EJ’s Top 30 Yankees Prospects

Updated June 2010.
After the first two months of the minor league season, the Yankees finally have most of their pieces on the game board. Slade Heathcott and J.R. Murphy are playing in Charleston, and the system has generally enjoyed a run of good health. We’re still waiting on a few big players to make their 2010 debuts – including Manuel Banuelos, Gary Sanchez, Kelvin De Leon, and Caleb Cotham. Even without those players, the early-season performances within the Yankee farm system, and some overdue adjustments on my part, have created significant movement from the 2009 Fall Top-30 ranking.

The story in 2006-2007 was that the Yankees had a great group of top-10 prospects but a much thinner group from 11-30. Names like Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Jesus Montero, and others brought a lot of excitement to the system. After they graduated, the 2008-2009 system, due to some poor first round draft picks, showcased a deep crew of potentially useful prospects, but less top end talent. This season, the system is a mix of the two different stories. The Yankees have two potential allstars in Jesus Montero and Austin Romine to lead their system, and a very solid group of players at 3-19 on the list. However, 20-30 (and beyond) is much weaker than in past years, and realistically can’t be expected to yield a lot of dividends.

I was more aggressive with my picks than in past years. I took far too long to recognize the achievements of guys like Austin Romine, and far too conservative when met with the potential of players like Graham Stoneburner. Below is my list, with some brief comments on each player.

Jesus Montero – C, Triple-A – Not the least bit concerned with his slow start
Austin Romine – C, Double-A – On the verge of being terribly underrated
Zach McAllister – RHSP, Triple-A – Slightly unsexy, but McAllister will be a MLB starting pitcher
Ivan Nova – RHSP, Triple-A – Slightly more sexy than McAllister, but also slightly less certain
Slade Heathcott – OF, Low-A – Finally debuted
Hector Noesi – RHSP, Double-A – The power of K/BB ratios
Manuel Banuelos – LHSP, High-A – Still out, but a non-baseball related injury
Graham Stoneburner – RHSP, High-A – Probably having the best season in the Yankee system so far
David Adams – 2b, Double-A – Raking so far, still a middle infielder
Jose Ramirez – RHSP, Low-A – Great stuff, tons of potential
Gary Sanchez – C, Rookie – Still waiting for his debut
J.R. Murphy – C, Low-A – Not worried by a slow start yet
Brandon Laird – 1b/3b, Double-A – Booming power, but not a lot else
Mark Melancon – RHRP, Triple-A – Starting to be concerned about his performance
Juan Miranda – 1b/DH, Triple-A – Deserves a chance somewhere. Maybe Pittsburgh?
David Phelps – RHSP, Double-A – Better than people think
Adam Warren – RHSP, High-A – Maybe a tad bit overrated, but solid
Corban Joseph – 2b, High-A – Solid potential MLB 2b
Andrew Brackman – RHSP, High-A – Starting to put it all together, but with reduced velocity
Kelvin De Leon – OF, Short-Season Low-A – Not so young anymore, still waiting on 2010 debut.
Jeremy Bleich – LHSP, Double-A – Hopefully the injury explains his ineffectiveness at Double-A
Wilkins De La Rosa – LHRP, Double-A – Seems to have stalled a bit
Pat Venditte – SRHP, High-A – We can hope, right?
Caleb Cotham – RHSP, Short-Season Low-A – Conspicuously absent thus far. Knee injury again?
Jairo Heredia – RHSP, High-A – Having a terrible season, but has some margin for error still
Brad Suttle – 3b, High-A – Really disappointing, but I’m willing to give him another half season
Grant Duff – RHRP, Triple-A – All about the velocity.
D.J. Mitchell – RHSP, Double-A – Getting knocked around at Double-A. Needs a bullpen conversion.
Eduardo Nunez – SS, Triple-A – Fast start masked the old batting average-centric hitting skills, and poor defense.
George Kontos, RHSP, Triple-A – Should be ready to pitch again soon, hopefully with his old stuff.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Pope, Dellin Betances, Reegie Corona, Kyle Higashioka, Romulo Sanchez