Meet a Prospect: Trevor Lane

The New York Yankees went very college heavy in the early rounds of the 2016 MLB First Year Players Draft and for good reason. The Yankees farm system is loaded with talent but much of the talent hasn’t sniffed Double-A competition yet leaving New York desperate for depth from their farm system at the Major League level. The quickest way to get a draftee to the Major Leagues is to draft a college pitcher or position player that is considered to be polished and more MLB ready and let them loose to fly through the system. That’s exactly what they did with their 10^th round pick in this year’s draft Trevor Lane. Let’s meet him.

This is Meet a Prospect: The Trevor Lane Edition. Lane was drafted 307^th overall by the Yankees out of the University of Illinois. Lane is a left-handed power relief pitcher who began his collegiate career at Campbell before transferring to Lower Columbia Community College and then UL. While in the Horizon League Lane was considered to be one of the top relievers in all of the conference after transferring from the rotation to the bullpen this season.

As a starter in 2014 Lane posted a very impressive 12.46 K/9 ratio but he saw that same ratio drop to 7.02 in 2015 forcing his coaches to move him to the bullpen. As a senior reliever in 2016 Lane threw 70.1 innings and posted a 1.41 ERA with five saves and a 90/35 K/BB ratio despite missing time with a concussion. That impressive strikeout rate jumped Lane back to a 12.49 K/9 showing Lane and the Yankees that his coaching staff made the right decision in the move.

Lane is not a big guy by any means, 5’11” and 185 lbs., but he has good mechanics and a good delivery that should quell some of the durability concerns that come with smaller framed pitchers. Lane, like Brooks Kriske who the Yankees took with their 6^th pick out of USC, should move through the Yankees farm system rather quickly and into the Circle of Trust with Joe Girardi relatively soon. Think Jacob Lindgren circa 2015.

Welcome to the organization Trevor and welcome to the family as well.