BUT WHAT ABOUT MASON WILLIAMS?

Photo: Getty Images

The baby bombers have been the focus on the Yankees for awhile now. This team has turned a long and overdue corner. The older, fading players of years past are fading away and as many young kids we have this year, there will be even more next year. The kids have taken over, but I noticed something earlier today....some kids that we were so hyped on before have almost completely faded away.

Say what you want about kids like Rob Refsnyder. Some say he has no place on this team and even if he doesn't, his name has at least been out there and in headlines consistently the past few seasons (and right now he is killing it down in Triple-A for what its worth). There are others that are not as lucky. Some of the new kids on the block have pushed out some of the old ones to the point that they aren't talked about or seen in the news anymore. It's like they have vanished.

Photo: NJ.com

Welcome Clint Frazier as one of the "new kids" on the block....and no that isn't supposed to be a boy band reference. It is a new household name for Yankees fans though. Before Frazier was in the spotlight there were others that held that same spotlight, like Mason Williams. Back in 2013 Williams was considered a top Yankee prospect and went to the Arizona Fall League with other Yankee names like Tyler Austin and Peter O'Brien.

Sure, O'Brien may now be in the Royals minor league system, but he did have a nice spring. Austin may be on the disabled list, but he was fighting for a spot in Spring Training. Williams on the other hand can't say that. He had several people to compete with for a job this spring, and in the end Aaron Judge another "new kid" beat him to the punch.

The Yankees have a lot of outfield options these days. One fiery red haired kid named Frazier is definitely one option that intrigues many. We knew Frazier was not a serious contender for a 25 man roster spot in April but we expect to see him at some point this season. The same cannot be said for Mason, now.

Photo: MLB.com

Frazier has had a slow start this season, but THIS video from Baseball America this weekend reminds us just how fast this kid is with a bat and what he is capable of. That ball had so much hang time it felt like it was never coming down. I'm sure the Indy Indians wish they were playing for him right about now.

Photo: Getty Images

As exciting as it is to see kids like Frazier doing well, then I remember that Mason Williams is also playing on the same team as Frazier, and he is struggling. Up until this weekend's games he had a 7-for-44 start and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's game. It's early in the season, but it just goes to show you how quickly things can change in this organization.

With all of the upcoming Yankee talent....it leaves many of us asking BUT WHAT ABOUT MASON?! He may not be a "new kid" but he hasn't been forgotten. We're still rooting for you!

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

THE YANKEES' FUTURE ISN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL

(In Photo: Aaron Judge, Michael O'Neill) (Courtesy: Charleston River Dogs)
Over the past few seasons we’ve listened as experts have told us how the Yankees’ farm system is slowly digressing.  The philosophy of using the minor league talent to land other teams’ established veterans had depleted our future and left the organization nothing more than a top-heavy behemoth vulnerable to the slightest of setbacks.

Last year seemed to bear that out as we had no real answers when Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, and their replacements, fell to injury.

I’ve had the opportunity over the years (thanks to a minor league club – the Syracuse Chiefs – being nearby) to watch some of the Triple A Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders’ games, and what I’ve witnessed hasn’t exactly validated the experts’ assessments.

I’ve seen players with genuine talent and passion for the game make solid cases (in my mind) for the stability of our favorite team’s future.

To that end, I decided to take a look at how many of our “Baby Bombers” are currently doing at their various levels of baseball.  I discovered that the Yankees have a number of players distinguishing themselves in their quest to reach “The Show”.

(Courtesy: Charleston River Dogs)
At Single A level Charleston (RiverDogs), we have first baseman Mike Ford hitting .333 with a .464 slugging percentage through 15 games.

In the outfield for the RiverDogs is Aaron Judge.  The 22-year-old was drafted in the first round (32^nd pick overall) last year, and like Ford, is hitting .321 through 16 games.

(Courtesy: Charleston River Dogs) 
Starting pitcher Caleb Smith carries a 1.26 ERA and 1.12 WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched) with 13 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched.

Out of the bullpen, Charleston brings 23-year-old Nick Rumbelow who has three saves, a 0.00 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

Moving up to A (Advanced) level Tampa, there’s Dante Bichette Jr., a third baseman, who is hitting .358 with a 1.028 OPS (stat that represents a combination of slugging and on-base percentages) with 16 walks in 17 games.

