By Greg Corcoran

One of the toughest positions to fill in the major leagues is catcher. It is rare to find a catcher who possesses all of the tools you would want offensively and defensively. Defensively he has to be able to block, frame, have a quick transfer, and a strong, accurate arm. He also has to be able to manage a pitching staff. Despite being in a crouched position all game, he must still be able to put together competitive at bats and is held to the same standards of hitting as the other positions.

No perfect catcher exists in modern baseball, though Adley Rutschman does come close. The best catchers in baseball hit above .250 with around 20 homeruns. They typically have a caught stealing rate of 20-25%. It’s not easy behind the dish.

After the Yankees traded Kyle Higashioka in the offseason, they now have three catchers competing for two spots on the major league roster. Jose Trevino is a lock for one of them. The other will be a “may the best man win” battle between Austin Wells and Ben Rortvedt. Rortvedt has had an injury filled career thus far and has not hit well in limited major league action. He did hit well in Triple-A last year, and he swings lefty. He is considered a strong defender.

Austin Wells fared much better in his first major league appearance last season, though he hit just .229. Still, he hit four homeruns in 19 games and was much better than expected defensively. While now seen as an average defensive backstop, he still has a lot of work to do with the run game. He threw out just 15% of base stealers last year, which is relatively consistent with his minor league performance.

Whoever does not win the second catcher job in the Bronx will begin the year in Triple-A, where he will be joined by Carlos Narvaez and recently signed Luis Torrens. Narvaez is a stellar defensive catcher who will play in the major leagues at some point. He had a 27% CS (caught stealing) rate last year in Triple-A. He also slugged 12 homeruns in 100 games and is an extremely patient hitter.

Luis Torrens has major league experience and is a former top Yankees prospect. He is solid defensively and throws out 20% of baserunners. Offensively he has yet to fulfil his once great potential. Torrens did have one year where he hit 15 homeruns in 2021 but has not come close since then. He’s a great depth piece to have in case of injuries.

I would be remiss if I did not mention another player who could get time at catcher this year, Ben Rice. Rice has garnered a lot of attention for his work with the bat in 2023, but there is still work to be done on the catching side. He can also play first base, so if 2023 was not a mirage there are multiple ways he could find himself on the major league roster next year.

Another catcher will be in the mix in Triple-A. He is an under-the-radar signing this offseason who played in independent ball from 2022-2023. Throughout his career as a catcher, he has had an excellent CS rate.  A recent scouting report out of Cuba also has him greatly improved with managing the pitching staff. His framework has greatly improved and he doesn’t allow many passed balls. Escarra can also play first base and his versatility could help him find a way to the Bronx this year. His bat has also been impressive in Indy ball. He had a 1.131 OPS in the Atlantic league last year.

In Double-A, the Yankees have one of the most promising catchers in the system. Agustin Ramirez is a big thumping catcher who hit .271/.364/.455/.819 with 18 homeruns in 114 games last year over three levels. He is considered average defensively and had a 27% CS rate in 2023.

They have a pair of catchers below Agustin named Jesus Rodriguez and Omar Martinez. Neither are known for their defensive prowess; however, both have done wonders with the bat. Rodriguez hit .310 with an .849 OPS and nine homeruns in the low minors. He did have a 33% CS rate in 30 games. Meanwhile, lefty Omar Martinez hit a whopping 18 homeruns with an .812 OPS. His CS rate was just 14% in 53 games. Both are promising players, though their long-term position is still in question.

2023 draftee Tomas Frick will likely begin the season in Low-A. He is a solid defensive catcher and came into some power last year, hitting 12 homeruns in 59 games for UNC. He is also known to be a clutch performer as he saved his best work for the NCAA playoffs.

Down in rookie ball, the Yankees have one of the most exciting catchers in the system in Engelth Urena. He has dealt with injuries the last couple of years, but scouting reports have been glowing. He is expected to hit for average and power while also being a plus defender. He is a name to watch out for this year.

