Yankees Prospects

New York Yankees Prospects: Wilkerson Garcia

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

The next prospect that we will take a lookout in our prospect series signed with the New York Yankees at just 16 years old for $1.35 million. That prospect would be the Venezuelan shortstop, Wilkerson Garcia. Garcia signed with the Yankees back in 2014 and made his organizational debut back in 2015. The one thing I can tell you from watching tape and reading scouting reports is that you probably won’t find a harder worker in the minors than Garcia. Garcia takes perfecting his game very seriously and is the type of player who can fill gaps in talent with sheer effort and determination. He just turned 22 back in April so he is still very young in his career and has plenty of room to grow. He’s got everything you’d want out of a shortstop prospect. After really struggling in 2018, Garcia turned the ship around with a solid 2019 campaign.

Bounce Back 2019

2018 was a rough year for Garcia where he hit .218 and had an OBP of .274. Garcia looked lost a lot of the time at the plate and he wasn’t watching a lot of pitches go by. His walk rate was very low and his strikeout rate was pretty high. Last year saw Garcia make some drastic improvements. Overall, Garcia played in 67 games last season and in those 67 games, he hit .275 and had an OBP of .301. Garcia was being more selective at what pitches to swing at last year. He’s a line-drive hitter and he was more patient about waiting for his pitch in the strike zone before attacking. His approach reminded me a little of Miguel Andujar with less power. Garcia is not the type of guy who is going to provide a lot of pop, but he will hit you some balls in the gap. Another big plus about Garcia is his ability to run and his fielding ability. He has plus speed and a great feel for the bases which should translate to a guy who can steal you about 20-30 bags in a full season. Garcia has great range for the shortstop position, a good arm, and excellent hands. He’s got all the tools to be a plus prospect, he’s just got to put everything together, and I believe that last year was a step in the right direction.

Moving Forward

There is a lot of uncertainty with minor league baseball right now, but whenever play resumes, I want to see Garcia keep that approach he had last year with some slight modifications. I would love to see him try to draw more walks. He has a very good ability to find the barrel when he swings which translates to a lot of hard contact, but he still seems a little anxious at the plate. If he can get those walks up, it would make him even more of a threat at the plate. As mentioned, he’s a plus runner, and I’d like to see him try to swipe a few more bags. Getting the walks and steals up would make him a much more valuable prospect in the eyes of scouts. He’s good enough defensively where I would feel comfortable with him on a major league diamond right now so on that front, he just needs to continue to perfect the craft. I really like Wilkerson Garcia, and I love the fact that he tries to be the hardest worker in the room. That is a quality that I know the Yankees look for in a baseball player.

New York Yankees Prospects: Tanner Myatt

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected a BIG right-hander from North Carolina. When I say big I mean big. The 6’7 and 220-pound right-hander is reliever, Tanner Myatt. Myatt is a big prospect with a big-time arm. Myatt only has two pitches that he likes to throw and that would be his fastball which can touch 99 MPH and a decent curveball that sits in the low 80s. He has a good feel for both of those pitches and when he’s on, he can strike a lot of guys out. In a way, he reminds me of Dellin Betances but with an easier delivery. The delivery is easier to repeat which would give you hope that he would have good control, but that was one of the things that hindered Myatt in the 2019 season.

Big-Time Arm

In his second season of pro ball in the Yankees organization, Myatt made 19 appearances for the Charleston Riverdogs last year. In those 19 games, Myatt went 3-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched. Starting with the positives, Myatt is really hard to square up. He held opponents to a batting average of just .157 last year. In addition to holding guys to a low batting average, he struck out a lot of guys averaging just under nine strikeouts per nine innings. However, there was one giant number that was alarming to see. In 40.1 innings Myatt had a very poor WHIP of 1.64 due to the insane amount of walks. He gave up 45 walks last year giving him a higher walk rate than his strikeout rate. In watching Myatt, it’s very clear that he’s a hot and cold pitcher. When he comes in and he’s on, he can sit down all three guys in the order via strikeout. If he’s not, you might see him throw 12 balls in a row to load the bases before he gets the hook. There is a lot to like about the arm that Myatt possesses, but there’s also reason to pause.

