Manny Banuelos or Manuel Banuelos, 19, is a 5’10″ 155 lbs. lefty who was born in Monterrey, Mexico. He was signed, along with Alfredo Aceves out of Mexico in 2008 for $450,000.
Pro Career
After signing with the Yankees Banuelos got his first taste of American pro action in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie-Ball) playing for the Tampa Yankees. In 12 games that year, only three as a starter, he was impressive putting together a 4-1 record with a 2.57 ERA over 42 innings. His 7.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 were also impressive.
The next year he was promoted to Low-A Charleston where he cemented himself on the prospect map. In Charleston he pitched in 26 games, 19 of them starting, putting together a 9-5 record with a 2.64 ERA over 108 innings. What was more impressive was that both his strikeout and walk rates improved to 8.7 K/9 and a 2.3 BB/9. He was rewarded with a very brief promotion to High-A Tampa where he threw just one perfect inning that included two strikeouts.
Last season he had a brief setback after he had to undergo apendectomy surgery. Once he returned though he picked up right where he left off. Starting only briefly in the GCL he tossed two starts over five innings and allowed just one run. The bulk of his season was spent in High-A Tampa where he dominated. Over 10 games and 44.1 innings he had a 2.23 ERA, a 12.6 K/9, and a 2.8 BB/9. He was so good it earned him an unexpected promotion to Double-A Trenton, not bad for a 19 year old. In Trenton he made three starts and at least one more in the playoffs and did so so. His ERA was 3.52 and his K/9 was 10.0, but his BB/9 rate was sort of high at 4.7, but over 15.1 innings it’s not too much to worry about.
Scouting Report
There is a lot to like about Banuelos. Really the only knock on him was his small size, but the kid has great stuff and knows how to pitch. Thanks to a great report by Frankie Piliere we have a great scouting report on him too.
Essentially Banuelos has strong command and a consistent delivery. He throws a fastball in the 93-94 mph range that can reach up to 97 mph. He also has a “true swing-and-miss” curveball and a changeup that has “dead-fish drop”. His ceiling is that of a true front of the rotation starter. He may very well be the best of the Killer B’s.
2011 Outlook
Banuelos is likely to start the 2011 season in the Double-A Trenton rotation, but a trip to the Bronx is not out of the question. Realistically though they will resist very hard the urge to rush him especially considering he’s still only 20 years old. He could be a September call-up at best. If he’s seen before that it’s possible that the Yankees will call him up as a reliever in an effort to limit his innings. If we don’t see him in the Bronx in 2011 it’ll be very likely that he has a shot to win a job out of spring training 2012.
Bio: An eighth-rounder whom the Yankees rewarded with a $1 million signing bonus way back in 2006, Betances is an imposing specimen. He stands 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, and comes equipped with high-octane gas and plus secondary stuff. He finished recovering from ligament reinforcement surgery in the middle of 2010.
2010 season: Better than anyone could have expected. Once he got back from his surgery, in early June, Betances quickly made up for lost time. After allowing a run in his opening start, he allowed just one more over his next 30 frames. By the time he left Tampa for Trenton, he had gone 8-1 with a 1.77 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 71 innings.
He fanned 20 against three walks over three starts with Trenton, but he wasn't terribly efficient while doing so. He lasted more than five innings just once, but that was partly due to a stringent pitch count.
The only really troubling part of Betances' game is his inability to hold runners or field his position. I cannot stress enough how truly gruesome his pickoff throws are, despite being charged with just three errors all year.
What's Next: More than likely he'll open the year back with the Thunder. Depending on how he performs and how the rest of the system advances, he has a real shot of reaching the majors by the end of 2011.
Why he's here: He only joined the team in June, but by the end of the season he was the team's longest tenured starter. And after August, he was the team's ace. From his first start in August until the season ended, Brackman went his final seven starts without allowing more than three earned runs.
He matured greatly throughout his tenure, from a guy who seemed to rattle easily and appeared to not trust his excellent stuff, to an absolutely dominant force who earned a call-up to the big leagues at the end of the year.
