By Greg Corcoran

The Yankees have been blessed with stability at second base ever since Gleyber Torres moved over from shortstop in 2022. Being able to pencil in 20+ homeruns, 25+ doubles, 10+ stolen bases, and a .750+ OPS the past couple of years has been a nice luxury. His best season may be yet to come (with the exception of the juiced ball year in 2019), with 2024 being a contract year for Gleyber. The overall depth at second base in the organization is strong. The Yankees should be able to find Torres’ replacement internally if he ends of leaving the organization in free agency after 2024.

In the event that Gleyber needs a rest day or is out with an injury, DJ Lemahieu could shift over from third base and fill in. Aaron Boone could also opt to use Oswaldo Cabrera or Oswald Peraza in that case.

As mentioned in a the article about shortstop depth, Cabrera and Peraza appear ready to take the next step in their development this year.

The Yankees have fantastic depth in the minor leagues at second base, especially when you consider that most of their shortstops could slide over to second base if the need arises. Strictly considering true second baseman, however, the minor league system is full of good second basemen with no shortage of potential and upside.

Jorbit Vivas was recently acquired in a trade with the Dodgers for Trey Sweeney. Vivas has had success through Double-A and will look to prepare himself for the MLB in 2024. Vivas is a good defender and a patient hitter. He makes a ton of hard contact and has average power for a second baseman. He could be the heir apparent at second base if Gleyber Torres departs.

Waiting in the wings in Double-A is Caleb Durbin. Durbin is coming off a fantastic season which he replicated in the desert during the Arizona Fall League. Durbin is an unbelievable contact hitter who gets on base with the best of them. He also steals bases at an alarming rate. He’ll have to increase his power to get serious consideration as a major league starter, but I’d be surprised at this point if he doesn’t make a career as a role player somewhere.

Below Durbin in High-A are Roc Riggio and Jared Serna. Serna will probably play a lot of shortstop this year, but I suspect he’ll end up as either a utility man or second base long term. Riggio is a ball of energy who plays with passion. He hit 18 homeruns in college last year, and after playing in the Big 12 should have a smooth transition to professional ball.

In Low-A, the Yankees will have Keiner Delgado and Enmanuel Tejeda playing most of the games at second base. Keiner is a switch-hitting dynamic player with speed, defense, and surprising power. Enmanuel had a great season in the FCL, with a .307/.465/.458/.923 quad slash. He had five homeruns, four doubles, three triples, and 24 SB. He walked 44 times and struck out 44 in 50 games. He’s part of a deep, polished group of middle infielders heading to Tampa this year.

Gabriel Terrero is another switch-hitting second baseman who has a lot in common with Keiner Delgado. He’s patient, polished, and has excellent pop for his size.  Luis Ogando had a big year in the DSL in 2023 and should be a part of another talented FCL team this year.

Second base is another position that figures to be a strong point for the Yankees in the minor leagues in the coming season. From the major leagues all the way down to the FCL, there are exciting players to watch at every level.

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11/6/2023

Here’s the last ten prospects in the Beyond the top 30 series. There are also some bonus rankings at the end. Some of these guys could be top 30 by next year.