Command is Key

When Myatt gets back to pro-action, it’s very clear what he needs to work on. He needs to sharpen up the command of both his fastball and his curveball. He’s got a big-time arm with plus potential, but you definitely could not trust him at this stage in a high leverage situation. Over the next couple of seasons, Myatt needs to continue to look to stay in the strike zone with consistency. If he’s able to come out next year and do that, he’s the type of guy who can soar through the Yankees minor league system. Unlike other pitching prospects, there is no secret as to what type of pitcher Tanner Myatt is. He is a reliever through and through and that is how he’s going to be developed. With the fastball he has and the plus curveball, he’s the type of guy that you could see have a big impact on the Yankees bullpen one day. At this stage, we are far from that, but he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.

New York Yankees Prospects: Harold Cortijo

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New York Yankees, Aaron boone

Back in the 2017 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected a right handed starter from Puerto Rico who is turning out to be quite the steal. The right hander with a quality pitching repertoire is Harold Cortijo. Cortijo is not the type of pitcher who is going to light up a radar gun, but he is the type of guy who is going to pound the strike zone and feature several pitches. Cortijo has a really good feel for his fastball which sits in the lower 90s and he throws three breaking pitches the best of which would be his slider. Cortijo also features a decent curveball and a changeup that sits in the mid-80s which compliments his fastball well. Cortijo is coming off of his second full season in the Yankees system, and he has shown a lot of promise early on in his career.

2019 Outlook

Last year, Cortijo spent the entire season with the Charleston Riverdogs. Cortijo made 14 starts and posted a 5-4 record with a 3.45 ERA. Throughout his starts, Cortijo would show off his balanced pitching attack. In the tape that I’ve watched, he does a really good job at mixing it up. Having four pitches really gives him plenty of options when he’s not feeling one of his pitches. While his record and ERA are not bad, there was a number that was a little concerning when looking at Cortijo’s body of work last year. Cortijo had a WHIP of 1.33 and had a much higher walk rate than he had the year before. The competition was obviously better, but I will also attribute this to Cortijo trying to work on all of his pitches. A lot of minor league experience is about perfecting and working on your pitches. It’s a lot like how players in the majors use Spring Training. I mean Gerrit Cole was lit up by the Tigers this year in Spring Training, but I would bet my house that doesn’t happen in the regular season. This early into his minor league career, Cortijo is still searching for his main mix and it helps that he has several options to choose from.

Where to Improve

Moving forward, I would like to see Cortijo get those walk numbers back down. I would also like to see him fine tuning his pitches because the only one he seems to have a really good feel for is his fastball. I’ve seen plus potential in the off speed pitches, but the lack of consistency hurts him. Some have suggested that he could be a really good arm out of the bullpen, but I want to see the Yankees continue to push him as a starter for now. It’s not often that you can find a pitcher who is comfortable throwing four different pitches. He’s got good size to be a starter and I think he has the makeup to be a starter. I don’t know if Cortijo is ever going to be an ace level pitcher, but I definitely think his potential is as high as a middle of the rotation kind of arm. I’ll be very curious to watch Cortijo progress as his minor league career continues.

New York Yankees Prospects: Hoy Jun Park

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

The next prospect that we will be taking a look at came to the New York Yankees from South Korea back in 2014. That prospect would be the dynamic infielder, Hoy Jun Park. When you think of international free agents, most folks would jump towards Latin American countries. However, Park garnered a lot of attention for his overall skillset and the Yankees scooped him up. Since joining the Yankees full time back in 2015, Park has been on a fast tracked development plan. He spent 2019 with AA and the Yankees had plans to start him at AAA during the 2020 season. Park has many tools that scouts love, but he has struggled at times as he continues to jump levels. That being said, 2019 was a really good showing for the infielder from Seoul.

