Thursday, June 30, 2011

YEEP 6/30. Jesus "I've still got some power in me yet"

 Evil Em Vee P of the night: Jesus Montero (2/4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI)

AAA SWB L 7-3 to Norfolk. Warren got the loss.
Montero: 2/4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI. In Norris' interview with Ashmore, Ashmore did say Montero's power didn't come around until this time last year. I hope he's right.
Laird: 1/3 1 RBI
Adam "the Warden" Warren: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. Everyone's entitled to a meh game every now and then.
Andrew Brackman: 2 IP 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR. Still a mess. I just hope he figures something out this offseason, because he's really far away from where he needs to be right now.

AA Trenton: W 8-6. W: Mr. Garrison S: Horne
Kruml: 3/5, 2 R, 2 SB (25). He's on fire. Starting to wonder if Kruml, and not his evil twin Krum, should have gotten the promo to AAA.
CoJo: 3/5, 2 R, 2B, 1 RBI (.296)
BRomine: 2/5, 3 R, RBI. Consistency, which is what I want to see from him this time of year, which is when he began to tire out last season IMO.
R-Ly (Rob Lyerly): 0/3, 1 RBI, 1 K. 9 RBI in 10 g so far in AA. That's what you look for out of a 1B. The other thing you look for, however, is power.
Chase Whitley: 2.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K, H.
Josh BRomance Romanski: 1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB
Alan Horne: .1 IP, 0 R,  1 BB, 1 K, S. A save's a save. 2/2

High A Tampa: Postponed

Low A Charleston:  L 1-5. L: Greene
E Sosa: 0/3, 1 BB
Sanchize: 0/3, 1 BB, 1 K.
Higgy (Higashioka): 0/4
S Greene: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. When defense fails you, there's not much you can do. They had 4 errors tonight. This was a recurring theme in the minors tonight. He also made 2 of the errors himself though.
Franciso Rondon: 2 IP, 5 K, 0 H, 0 R. Got the promo from SI. Deserved it. Continued his success. 0 ER in 8.2 IP so far this season total.

Short Season Staten Island: W 6-5. W: Nuno
Mason "Mad Mase" Williams: 0/4, 1 RBI
Cito "Cheetoh" Culver: 1/4, 1 RBI, 2 K
Angelo "Bubba Gumbs Shrimp" Gumbs: 1/3, 1 R, 1 BB
Vidal "Nono" Nuno: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 K, 0 ER. Excellent relief appearance. He's done very well in that role so far. (10.1 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 10 K). 23 though so old for his level.
Pinder: .2 IP, 1 K, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, S. (2.25 ERA on the season) 4 saves already. I like his poise so far.

GCL Yankees L 14-11. L: Johnson
Claudio "the janitor" Custodio: 3/4, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 3 SB (7). Keep it up kid.
Ravenous Ravel Santana: 1/6, 2 K, SB. It's okay Rav
Junior Bichette: 1/3, 1 R, 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Yeicok Calderon: 0/6, 3 K. Yucky.
Dawerd Cruz: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. The Yankees committed 8 errors in this game. Pathetic. They did also have 6 SB though.

That's it for the night. It's tough to pick a Evil Em Vee P tonight, but I have someone in mind. I'll just say Rondon was a close 2nd, however because he's older and at a lower level, I have to give it up to Jesus tonight.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

YEEP 6/29/11 - Welcome back Slade!

 Evil Em Vee P: Slade Heathcott. 3/5, HR. Image courtesy of BronxBaseballDaily.com

AAA SWB Walk-off Loss to Norfolk, 2-1. Josh Schmidt got the loss.
Lazus Montero 1/4
Laird 0/4 1 K
Pendleton 4 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Kontos: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 ER. Still going strong. One injury away from a call-up.

AA Trenton 3-2 W over New Hampshire W: Hughes, S: Hall
Kruml: 3/4 1 R, 1 3B, batting .285 this season, 3 HR, 23 SB 8 CS, not bad at all. 25 years old.
CoJo: 0/3 1 BB
BRomine: 2/4 1 K
R-Ly: 2/4 1 HR, 2 RBI. .297 avg so far. The guy is a superb contact hitter. Still waiting on some consistent power though.
DeeMack: 0/3, K
Phil Hughes: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K. Sources had him hitting 92-94 consistently, and getting up to 95.
Shaeffer Hall: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 HR. I guess they're manufacturing LOOGYs at this level, unless Hall is going back to the rotation. Hall, Romanski, and debatably Venditte.

High A Tampa- W 10-3, over Daytona, these guys have been hitting the crap out of the ball.
Slade Heathcott: 3/5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K... Helluva return. Guess he was probably "bored" in Charleston.
Walt Ibarra: 2/5, 2 R, 3B, 2 K
Boilin Zoilo: 3/4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB. He's at it again, average up to .279
K-Roll: 1/4, 1 BB, 2K meh
JR Murphy (Murph from now on): 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB. Progress
Seggy: 1/5, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
Kelvin Castro: 1/5
Brett Marshall: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K. Another great outing. 1.97 ERA over his last 10 starts. Down to 3.78 on the season.
Cozmo Kramer Sneed: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Very shaky first outing. Quite honestly I didn't understand this promotion. I guess he's lefty, has a pulse, and strikes guys out. Hope he figures high A out!

Low A River Dogs 2 Games
Game 1: Loss to Augusta, 2-1. L: Nuding
Eduardo Sosa: 0/3
Ray-Flo: 0/3
Sanchize: 1/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI 1 K. Starting to pick it up!
Higgy: 0/2 1 K
Nuding: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Not a bad outing, but he got the loss. He seems to have a long way to go, but he is only 21.
Dott: 1 H, 2 K, former TB Devil Rays pick, now he's ours. Don't know anything about him, or even how we got him, but go DOTT!

