Post by D23 on May 17, 2005 12:45:09 GMT -5
A 6'-5" 18 year old RHP sensation, PHIL HUGHES may be the best and promising blue chip pitching prospect the Yankees had a long time since Ricardo Aramboles. Hughes is getting the publicy throughout the baseball world with his pretty much dominating performances in Charleston, SC where he's 3-1, 1.72 ERA, 36.2 IP, 22 H, 41 Ks, 12 BB and .179 opponents' BA. He will turn just 19 in June 24th. You wondered where he is heading to next? Tampa or Trenton? While he probably could fare well in Trenton, the problem is this is Hughes' first full professional season. The Yankees will and are taking him slow, pitching him on a limited pitch count rather than taxing his golden arm. He is sure to rank in the top 100, or even top 50 by the year's end by baseball media. He very well may be the Yankees' number 1 prospect by the end of the year.
The Yankees have another solid pitching prospect, 19 year old CHRISTIAN GARCIA who is Hughes' teammate in SC. Like Hughes, Garcia is also ranked the top 5 in the Yankee's Top prospect by Baseball America. Garcia is not dominating as Hughes but quite effective with a 2-2 record and a ERA of 3.29, 40Ks in 38.2 innings. He has allowed opponents' BA of just .221.
MORE PITCHING:
Great news to many Yankee fans. JORGE DEPAULA is making a comeback after a TJ surgery and made his first apperance in Columbus last week by pitching 5 innings, 7 Hits, and 1 R. DePaula is a long way from regaining his arm strength but it is encouraging news to see him in AAA.
Don't make fun of the name but perhaps you need to start getting use to BRAD VOYLES where he has been remarkably effective in the last 3 starts. Voyles obtained from the Royals started in the bullpen in Columbus this season. Ever since he has been moved to the starting rotation, he has made the best of it as a starter. Voyles may be the next in line as the Yankee's emergency starter.
NOT REALLY A DEMOTION: OK so SEAN HENN's debut didn't all go so well with the Yankees. Perhaps the 23 year old southpaw shouldn't have made the jump from AA Trenton. Henn was sent back to minors but to Columbus. He has made 2 starts and is 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA. He hasn't been as effective as he was with Trenton early in the season.
COMEBACK PLAYER II: Another player making a comeback, former top prospect LHP DANNY BORRELL is now in AA Trenton where he has made 2 starts, 1-0, and has pitched 9 innings and allowed 9 H and 6 Runs while striking out 8.
Just because Tampa Yankees (TY) have been quiet these days, it doesn't mean that they don't have any top prospects there. The best pitching prospect is TYLER CLIPPARD who is rising up on the charts. 20 year old tall, slender RH is 5-2 with an ERA of 3.20. In 45 innings, he has allowed 38 Hits and 48 Ks.
Another TY pitching prospect which we have heard before in several trade discussions with the Diamondbacks, ABEL GOMEZ, a 20-year old southpaw who may be the best lefty starting prospect in the Yankee system. Gomez has came on strong in two recent starts after several so and so April outings. Gomze is now 1-0 with a 3.25 ERA, allowing only 21 H in 27.1 innings and struck out 23 batters.
PITCHING STAR OF THE LAST TWO WEEKS: Trenton MATT DESALVO earned the EL pitcher of the week with another gem, by producing another shutout and apparently pitched even better than when I saw him throwing 7 scoreless innings of 1 hit ball in Bowie. DeSalvo, a 23 year old non-draft player is now 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA. In 39.1 innings, he has allowed only 1 HR while striking out 42. In his last two starts, DeSalvo's ridiculous numbers are 15 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, and 17 Ks. Pretty impressive indeed.
MORE NOTES AROUND THE FARM:
Highly regarded prospects ERIC DUNCAN and MELKY CABRERA are producing nearly similar numbers, both hitting around .250, 4 HRs and 20 RBIs at the moment. Cabrera is in a one week slump while Duncan blasted his 4th HR Monday night.
Perhaps we should be happy that we have JASON ANDERSON back in the Yankee system. Anderson appears to be back on track after losing his touch the last two seasons. Anderson has given up zero, nada, nilch HRs and only 14 hits in 25.1 innings. He has been used as the primary setup man along with COLTER BEAN. Speaking of Bean, I'm sure we have not seen the last of him. He continues to have a solid season in Columbus, striking out 27 batters in just 17 innings.
SCOTT PROCTOR's gopher balls binge have appeared to be at rest for the moment. Proctor has now converted 3 saves in his last 3 appearances.
MITCH JONES has cooled off a little bit in the last couple of weeks but is still hitting a decent .329 batting average with 9 HRs and 22 RBIs.
