Yankees final farm report: The summer is ending but not the harvest

(25) CF Pablo Olivares: 19/Charleston

.273/.382/.364

Olivares is another player who benefits from his age and history. Signed in 2015, Pablo has improved every year in the system. He hit .267 two years ago in the DSL and .285 last year in the GCL.

Moved up again to Pulaski to start this year, Olivares again responded. The young center fielder put up the best slash of his career: .363/.495/.488.

Impressed, the Yankees moved Pablo up again this year and he has finally faced his first real obstacles. He has hit only .205/.281/.269 at Charleston, in the same number of games he played in Pulaski. That, however, is normal and Pablo is still on track to be at Scranton by the age of 23.

Rankings are subjective especially when you cannot see the players. The fact that the Yankees think enough of Olivares to move him up so young is telling. On the other hand, he is out of MLB’s Top 30 Yankees prospects. I took both into account when I ranked Mr. Olivares.

(24) 1B Chris Gittens: 23/Tampa

.269/.380/.457

Gittens will make you stare at your rankings for a long time. He’s old to be at High-A; his slash is less than impressive; and, he was injured this year. But he has that one important tool: Power. And power plays.

This year, in just 65 games, Chris has ten home runs and 12 doubles. And last year he hit 21 dingers with 23 doubles at the age of 22. He still needs to clean up his errors a bit—six this year—but a power hitting first baseman is always an asset.

I doubt he is ever a starter, but could provide the type of insurance the Yankees wish they had had earlier this year. If Gittens stays in the system, he will at the least get to ride the Scranton Shuttle someday and might some day hit a huge pinch hit home run.

(23) CF Canaan Smith: 18/GCL

.293/.435/.433

Drafted just this year, Smith came in with comparisons to Barry Bonds; that has continued. And it’s because Canaan has an excellent eye, helping him walk an inordinate number of times. It also helps Smith barrel up the balls that are in the strike zone.

In his 44 games, Smith has added two home runs and nine doubles to his impressive slash. And in his last ten, which is one-fourth of his season so far, he is hitting .472 and drawn nine walks. Canaan will be the next nineteen-year old assigned to Charleston.

His few games in the system have put him here at 23. But Smith might move up quickly both through the system and these rankings.