This season, just his third full year as a pro, remember, could be the divining rod for his career. If he succeeds, he may wear the pinstripes for a long time. If he struggles with Triple-A hitters, however, there's a pretty good chance he's a very expensive bust. Outlook for 2011: More than likely, he'll join D.J. Mitchell, Hector Noesi, David Phelps, and perhaps Lance Pendleton or Ivan Nova in the Scranton rotation. There's probably an outside shot of him making the big league bullpen if he blows up the spot in Tampa.
Over the coming week, I will be posting my top-twenty-five Yankees prospects. The rankings are based on an inexact blend of the prospect's ceiling, floor, ETA, and their likelihood of reaching their ceiling. I tried to avoid the pitfalls of group think and the current roster construction of the Yankees, but a consensus is usually arrived at for good reason. There are certainly a few surprises and sleepers here, and I do think the upper reaches of the list are different from several other analysts - but the best way to learn about the Yankees prospects is to devour as many of these lists as possible.
#25 Dan Burawa, RHP, 22 A - 7 IP, 8 H, 7 BB, 10, 7.71 ERA
While it may be difficult to be enthusiastic about Burawa's numbers at face value, there is a great deal of intrigue here. A power reliever, Burawa throws a mid-90s fastball with good sink (racking up a ton of grounders), an average curveball, and the makings of a fringe-y change-up - all of which point to him rocketing through the system.
#24 Eduardo Sosa, CF, 19 A - .256/.353/.394, 2 HR, 15 SB, 24 BB, 48 K
Would it be too much of a cop-out to say that Sosa is Brett Gardner 2.0? Fantastic speed, terrific glovework, fine plate discipline, and not much in the power department. The key difference may lie in Sosa's pull-happy approach, which could end up hindering his progress if his power doesn't develop as expected.
#23 Tommy Kahnle, RHP, 21 A - 16 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 25 K, 0.56 ERA
Kahnle simply outclassed Single-A hitters in his professional debut, and he seems poised to move quickly through the system. The burly righty features a mid-90s fastball and a fine change-up, and his curveball remains a work in progress (which may be a bit optimistic, as he simply cannot control the pitch). Both Kahnle and Burawa profile as top-notch relievers.
I'm not quite sure why Hall has flown so far under the radar, but I cannot help but think that that won't continue for much longer. A true workhorse, Hall works with a high-80s two-seamer, a high-70s curve, and a mid-70s change-up. He keeps the ball on the ground, walks very few batters, and has garnered more swings and misses as he's progressed. Mark Buehrle is a fine comparison.
Mitchell may be the most difficult prospect to rank. His overall numbers are solid, yet he has struggled a great deal against left-handed batters leading many to doubt his future as a starter. Mitchell's bread and butter is his low-90s sinker, but his curveball has improved dramatically over the past two seasons. More importantly, he has become more comfortable with his change-up, which is the key to his ability to handle lefties.
I struggled a great deal with this ranking, as Mesa may very well have the best all-around skillset in the system. He's capable of consistently knocking twenty to twenty-five home runs and stealing twenty to twenty-five bases, while playing fine defense in center. At the same time, he's also capable of batting .220 and striking out 160-plus times. In the end, I think he could be another Mike Cameron, but he's still a bit far away for a 23-year old.
I'm very bearish with Laird. On one hand, Laird has a great deal of power, a very strong arm, and could stick at third base if he maintains his conditioning. On the other hand, he struggles to make contact at times, doesn't work the count, and seems to have lost a bit of agility with each passing season. Laird reminds me a bit of Xavier Nady, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him develop into a similar player.
The ranking may not bear this out, but I'm very bullish on Culver. He has the arm and athleticism to stick at short long-term, and I do think that he's capable of hitting well for the position. His walk rate against much older competition is impressive, as is his ability to hit to all fields. In short, there really isn't much to dislike. The primary reasoning for his placement is that he's several years away, and that is the greatest obstacle for all prospects to overcome.
