New York Yankees Pitching Prospects: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Analysis

March 11, 2014

Jon Stellar prepares you for the 2014 fantasy baseball season covering the New York Yankees Pitching Prospects for 2014, MLB news and fantasy analysis during hot stove season.

In the past few days, we've looked at all the top hitting prospects for the Yankees. Now we take a look at some of their pitching prospects.

Adam Warren

Talent: 6, Opportunity: 7

2013 Stats: 77 IP, 2 W, 3.39 ERA, 1.429 WHIP, 64 K

Although he pitched quite well in his two spot starts last season, Warren will likely be relegated to relief duty with both Phelps and Pineda as better options in the rotation. He will get more than a few opportunities for spot starts as injuries pop up. Sabathia is more and more injury prone, and Kuroda is 38. A deeper look at his numbers proves that his solid ERA was likely a fluke anyway, and his 1.4 WHIP, his 4.1 FIP and his career .321 BABIP are probably better predictors of what's to come. I would stay away from Warren in all but the latest rounds of a deep dynasty draft, if even that. Warren doesn't have much upside, and he was never considered to have top-of-the-rotation type of stuff. Remember that he actually played college ball with Matt Harvey but was never considered to be in the same league.

Prediction: 105 IP, 6 W, 4.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 75 K  

Dellin Betances

Talent: 8. Opportunity: 7

2013 Stats (Triple-A): 84 IP, 6 W, 2.68 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 108 K

After a step back in 2012, Betances tore up Triple-A in 2013. He was all-around dominant. He had a 2.68 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 84 innings pitched. But when he got called up to the bigs as a reliever, things changed for the worse. However, his horrid stats, including his 18.00 ERA, aren’t exactly suggestive, as the sample size was only 5 innings. No one will argue that his stuff isn't filthy-- he has a 14.01 K/9 average throughout his career, and in his 5 big-league innings in 2013, he struck out 10 batters! It's unfortunate that the Yankees have a full rotation and then some at the moment, as this kid is exciting to watch. However, Betances is only 25 and may have a future in the Yanks rotation in the next few years, since both Sabathia and Kuroda are getting older, and Nova, Phelps and Pineda all have some uncertainties. It's more than likely Betances will begin the season in the bullpen and will stay there barring any injury or poor performance by Phelps and Pineda. Only draft Betances in a keeper league, and even then, only during the later rounds.

Prediction: 50 IP, 5 W, 4.80 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 65 K

Manny Banuelos

Talent: 7, Opportunity: 4

2013 Stats: N/A Due to injury

I am not sold on Banuelos. He has pretty good stuff, but aside from the fact that he sat out 2013 after Tommy John surgery, he has had a consistently high WHIP and BABIP throughout his entire career. His ERA didn't fare so well in Triple-A, either. He is unproven, and he doesn't have a real shot at a rotation spot unless everything else fails. He may make the 40-man roster as a reliever, if only because the Yanks’ bullpen is depleted. Avoid him at all costs.

Prediction: 40 IP, 1 W, 4.44 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 34 K