A darkhorse in the minor leagues is a player who is talented, but flying under the radar. Most have yet to truly break out. I think that quite a few of these prospects are lurking deep down in the Yankee system. Here are the five which I think are most worth watching in 2012, in no particular order:
- Angelo Gumbs – Mason Williams and Dante Bichette Jr. sucked a lot of the air out of the short-season leagues this season. That’s not a bad thing, since they are fantastic prospects, but it causes us to overlook a guy like Angelo Gumbs. His .264/.332/.406 batting line was not as flashy as Williams’, but it is a positive all the same. Gumbs didn’t turn 19 years old until this October, and was considered a raw project-type player when he was drafted a year and a half ago. That he held is own against competition much older and more experienced than he was is a big deal. Gumbs has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order offensive threat in a middle-of-the-field position. That’s huge.
- Slade Heathcott – Heathcott is a lottery ticket at this point. Chances are his recurring shoulder injuries will prevent Heathcott from staying on the field long enough to become an impact player in the major leagues. However, if the Yankees hold the golden ticket and Heathcott manages to put his injuries behind him, they win big. In my mind, I always think of Josh Hamilton when I think about Heathcott. At the beginning of the season, before his shoulder started acting up, Heathcott was tearing the cover off the ball. He is still just 21 years old, so Heathcott has plenty of time.
- David Adams – Like Heathcott, David Adams can flat-out play when he is healthy. He is a capable 2nd baseman, and managed to hit .370/.421/.509 in an abbreviated 29-game season between rookie ball and the Florida State League. I don’t think there is much doubt about the caliber of his talent. If Adams can stay healthy – and that’s a huge if – he could very well become a top prospect as early as mid-season. While 2nd basemen haven’t been as offensively challenged as shortstops of late, any middle infielder who can hit will be a great asset for the Yankees.
- Corban Joseph – In so many ways, Joseph is the opposite of David Adams. Both are 2nd basemen, although Joseph struggles with the position a little more than Adams. He lacks a lot of the hitting flair that Adams brings, plugging along with a high-.700s OPS throughout the minor leagues. He’s consistent, healthy, and about to hit Triple-A. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Yankees start prepping him for a bench spot next season, since he can hit better than Eduardo Nunez can. But he’s a darkhorse because he has even more potential. Joseph’s consistent .284/.364/.418 average minor league hitting line, if mostly carried over to the majors, would make him an above-average MLB 2nd basemen, and a strong trade candidate or Robinson Cano insurance.
- Melky Mesa - After a breakthrough season in 2010, Mesa made his way onto the 40-man roster in order to be protected from the Rule V draft. He flashed his 5-tools by hitting .260/.338/.475, and managed to bring down his sky-high strikeout rate ever so slightly. He started out 2011 horribly at Double-A, but a very strong 2nd half kept his numbers at .249/.332/.399 on the season. We’ve seen with Brett Gardner that gold glove defense can keep a guy like Mesa around the major leagues. If he can keep his OBP above .320, watch out for him, because he can hit 15 home runs easily.
Odds are, one of these guys will have a big 2012 season and become a top-5 prospect in the organization. Most of them will crash and burn, but even one big breakout would go a long way toward strengthening the post-Montero/Banuelos Yankee prospect base.
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Good stuff EJ. Gumbs is definitely very intriguing for me, he seems to be a guy who stands out to scouts even when his numbers were not eye-popping. He supposedly has excellent bat speed which bodes well for his ability to develop power in the future. Plus he was very young for his draft class, which bodes well for his future development.
The guy for me has to David Adams. He has been awesome in every level of baseball and has actually has been a better hitter as he has gone up through the levels. If he can stay healthy he will turn to a valuable piece.
Gumbs is a great choice. He could be a good one.
But I have to take issue with Mesa and Heathcott. Guys who strike out that much year after year are really long shots. Very few can bring down those K rates as they climb the ladder to the bigs.
David Adams is intriguing on the other hand. Let’s hope he is fully recovered from the injuries that sidelined him most of last two seasons.
A couple more “dark horse” choices: Tyler Austin and Mark Montgomery. I also like JR Murphy much more than Heathcott but he remains in his shadow. Curious as to Kahnle and his chances as reliever. Has Graham Stoneburner completely fallen off the prospect map?
I like Murphy as well. He may not stick at catcher but he is athletic enough to play 3B or OF. If he does stick behind the plate he could quickly overtake Romine as the best catcher in our system. I don’t consider Montero a catcher, and while Sanchez has the ability to take this title as well I want to see more from someone with his talent before giving him anything.
Tyler Austin doesn’t seem to get a ton of love but his #’s are legit.
I’m curious to see what Zoilo Almonte does in Trenton next year. Similar path through the system to Mesa’s so far but 3 years younger at the start of the 2012 season.
I agree that these guys will all be interesting to watch and are breakout candidates. I don’t think I share your confidence that one of them will crack the #5 prospect ranking though. I suppose Heathcott would have the best chance if he could stay healthy but I wouldn’t bet on that happening.
It seems like even graduating Montero and Noesi from the prospect list, Banuelos, Betances, Sanchez and Williams are pretty entrenched in the top four spots. There will be a whole lot of candidates for the fifth spot including Romine, Warren, Phelps, Murphy, Bichette and other breakout candidates like Culver, Marshall, Bryan Mitchell, Tyler Austin, Claudio Castillo, Ramon Flores, Tyler Austin, Ravel Santana, Graham Stoneburner and Jose Ramirez. There’s also the chance they sign someone like Jorge Soler that could immediately jump into the top 5. I’d like to see Heathcott or someone else surprise, but I’d be more than satisfied with some of your five just continuing to progress or showing a little better health.