Your 2012 Top Yankees Prospects List

[TheHugeUnit2]

I also look forward to prospects list in the off season. I love to see how other people stack up the Yankees prospects compared to how I do. Here's just my top 11 for now. I have a top 60 but I might move some guys around. This top 11 is pretty much as solid as I get though.

1. Jesus Montero C
2. Manny Banuelos LHP
3. Dellin Betances RHP
4. Gary Sanchez C
5. Mason Williams CF
6. Ravel Santana CF
7. Hector Noesi RHP
8. JR Murphy C
9. Austin Romine C
10. Slade Heathcott CF
11. Dante Bichette Jr 3B

Please post your own and if you have any comments post away!

[awy]

bichette should be higher

[TheHugeUnit2]

bichette should be higher

I can see your reasoning. I do have Santana 6th so Bitchette should get some love too, but Santana has some serious tools. Slade as well and I am a big Slade fan for some reason. Where would you have him, 7th, 8th?

[awy]

actually i'm not sure if you are discounting bichette because his performance was against very low level pitching, so his 'messy' swing is not yet tested. i can see putting him lower, but power is becoming a premium right now and this is one of the few power prospects we've got with a pretty high offensive ceiling.

as far as ranking goes, i prefer to think of guys in categories classified by their ceiling grade. he'd be a risky/projection heavy upper level prospect.

i mean, if he replicates his performance at a higher level, he'd have much more room for a rise on these rankings due to his power ceiling.

[TheHugeUnit2]

I do look at upside and ceiling though. I think thats why I have Slade Heathcott in the top 10. Plus like I said he's one of my favorite prospects for one reason or another.

Do you have a top 10?

[mbn007]

Your post was not directed to me, but I want to chime in. I like your list, and it is hard to argue where you have placed guys. Sanchez may be a drop higher then I would expect, but he really was coming around just before he got hurt last year. No telling what his final stats would have been if he remained healthy.

Heathcott, to me, is one of those guys who, because of his injuries, and attitude issues last year, seems like in 2 - 3 years he will either be a top 3 prospect knocking on the Yankees door, or out of the system. You know the type I am referring to.

[TheHugeUnit2]

No it was directed towards anyone. Thanks for adding to the convo! Yeah I agree on Heathcott.... but his tools are just too much to write off right now. I think they just should not give him redbull anymore. He plays too 'all out' and ends up hurting himself. Similar to Sizemore. I think Sizemore is a deadon comp for Heathcott tho. Power potential although he might be a 15 homerun guy now. He's got speed, good defense, might strike out a bit too much and play too hard which causes him to get hurt.

As for Sanchez I don't give him getting cocky for a few games a second thought. He's 18 years old, has millions of dollars, has great talent. IMO we put all these guys into the same boat and try to compare them, meaning American guys out of college and high school and 16 year olds form South America. We do it to a bit too much since they come from different cultures. I've said it on here before, if I was in Sanchez spot, I'd get upset as well. Sanchez had great power numbers for his age and the league he was in. Remeber he's only 18 and was in A ball. I think Sanchez at 4 is where it should be, even could make a case for 3 over Betances.

[primetime714]

Not sure what the exact qualifications are but I'm taking Noesi off just cause he's had a good amount of ML experience.

Here's my list:
1. Montero
2. ManBan
3. Betances
4. Sanchez
5. Williams
6. Santana
7. Bichette
8. Warren
9. Romine
10. Slade
11. Murphy
12. Adams- he's going to be healthy this year.

[TheHugeUnit2]

8. Warren
12. Adams- he's going to be healthy this year.

Nice list. I have Warren 12th and Adams somewhere in the 20s haha. I wish Adams luck on being healthy. Guy can hit! I remember when he was really breaking out my friend was trying to convince me of trading Cano and calling up Adams haha. Do you see them trading him or maybe calling him up as a 2B/3B bat on the bench?

[primetime714]

Nice list. I have Warren 12th and Adams somewhere in the 20s haha. I wish Adams luck on being healthy. Guy can hit! I remember when he was really breaking out my friend was trying to convince me of trading Cano and calling up Adams haha. Do you see them trading him or maybe calling him up as a 2B/3B bat on the bench?

Probably trade bait, he was already almost traded once (for Lee). That said we figured Nunez would be trade bait and he's hung around quite a while. If a good trade opportunity doesn't come up I could see him in line for a utility role late this year or next year.

[TheHugeUnit2]

No one else has a list?

[philleotardo]

No one else has a list?

Don't we usually start this as a poll format over the course of a month or so, going up to 100?

[TheHugeUnit2]

Don't we usually start this as a poll format over the course of a month or so, going up to 100?

Yeah, but I think the person who does that isn't around anymore. 100 seems like overkill to me anyway. 50 would be better. I wouldn't mind doing the polls but I don't know how to do the pdf sheets the other guy had.

[nnysiny]

Don't we usually start this as a poll format over the course of a month or so, going up to 100?

there was already a "mid-season" ranking, which was essentially done at the end of the minor league season. even top 50 is too much for me

[bmxstreetrider86]

Yeah, but I think the person who does that isn't around anymore. 100 seems like overkill to me anyway. 50 would be better. I wouldn't mind doing the polls but I don't know how to do the pdf sheets the other guy had.

after 15-20 there is really no difference in the prospects

[TheHugeUnit2]

What happened to everyone that used to post here? I recall there being a ton more active posters here, now that we actually have prospects to talk about a deep system seems like everyone left the site.

