James Kaprielian Elbow Injury Update

UPDATE: Tommy John surgery it is. Damn. Kaprielian will miss the entire 2017 season.

We reported earlier this week that the New York Yankees top pitching prospect James Kaprielian would be heading to see a doctor regarding elbow discomfort and pain for the second consecutive season and this week Yankees GM Brian Cashman gave us an update. Here is the update on Kaprielian the best I can bring it to you with baited breath.

All signs point to elbow surgery unfortunately which likely means another year of development for Kaprielian will be down the drain. No word yet on what kind of surgery, to the best of my knowledge he has not seen a Tommy John specialist as of the time of this writing but that information isn’t always readily available either, but it’s going to involve his pitching elbow and his elbow flexor so it’s not good news whatsoever regardless of where the surgery is going to occur.

Kaprielian pitched well in the Arizona Fall League last year and pitched well during spring training this season including a two-inning appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays where he struck out three without allowing a run but the elbow has once again started acting up. Kaprielian seemed healthy all winter and spring long so the Yankees organization is clearly puzzled by the reoccurrence so stay tuned to see what’s wrong and what surgery the righty is likely to take. We’ll have it here for you.

Also to the person who emailed me directly and called him “Ty Hensley 2.0” please stop. Just stop. Thanks.

Meet a Prospect: Jorge Mateo

The New York Yankees went out and signed a relatively unknown international free agent back in 2012 for a mere $250,000 and boy was that one of the greatest decisions the team and organization ever made. Mateo has grown from an international free agent that the Yankees signed out of the Dominican Republic to the top prospect in the entire organization according to many prospects lists released last winter before becoming the underdog here as we inch towards the 2017 season.

Mateo makes he way on the basepaths as the Yankees top shortstop prospect stole 82 bases in 2015 in 99 attempts. While Mateo is described as having "nervous feet" at shortstop he has the ability, the arm strength and the range to play either short, third base or second base in the future. New York even had Mateo work out at second base in the Instructional League as the team decides where Mateo will play in the future. At the moment Didi Gregorius is the shortstop of the present and the future in the Bronx so Mateo will either have to force at bats with the organization, move positions or become trade bait.

Jorge Mateo
6'0" - 188 lbs. - shortstop and DH

Year	Tm	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2012	Yankees 2	14	69	15	14	2	1	1	8	4	12	11	.255	.382	.382	.764
2013	Yankees 1	64	299	50	74	9	6	7	26	49	34	52	.287	.378	.450	.828
2014	Yankees 1	15	65	14	16	5	1	0	1	11	7	17	.276	.354	.397	.750
2015	2 Teams	117	500	66	125	23	11	2	40	82	43	98	.278	.345	.392	.737
2015	Charleston	96	409	51	98	18	8	2	33	71	36	80	.268	.338	.378	.716
2015	Tampa	21	91	15	27	5	3	0	7	11	7	18	.321	.374	.452	.826
All Levels (4 Seasons)		210	933	145	229	39	19	10	75	146	96	178	.279	.359	.410	.769
FRk (2 seasons)		78	368	65	88	11	7	8	34	53	46	63	.281	.379	.438	.816

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Mateo broke out in 2015 which caused him to have all the eyes of the organization on him in 2016. For some that's a good thing, some players thrive off the pressure and attention, while for some they can be their own worst enemies. Unfortunately for Mateo it seems like he was the latter as he struggled for much of last season but in 2017 Mateo will be back to being that kid that can just have fun again, and that may be the best thing not only for Mateo but for the Yankees as well.

ICYMI: Baseball America's Top 10 Yankees Prospects List

It's the most... wonderful time... of the year. No, not Christmas, although you couldn't tell that if you have been to a Wal Mart this week, but it's the time of the year where a bunch of post-season top prospects lists begin getting released and Baseball America usually starts it off. Well BA has released their list and while I can't give you the write ups, they are behind a pay wall, I can give you the complete list and let you guys fight it out on the comments section. So without further ado, let the fighting begin.


