This stat proves why Yankees losing Spencer Medick to Astros might not be the disaster fans think

There's definitely some consternation running through the New York Yankees fanbase now that the Houston Astros have hired Triple-A pitching guru Spencer Medick as their new director of pitching. Medick is a prime force credited with the rise of Cam Schlittler and has shepherded other enticing young arms like Will Warren and Elmer Rodriguez through the minors' final test.

Unfortunately, when you have talented coaches, you're going to get poached, and Medick's upward mobility in New York was limited.

There's a silver lining, though. Outside of the AL East, Houston is the Yankees' most hated rival. Now, though, the two clubs are heading in opposite directions and could line up well for a trade. Perhaps Medick can serve as some sort of olive branch.

Coaching can make a world of difference. Just look at the difference between Freddy Peralta's tenure with the Mets and what he's done with the Rays. However, coaching alone only gets you so far. Without a high level of talent, even the best and brightest coaches aren't going to extract much value.

When it comes to minor league hurlers, the Yankees have a world of talent. Baseball America ranked all the minor league systems based on pitchers' Stuff+, basically how nasty a pitcher's repertoire is, based on movement, spin rates, velocity, and other factors, and New York came in second.

The strength and depth of pitching in the Yankees' system will mitigate the loss of Spencer Medick

The Yankees farm system isn't all that highly regarded these days, but the young arms are a strength. Of the Yankees' current top-10 prospects per MLB Pipeline, a whopping nine are pitchers. Of those nine, only Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange have reached Triple-A and had the chance to work with Medick.

That Stuff+ list doesn't even include 2026 top draft pick Hunter Dietz, who will make his pro debut in 2027. Dietz has drawn comparisons to Clayton Kershaw, so it's safe to say his stuff is good.

So, while the Triple-A pitching staff put up impressive stats in 2026, and Medick has a track record of success, he hadn't even touched many of the most exciting hurlers in the system before departing.

At the end of the day, Medick is just one cog in a Yankees pitching apparatus that has been so good over the last several seasons. That starts with Matt Blake at the top and continues all the way down through rookie ball. The biggest jump for all prospects is the leap from Hi-A to Double-A. Double-A is where pitchers really learn to command their entire repertoire and mix their pitches. It's also where hitters develop an advanced feel for the strike zone and for pitch recognition.

At the heart of it, the machine won't collapse just because one piece is missing. The collection of talent on the pitching side is still impressive, and as long as there isn't a butcher running them into the ground in Triple-A, they'll turn out just fine.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow