New York Yankees Prospect Profile: Number 21 Chance Adams

As we continue our coverage of the New York Yankees top prospects, we move down the pipeline to 21st-ranked prospect Chance Adams, a right-handed pitcher out of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Scouting grades (Per MLB Pipeline): Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

Chance Adams was part of a dynamite pitching staff at Dallas Baptist University last season that featured five pitchers who sat in the mid-90s, and of course, Adams’ stuff stood out most.

That said, the Yankees selected him in the fifth-round (153rd overall) of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft, and once he turned pro he stood out even more.

After four games in rookie-ball with the Staten Island ‘Baby Bombers’, Chance Adams posted a 0.93 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks in just 13 innings. He then moved up the latter to A-Ball, where he pitched to a 3.09 ERA in 11.2 innings, but still earned another call up to the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees after striking out 16 batters and posting a 12.3 SO/9 ratio with the Charleston RiverDogs.

In 14 innings with the T-Yanks, Adams pitched to a 1.29 ERA while striking out another 16 batters and coughing up just two earned runs during his time in the Florida State League.

According to MLB Pipeline, Chance Adams sat in the 92-94 mph range and even touched 96 mph with the Dallas Baptist University Patriots, but his fastball velocity spiked to the 94-96 mph range and he even scorched a 98-mph heater during his minor league debut. His arsenal also includes a changeup (that needs work) and a sharp slider that has the potential to be a plus pitch.

Next: NY Yankees Prospect Profile: No. 22 Cale Coshow

While Adams spent a majority of his minor league rookie season coming out of the ‘pen, many scouts envision the Yankees developing him as a starter. The only unknowns are whether or not his health and mechanics will hold up over a bigger workload.

I guess we’ll find out in 2016.