Tuesday, March 18, 2014

One Yankee Listed In Baseball America Top 20 Summer League Prospects List


One member of the New York Yankees was listed in a subscriber only article written by Ben Badler from Baseball America showcasing the Top 20 Summer League prospects. The summer leagues that are showcased are the big ones, the Dominican and Venezuelan Leagues, and the Yankee that made the list was Jorge Mateo. This is not as much of a ranking as much as it is just a list of names to watch this summer in short season baseball.

Mateo is an 18 year old shortstop coming off a season in which he hit .287/.378/.450 and a 145 wRC+. The right hander is expected to come stateside this summer to play with the Gulf Coast Yankees after signing in January of 2012 for the low, low price of $250 K. Here is a quote from Badler about Mateo who was ranked as an 80 in the running department on a scale of 20-80:

“He’s a premium athlete who should be able to stay at shortstop, where he shows very good range, quick feet and a plus arm … He should have good power for a shortstop, with 15-20 home runs a very realistic possibility. Mateo uses the whole field and did a solid job of managing the strike-zone in his debut, though he will have to make adjustments as he moves up the ladder and starts to see better breaking pitches.”

2 comments:

  1. Jorge Mateo another one to keep our eyes on, if he is that good he may be in the big show by the age of 20-21. An 80 in speed, we will see...that is Young Mickeys' type of speed numbers.
    Nobody has ever recorded the Micks time from a full swing to 1st base as fast as he did...3.2 right side and 3.03 from the left side. And I do mean a full swing...if you have ever seen his swing you would understand.
    The big thing was, when he put down a bunt (he was the best bunter on the team) from the left side it was under 3.00 and I never saw him get thrown out on a bunt. In fact, most pitchers didn't even throw to 1st, the one time someone did...with Chicago (I think), he ended up on 3rd base. The ball was over thrown and skidded down the right field stands (fence).
    This kid sounds like he could be a five tool player down the line! Maybe, maybe not!

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    1. The talent is def there, as evident by the huge international signing bonus he received. Exciting to see him coming up through the ranks, especially at shortstop.

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