Game 2: W 9-2 W: Barreda
Ray-Flo: 2/5, 1 R, 2B, 1 RBI, 3 K
Sanchize: 1/4 1 R 1 BB, 2 K
Higgy: 2/3, 2 R, 2B, 1 RBI
Kahnle: 2 IP, H, 2 K
Barreda: 1 IP 2 K

Short Season A, Staten Island: W 9-1. W: Oliver, S: Wetherell
Mad Mase: 0/4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K. Yikes
Cheeto Culver: 0/4, 1 RBI
Bubba Gumbs Shrimp: 3/5, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K. Maybe I should claim I won't follow this whole team, because they seem to start hitting the day after I say that.
Shane Brown: 1/2, 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB. If he keeps playing this way, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Charleston soon.
Matt Tracy: 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
Phil Wetherell: 1.1 IP, 2 H, BB, K

GCL Yankees: 8-7 W over GCL Pirates. W: Rutckyj S: Cowsert
The Janitor (Claudio Custodio): 1/3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB (4). Still looking good.
DAd: 1/2 2B, 2 RBI 1 K. Left earlier today (6th inning), than he has been lately. Flight to catch?
Ty Austin: 1/3, 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K. More and more impressed with this kid each day.
Yeicok: 2/4, 2B, 1 RBI, 2 RBI. Batting an even .300 on the season
Junior: 0/4. Did hit 2 line drives though. He doesn't strike out a lot, and his BABIP has to be exceedingly low right now. I'd be willing to bet his average goes up soon.
Jorge Alcantara: 0/3, 1 K, 2  BB
Isaias Tejeda: 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB. Not bad.
Graham "Cracker" Stoneburner: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Increased to 3 IP, I guess his next outing will be 4 IP. So far so good though.
Rutckyj: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Pretty good job here. 1.00 ERA in 9 IP so far.
Cory Cowsert: 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K. Nice story with this kid. He went undrafted, and instead played for an independent league team. Throws right handed and is 23 years old. He's a really hard worker who throws hard from what I've read. Not much of a prospect, but hey, good luck kid.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Other Prospect News

  Image: Sam Stafford, 2nd round pick, signed today. Picture courtesy of Frathousesports.com

Josh Norris

YEEP 6/28/11 - Ravenous Ravel

Evil Em Vee P of the night, Ravel Santana. In two games, he was 5/9 with 1 HR, 1 2B, and 2 RBI. Photo courtesy of PinstripesPlus.com


AAA Scranton 9-2 Shallacking by Norfolk.
Lazus Montero (because he's LAZY) 0/3 with 1 BB. Not showing why he should be called up, nor is he proving any recent reports wrong.
Brandon Laird 1/4, 1 R, 2 K. Not like him to strike out twice.
Greg Smith: took the loss. He is in fact mortal. 6 IP 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 2 K, 2 HR

AA Trenton 3-1 Win over New Hampshire Venditte gets the win, Horne the save.
CoJo (Corban Joseph)- 3/4, 2 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI. Got his average up to .293, 13 for his last 35 (.371) and 12 BB in his last 10 g.
BRomine: 0/4... he's entitled. Yeah that's right walk away.
R-Ly:1/3, 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K. Keeps proving people wrong!
DeeMack: 0/3 1 K
ManBan (Manny Banuelos): 5.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K 1 HR. That's what we like to see, now no more hiccups, okay gangster?
Pat "Sideshow" Venditte: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Keeps beating the odds. Tim Norton singled him out as an incredibly hard worker he wouldn't bet against before Norton went down with his season, possibly career ending injury.
BRomance-ski (Josh Romanski): 1 IP, 2 H. Good work out of the pen. I like his LOOGY potential. Sidenote, if Bromance-ski is a LOOGY, does that make Venditte a SWOOGY? I say YES!
Alan Horne, the closer: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Hey, not so bad kid.

High A Tampa 3-0 loss to Brevard County. Hero Heredia took the loss
Honest Abe: 0-4 1 SB
Walt Ibarra: 1/4 1 k
K-Roll: 1/4 1 2B
JR Murphy: 0/4 2 k Struggling mightily since the call-up. I'd be willing to bet Higashioka would be batting better than .111 right now, but I'll give him time to adjust.
Seggy: 1/4 1 k
Kelvin Castro: 0/2 1 BB
Jairo "the Hero" Heredia: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER 3 BB, 3 k, 3 HR. This outing was on the rough side, and he's lucky no one was on base when those HR were hit because he did let up a decent amount of baserunners. I'll cut him a break on this one though because he's been amazing besides this outing, which to be honest wasn't all that bad.

Low A River Dogs - Postponed

Short Season Staten Island Yankees 11-9 Win over Hudson Valley
Cheeto Culver (Cito Culver): 3/5, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K. Alright now he's 8 for his last 22 after this game, I think I'll jump on the bandwagon finally. Still not following Bubba Gumbs Shrimp yet though.
Shane the Mane Brown: Gotta keep mentioning him if he keeps doing things worth mentioning, 4/5, 1 HR, 3 R, 1 RBI. Pitchers can only hope to contain him right now.
Bryan Mitchell: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 3 BB 4 K. As they say where I come from, he got raped tonight.
Gerritse: 1.1 IP, 3 K. He's done a nice job so far! He got the Double U.
Caleb Cotham: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 K. Also has done a nice job.
Zach Arneson: 1.1 IP, 2K. Likewise
Paullus: .2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 1 HR. Rough
Pinder: .1 IP, got the illusive save in this one.

GCL Yankees Game 1 - continuation of yesterday's game 6-5 Win over GCL Tigers
Claudio Custodio (SS): 2/5 1 r, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 k. 20 year old kid, not sure where this production is coming from. Last year he batted just .217 in the DSL in over 200 at bats. We'll see how long this lasts.
DAd (David Adams- old enough to be a lot of these guys' dad): 1/5, 1 r, 1 2B, 2 k. Still didn't leave him in the entire game, but I guess their reaaaally easing him back into it. He's hitting .471 so far so it's certainly not lack of skill keeping him down here.
Tyler Austin: 1/5 1 r, 1 HR, SB (3) 2 RBI. This kid can hit. Batting .400 so far, 19 years old. Tough to make it as a 1B though.
Junior (Dante Bichette will herein be called Junior because I'm convinced that's the only reason we drafted him - 3B): 1/3 1 r, 1 RBI, 2 BB 1 K. Does seem to have a good approach. 7 BB in 6 g so far. He'll have to hit the ball at some point though, .105 BA is not gonna cut it.
Ravenous Ravel Santana: 4/5 1 2B, 1 RBI. And he's off. We've heard about this guy's 80 power 80 speed but it appears that maybe he can hit as well. Very Excite!
Taylor Morton: 1 IP, 1H, game suspended after one inning and then restarted today. I like this kid though, he's been good so far and has legitimate stuff.

