Thairo Estrada
Thairo Estrada was signed in November 2012 as an international free agent for $49K and has quickly established himself as one of the better infield prospects in the organization.
After slashing .268/.340/.346 in 80 career games in rookie ball, Estrada, who moved to second from short, found himself in Staten Island for the entire 2015 season and slashed .267/.338/.360 in 63 games.
Thanks to a .306 batting average before the All-Star break, Estrada earned a spot on the New York-Penn League All-Star team and by the time 2016 rolled around, the Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League was his initial destination.
In 35 games, the second baseman slashed .286/.324/.429 and stole 11 bases before seeing himself in High-A Tampa by May 23.
There, he hit .292/.355/.375 in 83 games finishing his year with an overall slash line of .290/.346/.391 with an OPS of .737 and 28 extra-base hits (16 doubles, two triples and eight home runs).
Heading into 2017, he’ll likely bounce around between third, second and short but due to the trillions of shortstops the Yankees have in the system, he’ll likely continue to see time at second and third.
Some scouts, thanks to his speed and plus arm, could envision Estrada making the switch to outfield, but what’s guaranteed is that he’ll bounce around positions with the Tampa Yankees next year.
Promotions are hard to predict, as there is tons of depth at every level, Estrada will likely continue to fly under the radar — especially with Jorge Mateo and Gleyber Torres around.
