And after three weeks, he rises once again in this week’s installment of NoMaas’ MLPW. Amen.
If you missed our interview with Mark Newman or the recent chat, you can check them out here and here, respectively. If you’re not already following me on Twitter, get to it.
Minor League Players of the Week (v20):
Pitcher:
Dellin Betances, 22, RHP, AA
10.1 IP, 15 K, 3 BB, 5 H, 3 ER
NoMaas Ranking – Pre-Season Top 10: Not Ranked, Mid-Season Top 20: #9
Previous Wins – Week(s): 11, 17
Has Dellin Betances noticed he’s at AA now? If he has realized the change in competition, it’s not showing in his results on the mound. Dellin is still striking people out, limiting the walks, and remaining largely unhittable. It’s pretty crazy to think this is his first year back after serious elbow surgery. It would’ve been considered a successful 2010 campaign if Betances just stayed healthy his whole season, but he’s exceeded any reasonable expectations for him.
Betances’ K-rate this year is just filthy (32.5 K%). He’s always possessed the ability to strike people out, but he’s never done it with this frequency (25.7 K% from 2007-2009), or this efficiently (4.68 K/BB in 2010, 2.13 from 2007-2009). Batters are having an extremely tough time putting the ball in play against Dellin this year, not to mention actually getting a hit. Before his promotion to Trenton, Betances was leading the Florida State League in hits-per-nine innings (5.5 H/9). Couple that with his improved control (6.9 BB% in 2010, 12.0 BB% from 2007-2009), and you can understand why he also held the third best WHIP in his old league, trailing fellow Tampa pitcher Pat Venditte by only 36 points (.873 vs. .837). He’s certainly kept up his stingy ways in Trenton so far, allowing only five hits through his first two starts.
In Dellin Betances, the Yankees have a tall, athletic flamethrower whose ceiling rivals that of any prospect in baseball. He’s also in possession of a long, diverse, and worrisome injury history. You just have to hope that he’s gotten past those issues and can keep taking the mound every fifth day for the next… oh, let’s say… fifteen to twenty years. That’s not too much to ask.
Position Player:
Jesus Montero, 20, RHB C, AAA
.350/.381/.700 in 21 PAs
NoMaas Ranking – Pre-Season Top 10: #1, Mid-Season Top 20: #1
Previous Wins – Week(s): 10, 13, 14, 15, 17 – Month(s): July
As the calendar turns over to September, it will mark the end of the second straight month Montero has OPS’d over 1.000, and his two homers in Sunday’s division-clinching victory helped him set a new high for dingers in a season (18). Jesus is very likely the best hitter in the minor leagues (according to Frankie Piliere) and projects to be an impact bat at the next level with good contact skills, power to all fields, and improving pitch recognition and plate discipline. The only real question that remains is: when can we expect to see Montero in the Bronx?
In all likelihood it’s not going to be this season, as I seriously doubt Montero will be seeing any playing time with the big league club in September. The Yankees have to add a couple of players to the 40-man roster this winter to avoid losing them in the Rule V draft (Brandon Laird and the aforementioned Betances most notably). Using a spot on Montero for what would amount to a cameo would seem a bit shortsighted, but stranger things have happened. I’m not ruling it out, but I’m guessing the odds are against it.
Honorable Mentions:
Ramon Flores, 19, LHB RF, A
.318/.400/.455 in 25 PAs
Flores has done well fresh off his promotion from the GCL. Moving him to Charleston shows how confident the Yankees are in his ability.
Bryan Mitchell, 19, RHP, Rookie
5 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 1 H, 0 ER
Mitchell’s finest start to date. Mark Newman spoke glowingly of him.
Jose Pirela, 20, RHB SS, A+
.318/.400/.409 in 25 PAs
Set career highs in home runs (5) and walks (55) already. Has been much better in the second half of the season (.780 OPS).
Graham Stoneburner, 22, RHP, A+
5 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 6 H, 1 ER
Stellar control for the young righty (6.2 BB%). He kind of gets forgotten because of the Banuelos/Brackman/Betances hype machine.
