New York Yankees: Top 2012 Prospects
Shrewd Trades and Uncharacteristic Reserve Keep The Yankee Farm Strong
New York's most potent pitching prospect, young Manny Banuelos should be blowing AL hitters away very soon.
Not many think of the big-spending Yankees as a prospect development ballclub, but that's an unfair characterization. Where do you think that Core Four came from, exactly?
Today's Yankee farm isn't quite as star-studded as the one that produced Jeter et al, but what it lacks in crown princes it more than makes up for in dukes. So while it's true that there's only one player in baby pinstripes who's really deserving of the 'Top Prospect' label right now, the lower levels of the Yankee farm are getting very, very close to ripe with young toolsy players close to taking the next step.
That means the Yankee system overall, which looks sort of middle of the pack right now, will probably end up looking like one of the better systems in baseball come next season, and that's without any player changes.
Until then, and with the departure of slugger Jesus Montero, who was New York's easy pick for best prospect, the crown falls to pitcher Manny Banuelos, a hard-throwing Mexican from Monterrey who is one of baseball's premium lefthanded prospects. Banuelos probably won't be joining the Yankee rotation in 2012, but he should be ready for 2013, when he'll be able to slot in with CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda to form a devastating rotation for the future.
Deeper than that, the Yankee system is well-stocked in arms and legs, especially of the outfield variety, with more than one catcher almost ready to step up and take the place of Jesus Montero as the team's future Russell Martin replacement.
The usual disclaimer: Scouting Book's Prospect Rankings change very often, to reflect the latest and most promising prospects. These listings recalculate every day as we include new input, correct errors (thanks for letting us know, helpful readers) and MLB situations evolve. For more information on our system, read this blog posting.
Next Up: San Francisco Giants.
