Yankees 2018 Pre-Spring Training Prospect Ranking: 21-25

Brendan Kuty

Matt Linder

Now, it is time for the second installment of my Yankees Top 30 Prospect Ranking, players 21-25.

Zach Bland

25. Isiah Gilliam – OF   Age: 21
-2017 Performance: Gilliam had a breakout campaign this past season in Low-A Charleston.  He slashed an impressive .275/.356/.468 with 15 home runs in 125 games.  Additionally, Isiah was a year and a half younger than the average player in the South Atlantic League.

-Strengths: Gilliam’s best tool is his power.  He does a good job staying behind the baseball and uses his great size – listed at 6’3” and 220lbs – to generate his plus raw power from both sides of the plate.  Although drafted as a first baseman, he was immediately moved to the outfield where he will not win any Gold Gloves, but he should be able to play either corner spot thanks to his slightly above average arm.

-Weaknesses/Concerns: There is some length to Gilliam’s swing, which has made him prone to high strikeout totals so far in his young career.  Also, Isiah's switch-hitting splits are rather drastic.  From the right side, he hits .316/.355/.562, while as a lefty, he only slashes .242/.336/.391.  Lastly, should he add additional weight to his projectable frame, he may have to move from the outfield to first base, lowering his overall value.

-2018 Outlook: After a successful season in Low-A, Gilliam will likely start the year in High-A Tampa.  He has the tools to become an exciting player; it is simply a matter of refining them into game skills.  If he replicates his 2017 performance again this year, I expect him to gain a lot more prospect buzz.

Sandy Tambone

24. Trevor Stephan – SP      Age: 22
-2017 Performance: Stephan was drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft and spent the bulk of his first year with the Yankees organization in Short Season Staten Island.  In 32.1 innings, he had an ERA of 1.39 with a stellar K/BB ratio of 43/6.  Trevor was a high draft choice out of an SEC school, he should have dominated the competition… and he did.  I would not put much stock in the actual statistics.

-Strengths: Stephan – listed at 6’4” 210lbs – has prototypical starting pitcher size.  His main pitch is a low to mid-90s sinking fastball, which he is able to locate to both sides of home plate.  Trevor couples his running heater with a tight slider.  The changeup is his distant third pitch, but he made an effort to throw it more after being drafted.  Also, he creates deception through a combination of a short arm action and throwing across his body.

-Weaknesses/Concerns:  The same delivery that produces deception also leads scouts to believe his future resides in the bullpen because the cross-fire motion puts a lot of stress on a pitcher’s arm over the course of a full season.  Also, whether he can fully develop his changeup will be another deciding factor of his future role as a starter or reliever.

-2018 Outlook: Stephan is likely to make the jump to High-A Tampa this season.  After dominating in Short Season ball, he should be able to make the transition to a level more on-par with his stage of development.

Martin Griff

23. Jake Cave – OF            Age: 25
-2017 Performance: Cave has been in the Yankees organization since 2011, but was never viewed as a top prospect.  That changed this past season.  Jake began the year in Double-A, where he appeared in 31 games and produced a .266/.317/.516 slashline.  However, it was not until his promotion to Scranton that Cave began to catch people’s attention.  As a Railrider, he hit .324/.367/.554 with 15 home runs in only 75 games.  His twenty home runs in 2017 set a career high, blowing away his previous peak of eight.  This success earned him a spot on the Yankees 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft which he had already been exposed to earlier in his career.

-Strengths: Cave’s greatest strength is his lack of weaknesses.  He can do a little of everything on the field.  Jake has always been able to spray the ball around and hit for average, but this year he tapped into some power through a shift in his approach.  With his smooth left-handed stroke, he hopped on the “launch angle bandwagon” in an attempt to revitalize his career, which was beginning to stall.  He made a concerted effort to reduce his groundball percentage by creating lift in his swing.  The adjustment certainly paid off.  Also, while Cave does not use his above average speed to steal bases, he does put it to good use in the outfield where he can play all three positions.

-Weaknesses/Concerns: Jake’s biggest weakness is his lack of a carrying tool.  As mentioned above, he does everything pretty well, but no trait is outstanding.  Generally, and Cave is no exception, player’s with this type of profile have a limited ceiling.  Although this should not come as a surprise, in order to generate more power Jake’s strikeout totals rose in 2017.  Last season’s 26.3% K-percentage was by far his career high.  His ability to make consistent contact if and when he reaches the big leagues will be vital to his success.  Also, Cave is an aggressive hitter who has seen his walk totals decrease as he has climbed up the system and faced better competition.

