Baseball Digest’s Top 10 Prospects: New York Yankees

For the past several years the New York Yankees have been slowly rebuilding their farm system to one of the better organizations in baseball. They accomplished this by being aggressive in the international free agent market and taking chances on high risk high reward players in the amateur draft. One of those high risk, high reward players was right-hander Joba Chamberlain who immediately made an impact on the organization within a year of being a drafted.

With players such as Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Brett Gardner now entrenched in the major leagues the Yankees now have the task of replacing them in the system. In addition the trades the Yankees have made this past off season sent two of their top prospects to other teams in order to strengthen the big club.

It was an up and down year for the Yankees in the minor leagues as several of their top players experienced injuries such as Dellin Betances, Jairo Heredia, and Jesus Montero. Former first round pick Andrew Brackman struggled in his first professional season but found success at the end of the season out of the bullpen. Others however emerged such as the young Jose A. Ramirez who ended the year on the NY-Penn League championship roster of the Staten Island Yankees.

1. Jesus Montero – Young, big, and powerful are three words that can best describe catching prospect Jesus Montero who comes as no surprise to be number one on our New York Yankees top prospect list. The 6 foot 4 inch 225 pound right handed slugger has impressed at every level he has competed at.
2. Austin Romine – Coming in right behind the slugging Jesus Montero is the best defensive catcher in the organization in the form of Austin Romine. The Yankees selected the 21 year old catcher in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player draft out of high school and made his professional debut later that season appearing in just one game where he went 1 for 2 with a RBI for the Gulf Coast Yankees.
3. Manny Banuelos – Probably the best left-handed pitching prospect the New York Yankees have developed since current Yankee Andy Pettite. Manny Banuelos was neck and neck with Arodys Vizcaino for the title of best pitching prospect in the Yankees organization but a trade solved that debate.
4. Slade Heathcott – One of the two members of the 2009 First-Year Draft class who made our Top 10 prospect list is outfielder Slade Heathcott. Although he appeared in only 3 games during the season with the Gulf Coast Yankees.
5. 

   Zach McAllister pitching for the Trenton Thunder - Photo Credit: Robert M. Pimpsner

   Zach McAllister – Zach McAllister was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3^rd round ove the 2006 First-Year Player Draft and made his professional debut later that season as a piggyback starter with fellow draft pick Dellin Betances.

6. JR Murphy – John R. Murphy is the second member of the 2009 Draft class to be named to the Top 10 Prospects. Murphy was selected in the second round of the draft out of high school. The 6foot 190 pound catcher then made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees where he hit .333 in 9 games with a homerun, a double and 7 RBIs.
7. Andrew Brackman – As a former two-sport athlete in college the towering Andrew Brackman never has been through the regular off-season training routine that typical pitchers went through, in addition sitting out a season due to Tommy John surgery he did not have his best stuff in 2009, but the Yankees still liked what they saw from his development.
8. Wilkins DeLaRosa – Originally signed as a right fielder with a killer arm DeLaRosa’s bat was not able to come around and the Yankees moved him to the mound in 2007.
9. Jeremy Bleich – Selected in the supplemental round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft the left-handed pitching Jeremy Bleich made his professional debut pitching 3 innings allowing 2 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 4 for the Staten Island Yankees in September of that season.
10. Ivan Nova – Ivan Nova is a guy that Yankees fans could see sometime soon in the Bronx. The young right hander signed on July 15, 2004 as an International Free Agent and then made his United States debut in 2006 with the Gulf Coast Yankees.

Other Names to Know

Beyond the top ten prospects are several players that could break into the list next year such as right-handers Jose A. Ramirez, DJ Mitchell, Christian Garcia and Hector Noesi. That latter was added to the 40-man roster this past off-season. Infielders Bradley Suttle and Corban Joseph are also names to follow in the minors. Newly signed catcher Gary Sanchez has yet to get into a game but could be on the list next season after making his professional debut. In addition the young Kyle Higashioka has the ability to be great defensive catcher as well as become a good hitter.

Check back throughout the week as we take a closer look at the Top 10 New York Yankees Prospects

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Topics: Amateur Draft, Andrew Brackman, austin romine, Banuelos, Baseball Digest, Betances, jesus montero, joba chamberlain, Montero, New York Yankees, Penn League, Phil Hughes, Photo Credit, Player Draft, Professional Debut, Professional Season, Prospect List, Reward Players, Staten Island Yankees, Taking Chances, Top Prospects, Trenton Thunder

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