ICYMH: Meet a Prospect Jake Cave

Instead of ICYMI, or In Case You Missed It, we’re going to switch things up a little bit today. We’re going to do ICYMH, or In Case You Miss Him. We’re going to give your our Meet a Prospect from last year for Jake Cave with it updated for the 2015 season… just in case you miss him. Cave was taken second overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 Draft and will try to stick on their 25 man roster all season long or be offered back to New York for $25K. It’s bittersweet since I want Cave back in the organization but I also want to see him get his shot, so stay tuned to see how it all works out.

Jake Cave was taken by the New York Yankees in the 6th round of the 2011 MLB First Year Players Draft out of Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, VA. Jake would ultimately sign with the Yankees for a $825K signing bonus which was the second highest bonus given out by the Yankees that season and more than their first round pick Dante Bichette Jr. Cave pitched from the left side all through High School but the Yankees announced that they drafted him as an outfielder on draft day, something that caught a lot of people off guard. Cave brings a frame that is a little on the smaller side at 6' 180 lbs and is listed as a 1B/OF/LHP so the versatility is there. Cave has only played outfield though for the Yankees so I wouldn’t expect to see him anywhere else in the Major Leagues.

Jake attended Hampton Christian Academy his first two years of High School and impressed in his sophomore year with a 10-0 record and a 1.23 ERA with 109 K's in 61 IP. After transferring to Kecoughtan High School he hit .621 with 4 HRs and 16 RBIs with 38 runs scored while being voted an Aflac All American before being drafted by the Yankees. Jake has only appeared in two at bats in the Yankees system before a knee injury derailed his career. He is deemed to finally be healthy now and is looked to make major strides in the 2013 season.

Cave began putting it all together in 2013 and turned around from a toolsy outfielder with lots of upside to a solid outfielder. Cave hit .282 in 2013 and got better with every stop along the way. Cave ended the 2015 season with the Scranton RailRiders in Triple-A where he finished, albeit in a small sample size, with a .458/.517/.667 slash in just seven games. Cave's defense is solid and his bat is better, he's looking more and more like a good all-around outfielder. 

The Reds will enjoy having Cave on their 25 man roster all season long. On a rebuilding team I cannot envision a scenario where he is given back to the New York Yankees this season.