Seven Yankees Prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100

Yankee fans have reason to be excited as seven Yankees prospects were named to MLB Pipeline’s top 100 Prospects list. That is tied with the Atlanta Braves for most prospects of any team on the list. You can see which of the Yankees prospects made the list, along with their rankings and information below.

The 20 year old Venezuelan shortstop was the key component in the Yankees blockbuster deal with the Chicago Cubs for Aroldis Chapman. Andrew Benintendi was named 1st overall on the top 100 list and best hitter, but Torres was a runner up in the best hitter category. He played in the Arizona Fall League a few months ago, where he dominated and was named MVP. He became the youngest to ever win the award, doing it at age 19. He is a 5 tool star in the making, but what separates him from the other top talents in the minors, is his plus bat and his maturity. He has the ability to play three infield positions and do so well above average. Gleyber Torres will be attending his third straight big league camp, first with New York, as a non-roster invitee. He projects to start the season in Double-A Trenton, but could find himself up in the Bronx as soon as 2018.

The Yankees acquired two 1st round picks from the Cleveland Indians in the Andrew Miller trade last summer and Clint Frazier was one of them. His larger than life personality is a perfect match for the pinstripes. Frazier is a monster in the weight room and has big plans for his second stint in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. His most impressive tool is his powerful bat with “legendary” bat speed. He is also capable of playing all outfield spots and has even drawn comparisons to Mike Trout. Clint Frazier is 22 years old and will be attending his third straight big league camp, first with New York, as a non-roster invitee. Be on the lookout for Frazier in the Bronx late this summer.

This 19 year old, west coast kid has sky high potential. He was the Yankees 1st round pick in last years draft. He was the top rated position player coming out of high school and it took the largest signing bonus in franchise history, $3,282,000, to get him to turn down his scholarship to UCLA. Rutherford played 33 games in the Advanced Rookie League for the Yankees last year. In those 33 games with the GCL Yankees West and Pulaski Yankees, Rutherford had 114 at-bats and hit .351 with an OPS of .986.  He has the ability to be a phenomenal offensive player with plus power,  especially with that short porch in right. He projects to be a corner outfielder at the Major League level.

Aaron Judge was one of the Yankees 1st round picks in the 2013 draft. This 24 year old behemoth can be a key cog in this years Yankee lineup. He will be competing to be the Yankees starting right fielder and is the favorite to hold that position. Hal Steinbrenner even expects Judge to be the starter. His raw power is other-worldly and he has drawn many comparisons to the freakishly powerful right fielder of the Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton. He is an imposing figure in the box with his 6-foot-7, 275 pound frame. He made his presence known with a thunderous moonshot that smacked against the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar in center field in his first Major League at-bat. He followed that up with a home run in his second straight big league game. Despite the early promise, he struggled in his short time with the Yankees late last summer, striking out 42 times in 84 at-bats. He played a better than average right field in his 27 games which impressed the Yankees coaching staff, but he must cut down on the strikeouts to reach his potential. Judge will be attending his third straight big league camp, but this time Yankee fans are excited for his Major League impact and more monstrous home runs from this Baby Bomber.

At this time last year Jorge Mateo was the Yankees top prospect, but after the various prospects acquired via trades last year, Mateo has moved down on the Yankees list. He also had a down year for the Class A+ Tampa Yankees, which led to his slight fall on the top 100 list. He had to compete with now top prospect Gleyber Torres, for playing time at shortstop, where he ended up playing a lot of second base. He has been ranked as the fastest runner of the top 100 prospects for consecutive years, as his greatest asset is his speed. Despite this, his stolen base total dropped from an astounding 82 in 2015 to 36 in 2016. He was also suspended for insubordination last season, which cost him a trip to the Futures Game in mid-July. Mateo is 21 years old and will be attending his second straight big league camp as a member of the 40-man roster. He’ll be looking to get back on track in 2017 in Double-A.

The Yankees 1st round pick in the 2015 draft sees himself as the next ace of the Yankees. “I want to be No. 1. I want to be the guy and I want the ball”. The UCLA product could be on the fast track to the majors this year with four plus pitches in his arsenal. The 22 year old possesses an electric fastball that has topped out at around 99 mph and a wipe out curveball. He injured his arm early last spring and it kept him out almost all year. He came back in the Arizona Fall League with some dominant outings and he displayed a ton of confidence on the mound. Kaprielian will be attending his second straight big league camp as a non-roster invitee. He has recently been compared to Jacob DeGrom of the Mets, and he should start the season in a Trenton Thunder uniform.

Along with Frazier, Justus Sheffield is the other one of the 1st round picks acquired in the Andrew Miller trade. He is a short lefty with a lot of talent. He has a good fastball that sits between 92-95 mph, with an above average slider and a developing changeup. He led low Class-A in strike outs per nine his first season as a pro with 9.7. He saw an increase in his walks last season that can be fixed with some mechanical tweaks. After the trade to the Yankees, Sheffield pitched very well in Class A+ Tampa and struck out 9 batters in 4 innings in his only start for the Double-A Trenton Thunder. Sheffield will be attending his first big league camp as a non-roster invitee. He is only 20 years old and will begin the 2017 season in Trenton.