Getting To Know: Tyler Wade

Today’s Prospect Profile centers around Charleston RiverDogs’ shortstop Tyler Wade. He was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Murrieta Valley High School (Murrieta, CA).

The Yankees selected Wade after a stellar senior season that saw him hit .524. He is regarded as a great athlete, and a line-drive hitter. His power has not developed, but it doesn’t seem like that will be a part of his game moving forward. His speed and ability to make good contact will serve him well as a top-of-the-order hitter.

Wade has a plus arm which allows him to play either position on the left side of the infield (although we have yet to see him at third base). Yankees scouts like his range enough that he has spent his Minor League career primarily at short. His ability to put the ball in play has warranted him seeing a fair amount of games at designated hitter as well.

Despite having just 161 games under his belt as a pro, Wade is already a top player for the Yankees Low-A affiliate. Wade played fifty games in the Gulf Coast League before having a cup of coffee in Staten Island last year. It was thought that Wade would start the season with Staten Island, but he was given an opportunity this year to be an everyday player with Charleston, and ran with it. Through 111 games, Wade is hitting .278 with 46 RBI, hitting at the top of the order. His on-base percentage is .352, a very impressive number for a nineteen-year-old with less than a season and a half of pro ball. He has 122 hits, including 20 doubles and four triples. He has not hit a home run in the Minor Leagues. Wade’s 20 steals proves his speed adds another dimension to his game. One thing scouts would like to see him work on, is his K/BB ratio (104/46). This is not uncommon for player of his age however. The more time he spends working on his swing and approach at the plate, these numbers will likely improve.

More from Yankees Minor Leagues

• 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
• Yankees protect only 1 top prospect from 2022 Rule 5 Draft, take major risk

Tyler Wade is a very young player, but given the lack of shortstops in the Yankees’ system, he is one to keep an eye on. If he keeps up his production this year, I would not be surprised to see a promotion to Trenton before the season is over. The goal for next season will be to be the everyday shortstop for the Thunder to begin the season and see how he progresses from there. Wade is on my Major League radar for 2017.