Where Are They Now? 2007 Yankees Prospects 1-10

Written by Greg Fertel | 10 August 2010

10. Brett Gardner, OF

I have written extensively about Brett Gardner in this space, but he has even exceeded all of my expectations in 2010. The Yankees gave him an everyday job to start the season, and it has paid off. Through 103 games, he has put up a wOBA of .355, which is well above average. His fielding has also continued to be a major plus, making Gardner an excellent asset for the Yankees. As a prospect, the question was always whether Gardner's walk rate could transition to the major leagues. So far, it has, and having Gardner could allow the Yankees to save a ton of money when Carl Crawford is on the free agent market this upcoming offseason.

9. Kevin Whelan, RP

The Yankees acquired Whelan from the Detroit Tigers in the Gary Sheffield trade. Whelan had been relatively new to pitching but was showing great stuff. The problem with Whelan was his below-average control, and that was something he never was able to figure out. His walk rates over the past three seasons in the minors are 6.9, 5.5, and 6.9. He is now 26, but unless he miraculously improves his control, I don't see much of a future for him with the Yankees.

8. J.B. Cox, RP

Another reliever, and seeing two of them in the top ten should tell you quite a bit about the quality of the Yankees farm system in 2007. Cox has had an interesting career, going from absolutely dominant in 2006 for Trenton to nearly retiring over the last year. When Baseball America gave him this ranking, it looked like he would be a cog in the Yankees bullpen at some point in 2007, but then Cox underwent Tommy John surgery and never really got his stuff all the way back. He is currently pitching for Trenton, but not well: he has a 5.40 ERA in 16.2 innings and is only striking out 4.9 batters per nine innings.

7. Tyler Clippard, P

Clippard was called up to the majors in May of '07 and had a few decent starts for the Yankees. In his first four starts, he pitched 20 innings and gave up 8 earned runs for an ERA of 3.60. Digging deeper into the stats shows a BB:K ratio of 11:14, which isn't going to get the job done. Predictably, Clippard did not pitch well in his next two starts and was demoted back to AAA. After the 2007 season, the Yankees traded him to the Nationals for Jonathan Albaladejo, who hasn't proven to be very useful out of the bullpen. Last season, the Nats moved Clippard to the bullpen, and he appears to have found his niche there. In 65.1 innings this season, he has a 3.31 ERA and a 3.37 FIP. This should be a reminder that it is usually not a good idea to trade a starting pitcher for a reliever.

6. Ian Kennedy, SP

The Yankees took Kennedy in the first round of the 2006 draft and it was not a very popular pick. Kennedy never had overpowering stuff, but was always successful. He continued that trend in his quick rise through the Yankees' farm system. He then had his ups and downs in the majors, and the fan base really didn't like him because some of his postgame quotes came off as cocky and immature. He then had an aneurysm in his arm and missed much of the 2009 season. He finished strong in the minors, and the Yankees sent him to Arizona as part of the deal for Curtis Granderson. He hasn't been great for Arizona, but he has definitely been useful. Kennedy has pitched 139 innings and has put up an ERA of 4.47 and a FIP of 4.93. ZiPS predicts a 4.62 FIP from Kennedy the rest of the way. After the trade for Granderson, I stated that I thought that Kennedy would probably produce more WAR over the next few seasons than Austin Jackson. So far, I was wrong with that prediction.

5. Joba Chamberlain, SP

So much has been said about Joba, so I don't have much to add here. He was drafted as a starter, shot through the system in his first full professional season and ended the year dominating in the bullpen for the Yankees in 2007. In 2008, he pitched very well out of the rotation and bullpen, but went down with an arm injury that hampered him down the stretch, causing the Yankees to be very cautious. Then, in 2009, Joba struggled as a starter and the Yankees bizarre handling of him couldn't have helped. This season, Chamberlain has been a full-time reliever and has frustrated fans with some very poor outings. I still do wonder what is the best long-term role for the young righty.

4. Dellin Betances, SP

The Yankees drafted Betances in the 8th round of their strong 2007 draft and signed him to a $1 million bonus. Whenever he has pitched, he's always done well, but he has had problems staying healthy. Coming back from injury in 2010, though, Betances has taken a huge step forward. In 62 innings for Tampa, he has struck out 73 while walking only 18 and giving up just 34 hits. He has an ERA of 1.60 and a FIP of 2.23. This has definitely been the most impressive streak out of Betances, and some might even argue that he is the best pitching prospect in the Yankees' system.

3. Humberto Sanchez, SP

Also acquired in the Gary Sheffield trade, Sanchez was the prize of the bunch. He was coming off a season in which he struck out over a batter per inning and had a 2.63 ERA in 123 innings split between Double and Triple-A. Things never went well for Sanchez again, as he had Tommy John Surgery and missed the entire 2007 season. He came back and even made a cameo in the Bronx in 2008, but his stuff was never the same after his injuries. He is now pitching for the La New Bears, a Taiwanese baseball team in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

2. Jose Tabata, OF

The enigmatic youngster struggled with some behavior issues in 2008 and the Yankees ended up trading him in a package to the Pirates for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. I always think that someone who is just 20 years old needs to be cut some more slack. I'm right around the same age as Tabata and I do dumb things all the time. I'm sure the Yankees had more reason to deal him than just the behavior problems, but I always thought Tabata was someone they should have held onto. He never developed the power that some people forecasted, but it looks like Tabata will be a solid player for the Pirates. He's still just 21 years old and has put up a .306/.358/.402 line for the Pirates in 228 plate appearances.

1. Phil Hughes, SP

Hughes became very highly touted early in the Yankees system, mainly because he was the best prospect the team had in a while. This raised expectations a lot for the young righty, but there was a reason that Baseball America ranked him the top pitching prospect in baseball at one point. He fulfilled some of that promise as a reliever in 2009, and is currently having an inconsistent season as a starter in 2010. That is to be expected though, and overall, Hughes has actually been quite good this season.