KENNY THOMPSON, LF for the Trenton Thunders has been red hot lately, upped his BA to .340 with 13 doubles, 5 triples, 4 HRs and 16 RBIs as the leadoff man. Better yet, he has a whopping .429 OB%.
WHERE'S BUBBA? Bubba is in Columbus hitting .273 with 6 RBIs in 8 games and appeared to be on the verge of losing the 25th spot on the roster temporarily...
The Yankees have another solid pitching prospect, 19 year old CHRISTIAN GARCIA who is Hughes' teammate in SC. Like Hughes, Garcia is also ranked the top 5 in the Yankee's Top prospect by Baseball America. Garcia is not dominating as Hughes but quite effective with a 2-2 record and a ERA of 3.29, 40Ks in 38.2 innings. He has allowed opponents' BA of just .221.
MORE PITCHING:
Great news to many Yankee fans. JORGE DEPAULA is making a comeback after a TJ surgery and made his first apperance in Columbus last week by pitching 5 innings, 7 Hits, and 1 R. DePaula is a long way from regaining his arm strength but it is encouraging news to see him in AAA.
Don't make fun of the name but perhaps you need to start getting use to BRAD VOYLES where he has been remarkably effective in the last 3 starts. Voyles obtained from the Royals started in the bullpen in Columbus this season. Ever since he has been moved to the starting rotation, he has made the best of it as a starter. Voyles may be the next in line as the Yankee's emergency starter.
NOT REALLY A DEMOTION: OK so SEAN HENN's debut didn't all go so well with the Yankees. Perhaps the 23 year old southpaw shouldn't have made the jump from AA Trenton. Henn was sent back to minors but to Columbus. He has made 2 starts and is 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA. He hasn't been as effective as he was with Trenton early in the season.
COMEBACK PLAYER II: Another player making a comeback, former top prospect LHP DANNY BORRELL is now in AA Trenton where he has made 2 starts, 1-0, and has pitched 9 innings and allowed 9 H and 6 Runs while striking out 8.
Just because Tampa Yankees (TY) have been quiet these days, it doesn't mean that they don't have any top prospects there. The best pitching prospect is TYLER CLIPPARD who is rising up on the charts. 20 year old tall, slender RH is 5-2 with an ERA of 3.20. In 45 innings, he has allowed 38 Hits and 48 Ks.
Another TY pitching prospect which we have heard before in several trade discussions with the Diamondbacks, ABEL GOMEZ, a 20-year old southpaw who may be the best lefty starting prospect in the Yankee system. Gomez has came on strong in two recent starts after several so and so April outings. Gomze is now 1-0 with a 3.25 ERA, allowing only 21 H in 27.1 innings and struck out 23 batters.
PITCHING STAR OF THE LAST TWO WEEKS: Trenton MATT DESALVO earned the EL pitcher of the week with another gem, by producing another shutout and apparently pitched even better than when I saw him throwing 7 scoreless innings of 1 hit ball in Bowie. DeSalvo, a 23 year old non-draft player is now 3-1 with a 3.43 ERA. In 39.1 innings, he has allowed only 1 HR while striking out 42. In his last two starts, DeSalvo's ridiculous numbers are 15 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, and 17 Ks. Pretty impressive indeed.
MORE NOTES AROUND THE FARM:
Highly regarded prospects ERIC DUNCAN and MELKY CABRERA are producing nearly similar numbers, both hitting around .250, 4 HRs and 20 RBIs at the moment. Cabrera is in a one week slump while Duncan blasted his 4th HR Monday night.
Perhaps we should be happy that we have JASON ANDERSON back in the Yankee system. Anderson appears to be back on track after losing his touch the last two seasons. Anderson has given up zero, nada, nilch HRs and only 14 hits in 25.1 innings. He has been used as the primary setup man along with COLTER BEAN. Speaking of Bean, I'm sure we have not seen the last of him. He continues to have a solid season in Columbus, striking out 27 batters in just 17 innings.
SCOTT PROCTOR's gopher balls binge have appeared to be at rest for the moment. Proctor has now converted 3 saves in his last 3 appearances.
MITCH JONES has cooled off a little bit in the last couple of weeks but is still hitting a decent .329 batting average with 9 HRs and 22 RBIs.
KENNY THOMPSON, LF for the Trenton Thunders has been red hot lately, upped his BA to .340 with 13 doubles, 5 triples, 4 HRs and 16 RBIs as the leadoff man. Better yet, he has a whopping .429 OB%.
WHERE'S BUBBA? Bubba is in Columbus hitting .273 with 6 RBIs in 8 games and appeared to be on the verge of losing the 25th spot on the roster temporarily...