In this edition of ESNY’s New York Yankees Prospect Profile, we take a look at right-handed pitcher Chance Adams.
After Chance Adams was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Dallas Baptist University, he decided to sign the Yankees contract offer and pursue a career in pinstripes.
Let’s fast-forward to now. Adams is currently ranked as the number 13 overall prospect in the Yankees system, as well as the fifth best pitching prospect according to MLB.com.
Also, according to MLB Pipeline, Adams has a fastball that is consistently improving and has even touched 98 mph. His stuff has been so promising to Yankees scouts that they have decided in 2016 to convert him from a reliever to a starter.
Adams mostly relies on his fastball for his success but he also has a slider that he has been working on that has become a consistent wipeout pitch. The right-hander also throws a change-up that isn’t as dominant as his other pitches but it still gets the job done.
Take a look at what scouts have to say about the rest of his skills:
Scouting grades via MLB Pipeline: Fastball: 65 / Slider: 55 / Changeup: 50 / Control: 55 / Overall: 50
As seen by the grades, scouts have given Adams above average grades in his fastball, his slider, and his control.
Adams began his career within the Yankees organization in 2015, the same year that he was taken in the MLB Draft. In 2015 he split time between Staten Island, Charleston, and Tampa. He saw much success between these three teams as a reliever.
His stats in his debut season included an ERA of 1.78 with 45 strikeouts in 14 games pitched and 35.1 innings of work. Following the outstanding success as a reliever in his debut season, the Yankees decided that heading into the 2016 season they would convert Adams into a starter and see how it goes.
Adams would then head into 2016 as his first season as a starter, splitting time between Tampa and Trenton where he was just as dominant as 2015. In 24 starts, Adams sported an ERA of 2.33 which included 144 strikeouts in 127.1 innings pitched.
Adams allowed a minuscule 5.4 hits per nine innings this season and led the entire minor leagues with a .169 opponent average. This mark ranks as the second lowest by a minor league starting pitcher since 1993.
The very successful 2016 campaign led to the right-hander to be named was named to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Team 2016. This is all-star team includes some of the other top prospects in baseball including Yoan Moncada and Alex Bregman.
There is certainly no doubt that Adams is a very talented pitcher but only time will be able to tell whether he is able to remain as a starter or if he will have to convert back to a reliever.
With an MLB ETA of 2017 according to MLB Pipeline, it is certainly possible Adams could be pitching in the Bronx as soon as next season. He will have an even better chance of coming to the big leagues if he is converted back to a relief pitcher. No matter what role we see Adams in, when he does arrive in the Bronx he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.
