In the midst of their youth movement, the New York Yankees have some prospects to keep a close eye on before the 2017 season.
The New York Yankees threw away their opportunity at making into the 2016 postseason to revamp their farm system. And boy is it revamped.After trading away Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran, and Ivan Nova, general manager Brian Cashman was able to make his system rank as one of the best in all of major league baseball with the additions of Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, and more.
That’s great and all but which one of the youngsters should be kept a close eye on?
ESNY will analyze some prospects that could either bust through the major leagues or those that could break out and make a solid impression.
Without further adieu, here are some prospects (in no particular order) every fan, expert, and even opposing organizations should keep their eyes on in 2017.
Clint Frazier
Are you watching this year’s postseason, seeing Andrew Miller’s filthiness and yelling: “this Clint Frazier kid better be worth it!” Well, you’ll get a better idea of his capabilities in 2017.
After being acquired at the deadline, the 19-year old was assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and didn’t exactly light it up.
In 25 games, Frazier slashed a mere .228/.278/.396 and struck out 29.7% of the time while hitting just three homers. Overall in 2016, he maintained an OPS of .782, a discouraging sign by the organization’s top prospect.
Nevertheless, his talent cannot and will not be denied.
According to MLB Pipeline, Frazier’s bat speed and raw power are among the best in the Minor Leagues and suggest the ceiling of an All-Star. He may not be that for the Yankees in 2017 but there’s an immense possibility that he makes his Bronx debut.
That possibility increases if a trade involving left fielder Brett Gardner occurs.
Last year, New York didn’t experience any production, power, or speed from Gardner or Jacoby Ellsbury and while Cashman instituted change in the infield and behind the dish, arguably their most ineffective players remained untouched.
It’s close to impossible to deal the contract of Ellsbury, yet Gardner may be on his way out. With that, you have to keep a close eye on Frazier who may put the pressure on the Yankees’ GM to deal him either this offseason or the deadline.
The kid has a ton of talent and we all paid witness to what Gary Sanchez did in the second half of last season. Perhaps Frazier plays that role of a kid who comes up halfway through and really gives the team energy while perhaps sparking a run. That all depends on if he can channel his potential in the Electric City.
James Kaprielian
The Yankees had high hopes for their 2015 first round draft pick and there was even talk of James Kaprielian making his major league debut as soon as last year until an early season elbow flexor strain.
The 22-year old, who owns a 1.55 ERA in seven career minor league games, avoided surgery, is back, healthy, and currently pitching in the Arizona Fall League. Through three starts (9.1 innings), Kaprielian has struck out 12 and has yet to allow a home run while his fastball has been sitting in the 95-97 mile an hour range.
He controls and commands his stock of pitches extremely well thanks to the slight sink his fastball packs and he should advance quickly as a pro to the extent of possibly having an outside shot at earning a spot on 2017’s rotation.
There are a few things to look out for this upcoming season. First and foremost, can he make it through the AFL and Spring Training healthy? If so, you have to keep a close eye on if he comes with the same effectiveness he had before going down.
If both work out in the Yankees’ favor, there is no doubt Kaprielian can have a
Chris Sale-like path to the Bronx. Sale pitched in a mere 12 games in the minors and was called up in the same year in which he was drafted.
Of course, an injury crippled those chances, but thanks to the lack of depth and surplus of question marks behind Masahiro Tanaka, don’t be surprised to see the most major league ready hurler in the farm to make his debut in 2017.
Aaron Judge
Getting a healthy Greg Bird in the lineup will help immensely, but a healthy Bird with Aaron Judge at his greatest potential makes the lineup inexhaustible.
The catch is, however, Judge is still a prospect and still has some proving to do.
Along with striking out in exactly half of his at-bats, the monstrous slugger set the Yankees’ record for the most strikeouts (42) within a player’s first 27 games. But my goodness gracious when he made contact…
Judge’s average exit velocity on batted balls, according to Statcast, was 96.82 miles an hour. MLB’s average for 2016 was 89.57. The average distance his batted balls traveled was 249.67 feet while the average in baseball was 218.08. His average generated velocity was 8.00 m.p.h. The league average was 1.45.
Aaron Judge’s power can be confused with the power of “The Incredible Hulk,” but translating that into major league success is his contemporary hindrance.
Which is why this offseason is huge for him. Whatever transpires from now until he arrives in Tampa spring will have a huge bearing on the Yankees’ 2017 season.
If he takes this failure in his first go around in the show like he did in Triple-A, where he struggled in 2015 but adjusted flawlessly in 2016, then nothing but a turnaround should be expected.
Gary Sanchez
If you try to deny the history Gary Sanchez made in his first go-around in the Bronx, you’re lying to yourself.
In the month of August, the 23-year old slashed .389/.458/.832 with an OPS of 1.290 and 11 home runs en route to winning the American League Player Of The Month award.
Then, on September 21, Sanchez became the fastest player in baseball history (45 games) to reach the 18 home run mark and later tied Wally Berger as the fastest to reach 20.
Despite going just 23-for-102 (.225) in the final month of the year, expectations are sky-high for this kid as he enters his second season.
Some called him the next Babe Ruth, some say he’s the Yankees “savior,” and some have no words to describe it yet, heading into 2017, however, at least a portion of that magic needs to come back next season.
When he’s hot, he’s shown he can carry an offense and even a team.
Take Sept. 10- Aug. 10 for example. In 27 games played Sanchez batted .373 and smashed 13 of his 20 home runs. During that span, the Yankees went 18-9 and jolted themselves back into relevancy.
It’s completely unfair to think that those numbers will carry through to 2017 but to see such a professional hitter with that kind of potential is ensuring that you have a superstar, to say the least.
Even if New York only gets 25-30 homers and a .280 batting average, they’ll take it. What they won’t, however, is Kevin Maas 2.0.
Watch for Sanchez to either epically deny the sophomore slump or fall into its sadistic trap.
Dietrich Enns
Southpaw Dietrich Enns was utterly impossible to hit a year ago while in Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
In 26 games between the two levels (22 starts), Enns posted a 14-4 record with a 1.73 ERA and racked up 124 strikeouts in 135 innings of work.
Last year at approximately this point, the Yankees got blessed that no team took him in last year’s Rule 5 Draft but they won’t get so fortunate this time around. They will have to add Enns to the 40-man roster or else he’ll be mowing ’em down for another organization.
The numbers may speak for itself but control is a notable concern for the 25-year old kid and his stuff is the kind that customarily doesn’t translate to major league success.
His fastball sits at an insignificant 87-92 miles an hour and since his margin for error is so narrow, his career walk rate is 3.6 BB/9 which is a matter of concern moving forward.
Now, 2016 was his first full season back from Tommy John surgery and, as expected, the Yankees are going to keep a close eye on his development throughout his second season removed from operation.
Enns will likely be moved to the 40-man prior to the deadline for the Rule 5 and he could reasonably be in competition for a starting rotation job. Realistically, though, he’ll more than likely not make the team out of Tampa but be used to help the big league club throughout 2017.
As for what to watch, though, take a close look at the improvement of his control. Obviously, his tactics may work in the minor leagues but hitters are mu more ingenious and will lay off until his batting practice fastball finds its way over the plate.
Along with these kids, there are a ton others to have on your radar. Justus Sheffield, Gleyber Torres, Jorge Mateo, Miguel Andujar and more. What separates these prospects from the rest is that they have a terrific chance to bust into the majors or can have a major impact on the big league club this year.
Which prospects are you looking forward to the most? Any under the radar stars that you think should be watched? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.
Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.