The New York Times
Yankees See Their Offensive Future in 18-Year-Old Prospect
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: March 10, 2007
TAMPA, Fla., March 9 — Torre Tyson spent last season as the hitting coach
for the Yankees’ Class A team in Charleston, S.C. It is the lowest
full-season affiliate in the organization, but Tyson could look at a teenager
and see a star in the making.
When outfielder Jose Tabata hit a ball squarely, the sound reminded Tyson of
the thwacks he would hear in his off-seasons as an occasional batting
practice pitcher for Ryan Howard, the National League most valuable player
for the Philadelphia Phillies.
“The kind of impact Jose has, that’s the same kind of noise that comes out
of Ryan Howard’s bat,” Tyson said. “I’m not saying he’s going to hit 50
home runs, but he can definitely hold his own as far as impact.”
Tabata is by far the best position-player prospect in the Yankees’ farm
system. He is also among the youngest. Signed on his 16th birthday in 2004,
he turned 18 last August, right after his season ended with an injured left
thumb.
In 86 games at Charleston, he batted .298 with 5 home runs and 51 runs batted
in. General Manager Brian Cashman spent the season telling other clubs not to
ask about Tabata. Like the pitching prospect Phil Hughes, Tabata is
untouchable.
“I’m trying to keep everybody for ourselves,” Cashman said. “He was asked
about a lot last year, but when people learned he was like Hughes, they didn’
t ask about him anymore. They’ll start up again, but they’ll have to hear ‘
no’ again.”
One reason Cashman wants to hold onto Tabata is that for all its recent
gains, the farm system has few prized position players. Of its top nine
prospects ranked by Baseball America, Tabata was the only nonpitcher (he
ranked second, behind Hughes). The list was published before the Yankees
further stocked their pitching when they traded Gary Sheffield and Randy
Johnson.
“Clearly, the pitching is far exceeding the position players right now,”
Cashman said. “But Tabata has a chance to have as high a ceiling as any of
our pitching prospects.”
Tyson — who got his first name because his father, Mike, played with Yankees
Manager Joe Torre on the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1970s — said that Tabata
had uncommon maturity for a young hitter.
At Charleston last season, the pitching coach Scott Aldred, a former major
league left-hander, threw batting practice to the hitters. Before his turn,
Tabata, who is from Venezuela, found an interpreter and asked Aldred how he
would have pitched Manny Ramirez with an 0-2 or 1-2 count.
“He wanted to know how he specifically attacked a certain player who he and
many others think he emulates, style-wise,” said Tyson, still impressed
months later. “I guess that’s the kind of hitter Manny was at that age. I
can definitely project him to be that kind of guy.”
Tabata draws natural physical comparisons with Ramirez, including the baggy
pants but minus the long hair. Tabata said through an interpreter that he did
not compare himself to anyone, but his projected arrival in the majors — “
Maybe two years, maybe this year, you never know,” — shows a confidence
that Tyson noticed last season.
“He thinks he belongs in the big leagues and he’s ready for it,” Tyson
said. “There’s confidence and there’s cockiness, and he’s got plenty of
both. I like cockiness in a hitter, personally. He reminds me of Robinson
Cano when he was in the minor leagues. He just carries himself like a major
leaguer.
“A lot of people don’t like to play against him, because he carries himself
like he already is Manny Ramirez. But he thinks he’s the best guy out there,
and he goes out and proves it most of the time.”
Tyson, who is now the Charleston manager, said that Tabata’s power would
continue to develop as he learned to pull the ball consistently. Last season,
he concentrated on letting the ball travel deeper and driving it to the
opposite field.
Tabata, a right-handed hitter, is trying to expand on that advanced approach
this spring in his first major league camp. His locker is next to that of
another outfielder from Venezuela, Bobby Abreu, whose advice Tabata craves.
“He’s teaching me a lot about confidence, because he says seeing a lot of
pitches is better for you,” Tabata said. “He said, ‘Go to the plate
relaxed and enjoy the game.’ ”
Abreu said: “He’s a pretty good kid — quiet, hard worker. Sometimes he
asks some things, and I just tell him to be patient at the plate and whenever
he makes a mistake, to learn from it.”
Tabata had four hits in his first 10 at-bats through Thursday. Although he
will be reassigned soon and is expected to start the season at Class A Tampa,
his invitation to major league camp was a clear sign of his value.
“It’s the same reason we invited Phil Hughes last year,” Cashman said. “It
’s not only about their performance at a young age, but seeing how
high-level players prepare every day to be at the top of their game. The
opportunity is there to benefit from that.”
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