Return to retaining prospects could put New York back on top
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
http://0rz.net/851D7
2005 Organizational Record
LEVEL LEAGUE TEAM W L
AAA IL Columbus 77 67
AA EL Trenton 74 68
A+ FSL Tampa 56 79
A SAL Charleston 80 58
SS NYP *Staten Island 52 24
R GCL GCL Yankees 33 20
* Won the New York-Penn League Championship
2005 Organizational Leaders
Average .314 Jose Tabata
Home Runs 34 Shelley Duncan
RBIs 92 Shelley Duncan
Stolen Bases 55 Justin Christian
ERA 2.04 James Conroy
Wins 12 Jeffrey Karstens
Strikeouts 181 Tyler Clippard
Saves 30 Mike Martinez
Back in the mid- to late 1990s, the floodgates from the Yankees' farm system
opened wide and provided the nucleus of a team that captured four titles in
five years. Much of that core -- Jeter, Posada, Rivera -- is still there,
perhaps as a reminder of what fueled the success of the previous decade.
Since that time, the well has run a tad dry. Alfonso Soriano was a very big
exception, but the lack of homegrown talent surely had something to do with
the drought in World Series championships.
If 2005 was a sign of things to come, just wait. While helped arrived in the
Bronx from the Minors -- most notably from Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang
-- and Eric Duncan remains the best top-level prospect, the real treasures of
the system lie further beneath the surface. Thanks to some aggressive
drafting for the first time in a long time, as well as successes in
international scouting, the lower levels of the Yankees system are as stocked
with high-ceiling talent as any in baseball.
Skeptics may wonder how many of these prospects will actually make it up to
New York, with the organization's recent track record providing doubt. But
the Yankees pointedly did not trade away any of their top talent in 2005,
perhaps a sign of a rededication to player develpment, a system that rewarded
them with many rings. If they can stick to that program, homegrown talent
could very well provide the difference between playoff contender and World
Series dynasty.
Five Faves
Five prospects whose names you should know:
Eric Duncan, 3B/1B
While Duncan's numbers in Double-A Trenton last year weren't pretty -- .235
AVG/ .326 OBP/ .408 SLG -- the organization was not overly disappointed by
their 2003 first-round pick's performance. He was very young, at age 20, for
the level, and they were encouraged by the power (19 HR) and walks (59),
especially when considering the age factor. He didn't do a great job handling
how opponents pitched to him. Many teams began to shift on the left-handed
hitter, a sure sign he had been taken out of his game, which usually features
good opposite-field power. He took the lessons from the regular season to the
AFL and won the MVP award by hitting .362 and slugging .734. That performance
likely bumped him into position to make the jump to Triple-A Columbus, where
he'll mostly play first base, with enough third sprinkled in to maintain that
as an option. If he can continue to improve on his daily gameplan more
effectively, he should be ready to hit New York by 2007, at age 22.
Video:
Duncan cracks one for the Thunder http://tinyurl.com/nkocy
Philip Hughes, RHP
The 2004 draft class of high school pitchers includes future aces like Homer
Bailey and Scott Elbert, but the Yankees think Hughes could be as good as any
of them. He's got plus stuff and exceptional command at age 19. His fastball
sits in the 90-95 mph range and he can touch 97 at times. With it, he throws
a curve, slider and developing changeup. A good index for a pitcher is his
ability to command the fastball to the opposite of his arm side -- away to
right-handed hitters for the right-handed Hughes. And he can already do that,
signs of a special understanding of pitching nuance. To find the last Yankee
farmhand to exhibit that kind of early command, you'd have to go back to
Mariano Rivera. Hughes was kept to about 100 innings last year as the Yankees
were being super-cautious; this year he'll be upped to 140, beginning in
Tampa.
Tyler Clippard, RHP
Clippard's numbers from his breakout 2005 season look impressive enough: 30
less hits than innings pitched and a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Then you
consider that this would've been his sophomore year of college and that he
had that success in the High-A Florida State League. Clippard's fastball
grades a tick above average, usually in the 92-mph range. He complements them
with a very good curve and changeup. He's had a lot of success since being a
2003 draft pick with good stuff and excellent command, posting a 3.32 ERA and
a better than 5-to-1 K-to-BB ratio in his Minor League career. He'll move up
to Trenton at age 21.
