jacksonianmarch

If you get Stanton, then that’ll cement your cliff. His contract is HUGE money and it would absolutely prevent you from signing some of your core

Not seeing anyone post “Aaron Judge exposed” anymore? What happened?

Ding ding ding. You bring in Duda, you add power and a platoon partner. It solves two problems. You cut down on Hanley’s ABs and keep the option from vesting and you add power to the 1b position when you want to use him there

You can probably get Duda on a 1 yr deal at around $5-$8 mil. That is far better than paying Hanley $22 mil in 2019

So what you are saying is that you aren't willing to increase your offensive production

I absolutely am rooting for it. If the Yankees win the play in game, then I’ll be rooting for the sox to beat the Stros.

Even dealing Nick Goody, we got an intriguing arm who isn’t on this list in Yoiber Marquina who throws mid 90s and dominated A ball before needing TJS in May.

I do like our outlook. The thing that impressed me to the nth degree is the sheer velocity of these kids. I’ve been following these prospect lists for 13 years. We’d usually have 4 or 5 guys on the list capable of hitting mid 90s, the rest are pitchability guys who top out at 92. Well, almost all of the pitchers on this pitching dominated list can sit mid 90s. Cash has done a great job getting young arms with high velocity in the draft and via trade. The trades of McCann and Gamel garnered 4 high velocity kids on this list with McCann’s two having triple digit power. Nova’s deal added in a lefty reliever capable of hitting 97. We deal a backup utility infielder for Herrera. The deals are creative and smart.

Not technically slasher.

I know the Yanks will be involved and I know they have a significant amount of money available

I wrote it myself over time. I have accumulated the info for most of the season. I just finally put it together

41. Wilkerman Garcia, SS- Stock falling on this one. Garcia was a big part of the 2014 signing period and he started out as the only one to skip the DSL altogether lighting the GCL on fire. He was really bad offensively in the Appy League but was promoted to the NYP anyway and showed next to nothing offensively. He turns 20 on April 1 and with his defense being so strong, he will likely continue to move a level at a time, but eventually we need to see some offensive production or he will be buried in this deep system 42. Stephen Tarpley, LHP- Obtained with Tito Polo in exchange for Ivan Nova, Tarpley has quietly run up the power rankings. Tarpley was a starter before coming to the Yankee system, but they moved him into a relief role and he dominated. He didn’t allow a run until the end of August (his season didnt start until early June due to an oblique issue). Tarpley throws mid 90s with a curve and slider. He struck out more than a batter per inning, although his walk total needs a bit of sprucing (18 in 41IP). He is an extreme GB pitcher as well who had a cumulative BAA of .135 on the season. Tarpley should be an option for the big club in 2018 and is likely to be a middle reliever with the outside chance of setting up or closing later in his career 43. Mike Ford, 1B- Mike has been the victim of being undrafted and undersized for his position. As a 6 foot flat first baseman, he doesn’t have the prototypical size for a 1b, but neither did Bagwell. Mike has hit everywhere he has gone. Last year, he put up a .404OBP and a .875OPS across AA and AAA hitting 20 homers along the way. Mike is at the fringe of prospect status due to his age and might end up a MILB FA at years end. But I think he has the bat to have a Chris Colabello type career where he surfaces later in his career and has some productive seasons. 44. Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B- 18 yo switch hitting 3b who dominated 3 levels in 2016. He jumped past the NYP this year and started off terribly. He hit well in the NYP and then returned and held his own in long season A ball after that. He has power potential, but no real now power. Looks to have a plus hit tool, and while he doesnt walk a ton, he rarely strikes out. His ultimate prospect status is dependent on if he can develop power. 45. Juan De Paula, RHP- Acquired with Orozco in the Gamel trade, De Paula is anything but a throw in. He turned 20 yesterday and has already made his way up to the college grad league in the NYP where he held hitters to a .191BAA and a 1.08WHIP. He's a tall kid who is growing into his body and is showing a pop in velocity. He now can sit in the mid 90s and top out at 97. He might even have some more power as he ages. His curve and change made some strides as well. After dominating in the NYP, he is looking at starting in the long season leagues and could move quickly if he continues to dominate and add velocity 46. Trey Amburgey, OF- Trey has the chops to be a 20/20 hitter in the bigs, but he continues to be a disappointment in the slash line. He hit 14HRs and stole 13 bases in Tampa, a notorious pitchers league. But he struck out too much, walked too little and didn’t have the kind of solid contact kind of year the prospect-nicks were hoping for. Should grade out of the Tampa heat and will be intriguing to see what he does in AA. Will be a make or break season for him. He is on the fringes here with the hopes that his potential gets realized, understanding that another middling year puts him outside the prospect label. 47. Ronald Herrera, RHP- Herrera was picked up in a deal for Jose Pirela with SD. He is an under the radar guy who actually debuted in NY this year for a couple appearances. He sits low 90s with a good curve and change combo. He has impeccable command as well and should be an option for the back end of a rotation. He dominated AA and should start 2018 in AAA as a 22 yr old. 48. Alexander Palma, OF- Alexander was a highly touted INTL signee back in 2012 and has taken some time to develop. This past season, his bat finally started catching up. He put up a .280/.322/.435 line across two levels and showed enough EBH potential to look like he has a future in the bigs. Should the doubles translate into homers as he gains strength, he could be a sleeper going forward 49. Cale Coshow, RHP- Reliever with power arm, capable of hitting triple digits with the heater. Limited secondary offerings limits his upside probably to middle relief. Needs to refine the command to be an option, but guys who hit 100 are on all prospect circles 50. Steven Sensely, OF- Talk about a debut. He was drafted in the 12th round of this season's draft, proceeded to bludgeon the Appalachian league and made his way to long season A ball in year one. He hit 13HR in 50 games and walked 20 times as well. His final OPS was .954. There have been plenty of college bats who dominate the lower levels, so some skepticism is needed, but should he continue his onslaught in the long season leagues, then he could cement himself as a sleeper prospect with big power potential I didn't add any guys who were signed this year from the INTL, so Rojas and Pereira don't make it yet. Just missed: Lynch, Cortes, Brewer, Green

