Yankees Blake Rutherford Makes Pro Debut
New York Yankees 2016 first round pick Blake Rutherford made his professional debut Monday in the Gulf Coast League.
19-year-old outfielder Blake Rutherford made his professional debut Monday, starting in centerfield for the GCL Yankees West. Rutherford played just five innings of the GCL Yankees 2-1 victory over the GCL Tigers East squad before being replaced by 18-year-old outfielder Frederick Cuevas.
The Yankees 2016 first round pick (18th overall) batted third in his first minor league game, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. While that may not be the electric start to the season fans may have hoped for, it’s important to remember that Rutherford is fresh out of high school, and will likely face a steep learning curve as a professional.
Already considered one of the top five prospects in the Yankees system by many pundits, Rutherford will likely be handled with kids gloves in his first season of pro ball. His high school season just ended in May, so expect his playing time to be limited going forward.
Rutherford signed with the Yankees June 29th for a well-overslot $3.282 million bonus. He was seen as a top-ten talent in the 2016 draft that slipped all the way to New York at 18th overall because of concerns about his cost, as well as his slightly advanced age for a high school player.
More from Yankees Minor Leagues
- Yankees State of the Farm System Review: Josh Breaux
- Early prices for Yankees 2022 Bowman Draft cards are absurd
- Reflecting on the 2013 New York Yankees’ top 10 prospects
- Yankees add to championship core with Wilmer Difo signing
- Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez ranks in tough spot on Arizona Fall League Top Prospects list
A tremendous athlete with five-tool potential, Rutherford has a sky-high ceiling. He possesses an exciting blend of power and speed, and is projected to be an above-average defender in right field down the line. At 6’3 and 195 lbs, Rutherford is already a big kid, but he’s expected to put on another 20 lbs or so of muscle as he develops, which should add more power to his game.
The assignment to the GCL is a cautious one, and reflects the fact that the Yankees view Rutherford as more of a long-term project than a quick riser through the system. It would have been fun to see Rutherford paired with 2016 second rounder Nick Solak and Luis Torrens in Staten Island, or Wilkerman Garcia and Estevan Florial with Pulaski.
Next: Meet the 2016 Pulaski Yankees
It’s no secret that the New York Yankees have a miserable history with first round picks in the last 20 years. Their last first rounder who wasn’t a total bust was probably Ian Kennedy in 2006, and even he has had the majority of his success elsewhere. Hopefully Rutherford, along with recent first round picks Aaron Judge and James Kaprielian can change that trend.