1. Gleyber Torres
2. Clint Frazier
3. Blake Rutherford
4. Jorge Mateo
5. James Kaprielian
6. Aaron Judge
7. Justus Sheffield
8. Chance Adams
9. Dustin Fowler
10. Domingo Acevedo




And go.....

Baseball America's Top 10 Yankees Prospects List

It's the most... wonderful time... of the year. No, not Christmas, although you couldn't tell that if you have been to a Wal Mart this week, but it's the time of the year where a bunch of post-season top prospects lists begin getting released and Baseball America usually starts it off. Well BA has released their list and while I can't give you the write ups, they are behind a pay wall, I can give you the complete list and let you guys fight it out on the comments section. So without further ado, let the fighting begin. 

1. Gleyber Torres

2. Clint Frazier

3. Blake Rutherford

4. Jorge Mateo

5. James Kaprielian

6. Aaron Judge

7. Justus Sheffield

8. Chance Adams

9. Dustin Fowler

10. Domingo Acevedo

And go.....

Yankees Rank Three in Baseball America’s Top 20 Short Season/Rookie Ball Prospects List

The final prospect list from Baseball America that we will cover is the Short Season and Rookie Ball affiliates in Minor League Baseball. The Yankees have four short season and rookie ball affiliates including the Pulaski Yankees, the Gulf Coast Yankees 1 and 2 and the Staten Island Yankees but somehow the team only managed to send three to the list. According to reports I’ve read there are many Yankees that “just missed the cut” which makes sense for them and a lot of teams. Short season and rookie ball are for recently drafted prospects and international free agents who signed at 16-years old who are working their way towards the Major Leagues with a long road ahead. There are generally more questions than answers at this point so don’t look too much into these rankings either way unfortunately.

Blake Rutherford was the Yankees first round pick from this year’s draft and he was ranked #2 in the Appalachian League after just a few months there. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the only prospect in front of him in the Appalachian League after Baseball America was quoted as saying Rutherford “performed like a college hitter.” For a High School hitter that’s quite the compliment.

Right behind Rutherford on that list was outfielder Estevan Florial, an 18-year old prospect who just made his debut in the United Sates. Florial has nice power with good speed all while playing a natural outfield. Florial has a long way to go and is a raw prospect by all accounts but he is closer than most at this same level.

The final prospect to make the list for the Yankees is shortstop, yes another shortstop, Diego Castillo of the Gulf Coast League. Castillo was the only Yankees prospect ranked in the Gulf Coast League prospects after showing some promise at the plate and in the field this season. 

Yankees Rank Four in Baseball America’s Top 20 A-Ball Prospects

As many of you probably already know the Class A Ball of Minor League Baseball is broken down into Low-A, for example the Charleston Riverdogs, and High-A Ball, the Tampa Yankees, but for the sake of the Top 20 prospects from Class-A Ball from Baseball America we have combined the two leagues into one. Despite the pool being twice the size as the pool in Double-A and Triple-A the Yankees still managed to send a whopping four prospects onto the list. We will showcase all seven for you here today as they represent both the Florida State League and the Carolina League respectively.

Gleyber Torres had just one prospect in front of him in the Florida State League rankings making him number two overall. Torres was also ranked 4^th in the Carolina League behind top prospects in all of MLB like Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi and Victor Robles. Torres came over from the Chicago Cubs in the Aroldis Chapman deal and is currently representing the Yankees down in Arizona with the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.

The man that Torres displaced at the top of the Yankees prospects list, at least temporarily, was 5^th in the Florida State League. His name is Jorge Mateo, maybe you’ve heard of him? Mateo’s prospect stock took a bit of a nose dive after failing to live up to great stolen base numbers and numbers overall from 2015 while the Yankees shortstop prospect also had a two week suspension for violating team rules. Mateo is a young kid and he needs to mature, that’s all. I can remember when the same questions about maturity were surrounding Gary Sanchez’s career as a minor leaguer and he turned out to be okay, I think.

Chance Adams made a second list when he ranked 18^th overall on the Florida State League top prospects list. Adams has a ton of talent in that right arm so don’t be surprised to see him on the Double-A and Triple-A list next year as well.