30. Deivi Garcia, RHP- Dominated across 2 levels, and started the year as a 17 yr old. 85K in 60IP with 19 walks. Throws low to mid 90s with a plus curve and developing changeup. He has a small frame, which may limit the potential upside to his velocity, but he played against older competition and made them look silly. Should be on the short list for long season, although at his age, they may hold him for the NYP 31. Jio Orozco, RHP- Acquired from the Mariners in the Ben Gamel deal, Orozco was a good get. Sits low to mid 90s already with advanced feel for a breaking ball and change at a young age. He made it up to A ball this past yr as a 19 yr old. Command was an issue, and if that cleans up, he will pop for sure. Should return to A ball with the chance to rise if he hits the strike zone more often 32. Gosuke Katoh, 2B- Katoh finally broke out after being a HS draftee in 2013. This past season, Katoh slashed an impressive .293/.376/.440 with 11 steals in an injury shortened 2017 campaign. He was branded as a guy with a high ceiling, he just never showed it until now. He should have earned a promotion to AA and if his power continues to develop, he could push Solak for best 2b prospect 33. Glenn Otto, RHP- 5th rounder from 2017, Otto is another in the line of converted college relievers to starters a la Chance Adams. Like Chance, Otto has a deeper repertoire than the usual college reliever. He throws a mid 90s heater and has a now plus curveball. He is developing the change and will be developed as a starter. He has power and command as he showed when he dominated the NYP with a 0.90WHIP 13.5K/9IP and 1.35ERA. He should rocket through the system if he can stay healthy. 34. Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP- Diminutive righty who returned from TJS with more power than he had before. Topping out high 90s now with a plus curve. His changeup isnt far behind either. Possessing that kind of power and the secondary pitches he has now put him squarely as one of the top ceilings in the system. In his return from TJS, he didnt disappoint either. 1.38ERA, more than a K per inning and only 3 walks in 32.2IP. His command and power should push him into the rotation in Charleston. His low IP total will handcuff his development going forward, but I anticipate he goes to long season in 2018 without question 35. Isiah Gilliam, OF- Gilliam is an interesting prospect. He has power (15HR) and speed (9 steals), but he always seems to be just off the prospect radar. This past season, he drastically improved his pitch recognition, driving his K's down below the 1.0 per game mark while also driving his OBP up to .356 due to his massive increase in walks. He's a 5 tool type prospect who will be intriguing to follow for sure 36. Giovanny Gallegos, RHP- Gallegos is a reliever who has finally started to reach his potential. He's been on the AAA shuttle all season and throws mid to high 90s with a plus curve. He dominated AAA and will probably end up dealt if he cannot crack a stacked pen coming out of ST 37. Cody Carroll, RHP- Carroll was a later round pick in 2015 and has been a nice surprise. Cody throws mid to high 90s gas. He was a full time reliever in 2017, striking out 89 batters in 67IP. Good curve as well, making him a true 1-2 punch reliever. Should be in AAA this year and if he continues to dominate, might push the Yankees hand 38. Brady Koerner, RHP- Sinkerballer with a good frame who throws a mid to high 90s sinker with an average curve and developing change. He is probably more a reliever, but he held his own in over 100IP as a starter in AA. He has good command of his sinker which keeps the ball on the ground and his walk rate down. He allowed too many hits this past season, but I anticipate that he moves back to the relief role and those should come down as his velocity and his curve will play up in shorter stints 39. Chris Gittens, 1B- Chris isnt going to fool anyone into thinking he is athletic. He's 6'4" and over 250lbs. But he has power to spare. He missed significant time this year due to injury, but ended up slamming 13HR in 73games and improved his OBP to a very respectable .372. He should move into AA next season and should his approach continue to improve, he might work his way into a DH/1b role in the future. 40. Alexander Vargas, RHP- Big framed pitcher who sat low 90s with a 2 seamer. Has flashed higher velo in the past, but is coming off injury. Statistically impressive season with only 1BB/9IP and a very high GB rate. Low K total owing to the sinkerballing mentality. Good change, developing curve. Lower on the list right now due to the velo drop. If he can return to the mid 90s, he could really pop going forward

