New York Yankees Prospect Profile Number 16: Drew Finley

As we continue along with the Yanks Go Yard Prospect Profile series, we move down the MLB pipeline to the 16th-ranked prospect for the New York Yankees, Drew Finley.

Scouting Grades (courtesy of MLB Pipeline): Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

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In the third round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, the New York Yankees drafted right-handed pitcher Drew Finley.  Finley is a product of one of the best high school baseball programs in the country: Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego, California.  This program has produced standouts like Cole Hamels and Hank Blalock, among other players.

He is the son of current Dodgers’ vice president of amateur and international scouting, David Finley, who has been a professional scout for over 25 years.  Because of this, Finley was shut down between the ages of 12 and 16 to help preserve his arm, and it seems to have panned out.  In his senior year at Rancho Bernardo High, he set a large-school record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game as he recorded 20 of 21 outs on strikes.

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In his first season playing rookie ball for the Pulaski Yankees, Finley had an 0-1 record in 12 starts, posting a 3.94 ERA (1.63 WHIP) with 41 strikeouts in 32 innings of work.  He allowed 14 earned runs on 33 hits and walked 19 batters.

Finley’s fastball sits in the 89-93 mph range with natural sinking and tailing motion and he locates pitches well.  He has one of the best curveballs among the high school pitchers in the class, showing great downward motion and spin.  The breaking ball is a pitch that he will throw in any count if needed.  Finley also throws a changeup that he has a good feel for, but leaves room for improvement.

Though he has only worked 32 rookie league innings in Pulaski and is only 18-years-old, Finley is a pitcher to keep an eye on as he could be a mid-rotation stud in a few years for the Yankees.