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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by Greg Corcoran

6-foot-4

225-pounds

First baseman

Throws: Right

Bats: Left

23-years-old

NYY Underground ranking: #33

Drafted in the 12^th round of the 2021 MLB draft by the Phillies out of Virginia Tech, TJ Rumfield had always excelled with a contact-first approach. He hit .315/.402/.478/.880 with seven homeruns and 12 doubles in 52 games that year in college. He struck out just 23 times.

That approach continued when he reached the minor leagues, hitting .250/.426/.263/.689 with just one extra base hit in his first taste of action. Following the 2021 season, Rumfield was traded to the Yankees for Nick Nelson. After a crash course in the Yankees hitting philosophy, Rumfield hit .273/.366/.392/.759 in 57 games, mostly in High-A. He had four homeruns and 13 doubles but increased his OPS and slugging percentage significantly.

TJ massively increased his power output between 2022 and 2023. He hit 17 homeruns and 16 doubles and increased his slugging percentage to .437 over 86 games. In just one season, he had nearly quadrupled his homerun output. Unfortunately, selling out a bit more for power did take its toll on his average and OBP, which finished at .222 and .320 on the year.

Rumfield has always been a good contact hitter, but he learned a new skill in 2023 which will give him a much better chance to make a push for the major leagues. Power. He figured out how to put the ball in the seats more frequently. Already a solid defensive first baseman, he now just needs to put it all together to truly break out. He has the bat speed and approach to make that happen.

Moreover, Rumfield has the size to get even stronger. In 2024, I am expecting him to improve all facets of his game. He should hit more homeruns, but a few adjustments to his launch angle and he could quickly get back to getting more hits and getting on base with increased frequency.

Rumfield has the ceiling of a solid major league lefty first baseman with power, something that has value as we’ve seen with Anthony Rizzo. The offseason, as always, will be the key to his success next season. The Scranton RailRiders are in a hitter friendly league, so don’t be surprised to see his numbers tick up in 2024. He’ll start there and could play his way into a promotion if Rizzo has to go on the DL during the season.

The Yankees have become adept at identifying players for minor league trades who have big potential. TJ Rumfield is another example of that, and his continued improvement would be an exciting development on the farm.

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