The New York Yankees relying heavily on prospects would be a mistake 1
Oct 18, 2016; Mesa, AZ, USA; Scottsdale Scorpions pitcher James Kaprielian of the New York Yankees against the Mesa Solar Sox during an Arizona Fall League game at Sloan Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

While the New York Yankees’ prospect haul is good in theory, they’ll regret placing all their confidence in too many young talents.

The New York Yankees have an arsenal of talent in the minor leagues. Upon acquiring some of the top prospects in baseball, including Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres, the Yankees made it clear that their main goal is to build up the farm system once again.

With Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge making a splash in the major leagues this past season, the Yankees knew that the future had arrived. In beefing up their farm system, they are clearly preparing for that future.

The problem is that the Yankees are relying too much on prospects right now.

Some of the best Yankees teams boasted an even balance of veterans and rookies, which brought them home several championships. And as the Yankees know, some of those highly-touted prospects don’t necessarily work out in the Bronx.

While the talent is exploding in the minors right now, it is unrealistic to believe that all of these players will become stars for the Yankees. As we’ve experienced before, talent in the minor leagues does not always translate to big league success.

Joba Chamberlain is probably the biggest example of a prospect failure in the Yankees’ system. Phil Hughes was a top prospect for the Yankees in 2007 before his mediocre performance in the majors. Jesus Montero and Austin Jackson are other players that add-on to that ever-growing list.

Nov 8, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Scottsdale Scorpions infielder Gleyber Torres of the New York Yankees against the Glendale Desert Dogs during an Arizona Fall League game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The chances of a prospect converting to superstar status in the major leagues are highly unlikely. The question is, will the Yankees and their fans be able to settle for prospects that might not be MVPs, but who might be right in the middle of the pack?

There’s no predicting how minor league players will handle the big show. There will be some that produce like Sanchez and others that will get a few shots but won’t make the cut.

If the Yankees solely rely on these prospects to fill their line-up in the future, they will end up being disappointed. There will come a time, sooner or later, when the Yankees will realize that not all of these prospects will make it.

It’s a great thing to have faith in the younger generation. We’ve seen fascinating offensive and defensive performances in the minors and the Arizona Fall League by Torres. James Kaprielian has made a case to be a solid starter in future years. Jorge Mateo is thought to be the future in the infield.

But what is the reality that they actually will be? If the Yankees put all their faith in these prospects and they don’t pan out, what happens then? There has to come some point where the Yankees are eager to win now. They can’t necessarily do that when they are still harvesting talent in Scranton.

Relying on young talent means the Yankees are not making any moves to improve the team right now. They are waiting for their talent to develop. But that is something that will not end well for them.

The Yankees need to realize that putting all their faith in their young players is a risky decision. With several acquisitions this past season, the Yankees are doing just that. That is their decision and while it seems like a good one on the outside, it will not turn out the way they planned. Putting that reliability on their young minor league talent will ultimately cause them to miss out on players that can win now.

There’s a very good chance that some of these prospects will live up to the hype. However, if they rely solely on this unproven talent and it falls through … the Yankees will be on the losing end of the game.


Allison is just a girl with an enormous passion for the game of baseball and the written word. Based in Upstate New York, her life-long relationship with the New York Yankees is something that she developed through close relationships with her mother and grandfather. An aspiring sports writer, she graduated with a journalism degree and is finding places to share her excitement about the sporting world and how it affects us all.