61. Blane Abeyta – 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, SP, RHP, 25-years-old – Abeyta is another prospect who took a step back in a few categories this year. His ERA ballooned to 5.67 and he let up 18 homeruns compared to six the year prior. Paradoxically, his strikeout and walk rate both improved this season despite the increase in ERA. He had the same average against, and he threw a career-high 127 innings. Abeyta was an undrafted free agent, but it was in 2020. He likely would have been drafted in the top 10 rounds otherwise. His fastball, which once sat 91-94, now sits 92-96 mph. His best secondary offering is his slider which is above average to plus. He also throws a changeup and curveball which are still in the development stages. The Yankees keep trotting him out as a starter which tells me there is something more there. He’ll likely start back in Somerset in 2024 and if he has made some improvements could be in Triple-A before the end of the season. A move to the bullpen could speed along his development as well.
62. Will Brian – 5-foot-11, 220-pounds, SP, LHP, 24-years-old – Brian likely would have been a breakout player if he had been able to stay healthy in 2023. Alas, he only managed to throw 6.1 innings before succumbing to Tommy John Surgery. We will be lucky to see him at all next season, but there’s a silver lining. He came to camp in 2023 with a velocity increase to low-90’s topping out at 94.2. That fastball averages 12-18 inches of run and 18 inches of induced vertical drop. His curveball, meanwhile, has an insanely good movement profile with 53-60 inches of vertical break and 12 inches of horizontal break. In his second start he introduced a slider with nasty movement. He even threw a changeup which has tail and break. He had difficulty controlling these offerings in the early going, but when he finally does come back, he could really break out.
63. Hans Montero – 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, SS, RHB, 19-years-old – One of the more hyped international signings, Montero finally began to show some of his potential this year in the FCL. He hit .257/.419/.404/.823 with five homeruns, six doubles, three triples, and 17 SB in 53 games. He also had 48 K : 44 BB. Compared to his previous two seasons, this was a drastic improvement. One thing is for sure, Hans can play a solid shortstop. He can play all around the diamond, with 22 games at third and three games at second this season. He has a long way to go, but if he can continue making strides offensively the Yankees may have a good one on their hands. He’ll likely get some time in Low-A next season once some of the bigger names either move up, get hurt, or prove they’re not ready for Low-A.
64. Baron Stuart – 6-foot-4, 209-pounds, SP, RHP, 24-years-old – It’s impressive when your system can develop undrafted free agents as effectively as draft prospects. The Yankees deployed Stuart as a starter in Low-A this year and then promoted him to High-A despite some bigger names, high ceiling arms being options. Baron didn’t have a great statistical season, but he was effective and showed promising stuff. He finished with a 4.47 ERA and 85 K : 46 BB in 100.2 innings. He had a .237 average against. Stuarts bugaboo this season was the walks. If he can rein that in, Stuart could really break out in 2024. Stuart throws a two-seam fastball which sits in the low-90’s and touches 95. He has a slider and a changeup which he uses effectively. The two-seamer has an excellent movement profile, as does the changeup. His slider has mostly vertical break but can be above average at times. The Yankees’ development team will look to get a bit more velocity out of him and help him with his control. He’s pitching in the AFL this offseason working on his stuff. His first stop next season will be High-A. Depending on his offseason work, we may be hearing his name a lot more often soon.
65. Beau Brewer – 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, 3B, RHB, 21-years-old – Brewer was taken in the 19th round in the 2022 draft and was known at that time as a very good contact hitter. Those skills translated to the minors well, as he hit .280/.410/.293/.703. What also translated, however, was the lack of power. This season was a nice building block for Brewer going forward, and he is still young enough that the extra base hits could come later. I’m sure this will be priority #1 and 1a in the offseason. His offseason priority will be to gain strength and retool his swing for more loft. He’ll likely spend most of the year in High-A.
66. Jerson Alejandro – 6-foot-6, 255-pounds, SP, RHP, 17-years-old – It’s hard to imagine a 255-pound 17-year-old, but Alejandro is that guy. He’s a physical beast and was a high-profile pitching sign out of the Dominican Republic. Jerson had a decent first season in the DSL, with a 4.5 ERA and 36 K : 17 BB in 36 innings. Alejandro has a fastball that has already peaked at 98 mph that he pairs with a top-notch changeup and a curveball. He should break camp with the FCL next year and will hope to follow the same trajectory as Carlos Lagrange and Henry Lalane, getting some innings in the USA while learning to master his craft.
67. Omar Gonzalez – 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, SP, 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.
68. Angel Benitez – 6-foot-7, 204-pounds, SP, 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.
69. Danny Flatt – 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, SP, RHP, 19-years-old – Flatt has a low-90’s fastball that got up to 95 mph during his senior season. He also has a high spin curveball and slider. He even throws a changeup. That’s four pitches for a high school level pitcher. To get that kind of package in the 14th round was impressive for the Yankees. Like most high school pitchers, the Yankees have a lot of work to do on the development side with Flatt, but he has an immense ceiling that could be tapped. He’s already a spin-rate darling, as the fastball has 2300 rpm, the changeup 2100 rpm, the curveball 3036 rpm, and the slider at 2924. A hard worker and a big kid, the Yankees should be able to get more velocity and movement on his pitches. They’ll have plenty of time to develop him since he’s a high school draftee. They haven’t drafted a guy quite like Flatt in the past, but he has a profile that I have confidence the Yankees can develop. They’ve had success with Sean Hermann and Brock Selvidge out of high school recently, and Flatt could be the next exciting guy with a big ceiling.
70. Sebastian Keane – 6-foot-3, 187-pounds, SP/RP, RHP, 23-years-old – The Yankees took it slow with Keane in 2023, who spent most of the season in the FCL despite being 23. The 2022 18^th round pick was clearly overqualified for the level, with 35 K : 16 BB, a 1.71 ERA, and a .126 average against. He dominated inferior competition. He was finally promoted to Low-A at the end of the season where he made two starts. He finished the year with a 2.56 ERA and 43 K : 19 BB in 31.2 innings. Keane throws three pitches, all of which have excellent movement. He has a sinker that ranges from 91-94 mph and has 12 inches of horizontal movement and 18 inches of vertical break. His changeup has 12-18 inches of horizontal movement with 30 inches of drop. His curveball has 45 inches of break and 6-12 inches of sweep. Keane didn’t get a chance to pitch in the long season leagues this year, but I’ll bet he will next year. Given the competition he faces, he’ll likely be a reliever unless he has a significant uptick this offseason. He’s a sleeper going into 2024.

