Blake Rutherford
You won’t see this kid until probably around 2020 but don’t worry, he’ll probably steamroll through the system and catch your eye at some point this year.
Blake Rutherford, a 19-year-old from West Hills, was drafted 18th overall in this year’s draft and it’s one of the best steals New York could have gotten, given that he was top-rated college position player in the Draft.
Across two Rookie leagues (Pulaski and GCL), Rutherford slashed .351/.415/.570 with three home runs and found a level of comfortability in his first professional season — a rarity for such a young player.
According to MLB Pipeline, Rutherford packs a smooth left-handed swing with speed and power, though scouts presume he won’t thoroughly drill into his raw power until he adds some more strength to his stroke.
New York’s fifth-best prospect (yes, already) recognizes pitches adequately and uses the entirety of the field. Again, for a 19-year old, this is nothing but promising.
Assuming he continues this tear and doesn’t look overmatched by any means, one can see him finishing 2017 in Double-A while knocking on the door in Triple-A. Given how easily he handled his first go-around, he should be able to break through the minor league system in record time.
