*Official Minor League Thread (offseason and 2008)*

[nykgeneralmanager]

The Yankees graduated a number of players from the minors to the majors during the 2007, and it has brought the farm system much more attention of late. There are plenty of guys to turn our attention to now that Hughes, Joba, and Kennedy have moved on to the majors.

Top Prosects By Position
Catcher:
Jesus Montero

A right handed slugger who projects to hit for a ton of power, shows great power to all fields, and made a lot of progress behind the plate in just 1 season.
ETA: September 2010 / 2011

Francisco Cervelli

A defensive stud who is extremely smooth behind the plate and also
has a great ability to call games. If his bat keeps up with his defense, he may be our future catcher.
ETA: Sometime in 2009

Austin Romine

He is a pretty polished hitter with a really good approach at the plate. His defense is solid but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Although he may not have the highest ceiling in the world, he has a good chance to reach his ceiling and be a very good player in the majors.
ETA: Sometime in 2011

Also: Chase Weems


First base:
Juan Miranda

I'm pretty confident that he is out future 1B. He has a tremendous bat with really good power and a decent eye at the plate. He won't be a .300 hitter, but he should be able to be in the 2.80s with a .350 OBP. His glove worries me, but if he improves it at all he should be fine.
ETA: 2009

Also: Eric Duncan


Second base:
Prilys Cuello

He is a really good hitter that should hit for average and even some power. His only concern is defense. He is extremely raw and young, so the sky is the limit.
ETA: 2011

Also: Justin Snyder


Third base:
Brandon Laird

He fell to the 27th round of this year's draft, fortunately for us. He put up incredible numbers and displayed amazing power, hitting .339 with 8 home runs and 14 doubles in just 45 games in the GCL. His defense is horrendous, but there is plenty of time for that to improve.
ETA: September 2010

Also: Marcos Vechionacci and Brad Suttle


Shortstop:
Carmen Angelini

Another 2007 draft pick. Chosen out of HS and displays all the tools in the world, from defense to speed to the intangibles. Was a 4 year captain of his HS team so he has the leadership, and he even compared himself to Jeter because of his leadership qualities. Has a ton of confidence and a great attitude, maybe my favorite prospect to follow.
ETA: Late 2010 / 2011

Also: Eduardo Nunez, Reggie Corona


Outfield:
Jose Tabata

Our top prospect. He has had better seasons for his age at higher levels than guys like Miguel Cabrera or Andruw Jones, who are the best teenage minor leaguers ever. He has a ton of potential and can be an amazing hitter. There is concern about his power, but it will come. He has incredible bat speed.
ETA: September 2009 / 2010

Austin Jackson

He absolutely blew up this season in Tampa, and has continued his tear into the winter league. He should hit for average, decent power, steal a ton of bases (over 75% every season of his career) and flash a pretty good glove out in CF. He can be a legitimate superstar down the road now that he has put his tools together.
ETA: September 2009 / 2010

Abraham Almonte

One of my favorite prospects. He moved from 2B to CF this past season and adjusted quickly, showing off excellent defense to go with his improving bat. He has speed compared to Jose Reyes, although he has very little concept of base stealing. He just turned 18 a few months ago, but he is one to watch for sure.
ETA: 2011

Also: Brett Gardner, Carlos Urena, Zolio Almonte

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Pitchers:
Alan Horne

Our best pitching prospect at this time. Doesn't have the ceiling of the guys who arrived in the 2007 season, but he has a future in the majors. He has very good, consistent stuff. His improved control has made him a different pitcher and he should arrive soon.
ETA: Sometime in 2008

Andrew Brackman

He is coming off of TJ surgery and won't begin his career until 2009, so his arrival is a long time away. If his healthy, his 97 mph fastball coming from 6'11'' can do serious damage. He'll have to work on his curve and change, but if he does he has serious potential as an ace.

Dellin Betances

He has a ridiculously high ceiling, and if he reaches it he will be an ace, no doubts about it. He sits in the mid 90s with is fastball, touching even higher at times. His changeup is deadly, and his curve is catching up. As with anybody his height (6'10'') he has had problems repeating his delivery. There is plenty of time for him to get that down, and if he does, look out.
ETA: 2011

Christian Garcia

A lot of people feel he actually has better stuff than Hughes, but he has a terrible work ethic, and had knee surgery a few months ago while rehabbing after Tommy John surgery, so his future is a crapshoot. However, he'll always be a top prospect simply because his stuff cannot be ignored.

Jairo Heredia

Also one of my favorite prospects, he has a very cocky attitude and views himself as a young Pedro. People within the organization have never seen such a youngster this advanced mentally, and not many kids his age can touch 93-95 mph. He also has a really good curveball, but his changeup needs some work. By this time next season, don't be shocked if he is our best pitching prospect.

Also: Humberto Sanchez, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Marquez, Ivan Nova, George Kontos, Zach McAllister


Relief Pitchers:
Mark Melancon

He is rehabbing after Tommy John surgery (along with Garcia, Sanchez, and Brackman) but he has very good stuff. He was a steal when we got him in round 9, and if he returns to where he was before the surgery, I think we have our closer of the future.

Ross Ohlendorf

Converted to reliever towards the end of the 2007 season because of some struggles but more so due to our depth at SP in the minors. He throws harder as a reliever and I see no reason why he won't be a middle reliever in the majors.

Also: Kevin Whelan, David Robertson, JB Cox, Daniel McCutchen
____________________________________________________________

My personal top 25 Yankee prospects going into the 2008 season:

1. Jose Tabata
2. Austin Jackson
3. Jesus Montero
4. Dellin Betances
5. Alan Horne
6. Jairo Heredia
7. Francisco Cervelli
8. Andrew Brackman
9. Humberto Sanchez
10. Christian Garcia
11. Brett Gardner
12. Mark Melancon
13. Juan Miranda
14. Austin Romine
15. Jeff Marquez
16. Daniel McCutchen
17. Carmen Angelini
18. Ivan Nova
19. Abraham Almonte
20. Brandon Laird
21. Zach McAllister
22. Brad Suttle
23. George Kontos
24. Ross Ohlendorf
25. Eric Duncan

[Wade2k6]

Hmm.. interesting stuff. Always enjoy reading your views on prospects.

Do you believe Jackson and Tabata are next in line for the LF and RF positions?

I haven't really heard much about Cervelli and Miranda but you seem pretty confident both will be in pinstripes.

The two prospects I'm most intrigued with are Montero and Betances though. Both seem like they have ridiculous potential. I've seen some sites that compare Betances to a young Mark Prior. Who would you compare him too? I know he's so young it's kind of hard to compare at this point. I've read around and Montero seems like he has incredible power for a kid his age.

How many of these prospects could you see playing in pinstripes?

Going by this year and all they have done recently to bring the farm system back, it seems like the yankees are going in a different direction then the last 5-6 years. They seem like they're trying to build within the farm moreso then overpaying for veteran players. Overall from your views and the websites I've read and looked at, it seems like the Yankees are headed in the right direction and have a good amount of young talent. I certainly like the way the young pitching is shaping up though, especially if a few of the prospects on your list can hit there potential (Betances, Brackman, Garcia, Heridia)

Very good stuff though

[Pharmcat]

GREAT stuff.... +11 for you


isnt brackman good enough to be considered in that SP list of yours?

[nykgeneralmanager]

Hmm.. interesting stuff. Always enjoy reading your views on prospects.

Do you believe Jackson and Tabata are next in line for the LF and RF positions?

Tabata is certainly next in line for RF, since our OF prospects are relatively weak other than the ones in AA and below. Jackson's future likely lies in CF, which may force Melky to LF or even to be traded. Maybe the Yanks will try Jackson in LF if his defense doesn't improve some more, but I'm pretty sure they view him as the future centerfielder of this team.

I haven't really heard much about Cervelli and Miranda but you seem pretty confident both will be in pinstripes.

The two prospects I'm most intrigued with are Montero and Betances though. Both seem like they have ridiculous potential. I've seen some sites that compare Betances to a young Mark Prior. Who would you compare him too? I know he's so young it's kind of hard to compare at this point. I've read around and Montero seems like he has incredible power for a kid his age.

