Yankees' Judge, Bird Crack Law's Top 100 Prospects

Judge, Bird (Baseball America)

If you ask ESPN’s Keith Law, the Yankees have a few prospects worth getting excited about.

The baseball guru recently released his list of the game’s top 100 prospects (heads up, you need an ESPN Insider subscription), a list that included New York farmhands Aaron Judge and Greg Bird.

Judge actually cracked Law’s top 25, coming in at No. 23. A mountain of a man at 6-foot, 7-inches and 230 pounds, Judge, 22, is a power hitting outfielder who had a standout season in his first year as a professional ballplayer in 2014. Playing for both low Single-A Charleston and high Single-A Tampa, Judge hit .308 with 17 home runs, 78 runs batted in and a .905 OPS.

Law praises his approach at the plate, writing that Judge, “Showed outstanding plate discipline and ability to make contact in his first full year in pro ball.”

With plenty of raw power, a strong throwing arm and above-average defense in right field, it is no wonder why Law is so high on the young Yankees slugger.

Bird on the other hand came in at No. 80 in the rankings. The 22-year-old first baseman has dealt with injuries since being drafted by the Yankees, but after two straight solid campaigns Bird seems to be on the up and up. After hitting .288 with 20 homers, 84 RBI and a .938 OPS for Charleston in 2013, he followed it up with another solid showing last year. With promotions to Tampa and Double-A Trenton in 2014, Bird combined to hit .271 with 14 homers, 43 RBI and a .848 OPS.

Like Judge, Law makes note of Bird’s patience at the plate. He drew a total of 170 walks in those two years. That skill will allow him to maintain a high on-base percentage even if he fails to hit for a high average.

Law’s biggest concern with Bird is his defense. A catcher by trade, he moved to first after back injuries. As Law put it, “he still needs work on fielding ground balls.” Nonetheless, Bird is slated to be the heir to Mark Teixeira if all goes according to plan.

In general, the Yankees farm system is on the rise. With prospects like Judge, Bird, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez, Rob Refsnyder, Jacob Lindgren and others, the future is starting to look bright for the Bronx Bombers.