Yankees Prospects

New York Yankees Prospects: Dermis Garcia

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New York Yankees, Aaron boone

The next prospect in our series might be the most powerful prospect in the entire New York Yankees farm system. That prospect would be the guy that the Yankees shelled out $3 million to in the international signing period in 2014, Dermis Garcia. Garcia has incredible power at the plate which will instantly draw attention. When you see him connect on a pitch, it’s going to be hard to find the ball because it will leave the park quickly. Garcia is one of the more interesting prospects in the system given that the Yankees tried a Ohtani style experiment with Garcia. Garcia has thrown some bullpen sessions where he’s flashed a fastball above 90. However, the first basemen loves to hit and that is where he sees his future. His power was on full display during his 2019 season.

Impressive Power

In 75 games for the Tampa Tarpons, Garcia really showed off his power hitting 17 home runs and driving in 54 runs. Between 2017 and 2019 Garcia appeared in 226 games and smashed 49 bombs in that stretch. There is one thing for sure about Garcia and that’s the fact that he is going to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Last year, Garcia transitioned over to first base from third. With talking about his pitching ability above, it should be noted that he was not moved due to a lack of arm strength. Garcia is not the most mobile of prospects which holds him back in the field and on the bases. Garcia showed average fielding skills at first and I really don’t see him ever getting above the average defender grade. The power was on full display but his average and OBP did leave much to be desired coming in at .247 and .296 which was almost a 30 point drop from the year before. Garcia is one of the most powerful prospects the Yankees have, but he’s not the most consistent.

Areas to Improve

Dermis Garcia is a fun prospect to watch, but he’s a prospect that must improve in a few areas if he’s going to make an impact at the MLB level. Garcia has a bad tendency to chase really bad pitches and expand his zone. He has a very high strikeout rate and doesn’t walk nearly enough. He needs to learn how to sit back on pitches and wait. At times he can seem a little anxious at the plate. The raw power is there and if he can improve the average, he’s going to be a batter that nobody wants to go after. In terms of his fielding, I don’t think you’re ever going to see Dermis Garcia winning a Gold Glove. However, he can definitely be serviceable and I think that is where he needs to focus. If his defensive mechanics improve, he can definitely become an average defender which would add to his prospect stock.

New York Yankees Prospects: Glenn Otto

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected an impressive right handed starting pitcher from one of the better baseball schools in the country, Rice. That pitching prospect is the next prospect on our list, Glenn Otto. Otto has fantastic size for a starting pitcher standing 6’3 and weighing about 230 pounds. Otto features a fastball the sits in the low to mid 90s and a vicious curveball. Otto does have a changeup in his arsenal but you rarely see him throw it. Up until this point in his career, he’s mainly been a two pitch pitcher. He’s had pretty good success in his first three seasons in the Yankees organization. Last year saw Otto start in rookie ball before he moved up to Advanced A ball.

Bounce Back 2019

2019 was a very important year for Glenn Otto. After impressing scouts in 2017, Otto developed a blood clot in his shoulder which sidelined him for most of 2018. It was very important for Otto to come back last year and prove that he’s the pitcher every one saw in 2017. Otto appeared in 17 games last year where he started 14 and threw 61.1 innings. Otto went 3-3 in those outings with an impressive 3.23 ERA and striking out 74 batters. Otto does allow his fair share of baserunners, but Otto has the stuff to work out of jams which he showed over and over again during the 2019 season. It was very encouraging to see him back on the mound throwing his fastball which topped out around 95 last year while mixing in his 12-6 curve. Otto has really good stuff and all the tools to become a really good pitcher in this system, but there are definitely areas for improvement.

Command and Control

After bouncing back last year, Otto now needs to turn his attention to his command. Otto had an alarming WHIP last year of 1.50 where he averaged walking five batters per nine innings. While his curveball is very good, at times it looks like he can’t control it. When he loses the touch on his curveball he stops attacking hitters with his fastball. He will try to dot the corners with the pitch which is something difficult to do. Because there isn’t an incredible amount of life on his fastball, it’s not a pitch he can souly rely on. If Otto can start to consistently throw his curveball and changeup for strikes, his fastball can become a much better and less anticipated pitch. The strikeout numbers are good and the raw tools are there, but the tools really need to be sharpened before Otto can climb any higher in the system. The kid definitely has the talent to make that climb and I think you’ll see him really polish some things before you see Glenn Otto take the mound again. Another intriguing arm to watch in a very deep Yankees farm system.

