Yankees: 3 prospects poised for major breakouts in 2021

These three top Yankees prospects will make moves in the system in 2021.

First, let’s acknowledge the bad: the Yankees’ farm system hasn’t been this bleak since before the team’s midseason sell-off spree in 2016.

Only three Yankees appeared in any “top 100 prospects” list this offseason, and they were the same three candidates you’ve become extremely accustomed to reading about during The Year Without Minor League Baseball: righties Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia, who both appeared in MLB action this past season, and Jasson Dominguez, the wunderkind who hasn’t done anything stateside yet, and just turned 18 on Sunday.

Here’s the good news, though. There’s still plenty of upside yet to be uncovered or realized in the team’s farm system, and the Bombers owe some of that discontent to the fact that ’20 featured no low-level competition of any kind. If you hadn’t already proven yourself enough to gain access to the Alternate Site, then you were entirely out of luck. Enjoy your crudely-fashioned private gyms!

Some of the Yankees’ clear fast-risers have gotten plenty of hype this offseason; others are still hiding in the shadows of the 10-20 spots on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects list. Some of this team’s possible breakout candidates already rank in the team’s top 10, but their ceilings are much, much higher than their current expectations.

We’re most excited to see Dominguez operate this season, but these three prospects also seem poised to take big steps towards their ultimate ceilings.

3. Kevin Alcantara

Could Kevin Alcantara be among the Yankees’ next great young outfielders?

If Baseball America’s on a fast-riser, than it’s probably time for the rest of us to get on helium alert.

Alcantara, currently ranked 13th on MLB Pipeline’s list and still just 18 years old like Dominguez, is “built like a young Dexter Fowler” (per MLB) and boasts a well-balanced set of tools, earning a grade of 50 or higher in every evaluated scouting metric. Hitting, running, fielding, power, arm…yes, all advanced at a young age, and with only a GCL summer’s worth of development under his belt.

Alcantara aspires to join a Yankees outfield already filled with giants like Aaron Judge and (occasionally) Giancarlo Stanton, and his massive 6-6 frame would fit right into an eventual crew of behemoths. His size is evident in his violent swing, which fans can expect to be refined as he develops and fills out.

This year, having lost a crucial year of growth, expect Alcantara to begin work in the GCL, and potentially move to Low-A Tampa after proving his readiness. By the end of the year, though, you should expect to hear a lot more of his name, and he’ll be a consensus top-10 talent when 2022 rolls around.