21. Nick Nelson, RHP- Power armed RHP capable of running it up there to the mid 90s. Flashes a plus curve and a developing change. Still needs work on his command, but the power is there. Struck out nearly 10 per 9, but walked 4.5 per 9. 22. Rony Garcia, RHP- Big framed 19 yr old who was very successful in long season for Charleston this season. Sits low to mid 90s, plus curve and developing changeup. He limited walks in 2017 with only 17 in 75IP but wasn’t as overpowering as his stuff would command (only 56K in 75IP). He has the size to add more to his already impressive velocity. Should his change develop, he could be a mid rotation starter. Should the change develop and he add a few ticks to his velocity, he could be more than that 23. Billy McKinney, OF- Billy was a 2013 HS draftee out of the 1st round who didn’t reach his potential with the Cubs or with the A's. We got him in the Chapman deal from the Cubs and something clicked this season. He set a new career high with 16HR (previous high was 11) to go along with 7 triples and 29 doubles. He makes good contact (94K in 124G) but his walk rate suffered a bit. Regardless, with his bat rejuvenated, he has re-emerged on the prospect scene. He is likely to find work in the bigs with another club due to the long time of talent in the Yankees system, but his prospect status has been resurrected 24. Domingo German, RHP- Acquired in the Prado deal, German has quietly risen the ranks in the Yankee system. He debuted in the bigs this year and is still on the active roster. He throws mid to high 90s with a good change and distant third curveball. He was an effective starter in the minors, but I think his future in NY is as a swing man capable of giving multiple innings after a starter falters. 25. Luis Medina, RHP- High 90s fastball, plus curve. He is one year post TJS and struggled with his command. He is only 18 years old and was a headliner when signed in 2015. He has the 2 pitch combo to be a reliever, but at his age, he has time to develop his change and become a starter. He is another high upside arm, but his power at such a young age is tantalizing. Big boom potential here 26. Trevor Stephan, RHP- 3rd rounder from 2017, Stephan blew away the competition in the NYP. He struck out 43 in 32.1IP, with a WHIP of 0.80 and an ERA of 1.39. Big arm, sits mid 90s and a big frame. Developing slider, curve and change with biggest improvement in the changeup. Could be a high leverage reliever, but will start 2018 as a starter and if the secondary stuff continues to grow, he could be a 1 or a 2 in the rotation 27. Ben Heller, RHP- Ben throws hard. Acquired with Sheffield, Frazier and Feyereisen for Andrew Miller, Heller is a hard thrower who is already in the Bronx right now. He tops out around 97-98 and has a wipeout slider. He has back end of the pen potential and is already in NY for September 28. Donny Sands, C- Drafted as a 3b, he was quickly converted to C where he has made significant defensive strides and is quickly looking to be a good defensive catcher. His bat has started to carry him a bit as well as he continues to hit around the .280+ mark albeit with limited power. He has a good approach, makes good contact, takes walks when need be and is a good defender with more to learn. He profiles well as a solid backup C at the big league level. If his power develops and he doesnt drop his hit tool to get more powerful, he could be something more 29. Hoy Jun Park, SS/2B- Hoy Jun is a lefty hitting speedster with a good glove at SS who can steal some bases with his good speed. His bat took a step forward in low A, but more on the OBP side. His power is still developing and likely isnt going to be a 20HR hitter, but could definitely be a 10-15 guy when he is through.

