After many years of having a downright barren farm system, the Yankees finally have some of the best prospects the league has to offer.
To say that many of the New York Yankees‘ new prospects they acquired through trades are highly regarded could be an understatement.
For instance, outfielder Clint Frazier and shortstop Gleyber Torres, are two of the top prospects in the league the Yankees were able to snag through trades at the 2016 deadline.
This farm system is very deep as well as there are at least four to five players that show up on most top 100 prospect lists.
Not only that but there are many players in the system who have great potential but have not realized it yet, like Wilkerman Garcia, or Estevan Florial.
The farm also includes kids that are on a quest to prove evaluators wrong, like Tyler Wade, and Dustin Fowler.
All in all, this is one of the top farm systems in the league, and ranking the top ten prospects in a farm this deep was challenging and as a result, many were left off the list.
Nevertheless, ESNY broke down its top ten from a farm system that could possibly produce the next “Core Four.”
Honorable mention: Albert Abreu
This 21-year old flamethrower was acquired in the offseason trade of Brian McCann on November 17, 2016.
Abreu’s bread and butter is his fastball, which earned an MLB.com rating of 70 — just 10 points lower than the scale’s maximum rating of 80.
It is one of the best fastballs in the Yankees system. Abreu can heave it at 93-97 m.p.h. and can max out at 99 mph while being able to mix in a solid slider, curveball and change-up.
With a great fastball and a three other pitches to go along with them, Abreu has the potential to blow hitters away at the major league level.
The main downside on the 21-year-old is his control.
Last season he had an insanely awful 5.1 BB/9. Similar to many other Yankee prospects and players (Michael Pineda) he has great stuff, but the numbers are unable to back it up. With some work with the Yankees staff, he can profit off of his immense potential.
Although, his numbers may haven’t been excellent last season, Abreu has the ability to put it all together and go on to have a terrific career in baseball.
10. Miguel Andujar
The third basemen opened up the season with more questions than answers, and more potential than numbers. By the end of the season, it appeared as though he was finally showing some of that potential.
A usual slow starter, Andujar hopped out to a strong start at High-A Tampa. In his first 230 at-bats, he hit .283 with 10 home runs. It was his second season spent in High-A, and he was able to learn and grow from the results of his first season.
When he proved that he had mastered the level, he got a promotion to Double-A Trenton and took a step back.
Andujar went 75-for-282 and maintained a respectable .323 OBP. The young phenom took his biggest step back in power, his slugging percentage was .358 and he only hit two home runs in 282 at-bats but finished strong as he hit .300 in his final 10 games.
Luckily for Andujar, he may not be rated as highly as some on this list, but he has one of the clearest paths to the pros for a position player.
All he has to do is continue performing, and he will either dethrone Chase Headley or wait until Headley walks and take his spot.
9. Domingo Acevedo
Acevedo is arguably the hardest thrower in the Yankees system and he has reportedly been able to hit 103 m.p.h. Although to succeed in the majors and even in the upper levels of the minors, he will need to be able to do more than just throw fast.
Throwing hard is cool and all but in order to be successful, the 22-year-old right-hander has been working on developing his secondary pitches.
His go-to secondary pitch is his change-up. The changeup grades as above average and is a great secondary pitch combined with his blazing fastball.
The third pitch in his arsenal is his slider.
Even though the pitch isn’t his best, it demonstrates flashes of being a plus pitch. If he is able to refine his slider and have three above average pitches, he could be a top of the rotation starter. However, if he is unable to adjust, he could become a Chapman-esque reliever.
8. Chance Adams
Some may question putting Chance Adams this high in the rankings, but he has promptly become one of the Yankees best prospects.
The numbers this young right-hander has put up in the minors is nothing short of incredible. Last season he had a whopping 147 SO, and 2.33 ERA in 127.1 innings through two levels of the minors.
While a lot of players are able to put up big numbers in the minors, Adams is a legitimate prospect. He was drafted in the fifth round out of Dallas Baptist, originally worked as a reliever, but was converted into a starter by the Yankees and they may have gotten a steal in the fifth round.
The Yankees prospect is starting to get exposure and getting the credit that he is due. For example, he was recently named a 2016 minor league baseball all-star by Baseball America.
Since being drafted, Adams biggest adjustment was velocity. He operated in the 92-94 m.p.h. range in college. Since being drafted, he has operated in the 94-96 m.p.h. range and has even topped out at 98.
The word on Adams is that he has the ceiling of a number two starter and if he is unable to make it is a starter, then he has the potential to be a terrific reliever.
7. Justus Sheffield
One of the secondary pieces in the Andrew Miller deal, Justus Sheffield is a highly regarded prospect.
Although not as touted as the main piece of the package, Clint Frazier, the southpaw was thought of highly enough to be drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Indians and to be a consensus top 100 prospect.
The 20-year-old was having an average season with the Indians before he was traded, with a 3.59 ERA. After the trade, the lefty was lights out, with a 1.73 ERA in High-A Tampa while registering 27 strikeouts in 29 innings of work.
Sheffield was also called up to Double-A for one start. In this one start, he was nothing short of dominant. He pitched four innings of no run ball with nine strikeouts. Although he did issue three walks, demonstrating his lack of command as well as his potential.
If Sheffield could improve upon his control (3.8 BB/9) he should become a stud lefty.
6. Aaron Judge
One of three drafted in the first round by the Yankees in 2013, Aaron Judge is by far the best of the bunch.
The big-bodied outfield is a consensus top 100 prospect and is the only one to make it to the show out of any of these prospects at this point in time.
The first thing that comes to mind when seeing Judge, is how large he is. At 6’7”, Judge is easily one of the tallest players in the MLB. His height, depending on how you look at it, is either his biggest strength or biggest weakness.