21 Comments
History Professor August 31, 2010 01:46
Why do we even bother with these prospect reports? All of these guys are going to result as busts, get hurt, or get traded for something useless. I say NoMaas discontinues all minor league coverage because it is completely pointless to me and anyone who cares about the Yankees or baseball in general.
/End of Public Service Announcement.
Michael Sorrentino August 31, 2010 03:43
I agree, last year’s team feature NO homegrown players. Especially the bullpen, that definitely had no prospects in it. Is Carl Pavano available?
Joseph Pawlikowski August 31, 2010 08:50
I would like to read poetry and sing heavy metal songs to Graham Stoneburner.
John Matrix August 31, 2010 08:55
Montero is a freak. 20 years old and straight killing AAA.
Thomas N. August 31, 2010 09:48
Always love the prospect reports. Even more so that the Yankees are finally receiving credit for having a top 10 farm system in baseball, top 5 by some accounts.
Thomas N. August 31, 2010 09:50
Gary – If the next closer of the New York Yankees is in the farm system right now, who would you guess it is?
John Matrix August 31, 2010 09:55
Coming into the season, I think the Yankees low farm ranking was deserved. Seemed very thin at the time. But this year has been an incredible year since so many kids have taken a huge step forward.
Kevin S. August 31, 2010 10:11
Thomas, who is ranking the Yankees as having a top-10 farm system? They were ranked poorly upon entering the year, and most analysts qualified the draft as more “wait and see” than usual.
John Matrix August 31, 2010 10:26
Kevin S – Jim Callis said in a chat a couple days ago that he’d put them in the top 10.
Thomas N. August 31, 2010 11:11
It’s actually been written/spoken in a few places recently. But Callis was one of them, yes. Here’s the excerpt from his chat:
Nick (Connecticut): Is the Yankees farm system in the top 15?
Jim Callis: Yes. It takes a lot of time to break down all the systems and rank them against each other, but I’m confident enough to say the Yankees should rank in the top 10.
o (ct): Let’s get this straight, you are saying the Yanks system is in better shape than the sox?
Jim Callis: I did say that, yes.
Thomas N. August 31, 2010 11:13
But honestly, nobody should even need that certification, as it’s quite obvious how strong the Yanks’ system is right now.
It never hurts to get some good press though.
Gary Wallace August 31, 2010 11:15
“Gary – If the next closer of the New York Yankees is in the farm system right now, who would you guess it is?”
Dellin Betances.
“Thomas, who is ranking the Yankees as having a top-10 farm system?”
Like John Matrix said, Callis said they’re probably top ten. The Yanks have lots of close to the majors talent, Keith Law noted. The Yankees definitely deserve at least a top 12 ranking. Virtually all their top prospects had great seasons. The only real pieces they lost were a low ceiling starter (McAllister) and a reliever (Melancon).
Kevin S. August 31, 2010 12:22
Okay, awesome. I wasn’t being a douche, I just hadn’t seen that stuff. I actually just read Law’s chat from last week, and he mentioned the Yanks-Sox comparison, saying he preferred the Yanks’ close-in talent.
John Matrix August 31, 2010 12:35
@Gary Wallace: Interesting prediction about Betances. Is that because of his injury history?
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Jesus Montero August 31, 2010 12:49
Remember, AAA pitching, when I promised to kill you last?
I lied.
Gary Wallace August 31, 2010 13:07
“@Gary Wallace: Interesting prediction about Betances. Is that because of his injury history?”
Pretty much. With another setback or two, I think the Yankees are going to have to try and extract value out of him in any way they can. Once he’s on the 40 man they’re going to move him pretty quickly in all likelihood.
Josh Beckett September 1, 2010 15:29
Betances gives good head
Memories Off Anime September 6, 2010 00:43
“last year’s team feature NO homegrown players”
Laughing hard at that.
I hope that this was a joke or sarcasm of some sort…
Robertson, Chamberlain, Hughes, to list a few guys.
Cano, Pena, Gardner, Cervelli, a couple of batters.
Go back 15 years and you’d get Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte.
This year Johnson and Thames is welcomed back. (Though a mis-fire on Johnson)
Leather Bound Books September 6, 2010 08:16
For those of us who don’t speak German:
Are you aware that Stoneburner is English for Steinbrenner?
O_o
Crysta Coyt February 15, 2011 21:48
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