11. Albert Abreu, RHP- Abreu turns 22 in 5 days, but he is anything but a kid. He was limited to 50+IP this year due to injury but did return healthy at seasons end. He throws a FB that tops out at 99 with a big time slider and a solid changeup. He is working on a power curve. He has ace potential as well as good command of his arsenal for someone so powerful and so young. If healthy, he will rocket through the system next season. 12. Tyler Wade, SS- Wade had a hell of a 2017 culminating in 55 big league at bats. This season, he dominated AAA with a .310/.382/.460 slash line with 26 steals while playing solid D up the middle. He is blocked in the system currently and might benefit from a trade. He's got power enough to hit a ton of doubles and probably hit double digit HRs. He has the speed and the smarts to steal a ton of bases as well. He could be a dynamic top of the order hitter 13. Jorge Guzman, RHP- Guzman came over in the McCann trade and was as advertised in terms of power. Routinely sitting 98-99 and regularly hitting triple digits, Guzman has power most teams dream of. He didn’t have the feel for his breaking stuff when he came over, so the focus was to develop the curve and change. His curve is a wipeout pitch now, reaching 90mph. His change has made strides but is a distant third. If the change develops, he is a top of the rotation type arm. If it doesnt, he could close without a doubt. Guzman showed impeccable command in his 67IP for the NYO with only 18 walks compared to his team leading 88 strikeouts. Guzman has a ceiling like few others 14. Thairo Estrada, SS- Estrada is a slick fielding middle infielder who quietly put up a very solid season in 2017. He hit over .300 with an OBP of .353. His power was late to the party, but could develop into the 10-15HR range max. He's an above average runner as well who should steal some bases as he gets better reading pitchers. He should be on the short list for AAA as a 22 yr old and could be an option for NYY by season's end. As with Tyler Wade, it appears Estrada is blocked by better prospects above him, so I anticipate he could be trade bait going forward, but he has a pretty reachable ceiling of being a starting SS and a floor of a utility man capable of hitting a bit, stealing bases and playing good D up the middle 15. Dermis Garcia, 3B- Dermis has now power. In 63 games, he hit 17HR as a 19 yr old. He also walked 38 times in 63 contests. He brought his BA up to .249, good enough to make his OPS near .900. He strikes out far too much, which drives down his BA, but to have his power at his age is rare. Should he take the next step offensively, he could be an absolute beast. He has 50HR potential, but if he doesnt make contact, it could never come to be. 16. Matt Sauer, RHP- 2nd rounder for NYY, who was really a fringe 1st round prospect with big money demands. With Schmidt getting TJS and a lower slot, the Yankees were able to get Sauer. Sauer is a big, strong 18 yr old RHP who throws absolute heat. He stands 6'5" now and is starting to fill in. He tops out in the high 90s, around 98mph. He has a wipeout slider when it's working which flashes plus. His change and curve need work. He has top of the rotation type ceiling and that will be tested, but with his stuff and apparent violent motion, his future could be in the back end of a pen someday 17. Taylor Widener, RHP- Taylor was a 12th round selection in 2016 and immediately jumped onto the scene as a sleeper for NYY. Taylor was another drafted reliever who is being stretched out. Capable of hitting 97mph, he can maintain mid to high 90s heat as a starter. He has a solid slider and a developing change that made some progress this year out of the rotation. He limited the HR ball, struck out 9.8 per 9IP and held opponents to a .206BA. One thing that did fall a bit was his command as a starter. He did walk 3.8/9IP and if he is to stay a starter, he will need to cut that down 18. Jake Cave, OF- No better time to have the season of your career than the season before hitting MiLB FA. Cave was a highly touted draftee when the Yankees took him out of HS in 2011. He was always a guy with all the tools but middling production. The Reds took him in the Rule V but he couldnt stick on the team. 2017 was his final chance before being relegated to minor league depth status and boy did he deliver. .305/.351/.542 slash with 20HR and good defensive chops enough to play at least an average CF. Cave has basically played his way onto the 40 man roster and will likely be in the battle for 5th OFer next season with Frazier and behind Ellsbury. Cave has never shown this type of power before, but if it continues, he could carve out a starting role in CF for a big league club 19. Clarke Schmidt, RHP- First round pick in 2017. Had TJS in May, so should have some play towards the middle of 2018. Was trending up into the top 10 picks when he blew out his elbow. Sits mid 90s with sinker and tops out around 97mph. Plus potential curve and slider, average change. If he comes back the way he went in, that'd be a bonus. If he adds velocity like some do, he could have a deadly arsenal which would put him into the top of the rotation ceiling category. He just started throwing again, but wont be ready for minor league games until June at the earliest 20. Nolan Martinez, RHP- 3rd round pick in 2016, Nolan has battled injuries in his first year and a half in the system. He can run it up there to 95 already as a 19 yr old and has a nasty slider as well. He did have the highest spin rate in the draft in 2016, which gives his heater late life. Lost development time due to a shoulder injury, but finished the year healthy. Likely to make the NYP this upcoming season. Has the stuff to be a mid rotation pitcher or if he ticks up further, a #2 starter or setup/closer type in the pen

