Minor League Breakdown: My Top 10 Yankees Prospects:

1.Austin Jackson
The 22 year old centerfielder is the obvious choice for the Yankees number one prospect. He is the first high ceiling offensive player that the Yankees have actually given adequate time to develop in the minors for quite some time. He has five tool potential, though he is yet to fully refine and develop his skills. His 2008 in Trenton was good, but the power numbers weren’t quite there. I expect his power to begin to develop, as well as the other aspects of his game. You could expect Jackson to break into the majors as early as late this season, as long as he makes the proper adjustments in AAA. Jackson is most likely going to be our centerfielder for years to come, hopefully he can fill the void Bernie has left.

2.Jesus Montero
An offensive monster, the 19 year old catcher possesses offensive tools like no Yankees minor leaguer from my generation. He is said to rank 80/80 on the scouts power scale and also has the ability to drive in and score a lot of runs, as well as bat above .300. The one negative that Montero has showed to this point, is lack of plate discipline, as his strikeouts are nearly double his walks, however this should improve as he gains experience. Fielding wise, Montero has made strides, and has a very good arm, he won’t be stellar, but he could be good enough. To put in perspective how good he is, his season last year compared to Albert Pujols year at the same age. No matter what position Montero ends up playing, he looks to be a definite big leaguer with All Star and Silver Slugger potential. He is probably 2 years off, but learn the name.

3.Zach McAllister
Perhaps my favorite prospect in the system, Zach McAllister’s 2008 showed why the Yankees drafted him. The 21 year old righty had an incredible breakout year as he completely dominated opposition in Tampa and Charleston. He has pin point control, a solid repertoire (FB, CB, SL, CH), and a good GO/AO ratio. He will most likely start the season in AA, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him in AAA at mid-season, and perhaps in the Bronx at roster expansion time. He has a great build, is still very young, and seems to be very polished. If I had compare him to a current Major Leaguer it would be Jon Lackey. McAllister could be on his way to being a middle or upper rotation starter with a solid career, if he can come close to his 2008 numbers, expect him to hear him mentioned.

4.Dellin Betances
Another young and very projectable prospect, the “Baby Unit,” has ace potential. His 2008 season, which was mostly spent in Charleston (A-), was a series of ups and downs. The most evident problem he has is control, as can be seen with his high walk rates. His walks allowed many more runners to score than you might otherwise expect, opposing hitters only batted .208 off him, and he held opponents to just 87 hits in 115 innings. At times, however, his walks disappeared, and he flashed absolute dominance, shutting teams down and occasionally gaining double digit strikeouts. If Betances can continue the progress he made last year, especially toward the end of the season, he could begin to move quickly. Pitchers with a big frame like Betances (6’8”- 6’10”) often struggle with control for a while. If he can put everything together, Betances has #1 and closer potential.

5.Andrew Brackman
Brackman is on the list not because of what he has accomplished, but because of his overwhelming potential. His frame couple with his pitches could make him into a staff ace or a great closer. Delayed by injuries, the Yankees first pick in the 2007 draft, the 23 year old debuted in the Hawaii Winter League in this offseason. Though he struggled, signs were promising that his velocity and pitch movement was getting back to where it had been. However, like Betances, Brackman looks to have some control issues, maybe even more significant than the Baby Unit. In any case, keep an eye on the big man, he could be a dud or a star, let’s see what he can do in 2009, because if it’s good, he could move quick.

6.Austin Romine
Another solid catching prospect in the Yankees system, the 20 year old Romine had a very good freshman year. He batted .300 with 10 homers and good production for the RiverDogs, as well as displaying good defensive capabilities. He should start in Tampa for the 2009 season and switch on and off between designated hitter and catcher with Jesus Montero. Hopefully he does as well in the coming season as he did last year. He has good potential, and at this point he looks to at least be on pace to be an average major league catcher. Romine has it tough right now with Cervelli and Montero ahead of him, but he should still be watched closely.

7.Brandon Laird
The huge 21 year old righty belted 6 more homers than highly touted Montero in 10 less games last season. He has amazing power potential, but his body type, the signing of Teixeira, and other factors (such as impatience) are working against him. I like Laird a lot, and if he can improve his patience and hit for a bit of a higher average, he could have a big impact. An improvement from last season could help put him on more people’s radar, because he seems underrated at this point. Brandon Laird could be destined for the DH job in a few years, but regardless, keep an eye on the kid, he has some great power.

8.Mark Melancon
The former University of Arizona closer bounced back nicely in 2008 from his Tommy John surgery. Melancon, 24, again flashed the dominance he showed in his college career. Not only does he display fine control and have the ability to strike out a majority of opposing hitters, but he also has a good groundball tendancy, which to me is an important attribute, especially to a reliever. This means he is somewhat less homerun prone, and with a good infield he could keep opposition off the base paths. Armed with a solid fastball, devastating curve, and what seems like a solid mentality, Melancon could be on his way to the Yankees bullpen in 2009, and perhaps be the future closer.

9.Jairo Heredia
Another young, low level pitching prospect in the Yankees system, Heredia helped round out a dominant staff in class A Charleston in 2008. His 2008 season was proof of the excitement that has surrounded him. He showed decent control, an ability to get strikeouts, and a good GO/AO, which are all good signs for an 18 year old. I expect that Heredia will spend the whole season in Tampa, because with so much pitching depth throughout the system, there is no need to rush him, unless of course he makes Tampa look too easy. It’s still very early in his career, but already I’ve heard comparisons to Pedro Martinez, take a mental note of the name Jairo Heredia because you might hear it a lot in years to come.

10.Kanekoa Texeira
Acquired in the Nick Swisher deal, I instantly liked the stats and what I read about Kaneko Texeira. With a chance to make the bullpen out of spring, you could at least expect to see him at some point during the season. He possesses a low-90’s high movement sinking fastball that allows him to have high GO/AO rates (almost 3 in AA), as well as a devastating slider, which was ranked the best in the White Sox system, prior to the trade. Texeira can get both righties and lefties out, but completely dominated lefthanders in 2008. I was unsure about the Yankees tenth prospect until we acquired Texeira, he has the tools that could put him in the bullpen as long or short relief for years to come. At only 23, more minor league experience couldn’t hurt, but if he dominates AAA and the bullpen needs help, he should get the call.