Game 2: GCL Yankes 3-2 Win over GCL Tigers
Ravenous Ravel: 1/4 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K. I guess this kid is pretty serious
Tyler Austin: 2/3 2 R. Played 3rd in this game, maybe there's hope for him yet. Hasn't had a single walk yet in 7 g, but obviously he's getting some good pitches to hit so let's not fix what's not broken.
Yeicok Calderon (does he even need a nickname with a name like that?): 1/3 1 K.
Jorge Alcantara (Very bad ass sounding name): 2/4 1 2B, 1 K. Batting .500 in the young season.
Mike Gipson (Gip... Mom's like you choose Gip... chooooooose Gip... sorry): 2 IP 2 K. Rehab start, he'll be in Charleston soon. One of the big 3 relievers there.
Edwin Rodriguez: 3.2 IP 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. 21 year old kid out of the Dominican, he played well there...

That's about it for today, enjoy your night everyone! Nice win for the big boys tonight as well!!!

Monday, June 27, 2011

YEEP Nightly Summary

Image: Nik Turley, tonights Evil EM Vee P. Picture thanks to gothambaseball.com
AAA SWB
Jesus Montero: 1/4 with 1 k. Montero's whole season has been a big 1/4 with 1 k so far. Doing just enough to get by but nothing to impress.
Brandon Laird: 1/4 with 1k. It feels like he's cooled off, but he's still 11 for his last 37 with 2 HR, good for a .297 average.
DJ Mitchell: 6 IP 2 ER 4 k, 1 BB. Another quality start, I hope he gets a September call-up. He deserves it for what he's done this year. All he has to do now is finish strong like he did last season.
George Kontos: 1 IP, 2 k, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB. Making a strong bid for that open relief spot.
R Flores: 1.2 IP 1 BB 1 k, 0 H, 0 ER. Making a strong bid for that LOOGY spot.

AA Trenton
CoJo: 0/3 2 BB 1 k. Could be worse
BRomine (because he's my bro): 2/5  2b, 1 RBI, 1 k. Really putting his hitting together this season. I love it when my predictions actually come true (rare as that may be). 14 for last 41 with 3 2B and 4 BB (.366/.422/.439/.861)
RLy (Rob Lyerly): 1/4 with 1 r. He's adjusted really nicely and quickly to AA pitching, much like DeeMack did. It's just a 1/4 night, but he's put together some good games already.
DeeMack: 2/4 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 r. Another guy who's made the necessary adjustments. After initial adjustment period, he's 7/13 with 2 HR, nice work Mack Daddy.
Craig Heyer: 7 IP 2 ER, 5 H, 2 k. Let up 2 in the first inning. All of a sudden you blink and Heyer has put together yet another good start. I've said this before, but... this year's Lance Pendleton?
Chase Whitley: 2 ER in 2 IP 2 k, 2 bb, 3 H. Jitters?

High A Tampa
Honest Abe (Almonte): 2/4 3 r. 6 for his last 17. Has Abe finally found his stroke?
Walt Ibarra: 1/5 2 r, 3B, RBI, k, SB. Nice season so far, good to see the SB, he needs more of those if he wants to advance.
Boilin Zoilo (Almonte): 1/4 2 RBI, 2 K. Cooling off a bit. One more hot streak and he might be officially on the prospect map.
K-Roll (Kyle Roller): 2/5 1 HR, 1 k. Nice day for Kyle, he's showing why I think he's a better hitter than Seggy.
Seggy (Rob Segedin): 0/4 2 k. Just .185 since the promotion, but free pass for adjustment purposes.
KeFla (or K-Flann, which is better? Kevin Flannery)- 1 IP, 1 k, zeros, 1.57 ERA. He's the only one I care to follow who pitched today. He deserves a promotion. I like this dude because all he's ever done is produce results. AA will be his big test.

Low A Charleston
Eduardo Sosa: 1/5 3B, 2 k 2 RBI. .306 average in limited action, but this is what he does. The triple reflects his speed, which seems to be his major plus attribute.
Ray-Flo (Ramon Flores): 0/3 1 k. He's ice cold. .143 in last 10 g spanning 35 at bats. 143 means I love you, maybe that means it's time for him to break out of that slump.
Sanchize (Gary Sanchez): 0/3, 1 r, 1 BB. Still .294 with 2 HR in last 10 g.
Higgy (Kyle Higashioka): 2/3, 2B, 1 r, 1 BB, 1k. Continues to hit well despite being demoted. He didn't deserve it this season, but it's tough to justify having him in high A over JR Murphy, because Murphy earned his way there as far as his bat goes, while Higgy earned his way there with defense. Unfortunately, defense can only get you a backup catching job in the majors, so Higgy needs to keep hitting to restore his prospect status. I sure hope he does.
Nik "the slick" Turley: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 k. What a performance! Has been even more dominant his last 10 starts (1.77 ERA, .213 BA against than his first 5. Unfortunately, he's already 10 IP over last years total, so a promotion may not be very likely at this point. It's okay, he's still just 21.
DaBraw (Daniel Burawa): 3.0 IP, 1 k, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER. He needed an outing like this. The last 10 outings have been rough on him.

SS low a Staten Island
Mad Mase (or Mad Willy, Mason Williams)- 2/3 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 CS. Spectacular start to his career. Keep it up Mase. I'm not following Culver until he does something deserving of being followed, same goes for Bubba Gumbs Shrimp.
Wetherell: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 k. Not bad.
Monte Python (Montgomery): 1 IP, 3 k. BEAST.