Finally we have the 11^th best prospect on the Carolina League prospects list, left-handed pitcher Justus Sheffield. Sheffield is just 20-years old and was last seen dominating Double-A pitching in the playoffs for the Trenton Thunder after a spectacular season with the Tampa Yankees and the High-A Ball affiliate in Cleveland. Sheffield looks to be the real deal and may start the season in Double-A in 2017. 

Yankees Rank Three in Baseball America’s Top 20 Double-A Prospects

Having prospects ready to make an impact in Triple-A is huge in the grand scheme of things for a competing team. Injuries happen, postponed games happen and every once in a while a veteran struggles and fails to live up to expectations leaving a gaping hole in the lineup or pitching staff for a team. In that case you make a call down to your Triple-A affiliate and in the Yankees case this prospect rides the Scranton Shuttle all the way to the Bronx. For some that’s the end of the line of thinking for them but down in the Majors the Triple-A team now has that major hole in their team and they now need to fill the gaping hole. That happens from their Double-A team so thankfully for the Yankees they ranked three players in Baseball America’s Top 20 prospects list for the Eastern League in 2016.

Clint Frazier is the 8^th best prospect in the Eastern League and the Yankees top prospect overall which goes to show you the amount of talent and depth that is on the way to the Major Leagues very soon. Frazier was once the fifth overall pick of the Cleveland Indians due in large to his bat speed, power potential and defensive prowess in the outfield.

Chance Adams is a name I’ve been following since he was drafted a couple years ago by the Yankees. Adams was a reliever then and I picked him as the first draftee to reach the Major Leagues from his class but a switch to starting pitcher has slowed his progression towards the majors a bit. It was a great decision though for Adams and the Yankees and that can be seen as he stands as the 18^th best prospect in a loaded Eastern League.

The third and final prospect to make the list for New York is Dustin Fowler who broke out in a big way during the 2015 Arizona Fall League. Originally Fowler was picked as a player that would play once or twice a week for the Surprise Saguaros but Fowler’s on-the-field work was just too good to keep on the bench which translated and carried over to the Trenton Thunder in 2016. Fowler was ranked 20^th overall and is now known as a “slam dunk center fielder” for the Yankees future.

Jacoby Ellsbury just got put on notice. 

Yankees Rank Two in Baseball America’s Top 20 Triple-A Prospects

Every season the crew over at Baseball America ranks their top 20 prospects for each league in Minor League Baseball. The Yankees are usually pretty absent from these rankings but after restocking their farm system with a few mid-season trades New York sent more than a few to each list for Baseball America including two for the International League, or more commonly known as Triple-A.

Gary Sanchez was the #3 ranked International League prospect behind the Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner and Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton. Sanchez and what he did with the big league club this season was ultra-impressive but he also did well in Triple-A in 2016 which a lot of people aren’t talking about. As Sanchez grows out of prospect eligibility this season names like Tyler Glasnow, Austin meadows and J.P. Crawford will slide in where Sanchez once stood.

The other Yankees prospect to make the list also reached the Major Leagues this season, right fielder Aaron Judge. Judge ended 2015 in Triple-A and had some holes found in his swing which left him statistically wavering a bit to end the season. Judge seemingly plugged those holes this season and will look for history to repeat itself this coming season in the Bronx after being exposed a bit in 2016 at the Major League level.

You have to think if Clint Frazier had more at bats in Triple-A he would have made the list but there is no excuse for Ben Gamel not to be on this list. Gamel, now a member of the Seattle Mariners, was the league’s MVP for goodness sake. How does he not make the list at least at #20? 

Article Revisit: Raising Up & Defending Gary Sanchez's Prospect Status

Originally posted one year ago to the day HERE: 

This has been something that has been on my mind for quite some time but I’ve always struggled to put it into words without coming off as condescending, cocky or downright rude. I have been content to simply roll my eyes and pass by tweets, comments and articles stating that Gary Sanchez has no future with the team, he’s the next Jesus Montero, he’ll never catch a game with the New York Yankees etc. but I received an email over the weekend that I simply cannot ignore, one that I cannot simply bite my tongue and roll my eyes at because it was absolutely ridiculous.


