Two Yankees Shortstops Ranked In MLB Pipeline’s Top 10

MLBPipeline.com continues its best-of-the-best preseason prospect ranks, this time naming two Yankees shortstops to the top 10 in all of the Minor Leagues.

The shortstop renaissance continues. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a treasure trove of wonderfully skilled players excel at a record pace. Just last season, Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers was not only named the NL Rookie of the Year, but he also finished third in the NL MVP vote. Throw in guys like Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Addison Russell, Trevor Story, Xander Bogaerts, and Aledmys Diaz, and it easy to see why Yankees fans used to be green with envy.

I say used to because, for the first time since the days of Derek Jeter, the Yankees have the top overall shortstop prospect in the game (according to Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com) — his name is Gleyber Torres.

The crown jewel of the Yankees’ farm system, Torres is said to be one of the best offensive prospects in all of baseball no matter the position. Though he’s currently known more for his stick than his glove, the 20-year-old Venezuelan will have ample time to mature as he likely begins this season at Double-A Trenton.

Should incumbent big league shortstop Didi Gregorius continue his ascension towards becoming an All-Star caliber player, the organization will have to decide whether or not Torres is as able to slide to another infield position. If a change in positions were to affect his stellar hitting ability — as it did Alex Bregman shifting to third base in his first call-up for the Astros in ’16, Gregorius would become a big-time trade chip capable of bringing back an ample return.

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In the piece, Rosenbaum writes about Torres:

“The recipient of a $1.7 million bonus out of Venezuela in 2013, Torres excelled in his first full pro season in ’15 as he helped Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach win the Carolina League title at age 19. He continued to impress last season in his return to Myrtle Beach before joining the Yankees as their key return in the Aroldis Chapman deal in July, and then became the youngest Arizona Fall League MVP and batting champion (.403) in 25 years. Now 20, Torres boasts one of the highest offensive ceilings among prospects, with the potential to hit for a high average and deliver 20-plus homers from a premium position.”

Ranked at No. 8 is where you’ll find the other Yankees shortstop, Jorge Mateo — though MLB Pipeline wisely has him listed as a middle infielder. Mateo’s struggles last season, both on and off the field were well documented, so I’m a bit surprised to find him included on this list.

Mateo, the former top Yankees farm hand as recently as the beginning of last season is still young enough to correct his flaws. He has all the tools to be a big-league top of the order table setter with just enough pop — he simply needs to grow up.

It’s my hope that the organization decides Mateo’s best position sooner rather than later and leaves him there. Without the necessary time to learn the nuances of a new position (say, second base), we could have another Rob Refsnyder situation on our hands.

In his piece, Rosenbaum says about Mateo:

“Mateo’s stock took a hit in 2016 with his struggles in the Florida State League, and a two-week suspension for insubordination raised questions about his makeup. That being said, the 21-year-old still possesses a slew of high-end tools including top-of-the-scale speed and average hitting ability, although some question whether he can stick at shortstop in the long run.”

The Yankees currently have an embarrassment of riches at the shortstop position, which also features MLB Pipeline’s top ranked defensive shortstop Kyle Holder, along with three others who featured in the Yankees’ 2016 top 30 prospects (No. 12 Wilkerman Garcia, No. 15 Tyler Wade, and No. 21 Hoy Jun Park).

Next: Andujar Ranked No. 7 Third Baseman by MLB Pipeline

The rest of Rosenbaum’s 2017 top 10 shortstop prospects include:

1. Gleyber Torres – Yankees
2. Dansby Swanson – Braves
3. Amed Rosario – Mets
4. J.P. Crawford – Phillies
5. Brendan Rodgers – Rockies
6. Willy Adames – Rays
7. Kevin Maitan – Braves
8.  Jorge Mateo – Yankees
9.  Nick Gordon – Twins
10.  Franklin Barreto – A’s