Yankees pitcher Chance Adams looks to have breakout campaign

As recent as 2018, Fangraphs ranked Chance Adams as a top 10 prospect in the Yankees farm system. This season he didn’t even make the top 38. So what does the future hold for the once promising starting pitcher?

Last August, Chance Adams made a somewhat impressive spot start for the Yankees against the eventual World Champion Red Sox in Boston.

Considering it was his major league debut in hostile territory, Adams allowed three runs on three hits across five innings, while striking out two and walking one.

Unfortunately, Adams would only make two more relief appearances in 2018 for the Yanks, surrendering three more runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two.

Unsure what to make of Adams’ brief time on the 25-man roster, many wondered if the now 24-year-old, who had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow following the 2017 season, had lost the necessary velocity on his fastball, ever again to compliment his secondary pitches that don’t typically conclude in strikeouts.

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A sweeping curveball that often results in flyballs; a low in the zone slider that should induce groundballs and a still in progress changeup that stays up far too long are much more effective when proceeded by a 95-97 MPH fastball — which Adams regularly touched between 2016-17 when he was a top 10 prospect.

Now a full season recovered from elbow surgery, Adams arrived a whole week ahead of the scheduled date for pitchers and catchers to report to Spring Training.

Eager to prove his fastball can once again reach the upper 90s, Adams told the New York Post he knows he can be a starter — it all depends on how he pitches when the opportunities arise.

"“They said it usually takes a season and a half or so for full recovery,” said Adams, who had the surgery after the 2017 season. “It is a simple surgery, but the bone has to heal. They went in and literally took off part of the bone.“I hope that’s the reason [for the diminished velocity]. I like throwing hard. It’s fun.”"

Although Adams does have minor league options remaining and won’t turn 25 until August, the Yankees will need Adams to return to the type of production he provided in 2017 while pitching for Scranton-Wilkes/Barre, should he genuinely warrant a second shot in the Bronx.

During the 2017 campaign, Adams pitched to a 2.89 ERA, 1.075 WHIP and an 8.0 K/9 across 115.1 innings as compared to last season for the RailRiders where he stumbled to a 4.78 ERA, 1.407 WHIP — yet 9.0 K/9 in 113 innings.

Regardless of last season’s step back, Adams isn’t worried about his slipping stock — and instead, is concentrating on refining his repertoire and rediscovering the “stuff” that still makes him an intriguing option for the Bombers.

"“I never lost any fuel [to get back to the major leagues],” Adams said. “Same fuel. I’m just ready to go at it and attack and be ready to go.”"