The email, from a person who will remain nameless but a reader of the blog obviously, asked me what I thought the team would do with Sanchez over the winter. In the handful of emails we exchanged back and forth, because I am a nice guy and I believe in putting the social back into social media, I heard the usual grumblings that Sanchez has been in the organization forever and he’s blocked by John Ryan Murphy and Brian McCann but the final email put the icing on the cake. The emailer, who I respect and I’m not calling out whatsoever here, stated that Sanchez was merely an organizational prospect and that he needed to be packaged away with Rob Refsnyder and Ivan Nova for a “real second baseman this offseason.”


Whoa there pal, Sanchez is an organizational prospect? First and foremost you are correct, Sanchez has been in the organization for what feels like forever. Most international free agents that sign at age 16 feel like they have been in the organization forever after five years, that’s the name of the game. Also you hit another nail right on the head, in a perfect world Sanchez is blocked by both Murphy and McCann and may never get into a meaningful game with the team without a devastating injury or disabled list trip but to say he’s merely an organizational prospect or a filler is a stretch and one that I don’t feel comfortable with letting slip by.


Sanchez is 21 years old, if he had not been an IFA and your run of the mill college student he would have graduated college this summer. Name one college senior that can not only hit Triple-A pitching but dominate them as well as lead a pitching staff from behind the dish. I’m sure there’s probably at least one but would that prospect be considered an organizational prospect or a top prospect? I’d lean towards the latter despite claims that the Yankees “over-hype” their prospects for trades or the fact that the Yankees prospects simply “aren’t that good.” Sanchez is a fine prospect and since you obviously haven’t been watching I’ll be quick to point out that Luis Severino, Greg Bird, Dellin Betances, and a slew of other “not so good” prospects have done quite well for the team despite being “over-hyped.”


I, as a blogger and as a fan with some would say a relatively large following, am held to a higher standard than most and I subsequently I hold myself to a higher standard because I want to lead by example. I’ll tell a Toronto Blue Jays fan as quick as I’ll tell a Yankees fan that the crap talking and trolling is unnecessary and not needed but sometimes a troll is simply a troll. I believe, well I hope, this email was a troll. If it was, you win…. I fed the troll. If it wasn’t then at least know what you’re talking about or at least be passionate about what you’re talking about because when you call a 21-year old catching prospect who dominated Triple-A pitching and is currently sitting on the bench for the Yankees a “organizational prospect” you just look silly.


Thank you for listening to my rant. I admit that sometimes I get a little too worked up over prospects, I love prospects and I can’t help it, and I’ve tried to temper those expectations and my words a bit because of it. This one I couldn’t let pass, not because I’ve had conversations or a connection with Sanchez but because I feel like it is the right thing to do. To educate, that’s all I want to do whenever I can. This post was not intended to be malicious or to call anyone out as much as it was intended to put everything into perspective, I hope. I hope you enjoyed it, I hope everyone learned something and I hope that we can at least agree to disagree on the matter because I will in no way, shape or form agree to the fact that Sanchez is anything less than a TOP prospect for the New York Yankees.

Looking Back at My 2016 Rookie of the Year Predictions

Spoiler alert, I didn’t have Gary Sanchez winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award back during the preseason when I made these predictions. That may be a severe lack of judgement on my part but I’m sure you guys are used to that if you’ve been reading my work and my predictions long enough. I don’t tend to get them right as often as I probably should, I guess that’s why I’m a poor man with a blog and not a rich man who won the lottery or invented some new tool or device that took the country by storm. And FYI, I’m okay with that.

Here are my predictions I made back in March of this year:

In the American League there is a name we’ve heard a ton about for a long, long time. That name is Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, a longtime top prospect in Major League Baseball. The Twins have been patient with the young outfielder and they finally got some dividends paid back in 2015. Buxton hit .209/.250/.326 in 138 plate appearances in 2015 and is still considered a prospect for the 2016 season meaning he is still eligible to win the American League’s version of the ROY Award, and he will in my estimation. Let’s not forget that Mike Trout began his career in 2011 with a 40 game stint that included a .220/.281/.390 triple slash. 