Marshall thrived in 2010, less than a year removed from Tommy John Surgery. His stuff appeared to be all the way back, to boot - low-to-mid-90s four-seamer, low-90s two-seamer, and a knee-buckling low-80s slider. His change-up remains a work in progress, but he's still very young and relatively inexperienced, having been primarily a shortstop in high school. Marshall's mechanics and injury history are responsible for this low-ish ranking, but with a healthy 2011 I'd expect him to jump ten-plus spots on this list.
I'm very bearish with Laird. On one hand, Laird has a great deal of power, a very strong arm, and could stick at third base if he maintains his conditioning. On the other hand, he struggles to make contact at times, doesn't work the count, and seems to have lost a bit of agility with each passing season. Laird reminds me a bit of Xavier Nady, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him develop into a similar player.
The ranking may not bear this out, but I'm very bullish on Culver. He has the arm and athleticism to stick at short long-term, and I do think that he's capable of hitting well for the position. His walk rate against much older competition is impressive, as is his ability to hit to all fields. In short, there really isn't much to dislike. The primary reasoning for his placement is that he's several years away, and that is the greatest obstacle for all prospects to overcome.
Marshall thrived in 2010, less than a year removed from Tommy John Surgery. His stuff appeared to be all the way back, to boot - low-to-mid-90s four-seamer, low-90s two-seamer, and a knee-buckling low-80s slider. His change-up remains a work in progress, but he's still very young and relatively inexperienced, having been primarily a shortstop in high school. Marshall's mechanics and injury history are responsible for this low-ish ranking, but with a healthy 2011 I'd expect him to jump ten-plus spots on this list.
#16 J.R. Murphy, C, 19 A - .255/.327/.376, 7 HR, 4 SB, 36 BB, 64 K
Murphy may very well be the most intriguing catching prospect that the Yankees have. I would argue that he's the most athletic of the group and that he boasts the strongest, most accurate arm. As a result, he's the likeliest to stick behind the plate (though many believe he could shift to third if necessary). Murphy has only been catching for about three years now, but he's improved drastically from year to year, maintaining a reputation as a very devoted student of the game. His offense improved as 2010 progressed, with his walk rate and power increasing from month to month. He's more of a line-drive hitter than a true home run threat, but his flyball rate could be a sign of things to come. I may be overly optimistic, but everything I've seen and read about Murphy reminds me of Edgar Martinez.
The story of 2010 in the Yankee farm system was no doubt, “The Killer B’s all break out.” It provided a huge dose of excitement for us Yankee fans that had been missing (besides Jesus Montero talk) since Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy were coming up. We probably shouldn’t expect 2011 to go as well as 2010 did, but who will be the Killer Bs of 2011? After the them and Jesus Montero exit the farm system, who will provide the excitement? Here are my three candidates.
The Favorite: Gary Sanchez – Gary Sanchez rightfully earns a lot of comparisons to Jesus Montero. Montero is arguably the top, or at least a top-5, prospect in all of baseball. He put up a phenomenal .329/.393/.543 batting line in his 17 year-old, 47-game debut. Some would call this a breakout, but I wouldn’t go so far. 47 games is a very short time, and Sanchez has a lot to work on (namely strikeouts), even if he proved that the raw talent is definitely there to a big time prospect. However, it is also worth remembering that Sanchez is a bit of a different prospect than Montero. Jesus Montero had a natural, raw talent for hitting that shone through even when he was 17 years old and not particularly blowing the ball out of the ballpark yet, coupled with massive defensive questions. Sanchez, on the other hand, is a much better overall athlete without (as far as we know, at least) the natural affinity for hitting that Montero brings. We should worry much less about his defensive abilities, but a little bit more about his ability to adapt to more advanced pitching. Still, nothing to worry about. Chances are he’ll be your top prospect a year from now.
The Underdog: Slade Heathcott – I get the sense that Yankee fans are generally underwhelmed by Slade Heathcott. When they drafted Heathcott, he was a super athlete project prospect with lots of risk but lots of upside. He held his own in 2010, but struck out a whole lot and didn’t show much power. He’s still risky and still a project, but at the same time he still has the kind of latent potential that Austin Jackson offered us not that long ago. Austin Jackson had a similarly solid if unspectacular season (arguably worse) in Charleston the year before he broke out. Heathcott in many ways resembles Jackson, but has much more potential. Everyone who has commented on Heathcott has said he has a great swing with some potential to hit for power, raising his ceiling far above Jackson’s.
