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Edward Sutelan's 2018 rankings of the top 10 New York Yankees MLB prospects for fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. He previews their minor league farm system.
This New York Yankees’ farm system has been one of the best in baseball since the team decided to start reloading. Trading Andrew Miller for Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield, sending Aroldis Chapman to Chicago for Gleyber Torres and Billy McKinney helped restock a farm system that already started to lose a few names.
Many top prospects have graduated or have been traded. Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Greg Bird and Jordan Montgomery are all occupying spots on the big-league roster while Dustin Fowler, Jorge Mateo, James Kaprielian and Blake Rutherford are all with different organizations.
Despite that, this system still has plenty of depth and remains one of the better ones in baseball. Let's dive into the Bronx Bombers' farm system to see what value remains.
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New York Yankees Top Prospects for Dynasty Leagues
We continue our tour of the prospect systems in the AL East. We've already covered the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox. Later, I will delve into the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.
To read more about my prospect coverage, click here.
Top Overall Talent: Gleyber Torres
Top Prospect to Debut in 2018: Gleyber Torres
Torres is really the complete package from an overall standpoint. From a fantasy standpoint, he’s very close to that. He will not be a burner on the bases, but should add a handful of stolen bases every so often. The bat is exciting. He makes consistent, hard contact, driving the ball to all fields with ease. The batting average will unquestionably be high, and he should hit for enough pop to launch 20-plus home runs in a hitter-friendly park like Yankee Stadium. A versatile defender, Torres could play any infield position and it is relatively unsure where he will play at this point. But fantasy owners will reap strong production no matter where he plays, making him an exciting prospect to want to own in dynasty leagues.
Top Prospect who won’t debut in 2018: Estevan Florial
Biggest Boom or Bust: Estevan Florial
It was almost tempting to put Florial in the top spot for dynasty prospects, but the risks with him are too much to take him over a high-upside, high-floor bat like Torres. Starting with the pros with Florial though, he is a 20-year-old outfielder with above-average power and plus-plus speed. He has the chance to be a 20/30 outfielder in the majors. The concern comes with the hit tool. He struck out nearly 30 percent of the time in 2017 between Class-A and Advanced Class-A. Florial has the tools to be one of the most explosive fantasy prospects in baseball, but he needs to cut down on the whiffs to make enough consistent contact.
Biggest Sleeper: Billy McKinney
McKinney’s name often gets lost in the shuffle of the Aroldis Chapman-Gleyber Torres trade. Once viewed as a solid prospect, McKinney’s name dropped down a bit after a less-than-stellar 2016 campaign at Double-A. But McKinney turned it around in 2017, batting over .300 at Triple-A while launching 10 home runs in 55 games. His final MiLB slash line (between AAA and AA) wound up being .277/.338/.483 with 16 home runs in 124 games. Not too shabby. McKinney will not crack the Yankees’ lineup in 2018, but he could be a solid trade candidate and could start for other teams.
Top Prospect Hitters
Best Power Hitter: Dermis Garcia
Garcia fits every definition of a slugger. He mashes pitchers. He hit 17 home runs in just 66 games this season and 13 in 57 games last year. Scouts believe his power has the chance to be some of the best raw power in the minors and that it could eventually become a 70-tool for him. The concern, as is with many young sluggers, is that he strikes out too much. He still strikes out nearly 30 percent every season and is 20 years old and has just 30 games above Rookie league. He needs to cut down on the whiffs. Should he do that, his power has the chance to make him one of the premier power-hitting prospects in the minors.
Most Likely to Hit over .300: Gleyber Torres
As discussed earlier, Torres has everything a scout looks for in a future batting crown contender. He hits tons of line drives and can send them out to all fields. He does not strike out too much and knows how to take a walk thanks to an advanced eye at the dish. Torres is not the best power hitter at the plate — though he will still hit plenty of home runs — but his hard-contact approach will at least allow him to hit for a high average.
Best Burner on the Bases: Estevan Florial
Florial is a burner with some of the best speed in the minors. He has not been on the field for much time over his three seasons, but he has still swiped 48 bases in 234 games, on pace for 33 steals per 162 games. The speed is his true standout tool, even though he does add above-average power as well. He knows how to take a walk, and while he will have to reduce the strikeouts, he should be able to reach base enough to create plenty of havoc on the basepaths.