New York Yankees Prospects: Nolan Martinez

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in 2016, the New York Yankees selected a starting pitcher out of Culver City, California in the third round who impressed them with his incredibly high fastball spin rate and overall presence on the mound. That starting pitcher is none other than Nolan Martinez. Martinez was able to land a $1.15 million signing bonus when he signed with the Yankees. The raw tools are there for Martinez to develop into a really solid starting pitcher, but his first few years of professional baseball have been focused on his physical development. The amount of spin that Martinez can put on the ball is hard to teach, however, his lack of development caused his stuff to lack a little speed. In addition to that, he was a two-pitch pitcher who focused on his fastball and curveball. The New York Yankees have been working with Martinez on developing his changeup to complement those two pitches, and he showed that off in an impressive 2019 campaign.

2019 Recap

Nolan Martinez who is getting ready to turn 22, appeared in seven games in 2019 and started six of those games. In those appearances, Martinez went 1-2 in 32.2 innings pitched. Martinez had an ERA and a pretty good WHIP of 1.10 in 2019. In watching film from last season, there are a couple of things that really stand out when watching Martinez pitch. He really goes right after guys and he’s rarely in a hitters count. Martinez focuses on keeping the ball down and has said that he tries to induce ground balls. Despite getting a lot of swings and misses, Martinez doesn’t strike out as many batters as you’d think. However, his offspeed pitches plus the riding life on his fastball induces a lot of weak contact which keeps him out of trouble. There is plenty to like about the slim right-hander from California.

Areas for Improvement

When the season gets underway, I’d just like to see Martinez continue to develop physically. He stands 6’2 but only weighs 165 pounds. Of course, we’ve seen skinny pitchers thrive in baseball, but I’d like to see him add a little more strength if possible. His fastball does occasionally touch the mid-90s, but I’d like to see it flirt in the upper-90s. Combining the higher speed with his natural spin would make that fastball incredibly difficult to square up. In addition to adding a little strength, I’d like to see the changeup continue to develop. Right now, I’m comfortable watching Martinez throw his top two pitches, but sometimes the changeup looks a little flat to me. If he can improve the changeup to be on the same level as his curveball, he could quickly rise through the ranks of Yankees prospects. Martinez is definitely a guy who has the tools and the talent to become a quality starter at the MLB level in a couple of years.

New York Yankees Prospects: Matt Sauer

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in 2017, the New York Yankees selected a right-handed starting pitcher out of Righetti, California who had an impressive senior season which opened the eyes of many scouts in baseball. That starting pitcher would be Matt Sauer. Sauer has a four-pitch mix that he loves to use on the mound. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, a really solid changeup, and a power curve and slider. Sauer is the kind of pitcher that is going to go right at hitters with his impressive mix. He loves to compete on the mound and is known as one of the harder workers in the organization. Sauer was only able to make two starts in 2019 before being shut down for Tommy John surgery. Prior to the surgery announcement, Sauer was known as one of the top prospects in the pitching ranks in the Yankees system after a very impressive 2018 campaign.

Good Start

Back in 2018, Sauer showed a lot of people in the New York Yankees front office why he was selected so high in the draft. In 13 starts, Sauer went 3-6 with a 3.90 ERA and a WHIP of 1.16. Sauer has a very high spin rate on all of his pitches which really showed in the amount of weak contact he was able to generate. 2018 was spent really trying to refine his secondary pitches. His slider and changeup were two pitches that Sauer really tried to work on in 2018 with his fastball and curveball already having plus potential. When 2019 started, Sauer picked right up where he left off in his two starts. Sauer went 8.2 innings only allowing two runs on six hits. While the sample size is small, there’s a lot to like when looking at Matt Sauer as a prospect.

Where to Improve

It will be interesting to see the form Sauer retains when he returns from Tommy John. Nowadays, pitchers seem to come back to form if not improve coming off the surgery, but as is the case with any operation, you never know until you see him back on the mound. If Sauer returns to form, there are several things I think he needs to look at when he returns. He needs to continue to refine his secondary offerings. With his high spin rates, he should be striking out more batters, but sometimes his secondary pitches are too easy to layoff. One of the reasons for this could be his extended arm motion which seems difficult to replicate pitch after pitch. Sauer is a big guy standing 6’4 and weighing over 200 pounds so ideally, you’d like to see him have more of a smoother delivery. Sauer has all the makeups to be a pretty good starter, but some think he will just be a serviceable innings eater. To me, it all comes down to the development of those secondary pitches. If they don’t improve much from where he is now, he’s going to slot in at the end of rotations. If he can polish them, he can work his way towards the top. Sauer is definitely a prospect I like and I’m going to be watching when he returns from TJ surgery.

