Yankees Fans: Most Important Takeaways from 2016 Arizona Fall League

The New York Yankees prospects playing in the 2016 Arizona Fall League finished up their seasons Thursday with the Scottsdale Scorpions final game against the Mesa Solar Sox.

After a 6-6 tie on Thursday, he Scottsdale Scorpions finished the 2016 Arizona Fall League season with a disappointing 13-18-1 record, but there was plenty of good news for Yankees fans down in the desert over the last six weeks. New York sent a whopping nine Baby Bombers to the AFL this year, including some of the biggest names in their minor league system and a few guys who could even have an impact in the Bronx as soon as 2017.

On the position player side, first baseman Greg Bird, shortstop Gleyber Torres, third baseman Miguel Andujar, and middle infielder Tyler Wade all suited up for the Scorpions.

For pitchers, the Yankees initially sent starter James Kaprielian along with relievers Dillon Tate, J.P. Feyereisen, and Brody Koerner. Starter Nestor Cortes, who put up some of the most eye-popping numbers in the farm system in 2016, later joined the squad as an injury replacement.

A number of these guys were coming back from serious injuries, so it isn’t surprising that there were some mixed results from some of these guys, especially on the pitching side of things, but overall things went pretty well. Here’s a look at the most notable storylines from the AFL this year.

Kap and the Bird Man Finally Healthy

In his seventh and final start of the AFL season Wednesday, top pitching prospect James Kaprielian allowed just one hit over 4.1 innings of work, shutting out the Salt River Rafters in a 4-0 win. He threw 64 pitches, 40 of them for strikes while striking out four and walking one.

While a 2-3 record and 4.33 ERA may not be what many fans expected, Kaprielian was reasonably sharp this fall after missing the majority of the 2016 regular season to an elbow injury. There were one or two rough outings mixed in, but overall he looked like the same dominant guy who was mowing down hitters with High-A Tampa earlier in the year. I’m really excited to see what he can do over a full season next year.

Crucially, Kaprielian’s stuff looked completely undiminished by the long layoff, suggesting that he should be at full strength when spring training rolls around, following a normal offseason. The 22-year-old righty was sitting 95-97 with his fastball regularly during the AFL and commanding all of his four-pitch arsenal effectively.

Things went a little less well for projected 2017 Yankees starting first baseman Greg Bird, who is still rehabbing from the shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for 2016. While he has made progress, he’s still not cleared to play the field because he can’t make throws at full strength yet.

Bird also has a ways to go in building strength back in his shoulder. After hitting four doubles in his first three AFL games, Bird had just two extra-base hits the rest of the way, finishing with a .215/.346/.354 in 77 plate appearances. His excellent plate discipline means he wasn’t a complete disaster on offense, but he clearly wasn’t driving the ball like he has in the past.

What does that mean for 2017? Not necessarily anything. The Yankees will have to see how he’s progressing when March rolls around, but fans should assume that Bird is a lock to land the starting job next spring. Shoulder injuries can seriously sap the power of sluggers, and he might benefit from a few months in the minor leagues to begin the season.

Tate Regaining His Form?

During the 2016 General Managers’ meetings, Yankees GM Brian Cashman revealed that enigmatic pitching prospect Dillon Tate, the centerpiece of the Carlos Beltran deal at the August 1st trade deadline, would return to the starting rotation in 2017 after working as a reliever in the last two months of the season and during the Arizona Fall League.

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The team clearly bought low on the fourth overall selection in the 2015 draft after fluctuating velocity resulted in some ugly outings in the Sally League in the first half of this season. He was often working in the high-80s with the Hickory Crawdads, far from the 100 mph heater that enticed scouts in his college days.

The 22-year-old saw his velocity gradually return after coming over to his new organization. It is admittedly still a little inconsistent, but he was mostly within the 93-97 range with his fastball over his six AFL appearances.

When speaking to Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell (subscription required) in October, Tate attributed his early-season struggles to an issue with his pitching mechanics:

Just some mechanical adjustments that needed to be made, actually a really small one. Over time, the more I tried to fix it, I just wasn’t doing what was natural for me. I think that probably tied into it.

His improved stuff is beginning to translate to success on the mound, as Tate struck out 11 batters in 9.1 innings of work in Arizona while allowing just one walk. After getting roughed up in his first two outings of the fall, he finished the year with 6.1 scoreless frames. He was eventually shut down after reacing his innings limit for the season.

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The Yankees will need to continue to take things slow with Tate, but he’s one of the few minor league arms with a legitimate chance to be a front-of-the-rotation starter down the line. He’s expected to begin next season with High-A Tampa.