the pitch from the time Adams gets going in his motion. He also gets interesting vertical movement on the pitch, able to flatten the pitch’s drop, making it appear to “rise”.
Adams works with a fringe-plus slider, average curve, and fringe average change that give him an excellent overall repertoire on the mound, and he’s really taken well to mixing things up on the mound.
Adams could make a push for an Opening Day rotation spot, but he’ll most likely open the season in AAA, being the first call up when there is a starter needed.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/25/97 (20) 2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Charleston RiverDogs, high-A Tampa Yankees 2017 Stats: .298/.372/.479, 476 PA, 13 HR, 23 SB, 50/148 BB/K
Info: Based on some rave reviews I received, I went with Florial in my top 10 last season and got some noted criticism for that choice. A year later, it looks like I was even a little light on him!
Florial is one of those guys who is just loaded up on tools, and while the New York Yankees are loaded in what would equate to “toolshed” arms on the mound with guys who have elite velocity or elite pitches and need to work to control or sequence their pitches, on the hitting side, they simply don’t have many guys in that same vein. If Florial shows an ability of the Yankee system to develop that profile, you might see much more in the future.
Florial isn’t your typical development path of that toolshed profile, however, as he’s a guy who is a toolshed, but he has good zone recognition, which has allowed him to attack pitches. His biggest issue, however, is in his pitch recognition as he’s struggled picking up a pitch out of the hand a touch, and he’s struggled with pitches breaking in the zone where he swings over or under them.
Florial’s got so much ability to offer power and speed and elite defensive skills in the outfield that he could find himself in the top 15-20 prospects in the entire game after the 2018 season if he takes a mild step forward in his pitch recognition.
He should open the season with high-A Tampa again, but it wouldn’t surprise if he finished the season at 20 in the upper minors.
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/13/96 (21) 2017 teams/levels played for: AA Trenton Thunder, AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 2017 Stats: .287/.383/.480, 235 PA, 7 HR, 7 SB, 30/47 BB/K
Info: Torres made a huge impression at the Arizona Fall League in 2016, earning him a bump into the top 10-15 prospects in all of baseball before the 2017 season.
The Yankees were looking forward to seeing Torres jump forward and force their hand in the infield somewhere, whether that was shortstop, third, or second. Torres showed well at short with Trenton, but he started to get more time at 3B just as he was headed toward his promotion to AAA.
The Yankees were looking forward to seeing Torres jump forward and force their hand in the infield somewhere
Sadly, that was the moment when he ended up needing Tommy John surgery in his non-throwing elbow. That likely cost him the chance to make the major league roster by the end of the season, probably led to the team acquiring Todd Frazier, and also cost Torres the rest of the season of development.
Torres has developed into a player who is at least average in every tool, with a very good arm and plus raw power that many have projected would lead to Torres moving to third base for a while now. He does have above-average speed as well, though, so he’s not just a plodder, and he certainly can handle shortstop.
The elbow surgery puts his exact power production to open 2018 in question. He’s got the talent to certainly find himself in the major leagues for a significant portion of the 2018 season. It will all depend on how quick he gets himself acclimated once he’s back on the field.
Next: Newcomer to watch
2017 Acquisition: Clarke Schmidt, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/20/96 (22) 2017 teams/levels played for: none 2017 Stats: none
Info: Considered one of the most dominant arms of the college crop coming into the 2017 collegiate season, Schmidt was rocketing up draft boards after a 1.34 over his first 9 starts, striking out 70 in 60 1/3 innings. Then his elbow popped.
The Yankees were willing to take a chance on a player that may not throw a pitch for their until mid-2018 because of his pure upside. In the meantime, the team is working with Schmidt to build up his frame, which is on the “slight” side at just 6’1″.
The Yankees have worked with guys with similar stature and seen them have tremendous success. In fact, the top New York Yankees pitching prospect currently has nearly an identical build, and the Yankees have shown an ability to develop the type of both build and arsenal that Schmidt utilizes.
While the younger brother of Tigers prospect Clate Schmidt didn’t have the same high school shine his brother did, he certainly rose even higher while in college, developing into a guy who can touch upper 90s, sitting more in the 91-93 range with his fastball, touching 97. His two-seamer is his primary fastball and is extremely heavy and hard to square and drive for hitters, but he has shown an ability to locate his four-seamer well to get a swing, especially up in the zone.
He started his college career using mostly his two fastballs and spotting in his slider as it developed, but the slider is now a plus pitch, a pitch that gets plenty of swing and miss. The change has shown some above-average movement, but currently the best attribute of the pitch is his ability to control it.
Coming back from Tommy John is never a sure thing, but Schmidt is one of those arms in the 2017 draft that had a floor of an elite reliever and the upside of a frontline starter. He’ll be handled carefully in 2018, but the Yankees could have a big win in their system here down the line.
That’s the Yankees top 10 prospects going into the 2018 season. Who was too high? Who was too low? Who was missing? Let us know in the comments below!!