Don’t be surprised if Luis Severino is listed somewhere in the final voting though, this kid has all the making of being pretty special. (Edit: hahahahahahahaha) 

In the National League I considered going with Steven Matz of the New York Mets or Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers but I ultimately landed on the starting shortstop for the Washington Nationals, Trea Turner.  Turner burst onto the scene in a big way in 2015 posting a .322/.370/.458 triple slash with 29 stolen bases in the minor leagues before making a quick cameo in the Major Leagues last season. With Ian Desmond out the Nationals will give the bulk of the playing time to Turner giving him plenty of opportunities and plenty of runners on base in front of him to get him the award. 

I wanted to go with Carlos Martinez of St. Louis but that suspension is going to eat up much of his season leaving him on the outside looking in. 

Meet a Prospect: Justus Sheffield

The New York Yankees have shaken up the organization as of late with many key trades before the August 1^st trading deadline but no trade brought in more in terms of prospects, future potential and players than that of the Andrew Miller trade. We’ve already met the centerpiece of that trade Clint Frazier but just because Frazier was the centerpiece that isn’t meant to take anything away from the other Top 10 Cleveland Indians prospect that was included, Justus Sheffield. Sheffield is a great addition to any team and any farm system as well by himself let alone with Frazier so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Justus Sheffield Edition.

Sheffield has only spent a full season in the minor leagues but he has already been impressive enough to snag a Top 10 prospect spot in a loaded Cleveland Indians system. That shows talent and that shows ceiling and upside despite a small pitchers frame of 5’10”. Sheffield is not the type of pitcher that is going to throw 105 MPH like Aroldis Chapman and simply make hitters look silly but he is a pitcher that is going to keep you off-balance with a great curveball and slider that compliments his fastball. Sheffield is also developing a changeup that could make him a devastating starting pitcher in his future if he can harness it and use the pitch efficiently.

Sheffield projects to be a middle-of-the-rotation type starter with some calling him a potential #2 starter, best case scenario, or likely a #3 type starter. Sheffield garners enough strikeouts to make him lethal while limiting his walks effectively, think Michael Pineda when he is firing on all cylinders. Sheffield is not without his character flaws, which may have motivated Cleveland to include him in the deal, after pleading guilty to underage drinking and breaking into a house last year (he thought the person’s home he broke into was a man who was messing around with his girlfriend) but if he can put the off-the-field crap behind him (again, like Michael Pineda… remember his DUI and mugshot?) then he could be a valuable Yankees starter and valuable member of the organization.

Welcome to the family Justus!

ETA: Mid-to-late 2018

What Do I Think About The Yankees Youngsters?

When thinking about Yankees prospects I can't help but smile. And I'm not even that big a prospect guy, unlike some of my collegues here. So to help sort things out I made a list, and decided to share it with you.

FYI, I decided to use the Top 30 list created by MLB.com, as well as include players on the big club that are under 27 years old.

Now, I did leave off some players under 27, who I felt simply weren't worth listing. That would be Chasen Shreve, Nick Goody, Johnny Barbato, Tyler Olson, Brandon Pinder, Aaron Hicks, and Ronald Torreyes.

A few notes before you read it below...

1. The number in parenthesis is their ranking on the Top 30.

2. An asterisk next to their name means they have played more than the position they are listed under. That isn't to say some players can't play other positions in the future.

3. There are players on the Top 30 List that have already appeared in the Majors.

4. I didn't split up the starting and relief pitchers. This wasn't supposed to be me trying to guess what role each guy would pitch in. So you can talk about that if you want.

Okay, so without any further ado, here you go...