I always struggle making these comparisons. Betances is specifically hard to compare because there are only a couple of pitcher that stand nearly 7 feet tall. He throws hard and has an extremely good changeup, so I'm not sure who I'd compare that to. Maybe the devastating changeup caused the comparison to Prior.
As for Montero, scouts gave him an 80 power rating on the 20-80 scale when we signed him, and that was when he was just 16 and had a number of holes in his swing. The Yankees completely revamped his swing to make him a better pure hitter, so that took him some time to adjust. Late in the season and now in winter ball, he is showing off his power again. His current line in winter ball is .396/.459/.717 with 5 home runs, that's just mind boggling. If he can stick at catcher, his value will be out of this world.

How many of these prospects could you see playing in pinstripes?

Tough to say. They all have the ''potential'' to be in the majors, which is why they are even prospects to begin with, but anything happens. Eric Duncan was once a sure thing to reach the majors, now who knows. Jose Tabata is not a lock, and he is our best prospect. I like the chances for a lot of them, but the ones in AA/AAA have the best shot because they are more polished and closer to their goal of reaching the majors. A guy like Betances is a complete crapshoot, while a guy like Horne we know will be with the Yankees sometime this season.

Going by this year and all they have done recently to bring the farm system back, it seems like the yankees are going in a different direction then the last 5-6 years. They seem like they're trying to build within the farm moreso then overpaying for veteran players. Overall from your views and the websites I've read and looked at, it seems like the Yankees are headed in the right direction and have a good amount of young talent. I certainly like the way the young pitching is shaping up though, especially if a few of the prospects on your list can hit there potential (Betances, Brackman, Garcia, Heridia)

Very good stuff though

It's definitely true. The Hughes/Joba/Kennedy trio all coming along at once will probably be a once in a lifetime experience for us. Usually if a team graduates that many top guys at once, they go through a slow period. Instead, we turn around and have Horne, Tabata, Jackson, etc. right on the horizon. Then after them may come Betances/Heredia/Almonte/Montero, etc. It is really a scary thing for the rest of baseball if the Yankees become this factory of young great prospects.

[nykgeneralmanager]

GREAT stuff.... +11 for you


isnt brackman good enough to be considered in that SP list of yours?

I meant to put him on there but skipped over him, I'll add him...thanks.

[34Celtic]

nykgm clearly you know more about these kids than us, but can you give their most likely comparisons, as opposed to best case scenarios?

Chances are maybe one - five of these guys will ever reach their full potential, thats just the way prospects pan out

[34Celtic]

Well here goes nothing, based on what I've read...

Based on NYK gm's rankings

1. Jose Tabata - Thinking Magglio Ordonez
2. Austin Jackson - Mike Cameron
3. Jesus Montero - Carlos Delgado (moving to 1B)
4. Dellin Betances - Pedro Martinez (that is if he reaches his full potential and gets a couple pitches)
5. Alan Horne - can't make a judgement based off what you say here
6. Jairo Heredia - Javy Vazquez
7. Francisco Cervelli - Yadier Molina
8. Andrew Brackman - Kyle Farnsworth
9. Humberto Sanchez - Jorge Julio
10. Christian Garcia - Kris Benson (seems like a headcase)
11. Brett Gardner -
12. Mark Melancon - Huston Street (young injury prone closer)
13. Juan Miranda - ???
14. Austin Romine - AJ Pierzynski
15. Jeff Marquez - ???
16. Daniel McCutchen - ???
17. Carmen Angelini - Dustin Pedroia???
18. Ivan Nova -
19. Abraham Almonte - Hopefully better than Erick Almonte
20. Brandon Laird -
21. Zach McAllister -
22. Brad Suttle -
23. George Kontos -
24. Ross Ohlendorf - Jeff Nelson type of career, I really like this kid
25. Eric Duncan - I'll be happy if he can turn into Greg Norton at this point



Again, not all of these kids are going to be stars, or even make it to the majors.....I just went through this list quickly and would appreciate feedback, NYKgm, like I said you prolly know more about these guys than all of us and I'd like to hear your views.

