Yankees state of the system: Third Base

Double-A

With Thairo Estrada moving up to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Trenton Thunder might also be without a full-time third baseman.

Look for 23-year-old Gosuke Katoh to get plenty of reps there this summer.

The team’s second-round pick in 2013 out of Rancho Bernardo High School in California, Katoh had a quality offensive season in 2017.

After three years in Low-A, Katoh finally earned a promotion to High-A Tampa. There, he batted .293/.376/.440 with six home runs and 11 steals in 84 games.

Katoh started 40 games at third base, by far his most of any position. Originally drafted as a second baseman, the Yankees have begun using Katoh as a utilityman. He also received starts at first base, second base, shortstop and left field in ’17.

With his improving performance, Katoh likely earned himself a promotion to Double-A. The Yankees have a whole host of utility infielders in the upper minors, so Katoh will need to continue hitting if he wants to stand out.

But with a strong ’17, Katoh resurrected his career before the Yankees could write him off. He’s still young with plenty of room to develop his game.

Katoh was also written up in the second and first base previews. The kid from California has a versatility that clubs crave on a 25-man roster. If Katoh comes into his own in ’18, his trade value will be at an all-time high.