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Ranking the Yankees Stockpile of Shortstops

Evan Halpine-Berger|

Jul 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) throws to first base in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

After adding Cubs top prospect Gleyber Torres in the Aroldis Chapman trade, the New York Yankees have impressive depth at shortstop in their system.

The updated rankings in MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Watch have shortstops Gleyber Torres and Jorge Mateo as the number one and two prospects in the Yankees system after Monday’s Chapman trade.

In fact, four out of the Yankees top ten prospects according to this list are now shortstops, as are seven of the team’s top 30. Throw in 26-year-old emerging star Didi Gregorius, and you may have the most impressive collection of shortstops out of any major league organization.

How do the Yankees plan to handle this glut of talent at one position? Luckily, recent history has shown that shortstop prospects have no trouble adapting when asked to switch positions. New York’s own Starlin Castro has had no trouble making the switch to they keystone on the fly this season, and he was never really known for his defensive prowess.

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Baltimore’s Manny Machado switches effortlessly between short and third. Former top prospects Javier Baez and Jurickson Profar are both ably filling super-utility roles for their clubs this year. The tremendous athleticism required to play shortstop ensures that those types of players can be successful pretty much everywhere around the diamond.

It also doesn’t hurt that young shortstops tend to be more valuable as trade chips than other position players. Inevitably some of these guys will be dealt, as there are just so many roster spots available.

So who should stay and who should go? Let’s take a look at how this group stacks up.

Didi Gregorius– .296/.328/.464 (109 wRC+) in MLB. His newfound ability to hit lefthanders has made him one of the better all-around shortstops in the league. With three more years of team control, he should remain top-dog for a while yet.

Gleyber Torres– .275/.359/.433 (121 wRC+) in High-A. Torres is easily having the best offensive season out of this group, demonstrating an impressive combination of power and speed (nine homers and 19 steals thus far).

Jorge Mateo– .258/.314/.392 (107 wRC+) in High-A. His reputation took a hit with his recent suspension, but the offensive numbers are right in line with what he did last year, although he is running significantly less. 2016 Prospect Profile.

Tyler Wade– .267/.371/.357 (111 wRC+) in Double-A. The prototypical scrappy gamer. Zero power, but could be the Yankees very own gritty, underdog David Eckstein-type in a few years. Probably due for a bump to Triple-A by the end of the season. 2016 Prospect Profile.

Wilkerman Garcia– .161/.217/.233 (24 wRC+) in Rookie League. Looks completely lost at the plate in the Appalaichian League, but it’s important to remember he’s still just 18. Still one of the best athletes in the system and has all the time in the world to develop. 2016 Prospect Profile.

Thairo Estrada

– .252/.308/.317 (86 wRC+) in High-A.

Good defender at both middle-infield spots. Bat has slowed down since promotion to Tampa Yankees, but has put up strong numbers the last two years with Staten Island and Charleston. Surprising pop for a little guy.

2016 Prospect Profile

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Hoy Jun Park– .239/.349/.348 (105 wRC+) in Low-A. Has plus speed (23 SB), a strong arm, and is a wizard with the glove. A lot of fun to watch in the field. Offense has to catch up, but is holding his own against advanced competition this year. 2016 Prospect Profile.

Kyle Holder– .264/.293/.307 (71 wRC+) in Low-A. Although the Yankees took him 30th overall in the draft just last year, Holder is already in danger of being labeled a complete bust. He’s one of the best defenders in the system, but has shown zero contact ability, on base skills, or power to speak of in his first 518 professional plate appearances. No matter how good your glove is, you can’t hit this badly and expect to stick around. 2016 Prospect Profile.

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