I stated in my pre-season draft reranking that the bottom end of the Yankees top-30 list was the weakest that I have ever ranked. For this reason, there is a lot of movement to begin the season, as some clarity is brought to the guys on the bubble. This list has some significant differences, but the top-10 (the real good guys) pretty much stays the same.
Graduated from the list are David Robertson, Phil Coke and Brett Gardner. Chase Wright left the organization. J.B. Cox, Brandon Laird, Corban Joseph, and Humberto Sanchez got bumped from the ranking. Additions include Ramiro Pena, Tim Norton, Garrison Lassiter, Pat Venditte, Jorge Vazauez, and Mannuel Banuelos.
The ranking:
1. Jesus Montero – Same as last year, but this time he’ll make top-20 in the whole league.
2. Austin Jackson – The Triple-A success is nice, but the power needs to come.
3. Zach McAllister - Followed up last season with more dominating innings.
4. Andrew Brackman – He’s healthy, I’m happy. Just give us 150 innings.
5. Dellin Betances – He’s been inconsistent, but the potential is still there.
6. Mark Melancon – MLB struggles were just rookie nerves. He’ll be in the playoff bullpen.
7. Austin Romine – Quietly the 2nd best hitting catcher in the FSL. The walks will come.
8. Wilkins De La Rosa – The big-time stuff is producing results. Its time to stop being skeptical.
9. Jairo Heredia - Mysterious injury is puzzling, but nothing has changed in 2 months.
10. Jeremy Bleich– Struggling a bit, but still solid all-around.
11. Francisco Cervelli - Really, he’s a better backup right now than Molina.
12. Brett Marshall - Had a great May and is staying healthy.
13. Arodys Vizcaino – June 23rd can’t come soon enough.
14. Manny Bannuelos – It was a mistake to leave him out last year.
15. George Kontos – K/9 still around 9 at Triple-A.
16. Ivan Nova - I’m beginning to be a believer.
17. Michael Dunn – Struggling with command, but he’s got nasty stuff.
18. Juan Miranda – Can’t ignore his success at Triple-A just because he is blocked.
19. Christian Garcia – He’s still hanging around. 1 ER in 22 innings.
20. Ryan Pope – Still intriguing. Looking for him to be less hittable.
21. Brad Suttle – I wish they would tell us what his injury status us.
22. Kevin Russo – Your 2010 utility infielder.
23. Jorge Vazquez - Really interesting power prospect from Mexico. But where will he play?
24. David Adams – Solid all around. Still want more power.
25. D.J. Mitchell – Brings big-program experience as good stuff, despite being unheralded.
26. Reegie Corona – He continues to take a ton of walks and play a good enough defensive game.
27. Tim Norton – Norton will be a MLB reliever by 2011.
28. Garrison Lassiter – Injured, but performed well enough when he was playing.
29. Ramiro Pena – He’s still a 25th man at best, but he’s in the majors.
30. Pat Venditte – God damn it, just because I can.
That list includes twelve right-handed starting pitchers, two left-handed starting pitchers, four relief pitchers, one outfielder, two shortstops, two third basemen, two 1st basemen, two second basemen and three catchers.
If I had to divide it into tiers, I would do it this way:
Tier 1: Montero
Tier 2: Jackson, McAllister, Brackman, Betances, Melancon
Tier 3: Romine, De La Rosa, Heredia, Bleich, Cervelli
Tier 4: Marshall, Vizcaino, Bannuelos, Kontos, Nova, Dunn, Miranda, Garcia, Suttle
Tier 5: Russo, Vazquez, Adams, Mitchell, Corona, Pena, Norton, Lassiter
Tier 6: Venditte
Its a solid list, but still nothing compared to the 2007 top-30.
