My thoughts on John Sickels' Top 20 Yankee Prospects

Written by Greg Fertel | 26 December 2008

John Sickels, the writer at Minor League Ball, posted his Yankee top 20 prospects list here. I won't post the whole list here, but here's the top 10

1) Jesus Montero, C, Grade B+: I believe in the bat. Where he fits with the glove I don't know.
2) Austin Jackson, OF, Grade B: Should be a solid player but not a star. Will that be enough in New York?
3) Dellin Betances, RHP, Grade B-: Very high ceiling, has flashed dominance, can he stay healthy?
4) Austin Romine, C, Grade B-: More likely to stick behind the plate than Montero, though not as good a hitter.
5) Zach McAllister, RHP, Grade B-: A favorite of mine heading into 2008, looks like a strong inning-eater type.
6) Mark Melancon, RHP, Grade B-: Almost ready for major league action, should be good in pen and has closer potential.
7) Jairo Heredia, RHP, Grade B-: Looks like a major sleeper to me, and this is an aggressive ranking.
8) Andrew Brackman, RHP, Grade C+: Yankees propaganda is thick around this guy. Great arm, healthy now, but I don't buy into the command yet. Want to see evidence.
9) Phil Coke, LHP, Grade C+: I like what he did a lot last year. Should be a very useful pitcher.
10) Alfredo Aceves, RHP, Grade C+: Has reached his ceiling, but like Coke he should be useful

I have started thinking about putting together my offseason top 30 list, and it is certainly interesting to look at lists such as Sickels'. He admits that he tends to rank players higher who have a low ceiling but a high certainty to make the majors than other publications tend to do. I don't completely agree with that philosophy, especially for the Yankees, who, with their financial resources should be shooting for high ceiling talents as much as possible, even if a number of them flame out along the way.

One of my problems with Sickels' list is that I think Austin Jackson is ranked a little too low. He's might be my #1 guy, and I think he should be a B+, which is also the grade Montero received. Jackson has enough ceiling in my mind to be a B+, and he is a good bet to be at least a starting major league centerfielder. I'm ok with Montero receiving a B+ as his future position is far from a sure thing, though I'm prepared to give Sickels hell if he gives Jason Heyward an A. I also wouldn't mind seeing Melancon as a B instead of a B-, given that he is a good bet to be at least a solid setup man, with the ceiling of a shutdown closer.

I do give Sickels credit for ranking Jairo Heredia fairly high at #7 in the system, and giving him a B- grade. Jairo hasn't gotten much respect from most prospect rankers, so I'm surprised that Sickels ranked a teenager who was not a 1st-round draft choice or a mega-hyped Latin American signee as high as 7. He must either be impressed with Jairo's stats and ARL, or else he has heard some good scouting reports. Either way, it is encouraging. I am curious where Jim Callis and Kevin Goldstein will rank him.

What this list does reveal is the impressive depth of the Yankee system. Sickels' list goes 21 deep, and those 21 prospects do not include Jeremy Bleich, Francisco Cervelli, Manny Banuelos, and Brett Marshall, guys who might very well be in my top 20. I will certainly have more in-depth analysis as I put together my top 30, but I'm also curious about what other writers think about the Yankee system, and particular prospects. I just got home today, so I should be able to get cracking on the top 30. Stay tuned, and Happy Holidays to our loyal readers. I'm curious to hear your feedback of Sickels' list as well.