Five Yankees Prospects Who Can Contribute in September

September is approaching. If it were any other season, the New York Yankees would be looking to get in their best form and make a long run in the post-season. However, that’s not what this year’s Bronx Bombers have in store.

Sure the Yankees are 61-59 and are still afloat despite a season plagued with inconsistency, but with just 42 games to go and playing in the strong conference that is the American League, the Yankees will likely have to go around 30-12 to make the post-season.

While stranger things have happened, the Yankees’ prospects of making the post-season are slim-to-none. But in a year where the Yankees traded away three of their best players in return for prospects, it’s clear that it’s a new era in the Yankees dynasty. With the departures of Alex Rodriguez, Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman, Ivan Nova, and Carlos Beltran, the Yankees have been given the opportunity to see what their future holds.

Even before the trades that brought in top prospects like Clint Frazier, Dillon Tate, Gleyber Torres, and Billy McKinney, the Yankees still had some guys in their farm system that were on the verge of breaking out. Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, and Tyler Austin were three players that were tearing it up in the minors. The Yankees gave the three chances to become mainstays on the roster and the results have been impressive. 

More from Yanks Go Yard

• Did Yankees troll Jon Heyman with Aaron Judge contract tweet?
• Matt Carpenter leaving Yankees for massive raise is hard to argue with
• What on earth is going on with Yankees, Fernando Tatis Jr. and flight to New York?
• 4 former Yankees players New York can still reunite with in free agency
• Yankees top prospects butt heads after Giants’ gritty win over Commanders

While the Yankees may not be a more talented team than they were before the big trades, they’re at least much more fun to watch. Looking at Sanchez and Judge in particular, their arrivals seemed a little fluky in the beginning. But their production is starting to hit and become reality. In 50 at bats, Sanchez has 18 hits, five of which have gone for home runs. His bat has never been the problem.

What kept him in the minors for the past few years has been his play behind the plate. However, Sanchez has looked spectacular behind the plate. Considering the Yankees had interest in trading Brian McCann in a post-waiver deadline move, Sanchez’s impact has given them more of the reason in the world to do so.

We’ve seen a smaller sample size out of Judge, but there are still a ton of positives. We know about Judge’s power and his massive frame, but we also know about his elongated swing and his difficulties with fending off a big strike zone.

Those problems haven’t necessarily been nonexistent, but hitting coach Marcus Thamas has done an excellent job within both of these departments. While Judge may see more strikes because of how big he is, he has made vast improvements which have allowed him to swing quicker through the strike zone and harness his power to carry the ball.

Sanchez and Judge seem to impress more and more by the day and with September approaching, the Yankees will have another opportunity to flaunt their young talent and see what else they could be getting from their farm system within the near future. These five players have the potential to make impacts for the Yankees in the final push before the post-season.

Next: A Forgotten Man in the Farm System