Solid 2019 Campaign

Hoy Jun Park impressed a lot of scouts last year with a pretty complete season. In 113 games with Trenton, Park hit .272 and had an OBP of .363. Park is really good at working the count and that is one of the things that really stood out to me when I was watching film. If you could grade the batters eye, I would say it’s above average. A lot of the strikeouts Park will have is by watching close pitches which are actually outside the zone, but are called strikes by umpires. Park has above average speed and that showed last year where he swiped 20 bags. He’s got a really good feel on the bases and his timing is very good. I think those stolen bases numbers have even more room to grow. Park hits from the left side and does show some power potential. His swing looks like it could be tailored for double digit home runs, but Park lacks the strength right now. Park impressed in the field last year with good reflexes and a very solid arm. One thing about Park is he doesn’t always put the same effort on his throws which causes him to be a tad inconsistent. I like him as a shortstop moving forward if he can continue to fine tune some of his fielding areas.

Adding Strength

When minor league baseball resumes, you will likely see Hoy Jun Park at the highest level in AAA Scranton. Park is a guy that you look at as someone who will definitely crack an MLB roster one day. I think he’s been pushed a little too quickly through the system which is why you’ve seen him be inconsistent at times. Despite him getting closer to the MLB level, I think he still needs at least another year or two in the minors before he’s ready. He’s got a great feel with the bat in his hand, but he needs to continue to work on getting stronger. He barrels up a lot of pitches, but I’ve seen many die before the wall due to the lack of pure strength. I would also like to see him mature a little in the field. Consistency in the field and adding strengths are really the only two big areas for improvement. Overall, Park is a very good prospect in the Yankees system. He’s dropped a little in rankings over the last year, but I still believe he’s a guy who can make an impact at the highest level one day.

New York Yankees Prospects: Isiah Gilliam

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

For our next prospect, we go to the New York Yankees 20th round pick from the 2015 draft. That prospect would be the powerful outfielder, Isiah Gilliam. Gilliam is the type of guy who is really going to make some noise in batting practice and the type of guy who is going to make loud contact during a game. Gilliam is a switch-hitting outfielder who possesses plus power at the plate. While Gilliam can smoke the ball from both sides of the plate, he seems to be more comfortable hitting from the right side. Gilliam has really good bat speed and a very level swing that generates a good amount of loft. Gilliam hits the ball to all fields, but sometimes his pop goes to his head and he gets a little swing happy at the plate. Gilliam spent time at Tampa and in Trenton during his 2019 season, and really impressed folks when it came to his power.

Powerful 2019

Last year Gilliam appeared in 117 games between Advanced-A Ball and AA. In those 117 games, Gilliam hit 17 home runs and drove in 51 runs. Gilliam held an average of .234 and an OBP of .312. Gilliam did strike out 154 times in 410 plate appearances which are not something you’d really like to see. Gilliam has incredible pop, but he’s still practicing his discipline when it comes to laying off bad pitches. Gilliam showed okay skills in the outfield last year, but I’m not sure the outfield is where he should live long term. Gilliam is a pretty good size ballplayer standing 6’3 and weighing 220 pounds. He doesn’t have great speed and doesn’t have an incredible feel for the outfield when watching him on tape. I think he could slide up to play first base which is probably more where he is suited given his skillset. I think the position change would give Gilliam a fresh look in the field and would limit his weaker areas.

Where to Improve

Isiah Gilliam can flat out swing the bat with some pop, but there are several areas of his game that need to be improved if he wants to make it to the big leagues. His power and bat speed are already at an MLB level, but his patience at the plate needs a ton of work. He needs to be better at pitch recognition and he needs to show more discipline with breaking balls. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and add more walks, he is going to get a healthier dose of pitches that he can smack over the fence. As I alluded to above, I don’t know if Gilliam is an outfielder long term. He just doesn’t have the speed or the feel for the outfield as of now. I think a change of scenery would reinvigorate his development. I think moving him up to first would allow him to focus more on the aspects of his game that could already impact the major leagues. Gilliam is a fun prospect to watch because of his bat, and he’s one that I believe can definitely crack the major leagues eventually. Some fine-tuning and polishing is needed, but he has raw tools that can play now and that is always a plus.

