[情報] 2010 BA's Yankees Top 10 Prospects

看板Prospect作者Westmoreland (Five Tools/Seven Skills)時間15年前 (2009/12/24 02:31)推噓2(2推 0噓 0→)

留言2則, 2人參與討論串1/1

1. Jesus Montero, c Background: Montero ranked with corner infielders Balbino Fuenmayor and Angel Villalona, shortstops Esmailyn Gonzalez and Carlos Triunfel and catcher Francisco Pena as the top talents available on the international market in 2006. All signed big-money deals, and three years later, Montero is far and away the best prospect of the group. He got off to the roughest start. He initially signed for $2 million, but his bonus was renegotiated down to $1.65 million for reasons that never have been fully disclosed. He was overmatched in his first instructional league but has punished pitchers ever since. Montero broke out by finishing second in the low Class South Atlantic League batting race at .326 in 2008 and was even better last season. He hit .337/.389/.562 and reached Double-A Trenton at age 19. A fractured left middle finger cost him the last six weeks of the season, and his rust showed with a poor start to winter ball in Venezuela. Strengths: Montero doesn't have a classic swing or textbook rhythm, but he's gifted with hand-eye coordination, keen pitch recognition, a knack for barreling balls and tremendous strength. He can be out front or off balance on a pitch and still crush it. He covers the plate well and makes excellent contact. Montero hasn't delivered completely on his raw power, but he's close to projecting as an 80 hitter with 80 power on the 20-80 scouting scale. One veteran scout called him the best young hitter he has seen in years. Montero has solid to plus arm strength and threw out 32 percent of basestealers in Double-A, success the Yankees ascribe to his improved transfer and pitchers doing a better job holding runners. He even showed some 1.9-second pop times, according to one club official. Weaknesses: Montero has improved under the tutelage of catching coordinator Julio Mosquera, but he still grades out as a below-average defender. The Yankees no longer talk about him as an everyday major league catcher. His defense frequently is compared to Mike Piazza's, though he's a bit more athletic. Montero is somewhat stiff and lacks agility behind the plate, leading to 11 passed balls in 59 games last year. He also threw out just 13 percent of basestealers at high Class A Tampa, and they tested him 108 times overall— nearly two attempts per game. While he improved, he has a long arm stroke that slows his transfer and detracts from his arm strength. His modest athleticism and below-average speed probably preclude a move to the outfield or third base, a position he played prior to signing. The Future: In a different organization, Montero probably would just move to first base and mash, like Paul Konerko did when he came up through the Dodgers system in the mid-1990s. However, Mark Teixeira just finished the first year of an eight-year contract and isn't going anywhere. With an older roster, the Yankees aren't likely to break Montero into the lineup as strictly a DH. He's expected to catch at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2010, mixing in time at DH and perhaps first base. He's prime trade bait but also could be a complement to the New York's veteran sluggers in short order—if the Yankees can find a lineup spot for him. 2. Austin Romine, c Background: Romine's brother Andrew is an Angels shortstop prospect, while his father Kevin played seven seasons in the major leagues. Austin had his best pro season in 2009, winning MVP honors in the high Class A Florida State League and helping lead Tampa to the league title. A minor thumb injury forced him to leave the Arizona Fall League after just four games. Strengths: Romine has the tools to be an average or plus defender behind the plate, especially with his above-average arm. He threw out 30 percent of basestealers even though the Yankees don't emphasize holding runners for their Class A pitchers. His best offensive tool is his plus raw power, and he's a good athlete and runner for a catcher. Weaknesses: Romine must get stronger to maintain his skills, both offensive and defensive, over the course of an entire season. At times he struggles handling velocity, being a little late getting his glove to pitches on the corners. He still could add polish, and his arm strength sometimes gets him in trouble, as he led FSL catchers with 10 errors. He lacks patience at the plate and his swing tends to get long. The Future: The Yankees view him as their eventual replacement for Jorge Posada, though Romine is at least two years away from the majors. With Jesus Montero moving up to Triple-A in 2010, Romine will open the season as the everyday catcher at Double-A. 3. Arodys Vizcaino, rhp Background: When the Yankees spend big money during the international summer signing season, they usually give it to position players, such as Gary Sanchez, Wily Mo Pena and Jesus Montero. Vizcaino received the largest signing bonus the club has given a pitcher in that market, signing for $800,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2007. He dominated the short-season New York-Penn League last summer before a muscle strain in his back ended his season in August. Strengths: Vizcaino has the most electric arm in the system outside of Andrew Brackman, and he's much more polished. Vizcaino sits at 90-94 mph with his fastball and regularly runs it up to 96. His quick arm generates easy velocity, and the ball seems to explode