New York Yankees Prospects: Kyle Holder

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in the draft of 2015, the New York Yankees selected a shortstop prospect from San Diego University who had gold glover written all over him. That shortstop would be the smooth fielding Kyle Holder. Holder is one of the older prospects in the Yankees system that I’ve profiled in this prospect series. At 25 years old, it’s starting to become make or break time for the former first-round draft pick. Holder is a very strong defender and had a very good .973 fielding percentage in 2019. He has a very strong arm from the shortstop position and he possesses very good reflexes. He’s got a great first step which allows him to make all of the plays he needs to from that position. The biggest question around Holder has been his bat, and that is honestly the reason he has not made it above AA in his five years within the New York Yankees system. However, 2019 gave the Yankees front office a reason to believe that Holder could develop into a complete prospect.

Showing Something New

Last year playing for AA Trenton, Holder might have had his best year at the plate. In 112 games, Holder hit .265 with 9 home runs and 40 RBIs. Holder had a pretty good OBP of .336 and even stole 7 bases during the season. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, they become more impressive when you consider the fact that Holder hit .175 in the month of April. Holder struggled mightily and seemed to be late on a lot of pitches. However, in May he turned things around and would hit .281 the rest of the season. Holder hits from the left side which is a big plus in the Yankees system. His fielding ability speaks for itself, but if he can keep his hitting numbers consistent, he would definitely become an MLB caliber shortstop. Holder is not going to be a guy who is going to hit for a ton of power, but when he’s on, Holder can hit the ball to all fields and has a pretty balanced swing.

Make or Break

For Kyle Holder, there is still more to prove to the front office. When the season gets underway, he needs to show the Yankees that he’s the hitter that they saw from May last year. Scout’s biggest knock on Holder has always been his bat, but he hit the mute button on those scouts last year. Now, he needs to show that it wasn’t a fluke. His glove could play SS for the Yankees right now, but his bat is a big question. If Holder can show that he can be a consistent hitter in the 270-280 range, he becomes a much more attractive prospect. If the Yankees don’t sign DJ LeMahieu to an extension after the season, Holder could be an option at shortstop in 2021 if the Yankees move Gleyber Torres back to second. Of course, that would depend on how Holder handles the bat this year.

New York Yankees Prospects: Raimfer Salinas

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in 2017, the New York Yankees signed an outfielder who was one of the top hauls in their international signing class. That outfielder is the Venezuelan born, Raimfer Salinas. Salinas is a 19-year-old Center Fielder who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. Salinas has a really good overall feel for the game at a young age. Salinas is a smooth operator in the outfield who uses his above-average speed to patrol the gaps in center. He pairs his good defensive skills with a plus arm which plays extremely well. At the plate, Salinas has already shown the ability to hit the ball to all fields. He doesn’t show a ton of power, but his solid frame and bat speed should increase his power numbers over the next couple of years. Salinas made his organizational debut in 2018, but injuries limited Salinas to only playing in 11 games in Rookie Ball. Last year saw Salinas take the field for 42 games and his numbers were improved across the board.

Solid 2019

After injuries hampered his first season, Salinas bounced back nicely in 2019. In 42 games played, Salinas hit .270 with 3 home runs and drove in 15 runs. Salinas showed off his good speed by stealing 11 bags in just 42 games. When watching some film on Salinas, I love his overall approach at the plate. He has a very solid and consistent swing which will help keep his batting average up. When he swings at a pitch, he always looks to be in balance. He rarely pulls off on pitches which helps him consistently hit the ball to all fields. Salinas has all of the qualities that you would want in a solid CF prospect. He can run, he can hit, he can field, and he can really throw the ball. Salinas has a maturity to his game which should assist him in developing quicker than some prospects. I think there’s a good chance that Salinas could rise through the system pretty quickly. While he is certainly able to play the corner positions, I think it’s for the best that the Yankees keep him in center.

Moving Forward

Raimfer Salinas is one of the better outfield prospects the New York Yankees have in the system. There is a smoothness to watching him play and he displays a lot of great qualities. However, there are some things that he needs to work on. Salinas is really good at making contact even on bad pitches, but he needs to learn to pull back a little. Salinas only had a walk rate of 4.4% last year which is why is OBP translated to .329. I would love to see both of those numbers rise. I think those numbers can rise without sacrificing his batting average. When the season starts I would love to see Salinas stay in the range he’s currently in for his AVG, but increase that OBP to closer to .350 or even higher. I think if Salinas continues down the path he’s currently heading and he tweaks some things to improve his game, he has all the makings of a major league centerfielder.