New York Yankees Prospects: Jio Orozco

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

At the 2016 MLB Trade Deadline, the New York Yankees traded outfielder Ben Gamel to the Seattle Mariners for a pair of pitching prospects. One of those prospects was the Mariners 14th round pick in the 2015 draft who had really impressed scouts since making the professional jump. That pitching prospect that the Yankees got would be the Arizona native, Jio Orozco. Standing 6’1 and weighing 210 pounds, Orozco is the type of pitcher who is going to go right at hitters. Possessing three pitches that have above-average potential, Orozco is making waves within the New York Yankees organization. Orozco is the type of guy who pitches with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. You won’t find him on a lot of prospect lists for the top arms in the system, but that plays to that chip. Quietly, Orozco is developing into one of the better pitchers in the Yankees system.

Impressive & Consistent 2019

Last year was a very solid year for the right-hander. Orozco pitched in 18 games between Charleston and Tampa and started 16. Orozco went an impressive 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA and had a WHIP of 1.23. Orozco is really flying under the radar, but really impressed scouts last year. Orozco can go right at hitters with a fastball that consistently sits in the mid-90s. What makes his fastball so good is the late sink he has on it. If his fastball is on, a lot of players drive it straight into the dirt or they miss it altogether. In addition to his impressive fastball, Orozco possesses a sharp 12-6 curveball that has above average spin. Orozco also has a changeup that is progressing nicely and is turning into a solid third option for him when he’s on the mound. It is always key in a young pitchers’ development to have at least three above-average pitchers if you want to crack a major league rotation, and Orozco has that. All three of his pitches grade out at an above-average level when they’re on, and he is the kind of pitcher the Yankees really like. In watching film, he is the type of guy who has two versions of being on his game. One version causes a ton of swings and misses and the other version will induce a ton of ground ball outs.

Moving Forward

Like with any prospect, there is some things that Orozco needs to work on. One of the things that Orozco needs to continue to work on is his consistency with his location. The last two seasons have been steps in the right direction for Orozco in terms of the amount of guys he’s allowing on base, but even more fine tuning of his location will move him through the system quicker. His fastball is his best pitch, but he needs to continue to work on perfecting his breaking balls. Orozco is actually one of my favorite prospects in the Yankees system in terms of their arms. He just looks like a pro and you usually feel good about him giving you a quality outing when he’s on the mound. While he might not have ace stuff, he’s definitely one of the better starters the Yankees have in their system.

New York Yankees Prospects: Jake Agnos

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

In the fourth round of last year’s MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected the 2019 American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. That pitcher was East Carolina standout, Jake Agnos. Agnos is a pitcher on the mound who is known for his killer instinct on the mount. For his school he struck out an astonishing 124 batters in 83 innings last year. Agnos attacks hitters with his fastball that can top out in the mid-90s and his plus curveball which has a sharp 12-6 break. Agnos only made a few appearances last year in the Yankees organization, but he definitely showed areas where he can shine within the organization. Agnos, who stands 5’11 and weighs 207 pounds, doesn’t produce a ton of power on the mound. However, he possesses the stuff to keep guys off balance and rack up a lot of strikeouts.

Transition to Pro Ball

As mentioned above, Agnos made his organizational debut last season. In 5 games in rookie ball, the left-hander started 4 games and pitched to a 5.25 ERA. He only threw 12 innings last year, but he was able to strike out 15 batters which are a really positive sign. It is always nice to see guys strikeout numbers translate over to professional ball after dominating the college ranks. Agnos started working on a changeup but really doesn’t feature it all that much to this point. I wouldn’t even grade that pitch out as average yet just because he doesn’t really have a good feel for it. In college he could get away with dominating guys with his two-plus pitches, but if he wants to be a starter, the development of that third pitch is key. With so few innings pitched, the main thing to look at is the strikeouts. Don’t fall in love with the ERA or WHIP when it’s such a small sample size.

