Yankees state of the system: First Base

Single-A

Finally, there’s Gosuke Katoh. As an amateur, the Yankees were extremely high on him. So high, in fact, that they made him their second-round choice back in 2013.

As noted previously by PinstripeAlley.com, Katoh quickly burst on the scene.

"Katoh signed quickly and made the Yankees’ brass look like geniuses with an outstanding pro debut. As an 18-year-old, Katoh mashed. In Rookie Ball, he batted .310/.402/.522 in 50 games, leading the Gulf Coast League with a .924 OPS and 6 home runs to go along with 16 doubles and triples."

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Katoh was initially a second baseman. But after spinning his wheels in the low minors (he spent three seasons in Charleston), the Yankees converted Katoh into a utility infielder. He broke through in 2017, posting a .293 batting average while playing every position (minus catcher and pitcher) in High-A.

Still only 23-years-old, Katoh should reach Double-A at some point in 2018. He’s not really a first baseman, but he’ll surely get some reps there this year.

The Rest

Brandon Wagner was the team’s sixth-round pick in 2015 out of Howard College in Texas. The lefty swinger posted a respectable .277/.380/.392 batting line with seven home runs as Charleston’s first baseman last year. He’s an excellent on-base threat, but he’ll need to improve his power to excel at the next level.

Next: Mariano Rivera is a unanimous choice

Eric Wagaman, picked in the 13th round last summer out of Orange Coast College in California is the youngest first baseman in the system. At just 20 years of age, Wagaman hit .264/.331/.392 with five homers in 59 games at Rookie-level Pulaski in 2017.