Teammate Peter O’Brien, also a third baseman, is batting .333 and has a 1.086 OPS.  He leads Tampa with six home runs and has 12 RBI in 16 games.

On the mound in Florida, we have Eric Wooten, a starter that currently carries a 2.11 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP.  Wooten has struck out 16 and walked just 4 in 21.1 innings.

Fellow starter Rafael DePaula has a 2.51 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and six walks in 14.1 innings.

So, what about the guys within reach of a call-up?

Well, at Trenton (Double A) the Thunder have top prospect Gary Sanchez.  The catcher isn’t disappointing by hitting .302 with a .453 slugging percentage and .846 OPS with 13 RBI in 14 games.  If he continues at this rate, chances are you’ll see him at Scranton for the second half of the season. Teammate Kyle Roller, a first baseman, is batting .308 with three home runs and a 1.110 OPS.

24-year-old starter Zach Nuding touts a 2.89 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while striking out 18 in 18.2 innings.

Closing out games for the Thunder is 26-year-old Diego Moreno.  He is among the league leaders with four saves and holds a 1.29 ERA with a microscopic 0.43 WHIP. 

The Yankees have some guys at Triple A Scranton/Wilkes Barre (the RailRiders) who are making strong cases for themselves as well.

We’ve all become familiar with Scott Sizemore whose demotion back to Scranton was nothing more than a result of the roster shell game that teams have to play.  He’s batting .344 with a .936 on-base percentage.  I really would be surprised if we didn’t seem him return sometime soon.

Our Triple A club has a strong bullpen and most representative of that are relievers Mark Montgomery and Danny Burawa.

The 23-year-old Montgomery seems to be on the fast track to the majors.  He has been promoted every year and with a 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and nine strikeouts in eight innings, his meteoric rise through the organization doesn’t appear to be slowing.

Burawa is the 25-year-old complement to Montgomery and his statistics are just as impressive.  Like his teammate, Burawa has a 0.00 ERA.  His WHIP is slightly higher at 1.05, but he has struck out 12 in a little over six innings.

After reviewing how our minor leaguers have begun 2014, I can’t help but think that the Yankees’ future is in good hands.  It is clear that on the horizon there are stars just waiting to explode onto the scene in New York. 

I’ve only mentioned a few here to make the point that while there are prognosticators who will be critical of the organization that has won more championships than any other, only time will be the true evaluation of our scouts’ hard work.

Will any of these guys be the next Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera? 

Probably not, but none of them can be discounted just yet.

Talent like that comes around once in a generation if you’re lucky, and God knows we’ve been pretty damn lucky over the years.

Nonetheless, what these ballplayers (and others) represent is depth in a system that many like to call barren.  They give us a glimpse into what the future holds for the Yankees.

I like what I see.


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1




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A GUY WALKS INTO A BAR WITH 3 CATCHERS...

It is interesting to see the drama of the catching position continue to unfold and how many people want in on the story- even the everyday fans.  It is as if a guy walks into a bar with three catchers, you see, one is a veteran, one a rookie and one a wanna-be.  Only two can stay and the other needs to go away.  But, you see, all of them have proven their worth in the big leagues and so no one wants to be sent down to the minors again.  They want to contribute to the team but in this case, maybe to another team.  Now, I am not saying that there isn’t talent in all three of our Yankee catchers and the ones coming up the pike in the farm system, but already, I am getting annoyed at the jabber on the news wires about decisions that have not even been made.

Just this week, Boston Globe Baseball Writer Nick Cafardo wrote this nugget in his "Updates on Nine" column: “With Brian McCann aboard and Francisco Cervelli the backup, Romine is very much available. Romine finds himself in the same spot as the Red Sox’ Ryan Lavarnway, with really no business going back to Triple A.”  Really, Nick?  You know this for a fact?  How do you know that Cervelli is going to be McCann’s back up?

I personally don’t think Cervelli should have any place on the team- I think we need to clean house of the drugs and move on to other prospects including Austin Romine, JR Murphy, Gary Sanchez for this year and Peter O’Brien, Luis Torrens and Alvaro Noriega later in 2016, 2018, and 2019 respectively.  We don’t need Cervelli despite his amazing enthusiasm.  He broke a lot of hearts last year when he admitted to using PEDs- a lot of hearts, including my own.