-2018 Outlook: Cave will begin the season in Triple-A because of the Yankees extremely crowded outfield situation.  After Clint Frazier, Jake is likely is next man on the depth chart thanks to his breakout 2017 campaign and positional versatility.  He could also be included in a trade as a secondary piece if the Yankees decide to make a trade for a starting pitcher.

milb.com

22. Hoy Jun Park – INF     Age: 21
-2017 Performance: Coming off a tough 2016 in Low-A Charleston, Park repeated the level this past season.  Hoy clearly made adjustments because he put up strong numbers in his second stint as a Riverdog.  In 86 games with Charleston, he hit .262/.358/.367 to go along with 18 stolen bases in 25 attempts.  Thanks to his strong play, Park was bumped up to High-A to close out the season.  He struggled during his time in Tampa, hitting only .213 in 24 games.  Overall, 2017 was a positive year for Park.

-Strengths: Hoy has a strong set of tools which is the reason he received a seven-figure signing bonus in 2015.  His barrel stays in the hitting zone for a long time, allowing him to make hard contact even if his timing is slightly off.  Park also does a nice job of using the entire field.  Hoy has a solid frame – listed at 6’1” and 175lbs – and as he matures, I expect him tap into the raw power that he demonstrates during batting practice, but has yet to translate to live games.  In addition, even as an extremely young player, Park has demonstrated solid plate discipline.  His BB/K ratio has never dipped below .5.  Lastly, Park uses his plus speed on the base paths and in the infield.  He couples good range with a strong arm, which should allow him to stay at shortstop.

-Weaknesses/Concerns: Park, like most young players, struggles with consistency.  Offensively, he has not hit for high average since making his professional debut, so naturally there are questions about whether he can hit in the majors.  Although those concerns are fair, I like his approach and his ability to make adjustments.  I anticipate his average to climb as he develops the mental side of hitting.  Also, Park will likely never hit 20+ home runs in a season.  He does have some raw power, but not enough to clear the 13-16 dinger plateau.  Defensively, his fundamentals and focus come and go.  His throws can be erratic at times because of lackadaisical footwork.

-2018 Outlook: After struggling in High-A to end last season, Park will probably repeat the level to begin the year.  It is possible with a strong performance in Tampa that he ends 2018 in Double-A Trenton.  Park will likely continue to split time between both middle infield positions as the Yankees have a surplus of young talent at those spots.  If Hoy can build upon last year’s success, he could vault up prospect rankings.

Bryan Green

21. Dermis Garcia - 3B/1B                Age: 20
-2017 Performance: Garcia returned to Rookie Ball to start the season after struggling there in 2016.  His second stint with Pulaski yielded much stronger results.  Dermis slashed .270/.397/.565 with nine home runs in only 33 games.  These impressive stats demonstrated his ability to make adjustments, earning him a promotion to Low-A.  Garcia did not fare as well in Charleston, only hitting .227/.312/.518, but he did crush eight dingers in 30 games.  Overall, 2017 was a promising year for Dermis since he reached Low-A as a 19 year old (he turned 20 in January).

-Strengths: Garcia’s carrying tool undoubtedly is his ridiculous raw power.  It cannot be overstated how rare it is for a teenager to hit 17 home runs in only 63 games.  Most players his age possess the potential for in-game power which eventually emerges as they physically mature.  That is not the case with Dermis; his power already translates into live games.  In addition to his impressive pop, Garcia has also exhibited the ability to draw walks.  Although he will likely never hit for a high average, as he refines his approach at the plate and learns to recognize breaking balls, his batting average and on-base percentage could tick up slightly.  Dermis is going to strikeout a lot; that is just the type of hitter he is.  As long as the Ks do not inhibit Garcia from tapping into his plus power, he will still be a successful hitter.  Defensively, he possesses an extremely strong arm.

-Weaknesses/Concerns: The biggest question surrounding Garcia’s offense is: “Will he be able to make enough contact to allow his power to play in games?”  Last season, he struck out 81 times in only 63 games.  The high strikeout total is largely a result of a difficulty recognizing off-speed pitches.  As he progresses through the minors and faces better competition, Dermis’ ability to lay off breaking balls will be crucial.  Defensively, Garcia lacks the range to play third base and it is just a matter of time before he moves across the diamond.  Unfortunately, at first base he will not be able to maximize his plus arm strength.

-2018 Outlook: Since he struggled during his first stop in Low-A, I expect him to repeat that level.  Hopefully, Garcia can make the necessary adjustments to earn a mid-season promotion to Tampa.  Thanks to his awe-inspiring power, Dermis has an incredible amount of upside, but by no means is this a make-or-break year for him.  At only 20 years old, he has time to be patient and steadily improve season by season.

So that rounds out prospects 21-25.  Check back in a couple of days for prospects 16-20.

If you have any questions, comments or criticisms feel free to reach out to me at mattlinder2@gmail.com