Edgleen Perez and Josue Gonzalez could be joining him in the FCL. Edgleen has recently been lauded as a top 20 prospect in the Yankees system by both Kiley Mcdaniel and Fangraphs. When Kiley has a high opinion of a prospect, I take notice. Gonzalez had the best season of any Yankees catcher in the DSL last year. He hit .324/.517/.529/1.046 with two homeruns and 13 doubles in 33 games. Though he was a bit old for the level this year, he has certainly earned an opportunity to come stateside.

Catcher is one of the hardest positions to develop. The Yankees have done a nice job recently of improving hit-first catchers into good ones. Austin Wells could be a nice boost to the Yankees, who have not gotten much offense out of the catcher position since Brian McCann. They will go into the 2023 season with solid depth at the position, and some exciting players in the minors to follow.

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by Greg Corcoran

In the 2023 offseason one thing is for sure. The Yankees have already lost a ton of pitching depth and some high-end talent. They are, however, in a great position to replace that talent as early as next season. Between the draft, international prospects coming stateside, and players returning from injury, the Yankees have the goods on the farm to rapidly replenish the upper levels of the system with pitching. They also have a catcher returning from injury who could make a huge splash next year once he’s healthy. Starting with Engelth Urena, the lone positional prospect on this list, the names below could help mitigate the sting of the recent losses the farm system has suffered.

1. Engelth Urena – C, 5-foot-11, 196-pounds, right-handed, 19-years-old – Urena was expected to make his stateside debut in 2023, but injuries had their way with him, and he missed the entire season. Yankees insiders were expecting him to have a breakout season before he went down. By all accounts, Urena can do it all. He has a plus glove, framework, and arm defensively. Offensively, he has big power and makes frequent hard contact without striking out much. Missing almost two full seasons with injury will hurt his development, and that’s the biggest question going forward. There’s potential here for a big splash in 2024, so keep an eye on this name.

2. Angel Benitez – SP, 6-foot-7, 204-pounds, RHP, 20-years-old – Benitez missed all of 2023 after getting Tommy John Surgery following the 2022 season. In 2022, he threw 17 innings and had 24 K : 7 BB and a 1.06 ERA. Before the injury, Benitez sat in the mid-90’s and topped out at 97 mph with a fastball that has cutting action and ride. He also possesses a plus changeup and a sweeper that is already above average. He has a low arm slot with good extension. Many are excited about Carlos Lagrange and Henry Lalane, but what most don’t realize is that Angel Benitez might be the best of the bunch. Benitez will make the journey to the United States next season but mark my words, he will not do it quietly. He should be one of the most talked about players in the FCL next season if he can remain healthy.

3. Eric Reyzelman – – 6-foot-2, 188-pounds, SP, RHP, 22-years-old – The Yankees drafted Reyzelman in the 5th round in 2022 and he already had an upper 90’s fastball at that time. In college, he mainly threw the fastball, but he needs to develop his slider and changeup more to take his game to the next level. The Yankees bought on the upside and they’re hoping it pays off. It will if the development team can keep him healthy and get those secondary pitches going. This year he only threw 7.2 innings due to various nagging injuries. The biggest thing for Reyzelman will be to get innings under his belt next season. If he’s able to stay healthy, he could begin to make a name for himself in 2024. At the least, he has late inning relief pitcher written all over him.

4. Cam Schlittler – SP, 6-foot-6, 210-pounds, RHP, 22-years-old – Schlittler missed time due to various injuries in 2023, but he did manage to get 46 innings in. With the exception of the GCL, he struggled to keep his ERA down. Overall he had 50 K : 21 BB and a 4.11 ERA in 46 innings over three levels. Schlittler’s velocity dropped due to the injuries in 2023, sitting at around 90 mph and topping out at 93. He gets good vertical break on the four-seam fastball, but not much side-to-side movement. The slider, curveball, and changeup have good movement profiles though he often struggles with location. If he can improve his fastball velocity and movement while also increasing command, Schlittler could break out. He certainly has the size to do just that. Before he was drafted, he was hitting 95 mph so it’s probably in there somewhere.

