Yankees state of the system: Second Base

Double-A

Billy Fleming’s main competition for playing time will be Abiatal Avelino. The 22-year-old hails from San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican — the so-called “cradle of the shortstop.”

However, Avelino played the bulk of his innings at second base last summer.

He split time across three levels. While he handled Double-A pitching, Avelino struggled after a promotion to Scranton, batting .213 in 20 games.

Another toolsy hyper-athlete, Avelino is more promise than polish. But he’s still quite young and showed adeptness at three infield stations. If he can raise his batting average, Avelino should turn himself into a real prospect for 2019.

He’s probably the least likely of this bunch to receive major league playing time in 2018. With the Yankees’ surplus of infielders, Avelino might soon find himself with another organization — perhaps as part of a deal for a starting pitcher.

The real deal?

He flies a little under the radar, but Nick Solak is one of the best second-base-only prospects in all of baseball.

MLB ranked him at No. 8 in the Yankees’ system overall at the end of the year. And it’s easy to see why.

The 23-year-old Louisville alum owns a .305/.393/.441 career batting line in two seasons split between Staten Island, Tampa and Trenton. In 194 games, he’s crushed 15 homers and swiped 22 bases. Plus, he’s walked nearly one out of every eight times he’s come to bat.

There are concerns about his ability to stick to second base long-term. Some scouts believe he will ultimately wind up in the outfield. But offensively, Solak profiles as a prototypical second baseman.

He’s a smallish right-handed hitter with a sharp, fluid swing and gap power to all fields. He’s a line-drive hitter with a little pop and a little speed. Ideally, he’d bat second in your order.

He’s not as dynamic as some of the Yankees’ other top prospects. But Solak is a solid, dependable player.

Solak finished 2017 with 30 games at Double-A, so he’ll likely return to Trenton to begin 2018. Look for him to make his Major League debut in 2019.