Starter or Reliever?

Moving forward, again the key will be if Agnos can develop a third pitch. With two dominant pitches and his stature, he might be geared up towards a future in the bullpen. Dominant lefties out of the bullpen are not easy to come by, so for his own professional development, I might steer him in that direction. If he is dead set on wanting to be a starter, it will all come down to change up development. With a dominant curve and a very good feel for his fastball, I really like Agnos’s long-term out of the bullpen. I think he is the type of guy who could rise through the system pretty quickly and dominate. It’ll be interesting to see how the New York Yankees move him forward, but I expect their developmental path to becoming a lot more clear for Agnos over the next year.

New York Yankees Prospects: Chris Gittens

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Our next prospect that we will visit really opened some eyes in the New York Yankees organization last year. That prospect would be powerful first baseman Chris Gittens. Gittens is one of the more seasoned prospects in the New York Yankees farm system having been drafted in the 12th round back in the 2014 draft. Gittens has had an up and down career with the Yankees organization and has had to battle through injuries along the way. Gittens was battling hip issues which limited him to only 57 games in 2018. However, Gittens bounced back in a major way in 2019 after only hitting .193 in 2018. Gittens bounced back to not only be named Trenton Thunder player of the year, but also the Eastern League Most Valuable Player. A lot of people were concerned that he would be plucked in the Rule 5 draft, but Gittens remains with the Yankees and could force his way up towards the MLB level sooner than later.

Monster 2019

As mentioned, 2019 was a monster year for the big first baseman. Gittens, who stands 6’4 and weighs 250 pounds, just destroyed the ball last year in his 115 games with the Trenton Thunder. In those games, Gittens hit .281 with 23 home runs and 77 RBIs. Everyone last year was talking about how the baseballs were juiced, but let’s be clear, they were not juiced in the minors. Gittens also hits in a pitchers ballpark which really makes his power numbers even more impressive. Like most power guys, Gittens does strike out at a pretty high clip striking out 139 times in 398 at-bats, but his power and eye make up the difference. Last year he had an OBP of .393 and Gittens showed much-improved skills on the defensive side of the ball. When Gittens swings the bat, fans in the ballpark will stop and watch. When he connects on one, they can fly out of the ballpark in a hurry. When minor league baseball resumes, Gittens is a prospect that will make Yankee fans watch some AAA games.

Forcing the Issue

Gittens has shown incredible potential when it comes to hitting, but his fielding does leave a lot to be desired. Many folks believe that Gittens will be a DH long term, but his work ethic and improved defense from last year shows he has the ability to at least play the position. I think he will breakthrough as a first baseman, but will spend half if not the majority of the time just focusing on hitting the ball. When it comes to his hitting, there are not a lot of things that people can say negatively. Sure he strikes out, but so does Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. At the end of the day, this guy can flat out smoke the ball, and he could be a player that will turn some heads whenever the next minor league season rolls around.

New York Yankees Prospects: Josh Stowers

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

The next New York Yankees prospect that we will review came to the Yankees via the Sonny Gray trade back in the 2019 offseason. That prospect would be center fielder, Josh Stowers. Stowers was the 2018 second-round pick for the Seattle Mariners. Stowers is a center fielder who has really good speed and is always going to give you a solid at-bat every time it’s his turn to swing. Stowers has a really good feel for the game offensively. He has great plate discipline and his smooth and balanced swing drives the ball to all fields consistently. He is a great baserunner who will make you pay if you’re not paying close enough attention. His speed might be his best overall asset which plays well on both sides of the ball. Last year was his first full year with the Yankees organization, and Stowers definitely impressed.