Scouting the GCL Starting Rotation

Image: Gabriel Encinas. Source: www.InsideSoCal.com

1. Gabriel Encinas - 18 yo RHP, 6'4, 210 lbs. 88-92 MPH fastball with lots of life and sink. Weak curveball. Decent changeup could be an average pitch. "Terrific competitive nature on the mound; goes right after hitters. Chance to have three average pitches, all of which he'll throw for strikes." - via MLB.com. Got him in last year's draft.

2. Gavin Brooks- 23 yo RHP out of UCLA. 6'3 220 lbs.
"His coach in college would only call for the slow curve ball but he was able to develop a harder breaking ball at Staten Island that he throws five mph faster. It’s either a harder curve ball or a slurve. Brooks calls it a slider. He throws it 78-79 mph and it has lateral movement and it breaks down. In college he threw a slower curve ball known as a spike curve ball but it’s more of a get me over pitch right now. He threw it in the low 70′s.
Brooks has a relatively free and easy delivery and his four-seam fastball has good sink and it sits between 89-91 mph. On occasion, he could throw his fastball at 94 mph. He’ll also try to throw a two-seam fastball to get ground ball outs when he’s behind in the count but it’s a new pitch for him." via YankeesDaily.com

3. Evan Rutckyj- 19 yo LHP. 6'5 213 lbs.  River Ave. Blues write up. RAB does a good job with this one.

4. Taylor Morton-19 yo RHP 6'3 194 lbs. River ave blues write up. And this one. 

5. Dawerd Cruz or Reynaldo Polanco- couldn't find anything on these two. Polanco is just 18, and has had limited experience even in the DSL, where he had a 7.67 ERA in 31.2 IP. Here he similarly got destroyed in his GCL debut, letting up 6 ER in 3 IP. Not sure where this one came from, or why he started. Maybe they got him confused with Rafael Depaula? Not sure. Dawerd Cruz has performed well in the DSL and gave us 4 strong innings of relief in the Stoneburner rehab start. He had 6 K and let up 2 hits in those 4 IP. He is 22 years old.

Overall I think it's a pretty good rotation. There are some older guys on it like Brooks and Dawerd Cruz, but Encinas, Morton, and Rutckyj are all young and projectable starters who could make an impact. It will be fun to follow these guys this season. Unfortunately, today's game with Morton pitching was rained out, but he did throw a scoreless innings before the game was suspended.

2011 Draft, rounds 10-50, Who Should We Sign?

Image: Daniel Camarena, courtesy of  perfectgame.org

I did some research and these are the guys I found intriguing. One, Cody Grice, has already signed, so that's a good start. Anyway, here goes.

48th round- Wes Benjamin LHP- FB: 91, runs in high 80's. throws a 4-seamer, a 2-seamer, a curveball, and a changeup. That velocity from a lefty out of high school is a commodity. committed to Kansas, so might cost us some money to sign, but if we don't we could end up regretting it if he continues the success he had in HS at Kansas (10-1, 1.31 ERA, 64 innings, 84 strikeouts, 14 walks).

47th round- Ethan Springston CF - .533 with 11 HRs, 54 RBIs, and 45 runs. Unable to find a college commitment. 6-2 170 Lbs. Bats: Left/ Throws: Right. 60 Yard: 6.9 Sec. Outfield Arm Strength 87 MPH. Born May 24, 1993. 6'2 175, so has some room to fill out.

44th Round- Adam Ravenelle RHP- 6'3 185. High school player committed to Vanderbilt. 93 MPH with a sweeping 76 mph curveball. His senior year he went 6-0 with an ERA just under 1.00. Committed to Vanderbilt, but I'm sure the Yankees can coax him out of that with some big money if they think he's worth it. He was projected to go as high as the 10th round, so he was certainly a bargain at this point in the draft. "Ravenelle might have the highest ceiling of any Massachusetts pitcher not named Beede or Connaughton. Ravenelle has a 6-foot-4, 185-pound build and throws in the low 90s, but he has struggled with consistency. He throws from a three-quarters slot and has funkiness with his arm action, and he needs to repeat his delivery better by staying closed longer and more in line with the plate. Ravenelle has shown a fringe-average breaking ball and decent changeup in the past. A Vanderbilt recruit, Ravenelle likely will end up at school, though someone should take a flier on him as a summer follow."

43rd Round- Tyler Farrell RHP- HS, Righthander Tyler Farrell has the best FB/CB in Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 180 lb throws 88-91 mph and touches 93, and he throws his CB with good depth. Not much deception in delivery.committed to Western Illinois.stat line 7-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 93 K in 52 IP. Sounds like another guy who could be a solid signing and we'd probably have to pay him like a 10th-20th rounder to get him. I like him though.

39th Round: Taylor Guilbeau LHP, HS. Projectable 6-3/175 lefty, upper 80s FB now with extended ¾ release; 78 mph SL is best pitch, big/deep CH. Committed to Alabama. Perfect game has him at 88 mph on the FB. Lots of movement on his pitches. Intriguing kid.

37th round: Ryan Harris RHP, HS- 6'2, 195 lbs. Clocked at 93 mph by Perfect game. Committed to U of Florida. Another high velocity righty. There are others I like better but I wouldn't hate the signing.

36th round: Ryan Thompson RHP UCONN- 6'3, 190. A scouting report from the Unionleader.com: his FB sits consistently at 88 to 92 mph and SL are already major league average pitches. Excellent control and ability to throw strikes. holds velocity deep into games, has a chance to start at the next level, but he profiles better as a sinker/slider reliever. Thompson could get taken in the top eight rounds, but he's more likely to go somewhere between rounds 10 and 15. Another 90's throwing righty, good organizational filler with potential to be a solid reliever or something more.

35th round: Chris Mccue RHP- 6' 170. Chris McCue has the ability to throw his FB in the mid 90s - clocked as high as 94 MPH, with an effective CB and CU at any point in and throws them for strikes in any count. Scouts raved about his sinking action on his FB, has potential to dial up the speed as he physically develops in addition to refining his mechanics on off speed pitches. Another 90s throwing righty, sounds feisty, and is an honor student. Size is a concern, probably a reliever.