The Long Shot: Mason Williams - One of the bigger strengths of the Yankee system is the number of guys who would fit into this longshot category. The list is as long as Graham Stoneburner, Brett Marshall, Jose Ramirez, Angelo Gumbs, and possibly Cito Culver. However, I decided to pick Mason Williams. The Yankees paid a lot of money for their 4th round pick, and they didn’t do it for a guy who lacks talent. Williams garners comparisons to Brett Gardner, which wouldn’t have been much of a compliment as much as a year ago, but I think means quite a bit today. He’s never going to hit for a ton of power (though he’ll hit for more than Gardner), but will bring tons of speed and reportedly good baseball sense to the table. Like Gardner, he could OPS .750 and be an enormously valuable player. However, he’s certainly not equal to your normal $1.4 million bonus prospect, so we need to see the performance before assessing his chances of contributing in the majors. If the Yankees decide that he’s prepared for a full-season league and he debuts, hits well, and earns praise, Mason Williams could be the next great Yankee prospect.
#15 Jose Ramirez, RHP, 20 A - 115 IP, 106 H, 42 BB, 105 K, 3.60 ERA
I may be a bit optimistic with this projection, as many believe that Ramirez is destined to be a reliever. While that argument is not without merit, I cannot help but feel that he could be a tremendous closer at that, which could justify this ranking as well (think pre-injury Eric Gagne). Ramirez is primarily a fastball and change-up pitcher. His fastball sits around 94 MPH with great movement, and his change-up is even better - it's a high-70s offering with the same arm action as his fastball and cutter-like movement. The issue here is his curveball, which remains a work in progress and is erratic at best. With even an average curve, however, he could be a number two starter - he's certainly young enough to improve.
In his time with the Yankees organization, Joseph has garnered a reputation for being a video junkie. He spends hours in the video room, breaking down his at-bats and swing mechanics in working to improve his approach at the plate. This has worked quite well to-date, as Joseph is a tremendous line-drive hitter with fine plate discipline and good bat control. To many, Joseph is quite similar to Michael Young in this regard - and therein lies the rub. Like Young, Joseph may not have a true position. He has the athleticism and arm strength for second or third, but his reaction time and first step have been routinely questioned. Should he move over to the hot corner, his value would assuredly take a hit due to his middling power. I'm confident that his work ethic will aid him in becoming at least a passable second baseman, though not enough so to rank him much higher.
#13b Ivan Nova, RHP, 23 AAA - 145 IP, 135 H, 48 BB, 115 K, 2.86 ERA MLB - 42 IP, 44 H, 17 BB, 26 K, 4.50 ERA
Nova is something of a known quantity at this point, but I would be doing our readers a disservice by not discussing him a bit. His repertoire includes a solid-average fastball (between 90 and 92 MPH), change-up, and curve, all of which have shown flashes of improvement. The main concern here is that there's simply no deception in Nova's delivery, so when his stuff isn't at its best, hitters will be able to tee-off on his fastball. There's time for him to tinker with his delivery, but I'm not sure that his stuff could take him much higher than a fourth starter - he actually reminds me of Javier Vazquez, but reaching that level would take a bit more than a refashioned delivery.
This ranking involves my giving Baseball America the benefit of the doubt. Over the fall, BA rated Nunez as the best defensive shortstop in the International League, and credited him with the best infield arm, to boot. They project Nunez as an above-average Major League shortstop, which could make him a fine regular for any team. He's a very good base-runner, makes a great deal of contact, and he's developed more plate discipline as he's progressed through the system - his Triple-A line, I think, could be a reasonable expectation for Nunez. The caveat here is that many scouts and analysts are not as fond of Nunez's defense, rating him anywhere from poor to mediocre to average, and rarely much better. His glove will carry him to whatever heights he may reach, and his legs will keep him on the Yankees roster.
