Yankees top 30 prospects Part 2; a longer look

No. 15 Nolan Martinez

Drafted out of high school in the third round of the 2016 draft, Martinez, 19, has only pitched 20.2 innings in his professional career. Right now, Martinez is still quite young and has yet to fill out.

His fastball sits in the low 90s, but he is expected to increase velocity as he continues to mature. The go-to fastball Martinez possesses has a good spin rate which gives it a bit of run on hitters (think Chad Green’s jumping fastball, according to River Avenue Blues).

"Though he’s not very physical, Martinez currently pitches with an 89-92 mph fastball than can reach 95. His heater had the best spin rate (2685 rpm) at the 2015 World Wood Bat Association World Championship, giving it riding life that makes it tough for hitters to barrel. The former two-way prep player should add more velocity as he focuses on pitching and continues to mature physically."

No. 14 Tyler Widener

Drafted in the 12th round of the 2016 draft out of college, Widener has moved quickly through the Yankees’ system. Originally a reliever, the Yankees converted him to a starter in 2017.

With a fastball that now sits in the mid to upper 90s and a solid slider and changeup, the righty pitched to a 3.39 ERA with a sparkling 1.15 WHIP in 27 starts at High-A Tampa.

The Yankees know that the key to starting in the major leagues is having a quality third pitch. As such, the Yankees have worked on developing Widener’s changeup. His slider can be devastating at times; however, it has been pretty inconsistent.

As he was drafted at out of college, he is already 23. Whether Widener will get the opportunity to start or return to the bullpen, will likely depend on how he develops his secondary pitches.

Recently a scout for NY Daily News remarked:

"I really like him. He came out of nowhere in a way. His command and pitchability really improved."

Widener also earned an invite to this year’s Spring Training.