Meet A Prospect : Melky Mesa

Melquisdec Mesa was born January 31st, 1987 in Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic. This will be Melky's third season under 40 man roster and Rule 5 Draft protection and he has done nothing to disappoint the Yankees brass thus far. He has impressed so much that he recently has been promoted to AAA Empire State Yankees but this will be a make or break season for him in my eyes. With a 6'1" 190 lb frame he should be ready to start filling in physically and filling in for the big league club come mid season if we have an injury or two. 

Melky has shown, although raw, some amazing power and even more amazing plate discipline at such a young age in the Yankees system. Melky Mesa has the potential to be a five tool player with great defensive ability and a cannon for an arm, out of this world speed, raw power and discipline at the plate, and even hit for average. He has not quite lived up those expectation yet but he was signed as a 16 year old IFA in 2003 so he has some more time to go. The question is whether the Yankees will wait out his "Jekyll and Hyde" kind of offensive spurts. In 2009 Melky was named to the SAL All Star Game while playing for the Charleston Riverdogs and even participated in the Home Run Derby. In the 2010 season he was named the Class A Advanced Florida State League while playing for the Tampa Yankees. 

Melky Mesa made his Major League debut last year with the Yankees as a September call up when he pinch ran in the 14th inning against the Oakland Athletics.  Alex Rodriguez hit a single up the middle after Derek Jeter bunted Melky over to second base but he missed third base causing him to have to back track and prevent the winning run from scoring. Melky saved his first hit for October in true Yankees fashion as he got an RBI single off of Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey. While Melky will be in camp for the Yankees this season I see very little possibility for him to make the team out of Spring Training but will be one of the first in line should we need to call up an outfielder. Watch out for Melky Mesa in 2013. 

ETA: 2013