#12 David Adams, 2B, 23 AA - .309/.393/.507, 3 HR, 5 SB, 18 BB, 31 K
It is very difficult to differentiate between Adams and Joseph. Both are underwhelming fielders. Both have a gap-to-gap line-drive stroke. Both have solid walk and strikeout rates. Neither hits for much power. The reason I rank Adams a bit higher is that I believe that he's closer to the Majors (despite his season-ending ankle injury) and have a bit more faith in his glove. Where Joseph will need to work to become a passable second baseman, Adams is already at that undistinguished level - and prior to the injury, many felt that Adams had improved a great deal in 2010. If he's fully recovered from his injury, Adams could move quickly this season.
#11 David Phelps, RHP, 24 AA/AAA - 158.2 IP, 139 H, 36 BB, 141 K, 2.50 ERA
Like Nova, Phelps does not currently have a true swing-and-miss pitch. Unlike Nova, Phelps has terrific mechanics and a power fastball. The Notre Dame product has a fastball that sits around 94 MPH, a low-90s two-seamer, a borderline-plus curve in the upper 70s, and a fledgling change-up and slider. He excellent control of all of his pitches and generates ground balls at a fine rate, as well. I've heard comparisons to Mike Mussina and Roy Oswalt, in terms of delivery and approach, but I'm not sure that his curve has that sort of potential - though, I wouldn't mind seventy-five percent of Mussina.
#10 Austin Romine, C, 22 AA - .268/.324/.402, 10 HR, 2 SB, 37 BB, 94 K
Ranking Romine here may be a bit of an overreaction to his struggles from June through the Arizona Fall League, though I would prefer to say that it's more a reflection of my confidence in the players to follow. Thus far, Romine has shown flashes of the athleticism, agility, and arm strength necessary to be an excellent defensive catcher, yet he has been plagued with bouts of inconsistency behind the plate. Perhaps it is simply a matter of the wear and tear taking its toll, but Romine performed poorly with the bat and the glove for the better part of 2010 - that's difficult to overlook entirely. I believe that his potential has been undersold a bit, likely due to his sharing duties with Montero for a time, and he has all the tools necessary to be a fine everyday catcher with an above-average bat and a bit of pop. Put simply, however, he has some work to do.
That Noesi strikes me as the most Major League ready of the Yankees prospects - and yes, that includes Ivan Nova. Noesi throws a mid-90s fastball with fantastic movement and a low-80s change-up to both sides of the plate. On top of that, he combines a minuscule walk rate with fine ground ball numbers. Further, he profiles as a workhorse and, after throwing so many innings last season, could likely handle a full workload as early as this year. The knock against Noesi is that he doesn't have much beyond his fastball and change-up, as his slider and curve are inconsistent and somewhat wild. I've read a comparison to Ian Kennedy, but that doesn't really make sense - Kennedy is more of a flyball pitcher, and his fastball isn't terribly close in raw power. Dan Haren makes a bit more sense, but Noesi's curve has a great deal of growth to do.
#8 Slade Heathcott, CF, 20 A - .258/.359/.352, 3 HR, 15 SB, 42 BB, 101 K
In addition to having the second coolest name in the system (behind a pitcher yet to come), Heathcott may have the most raw talent of any prospect in the system. A true center fielder, Heathcott has blazing speed and a cannon arm. He has a patient approach at the plate, a line-drove stroke, and the frame that suggests that he'll develop decent power. His strikeouts are a bit of a concern, though he did remove a few wrinkles from his swing as the season progressed, making better contact as the season wore on. To be honest, I had the urge to rank Heathcott within the top-three due to all of those factors - but he's simply too unrefined to do so. This time next year, however...
