Hitting prospects who could help the Yankees in 2024

By Greg Corcoran

Hitting prospects who could help the Yankees in 2024

1. Oswald Peraza – 6-foot-0, 200-pounds, SS/2B/3B, RHB, 23-years-old – Peraza is a defensive ace who has show encouraging signs that he will also be able to help with the bat. The overall numbers were bad in the majors, but he greatly improved over the season’s last month. He got a ton of experience in 2023 and is ready to help the team in 2024. I’d expect a major improvement in the stat line. I’m excited to see what he can do with a full season of adjustments.

2. Jasson Dominguez – 5-foot-9, 190-pounds, CF, SH, 20-years-old – For a brief moment in time, Dominguez had the Yankees’ fanbase more excited than they’d been all year long. He came up and took the league by storm. Alas, the injury ended his season, but rest assured he will be back. When he returns, he will bring with him all five of his tools, along with a sorely needed left-handed bat to put in the lineup against righties. As a side bonus, he’ll be around to hit right-handed versus lefties too. Dominguez came into his power this year, hitting a career-high 19 total homeruns in 126 games between the minors and the majors. The whole fanbase is excited about this kid, and hopefully, he’ll be back slugging in Yankees Stadium by the middle of next season or sooner.

3. Everson Pereira – 5-foot-11, 191-pounds, OF, RHB, 22-years-old – Pereira doesn’t come with the same star power as Dominguez, and he didn’t announce his presence in the same manner either. He did make it to the big leagues this year, though, and had a tremendous year in the minor leagues to earn that promotion. In the minors, he hit .300/.373/.548/.921 with 18 homeruns, 17 doubles, and two triples in 81 games. He also stole 11 bases. He still needs to cut down on his strikeouts, with 98 to his name on the season. Pereira has a similar profile to Gleyber Torres regarding his approach and how he swings the bat. He is also an excellent defender in centerfield and can be a plus defender in left. Pereira could be ready to help the Yankees in a big way next season with a few minor improvements.

4. Austin Wells – 6-foot-0, 220-pounds, C, LHB, 24-years-old – Austin Wells is another young player who was able to stir up some excitement among Yankees fans in September in an otherwise dismal season for the franchise. The biggest reason fans now feel more comfortable dreaming on Wells is that he showed what he can do with the glove. It took a long time, but he has finally convinced scouts that he can stick at catcher. Additionally, he showed what his powerful lefty bat can do at Yankees Stadium. He hit four homeruns and six doubles in 19 games while with the major league club in September. That was good for a .229/.257/.486/.742 line in his first taste of major league action while learning to manage a brand-new group of arms. This was impressive to watch and has all of us hoping he will be able to win the job out of Spring Training next year.

5. Ben Rice – 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, C/1B, LHB, 24-years-old – Rice was one of the most out-of-nowhere prospects in the Yankees’ system this season. I did peg him as a sleeper candidate to start the season, but I must admit I did not see this massive breakout coming. Rice finished the year with a .324/.434/.615/1.048 line with 20 homeruns, 18 doubles, and one triple in just 73 games. He had 62 K : 44 BB and even stole 11 bases despite average speed. Rice has brought himself to the forefront as a potential option next season to seize any opportunities that may present over the course of the year. He could represent a solid bat at first base if Rizzo can’t stay healthy again, or he could be an option at catcher. There’s an outside chance that if he continues to hit the way he did in 2023 he could force the issue. That’s not out of the question. In one year, Rice went from a relative afterthought to most casual fans to a guy who should be in everyone’s top 30 Yankees’ prospects. Keep an eye out because Rice might just carve himself out a nice major league career. Being lefty in New York won’t hurt his chances either

6. Trey Sweeney – 6-foot-2, 212-pounds, SS/3B, LHB, 24-years-old – Sweeney has swiftly made his way through the farm system and hit a respectable .240/.349/.413/.763 at his latest stop in Double-A. Given that he is a middle infielder and hits left-handed, he could earn a shot to play in the majors with a few minor improvements with the bat. He’s a solid defensive shortstop who can also play third and second if he switches positions. If that bat comes around a bit more, he could even be a consideration at first base. Sweeney hit 16 homeruns, 19 doubles, and four triples in 119 games while stealing 31 bases this season. Word has it that some of the adjustments he’s made early in the offseason have the team optimistic that he will be in for a breakout season in 2024. He’ll be in Triple-A, just one step away from the majors. If the breakout happens, he’ll be in a nice position to help the major league team next year.