out of his hand. His best pitch is a hammer curveball that he throws with solid command. Club officials say his curve is second only to A.J. Burnett's in the organization. He has a sturdy, durable body. Weaknesses: Vizcaino's changeup has improved but still grades as below average. He's raw and has plenty of work to do on subtle skills such as setting up hitters, fielding his position and holding runners. He also could have a more mature mound presence. The Future: Given Vizcaino's youth and ceiling, New York will handle him carefully. He figures to go to low Class A Charleston for 2010, starting in the first half and relieving in the second half to keep his innings from piling up. 4. Slade Heathcott, of Background: Heathcott was one of the few true five-tool players available in the 2009 draft, but knee and shoulder injuries limited him last spring and makeup concerns scared some clubs off him completely. The Yankees pounced on him and signed him for $2.2 million, the largest bonus they've ever given to a hitter or a high schooler out of the draft. Strengths: Heathcott has strength and fast-twitch athleticism. He offers big raw power from the left side of the plate and the bat speed to catch up to quality fastballs. He's a plus-plus runner with a strong arm that delived 94-mph fastballs during his prep pitching career, and New York believes he can play center field. Weaknesses: Heathcott will need at-bats to translate his tools into consistent performance. His all-out playing style has made him injury-prone, leading to November 2008 surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and a jammed throwing shoulder that limited him to DH for most of his senior season. His home life was unsettled and his immaturity has kept him off the field at times. The Future: The Yankees believe in Heathcott's talent and growing maturity, and he could become a superstar if he can stay on the field. He'll spend his first full pro season in low Class A. 5. Zach McAllister, rhp Background: McAllister has been a test case for an organization that favors power fastballs and curveballs. The Yankees tried to raise his arm slot and have him pitch more with a four-seamer and curve instead of his normal sinker/slider repertoire. Though he posted a 2.08 ERA at two Class A levels in 2008, the changes didn't suit him. He returned to his previous style last season and led the Double-A Eastern League with a 2.23 ERA. His father Steve is the Midwest crosschecker for the Diamondbacks. Strengths: McAllister has the best command of any pitcher in the system. He throws his two-seamer with solid armside life, sitting at 89-91 mph and touching 93. He commands his sinker well enough to get inside on hitters effectively. His slider gives him another pitch that helps him get groundouts, and at times he can get swings and misses with it. He throws his curve and changeup for strikes. Weaknesses: Only McAllister's slider grades as a plus pitch, and his fastball sometimes sits in the upper 80s. He must be precise with his fringy curveball and changeup. He missed time with a tired arm in 2009, but New York doesn't consider it a long-term concern. The Future: McAllister has a ceiling of an innings-eating No. 4 starter. If the Yankees move Phil Hughes back to the rotation, there's little chance of McAllister squeezing his way in anytime soon. He might just be trade bait as he anchors the Scranton rotation in 2010. 6. Manny Banuelos, lhp Background: Just a year after signing out of Mexico, Banuelos has become the system's top lefthanded pitching prospect. He jumped from Rookie ball to low Class A as an 18-year-old and was Charleston's best starter in the first half before moving into the bullpen down the stretch. He was so good in that role he was promoted to Tampa for its playoff run. Strengths: Banuelos has two potential plus pitches and pitching savvy well beyond his years. His fastball sits at 88-92 mph when he's at his best as a starter, and reached 94 mph in relief late in the season. He uses his fastball inside well and throws strikes to all quadrants of the plate. His changeup already rates as solid average after making more progress than his other pitches in 2009. The Yankees laud his mound presence, poise and makeup. Weaknesses: While his curveball is currently fringy, Banuelos has the hand speed to add power to it and make it an average pitch in time. Some scouts who saw him sit at 86-88 mph with his fastball consider him more of a fifth starter. He's just a fair athlete and needs to improve his ability to field his position and hold runners. The Future: While other pitchers in the system have higher ceilings, Banuelos is on the fast track to becoming a No. 3 starter. He'll start 2010 in Tampa and could reach Double-A as a teenager by season's end. 7. Gary Sanchez, c Background: Sanchez was one of the top players available on the international market last summer, and the Yankees scouted him so extensively that they were widely believed to be the frontrunners to sign him. They landed him in July for $3 million, the fourth-largest bonus in franchise history. It's the third-largest for a Dominican teen after Michael Ynoa ($4.25 million from the Athletics in 2008) and Miguel Jean ($3.15 million from the Twins in 2009). Strengths: Sanchez's raw power rates at least a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale. New York is confident he'll realize that power potential because he uses the whole field and recognizes breaking balls, two indications that he'll make