1. Gleyber Torres, SS- He turns 21 in December and even with his youth and the fact that he had TJS in mid June, he is still far and away our top prospect. He reached AAA at 20 and slashed a ridiculous .287/.383/.480 at both levels. He stole bases, hit homers, made good contact, walked a ton, played good defense, everything. With the recovery from TJS likely done by the time he laces them up for ST, he will be on the short list of callups during the season and should start the year where he left off, in AAA. He will likely be pressuring Headley on the big stage and would be available for Castro or Didi should they get injured. This kid is a superstar in the making. 2. Estevan Florial, CF- He was #14 on pinstripes plus before the season, but after making the BA all minors second team and making the futures game, the prospect hype is rising. He slashed .298/.372/.479 through A and A+ as a 19 year old. He hit 13HRs, 43 EBH's, stole 23 bases, walked a ton and played stellar D. His only bugaboo is his contact rate, which isn't great considering he K'd 148 times in 110 games. He should be on a similar career path to Torres and should start 2018 in AA. 3. Chance Adams, RHP- Chance turned 23 this season and hit AAA, which doesn't sound entirely impressive. When you consider he was drafted in 2015, that makes it far more interesting. Chance hit his innings cap at 150IP and should be able to handle a major league workload. His walk rate predictably rose as he progressed, but 3.58/9IP isn't too bad. His K rate was good at 8/9IP. What was really impressive was his ability to induce out. He had a .193BAA and a decent HR rate. He throws 4 pitches, all of which he can locate well enough and all of which grade out as big league average or plus. He can cut and run his FB and tops out in the mid 90s. He's got the stuff and the capability to be a top of the rotation starter and will likely be in the mix for the #5 spot in the rotation out of ST 4. Clint Frazier, COF- Most people think Frazier is an old prospect because he has been around the prospect radar so long (drafted in 2013). But he just turned 23 4 days ago. Clint showed in the minors that he can be a source of power and speed, capable of hitting 20+HR and stealing 20 bags a season. He showed good plate discipline in the minors as well, averaging a walk every 2 games. He even showed well in his callup to the majors, where he had 15 extra base hits in 28 games. He will need to take his plate discipline to the next level to be a regular. He likely ends up back in AAA next year with Judge, Hicks, and Gardner all under contract. But he will be on the short list to be called up should one of them go down. He has hand speed like I haven't seen before and he'd be quite a prospect to follow 5. Justus Sheffield, LHP- Justus turned 21 during the season and progressed well in his only taste of AA ball. He did miss time with a lower body injury and only accrued 98IP. He is going to the AFL to add more innings to the time he lost. Sheffield was steady in 2017. His ERA was 3.12 and his K rate was really strong (8.1/9IP). His BB rate was passable (3.1/9IP) but his BAA was nearly .260 and his HR rate was high (1.3/9IP). He is a lefty who throws hard (sits mid 90s) and offers two plus potential yet inconsistent offerings in a slider and change. He is still young and left handed and will definitely be groomed as a starter, yet his stuff could play up in the pen should he not progress beyond AA. He has ace ceiling, but more a floor of a mid rotation guy/high end reliever. 