[bmxstreetrider86]

What happened to everyone that used to post here? I recall there being a ton more active posters here, now that we actually have prospects to talk about a deep system seems like everyone left the site.

dunno, but this place is usually pretty quiet in the off season till the top 10's start hitting the NY-Bos area

[corsari42]

No one else has a list?

Alright, I'll play. I haven't done much research though, so take it with a grain of salt.

1. Montero
2. Banuelos
3. Betances
4. Sanchez
5. Williams
6. Santana
7. Romine
8. Bichette
9. Murphy
10. Heathcott

I didn't consider Noesi because of his ML-experience, although I'm not 100% sure he would've even been in the top-10.

[TheHugeUnit2]

wow you're really down on Noesi. I won't be shocked to see him 6th on BA's list. Good list tho.

[bmxstreetrider86]

I don't think I'm gonna list noesi on mine, but if I did it would make it so much easier. I plan on posting my top 10 soon ( still trying to nail down #10) with descriptions and analysis soon.

[TheHugeUnit2]

1. Jesus Montero C
2. Manny Banuelos LHP
3. Dellin Betances RHP
4. Gary Sanchez C
5. Mason Williams CF
6. Ravel Santana CF
7. Hector Noesi RHP
8. JR Murphy C
9. Slade Heathcott CF (I moved slade up one cause he's got a cool name haha)
10. Austin Romine C
11. Dante Bichette Jr 3B
12.Brett Marshall RHP
13. Adam Warren RHP
14. Tyler Austin 3B (Might be my favorite prospect)
15. Rafeal DePaula RHP (If he was in the states right now he might be 6th for me)
16. Angelo Gumbs SS/2B/CF (Predicting a 2011 breakout year)
17. David Phelps RHP
Hiroyuki Nakajima If he signs, then I'd throw him in here
18. Claudio Custodio SS
19. Cito Culver SS
20. Taylor Morton RHP (Morton and Mitchell was a coin flip for me, went with Morton cause he's younger)
21. Bryan Mitchell RHP
22. Jake Cave CF
23. David Adams 2B
24. Mark Montgomery RHRP
25. Jordan Cote RHP
26. Corban Joseph 2B
27. Zoilo Almonte OF
28. DJ Mitchell RHP
29. Ramon Flores LF
30. Greg Bird C
31. Matt Duran 3B
32. Isaias Tejada C
33. Graham Stoneburner RHP
34. Gabriel Encinas LHP
35. Jose Rosario 2B
36. Wilmer Romero CF (I've heard good things about him over the winter, big IFA signing from 2010 IIRC)
37. Chase Whitley RHRP
38. Melky Mesa OF
39. Abraham Almonte CF
40. Jose Ramirez RHP
41. Brandon Laird 3B (Never really liked him)
42. Nik Turley LHP
43. Rob Segedin 3B
44. Ben Gamel LF
45. Brandon Pinder RHRP
46. Daniel Camarena RHP
47. Yeicok Calderon RF
48. Evan Rutckyj LHP
49. Rookie Davis RHP
50. Mikey O'Brien RHP
51. Zach Nuding RHP
52. Robert Lyerly 1B/3B
53. Daniel Burawa RHRP
54. Jairo Heredia RHP
55. Daniel Lopez
56. Justin James OF
57. Brett Gerritse RHP
58. Josh Romanski LHP
59. Caleb Cotham RHP
60. Connor Mullee RHRP (I hope he comes back from his injury stronger than ever)
61. Eduardo Sosa OF

[NY_GOLDENARMS]

1. Jesus Montero C
2. Manny Banuelos LHP
3. Dellin Betances RHP
4. Gary Sanchez C
5. Mason Williams CF
6. Ravel Santana CF
7. Dante Bichette 3B
8. Slade Heathcott CF
9. Austin Romine C
10. JR Murphy C
11. David Adams 2B
12. Adam Warren RHP
13. Tyler Austin 3B
14. Angelo Gumbs 2B/CF
15. Ramon Flores LF
16. Bryan Mitchell RHP
17. Greg Bird C/1B
18. Corban Joseph 2B
19. Jake Cave CF
20. Cito Culver SS
21. Brett Marshall RHP
22. Jordan Cote RHP
23. DJ Mitchell RHP
24. Matt Tracy LHP
25. Jose Ramirez RHRP
26. Mark Montgomery RHRP
27. Branden Pinder RHRP
28. Jose Rosario SS
29. Matt Duran 3B
30. Daniel Camarena LHP

[TheHugeUnit2]

Good list there, similar top 13. Not a David Phelps fan?

[NY_GOLDENARMS]

Good list there, similar top 13. Not a David Phelps fan?

When I read about David Phelps, he sounds almost exactly like Daniel McCutchen and the buzz he received when he was slightly well regraded in the Yankee system. Nothing in his arsenal stands-out, he's more of a flyball pitcher and he gives up a lot of hits but he does have exceptional command. We've seen a lot of similar pitchers pass through without much success and I just don't see him as much more than a emergency spot starter or complementary trade chip for the Yankees (haven't heard him being valued much outside the organization but the Pirate's like these low cost lottery tickets of ours). Maybe 5-6 years ago, he would be a Top 15 prospect but with the depth they have now, he's buried.

[TheHugeUnit2]

Where would you have him? 30 to 35? ...or even down lower?