consistent contact. He has a plus-plus arm with the athletic ability to remain a catcher. Weaknesses: Just 17, Sanchez has plenty of work to do to clean up his receiving skills and he'll need to get used to catching velocity. He was overmatched at the plate in instructional league by older pitchers, but that's to be expected. He didn't significantly alter his approach, an encouraging sign. He has average speed now but projects as a below-average runner once he fills out and catching takes a toll on him. The Future: Sanchez has some similarities to Jesus Montero, with better defensive tools as a bonus. He also obviously has a long way to go. He'll likely start his career in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in June. 8. J.R. Murphy, c Background: After missing his junior season in high school following knee surgery, Murphy moved to catcher as a prep senior and hit .627 with 11 home runs last spring. The Yankees bought him away from a Miami commitment with a $1.25 million bonus. Strengths: The Yankees love Murphy's blend of hitting ability and athleticism, which is above-average for a catcher. He has a feel for hitting and knows his swing well. He generates good bat speed and pairs a low-maintenance, line-drive stroke with a polished offensive approach. He should hit for average and eventually should add solid power. He augments his plus arm with a quick transfer. Weaknesses: Murphy is raw defensively and lacks experience handling velocity. The Yankees were encouraged with his rapid improvement after signing, but he'll have to polish his receiving and learn how to call games and handle a staff. He's a fringe-average runner who figures to slow down with the grind of catching. The Future: The Yankees have spent $7.35 million on six highly touted amateur catchers since 2006, including four in the Top 10. Murphy has as much athletic ability as any of them, which may prompt him to switch positions down the road. For now, New York will develop him as a catcher and could send him to low Class A in 2010. 9. Jeremy Bleich, lhp Background: An elbow injury sidelined Bleich for much of the 2008 college season, but he returned in May to help Stanford reach the College World Series. The Yankees were impressed enough to make him a supplemental first-round pick and signed him for $700,000. He became their top signee from the 2008 draft when first-rounder Gerrit Cole opted to attend UCLA. In his first full pro season, Bleich stayed healthy and reached Double-A. Strengths: Bleich sat at 90-92 mph and touched 94 with his four-seam fastball last season His curveball and changeup are solid-average, with his curve grading as a plus pitch at times. He added a two-seam fastball and started to control it better as the year progressed. Weaknesses: Bleich's four-seamer is true and his changeup tends to straighten out, though he's learning to add some sink to it. He lost some feel for the strike zone last year, in part because he threw harder. He doesn't have the weapons to pitch from behind in count and paid for it at Trenton. He needs better control of his two-seamer and change to combat righthanders. The Future: New York thought it was getting a pitchability guy in Bleich and hopes he regains some of his feel while retaining his added velocity. He'll have to fix what ailed him in Double-A when he returns there for 2010. 10. Andrew Brackman, rhp Background: Brackman juggled basketball and baseball for two seasons at North Carolina State before giving up hoops to focus on the 2007 MLB draft. Though he injured his elbow that May, his huge frame and ceiling enticed the Yankees to draft him 30th overall. He had Tommy John surgery shortly after signing at the Aug. 15 deadline for the largest draft bonus ($3.35 million) in franchise history, part of a major league contract worth a guaranteed $4.55 million and as much as $13 million with incentives. The elbow reconstruction, coupled with an appendectomy the following spring, pushed back his pro debut to Hawaii Winter Baseball in October 2008. The results from his first pro season to 2009. The results were less than encouraging, as he ranked second in the minors in wild pitches (26) and 13th in walks (76) during a 2-12, 5.91 campaign. Strengths: Brackman's combination of arm strength, size and athleticism can translate into premium stuff. His fastball, which touched 99 mph when he was an amateur, peaked at 95 when he started in 2009 and sat at 92-96 at times in shorter relief stints. His curveball also shows flashes of being a plus-plus pitch. He stayed off the disabled list all season and closed with 10 scoreless, walkless relief innings, then continued to throw strikes in instructional league. Weaknesses: In his first fully healthy year since Tommy John surgery, Brackman had little control and no command. He showed barely any feel for his delivery, or for using his curveball or rudimentary changeup. His late hot streak happened when the Yankees shelved his knuckle-curve, having him focus on a conventional grip, and his changeup. He'll need the changeup back to remain a starter. His velocity was unpredictable, at times sitting in the upper 80s. The Future: Brackman is a unique prospect in terms of his size, contract and lack of experience for his age. He could be an expensive bust, or suddenly figure it all out and move rapidly through the system. New York hasn't given up on him as a starter and will promote him to high Class A for 2010. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 118.160.66.48