In this edition of ESNY’s New York Yankees Prospect Profile, we take a look at Dillon Tate, who is making his name well known.
On August 1, the New York Yankees traded their best offensive performer Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson, and Nick Green.
When the trade happened, many people were concerned with the return the Yankees received from the Rangers but one piece, in particular, is not one to be looked past and his name is Dillon Tate.
Sure, currently ranking as the eleventh-best prospect in the Yankees loaded farm system is a good sign for the young right-hander, but being ranked as the fourth pitcher organization means he is in a very select group of young pitchers – which is even better.
The main skill scouts look at when examining the pitcher is his fastball that could reach lightning speeds as well as his wipe-out slider. This Yankees’ prospect has both and they are considered to be top-notch.
Tate’s touches as high as 98mph while his slider can reach a speed of 89mph and while containing a changeup is a work in progress. Take a look at his scouting grades:
Scouting grades via MLB Pipeline: Fastball: 65 / Slider: 60 / Changeup: 45 / Control: 50 / Overall: 50
While, again, being a work in progress, Tate’s changeup has developed considerably since he has started using it more often but if the young hurler wants to bring it to the levels of his fastball and slider, he’ll need to refine the pitch to a substantial degree.
His arsenal may not read it but most scouts believe Tate can remain a starter due to his athleticism which it supports his ability to throw strikes and it should help him avoid any more injuries and make him a better pitcher.
Dillon Tate’s past with baseball begins with him playing at Claremont High School as a Freshman where he trained at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California. He was not selected in the MLB draft out of high school so, instead, he enrolled at the University of California and made their baseball team.
SEE ALSO: Yankees Activate Bryan Mitchell From 60-Day DL
Considered one of the top prospects going into the 2015 MLB draft, he was selected by the Texas Rangers with the fourth overall pick and made his professional debut for Class A Spokane before being promoted to the Hickory Crawdads this season.
Early in 2016, Tate found himself on the disabled list with right hamstring strain. As a result, Tate’s velocity and the quality of his outings have not been very consistent which has worried scouts.
In his early tenure with the Yankees, Tate has not been too impressive but, on the other hand, he has not been getting lit up by the opposition.
In only ten innings pitched he has given up four earned runs and when combined with his stats within Texas’ organization, he has a total ERA 4.92 in 21 games pitched this year.
As a side note, there is controversy on whether or not the organization will convert him into a relief pitcher permanently which would not be a bad idea if he is truly only a two pitch pitcher with control issues.
Pipeline currently lists his MLB ETA of 2017 seems interesting for a guy like Tate who was just drafted last season with so many things to work on before reaching the Bronx. It seems rather unlikely that we will see him up next season but it is not out of the question completely if he can decipher the source of his control issues.
Overall, he future looks bright for the young Dillon Tate but can he make the adjustments needed in order to have a successful career in the majors? That is the question we should receive an answer for in the near future.
