Meet a Prospect: Ryder Green

With their third-round pick and 97^th pick overall in the 2018 MLB First Year Players Draft the New York Yankees selected Ryder Green, a high school outfielder out of Knoxville Cristian Academy in Tennessee. Green has a commitment to play for Vanderbilt this fall but the Yankees hope that he will forego that commitment allowing the team to sign one of the top prep players in all of Tennessee. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Ryder Green Edition.

Ryder Green is a right-handed power bat that stands 6’2” and weighs in at 205 lbs. Green is an outfielder that will likely stick in a corner outfield spot due to his size if he were to make it to the Major League level. Green has a ton of power with his bat and a strong throwing arm to boot which makes him intriguing on both sides of the ball.

PerfectGame.org had the following to say about Green before the Draft:

“RIGHT HANDED HITTER, HIGH BACK ELBOW LOAD WITH A HANGING LEG LIFT LOAD, TIMING INTENSIVE SWING APPROACH, STRONG SWING WITH GOOD EXPLOSION TO THE BALL, USES HIS STRENGTH WELL AND HAS BIG POWER POTENTIAL, PULL APPROACH. 6.72 RUNNER, 4.28 HOME TO FIRST. HAS GOOD FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS IN THE OUTFIELD AND MAKES ACCURATE ON LINE THROWS.”

Green does strike out more than you would like, but that is the case with many amateur and High School players. Green has average speed running the bases and will likely stick as a corner outfielder despite playing middle infield and center field in High School. Green does need work with his ball tracking abilities, but that will come with his development at just one position instead of many at any given time. Green will likely never be a .300 hitter at the Major League level, but he has shown power that could carry him through the Minor Leagues.

Here’s to hoping the Yankees can get Green signed and into their Minor League system as soon as possible. You can follow Ryder on Twitter by following @airryder25 and you can follow us while you are there by following @GreedyStripes.