Impressive First Year

Sonny Gray completely flopped for the Yankees so when it was announced that Stowers was the piece coming back to the Yankees, there wasn’t a ton of high expectations given how bad Gray was in New York. Stowers was a former second-round pick so you know the Yankees had decent expectations, but the fans were just glad to get rid of Gray. In his first year with the organization, Stowers showed that the deal was a good one. In 105 games for Charleston, Stowers hit .273 with an incredible OBP of .386. Again, Stowers’s speed makes him a very dangerous prospect if you combine that with his ability to get on base. In addition to his impressive numbers at the plate, Stowers stole 35 bases. Now, Stowers does a good job of driving the ball to all fields, but he doesn’t do it with a lot of power only hitting 7 home runs last year. He’s not going to have elite power moving forward, but he could be the type of guy who could cause havoc at the top of a lineup.

Where to Improve

I really like Josh Stowers as a prospect. He’s got great speed and the Yankees love his ability to get on base. There are definitely areas that he needs to work on moving forward. Stowers doesn’t read the ball the best from center and he also doesn’t have a very good arm. His speed makes up for some of the areas he lacks, but I’m not sure if his future is going to be in center. Down the line, he might be better in the corners. Other than his defensive traits that need to be fine-tuned, I think Stowers is heading down the right track. I don’t think he will ever be the type of player who will have a lot of pop so I don’t want to see him changing his swing and sacrificing Avg/OBP for power. With his speed, I just want to see him continue to get on base and cause headaches for pitchers and catchers.

New York Yankees Prospects: Jacob Sanford

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Next on list of prospects is a player that the New York Yankees drafted third in last year’s draft. That player would be the raw Canadian standout, Jacob Sanford. Sanford grew up in Canada where he didn’t get much of an opportunity to play baseball. The only time he got to play baseball was in the summer then the focused shifted to hockey and volleyball. Sanford had no scholarship offers after high school but went to a Nebraska Junior College as a walk on because he fell in love with baseball. After one semester he earned a full scholarship, and then he went on to Western Kentucky for college. Sanford has tools that you just cannot teach which makes him such an intriguing prospect. He’s very young in baseball years which will show that it’s going to take some time for him to really get comfortable playing baseball professionally. However, with his raw tools and work ethic, Sanford has the makeup to be one of the better prospects in the entire system.

2019 Debut

After getting drafted last year, Sanford spent his first professional season with the Staten Island Yankees. In his 60 games, Sanford did show off some of his raw tools, but he also showed some areas where he’s still very green. When looking at Sanford’s first year, it will be important to not fall in love with his numbers. Sanford’s numbers were not terribly impressive hitting .238 with an OBP of .289. He hit 7 homers and drove home 27 runs and only stole 3 bags during his time with Staten Island. With a prospect like Sanford, it’s more important to use the eye test versus looking just at the numbers. Sanford has really good bat speed and generates a great amount of power. There is some immaturity in his approach but to me it’s from a lack of reps. I think once he becomes more comfortable, his raw tools will translate to better numbers. Sanford also has plus speed, but he really didn’t flash it much only stealing a few bags. Again, I’ll chalk this up to game experience. I think as Sanford becomes more sure of himself, the better he’s going to look as a ball player.

Sharpening the Tools

There are plenty of things to work on for Jacob Sanford. The raw talent is incredible, but he’s just a very raw prospect with virtually no polish at this stage. He’s got great power and great bat speed, but struggles to layoff bad pitches and struggles with making consistent contact. His speed is fantastic, but he hasn’t shown the ability to use it yet as a weapon. He doesn’t have great arm strength so his future is probably best suited for left field. The main thing I think Sanford needs to work on is just himself as a baseball player. When you get in the professional ranks, raw talent can only take you so far. He needs to hone his skills and really show off why so many people believe in him. I think in the coming years you’re going to see a guy get more comfortable on the field and really start to turn some heads. He’s too good of an athlete and he’s got way too good of a work ethic to be nothing short of a top 20 Yankees prospect in the end. I really like Jacob Sanford, he just really needs a lot more polish at this stage in his young career.