New York Yankees Prospects: Maikol Escotto

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in 2018, the New York Yankees signed an infield prospect out of the Dominican Republic that has drawn comparisons to Jose Reyes for $350,000. That prospect is the impressive Maikol Escotto. Escotto has only played one professional season for the Yankees, but in that one season, Escotto has really opened some eyes. Standing at 5’11 and weighing 180 pounds, Escotto has found himself playing all over the infield in his first professional season. Last year, Escotto showed off a really good arm, quick hands, and solid range from all around the infield. A lot of scouts believe that he will end up sticking at the shortstop position where the Reyes comps come to life. Escotto has really solid pop in his bat and drives the ball gap to gap. The Yankees went hard after Escotto, and it’s easy to see why when you look at his numbers in 2019.

Impressive Start

In his first year of professional baseball in the Yankees organization, Maikol Escotto far surpassed expectations. Playing for the DSL Yankees in 45 games, Escotto hit .315 with an OBP of .429. He had a walk rate 14.7% which is something that you know the Yankees love to see. He displayed a really good eye and showed off his gap to gap power. In those 45 games, Escotto was able to hit 8 home runs and drive in 26 runs. Combining his impressive offensive numbers with his solid showing around the infield and it’s easy to see why there are so many scouts high on Escotto. His performance was so good over the year that he was named Pinstriped Prospects DSL Yankees Player of the Year in 2019. Obviously it’s way too early to tell just how good Escotto is, but there is a lot of reason to be optimistic.

Building on 2019

When it comes to prospects that you’ll want to keep your eyes on this year, look no further than Maikol Escotto. I’m very curious to see how Escotto does with elevated competition when it comes to pitchers. I would also like to see him spend the next year staying at one position in the infield to continue to fine-tune his defensive mechanics. When the season starts, I want to see Escotto continue to show off his really good eye at the plate. We’ve seen prospects get a little anxious as the competition gets stiffer. I want to see a poised approach from Escotto where he shows off his gap to gap power and compliments that with his solid eye. If there is minor league baseball this year, I have my eyes on Maikol Escotto to be one of the breakout prospects for the New York Yankees.

New York Yankees Prospects: Frank German

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in the draft of 2018, the New York Yankees snagged a pitcher who was fifth in the NCAA in ERA and sixth in WHIP. Those impressive numbers made Frank German the Yankees fourth-round selection and the highest drafted player ever from North Florida. German came to the Yankees with a very good fastball/change combination. His fastball had really good running action to it, and the change had a nice sink that fooled batters and made them drive the ball into the ground. Those two pitches have assisted in making German the 29th ranked prospect in the Yankees system. German had a college slurve which was also an effective pitch, but the least polished of his three. His breaking ball often had a little too much loft which would play right into the full power of right-handed batters. After he was drafted, German added about three MPH onto his fastball which made the pitch even more dynamic. German has a fastball that is now topping out around 98 MPH. The Yankees do not know yet if German will progress as a starter or a reliever, but he had a decent year in 2019 as a starter.

2019 Recap

Last year, German bounced between Rookie Ball and Advanced-A ball. Between three teams, German-made 18 starts where he went 4-5 with a 4.11 ERA. He struck out 87 batters in 81 innings which is a positive, but had a higher WHIP at 1.40. One of the reasons for the high WHIP was his walks. In 2018, German had a walk rate of 1.50 per nine innings. Last year, German’s walk rate jumped to an alarming 4.50 per nine innings. German has a very clean and repeatable delivery which makes you believe that he can get the walks under control. The main issue with German has been his breaking ball. The New York Yankees are trying to turn that college slurve that had a little too much loft to a traditional slider. It’s not a pitch that German has shown he could throw consistently as of yet, but the Yankees do believe he can with more reps. That pitch will be the make or break pitch when it comes to German’s future as a starter within the Yankees organization.

Starter or Reliever?

The Yankees will face a decision on how they want to continue to develop Frank German. German will not be able to be a starter at the MLB level without further progression on his breaking ball. If he can’t, he definitely can transition to the bullpen focusing on his two best pitches. German does have two pitches that would play right now at the MLB level. His fastball that sits in the upper 90s with run and his sinking change would help him replicate a pitcher like Tommy Kahnle. Of course, the Yankees hope is that they can continue to develop that slider to make him a three-pitch guy which would assist in his progression as a starter. There is definitely potential with German, it’s all about fine-tuning a few things. Whether it’s the path of the bullpen or the path of a starter, the tools are there to make German an impact pitcher at the MLB level one day.