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15 Responses to Pre-Draft Top 30 Prospect Reranking
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TIQ IQ
I’m lower on Brackman & higher on Garcia… let’s compare
Brackman: 23 years old (12/85).. Garcia: 23 years old (8/85)
Brackman: getting healthy……. Garcia: getting healthy
Brackman: excellent “stuff” ….Garcia: excellent “stuff”
Brackman: sucks so far in Low A .. Garcia: doesn’t suck (AA)
I think Brackman is SOOO over-rated, (hope i am wrong). Garcia, IMO, should be higher than Brackman. no?
Come on man you have to give Brackman a chance to get used to facing professional competition. The guy just had TJ surgery and has only thrown 32 innings in the minor leagues. Forget his age, its irrelevant here. And Brackman doesn’t suck, he’s actually doing a nice job in A ball. The hitters aren’t his problem, its his control, which will come as he builds up arm strength and gets used to pitching again. The high walks were to be expected.
Garcia has been in the yankee system for 6 years now, and while he has a great arm, he just can’t stay healthy at all. Think about that, it took him 6 years to get to AA!!! Btw he’s also thrown over 200 innings in the minors.
I’m just tired of Yankee fans calling Brackman overrated like its the cool thing to do. All Brackman cares about this year is staying healthy and getting innings. that’s it, because the talent is there and he’ll eventually get the outs (which he’s still doing right now). Garcia needs to stay healthy and show he can get hitters out in order to earn a MLB roster spot.
Oh and I forgot to mention that Brackman’s struggles are even more self inflicted when you take a look at how he’s played defensively (5 errors for a pitcher!). The guy is killing himself with walks and errors, yet has almost a strikeout per inning and has given up fewer hits than innings pitched.
Hope you’re right, pal. But I, for one, am not encouraged by what he is showing or has shown so far especially in that level of competion. And to see him ranked consistantly as a top 5 Yankee prospect is something I have problems with. We will see, and I don’t call it to be “cool” I call it like I’m seeing it.
That’s fair Basil you’re obviously entitled to your own opinion. But when you say you are going by what you see, I think you’re just going by age and the W/L record. You’re not looking at all the variables in play on this case. Brackman can’t be compared to Garcia because besides their age they have nothing in common.
I disagree with the thought on Jackson I see him as a Granderson type I wonder what his power were ata similar ageMy only concern would be less k-s I believe power will develop as he gets older-
E.J., how many of these guys will have to be added to the 40 man roster this fall to protect against Rule 5?
Garcia has been impressive. Hopefully he can make it to the yankees bullpen this year.
A comment was made about Arodys Vizcaino and June 23rd. I for whatever reason can not recall anything about this guy. Could someone bring me up to speed on this prospect (I take it he was an international signing last year)
Low 90′s (91-93) fastball, great curve, okay change, solid build. I believe June 23rd is when he should begin playing at short season ball. Keith Law sees him as a mover, and thinks he could be in the top 100 next year: Righty Arodys Vizcaino (Rookie) is among the Yanks’ top prospects already, despite turning 18 after the 2008 season ended. He has easy velocity, hitting 94 repeatedly and sitting at 90-92 with good deception and a plus curveball. He’s athletic and should sit closer to 94 when he’s fully developed.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3855023&name=law_keith
Thanks. Wow that kid seems like someone who is going to be someone to watch… That list by law had a lot of kids very very very young on it… and i only knew about 5 or 6 guys on it
[...] to AA!!! Btw he’s also thrown over 200 innings in the minors. … Here is the original: Pre-Draft Top 30 Prospect Reranking | The Yankee Universe Share and [...]
“I’m trying not to get too high on him [Banuelos] because I personally think he’ll be the best pitcher in the whole league,” Tyson said. “Again, you don’t know what’s going to happen when the lights go on when you’re 18 years old and he starts pitching in front of crowds. But in the short time I’ve known this kid, he’s got all the tools.”
With this sort of quote coming from his manager combined with the disparity in results, why in the world would Marshall be ranked ahead of Banuelos? Oh yeah, plus Banuelos is a lefty and is younger.
Romine is a tier 2 player.
How about Dan Brewer?