Top Prospect Pitchers
Strikeout Machine: Domingo Acevedo
For the most of Acevedo’s professional career, he has been a true strikeout machine He generally whiffs batters at a 25-plus percent clip, while somehow managing to keep a low walk rate. He hurls a blazing, upper-90s, low-100s fastball that he is able to get great extension on given his 6-foot-7 frame. His slider still has progress, but at the mid-upper-80s, it remains a hard pitch to hit. He also throws in an above-average changeup that serves as his top outpitch. Some are nervous he might be a reliever, but whatever role he lands in, he will rack up plenty of strikeouts.
Best Command: Jonathan Loaisiga
Already 23 years old and having thrown just 32.2 innings between rookie ball and Low Class-A in 2017, Loaisiga is not the most exciting prospect. Injuries have limited how much he has been able to play, but he has found success when he has pitched. And most of that is thanks to his plus-plus control. Loaisiga walked just three batters last season while striking out over 28 percent of batters in 2017. Scouts have praised the 5-foot-11 right-hander for his above-average repertoire, but believe his excellent control will be what carries him to the majors. The injury concerns are serious, however, and should not be ignored. If he can stay healthy though, he has the makings of a reliable starter in the majors in a few seasons.
Top 10 Dynasty Prospects for the New York Yankees
1. Gleyber Torres (SS/3B, AAA)
ETA: 2018
The complete package, Torres is one of the most explosive bats in the minors and should be a consistent high-average, medium-power hitter when he debuts later this year.
2. Estevan Florial (OF, AA)
ETA: 2019
Florial is a dynamic prospect with one of the better power/speed combinations in the minors, but will have to improve his approach and reduce the strikeouts to reach his lofty fantasy ceiling.
3. Miguel Andujar (3B, MLB)
ETA: 2018
Though not as exciting as Torres, Andujar should be a productive third baseman with the chance for a high batting average and above-average power numbers if he can add some loft to his swing.
4. Justus Sheffield (SP, AA)
ETA: 2018
Sheffield is smaller than most starting pitchers, but his fastball packs a punch and his stuff is good enough to allow him to stick in a rotation.
5. Chance Adams (SP, AAA)
ETA: 2018
Adams’ stuff will not overpower opposing batters like Sheffield, but he knows how to pitch and use his arsenal effectively enough to become a future No. 3 or 4 starter in a rotation.
6. Nick Solak (2B, AA)
ETA: 2018
A consistent line-drive hitter, Solak will not hit for much power, but should post a high average and steal a handful of bases to make him a productive regular for dynasty owners.
7. Domingo Acevedo (SP, AAA)
ETA: 2018
Acevedo might have the best pure stuff in this system, flashing a fastball that consistently sits in the upper-90s and low triple-digits with above-average control. He just needs to show he can handle a starter’s workload to avoid a trip to the bullpen.
8. Luis Medina (SP, R)
ETA: 2021
The younger player on this list, Medina has the stuff dynasty owners want to see out of a young, power arm. He still has work ahead refining his control, but he has the makings of a front-of-the-rotation starter.
9. Dermis Garcia (3B, A)
ETA: 2020
It won’t be long before Garcia’s name starts coming up as among the best, young power-hitting prospects in the minors. Like most young sluggers, strikeouts are an issue he will have to overcome to reach his potential.
10. Albert Abreu (SP, A+)
ETA: 2019
Abreu is already 22 years old and has just 34.1 innings at Advanced Class-A, but his stuff is electric and he could be a front-of-the-rotation starter if he starts commanding his arsenal better.
Conclusion
Despite several notable graduations, the Yankees’ farm system remains one of the best in baseball. Though it no longer has the same depth with bats as it did at the beginning of last season, there are several notable pitching prospects who should carve roles with the Bronx Bombers in a few years. Dynasty owners who own the bats at the top are the fortunate few, but others who don’t have a chance to grab Torres or Florial can still own some of the better pitching prospects in the game if they snag some of the other names on this list.
