Written by Greg Fertel
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23 July 2008
Now it's time to take a look at prospects 11-20 on the offseason list.
11. Daniel McCutchen: Rising. While his performance last season between Tampa and Trenton was very impressive, his age (he was 24) created questions of whether he could handle the higher levels. While he has not dominated, McCutchen has handled AA and AAA this season (3.14 ERA), mixing in a couple of complete game shutouts as well in Scranton.
12. Ryan Pope: Rising. After a very impressive season in the New York-Penn League last season (2.49 ERA, 46 k's in 43 1/3 innings), Pope has handled the tough transition to high-A with relative ease. His strikeout rate is down compared to last season (51 in 69 innings in '08, but he has showed great control, walking only 10 batters in those 69 innings. Pope's stock would be higher if he hadn't missed all of June with an injury, but he is performing just as the Yankees hoped he would. He will likely never be much of a strikeout pitcher, but his good control is an indicatorof future success.
13. Carmen Angelini SS: Falling a little. We ranked Angelini aggressively despite little to no statistical track record, banking that the Yankees wouldn't spend 1 million on a guy who wasn't quite talented. While Angelini is only 19, he hasn't yet performed at a level that matches his talent. His .598 OPS in Charleston is quite mediocre, and he is not walking much nor hitting for much power. His defense, though to be the most advanced part of his game, has been shaky, as he had made way too many errors (though he has cut down on them recently). He has shown good basestealing ability (15/19 successful steals), and the other tools are there, it's just a matter of translating them into performance.
14.
Zach McAllister RHP: Zach has some serious helium in 2008, and is probably the system's biggest riser. After showing flashes of brilliance (and strong peripherals) in an inconsistent season in Staten Island (5.17 ERA), McAllister has been lights-out this season, with a 2.48 ERA combined between Charleston and Tampa. His peripherals have also been very impressive, with a 6:1 strikeout:walk ratio and a 1.61 groundout/flyout ratio, indicating that he is having success because he is keeping the ball on the ground and in the strikezone. He's looking like one of the safer bets among the Yankee pitching prospects in the lower minors to be at least an average major leaguer.
15. David Robertson RHP: Rising. Robertson was lights-out last season across 3 levels (0.96 ERA), and showed more of the same this season between Trenton and Scranton (1.39 ERA) before being called up to the majors. He has excelled out of the bullpen for the Bombers so far, allowing just 2 runs in 11 1/3 innings, with 14 strikeouts against just 4 walks. Major league hitters are hitting just .179 against him so far. He has earned Joe Girardi's trust as a reliable member of the Yankee bullpen, helping to solidify a shutdown group of young relievers.
16. Brett Gardner CF: Rising. Gardner hit well in Trenton last season, but struggled upon his promotion to Scranton (.675 OPS), walking less and striking out more than we were accustomed to seeing. This season, Gardner improved his plate discipline (61 walks against 68 strikeouts) and has even hit for some power (3 homers, 11 doubles, 10 triples, .841 OPS). This impressive improvement led him to be promoted to the majors, where he has impressed with his speed and batting eye, but hasn't had much success with the bat yet. It usually takes him time to adjust to a new level, so I'm not too concerned about him. If he can hit in the .260-.270 range and draw walks, his speed and defense will make him a valuable player this season.
17. Kevin Whelan RHP: Falling. Already 24, Whelan has had a difficult time staying healthy since being acquired in the Gary Sheffield trade. He had a a lot of strikeouts and walks last season in 82 1/3 effective innings, but has been hurt for much of 2008, only pitching 20 1/3 innings so far. He has looked nasty when healthy, but the combination of injuries and control problems are hurting his stock.
18.
Brad Suttle 3b: Rising. Suttle's pro debut last season was very disappointing, as his mediocre performance in Hawaii did not seem to justify the 1.3 million that the Yankees spent in signing him. In Charleston this season, Suttle has hit pretty well (.837 OPS), though at 22 a lot of his competition is younger than him. As a college draftee, he should be dominant in low-A if he is going to be a top-notch hitting prospect, and while he has shown potential, he hasn't gotten there yet.
19. Abraham Almonte CF: Holding. Abe impressed last season in the GCL, handling the transition to centerfield very well while putting up a .778 OPS as a young 18 year-old (June birthday). He showed speed, pop, and solid plate discipline. This season in full-season ball, a significant jump, Almonte was holding his own through June, sitting around .270-.280 with his average, stealing bases, and getting his share of extra base hits. July, however, has been a nightmare for Almonte, as he is hitting .099 in the month (7 for 71). His .231 average looks bad, but I am not too discouraged, as he has shown himself to be capable of handling the pitching in low-A in the prior months, and he may be wearing down over the course of the long season.
20.
Austin Romine C (was 21, but moved to 20 with the Clippard trade): Rising. Often overshadowed by his fellow Charleston catcher,
Jesus Montero, Romine has put together a nice season in his own right. While hs is not walking very much (only 13 in 68 games), his strikeouts aren't too high either (37), and he has hit for a solid average (.276) and shown some power (6 home runs and 17 doubles). His defense is supposed to be pretty solid, though he has allowed a few too many passed balls for my liking. His bat has impressed in his full-season debut, and so far he looks like he will be able to hit enough to be a potential starting catcher down the line.
