The Yankees ten best prospects still playing in the minors

5 SS Thairo Estrada Trenton

I doubt Yankees fans ever get to see Estrada play. He is the perfect trade candidate because he is an outstanding player with a big league bat but is not a top-ranked prospect.

First, he is just 21 and already at Double-A. He has had 323 AB’s this year, a huge sample size. And he is slashing .319/.374/.415. Plus, he’s only struck out 34 times. Teams are just now starting to reconsider how important the strikeout is. Estrada’s value will rise as teams return to disdaining the strikeout as a rally killer.

His major weakness right now is power, as he has hit only four home runs. But his primary strength is his defense. Thairo is a true shortstop, and MLB describes him thus:

"His actions and instincts give him good range, and he has a plus arm that plays anywhere on the diamond. Estrada is also an asset at second or third base."

Thairo is young and improving, and he is already one of the best players in his league. He has the fourth highest batting average, and two of the players in front of him are in their late twenties. The only real prospect in front of Estrada is Francisco Mejia (Cleveland), the number 33 prospect in baseball. But Mejia has almost 100 fewer AB’s, meaning he has more time for a possible corrective cold streak.

Back to the Future

In fact, Thairo’s numbers compare very well with Mejia, with the exception of power. But regarding value, Estrada’s defensive abilities should offset his lack of power, especially as a shortstop. But whereas Mejia is the 33rd ranked prospect, Estrada is unranked.

And he is only listed as the Yankees 29th ranked player, behind players such as the unproven Wilkerman Garcia (16) and the, error-prone Hoy Jun Park (23). Of course, he is way behind Jorge Mateo (4); read this article and tell me who you would rather keep as a prospect. Thairo will end up the player Yankees fans read about in a trade. At least until he becomes an outstanding player for a rival team in a year or two.