Here is an update on how some of the best Yankees prospects are doing in the minors.
Triple-A: Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees
Austin Jackson OF: AJax is a a five-tool player has been one of the top Yankees prospects since he joined the team in 2005. He had a moderately good year in Double-A last year, but his potential alone earned him a promotion. He is raking against Triple-A pitchers, batting .341/.413/.452. His power numbers have dropped way down, but the Yankees aren’t worried about that; young hitters tend to gain power over time. It is definitely possibly he makes his MLB debut as a September call-up, or maybe even before then if there is an injury to a current Yankees outfielder.
George Kontos RHP: Kontos was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th round of the 2006 first-year player draft. The righty has tremendous upside. He hits low to mid 90s with his fastball, and his best pitch is a nasty slider. His strikeout numbers in the minors have been good, but not great. The real key with Kontos is being consistent. If he can straighten himself out, he will also be expecting a call in September.
Double-A: Trenton Thunder
Jesus Montero C: Montero is the best Yankees prospect right now, and he’s only 19 years old. The Venezuelan native is working his way through the minors at a rapid pace. His bat is his best attribute by far, but has catching needs some work. However, he’s still just 19 and has improved a lot over the past couple seasons. In 48 games with High-A ball this season, he hit .356/.406/.583 with eight homers and 37 RBI. Those numbers earned him a promotion to Trenton. Remember this guy’s name.
Zach McAllister RHP: The 6-foot-6-inch third round selection of the 2006 June draft has pitched lights out in the minors. He’s currently sporting a 1.61 ERA in Trenton, which is only a slight improvement over his numbers in A-ball. McAllister is not a strikeout pitcher, but features excellent control. His go-to pitch is his 2-seam fastball that hits 93 MPH and acts like a sinker. McAllister could be a regular starter in the Bronx within the next two seasons.
High-A: Tampa Yankees stats here.
Low-A: Charleston RiverDogs stats here.
(All of the used stats are prior to action on 6/11.)