#7 Graham Stoneburner, RHP, 23 A/A+ - 142 IP, 107 H, 34 BB, 137 K, 2.41 ERA
And we've arrived at the best name in the system. I could have swapped Stoneburner and the following pitcher, as I see both with similar floors and ceilings (though the next pitcher is more advanced), but I couldn't resist the opportunity to have Slade Heathcott and Graham Stoneburner back-to-back. Stoneburner features a running fastball that sits around 94 MPH and an average slider and change-up. He has fine control horizontally, but he does have a tendency to let the ball drift up in the zone which could lead to some longball issues. That could be mitigated, however, if his change continues to show improvement. As it stands, Stoneburner limits walks, strikes out a terrific amount of batters, and limits his walks - there's not much else one could ask for.
#6 Adam Warren, RHP, 23 A+/AA - 135.1 IP, 121 H, 33 BB, 126 K, 2.59 ERA
I highly doubt that you'll find another source with Warren rated this highly, but I'm not quite sure why. He may not have the ceiling of an ace, like those to be ranked ahead of him, but he certainly has the highest floor of any pitcher in the system. Warren showcases fantastic command of all of his pitches, an arsenal which includes a mid-90s fastball, a low-90s cutter, a low-90s two-seamer, and a low-80s change. His curve is a substandard pitch at this juncture, but I'm not quite sure that that matters terribly. The most comparable pitcher is Chien-Ming Wang, and I feel that Warren's baseline is somewhere around Wang's career numbers. Warren isn't likely to set the world on fire, but he's equally unlikely to crash and burn.
Bio: Signed out of Mexico in 2008 by Lee Sigman, Banuelos has quickly gained both velocity and hype. He went from the high-80s/low-90s to the mid-to-upper-90s in the span of just three seasons, and has quickly established himself as one of the system's premiere arms. He stands 5-foot-10 and, after spending a few weeks around Cory Arbiso, seemed to take to wearing all black.
2010 season: After an emergency appendectomy just before he was due to start Tampa's opener, chances seemed slim that he'd see Waterfront Park in 2010. Still, as he and his magnificent change-up dominated the Florida State League, it grew increasingly clear that he was well above his competition.
So, after Zach McAllister -- 2009's Trenton ace -- was swapped to the Indians, word came quickly that he and Dellin Betances were moving up to Trenton, and Hector Noesi and D.J. Mitchell were heading to Triple-A.
Banuelos made three starts with the Thunder in the regular season, none terribly impressive, results-wise. The plus stuff certainly was there, though. Then came the postseason, when it all came together in the Eastern League Division Series.
He dominated the Fisher Cats in the clincher, and was flashing as high as 97 miles per hour with his fastball. Things didn't go as well in the ELCS, when he allowed four runs on five hits in just 4 2/3 innings before exiting after a line drive caught him in the neck.
Still, the game in New Hampshire showed he has exactly the kind of potential the Yankees were hoping for when they brought him into the fold.
What's Next: More than likely he'll open the year back with the Thunder. Depending on how he performs and how the rest of the system advances, he should see Scranton by year's end.
Why he's here: Put simply, Laird had the most dominant season of any player in the Tony Franklin era. Before leaving after August 1, he put up the following numbers: .291/.355/.878, 22 2Bs, 23 HRs, 90 RBIs. Those 23 bombs came in just 409 at-bats, meaning he left the yard once every 17.8 ABs, which is pretty darn impressive.
He also earned the Thunder's first Player of the Month honor since 1999, when David Eckstein took home the award. Laird was also a Player of the Week, a mid-season All-Star, a postseason All-Star, the league's MVP and Rookie of the Year, and was named to the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars game. He also was the starting third baseman at Metro Bank Park for the EL All-Star Game.
Laird also put together two of the more memorable afternoons this year. One came when he had seven RBIs in the span of two innings against the Binghamton Mets. The other, which I said was the fifth-best game of year, saw Laird hit a walk-off home run to complete the cycle, something that, at that point, hadn't been done in the MLB in 26 years. Outlook for 2011: Laird has switched to left field for now, to make his bat more attractive and to make him a more viable option in the Bronx. There seems to be a rather expensive roadblock standing in his way at the hot corner. He'll polish up in Triple-A in 2011.