[theknicks414]

well a couple of comparisons I can see on my own:

Frank Cervelli - he is the next Jason Kendall. gets on base a ton, won't strike out, and hits for average. his defense is great. barring a trade or FA signing he is our next catcher as Posada will go to 1B.

Austin Jackson - the Mike Cameron comparison is accurate but at full potential I believe he can be a Carlos Beltran-type. 30HR and 30SB is definitely in sight. he also gets tons of doubles and triples

Christian Garcia - has the most potential in our farm. he can be a Mark Prior if only he had a work ethic. I doubt he ever makes the big leagues

George Kontos - my favorite pitching prospect in the minors. Kontos has big league workhorse written all over him. throws a 93-95 mph fastball with a devastating slider and is developing a curve and change. worst comes to worst, if the curve and change don't work out, i'd like to see him as a closer or set up man. he could be our jeff nelson.

also, a guy nykgm left off his list i think as a mistake, is David Robertson. his numbers in the minors this year will remarkable. he was a closer in college but will probably be a 7th inning guy in the big leagues. he throws nasty cutters with a great slider. here are his stats from last year:

Low A: 5-2, 0.77 ERA, 47 IP, 15BB, 67K
High A: 3-1, 1.08 ERA, 33 IP, 15BB, 37K
AA: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2BB, 9K

combined for a nifty 113-32 K-BB ratio in 84 innings as a reliever. dayum

[nykgeneralmanager]

Well here goes nothing, based on what I've read...

Based on NYK gm's rankings

1. Jose Tabata - Thinking Magglio Ordonez
2. Austin Jackson - Mike Cameron
3. Jesus Montero - Carlos Delgado (moving to 1B)
4. Dellin Betances - Pedro Martinez (that is if he reaches his full potential and gets a couple pitches)
5. Alan Horne - can't make a judgement based off what you say here
6. Jairo Heredia - Javy Vazquez
7. Francisco Cervelli - Yadier Molina
8. Andrew Brackman - Kyle Farnsworth
9. Humberto Sanchez - Jorge Julio
10. Christian Garcia - Kris Benson (seems like a headcase)
11. Brett Gardner -
12. Mark Melancon - Huston Street (young injury prone closer)
13. Juan Miranda - ???
14. Austin Romine - AJ Pierzynski
15. Jeff Marquez - ???
16. Daniel McCutchen - ???
17. Carmen Angelini - Dustin Pedroia???
18. Ivan Nova -
19. Abraham Almonte - Hopefully better than Erick Almonte
20. Brandon Laird -
21. Zach McAllister -
22. Brad Suttle -
23. George Kontos -
24. Ross Ohlendorf - Jeff Nelson type of career, I really like this kid
25. Eric Duncan - I'll be happy if he can turn into Greg Norton at this point



Again, not all of these kids are going to be stars, or even make it to the majors.....I just went through this list quickly and would appreciate feedback, NYKgm, like I said you prolly know more about these guys than all of us and I'd like to hear your views.