5. Luis Gil – SP, 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, RHP, 23-years-old – Having thrown just eight innings in the past two seasons, Luis Gil had become a bit of a forgotten man. He returned late in the 2023 season and was flashing the same upper 90’s velocity as before with a knockout slider and improved changeup. Gil could return to form in 2024 and make a splash in the major league rotation or bullpen. First order of business will be to prove he can cut down on the walks. His first major league experience in 2021 was tantalizing, with a 3.07 ERA and 38 K : 19 BB in 29.1 innings. That performance would be a welcome addition to the Yankees in 2024. Still just 23, Gil has plenty of time to grow and carve out a nice career.

6. Brendan Beck – SP, 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, RHP, 25-years-old – Beck came back late in 2023 and had an eye-opening performance in 10 starts, mostly with the High-A Renegades. He ended up with a 1.59 ERA and 40 K : 7 BB in 34 innings. Beck has a low-90’s fastball that has reached the upper-90’s in the past. He pairs the fastball with a curveball, slider, and changeup. He has excellent command of all of these pitches and 2024 may be his coming out party. With the restrictions removed, Beck could have a similar breakout to what we saw from Drew Thorpe in 2023. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Beck among the top 10 prospects by this time next year.

7. Will Brian – SP, 5-foot-11, 220-pounds, LHP, 24-years-old – The Yankees originally drafted Will Brian with the expectation that he would be a reliever at the next level. They soon came to realize that he had four pitches with nasty movement which placed him in the conversation for the starting rotation. As such he began the 2023 season in that role, though he ended up injuring his UCL after just 6.1 innings. He should make it back at the tail end of 2024. With his recent velocity increase to the low-90’s topping out at 94.2 and filthy secondary pitches, Brian could begin to make his move through the organization shortly after his return.

8. Trystan Vrieling – SP, 6-foot-4, 200-pounds, RHP, 23-years-old – Vrieling didn’t debut until the Arizona Fall League in 2023. The performance was encouraging, especially considering the time he missed due to injury. Vrieling’s current go-to pitches are his high spin curveball and slider. He mixes the breaking balls with a fastball that sits 90-93 and tops out at 96. It was encouraging to see him strike out 15 in just 10.2 innings in the AFL, though his walk rate and ERA (5.06) could use some improvement. With a full, healthy offseason I’d expect both to improve and Vrieling could be in for a big 2024.

9. Luis Serna – SP, 5-foot-11, 162-pounds, RHP, 19-years-old – Serna made some noise when he debuted in the FCL as a 17-year-old and had a 1.96 ERA with 56 K : 17 BB in 41.1 innings. Unfortunately, he missed a lot of time due to nagging injuries in 2023 and managed just 19.1 innings. Serna has a four-pitch mix, all of which have good movement. He commands his arsenal as well as any 19-year-old around. His fastball sits at 92 mph and tops out at 94. He has a slider, curveball, and a changeup that might be the best in the system now that Drew Thorpe is gone. Serna has the polish to move quickly and could reach High-A by the end of 2024.

10. Omar Gonzalez – SP, 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, RHP, 18-years-old – Gonzalez had a fantastic debut season in 2022, with a 0.44 ERA and 36 K : 9 BB in 20.1 innings in the DSL. Unfortunately, he succumbed to Tommy John Surgery shortly after the start of the 2023 DSL season. Gonzalez is a strikeout machine and has a low-90’s fastball that has touched 93 with high spin rates and movement. He also throws a slider and a changeup which could both be above average. The early news in camp in 2023 was that his stuff had improved across the board, including velocity. Now we will have to wait until he comes back from injury to see if he can sustain those improvements. When he comes back, he should be in the United States, but that may not happen until 2025.

