New York Yankees: Stock Up, Stock Down for Top 10 Prospects for Week 7
May 19, 2014 · Peter F. Richman · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
In Week 7 of the 2014 MLB regular season, several New York Yankees preseason top-10 prospects continued or made debuts from extended spring training (No. 10 Ian Clarkin) or injury (No. 9 Jose Ramirez, No. 2 Slade Heathcott). Some players, like Nos. 5 and 7, Eric Jagielo and Aaron Judge, put together solid weeks that reinforced trust in their positive early-season trends. Others, like the top talent (Gary Sanchez) in the Bombers farm couldn’t make it to baseball’s two-month mark without experiencing a hiccup.
The High-A Tampa Yankees are riding a hot streak of six straight wins in the Florida State League, the Double-A Trenton Thunder are conversely sliding at six straight losses in the Eastern League, the Low-A Charleston RiverDogs concluded their weekend with two wins in a row over South Atlantic League teams and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders got back to .500 in the International League with their 21st win Sunday.
At the big league level, New York (23-20) wrapped up a 4-3 week against NL competition: First, a split doubleheader with the New York Mets, who scored 21 runs in the first two games at Yankee Stadium before being shut out in the final two at Citi Field. Next, a three-game set hosting Pittsburgh. After a Friday rainout, the Bucs dropped the first two by a combined 11-4 and split the makeup doubleheader when they won Sunday’s nightcap, 5-3.
And over the past week, a few more minor leaguers—Zoilo Almonte, John Ryan Murphy (No. 3), Vidal Nuno and Chase Whitley—have continued, or had to step into, larger roles without the likes of starters CC Sabathia (knee, 15 days), Michael Pineda (shoulder, 15 days) and Ivan Nova (Tommy John, out for season), catcher Francisco Cervelli (hamstring, 60 days) and, as of May 15, Carlos Beltran (elbow, 15 days).
With health an early issue, the stocks of the organization’s top prospects—which were significant from Week 1 due to injury doubts in the Bronx—have only become increasingly important to keep an eye on. And if the Yankees hope to stay afloat through the summer, Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman may have to do their best possible patchwork job for maintaining a position at or near first in the fledgling AL East—a job that might require more minor league hands if holes can’t be filled or backed up via trade.
The top 10 prospects in this week’s report still reflect the preseason ranking and analysis from April 3, 2013, and the criteria for their rising or falling Week 7 stocks take into account recent statistics, as well as any trends and numbers, if applicable, from previous seasons.
NYY Organizational Roundup for Week 7 (May 12-18, 2014)
- New York Yankees (MLB, AL East): 23-20, 1st, L1
- SWB RailRiders (AAA, IL North): 21-21, 5th, W1
- Trenton Thunder (AA, EL Eastern) : 23-20, 3rd, L6
- Tampa Yankees (A, FSL North): 22-20, 4th, W6
- Charleston RiverDogs (A, SAL Southern): 23-19, 3rd, W2
- SI Yankees (SS, NYPL McNamara) : N/A; season begins June 13, 2014 vs. Brooklyn.
*Top 10 rankings in this report continue to refer to the preseason list and breakdown from April 3, 2014. Top 10 list subject to change (new rankings, new candidates or both) once the minor league clubs reach the midway point of the season.
**All statistics updated through game action on May 18, 2014 and courtesy of milb.com, baseball-reference.com and yankees.com unless noted otherwise.
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