Jim Bowden likes Yankees, Mets top prospects

The former GM finally published his top 50 prospects in baseball. 

On Thursday, former major league general manager Jim Bowden published his first top 50 prospect rankings since the end of the 2019 season for The Athletic.

His rankings have always been different than MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. But, as a former general manager, his perspective is always interesting to read.

The Mets and Yankees were represented on his list. Indeed, Bowden feels pretty good about the top prospects in both organizations. He also really likes one that got away.

Here’s where he ranked the Mets and Yankees’ top prospects, and what he had to say about each of them.

The top three prospects from the two New York teams fell into Bowden’s “Tier 2,” which he describes as “potential future Silver Slugger, Gold Glove or top-five Cy Young award winners.”

14. Anthony Volpe, SS — Yankees

“Volpe has a short, compact swing and special hand-eye coordination, which lead to consistent sweet-spot contact; even his outs are loud. He’s going to hit for a high average, and this season his power has arrived as he’s belted 20 home runs. Volpe has above-average speed (28 stolen bases this season between the Low-A and High-A levels) and profiles as an above-average defender at shortstop. He should be ready to play at Double A next year and be in the majors sometime in 2023.”

15. Francisco Álvarez, C — Mets

“I had never watched Álvarez in person before this year’s Future Game, and it was worth the wait. He blew me away in batting practice with his short, compact swing and loud, sweet-spot contact. He carried it over to the game, hitting a home run. Behind the plate, he looked solid and flashed an arm that can stop the opposing team’s running game. He appeared to call a good game and showed average pitch-framing ability. Álvarez profiles as the Mets’ long-term answer at catcher and eventual replacement for James McCann, whose contract runs through the 2024 season. It will be important for Álvarez to stay on a strong conditioning and flexibility program throughout his career.”

16. Jasson Dominguez, OF — Yankees

“Dominguez, 18, was the youngest player in the Futures Game, but he clearly held his own. He looks like a linebacker but swings like a baseball star; in fact, his frame reminds me of a cross between Yasiel Puig and Bo Jackson. He shows great balance at the plate, possesses electric bat speed and can use the whole field with tremendous power. He’s a very toolsy player with a high ceiling, and I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t develop into an All-Star caliber player; it’s going to take years of patience, but based on his current trajectory, he should be major-league ready in 2024 or 2025.”

Those were the only three prospects of the Mets and/or Yankees who made Bowden’s top 50 overall.

Former Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was traded to the Cubs for Javier Baez, was ranked 46th overall in Bowden’s “Tier 4: Potential future above-average everyday major leaguers.”