The young slugger struggled in his first experience in the big leagues and that was not all surprising. Judge also struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, but after some adjustments, he dominated year two.
I expect to see Judge make some adjustments, like trying to cut down on strikeouts and be better prepared for his second taste of the majors.
If Judge can cut down on his strikeouts, (44% last season) he should be put in a better position to succeed.
5. James Kaprielian
Drafted in the first round out of UCLA by the Yankees, James Kaprielian was thought of as a surefire bet to be an MLB starter early in his career.
Although, at this point, he is still far from his MLB debut, but his ceiling is higher than previously imagined and has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter if he stays healthy.
The story of the young career for Kaprielian has been injuries. Including the Arizona Fall League, in 2016, the young phenom was limited to 45 innings due to an early-season flexor strain.
During the regular season in High-A Tampa, Kap was having a breakout season with 22 SO in his first 18 innings of work with only three walks. Then it all came crashing down.
The righty started experiencing pain in his throwing elbow. The Yankees did the right thing and shut him down immediately until further tests could determine the severity of the injury.
He was diagnosed with a right elbow flexor tendon strain. There was an immediate cause for concern as these injuries often lead to Tommy John surgery. In response, the Yankees shut him down for the season.
Luckily, for the time being, Kap was able to avoid the dreaded Tommy John surgery. In addition, after the season concluded, he was able to pitch in the Arizona Fall League.
In the AZFL, the right hander under performed and failed to meet the expectations set for him. Kap posted a 4.33 ERA in 27 IP with 26 SO. His command was also a bit off, as he had an uncharacteristic eight walks.
This rust is to be expected after the young stud missed most of the season. That doesn’t matter though, as reports say that his stuff was looking as sharp as ever, and his fastball was back in the 95-97 mph.
The starter might even experience a breakout season in 2017.
If he can avoid the injury bug, Kap has the potential to be a stalwart in the Yankees rotation for years to come.
4. Jorge Mateo
Out of all the prospects on this list, Mateo probably had the most frustrating season.
It started when he was suspended for a violation of team rules, and everything was downhill from there.
Mateo stole less bases and was caught stealing many more times.
He stole a whopping 82 bags in 2015, while having an 82.8% success rate. In 2016, he slowed down and only stole 36 bags, while having a success rate of 70.5% and obviously, this sudden slowing down isn’t good for a prospect who has an 80 grade speed.
As his performance dropped, so did his average. In 2015, his average was .278, but in 2016 it was .254. This is particularly troubling for a prospect that was repeating High A.
The main positive from this year is that he was able to hit a career high nine home runs. Another plus is that he is working on his versatility at second base, shortstop and even center field.
It is still to be determined where he will end up, but if he works hard enough, he could be great at any one of these positions.
The future can still be bright for Mateo. He plays solid defense, can hit and is one of the fastest players in the minors.
3. Blake Rutherford
The Yankees were able to steal Rutherford with the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft.
He was rated as a top ten prospect in the draft by mlb.com, and fell due to concerns about signability. The Yankees were ultimately able to sign him to a tremendous deal.
With a record-breaking signing bonus, the 19-year-old is hyped up to do big things. Rutherford is a jack of all trades, good to great in every facet of the game and is ready to climb the ladder.
In his first cup of tea in the minors, Rutherford slashed .351/.415/.570 to introduce himself to Yankee fans in the best way possible.
One of the reasons fans should be so excited about this prospect is because he is one of the only true five tool players the Yankees have in their system, meaning he has the potential to do everything at an all-star level.
The outfielder has also made his way onto top prospect lists. As of right now, he is No. 51 on the mlb.com‘s top 100 prospects list. The slugger missed some time with injury, but is in a good position to hit the ground running next season.
2. Clint Frazier
When the Yankees dealt their lights out reliever, Andrew Miller, their main haul from the trade was Clint Frazier.
The kid is an outstanding outfielder who can play all three positions with ease and after being drafted fifth overall by the Indians out of high school, Frazier has impressed many with his electric bat speed and his raw power.
The young redhead has also connected with fans using his awesome twitter account.
On the downside, Frazier’s swing has a hole in it that makes him susceptible to strikeouts that could lead to a lower batting average. As is proven by his .228 average in Triple-A after being traded to the Yankees.
One of the main parts of Frazier’s game is his power. He has a highly graded power tool, and a sweet swing, but he is so far unable to translate it into games.
In 2016, through two levels, he hit only 16 home runs in 119 games. This is a surprising number for one who is touted so highly as a power hitting prospect.
Once Frazier taps into his untapped potential, he has a ceiling of an all-star outfielder.
1. Gleyber Torres
Torres was acquired during the Yankees trade deadline fire sale, in a trade with the Cubs for Aroldis Chapman.
The slugger tore up the competition in the Arizona Fall League and was named the MVP and won the league’s batting title. The 19-year-old was the youngest to ever win the batting title and the MVP award.
Not only that but according to Baseball America, he was the top prospect in the league ahead of notable names such as Michael Kopech, who was recently traded to the White Sox in the Chris Sale deal.
Recently, Jim Callis, called the Yankees prospect, the number two prospect in all of baseball.
Out of all of his five tools, Torres’s best tool is his bat. More specifically is his ability to hit for a high average. He also plays a premium position, shortstop, although it is believed that in the future, a move to second or third might be necessary.
At the age of 19, in High-A, the shortstop hit .270/.354/.421. These numbers are unreal for one so young at that level.
At only 20 years old, the young stud is expected to start next season at Double-A at a ripe young age.
If he continues to develop at this rate, it won’t be too long until Torres is in the Bronx.