Yankees: Miguel Andujar will play a significant role in 2018

With the news that Todd Frazier had signed with the Mets, Yankees fans began to believe that Miguel Andujar could become the Opening Day third baseman.

The Yankees could well begin the season with a pair of rookies on the infield, as Gleyber Torres is the favorite to win the job at second base (whether he begins the season with the big club, however, remains to be seen).

Andujar’s profile has increased this offseason, as he has been featured on several of the top prospects lists, including being the No. 59 prospect on the Baseball America’s Top 100, the No. 54 prospect according to Keith Law and the No. 65 prospect on MLB.com’s Top 100 list.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that Andujar is an exciting talent which is “insisted upon” in high-end trade discussions.

He is recognized by rival executives as one of the next level guys, like Clint Frazier, just below Gleyber Torres. Currently, Andujar is the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, as they also ranked him as the No. 3 third base prospect in all of baseball.

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Andujar posted a .315/.352/.498 slash line in 125 games last season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He made his major league debut on June 28 against the White Sox and had four hits (.571), going 3-for-4 with a double, four RBI, a walk and a stolen base.

While Andujar has proven that he has the talent to make an impact offensively, scouts have highlighted his struggles to man third base defensively.

According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Andujar’s glove is starting to catch up with his bat. In September, Kuty spoke with both Joe Espada and Joe Girardi about Andujar’s potential on defense and both had confidence that the young third baseman had come a long way on improving his defense and had played very well at Triple-A.

Espada said that Andujar’s greatest asset defensively is his arm strength. Now it is just a question of him putting it all together and maintaining his footwork.

MLB Pipeline notes:

Andujar’s most impressive tool is his cannon arm. He has slightly below-average speed, but more than enough range for third base, though he still needs to polish some rough edges on defense. While he has lapses with his footwork and throwing accuracy, he’s making progress.

Keith Law of ESPN, who ranked Andujar No. 54 on his top 100 list of prospects projects his defensive abilities:

I don’t think Andujar is going to be more than an average defender there. But I dont’ think he’s that far off. I think his hands are fine and I think he’s got the arm for it.

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With a quick right-handed bat and a cannon for an arm, Andujar has the offensive and defensive tools to make him a standout at third base. Scouts and league executives agree — as do Yankee fans, Andujar is a young player they are eager to see play a significant role for the Yankees this season.