Melky Cabrera, OF
In New York, there are expectations that any time a player comes up, he's
going to be the next superstar. Cabrera jumped up from Double-A to the Bronx
last year at age 20, as the Yankees tried to catch lightning in a bottle.
Cabrera simply wasn't ready. It's worth pointing out that Alfonso Soriano
went 10-for-58 in his first two callups before figuring some things out.
Cabrera may not be Soriano, but he is a switch-hitter who can hit and has had
some success at the Double-A level already. His experience in the big leagues
(he went 4-for-19) could be a good thing, depending on how he responds to it.
Considering he was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year in the Dominican this
winter after hitting .315 and stealing seven bases in 40 games, then was
added to the Dominican Caribbean Series team, it appears he's responded well.
Not blessed with tremendous speed, Cabrera will have to improve his breaks
and routes on balls in order to stick as a center fielder, and there's some
debate over whether he'll be able to do so. He'll get the chance to show what
he can do there in Colum
bus this season.
Video:
Melky mashes one for Trenton http://tinyurl.com/oawlp
Steven White, RHP
After missing much of the 2005 season with a ribcage injury, White's AFL
performance was in many ways better than Duncan's. He was extremely solid
with a 3.94 ERA in 29 2/3 IP in an extremely hitting-friendly league,
finishing the season by making the U.S. Olympic Qualifying team. A lot of
that was carryover from finishing the regular season with 22 strikeouts over
his last two starts in August before missing the Eastern League playoffs with
pancreatitis. When healthy, White features a plus fastball that can touch 95
mph. He can sink he ball, and his curve has become a plus pitch for him. His
changeup, while behind the other offerings, is on the way to becoming a
factor. White will start the year back in Trenton to get some innings at age
24.
Others to watch: Yosvany Almario-Cabrera, OF; Tim Battle, OF; TJ Beam, RHP;
Matt DeSalvo, RHP; Christian Garcia, RHP; Sean Henn, LHP; Jeff Karstens, RHP;
Mike Martinez, RHP; Eduardo Nunez, SS; Andy Phillips, 1B; David Seccombe,
RHP; Jose Tabata, OF; Marcos Vechionacci, 3B
Cinderella Story
Matt DeSalvo, RHP:
Non-drafted free agents don't exactly enter pro ball with a ton of
expectations. Matt DeSalvo was a fifth-year senior out of Division III
Marietta when he signed before the 2003 draft. He's been moving steadily
through the system since. He was Double-A Trenton's ace in 2005, going 9-5
with a 3.02 ERA, striking out 151 in 149 innings and holding hitters to a
.202 average. Since signing, DeSalvo has put up a 2.62 ERA and kept Minor
League hitters to a .206 average. He was put on the 40-man roster just
recently. A bulldog, DeSalvo is a very cerebral pitcher who's actually
written a novel. He's competing in big league camp and will begin the season
in Columbus' rotation, knocking on the door in New York.
Video:
DeSalvo chalk up a strikeout for Trenton http://tinyurl.com/m7mr2
Primed for breakout
Sean Henn, LHP
Don't let the rocky big league debut fool you. Henn performed well in Double-
and Triple-A in 2005, and there are those within the organization who think
the southpaw is really close to being ready to contribute positively. He lost
command while up in New York. If he can regain faith in his stuff, he'll
become a very good commodity -- a lefty with a good arm -- in a pretty thin
market. He'll begin the year in the Columbus rotation, but it remains to be
seen where he finishes.
Tim Battle, OF
Right now, Battle is the epitome of the all-or-nothing athlete. Playing all
of 2005 after recovering from lymphoma with Charleston, Battle hit 16 homers
and stole 40 bases. He also struck out a Minor League-high 195 times. He can
flat out run down fly balls and has a strong arm from center field. He's got
as much upside as anyone in the system, and if he can continue to make
improvement in pitch selection and recognition, he can be a very special
player. Look for that to continue in Tampa in 2006.
