With September just around the corner, which Yankees call-ups will help the Bronx Bombers the most in the sprint for the pennant?
The Yankees are heading into arguably the most important part of their season, and help is on the way. On September 1, the 25-man roster will increase to a 40-man roster, and there are plenty of new faces to be excited about.
Here’s a look at which prospects could make the biggest impact when the rosters expand:
Justus Sheffield
The Yankees’ No. 1 prospect has been closely watched by fans all season long and this weekend they will finally get to see him in pinstripes.
Sheffield, 22, has grabbed the attention of scouts across the country posting a 2.55 ERA between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over 112.2 innings. With the struggles, the Yankees have seen in the starting rotation this season, the question of whether or not Sheffield would make the leap to the majors this season has changed to a question of when.
Recently, the Yankees have moved Sheffield to the bullpen to prepare him for his role on the major league club in September. Since the move, he has given up two earned runs in four innings of work and struck out three in two appearances.
Look for Sheffield to relieve an overworked bullpen and possibly make a spot start if necessary.
Tyler Wade
In the midst of a playoff race, resting your players and keeping them healthy is one of the most important things to pay attention to. Having a utility player that can relieve multiple players in multiple positions is more valuable in September than ever before.
Tyler Wade will be just that for the Yankees.
Wade, 23, has had his chance on the big league diamond and it came with little success. In 59 at-bats this year he has posted an unimpressive .186 batting average and .238 on-base percentage. However, since being sent to the minors, Wade has improved his on-base percentage to .327 and is on pace to top his walk total from a year ago.
With all the injuries the Yankees have dealt with this summer, the addition of a young and energetic utility player is everything but a negative. Wade has seen time at multiple positions in the infield and has played a limited amount of time in the outfield. This will provide the depth the Yankees have been missing and possibly an energetic boost to a team that seems to have been overworked.
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Jonathan Loaisiga
The young right-hander saw some time with the big league club earlier this summer and was nothing short of impressive. In his four starts with the Yankees, he pitched to a 2-0 record and a 3.00 ERA.
Loaisiga turned heads in his MLB Debut against the Tampa Bay Rays throwing five shutout innings and striking out six while looking genuinely comfortable on the mound at Yankee Stadium. Three of his four starts came against teams with records over .500 at the time and he seemed everything but rattled in each start.
Having someone who can make a spot start or come out of the bullpen with confidence no matter how big the situation is something that should not be taken lightly. The Yankees are about to play in arguably their most stressful games of the season and having someone who is not scared to live up to the moment is something of great value.
Overall, the Yankees organization is one built on depth and talent. This September will be filled with not only meaningful baseball, but with exciting prospect auditions and intriguing debuts.