Meet a Prospect: Brooks Kriske

Continuing with our daily Meet a Prospect series post-draft we take a look at the Yankees sixth round pick and 188^th overall pick Brooks Kriske. Kriske was your stereotypical college senior and closer that you draft in order to sign quickly, move quickly through the farm system and save some slot money with in order to increase your chances at signing one of your top picks but that doesn’t mean Kriske can’t and won’t be useful in the Bronx going forward so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Brooks Kriske Edition.

Kriske was the closer for the University of Southern California Trojans baseball team in 2016 and as I mentioned before he was a four-year college senior without many alternatives options as far as baseball after college. Kriske was ranked 29^th overall and 41^st best in the state of California by Baseball America but you know how the Yankees and specifically Damon Oppenheimer love their California arms.

Kriske is 22-years old and in his senior season at USC the right-hander posted a 2.55 ERA with a 2.80 K/BB ratio and 10.70 K/9 ratioin 35.1 innings. Kriske has six saves in 26 games and Fangraphs ranked him as one of the top pitchers in all of the Pac-12 before the 2016 season began back in March. Kriske has a big pitcher’s frame standing at 6’3” and 190 lbs. with tons of room to grow into his frame and into his stuff.

Kriske possesses a 95-96 MPH fastball to pair with an average slider although he did show signs of life and consistency with it this season. Kriske is not a Chance Adams or Jonathan Holder that will likely be tried out as a starter in the Yankees system, Kriske was drafted to fly through the system and make a difference in the bullpen much like Jacob Lindgren was when he was drafted in 2015 out of Mississippi State University.

Kriske might not make Brian Cashman and his scouting crew look like a genius as a sixth round pick but he could still turn into a very useful relief pitcher as soon as the later parts of the 2017 season. That has to count for something, doesn’t it? So Brooks I want to be one of the first to welcome you not only to the organization but to the family as well. You deserve it.