Yankees Minor League News & Notes
Once again, it’s Baseball America’s Prospect Hot Sheet time. This week’s edition includes catcher Jesus Montero (Triple-A, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) as the 6th hottest prospect of the week and honorable mention notice goes to RHP D.J. Mitchell (Triple-A, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre):
JESUS MONTERO, C
Team: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (International)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .324/.324/.676 (11-for-34), 3 HR, 3 2B, 12 RBIs, 6 R, 0 BB, 6 SO
The Scoop: In many ways, Montero epitomizes player development. Young for his level, he got off the blocks slow in Triple-A by batting .210 and slugging .330 through his first 53 games. That’s terrible production even for a 20-year-old catcher at an advanced level, and it wasn’t anything like the hitting machine we saw in 2009. But Montero made the necessary adjustments to hit his way back into the Yankees’ good graces. Counting from June 11 onward, he leads all International League batters with a 1.030 OPS, which ranks just ahead of Freddie Freeman and Lucas Duda. Montero has batted .340/.397/.632 in those 253 at-bats, smacking 40 extra-base hits in 68 games.One can decry the value of slicing and dicing minor league data, but to do so ignores why players are in the minors in the first place: to improve. Player development people stress that with prospects, it’s what they show you in short bursts that counts. From there, it’s about stringing together productive at-bats or positive starts. So any time a prospect of Montero’s caliber shows such sustained excellence at a high level of competition, well, let’s just say it’s a good sign for his development.
D.J. MITCHELL, RHP
It’s impressive enough that Yankees RHP D.J. Mitchell has already made it to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in just his second full season, but it looks even better when you consider the 23-year-old didn’t take up pitching full-time until the summer of 2007. In his second Triple-A start on Sunday, Mitchell threw seven innings of one-hit, shutout ball against Buffalo, striking out five and walking four.
Separately, Baseball America did a little story (subscription required) about LHP Josh Romanski (High-A, Tampa), a former Brewers 2008 fourth round draft pick. After handing him a $247,000 bonus, the Brewers cut ties with him when an injury and subsequent perceived disciplinary problem derailed the relationship.
I say “perceived disciplinary problem” because the Brewers assert that Romanski wasn’t diligent in his injury rehab. As these types of things can be very much a matter of perception, I’ll choose to believe that it was an isolated incident and that the Yankees are in a position to reap the benefits of the Brewers’ short fuse.
In any case, if he was good enough to be a fourth round pick and the Yanks can get anything out of him, it’s a bonus for us. Here is the scouting report on Romanski from Baseball America’s 2008 draft roundup:
Despite a smallish 6-foot, 185-pound frame, Romanski has doubled as a two-way player for three seasons for the Toreros. A fine all-around athlete, he ranks among the best-fielding pitchers in the nation, and while he’s a good college hitter, his future is on the mound. His fastball sits in the 88-89 mph range with some armside run. He shows an outstanding feel for his secondary pitches, which include a slow curveball, a changeup and a hard slider. Romanski’s best pitch is his hard breaking ball, thrown in on a righthanded hitter’s hands. Mechanically he is sound, but he will need to make adjustments. His arm action is short on both the back and front end, with a rushed, off-balanced finish. The total package reminds some of Rays lefthander J.P. Howell, though Howell’s stuff was considered a bit more firm. As a pro, Romanski fits as either a back of the rotation starter or middle reliever. He offers a nice repertoire of pitches and decent command. He’ll also help himself with his glove and bat.
As I always say: don’t let anybody convince you that the Yankees don’t have a solid (if unspectacular) farm system. The system is deep with pitching and while it may not be teeming with future Bob Gibsons and Steve Carltons, the system doesn’t have to only possess high-ceiling #1 starters to be a good system. There’s tremendous value in the sort of depth the Yankees have.
For every mid-rotation starter and relief pitcher the team can develop internally, that’s one more player the front office doesn’t need to go out and get on the open market where, quite frankly, prices for these important but marginal players far exceeds their worth. You pay the big bucks for the best players like CC Sabathia, not guys like Carlos Silva…
Have a nice holiday weekend, folks.
