Dellin Betances
Via Kevin Kernan -
The scout knows the prospect better than anyone.
So I asked Cesar Presbott when Yankees fans might see Dellin Betances in pinstripes.
“Don’t be surprised,” he says, “if you see him in September.”
Whether it’s next September or in 2010, the New York City kid is the next big thing in The Bronx, and not just because he’s 6-foot-8, 245 pounds.
Betances, 20, is the type of pitcher teams dream of having in their system. He’s talented, smart, mature and hard-working. He was set to go to Vanderbilt until the Yankees swooped in and signed him out of the 2006 draft, picking him in the eighth round and paying him as a top pick, giving him $1 million.
In a way, Betances could be to the Yankees what David Price is to the Rays. His desire and bloodlines are strong. He was born in New York to Dominican parents. His father, Jaime, was a boxer and drives for a car service. His mother, Maria, keeps a close eye over the family, and Betances’ two older brothers, younger sister and former youth coach Mel Zitter are there to help him as well. The family now lives in New Jersey.
No question, Betances is one of the crown jewels in the Yankees farm system. I just hope the pressure of playing for the hometown team, and being so young, don’t prove to be too much for him.
Agreed. However, it seems the Yankees are taking their time with this group of young pitchers. They are bringing McCallister, Betances, and Heredia really slow so that they learn at every level it seems. That can only help with their transition to NY.