Catcher - Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez (5), Luis Torrens (16), Donny Sands (28)

First Base - Greg Bird, Chris Parmelee, Rob Refsnyder*

Second Base - Starlin Castro, Jorge Mateo* (3), Tyler Wade* (14), Hoy Jun Park* (22), Kyle Holder* (27), Rob Refsnyder*

Shortstop - Didi Gregorius, Gleyber Torres (2), Jorge Mateo* (3), Wilkerman Garcia (11), Tyler Wade* (14), Hoy Jun Park* (22), Kyle Holder* (27)

Third Base - Miguel Andujar (8)

Outfield - Rob Refsnyder*, Clint Frazier (1), Aaron Judge (4), Blake Rutherford (6), Dustin Fowler (12), Billy McKinney (15), Mason Williams (23), Ben Gamel (24), Jake Cave (25), Trey Amburgey (29), Leonardo Molina (30)

Pitcher - Masahiro Tanaka, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Luis Severino, Luis Cessa, Justus Sheffield (7), Domingo Acevedo (9), James Kaprielian (10), Chance Adams (13), Ian Clarkin (17), Drew Finley (18), Jordan Montgomery (19), Jacob Lindgren (20), Chad Green (21), Dietrich Enns (26)

Weekly Prospects Check In: Rashad Crawford

What can you say about Rashad Crawford that probably already hasn’t been said by now? The final piece in the deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs but he is more than just a throw in. The latest member of the Tampa Yankees and latest teammate to Jorge Mateo and Gleyber Torres but he’s not a top prospect. Crawford isn’t going to make any top prospects lists but he has the makeup and the potential to go far with this organization so let’s get caught up with him and see what he has been up to as a member of the Chicago Cubs and since joining the Yankees.

Welcome to the organization Rashad:

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	22	A+	83	370	59	84	18	3	30	22	33	73	.255	.327	.386	.713

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Yankees Post Aroldis Chapman Trade Top Prospects List

The New York Yankees got quite the haul to start the week for left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman including shortstop Gleyber Torres, outfielder Billy McKinney, right-handed pitcher and former Yankee Adam Warren and switch-hitting center fielder Rashad Crawford. Would any of these three prospects, obviously Warren is no longer a prospect, crack the Yankees Top 10 Prospects list? In a word, yes.

1. Gleyber Torres
2. Jorge Mateo

3. Gary Sanchez

4. Aaron Judge

5. James Kaprielian
6. Billy McKinney

7. Dustin Fowler

8. Ian Clarkin

9. Wilkerman Garcia

10. Miguel Andujar

11. Blake Rutherford

12. Tyler Wade

We did 11 just because, I wanted to go 12 as well. That's how you know the farm system is getting stacked. It's a sight for sore eyes ladies and gents. A sight I have been wishing for since, what, 2005?

Meet a Prospect: Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankees have essentially turned little into something and then something into a whole lot in less than a calendar year and it all revolves around left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman. The Yankees sent a little, most notably Rookie Davis and Eric Jagielo, into Aroldis Chapman this winter only to turn him around before the August 1^st trading deadline for the Chicago Cubs top prospect Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren and two others. The other three will have their day on the blog but Torres is the centerpiece of the deal so let’s meet him Yankees family. This is Meet a Prospect: The Gleyber Torres Edition.

Torres is a 19-year old shortstop prospect that was ranked at the top of the Cubs farm system at the time of the trade. You would have to think that Torres will also rank at the top of the Yankees farm system as well but I am compiling my list now and will likely bring that post-Chapman trade prospects list to you tomorrow. Until then Keith Law had Torres ranked 26^th overall on his most recent prospects list while Baseball America had him ranked 41^st overall before the season.

Torres has a quick right-handed swing and uses great pitch recognition, patience and maturity to spray the ball all over the field. Torres is still growing into his body and still working on pulling the ball but when he does he could hit 15-20 home runs inside Yankee Stadium. Torres, even with this growth, should still be able to stick at shortstop but could always move to third base due to his strong arm and average speed.

Torres will head to A-Ball with Jorge Mateo and look to improve on his .275 batting average, 19 stolen bases and nine home runs he has put up thus far this season. Torres joins a talented group of shortstops in the Yankees system but he just may tower over them all at this point in their careers. This is an exciting grab from Brian Cashman. I’m very excited to welcome Gleyber Torres to not only the organization but to the Yankees family as well.

More to come as we learn more about our new top prospect. Enjoy. 