34th round: Skylar Janisse RHP- 6'4 200 lbs, HS. Skylar Janisse is a 6-foot-5, 206-pound righthander who played in the Under Armour All-American game last summer. His fastball is in the mid- to high 80s right now, but his arm works well and he's a great competitor on the mound. Janisse shows good feel for a CU and his CB is inconsistent. committed to Oakland. Perfect game = 89 mph. Lots of upside here.

32nd round: Garrett Nuss RHP- 6'2 185, HS. 93 mph FB. committed to University of Central Florida. His senior season he went 11-1 with a 0.96 ERA 93 K in 56 ip. father is his team’s pitching coach, has put in work to improve as a pitcher and he has gotten great results. Has 3 pitches, increasing velocity now sits from 90-94. Has CU that is a potential plus pitch and a 12/6 curve. Nuss- “Away from baseball? What do you mean? There is no away from baseball. It’s my life.”

29th round: Scott Hoffman RHP 6'4 205 lbs, HS. 92 mph FB. Committed to Arizona St. University. Ranked 54th best prospect nationally by MaxPrep. His stats for the season were a 13-0 record with a 2.01 ERA. He also had 76 strikeouts in 66 innings. 2nd team all state as DH. Can't find anything on what else he's got, but a high school kid throwing 92 with that body is scary.

28th round: Josean Lazaro RHP 6' 170 HS. Committed to Villanova. Senior year: 7-0 2.52 ERA 101 K 58.1 IP. He was clocked at 93 mph. He was selected as preseason All-American High Honorable Mention by Perfect Game USA. Lazaro has an athletic build, uses a 3/4 arm slot short arm action, good arm speed, very little effort, some arm side run, 11-5 curve ball with good bite, good pick off to first, fastball has good downward plane, solid command, easy motion. Good student.

26th round: Jordan Foley 6'4 205, HS. committed to Central Michigan Junior year 70 K in 68 IP and posting a 0.84 ERA. Another 90+ RHP (according to perfect game) with a solid build and good track record. If we sign some of these guys we might put together a surprising draft class.

20th round: Daniel Camarena, LHP, HS, CA. 6 walks in 49 innings this spring while striking out 76, illustrating his superb feel for pitching and ability to carve up the strike zone. worked hard to add strength and his velocity jumped a tick this spring, ranging from 87-91. his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame lacks projection. He makes up for it with his polish and command. CU- scouts rate as an average pitch. already flashes a big league CB sometimes. Most scouts see Camarena's future on the mound, but he could be a standout two-way player in college. Strong mature build. Top level 2-way prospect. Has been primary LHP but may have higher ceiling as a hitter. varies FB velocity/movement/location, tops at 91 sinks it at 83-84 as well, big CB, nice CU. San Diego committed. Selected for the Aflac All-American team.
I think we gotta get this guy. He looks like he's gonna be a hoss.

18th round: Hayden Sharp, 6-6, 200, RHP HS, He is signed to play at Central Oklahoma. Nothing on his other pitches though, or his command. As a senior he was used mostly as a reliever and had 82 strikeouts. Keith Law on Twitter: Pop-up guy for the draft this year - Hayden Sharp from Morris, OK. Hit 98 on Thursday, lot of 93-96, quarterback committed to Ctrl Oklahoma

17th round: Matthew Troupe, RHP, Chaminade Prep (Calif.) High School. 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, lacks projection but has good feel for a solid three-pitch mix: an 87-91 mph FB, a tight cb and CU. has effort and head violence in his delivery, struggles to command to his arm side. Another 90+ throwing right hander out of HS. On the mound he went 4-2 with an amazing 1.14 ERA. In 49 innings he struck out 74 batters.

15th round: Tyler Molinaro RF 6'1 192. Finally a good hitting prospect. JUCO. had his coming out party in 2011. He lead the team in average, HR, RBI, and runs scored. His line looked like .396 average, 15 HR, 53 RBIs, and 60 runs in 49 games played. recruited to play at University of North Carolina Wilmington. Bats L, throws R. Molinaro has a tall, thin frame and offers power from the left side. Projectable bat, young enough, good pick.

14th Round - William Davis RHP 6'3" 235 HS. Comitted to ECU. He has a nickname of "rookie." Yankees drafted him as a pitcher and this season he went 9-0 with a 1.02 ERA. He also struck out 136 in only 61.1 innings. Over his four seasons in high school Davis was 25-4 with a 1.67 ERA and 415 strikeouts in 209.1 innings. 89-92 mph FB can sit 90-91. His CB has some shape cen be avg pitch at times.

13th round: Justin James, OF, Sacramento City College. The son of Dion James, Sacramento CC outfielder Justin James is making a name for himself on the diamond. Skipped senior year, and is clearly raw but shows five-tool potential. James is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds and is an above-average runner. hits lefty, and he shows raw power in batting practice, even to the opposite field. Because of his frame, speed and raw power potential, James could go as high as the third round. During the 2011 season Justin hit .309 with 20 RBIs, 46 runs, and 19 stolen bases. Projectable with power, but hasn't shown it yet.

12th Round - Cody Grice CF 6' 220 Righty. Grice is out of his junior year at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He had a great freshman year at Grand Valley. In 55 games he hit .411 with 5 HRs, 34 RBIs, and 45 runs. During his sophomore year he continued his dominance. He hit .455 with 6 HRs, 49 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. 2011- He hit .381 with 4 HR, 59 RBIs, and 59 runs. He was second in RBIs and first in runs on his team. He also had 23 stolen bases.


Information was taken from http://roadtoyankeestadium.blogspot.com/, NYpost.com, and perfectgame.com, as well as some random articles I found.