Bonus ranks:

Luis Arejula – 6-foot-1, 170-pounds, RP, RHP, 21-years-old – On the surface, Arejula’s numbers do not jump off the page. That’s not where you’ll find his appeal. Arejula has a fastball with excellent movement, as well as a nasty changeup and a slider that has good vertical and horizontal break. He sits in the low-90’s and tops out at 95.4 mph with the fastball. In 2023, he had a 4.96 ERA and 17 K : 10 BB in 16.1 innings. Arujela could have a Harrison Cohen/Mason Vinyard-like breakout next year if he gets more innings and can figure it out.

Tanner Myatt – 6-foot-7, 245-pounds, RP, RHP, 25-years-old – Myatt has managed to continue to keep a low profile despite his massive size because of the giants surrounding him (both figuratively and literally). The fact of the matter is that he had a good season in his own right. He had a 2.78 ERA and 72 K : 40 BB in 58.1 innings for Somerset. Batters hit just .160 against him, which is in line with his career numbers. The challenge for Myatt comes with his control, which is understandable given his long levers. If he can find that, he could be a high-leverage reliever in the major leagues. He’s older, but it’s not too late. Some players don’t find their command until their mid to late 20’s. He throws an upper-90’s fastball, changeup, cutter, and slider. He has done some work to simplify his pitches and delivery to attempt to make everything more repeatable. So far it has not resulted in a significant decrease in the walks. He’ll likely start in Triple-A with all the other high ceiling relievers in the system and could help the big-league team if the above improvements are made. Myatt might be a minor league free agent after this year. If so, all bets are off.

Christian Zazueta – 6-foot-3, 163-pounds, SP, RHP, 19-years-old – Zazueta throws four pitches and has good command. This year in the DSL, he threw 52 innings and had a 3.29 ERA with 50 K : 16 BB. He had a .211 average against. He appears ready to take the next step in his career and make the leap to the FCL. Rail thin, with some weight gain and strength training Christian is expected to gain 5-6 mph on his fastball as he develops. The FCL rotation is going to be loaded next year.

The post Beyond the top 30 prospects: 61-70 with video and bonus rankings appeared first on NYY UNDERGROUND.

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.

The post Beyond the top 30 prospects: 51-60 with video appeared first on NYY UNDERGROUND.