Predicting the AL& NL Rookies of the Year

Every year around this time I roll out my predictions for the major awards, the standings, the division winners, the playoffs and even the World Series because I’m a glutton for punishment. Why? Because I’m wrong about 75% of the time, if not more, but it is fun to do pre-season and it’s fun to look back at in October or November so 2016 won’t be any different. We’ll start it off with a few players that are starting off their Major League careers in 2016 as I take a stab at predicting the American league and National League’s Rookie of the Year Award winners.

In the American League there is a name we’ve heard a ton about for a long, long time. That name is Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, a longtime top prospect in Major League Baseball. The Twins have been patient with the young outfielder and they finally got some dividends paid back in 2015. Buxton hit .209/.250/.326 in 138 plate appearances in 2015 and is still considered a prospect for the 2016 season meaning he is still eligible to win the American League’s version of the ROY Award, and he will in my estimation. Let’s not forget that Mike Trout began his career in 2011 with a 40 game stint that included a .220/.281/.390 triple slash.

Don’t be surprised if Luis Severino is listed somewhere in the final voting though, this kid has all the making of being pretty special.

In the National League I considered going with Steven Matz of the New York Mets or Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers but I ultimately landed on the starting shortstop for the Washington Nationals, Trea Turner.  Turner burst onto the scene in a big way in 2015 posting a .322/.370/.458 triple slash with 29 stolen bases in the minor leagues before making a quick cameo in the Major Leagues last season. With Ian Desmond out the Nationals will give the bulk of the playing time to Turner giving him plenty of opportunities and plenty of runners on base in front of him to get him the award.

I wanted to go with Carlos Martinez of St. Louis but that suspension is going to eat up much of his season leaving him on the outside looking in. 

TGP Prospects Month Top 29 Prospects List - #1 El Gary Sanchez

We've made it Yankees family, all the way down to #1. It's bittersweet, you want to keep going but you also like closure. It's human nature. This is closure, this is El Gary Sanchez, the Yankees top prospect in their system according to The Greedy Pinstripes.

There is absolutely nothing I can tell you that I did not say yesterday in Jorge Mateo's Top 29 post and I cannot say anything that you don't already know so with that said I will simply say congratulations to Sanchez and say thank you to everyone for reading.

1. Gary Sanchez
2. Jorge Mateo
3. Aaron Judge
4. James Kaprielian
5. Robert Refsnyder
6. Domingo Acevedo
7. Dustin Fowler
8. Wilkerman Garcia
9. Ian Clarkin
10. Brady Lail
11. Jacob Lindgren
12. Bryan Mitchell
13. Drew Finley
14. Mason Williams
15. Slade Heathcott
16. Abi Avelino
17. Hoy-Jun Park
18. Luis Torrens
19. Cale Coshow
20. Chance Adams
21. Miguel Andujar
22. Jonathan Holder
23. Tyler Wade
24. Nick Rumbelow
25.Jordan Montgomery
26.Trey Amburgey
27. Ben Gamel
28. Austin DeCarr
29. Thairo Estrada
30. James Pazos

Gary Sanchez 2nd Best Prospect Catcher by MLB.com

MLB.com ranked the Top 10 prospects at every position this offseason around the majors and Gary Sanchez made the list for catchers. Gary Sanchez is the second best prospect catcher in all of Major League Baseball according to the website and their list.

Here is the free write-up from MLB.com on Sanchez:

2. Gary Sanchez, Yankees

Sanchez resuscitated his prospect stock last season between the Double-A and Triple-A levels, and he made his big league debut in early October. He then showcased his huge power and cannon arm in the Arizona Fall League, pacing the circuit with seven home runs and a 62 percent caught-stealing rate. Despite Sanchez's improvement as a blocker and receiver last season, questions remain about whether he will be able to catch every day in the big leagues. However, there's little doubt that he's ready to make an impact at the plate.

And here is the Top 10 List originally seen HERE. 