6. Domingo Acevedo, RHP- Nobody has a better fastball in this system aside from Chapman. Acevedo will hit and stay near 100 with some pitches topping out at 103mph. He is Betances' sized at 6'7" and has the heat to match. The interesting thing about him is that he has an advanced change up and an improving but still third breaking ball. He saw 3 levels this year and reached as high as AAA for a stint, but did the most work in AA. His season line was strong at 3.25ERA 133IP 1.20WHIP 9.6K/9IP and 2.3BB/9IP. He has impeccable command of the heater and the change, which is rare for someone so large. He turns 24 prior to the start of 2018 and should be in AAA and on the short list for a callup next season. He has ace type ceiling or could be a closer type arm if converted 7. Dillon Tate, RHP- we got Tate for Beltran, and at the time, it seemed like a reclamation project. Drafted 4th overall just a year prior, Tate had fallen on hard times in the Rangers system. He comes to the Yankee system, the Yankees put him in the pen for the last part of the year and like what they see. They make some mechanical adjustments and change his approach and voila, he is coming close to hitting his ceiling as a starter. In 83.1IP, he pitched to a 2.81ERA and a 1.14WHIP. His K rate wasn't spectacular, but he did limit walks and homeruns while really getting a ton of ground balls. He has a mid to high 90s heater with heavy sink with a plus potential breaking ball and change. He finished the year in AA and since he lost innings due to an injury at the beginning of the year, he will head to the AFL to add more to his workload 8. Miguel Andujar, 3B- what a season this 22 year old had. He slashed .315/.352/.498 between AA and AAA. His power progressed, as he slugged 16 homers. His walk rate did drop a bit, but for a power hitter, he makes an insane amount of contact. He will never walk a lot, but he only struck out 71 times in 125 games. He is very similar to Gregorius in that respect. He won't walk a lot, but he will put the ball in play. For a guy with his power potential, that is a good thing. He has the defensive ability to be a plus defender at the hot corner as well. He played well enough to earn a callup, albeit a brief one where he went 3 for 4. He will be pushing Torres for first prospect called up to the bigs in 2018. 9. Freicer Perez, RHP- Many on here may wonder why I have a 21 yr old from low A ball on here, but this guy is a monster. He is listed on milb.com as 6'8", but he is listed in other places as being up to 6'10". He is still skinny and hasn't grown into his body yet. One thing he has grown into is his fastball. When he was signed, he was low 90s, now he sits mid to high 90s and frequently reaches triple digits. He has very good command for someone so massive and has already shown a plus potential breaking ball and a workable change. He had a good statistical year in 2017 at 2.84ERA 1.14WHIP 8.6K/9IP 3.3BB/9IP. But he has the stuff and the talent to rocket through this system. They babied him for a bit this season, we shall see how far he can go once they take off the kid gloves 10. Nick Solak, 2B- Solak was the 2nd rounder for the Yankees in 2016 and since he was signed, he never stopped hitting. He rocketed through the system and finished the year in AA the year after he signed, which is an impressive feat for a 22 yr old non high 1st round prospect. He hits for average, for power and has patience. His triple slash line through A+ and AA was .297/.384/.452. He is a professional hitter who should be a good bet for double digit homers and steals on a yearly basis while playing good D, hitting for a high average, and walking a ton. His only problem in this system is that he is behind Castro and Torres for a spot and in the pecking order, being Thairo Estrada, as well, although I think Solak has more offensive potential than Estrada and hence a higher ceiling