1. Jose Tabata - Magglio Ordonez is a great comparison. High average, 25-30 HR power, strong arm in RF. Only difference is Tabata should steal more bases. Bobby Abreu is another comparison.
2. Austin Jackson - Vernon Wells might be a good comparison because of the 5 tools
3. Jesus Montero - There is no comparison for him because no catcher puts up 1B power numbers. The Yankees expect him to remain at catcher after the great progress he made defensively in just 1 year so far.
4. Dellin Betances - Chris Young, perhaps? I don't see Pedro.
5. Alan Horne - Jered Weaver with the low 90s fastball, good breaking pitch, average control
6. Jairo Heredia - This is the guy I'd compare to Pedro, and not because he did so himself. He is undersized yet throws hard and has a great curve to go along with advanced command and a cocky attitude.
7. Francisco Cervelli - Yadier is a decent comparison here, I wouldn't argue that one.
8. Andrew Brackman - I don't think Farnsworth. Brackman is going to be a starter and he does not throw a slider. There really isn't a comparison for a 6'11'' guy who throws in the upper 90s.
9. Humberto Sanchez - I see the Julio comparison, minus the headcase.
10. Christian Garcia - Not sure who I'd compare him to, his stuff is incredible but he leaves you scratching your head.
11. Brett Gardner - Curtis Granderson minus the home runs. He is a burner, he'll rack up doubles and triples just because of his speed. And even though he is one of the fastest guys in baseball, he isn't a good defender (just like Granderson).
12. Mark Melancon - Street is a good comparison, because both are good closers who throw 92-93 with good curves.
13. Juan Miranda - Maybe Carlos Delgado is a good comparison here. Delgado is a career .280 hitter with a career .386 OBP, but I don't think Miranda can hit 40 HR. So Delgado with slightly less power.
14. Austin Romine - I think Romine has much more power potential than Pierzynski and will be an all around better hitter. Not sure who to compare him to, maybe Posada with better defense.
15. Jeff Marquez - Derek Lowe, mostly because he is a sinker baller but not a power pitcher.
16. Daniel McCutchen - Not sure who I'd compare him to.
17. Carmen Angelini - Troy Tulowitzki. He has all the tools and is a good leader, should hit for average, some power, and very very good defense.
18. Ivan Nova - I don't know who I'd compare him to, he isn't very polished at all.
19. Abraham Almonte - Way too raw and young to compare to anyone, he hasn't established himself as the type of player he will be.
20. Brandon Laird - Strictly a slugger, maybe a poor man's Troy Glaus.
21. Zach McAllister
22. Brad Suttle
23. George Kontos
24. Ross Ohlendorf
25. Eric Duncan

I'm not sure who I'd compare the rest to either. Obviously those comparisons are the guys full potentials, so of course they are going to be good players. Not all of them will even reach the majors, none the less their potentials.

[nykgeneralmanager]

well a couple of comparisons I can see on my own:

Frank Cervelli - he is the next Jason Kendall. gets on base a ton, won't strike out, and hits for average. his defense is great. barring a trade or FA signing he is our next catcher as Posada will go to 1B.

Austin Jackson - the Mike Cameron comparison is accurate but at full potential I believe he can be a Carlos Beltran-type. 30HR and 30SB is definitely in sight. he also gets tons of doubles and triples

Christian Garcia - has the most potential in our farm. he can be a Mark Prior if only he had a work ethic. I doubt he ever makes the big leagues

George Kontos - my favorite pitching prospect in the minors. Kontos has big league workhorse written all over him. throws a 93-95 mph fastball with a devastating slider and is developing a curve and change. worst comes to worst, if the curve and change don't work out, i'd like to see him as a closer or set up man. he could be our jeff nelson.

also, a guy nykgm left off his list i think as a mistake, is David Robertson. his numbers in the minors this year will remarkable. he was a closer in college but will probably be a 7th inning guy in the big leagues. he throws nasty cutters with a great slider. here are his stats from last year:

Low A: 5-2, 0.77 ERA, 47 IP, 15BB, 67K
High A: 3-1, 1.08 ERA, 33 IP, 15BB, 37K
AA: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2BB, 9K

combined for a nifty 113-32 K-BB ratio in 84 innings as a reliever. dayum

Good call on Cervelli, Kendall is definitely a good comparison.

I'm a fan of Robertson. On second thought, maybe I should've put him on the list rather than Ohlendorf since Robertson has established himself as a reliever, while Ohlendorf has yet to do so.

[theknicks414]

LOL! CJ Henry (the centerpiece in the Abreu deal) was granted a release by the Phillies. He signed back with the Yankees today and will begin 08 in the Tampa outfield. he hasnt hit at all but last year, he was fitted for contacts and hit 300 in the last month of the season. who knows maybe we have the player we hoped we could get when we drafted him in the first round.

[Pharmcat]

henry is back? lol

[Jitpal]

Not only is he back but he has moved to the outfield. Maybe he can show something and be a valuable trade chip or even one day be a Yankee. -Jitpal

[Pharmcat]

hey nykgm, what about jeff marquez?

he has his sinker and change, his 2 dominating pitches

plus a fastball that tops 94

he seems like Wang part 2?


what do you think about this guy?