Update: These are the guys we've signed so far.
24th round- Matt Tracy LHP- Mississippi- has made some relief appearances.
23rd round- Corey Maines RHP- Illinois state- also a reliever
21st round- Zach Wilson 1B- Arizona State- started with GCL I believe
19th round- Ben Paullus RHP- Tenn.- Reliever
16th round- Brandon Pinder RHP- Long Beach St.- Reliever
12th round- Cody Grice OF- Grand Valley st.- starts in SI
11th round- Mark Montgomery RHP- longwood- another reliever
9th round- Zach Arneson RHP- Lewis-Clark st- another reliever
8th round- Phil Wetherell RHP- Western Kentucky- ANOTHER reliever
1st round- Dante Bichette Jr. 3B- Orangewood Christian HS- starting 3B for GCL

That's 7 relief pitchers out of 10 signings, 6 of which are right handed. I guess the goal was to get some filler for the GCL/SI roster signed quickly. Relievers have a slow course through the minors so it's not a bad idea to get them started early. We already have most of our SP slots filled, and they can start their career next season if need be. All of the SP candidates will likely be Summer follows. Can't say I'm excited about too many of these guys, but I do like Cody Grice and Dante Bichette, and Zach Wilson has been good so far. Here's to hoping more of the guys from my previous post get signed at some point!!

Lower Level Outfielders


There isn't much in AAA or AA in the Yankees system as far as OF go. Most are either organizational filler, 4th OF ceilings, or just don't have much of a future. Some may sniff the major leagues as a 4th OF or fill in for an injured player, like Golson, Brewer, but are unlikely to stick on any team. We have about 12 kids I'm excited about in the lower levels (High A to GCL). I'm going to list them in order and say why I'm excited and why I have each of them in this position.

1. Slade Heathcott- He's 20. obvious choice as our 1st round draft pick, but this season he has really performed well when not injured. He has shown some improvement with SB and power, but has struggled to stay healthy. He is definitely an outstanding defender, but the key is going to be keeping that shoulder healthy so he will still have a cannon if/when he reaches the major leagues. The Yankees drafted him as a project, someone who they knew would require a year or so of learning and practice before starting to pay dividends. We are starting to see a return on him, and hopefully he continues to improve.

2. Mason Williams-19 yo only in short season A with SI this year, but he's already making a splash with his speed and power. He was a signability guy in the 5th round last season, so we got him later than we should have, and we got a young player whom we can groove in whatever way we'd like. The speed and power are promising, as is his fielding. He is better sooner than Heathcott was, but Heathcott started his second season in Charleston, so it's a little different.

3. Ravel Santana- 19 yo I don't know much about him, but I know he's an international signing who lead the DSL in HR (10) and SB (22) last season. Apparently scouts say he has 80 power and 80 speed. That's one hell of a prospect if he can put it all together. That's a big if though and we've seen how guys like this can fail with Kelvin De Leon and Melky Mesa. He's in the GCL this season.

4. Ramon Flores- Another 19 yo. In Low A, he has shown an advanced approach at the plate. He has cooled down with his average and power, but continues to draw walks. This advanced approach could get him far, but he's going to need to keep improving his power numbers, and hit for a better average than he has so far this season... .254/.373/.399/.772

5. Zoilo Almonte- 22 yo. He's in high A, probably close to a AA promotion if his current hot streak continues. He had a similar hot streak at the same time last season, but it came to a halt when he was promoted to high A. This season, however, he has almost as many HR in less than 1/2 the games of last season. He also has stolen bases at a higher rate, and has similar OBP and avg tendencies, but is striking out at a lower rate for sure. He's OPSing at .869. 22 yo in High A is a red flag though.

6. Yeicok Calderon- 19 yo.He has solid power (8 HR in DSL last season), and hits for a solid avg, but it remains to be seen if these skills will transfer stateside. So far, so good .278/.350/.666/1.07 in very limited sample size, 2 HR and 2 SB as well.

7. Eduardo Sosa- Venezuela- 20 yo in low A with a lot of speed and an advanced approach at the plate. Strikes out too much but also draws a lot of walks and knows how to get on base. 10 SB in 11 attempts. Not much power.

8. Jorge Alcantara- 19 yo in GCL- showed an advanced approach in the DSL. Has showed some power and a good approach in the GCL so far. He'll likely see a lot of time in the OF since Bichette is the 3B there. Definitely a guy to watch. .433 OBP in the DSL last season.

9. Ben Gamel- 19 yo. have read a lot about his potential, it's not as high as some of the others but some project him as a solid OF. Enough to dream on a bit I suppose. Jury's still out.

10. Angelo Gumbs- still 18. Hasn't had much success so far, and has mostly played SS, but projects as a 2B/OF. We will see what this kid has to offer, he's a 2nd round pick so he could be good. Has shown a good amount of speed so far, hopefully getting some experience under his belt will help.

11. Shane Brown- 23 yo in SI. Realistically he shouldn't be on this list but he has started off really hot this season (1 HR, .375/.464/.542/1.006), so I put him on here as an outside chance, eg. a Neil Medchill/D'eangelo Mack type who are unlikely to pan out.

12. Henry Pena- 20 yo, GCL- almost didn't put him on the list, but I'll wait till he comes back to pass judgment. I've heard good things but haven't seen any come to fruition.

Long shots/honorable mention- Cody Grice (I liked this pick), Abe Almonte (has been hot lately, maybe his found it, doubt it), and Melky Mesa (severe regression this year)

