Dustin Fowler, the Future Yankees Centerfielder

By Mike Calendrillo |

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

If you didn’t know about Yankees outfield prospect Dustin Fowler before the start of Spring Training, you most certainly do now.

During his first two minor league seasons in the Yankees organization, Dustin Fowler typically patrolled both corner outfield spots. But if you’ve tuned in any number of times this spring, and been privy to Fowler and fellow prospect Clint Frazier teaming up together, it’s Fowler who’s been firmly planted in centerfield, not ‘Red Lighting.’

Now you can look at this as Frazier being such an incredible athlete that he’s able to cover all three outfield positions with ease — or as I prefer to see it, Fowler’s ability to quickly cover a lot of ground and instincts to track down balls without regard for his body are just two of the many reasons why he gets the nod.

In Tuesday’s 7-6 win over the Rays, Fowler had two more hits to bring his spring slash line to .353/.421/.471. He also made a pair of putouts.

Frazier had this to say to the New York Post about his 22-year-old teammate:

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“They probably don’t know [of his prospect ranking],” Fowler, whom Baseball America identified as the Yankees’ ninth-best youngster, said of his family. “No one probably knows… He flies under the radar in a lot of ways. I don’t think he gets the credit that he deserves. But he’s the most polished player I’ve seen as a position player since I’ve been here. It’s exciting to play alongside him.”

A full 11 years younger than both Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury, on most teams, Fowler would be fighting for a spot with the big league club, not Triple-A — where he is most likely headed.

But this Yankees rebuild isn’t your typical teardown, build up. The club still has a few overpaid veterans they are unable to rid themselves of. It would appear the Yankees believe both Gardner and Ellsbury hold some iota of value which is probably good for winning a few more games this year, but bad if you want to see more prospects in the Bronx ASAP.

For those who followed the Yankees’ farm system before it was stocked with blue chip prospects, you’ll be familiar with Keith Law’s 2016 scouting report on Fowler. Law ranked him as the No. 6 prospect in the organization, saying this about his ability:

“Fowler is a real tools player. He can hit. He run. He’s coming into some power. If the power comes, you’ve probably got an above-average regular. It seems like he can stay in center field. I got a brief glimpse of him at the end of last year and the tools are pretty evident. He seems like he’s come into his own. He’s a more advanced baseball player than anyone realized in college.”

As psyched as I am to watch Fowler in Yankee Stadium in the near future, I too realize he needs a bit of polish — namely at being more selective at the plate. Last season at Double-A Trenton, he only managed to walk 22 times in 571 at-bats, which greatly affected his .311 OBP. Continuing to hone his base stealing skills would also come in handy, as Fowler was 25 for 36 in 2016.

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Should Fowler continue his pristine spring, we could see him at the Major League level as soon as one of the club’s elder statesmen gets bit by the injury bug.

Follow me on Twitter tomorrow as I Tweet from the Yankees versus Braves game in Orlando, FL.

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