Written by Greg Fertel
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31 July 2007
While many Yankee prospects have taken great steps forward, some have regressed badly, struggling with their consistency and putting up worse than expected numbers. Some of these guys may have been rushed or pushed too hard, but they have still struggled enough to weaken their prospect status.
Tyler Clippard, #5: After a strong season in 2006 in AA Trenton, T-Clip has lost the control that made him an effective pitcher. He is walking over 4.5 batters per 9 innings, compared with 2.98 per 9 last season. It's possible he is having a mechanical problem or an undiscovered arm issue, but it is more likely that his confidence is shot because of his rapid promotion to the majors and then sudden demotion. He can still turn himself around, as he is only 22, but he is definitely no longer a top 5 prospect in the Yankee system, maybe not even top 10.
Eric Duncan, #9: Duncan is still young at 22, and showed signs of life last season in AA Trenton, but is still struggling with his hitting in AAA Scranton. While Eric is continuing to draw walks, he is simply not hitting, putting up a .232 line on the season, and not hitting higher than .256 in any month. He is showing decent power, as 1/3 of his hits have gone for extra bases, but it is impossible to be a successful prospect, especially at 1st base, when one is hitting consistently under .250. There is still time for Duncan, but his window as a prospect is closing.
Angel Reyes, #16: Reyes has been hurt for much of the season, so this is not entirely fair. Regardless, he has struggled with his control all season, and has been hit hard both in Charleston and Staten Island. The bright side to Reyes' performance is that he is striking out over a batter per inning, indicating that he still has great stuff. He may no longer be a top-30 guy, although he's still young (only 20) and very talented.