My Midseason Top 20 prospects 6/12/11

1. Montero- has done nothing to decrease his value thus far. His power needs to come around though as he only has 4 HR thus far and is slugging just .408. He's close. Very close.
2. Betances- I ranked him my number 2 prospect preseason over Banuelos and thus far has has proven me right. Banuelos has been great but Betances has been phenomenal. 1.75 ERA, 51.1 IP, 58 K. Control is his only issue going forward, and he seems to be well on his way to conquering that.
3. Banuelos- He has struggled with his command, but it seems like whoever he does not walk, he strikes out or at least gets out. 2.88 ERA, 56.1 IP, 53 K. These three guys are clearly the reason our farm system is still top 10.
4. Romine- Here is my first change from the preseason. I had Sanchize here. I still have faith that Sanchize will turn his season around, but he is going to have to make a move soon. Romine, meanwhile, has played exceptionally well in Trenton. His defense has been good, while Sanchez has struggled in that department as well as his hitting. Sanchez is still a top prospect, and will likely turn it around, but Romine is showing why he was once viewed as the catcher of the future in the Yankees farm system. I predicted he would have a great season this year, and so far he's proving me right.
5. Sanchez- still our 5th best prospect despite a down year so far. As I said above I have faith that he will turn it around.
6. Hector Noesi- It was Brackman in this slot at the beginning of the season, but he has been absolutely awful so far. He often pitches better as the season wears on, but he doesn't look good at all this season. He's struggling again with control, and when he has his control he's not getting guys out like he should be. Noesi, on the other hand, has been very good, and has pitched great in the MLB so far.
7. Slade Heathcott- he has played very well so far, showing improved power from last season and an improved average. He could see a midseason promotion to Tampa, and he would deserve it. The important thing here is that he is showing a lot of improvement.
8. David Phelps- I was tempted to move JR Murphy above him, but I can't bring myself to do it. Phelps is performing too well right now for that, and he's been doing it consistently for over 1 year in AAA now. He had a rough start but he has really rebounded since then. 2.95 ERA (and improving by the day), 76.1 IP, 66 K.
9. JR Murphy- Moves WAYYY up my list. He was on my dark horse candidates to start the season, now he's all the way up at 9. His bat has been stellar thus far, although he seems to be cooling down. He has outplayed Gary Sanchez with the bat and at the C position through hard work. Not only that, but he has more versatility as he is playing other positions including 1st, 3rd, and OF at different times. I'm really high on him now as he is OPSing .806 with 6 HR and a .297 avg.
10. Andrew Brackman- he's been REALLY bad so far, but I can't take him out of my top 10, because all it will take is 3-4 dominant outtings and he will be right back in my top 10, probably higher than I have him right now.
11. Adam Warren- pitched CG 1 run ball in a recent start, and has been pitching very well recently. Another one of our AAA pitchers who's having a ton of success this season. Him, Noesi, Phelps, and Mitchell are really showing what they can do. 3.53 ERA, 47 K, 74 IP.
12. Brandon Laird- moves up mostly because others move down. (see Jose Ramirez and Graham Stoneburner. He struggled to start off in AAA, but has been raking recently. After a hellishly slow start, he's now up to .270 and has 4 HR, 3 of them recently. He doesn't strike out a lot and has learned to play OF, 1B, and 3B, a true 4 corner guy now.
13. Graham Stoneburner- hasn't pitched enough to change my opinion of him since he's been hurt. He was supposed to be back soon but I haven't heard anything lately.
14. Corban Joseph- Maintaining himself at AA, has come alive lately and been hitting well again. Notice David Adams shared this spot at the beginning of the season. I haven't given up on him, but he is going to have to be off this list until he proves he can stay healthy for now. .269 avg, .759 OPS, 2HR
15. Brett Marshall- after a horrific start to the season, he has been picking it up quite a bit lately. ERA is down to 4.19 with 52 K in 68.2 IP. These numbers are only going to improve as the season wears on, as his horrible start will likely be erased.
16. Cito Culver- Just started in SI, started very slow, but has a 5 hits in last 3 games.
17. Ravel Santana- I hear he has 80 power and 80 speed. Enough to justify taking Rafael Depaula off the list since he may never get his visa.
18. Mason Williams- Has started off hot in SI. He's shown power and speed. I could see him moving up this list really quickly
19. Rob Segedin/Kyle Roller- both have performed very well this season in Charleston. Very similar numbers with Roller pulling ahead in HR, but Segedin likely better in the field.
20. Have to go with DJ Mitchell here. He is doing to well in AAA to be ignored. 3.04 ERA, 44K in 68 IP. I hate to leave guys like Ramon Flores (A) and Jairo Heredia (high A) off this list but they are so far away and their upside is questionable anyway.

Guys who are officially on the prospect radar now and might be top 20 by the end of the season:
Ramon Flores
Jairo Heredia
George Kontos
Tim Norton- probably off the prospect radar now that he is out for the season.
Kevin Whelan
Jorge Vazquez- if the old dog learns a new trick - not striking out and hitting an off-speed pitch.
Deangelo Mack
Raymond Kruml- 23 SB
Craig Heyer
Pat Venditte
Naoya Okamoto
Josh Romanski
Shaeffer Hall
Chase Whitley
Robert Lyerly
Matt Murton
Walter Ibarra
Zoilo Almonte- extremely hot in High A
Eduardo Sosa
Kelvin Castro
Nik Turley **** almost made the list
Michael O'brien
Jose Ramirez- starting to turn it around this season, he'll have to continue that to be back on the list
Tommy Kahnle
Daniel Burawa
Manuel Barreda