[nykgeneralmanager]

I don't think I'd put him in the same league as Wang. He doesn't throw as hard (92-93 compared to Wang's 95) and his sinker isn't as good. Wang has a sinker comparable to Webb, and some players have even called it the best sinker they have seen. Aside from that, Marquez doesn't have Wang's control and it would be hard for him to have the amount of poise Wang has. Basically, he is a poor man's Wang. While Wang is a #1-#2 pitcher, Marquez fits the mold of a back of the rotation guy with not an incredible amount of upside. He may have a future in the majors, but I don't think it will be in pinstripes.

EDIT: I should mention Marquez's changeup, which is a very very good pitch. He's more of a "pitcher" to me while Wang is a classic sinkerballer.

[rappa]

Very good post I agree with alot of it except for a few things:

Austin Jackson defense is a plus already. He was the #1/2 prospect in the HWB depending on who's list you go by. He will no doubt make melky move if he's still here.

Austin Romine is one of our best defensive catchers already. He has an ABSOLUTE hose, rated an 80 on the scouts scale for pop times. What alot of people don't know about him is that he has ALOT of power and is more advanced hitting then you would think.

Dellin Betances best secondary pitch is his curveball, not his changeup. His curve just drops from the sky because he's so tall its truly a devastating pitch. His changeup has made strides and has good action but its not nearly as good as his curve.

Andrew Brackman is a one of a kid talent just like betances. This kid was a top 3 pick before the season started and then got hurt. He has a ridiculous spike curveball to go along wiht his upper 90's fastball. His changeup is lacking though.

Alan horne is a stud. I saw him pitch at trenton this year (i was working ice cream stand) and was just amazed. His curveball is filthy and his fastball has just rediculous life, it explodes. In the game the ump made a horrendous call and he got pissed, and then threw 3 97mph fastballs by the next batter. I was like wow, but normally he sits 93-95. Once he gets a little better command he will be a workhorse in our rotation.

Have any other questions just ask i have subscriptions to baseballamerica and yankees.scout.com

[nykgeneralmanager]

Jackson is a decent defender with a completely average arm, I don't think I'd go as far to say he is plus just yet. Over time he can learn the position better and become a plus defender, but I'm not so sure he is there yet.

I agree about Romine, he has spectacular power potential and an amazing approach, and his defense is awesome. As much as the Yankees want to keep Montero at C, I think Romine will be the guy who forces the Yanks to move Montero to 1B.

[rappa]

He's more then just decent in CF.

2. AUSTIN JACKSON OF
Honolulu (Yankees)

After having a breakout season during which he hit .304/.370/.476 across three levels of the minors, Jackson reported to Honolulu and never slowed down. A premium athlete, Jackson finally grew into his tools in 2007. A line-drive hitter with gap power, Jackson's profile is likely as a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter with the ability to drive in runs. He is an above-average defender in center field, getting good reads and jumps on balls while running quality routes. While he doesn't always get out of the batter's box quickly, he's a graceful runner. "Once he gets underway he's a plus-plus runner," an NL scout said. "He's the best athlete in this league. He doesn't have that first-step explosion, but this guy is a real crowd pleaser on the bases."

[nykgeneralmanager]

I'm pretty sure "above average" is the same as "decent" but I'm not going to argue over semantics. If he had a better arm, he'd be a plus defender...but he doesn't.

[34Celtic]

He's more then just decent in CF.

2. AUSTIN JACKSON OF
Honolulu (Yankees)

After having a breakout season during which he hit .304/.370/.476 across three levels of the minors, Jackson reported to Honolulu and never slowed down. A premium athlete, Jackson finally grew into his tools in 2007. A line-drive hitter with gap power, Jackson's profile is likely as a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter with the ability to drive in runs. He is an above-average defender in center field, getting good reads and jumps on balls while running quality routes. While he doesn't always get out of the batter's box quickly, he's a graceful runner. "Once he gets underway he's a plus-plus runner," an NL scout said. "He's the best athlete in this league. He doesn't have that first-step explosion, but this guy is a real crowd pleaser on the bases."

Sounds a lot like a young Bernie Williams