2005 draft recap
1. C.J. Henry, SS
.249 AVG/ .333 OBP/ .381 SLG
While the numbers weren't extraordinary, the Yankees were impressed with his
defense at short and some of the things he did with his bat in 181 trips to
the plate. He did draw some walks and stole 17 bases while showing some
opposite-field power. Even though he's already 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds,
the Yankees don't worry about him outgrowing his postion. He'll be
Charleston's shortstop in 2006.
2. J. Brent Cox, RHP
1-2, 2.60 ERA, 27.2 IP, 20 H, 5 BB, 27 K
One of the top college closers while at the University of Texas, the Yankees
took it slow with Cox last summer, allowing him to pitch in just 16 games
after he pitched in several presure-packed College World Series games. He's
since acquired a changeup which will help him attack left-handed hitters to
go along with a fastball and hard slider tossed with a Jeff Nelson-like
delivery. He'll begin the year in Trenton, but could very well move quickly
from there.
3. Brett Gardner, OF
.284 AVG/ .377 OBP/ .376 SLG
The College of Charleston standout is the fastest player in the Yankees
system, and that's saying something with players like Tim Battle in the
organization. An advanced hitter who'll take a walk, he uses his speed as a
game-changer both offensively and defensively, and did so to help Staten
Island win the NY-Penn League title last year. He'll join Battle in the Tampa
outfield where hitters should have a hard time finding a gap between the two
of them.
4. Lance Pendleton, RHP
1-0, 2.33 ERA, 27 IP, 27 H, 13 BB, 23 K
Stop if you've heard this one before: A pitcher from Rice University is
drafted and turns out to have a sore arm. Well, it happened to Pendleton, who
didn't even pitch that much for the Owls in college. Doctors say Pendleton is
healthy and suffered from the over-diagnosed tendinitis. The Yankees are
hopeful he'll go out and have a full 2006 season, beginning in Charleston's
rotation.
5. Zach Kroenke, LHP
1-2, 2.63 ERA, 41 IP, 34 H, 15 BB, 30 K
The University of Nebraska product is a lefty with a good arm, and that's
always something worth working with. He's got some pitch-development work to
do and he struggled with command in his brief debut. But the Yankees think
there's a good core there and they'll try to polish him at either Charleston
or Tampa.
Video:
Kroenke records a strikeout for the Baby Bombers http://tinyurl.com/mxd3a
Predictions
Organizational MVP: Duncan. He'll take the lessons learned during a trying
2005 season and the success from the AFL to have a big 2006 in Columbus and
show he's ready for the Bronx in 2007.
Cy on the farm: Clippard. While the easy pick would be Hughes in the Florida
State League, the pick here is that Clippard will again pile up some huge
numbers, first in Trenton and then to destinations unknown.
Level-leaper of the year: Gardner. Cox may get the press as a guy making it
to the bigs quickly, but Gardner could make a couple of jumps in 2006,
starting in Tampa and perhaps even making a September showing in the Bronx.
Most likely to go 30-30: Battle. The speed is already there; all he needs is
slightly better pitch recognition to bring up the power numbers.
Best affiliate to visit: Charleston. Aside from the climate, this is the
place to go to see some of the most athletic prospects in the game. The
RiverDogs should have Henry at short, Jackson and Tabata in the outfield, a
trio that has enough tools to make Tim Allen jealous.
Quotables
Mark Newman, senior vice president, baseball operations
"In the last two years, and really to some extent from 2003 with Duncan and
Battle, but certainly in 2004 and 2005, we've added some athletic position
players and some quality arms. Our system has also been able to help develop
some players like DeSalvo. It's been a combination of good work by some of
our coaches and some great work by our scouts. We also didn't trade any of
our top prospects this year. That was a point of emphasis with [GM Brian]
Cashman, so that was helpful. Our Latin people, with Tabata, Vechionacci,
Nunez, those are some good players, and we have more coming. We need to keep
doing that, do it again in 2006. If we do that, we'll be back to where the
Yankees ought to be."
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its
clubs.
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