Note: originally posted 6/12/11

My Preseason top 20 Prospects from February 4, 2011

1. Montero- If you are on this blog, you've probably heard enough about this guy to know about his potential.
2. Betances- I have him as the first of the killer bees. Most say that slots 2-4 on this list are interchangeable between the killer bees, I disagree. Rumor has it Betances starts in AAA this season (according to comments made by Rothschild). If this is the case, the Yankees brass obviously thinks very highly of him. His stuff is the real deal if scouts are telling the truth, just has to stay healthy.
3. Banuelos- I haven't read anything about his status for this season, but I'm assuming AA. He will still be 20 this season, and it would probably be best to move him along slowly and build up his innings limit. Not far behind Betances, if at all, plus he's a lefty, so that's an added bonus.
4. Sanchize- Could be the total package. He might be a Montero type bat with better defense. The key words here are could/might. He has a lot to prove, but as much, possibly more potential than anyone else on this list.
5. Austin Romine- I have him higher than he is on some other lists. Here's my reason. I think 2011 will be a good year for Austin. He caught more games last year than he ever had before, and I think this took it's toll late in the season. I'd be surprised if his offensive production doesn't take a big step forward this season. His defense is a new concern, but again this could have been due to the fatigue of never catching so many games last season.
6. Andrew Brackman- This is a pretty low ranking for Brackman. My issues are his age and his contract. If he's not in the majors by 2012 we no longer control him. That means a lot rides on this season. It's very close to make or break time with him, and an injury could really complicate the issue. He still has great potential, and Rothschild seems confident that Brackman can repeat his delivery early on in 2011. Definitely a positive sign on a guy with an extremely high ceiling.
7. Hector Noesi- Noesi is a very polished player. His ceiling isn't as high as some of the guys on this list, but according to all accounts, his floor is actually much higher than others on the list. Ceiling- 3rd starter, floor- 5th starter/long relief. Great control, pretty good stuff. His time at the major league level is coming soon.
8. Slade Heathcott- Still a work in progress. Last season maintained the status quo by performing just well enough. He hasn't become the first round draft pick we had hoped for yet, but he also hasn't decreased his value. It feels like it's only a matter of time before a guy with his tools breaks out, especially as he has held his own at a young age at this level.
9. David Phelps- This guy never gets the credit he deserves. He has done nothing but pitch extremely well since coming to the minors. He has had one bad season ever, in college, against metal bats. This is a big year for David, as he will likely see a call up. It may be make or break for him, as guys like him don't have the longest leash at the major league level. A couple of good starts or relief appearances and he's this years Ivan Nova.
10. Adam Warren- Last season his 15 k, 7 inning performance at AA was one of the most exciting things to happen in the minors. I love this guys grit and toughness. He seems like a real winner by all accounts. Great stats, great attitude, very good skills.
11. Jose Ramirez- Higher on my list than some others. I think this guy has great potential. He is still very young and he has the stuff to take him all the way up the ladder. People were disappointed with last season, but he still held his own, and IMO held his prospect status much the same as Heathcott did.
12. Graham Stoneburner- Lower on my list than some others, but not because I don't like him. He has been a great revelation in our system. He throws hard, and has good stuff. Looks like they still want him to develop another pitch, but I'd say his floor is a solid reliever at this point.
13. Brandon Laird- Really displayed his power this season. AAA will be a big test for him, as he struggled last season at this level. He smoked AA pitching though, and he has recently expanded his utility by shifting to OF in the offseason. Now he can play all of the corners, and could break in as a utility guy.
14. David Adams/Corban Joseph- Can I just mold these two into one guy? Honestly, I think one of them will make an impact, and the other won't. I'm not sure which will be the case but right now my money is on David Adams. These guys are pretty solid 2b hitters and fielders, and it will be interesting to see what they can do this season.
15. Brett Marshall- Here is another pitcher in the Yankees system who had a coming out party this season. He really pitched will in single A and A+ towards the end of the season. He could really make some noise this season and increase his standing.
16. Cito Culver- Scouts absolutely loved him in the GCL this season. He didn't fare so well at Staten Island, but he is very young for that level yet. His defensive skills are ++ and his hitting in the GCL was +, but in SI was probably a minus. He'll probably start in SI this year. Look for big things to come from him.
17. Rafael Depaula- Don't know much about this guy, but I do know that many feel he will replace our first round draft pick this season which we lost by signing the other Rafael. It's enough to get me excited.
18. Mason Williams- Another guy who I don't know much about except for what I've read. Apparently he has the tools to be another Brett Gardner with less speed but more power. I'll take that any day.
19. Rob Segedin- This guy fell into our laps in this draft because of injuries. Apparently he can really mash.
20. DJ Mitchell- Flew under the radar this season with a mediocre season but REALLY came on late, when not too many people were watching. He is way down on the list from last season, but he pitched really well in AAA while he was there. Look at his 2nd half numbers, and you may be much more intrigued than you were before.

Dark Horse candidates- guys who can really increase their standing with a strong performance this season:
Sean Black- Another guy who had a spectacular 2nd half. He has had a similar course as David Phelps so far, although slower in developing. He is my breakout candidate for next season, with his 2nd half last season as my justification.
Pat Venditte- Has a lot to prove this season at AA. This is his year to show that he is not just a sideshow.
Bryan Mitchell- I've read a lot of good things about his stuff. Another guy who could break out this season and put himself on the prospect map.
Kyle Roller- The next Brandon Laird? Great hitter, poor fielder. Common occurrence in this system right now.
JR Murphy- Disappointing with the bat so far. Apparently increased his versatility in the field this offseason, and now can play some 1b and OF too. Can't hurt his value, but he really needs to start hitting if he wants to be taken seriously. One good hitting season turns his value around completely.
Bradley Suttle- I could see a Brandon Laird-esque breakout for him this season.
Angelo Gumbs- the other SS we drafted besides Cito Culver. After the draft, scouts speculated that at least one of these two guys would work out for us, and I agree. Culver seems like the likely candidate so far, but don't count Gumbs out.

Sad to lose in rule 5: Lance Pendleton, George Kontos. Both may be back.
Gained in rule 5: Robert Fish and Daniel Turpen


Note: This was originally made on 2/4/11

Yankees Prospects Blog introduction

My name is Greg, a medical student Philadelphia and I am an avid follower of the Yankees farm system. Luckily, right around the time when I became interested about two years ago, the minor league system became much more intriguing. Guys like Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, and the since departed Austin Jackson were making a splash.

Now, they are making further strides with their farm system, as more bigtime prospects such as Manny Banuelos and the local fireballer Dellin Betances have made their way through the ranks. Players like Gary "the Sanchize" Sanchez and Slade Heathcott are also in the pipeline. It has become both exciting and fun to follow the system, and I have become a huge fan of all of the above listed players.

This blog intends to document the progress, as well as debate the merits and shortcomings of players in the Yankees minor league system. Feel free to comment on any of the posts I make, as I welcome followers and people who would like to argue with my opinions or express agreement. My knowledge of the system, while better than the average Joe, is limited by the fact that I do not have many opportunities to see these guys play in person, and only have so much access to scouting information etc. In the end, I would like this to be a place where people can come and discuss topics related to the Yankees farm system, and have some questions answered, while also answering some of the questions that I may have for the general public.

I will start my blog with a hypothetical first pitch, which would be thrown by none other than my favorite Yankee that played during my 25 year lifetime, Bernie Williams.