By Greg Corcoran

With a roster full of rebound candidates, some are pointing towards Anthony Rizzo as the key to the Yankees’ success in 2024. It’s not hard to see why. If Rizzo can pick up where he left off before the infamous concussion of 2023, their lineup will be difficult to navigate for any pitcher. Add in his plus defense at first base, and the Yankees will be cookin’ in 2024 if Rizzo comes correct. Behind Rizzo the Yankees have some interesting reclamation projects and emerging bats in the upper minors. The lower minors, as is typical for first basemen, are filled with players who will need to hit their way to the majors.

If Rizzo were to miss any time, the first replacement would be DJ LeMahieu. He’ll likely get some games there regardless, but DJ’s versatility could come into play especially if Rizzo were to miss significant time. Barring injury, DJ will likely spend most of his time at third base, so we will save his rebound story for a the hot corner article.

Jordan Groshans was recently claimed by the Yankees off waivers. Groshans was the 12^th overall pick in the 2018 draft and has been ranked in the top 100 prospects by several outlets in four different seasons. He has had a few nice seasons in the minors, but the power has not come around like scouts once projected yet. He’s still just 24-years-old though and the Yankees have turned several careers around recently. He’ll be one to watch in the minors as the season progresses.

J.C. Escarra is another reclamation project the Yankees signed this offseason. He can catch or play first base, and he hit a bunch of homeruns in independent ball last year. He’s another guy who could be a factor if injuries occur throughout the year.

Ben Rice is a catcher by trade but has played plenty of first base in the minors. He hit an incredible .324/.434/.615/1.048 with 20 homeruns in just 73 games last year, mostly in Double-A. Positional questions aside, Rice has an opportunity to hit his way to the major leagues if he keeps it up.

TJ Rumfield is a big lefty who went from a light hitting, contact first guy to a power hitter for low average in one season in 2023. He hit 17 homeruns in just 86 games in Double-A. This year he’ll look to continue his power surge while improving his average. He’s a threat to become a major league asset if he can do that.

Tyler Hardman is another big thumper who spent most of the season at third base last year. He hit 22 homeruns in 111 games but needs to cut down on his strikeout rate. He’ll be back at Double-A to start the 2024 season in all likelihood, and could be converted to first base if it makes sense.

Rafael Flores was an undrafted free agent from the 2022 draft class and has turned out to be a great find. He posts impressive exit velocities and has shown signs of promise defensively at both catcher and first base. If he can translate some of his impressive batting practice displays into games this year he could break out.

The Yankees took a first baseman named Kiko Romero in the 7^th round of the draft last year. He struggled in Low-A after being drafted but is expected to hit minor league pitching once he is able to adjust. He packs some big power into a smaller frame for a first baseman. He is a sleeper for the 2024 season. He’ll likely spend most of the season at High-A.

Undrafted free agents Josh Moylan and Dylan Jasso are intriguing bats who were undrafted free agents last year. Moylan is lefty while Jasso is righty, but both have powerful strokes. Both are two years younger than Romero and could find themselves getting more attention as they rise through the system.

Jhon Imbert hit five homeruns and had a .937 OPS in 34 games in the DSL last year and could see time at first base in the FCL. He’s still young and has a long road ahead but has shown some potential.

Behind Anthony Rizzo, there are no true superstars-in-waiting to take his place. On the flip side, there are a slew of players who could step into that category with a big year in 2024. Spring training is the time for excitement, and soon we will see just how far these players have come since last season.

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6-foot-4

220-pounds

First baseman, catcher

Right-handed

23-years-old

The Yankees went the entire 2022 draft without taking a catcher. There were several reasons for this. Firstly, they had excellent catching depth throughout the organization and it wouldn’t have made much sense to draft a catcher who might struggle to fight for playing time. On top of that, they had a few talented catchers coming up from the DSL.

There was a third reason though. They had scouted a catcher from junior college at Rio Hondo in Los Angeles that they knew no one else was on. Someone they figured they could sign after the draft.  That someone was Rafael Flores.

Flores had hit .380/.442/.663/1.145 with nine homeruns, 16 doubles, and two triples that year with Rio Hondo. Defensively, he threw out 19% of would-be base stealers. He struck out just 19 times in 39 games.

After signing, he picked up right where he left off, hitting .429 in four games with two homeruns and a double. He also went off in the FCL playoffs that year.

The Yankees were so impressed with his hitting ability they assigned him to High-A to begin the 2023 season. After a hot start, Flores cooled off a bit. Still, it was a successful first full season for a guy who went from junior college to High-A in just one year. Rafael finished the year with a .259/.346/.367/.712 line with eight homeruns, 15 doubles, and a triple in 105 games. He struck out 108 times in 109 games.

Flores was also able to replicate his defensive stats from juco in High-A, including a .995 fielding percentage and 18% caught stealing rate in 33 games behind the dish. He played most of his games at first base, where he had just one error in 55 games.

Rafael has been called a pure hitter with great bat-to-ball skills by his coaches and scouts. He has a good approach and adjusts every at bat. When you watch him play it’s easy to see where these assessments come from. Flores sprays the ball all over the field and is particularly adept at hitting gap to gap. He can even put the ball in the right field seats from time to time.

Flores hits the ball hard and produces impressive exit velocity. The last missing ingredient as a hitter is the ability to lift the ball. He’s the type of player who could really benefit from an increase in launch angle. If he learns that skill, he’ll be able to hit more extra base hits and homeruns.

Defensively, Flores has a slick glove at first base. He can pick it with the best of them. He is also effective at preventing passed balls as a catcher and has an above average arm. Where he still needs some improvement is with framework and quickness. Flores will be able to throw out more baserunners if he can learn to get the ball out faster.

The Yankees have been increasingly proficient at finding diamonds in the rough from the undrafted free agent pool. Rafael Flores appears to be another example of their recent success. With a few adjustments next season, there’s a chance he’ll be able to put his name on the map.

He’ll likely start out in Double-A in 2024 and is a good candidate to fill the Ben Rice role. He will get plenty of time at catcher and more than a few games at first base. Rice is going to be a tough act to follow, but Flores has the chance to find his own path to success.

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