7. Carlos Narvaez – 5-foot-11, 190-pounds, C/1B, RHB, 24-years-old – The Yankees will have to place Narvaez on the 40-man roster this offseason to keep him. Otherwise, he will be a minor-league free agent and almost certainly sign somewhere else. Carlos is a defensive whiz at catcher who gives you a professional at-bat and is no slouch at the plate. He hit .239/.370/.397/.766 in 2023 with 12 homeruns and 18 doubles in 100 games. Narvaez will make a nice backup catcher in the major leagues and would be a great piece to have around in Triple-A in case of an injury to one of the major league catchers.

8. Caleb Durbin – 5-foot-6, 185-pounds, SS/2B/3B, RHB, 23-years-old – Yankees snagged Durbin as part of the trade that sent Lucas Luetge to the Atlanta Braves this past offseason. He made a nice first impression with the Yankees, hitting .304/.395/.427/.822 with four homeruns, 17 doubles, a triple, and 36 SB in 69 games. He has not shown much in the power department so far, but his hit tool and patience appear to be potential assets. He struck out just 18 times in 69 games and had 26 walks. The Yankees have yearned for a true contact hitter who can get on base and hit for average since DJ Lemahieu won the batting title. While he may not be the guy you clear space for, he could be a useful utility/bench bat or injury fill-in.

9. Andres Chaparro – 6-foot-0, 200-pounds, 3B/1B, RHB, 24-years-old – Chaparro started off the season in a horrendous slump, going hitless in his first six games. From then on, he hit .260/.337/.466/.803 with 25 homeruns, 24 doubles, and two triples. While these are not earth-shattering numbers, Chaparro can certainly hit. Not known for his defense, Chaparro will have to begin dropping even bigger numbers to get serious major-league consideration. Still, he’s a useful player to have in Triple-A in case of an injury next season. He could get the call next season at some point, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets the fan base riled up with a string of homeruns while he’s up. Like Narvaez, he’ll have to be placed on the 40-man roster to have a real shot at keeping him as he is a minor league free agent after this season.

10. Spencer Jones – 6-foot-6, 235-pounds, CF, LHB, 22-years-old – Jones made it to Double-A in just his first full minor league season. The Yankees pushed him hard, and he responded by hitting .267/.336/.444/.780 with 16 HR, 29 doubles, and four triples while stealing 43 bases in 117 games. He had 155 K : 49 BB on the year. His strikeout rate for the year was much too high, but it did improve as the season progressed. Given that this was his first full professional season, that’s all you can ask for. If he continues to improve in 2024, there’s an outside chance he could push the envelope and force his way into the majors. While unlikely, I wouldn’t put it past him with his amazing blend of size, athleticism, and strength.

11. Estevan Florial – 6-foot-2, 205-pounds CF LHB 25-years-old- Flo had a huge year in AAA, hitting .284/.380/.945  With 22 doubles, 28 homeruns, and 25 stolen bases while showing elite defense at all three outfield spots. With Dom jumping to the MLB at 20 years old, Flo was unlikely ever to be called up again by the Yankees. Dom went down and needed TJS, so Flo got one last chance to prove his value to the Yankees. Flo greatly improved his approach at the plate and improved plate discipline in his short call-up. Other than Dom and Wells, I thought Flo looked the best of the kids. With Jasson out till mid-year, did Flo do enough to be the CF till he’s back? He has the perfect toolset to be an elite 4th outfielder, with the talent to grow and improve into more than that.

12. TJ Rumfield – 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, 1B, LHB, 23-years-old – Rumfield turned up the power this season, which was beginning to turn a few heads. Then he went down with an injury that cost him a portion of the season. Rumfield has always been a great contact hitter, and he sacrificed some of that to hit some more homeruns. The result was 17 homeruns, 16 doubles, and a .222/.320/.437/.757 quad slash. He did manage to keep his strikeout rate respectable despite the increase in power. If Rumfield can combine his talents to hit for power and average next season, the Yankees might be able to use him behind Rizzo.