Yankees: Looking Back at 7 of New York’s Cult Heroes

At one point, Refsnyder was the most hyped prospect in the Yankees organization

Yankees: UTIL Rob Refsnyder

Rob Refsnyder can be described as the first Baby Bomber onto the scene, or the last of a disappointing era of Yankees prospects.

Any way you look at it, Refsnyder’s popularity in New York lasted shorter than many imagined after he launched his first career home run against the Boston Red Sox in 2015.

Let’s take a quick trip back to 2015. Yankees fans may remember the brutal stretch of watching Stephen Drew man second base. As fans clamored for change at second, Refsnyder was mashing in the minor leagues, posting an impressive .359 on-base percentage in Triple-A. Questions about his glove, however, would delay his debut until the middle of the season.

Refsnyder would perform well in his brief appearance in the big leagues in 2015. He wasn’t able to match the hot start in the following season, as his .250/.328/.309 line was promising but not enough to guarantee a roster spot for a 25-year-old player. Unfortunately, Refsnyder would never be able to hold down a position due to his lackluster glove.

Only five years ago, Refsnyder was the team’s hottest prospect. He was the player the fanbase wanted to see out on the field as the team sat in mediocrity in the middle of the 2010s. However, in just two years, he would quickly fade out of the minds of Yankees fans, as Aaron Judge and company would take centerstage.

Here’s what I wrote about Refsnyder last month:

“Refsnyder was part of the last vestiges of an era for New York. Throughout the 2000s, there were a plethora of Yankees prospects that fans and the media crowned too soon and before the Baby Bombers were able to change the reputation of the Yanks farm system.”