According to MiLB.com, Gary Sanchez is “just all sorts of talented, both offensively and defensively," said Yankees senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman. "He started in the U.S. when he was just 17, so he's got [1,522] plate appearances under his belt now. He's been around some, and it's showing. It's just not the kind of package you see too often in catchers."  Can’t he be waiting in the wings after we give Romine the shot he deserves this year?  The article goes on to say that, “Sanchez is undeniably the Yankees' top prospect, and he took another step toward proving that designation this season. The native of the Dominican Republic slashed .253/.324/.412 with 15 homers, 27 doubles and 71 RBIs during a season in which he moved up to Double-A at the age of 20. He also threw out 46 percent of would-be basestealers at Tampa and 39 percent with Trenton.”

Impressive to say the least, so with McCann in the starting rotation and Romine as a potential back up, I feel confident saying that the odd man out is Cervelli.  But really, anything can happen.  Hey, if the Mets can sign PEDs user Bartolo Colon then there is hope for Cervelli as trade bait.  Why not dangle him out on a string instead of giving up another great catching prospect like we did with Jesus Montero (ironically also testing positive for PEDs)? 

Bottom line, anything can happen between now and the end of the spring.  So, coming out with a statement like Cafardo did as if the backup catcher position is a done deal is just premature.  Let’s focus on the important things like prepping for the season, staying healthy and keeping our eye on the prize.  Good luck to all of our catchers and our team.  Do what you need to do to be primed for 2014.  Happy New Year!

By the way, for another take on homegrown Yankee talent, check out Erica's piece today as well, titled:

 WITH THE HOMEGROWN, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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THE 2012 YANKEE DRAFT CHECKLIST

Of course you know about Ty Hensley, the Yankees’ first round selection (In case you don’t, be sure to check out WHATWE KNOW ABOUT YANKS #1 PICK, TY HENSLEY), but there were plenty of other noteworthy draft selections made by the Yanks, take a look…

Austin Aune

Centerfielder, Argyle High School, Texas

Aune was selected by the Yanks with the 89th overall selection. At 6’ 2”, 185 lbs., Aune has apparently agreed to a deal, (Read HERE), even though he’s a two sport star that can make it in football if he chooses to. Anyway, Aune is a left handed bat that can play second base, though he was drafted as a center fielder. He has the potential to be a 5-tool player as he has good, raw power while possessing great speed and arm strength.

Peter O’Brien

Catcher, University of Miami

O’Brien, a senior out of “The U”, is listed at 6’5”, 225 lbs. and was selected with the 94th overall pick. We couldn’t find any statistics for O’Brien’s senior year, but in his junior campaign he hit .304 with 14 homers and 69 RBI. O’Brien has been touted as one of the best seniors in the draft and he’s a guy who drives the baseball to all fields with good power.

Corey Black

Right handed pitcher, Faulkner University, Alabama 

Black, selected 157th overall, should be an interesting guy to watch. He stands at 5’11”, 175 lbs. and though he started in college he may have to shift to the bullpen because of his small frame. If this happens, Black could be a guy who shoots up the system. He has a good fastball as well as good secondary offerings. Keep your eye out for Black down the road.

Vincent Jackson

Centerfielder, Luella High School, Georgia

Jackson, who stands at 6’4”, 190 lbs., was the 727th overall selection in the draft. MLB.com had an interesting scouting report on him: “Jackson could turn into a middle-of-the-order bat with good versatility in the field … has athleticism and arm to play a corner outfield position … Jackson does have some mechanical issues that will need to be fixed in pro ball, and he is somewhat raw, but his upside is great.” It’s worth noting that the Yanks drafted him as a center fielder, though the rest of the scouting report said he’s played mostly first base and he could transition to a corner outfield spot.

Jose Mesa Jr

Right handed pitcher, Charles Flanagan High School, Florida

Sound familiar? Yes, this is former Big League reliever Jose Mesa’s son. Mesa Jr. was selected by the Yankees with the 757th overall selection. He comes in at 6’4”, 215 lbs. and was a starter in high school, as he compiled a 9-2 record with a 1.13 ERA while logging 80.1 innings, striking out 134. Read more about Mesa, HERE.

In total, the Yankees made 41 selections. Out of those 41, 21 were pitchers (14 right handed, 7 left handed). They also drafted 20 position players (11 outfielders, three catchers, three shortstops, two first baseman, and one second baseman) as well. You can check out the entire list of the 41 draftees’ right HERE, and that includes scouting reports for select players. It’ll be interesting to see who pans out from this group in the years to come.

--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse

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