New York Yankees Editorial: Who the Yankees Should Target in 2015 MLB Draft

"Mandatory Phot0 Credit: Pac12.com Kevin Newman, CI, University of Arizona"

Should the Yankees elect not to pursue pitching, and instead try and refine their ‘center-of-the-diamond’ approach, Kevin Newman, a 6’1″ corner infielder out of the University of Arizona and a native of Poway, California might be a player they should look into. The 21-year-old junior and right-handed batter, is the only player ever to win two consecutive batting titles in the Cape Cod Summer League. In the summer of 2014  he hit over .380 in 31 regular season games for the Falmouth Commodores, including seven doubles and a home run with 20 runs scored and 20 RBI.

Newman has hit for a very high average in his three years so far at Arizona as well, including a .370 batting average in 2015.

He also posses other tools, including an above average glove on the defensive side of the ball (2014 Pac-12 All-Defensive Team) as well as speed. In 2015 alone, he swiped 22 bases in 25 attempts, which leads the entire Pac 10 baseball conference.

The only thing he’ll need to develop in order to reach the Bronx is power. He’s hit just two home runs this season, and they are the only two home runs he’s hit in his three seasons with the Arizona Wildcats.

The Yankees missed out on corner-infield prospect Yoan Moncada this off-season. Newman might just be their plan B.