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Greg Corcoran

NYY Undergrounds continues the top 70 prospects series with numbers 51-60

51. Mason Vinyard – 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, RP, RHP, 24-years-old – The Yankees have done a nice job picking up solid undrafted free agents the past couple of years. Vinyard is another example of that. He had a 3.12 ERA, 74 K : 29 BB, and a .194 average against in 60.2 innings this year. He earned a mid-season promotion to High-A, where he performed even better than Low-A. Much like Cohen, Vinyard has a two-seam fastball, changeup, and slider and all of them have good movement profiles. Similarly, he has also struggled with the walk. The fastball is low-90’s and currently tops out at 94. The one thing he has on Cohen is his height. He gets more of a downward plane on his pitches, and this also portends more opportunity for a velo boost in the coming years. Vinyard made it to High-A in his first full season and could move quickly through the system as a reliever. He’ll likely start in High-A again next season and could be in line for a quick promotion if he has a good offseason.
52. Kiko Romero – 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, 1B/3B, LHB, 23-years-old – The Yankees drafted Romero in the 7^th round this year out of Arizona and he held his own in his first taste of professional baseball. Romero proved in college that he has some pop in his bat, hitting 21 homeruns, 17 doubles and four triples in 59 games. You can’t expect those numbers to translate to wooden bats, but he did manage to hit three homeruns, seven doubles and a triple in 29 games between the FCL and Low-A. He finished the minor league season with a .229/.364/.395/.758 line. Romero is known as a good hitter, and I expect him to come into 2024 and improve greatly on those numbers. Not known for great defense at third base, Romero is expected to be a first baseman at the next level. The Yankees have a penchant for working with players to develop their skills at third, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Romero makes the switch at some point much like Tyler Hardman. Romero puts on impressive exit velocity displays, which the Yankees’ analytics department tends to like. He doesn’t have much speed to speak of, which is what you’d expect from a corner infielder. He’s a sleeper and breakout candidate for next year and will likely begin the year in High-A given his experience and success in one of the best college divisions.
53. Antonio Gomez– 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, C, RHB, 21-years-old – 2023 was a year where Gomez took a step back in his development all while other catchers in the system took huge leaps forward. This is a setback for him, but it’s certainly not the end of the line. Last year at this time, it was expected that by the end of the 2023 season he would have to be protected from the Rule V draft. At this point that’s not going to happen; he is at a low risk of getting selected. He hit a disappointing .236/.291/.326/.617 this year with three homeruns, 18 doubles and a triple. He struck out more and walked less than 2022. It’s not all bad news though. Gomez is and always has been a plus defensive catcher. He’s got quickness, framework, and a plus arm. All of this means he will continue to get opportunities, especially with his size and long-term power potential. One down season does not end a career, and Gomez has the talent to turn it around if he puts in the offseason work and makes the right adjustments. He’ll likely be back at High-A next season and hopefully finds his stroke.
54. Nick Judice – 6-foot-8, 230-pounds, RP, RHP, 22-years-old – Judice was the Yankees 8th round pick in the 2023 draft, and he immediately strikes me as the type of guy the Yankees could turn into a breakout starting pitcher. At the least, he has shutdown reliever potential. The Yankees sent him directly to their training facility rather than have him pitch in games, which tells me they saw something they could work with him in their scouting. If it’s a third pitch, he’ll likely be a starting pitcher next year. If it’s velocity, strength, and engaging his lower half then he likely stays a reliever. He currently works with a 92-95 mph fastball that has hit the upper 90’s a few times. He also has a wipeout slider and throws from a wide angle. He’s an exciting pitcher no matter how you slice it, and depending on how he looks coming out of the training facility we could see next year’s version of Chase Hampton or Danny Watson. I’d be happy with either.
    

    Nicholas Judice (@YD_RedSox | @ULM_BSB | '23) allowed one run in 4 innings w/ 7 Ks and 2 BBs. FB 91-93, SL 83-86, CH/SPL 81-84. Worked both off-speed pitches to both sides of the plate w/ the SL varying shapes and missing the most bats@B_Sakowski_PG #PGCape pic.twitter.com/A7DTmtVXpJ

    — PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) June 20, 2023

55. Cade Smith – 6-foot-1, 190-pounds, SP, RHP, 21-years-old – The Yankees snagged Smith in the 6th round of the draft out of Mississippi State, where he struggled in an abbreviated 2023 season after a good 2022. Smith has a 92-95 mph fastball that has reached 97 and has 20 inches of vertical break. He also has a hard slider and a feel for his curveball with the makings of a changeup. His main drawback is control, but the pitch mix sounds awfully familiar. His repertoire is eerily similar to a guy the Yankees once drafted in the 8th round, Will Warren. The Yankees did the same thing with Smith as they did with Judice, sending him to the training facility. He’s one of the highest prospects on my radar as a breakout candidate for 2024. Cade will likely begin in High-A if the adjustments have resulted in increased command.
56. Gabriel Terrero – 5-foot-6, 169-pounds, 2B, SH, 18-years-old – Terrero spent his first minor league season in the DSL and has what is becoming a familiar profile in the Yankees’ system. He’s small in stature, contact oriented, athletic, speedy, and possesses surprising power for his size. He hit .299/.407/.533/.940 in the DSL this year with 35 K : 22 BB in 37 games. Terrero hit seven homeruns, nine doubles and a triple with 14 SB on the year. He has been billed as a candidate to become the next Keiner Delgado or Enmanuel Tejeda, which is high praise.
57. Jared Wegner – 6-foot-0, 220-pounds, OF, RHB, 24-years-old – Wegner was the 9^th round pick in the 2023 draft and came out of the gates performing well right away. In college, he had 15 homeruns and showed a mature approach collecting 33 walks in just 43 games. When he got to the minor leagues, it was more of the same. He hit .275/.341/.513/.853 with four homeruns, seven doubles, and 25 K : 8 BB in 24 games. Wegner is another exit velocity darling, with an average of 93 mph and frequently reaching 110. Scouts feel he is a bit too slow for the outfield, but the Yankees will undoubtedly give him the tools to increase his quickness. He can hit and as a result the Yankees plan to challenge him quickly. He’ll likely start 2024 in High-A and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Double-A before long.
58. Edgar Barclay – 5-foot-10, 200-pounds, RP, LHP, 25-years-old – The Yankees don’t have many left-handed relievers in their farm system, which gives Barclay some value. He answered the bell this year with a 3.91 ERA and 100 K : 44 BB in 78.1 innings despite being moved back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. Barclay is a low-velocity pitcher with exceptional movement on his pitches. His fastball gets a ton of natural tail to it, and his changeup drops off the table with 12-18 inches of horizontal break as well. His curveball has good downward movement, and he uses all three pitches frequently. He finished strong in Triple-A where he was being used as a fill in starter. His fastball dips below 90 often but reaches 92-93 as well. Barclay could be a useful bullpen arm as soon as next season and will likely begin back in Triple-A.
59. Carlos Narvaez – 5-foot-11, 190-pounds, C/1B, RHB, 24-years-old- Carlos Narvaez is going to be a major league baseball player. Whether he ever does that with the Yankees largely depends on factors outside of his control. Narvaez lacks the impressive ceiling of Austin Wells, Ben Rice, or even Antonio Gomez. What he does have, however, is the skills to be a very good catcher at the major league level and a bat that should at least earn him a backup catcher role in the future. This year he hit .239/.370/.397/.766 with 12 homeruns and 18 doubles with a 108 : 64 K : BB. He spent most of the year in Scranton-Wilkes Barre and is ready for a major league role if a position opens. Narvaez is eligible for minor league free agency this offseason and will likely find a job if the Yankees don’t add him to the 40-man roster.
60. Engelth Urena – 5-foot-11, 196-pounds, C, RHB, 19-years-old – Engelth was someone scouts and teams were excited about heading into the 2023 season and many were expecting a breakout. Unfortunately, he got hurt and we will have to wait until next year to see that happen. Urena has all the tools to make him successful as a catcher. He makes contact, is patient, has power, and plays a plus defensive catcher. Last year he hit three homeruns in just 11 games in the DSL and had a .932 OPS. He’s a player to watch in 2024 as another catcher who could break out in this system. He’s one of the first names I can think of that could go from outside of the top 50 to inside the top 20 in just one season if he can stay healthy. Given the missed opportunities in the FCL this year, the Yankees may opt to send him straight to Low-A if he comes to camp looking ready. If not, we’ll see him in the FCL next year and he could quickly become a much more recognizable name.

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