elijah dunham

The Yankees have 2 lowkey stud prospects climbing the ranks, Cashman gushes

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austin wells, yankees

The New York Yankees have had trouble developing young players the last few years, seeing Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres plateau with their growth. Sanchez is on the cusp of being released after the 2022 season, signing an $8 million tender which gives him a significant pay increase despite his deficiencies.

General manager Brian Cashman waited as long as possible to make Sanchez the long-term solution at catcher, but his awful strikeout rate and inconsistent defending have made him a liability at times. Luckily, the Yankees have a stud prospect climbing the ranks, but at just 21-years-old, he’s at least two years away from reaching the majors.

Former 2018 MLB June Amateur draft pick Austin Wells spent time with Hudson Valley and Tampa this past season, hitting a combine .264 with 16 homers and 76 RBIs over 382 at-bats. He also recorded 16 stolen bases, showcasing speed and athleticism. He’s a bit different than Sanchez, who is a heavier player that lacks mobility.

Wells isn’t the only prospect impressing the Yankees front office, as Elijah Dunham, a 23-year-old outfielder, has also sparked the interest of Cashman.

“Those two guys continue to reinforce — one, as expected (Wells), and the other, that he’s the real deal (Dunham),” general manager Brian Cashman said on Sunday, via NJ.com:

Dunham enjoyed 339 at-bats this past season, hitting .263 with 13 homers, 57 RBIs, and a crazy 28 stolen bases. His stats are eerily similar to Wells, but given he’s an outfielder and even faster, the Yankees could look to him as a potential supplement for Clint Frazier down the road.

“Austin Wells and Elijah Dunham crushed it,” Cashman said. “They did a great job. Austin Wells being a No. 1 pick, not surprising. But I think we’re really proud of also what Elijah’s done because he doesn’t come with that blue chip pedigree. But ever since he’s signed into pro ball he’s been a pro’s pro. He’s excelled at every level and he continues to make a name for himself as he did in the Arizona Fall League.”

Dunham also spend time in Hudson Valley and Tampa this past season. Along with Wells, they both dominated in the Arizona Fall League. Dunham finished with a .357 average, including two homers and 14 RBIs over 84 at-bats. Wells hit .344 with two homers and 18 RBIs.
Both prospects still have a while to go until they’re considered major league talent, but they are on the right path given their dominance of Low-A ball in 2021.

New York Yankees land physical slugger as undrafted free agent

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have attacked free agency with full force, landing a variety of different players who went undrafted a few weeks ago. After bringing on a bevy of pitching options to develop in the minor leagues, scouts identified one young slugger who ranked 186th on Baseball America’s prospect list going into the 2020 MLB draft.

“Dunham has shown a strong knack for hitting in his collegiate career, with an innate ability to find the barrel with a short, compact swing,” the publication wrote of Durham, who’s 6-foot and 213 pounds.

“While there is some stiffness in Dunham’s operation that might need to be loosened up at the next level, there aren’t a ton of holes to speak of. He hits for average and power and has also shown solid ability to work the count and manage the strike zone.”

The draft was shortened from 40 rounds to five this year, which allowed the Yankees to snag Elijah Dunham from Indiana. The left fielder was excited to be signed by the bombers, who were allowed to spend a max of $20K on UDFAs. The Yankees also landed stud catcher and projected outfielder Austin Wells out of Arizona. Wells has also been forecasted as a potential first baseman along with Dunham, who had .390 with a homer and 11 RBIs in 15 games this year.

Dunham is a lefty hitter who contains excellent power. In the New England Collegiate League, Dunham hit .360 with 6 homers over 30 appearances. Interestingly, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 40th round last year, and going undrafted this year gave the Yankees an opportunity to grab a talented player with plenty of potential.

Of course, most undrafted free agents will never make it to the big leagues, but adding talent with high upside is always a positive move. The Yankees added several lefty hitters to their farm-system, which is a great sign given their lack of diversity in the top team’s lineup.