Impressive is more like it. I haven't seen a team with so much turnover improve so much.

Exactly. But right now, you don't. You need to get someone to eat into Hanley's PT

With our win vs the Jays, the Yankees clinched a post-season berth. If you asked me before the season whether we'd make the playoffs, I would be hard pressed to have said yes. This team is a year removed from dealing off 4 key contributors for prospects and retiring two legends who were well past their prime. Through good coaching and phenomenal general management, the Yankee team that took the field this year was younger, far better and much more exciting. Two rookies from a year ago entered this year not even shoe-ins to make the roster and one will win the ROY and be in the final 3 for MVP and the other will be in the final 3 for CY. Add to that the development of Sanchez into a 30+ HR power monster behind the plate, Didi developing into our best HR hitting SS ever, and Castro returning to the player he was with the Cubs but with more power, and our offense was revitalized. Last season, the Yankees were 22nd in runs scored in all of baseball with 680. This year, they are second in the game with 812 and still have 8 games to go. With them likely hitting 850 runs this year, the 170 run turnaround with a youthful club is beyond impressive. On the hill, our ace went into the tank for 1/4 of the season so bad that his ERA will likely end close to 5.00 and we still managed to have the 5th best ERA in baseball at 3.76. We were 15th last season at 4.16. And this doesn't even come close to showing what we are capable of as our ERA after the ASB dropped 0.59 runs per 9IP after acquiring Kahnle, Garcia, Robertson, and Gray. While we will likely have some work to do in the play in game, this year cannot be considered anything but a success. This team went from shambles to being one of the most dangerous teams to enter this postseason. And this season is just the beginning. With practically all their impact players returning and millions upon millions of dollars freeing up with CC and Arod's contracts expiring, the Yankees are primed to go from Cinderella's prior to 2017 into preseason favorites prior to 2018. Add to that quite possibly the best farm system in baseball and you have a team flush with cash and prospects to improve this team on the fly. After watching a dynasty die a slow death after 2012 and money getting pumped into a dying team, it is refreshing to see a rebuild happen in the span of a single season. Go Yankees

Good luck "failing" his physical and getting it by the union. This is the same deal guys. You cannot intentionally diminish a player's PA's to avoid an option if they are playing well. Hanley isn't playing well this year, but lets say he puts up a .260 25HR season next yr, or he is on pace for it. Do you think the sox can justify having him miss his option by 30 or 40 AB's when there is no better option on the team? I know Hanley hasn't been great vs lefties this year, but his three years prior he is clearly better vs lefties than his splits vs righties. Here is what you do. You sign Duda on a pillow contract and have him be the lefty portion of a platoon with Hanley while also having him play a bit at 1b opening up some PT for Hanley vs righties. It wouldn't be a pure platoon, but it would pull enough AB's from Hanley to allow him to miss his option without making it look like you're sitting Hanley specifically for contract purposes

If Greg Bird has a healthy 2018, he will be a beast. His swing is beautiful and he has a good eye to boot. I don’t think he ever hits for a high average, but I think he can be a .270 hitter with a high OBP and 30+HR perennially. He’s a huge sleeper for 2018 since he’ll be protected in our lineup

The MLB union has definitely been a good thing for MLB. Other unions not so much.

It's not physical. He is flying open. He corrected it for a stretch in the summer and now he is back to doing it again. When he flies open, his balls are flat and stay up in the zone. When he finishes his pitches, his pitches stay low and drop out of the zone.

And if it looks like you’re keeping his PAs down just to keep the option from kicking in, then the union will have a field day. But if you have him platooning, then he’ll have no say. They can’t have him around the 450-490 range without the union throwing a fit. He needs to be under 400 with good justification to avoid an arbitration motion

Hanley will play through injury next season, I guarantee it. He’s got $22 mil riding on 500 PA’s. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see him more focused next season. Nothing like a big carrot in front of you to motivate