New York Yankees Prospects: Anthony Garcia

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

The New York Yankees are no stranger to big and strong corner outfielders. The New York Yankees currently have arguably the two biggest and strongest outfielders in the game in Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. In 2017, the Yankees signed an international free agent for $500,000 out of the Dominican Republic that fits this mold. That prospect is New York Yankees outfielder, Anthony Garcia. Garcia stood an impressive 6’5 and weighed over 200 pounds when the Yankees signed him in 2017. Garcia generates an incredible amount of power when he swings the bat. Many scouts believe that Garcia easily could hit 40 home runs if he continues to get stronger and progress down his current path. Garcia is a switch hitter, but seems to generate better swings and more power from the left side of the plate which plays well in the Yankees organization. Of course, the large size does come with some potential issues and one of those issues reared its ugly head last year. The injury bug has one that has been no stranger to the Yankees current giant duo in the outfield, and that same bug bit Garcia last year.

Professional Career So Far

Last season, Anthony Garcia was only able to appear in six games for the Pulaski Yankees due to a quad injury. The injury really hindered Garcia after he was able to play 53 games in Rookie Ball back in 2018. Combining 2018 and 2019, Garcia has appeared in 59 games where he has batted .224 and hit 11 home runs. The raw power is there on display whenever Garcia makes contact and he knows it. He knows that when he makes solid contact, that ball has a chance to disappear into the sky. The problem with that is that Garcia becomes way too aggressive at the plate. Strikeouts are a concern for big and powerful hitters, and they are definitely a concern for Garcia. So far in his professional career, Garcia is striking out at an alarming 40%. Garcia gets very anxious at the plate and swings at a lot of bad pitches. In tape, I’ve seen him try to swing way to early so he could get his hips out in front to make powerful contact. Again, when he makes contact they go far, but almost half of the time he’s swinging at air. This is something that I think he will need to really work on when the minor league season starts up.

2020 and Beyond

There is a lot of potential when it comes to Anthony Garcia. You simply cannot teach the kind of power that this kid has. He also has a pretty good feeling for the outfield and grades out to be slightly above average in the field. He also projects to have an above average arm in the outfield. There are a couple of things I want to see from Garcia when play starts back up. The main thing is I want to see a more disciplined approach at the plate. I also want to see him dial back on the power swings and focus more on putting the ball in play. Aaron Judge might be the strongest player in baseball, but what makes Judge so good when he’s on is his ability to put the ball in play. Judge understands that if he makes contact, his raw power will do the work. Garcia needs to recognize this too. He doesn’t need to try to hit home runs, they will just come naturally due to his strength. In addition to becoming more disciplined, I want to see him stay healthy. Health is a question across the board in this organization, and it’s important for progression to actually remain on the field. There’s a lot to like about Anthony Garcia, and I’m looking forward to watching his career progress over the next few years.

New York Yankees Prospects: Antonio Cabello

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone

Back in 2017, the New York Yankees signed a catching prospect that is quickly turning into one of the better outfield prospects in the system. That prospect would be none other than a center fielder, Antonio Cabello. Cabello transitioned to the outfield with the Yankees and his speed/arm strength has played into his success in that transition. Cabello displays a really solid arm in the outfield and has plus speed. In addition to grading out as a potential plus defender, Cabello also has really good bat speed and good raw power. Cabello stands 5’10 and has filled out to a solid 165 pounds. I’m not sure there is a ton more to add in terms of muscle, but even if his strength doesn’t improve, that will not hinder his success.

Sophomore Slump

Cabello struggled a little in 2019 with the Pulaski Yankees. In 56 games, Cabello hit .211 with an OBP of .280. One of the best tools Cabello has is his bat speed, but unfortunately, he swings at a lot of bad pitches. I’ve seen a lot of tapes where Cabello is chasing or just pulling off pitches. He hits a lot of balls into the ground and he misses a lot of bad pitches. Cabello seemed to get a little more aggressive last year which actually hindered his performance. In 2018, Cabello really stood out hitting .308 with an OBP of .427 in his first professional season. He shot up the rankings on a lot of boards, but the momentum halted last year. Now, Cabello is just 19 years old so there is no reason to panic. There is a lot of raw potential with Cabello, just a few things need to be tweaked and cleaned up.

Solid Potential

Antonio Cabello has a ton of potential in the center for the New York Yankees. He has really good speed and a lot of good pop for the position. As fans, we will hope that last year was just the classic sophomore slump as Cabello’s numbers were significantly lower in AVG, Home Runs, Steals, and a significantly higher strikeout rate. When the season starts, I want to see Cabello have the same approach that he had in 2018. He needs to be more patient at the plate and let his raw tools do the work. He has a really solid base that generates good pop and his bat speed just compliments that. If he is able to fine-tune his swing, he has the potential to be a guy who hits in the high 200s with about 25-30 HRs. Despite the down year, a lot of people have a lot of faith in Cabello, and his raw tools make it easy to see why.