#5 Gary Sanchez, C, 18 Rk/A - .329/.393/.543, 8 HR, 2 SB, 14 BB, 44 K
This is a very ambitious ranking, though you'll find that most publications are similarly optimistic. Sanchez displayed an incredibly advanced approach at the plate in his professional debut, and simply clobbered the competition in Rookie Ball. From there, he earned an aggressive push to Single-A and held his own against much older competition - all at age-17. Several scouts have labeled his potential ceiling as "Montero with a better glove," and he does appear at least as developed as Montero at a similar age, and his glove is certainly better. That being said, I don't quite see the same power potential, nor do I think such grand opinions can be drawn from such a small sample. I'm incredibly bullish with Sanchez, as one can glean from this ranking, but I cannot push him much higher than this, nor would I deal Montero due to his presence as some fans and analysts have suggested. I liken Sanchez to Geovany Soto, and I would be extremely happy with such a development.
#4 Andrew Brackman, RHP, 25 A+/AA - 140.2 IP, 144 H, 39 BB, 126 K, 3.90 ERA
I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again, and possibly again) - Andrew Brackman is the definitive high-risk, high-reward pick. The 6'10" righty was drafted with the knowledge that TJS was necessary, as the Yankees looked past that towards the overwhelming potential. Armed with a mid-to-high 90s fastball, a knee-buckling curveball, and the length to deceive hitters, Brackman was simply too good to pass up. He struggled in his professional debut, as most post-TJS pitchers do, raising plenty of doubts and concerns. This past season silenced many of the naysayers, and returned Brackman to the forefront of the Yankees system. He demonstrated excellent control, kept the ball on the ground (over 50% of balls in play were grounders), limited home runs, and remained healthy, which may be the most important factor of all. In just one year, Brackman went from a tremendous question mark to a solid year away from the Majors - more than anyone could have ever hoped for. Here's hoping the trend continues.
In terms of past, present, and future, the best comparison for Betances is likely Andrew Brackman. Both were drafted with an eye to the future, with an awareness of injury issues and the likelihood of slow-and-steady development. Like Brackman, Betances works with a mid-to-high 90s fastball and a big breaking ball, though Brackman's change-up is a bit more advanced. What distinguishes Betances is his age (he's three years younger) and his more extensive resume. Betances did quite well in 2007 and 2008, with his injury-marred 2009 being his first real roadblock - I'm simply not sure what to expect from Brackman, whereas Betances showed flashes prior to this season. In the end, I'm quite happy to have both pitchers in the system - both remind me of Josh Johnson, in terms of size and stuff.
Perhaps this is some sort of Yankees prospect persecution complex, but I cannot help but feel that Banuelos would be at the top of many lists were he 6'3" instead of 5'10". While it is true that smaller pitchers have struggled to maintain their stuff and stay healthy, it's far from a rule, or even a minor commonality. Banuelos features a 91 to 94 MPH fastball that tops out around 96 MPH, a low-80s circle-change, and a mid-80s curve - all of which he commands wonderfully. His mechanics are clean and repeatable, his delivery deceptive, and his resume to-date is fantastic (particularly when you consider that he's been among the youngest pitchers at every level thus far). Like Johan Santana, Banuelos' change-up dives down and in towards righties, which should allow him to maintain an insignificant platoon split. In fact, Banuelos' stuff and poise on the mound are reminiscent of Santana, and I do think that Banuelos' best seasons could be Cy Young-worthy.
#1 Jesus Montero, C, 21 AAA - .289/.353/.517, 21 HR, 0 SB, 46 BB, 91 K
What can I say about Montero that hasn't been said already? Not much. Montero has power to all fields and somehow manages to spray line drive after line drive, despite swinging at some fairly questionable pitches. That isn't to say that he's undisciplined at the plate - rather, that he has confidence in his ability to hit anything and everything, and the results seem to dignify that mindset (not unlike Miguel Cabrera). In my mind, Montero's early struggles at Triple-A don't mean much of anything, as he was young for the level and adapting to the rigors of catching everyday; that he held in there and absolutely dominated the International League from June forward tells us much more about his potential. To many, the glaring issue is whether or not Montero will stick at catcher, and that may not be without merit. To me, however, few will care where he stands in the field once he steps into the batter's box.
