The Yankees Shortstop Depth is Disgusting… In a Good Way

The New York Yankees have a gluttony of shortstop prospects right now and it’s absolutely disgusting… in a good way. As we all know by now, because even people under rocks have cell service and Wi-Fi these days, the Yankees traded Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs for their top prospect Gleyber Torres who joins elite company at the shortstop position in the Yankees farm system. The intention of this post is to showcase some of this talent a bit.

Gleyber Torres is the Yankees top prospect according to my post-trade Top Prospects list we posted on the blog this week while fellow shortstop Jorge Mateo was bumped to second. Torres and newly acquired outfielder Billy McKinney also bumped a fellow shortstop Wilkerman Garcia down from the 8^th position to the 9^th position while Tyler Wade finished 12^th on the list. Those are the names you likely know, here are a few that you may not.

Hoy-Jun Park was one of the many names the Yankees signed during that international free agent haul from a few seasons back and has absolutely been tearing up Pulaski since his signing. Thairo Estrada is another who has been toiling around in short season ball while Abi Avelino just got the call up that Jorge Mateo was hoping for in Trenton this week.

Some of other shortstops who may see either second base or their base in their future due to development and/or the absolute logjam the Yankees have going on right now at the position include Vince Conde who was drafted out of the University of Texas, Kyle Holder who was drafted last year by the organization and Angel Aguilar. Conde seems to be more polished than Holder despite both being college picks in the draft while Aguilar seems to be the farthest from the Major Leagues in the group.

This impressive list of stars is why you don’t worry about acquiring a Torres in a Chapman trade. You don’t worry about having a young and impressive shortstop in Didi Gregorius already in the Major Leagues because shortstops are shortstops for two reasons. Well maybe more than two reasons but two main reasons, arm strength and the range and flexibility that allows you to go all over the diamond. That translates well at second base and it translates at third base as well. And if it doesn’t you can always trade from a strength and get the positions filled that you need so don’t fret Yankees family, having too many shortstops is a good problem to have.