Ranking Yankees prospects heading to Arizona Fall League

In the beginning of October, some of the most promising young players in every team’s farm system will be headed to the Arizona Fall League for six weeks. The New York Yankees announced who they’d be sending on Friday, and it’ll be worth it for fans to keep tabs on what could be the future of the organization.

Typically, teams don’t send their marquee talent, because, well, they usually don’t need the extra run. For example, Anthony Volpe won’t be going for obvious reasons. He dominated Double-A and then shredded Triple-A in limited time. He has little left to prove.

But for others in the lower levels, it’s an opportunity to get more reps and capitalize on the spotlight. Seven Yankees prospects will be lucky enough to try and do so on the Mesa Solar Sox beginning on Oct. 3.

The AFL will (hopefully) be coinciding with a Yankees’ playoff run, so checking in during certain pockets of October will do fans good in terms of educating themselves on New York’s system, which has gotten deeper and deeper over the last few years.

Here’s a quick primer on who you might see if you happen to catch a glimpse of the action when it begins.

Ranking the Yankees prospects who will be going to the Arizona Fall League.

7. Shaine McNeely

McNeely was a 16th round draft pick back in 2019 and has been limited with injuries while also missing all of 2020 due to the pandemic. The right-hander from Hope International University has appeared in just 23 minor league games and owns a 3.66 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 32 innings.

Perhaps the Yankees want to see more out of the 6-4, 210-pound 24-year-old by sending him to the AFL despite just seeing 13 games of action this year. He’s on the mend from whatever injury he was dealing with, and his six earned runs on six innings of work at Tampa isn’t enough of a sample size to determine anything. Could be a big opportunity for him.

6. Leam Mendez

An international signing of the Yankees this past February, Mendez made his professional debut in June with the Yankees’ Rookie League team. He wasn’t bad, either, appearing in 14 games and maintaining a 3.78 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and just five walks in 16.2 innings of work as a reliever. Then he got the bump to Tampa and saw this numbers take a hit (4.97 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 16 strikeouts, 5 walks in 12.2 innings in seven games).

The Yankees clearly want some more work from the 22-year-old out of Cuba, especially since they parted with so much pitching at the deadline. McNeely and Mendez can take big jumps in the system rankings if they can put it together.

5. Yorlin Calderon

Signed out of the Dominican Republic back in 2019, Yorlin Calderon took a nice leap in 2022 after a rough 2021 and canceled 2020. The right-hander logged 58 innings across 14 games (a mix of starts and relief appearances) and finished with a 3.88 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 75 strikeouts between the Rookie League and Single-A Tampa.

Compare that to last year (10 games, both starts and relief outings, with a 11.87 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 35 strikeouts, 8 walks, 6 hit batters and six wild pitches in 30.1 innings), and it seems as if he’s honed some control that’s given the Yankees confidence for this promotion.

4. Nelson Alvarez

Here are a couple more guys we don’t know much about. Nelson Alvarez, taken in the 13th round back in 2019, has seen 81 minor-league games after his one year at South Florida, but hasn’t been particularly good. The right-handed reliever got back on track this year, though.

After sporting an 8.57 ERA in his first 46 pro outings, Alvarez finished 2022 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 53.2 innings with Hudson Valley. Only problem? He walked 32 batters. The good news is that he cut down on his homers and drastically boosted his strikeouts from last year’s stint with the Renegades. Seems like the Yankees want to ride with the hot hand right now.

3. TJ Rumfield

The Yankees acquired TJ Rumfield this offseason in a trade with the Phillies that send Nick Nelson packing. In 52 games at High-A, the 22-year-old slashed .284/.381/.411 with 27 runs scored, 4 HR, 34 RBI and 4 SBs. He also held down the fort at first base nicely (only three errors in 354.2 innings).

The former 12th-round pick in 2021 got off to a hot start with the Bombers but then hit the 60-day injured list. His promising debut likely has the Yankees wondering about his potential, especially with no first baseman in the team’s top-30 prospects list.

2. Tyler Hardman

You know what else the Yankees don’t have in their top-30?! A third baseman! In comes Tyler Hardman, who … was once upon a time a third baseman, then got moved to first base, and is now back at third after spending 109 games there with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades (107) and Double-A Somerset Patriots (2).

His defense wasn’t great, though — the former Oklahoma Sooner made 12 errors in 853.1 innings. Nonetheless, his willingness to switch positions has to have him in some sort of good favor, and it helps that he hit .256/.322/.468 with 22 bombs, 80 RBI and 14 stolen bags. The power and speed are there after taking massive leaps from his college days.

Hardman, originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 37th round back in 2017, was re-drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round last year (2021). He’s got good numbers for his first 143 games in the minor leagues and there’s likely hope he translates that against elevated talent.