Two Yankees Make The AFL Top 25

The Arizona Fall League has been an annual showcase of the league’s elite minor league talent for the past 23 seasons. The league is full of current superstars and future Hall of Famers. Yankees’ greats Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano are amongst the legends to make the AFL Hall of Fame and go on to major league stardom. Who from the 2014 AFL season will be the next big league superstar. 

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Jim Callis of MLB.com recently ranked the AFL Top 25 Prospects. It’s no surprise that Byron Buxton tops the list. Despite his injury woes of the past two AFL and MiLB seasons, the Minnesota Twins heralded outfield prospect has been deemed the cream of the crop for some time running. Shortstops Francisco Lindor of the Indians and Addison Russell took the two and three spots, which also is of no surprise considering many thought they were big league ready last season.

The Yankees’ farm system continues to turn the corner as two of their prospects finished in Callis’ top 20. The Yanks right field prospect that made the list became a household name seemingly immediately after he was drafted in the first round of 2013’s draft. The first base prospect had to earn his way to the top, but if you didn’t know him before the AFL season, you certainly do now.

Coming in at 13 on the list is right fielder Aaron Judge. What is there not to say about him? The 22-year old giant has taken MiLB by storm. Standing at 6’7” and 230 pounds, he has already been getting comparisons to Giancarlo Stanton (hopefully he won’t cost as much to keep around!). A top five prospect in the Yankees system (Baseball America has him as high as number two overall), Judge had an impressive debut MiLB season at two levels before taking his talents to the desert. He finished his “rookie” AFL season batting .276 with four home runs and 15 RBI but an impressive .377 on base percentage. He took home one Player of the Week Award over the five week season.

Number 19 prospect is Yankees’ first base prospect, Greg Bird. Bird came on the scene after his impressive 2013 season, where he showed a keen eye for a youngster by leading all levels of MiLB with 107 walks. He struggled getting started this season as he recovered from injury in extended spring training, however by the AFL season, Bird had it all together. Not only did the Yankees number 11 overall prospect take home a Player of the Week Award, not only did he launch a 450-foot home run in the AFL Fall Stars Game, Bird was the 2014 AFL MVP. He led the league with six home runs and 21 runs scored while finishing second in hits and RBI. It’s no longer a secret, everybody knows that the Bird is the word.

It has been years since the Yankees have had two elite prospects in which to be excited. The thing is, we have more than that. Judge and Bird join names like Luis Severino, Rob Refsnyder, Ian Clarkin and Eric Jagielo as the future of the Bronx. Stay patient Yankees’ fans, we may have the next Core Four on our hands.