Which Yankee Prospects Should Be Promoted Next ?
Dayne Huber
7/13/24
Ben Cowles is the Yankees Shortstop or Third Base on most nights in AA. Cowles was the Yankees 10th Round Pick in the 2021 Draft. In his first professional season Cowles showed some promise by slashing .250/.350/.804 with 11 Extra-Base Hits and 4 Homeruns in 35 games for Low A Tampa. He didn’t show much power but did showcase good bat-to-ball skills and solid defense.
In 2022 he put himself on the map by slashing .272/.375/.802 with seven home runs and 41 RBIS in 93 games between Low A Tampa and High A Hudson Valley. Cowles has often been overlooked because of the deep pool of big name middle infield prospects in the Yankees system. In 2023, Cowles hit .253/.350/.742 in 109 games in across three levels. He even got a look at Triple A for three games towards the end of the season and that’s where we assumed he would start 2024. The Yankees had other plans and him back to Double A Somerset for 2024 where Cowles started off as hot as anyone in the system. Halfway through the 2024 season Cowles has been one of the better prospects in the entire Yankee system. He is hitting 301/.377/.863 with 22 Doubles and 8 Home runs over 76 games. Cowles has emerged as a legit option for the Yankees in 2025. He is capable of playing both second or third base and is an above average defender at both positions. Cowles has shown that he can handle the Double A pitching and would benefit from getting experience in Triple A the rest of this year. He will be rule five eligible this winter so the Yankees need to see as much from him as possible to decide if they should put him on the 40 man roster ahead of the 2025 season. This performance during his Double-Header shows why he should be moved up