|
|
|
|
 |
| ||
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Offseason moves Free Agents Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search MLB en espaņol Clubhouses | ||
|
SportsMall
| ||
| Sport Sections | ||
|
| ||
| Friday, January 19 | |||||
| Yankees minor-league report Special to ESPN.com | |||||
| System overview 2000 was disappointing for fans of the Yankees farm system. The two best prospects in the system, first baseman Nick Johnson and infielder D'Angelo Jimenez, were knocked out by injuries. Alfonso Soriano, another top talent, failed to impress in limited action with the major-league club. Ed Yarnall, expected to earn the fifth starter job, was a disaster and ended up going to the Reds in the Denny Neagle trade. Despite these problems, the Yankees farm system remains one of the stronger organizations in the game. Johnson and Jimenez should return in '01, while the international scouting program has procured more interesting players like pitchers Adrian Hernandez and Chien-Ming Wang. Overall, the New York system, while not as strong as it was a couple of years ago, will keep the talent flowing. The Yanks are very aggressive in the growing international market, which makes for an interesting combination with their usually conservative amateur drafts. 2000 Minor League W-L Percentage: .517 (ranked 11th) 2000 amateur draft The Yankees often go for college talent in the draft, and 2000 was no exception. Their first-round pick was David Parrish, son of Lance Parrish, and a catcher from the University of Michigan. The selection of Parrish was controversial: most teams thought he was a third-rounder, but Yankee scouts like his power and defensive potential. He was mediocre in the New York-Penn League, so the jury is out. Second-rounder Danny Borrell, a lefty from Wake Forest, is compared to Eric Milton by many observers. Matt Smith (from Oklahoma State) and Andy Beal (from Vanderbilt) were drafted in the fourth and fifth rounds. Like Borrell, they are sharp, college-trained left-handed pitchers. Southpaws are always in high demand, and this builds system depth in a valuable commodity. The Yanks drafted just one high schooler in the first 10 rounds, fitting in with their usual philosophy over the last few years. They are willing to gamble on high-reward, high-risk international players, while using the draft to bring in polished players, mostly from the college ranks. It seems to work well. Top prospects 1) Nick Johnson, 1B: Mysterious wrist injury cost him entire 2000 season. Supposed to be healthy for '01. If true, he should pick up where he left off, hitting for average, decent power, and drawing tons of walks. 2) D'Angelo Jimenez, SS-2B: Made remarkable recovery from broken neck suffered in auto accident. Draws walks, runs well, has good power, strong defense. 3) Alfonso Soriano, SS-2B: Hasn't quite lived up to hype, but still a good prospect. Fast, strong, needs better strike zone judgment. 4) Adrian Hernandez, RHP: Cuban defector, no relation to Orlando, but a similar style of pitcher. Works the plate with variety of junk pitches and a good fastball. 5) Randy Keisler, LHP: Would be a lock for the major-league rotation for many teams. Tough lefty with decent stuff, sharp command. Others of note Yhency Brazoban, OF: Long way from the majors, but excellent ceiling. Hit .303 in rookie ball, has strong raw power. Deivi Mendez, SS: Outstanding with the glove, hit .300 with good strike zone judgment in rookie ball. Keep an eye on this one; he gets less press than he deserves. Scott Seabol, 3B: Hit .296, 20 homers in Double-A. Not young as prospects go, but no worse a player than Scott Brosius. Chien-Ming Wang, RHP: From Taiwan, posted 2.48 ERA in New York-Penn League. Throws hard and knows how to pitch, but the Yanks have the luxury of not rushing him. Other names to know: Erick Almonte, SS; Ricardo Aramboles, RHP; Andy Brown, OF; Brandon Claussen, LHP: Elvis Corporan, 3B; Randy Flores, LHP; Alex Graman, LHP; Brett Jodie, RHP; Ted Lilly, LHP; David Martinez, LHP; Donzell McDonald, OF; Todd Noel, RHP: Christian Parker, RHP; Wily Mo Pena, OF; Juan Rivera, RHP; Brian Rogers, RHP; David Walling, RHP. John Sickels is working on the STATS 2001 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can e-mail your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com. | ALSO SEE Hot Stove Heaters: Yankees ESPN.com's Hot Stove Heaters | ||||