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New York Yankees: Top 10 Rookie-eligible prospects for 2018

By Benjamin Chase

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)
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) /
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2. Estevan Florial, OF

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.

1. Gleyber Torres, SS

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

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