1. Willson Contreras - Cubs
2. Gary Sanchez - Yankees
3. Jorge Alfaro - Phillies
4. Reese McGuire - Pirates
5. Tyler Stephenson - Reds
6. Elias Diaz - Pirates
7. Dom Nunez - Rockies
8. Jacob Nottingham - A's
9. Max Pentecost - Blue Jays
10. Aramis Garcia - Giants

TGP Prospects Month Top 29 Prospects List - #2 Jorge Mateo

Uh oh, I didn't follow the pack leader and put Jorge Mateo as the best and top Yankees prospect in the entire farm system. How many people do you think clicked off the site when they saw Mateo get less than first? I'll let you know tomorrow but really the top three are pretty interchangeable in my opinion so it's not meant to be a slap to Mateo. Mateo is great and he could be the Yankees best prospect and he may be ultimately. The thing with prospect lists though is it's all left up to interpretation. Some use the players ceilings as their main basis for the ranking and some factor in other factors like age, whether he was drafted out of High School or college and their proximity to the Major Leagues.

The latter is the reason for me having Mateo ranked #2 behind the obvious #1 prospect Gary Sanchez. Sanchez is in Triple-A and where Aaron Judge, a fellow RailRider, struggled Sanchez flourished. It's also worth mentioning that Sanchez flourished when he wasn't expected to. He was up to fill in for an injured Austin Romine and was expected to go back to Double-A when Romine returned, Sanchez made the Yankees give him a spot. He then got another opportunity to build his stock in the Arizona Fall League while Mateo is still in A-Ball.

A ton can happen between now and the time that Mateo presumably gets to the Major Leagues. Injuries, lack of production, who knows. If we were playing MLB The Show on Playstation Mateo is likely ranked higher because he is likely the better player but he's also the furthest away from the majors out of the Yankees Top 5. For that reason alone I place Sanchez ahead of Mateo, no disrespect intended. I love Mateo, but I love Sanchez too.

2. Jorge Mateo
3. Aaron Judge
4. James Kaprielian
5. Robert Refsnyder
6. Domingo Acevedo
7. Dustin Fowler
8. Wilkerman Garcia
9. Ian Clarkin
10. Brady Lail
11. Jacob Lindgren
12. Bryan Mitchell
13. Drew Finley
14. Mason Williams
15. Slade Heathcott
16. Abi Avelino
17. Hoy-Jun Park
18. Luis Torrens
19. Cale Coshow
20. Chance Adams
21. Miguel Andujar
22. Jonathan Holder
23. Tyler Wade
24. Nick Rumbelow
25.Jordan Montgomery
26.Trey Amburgey
27. Ben Gamel
28. Austin DeCarr
29. Thairo Estrada
30. James Pazos

TGP Prospects Month Top 29 Prospects List - #3 Aaron Judge

The first cookie has crumbled and his name is Aaron Judge. I have to be completely honest here I feel like the top three prospects in the Yankees system are completely interchangeable when it comes to these lists. Some will put Judge at the top of the rankings, others will have Jorge Mateo and some may even buy into what Gary Sanchez did last season in Trenton, Scranton and in Arizona with the Surprise Saguaros. Me personally I go with Judge only because of his struggles with the RailRiders in the second half of the season.

I truly believe that the struggles came along with that lower back "injury" he had last season because it coincides with the game logs you can find on Baseball Reference. With that said though I have the likes of Mateo and Sanchez ahead of Judge because those struggles could be a sign of whats to come as well. Judge has always struck out a little too much and he's always had a problem with chasing away and getting fooled by the soft stuff away. Back injury or not that may continue to show its ugly head in the future, not that this would keep Judge from being an All-Star caliber player for the majority of a long Major League career.

3. Aaron Judge
4. James Kaprielian
5. Robert Refsnyder
6. Domingo Acevedo
7. Dustin Fowler
8. Wilkerman Garcia
9. Ian Clarkin
10. Brady Lail
11. Jacob Lindgren
12. Bryan Mitchell
13. Drew Finley
14. Mason Williams
15. Slade Heathcott
16. Abi Avelino
17. Hoy-Jun Park
18. Luis Torrens
19. Cale Coshow
20. Chance Adams
21. Miguel Andujar
22. Jonathan Holder
23. Tyler Wade
24. Nick Rumbelow
25.Jordan Montgomery
26.Trey Amburgey
27. Ben Gamel
28. Austin DeCarr
29. Thairo Estrada
30. James Pazos