Yankees prospects: Final week minor league review

The 2021 minor league season has come to a close, with the final week of the season being played out by Triple-A Scranton and the Yankees’ two Dominican Summer League teams. With the campaign in the books, we can step back and review the progress that the Yankees system made since the teams had last stepped on the field prior to the start of the pandemic.

Indeed, in the coming weeks, prospect rankings will be updated, and a number of players and coaches from the organization will head to Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and possibly even Australia to join Fall and Winter league teams around the world. Some Yankees top prospects will also anxiously be awaiting news on November 20th to find out if they have been added to the club’s 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to protect eligible players from the Rule 5 draft. No matter the result of the Yankees 2021 postseason efforts, it will be a busy offseason for many prospects across the organization.

Postseason Awards:

MLB.com announced shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe as the minor league hitting prospect of the year; that is for all of baseball, not just the Yankees organization. Volpe racked up a .294/.423/.604 line with 27 home runs, six triples, and 34 doubles. That impressive line across two levels that was good for a 170 wRC+ on the season.

He was joined by Ken Waldichuk, who was picked as the team’s pitching prospect of the season. Waldichuk started the year with 30.2 scoreless innings at High-A before earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset. He continued to miss bats at the higher level and finished the year with 163 strikeouts on the season, placing him fourth among all minor league pitchers on the year.

Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders

Record: 68-49 Second Place in the Triple-A (Northeast) 3.0 GB

Final Stretch Record: 7-3 – Third Place in the Triple-A Northeast

Past Week: 5-0 vs. Rochester Red Wings

Triple-A Scranton finished the season strong with a perfect week against the Rochester Red Wings. Oswaldo Cabrera continued his power surge, finishing with five home runs in nine Triple-A games. Miguel Andújar got in on the act with four straight impressive games, including a pair of home runs. A number of players will remain in Scranton, where they will stay ready in case the Yankees need assistance during the playoffs. Those players have not been announced yet, but it is likely to include members of the 40-man roster who are healthy and could be realistic options in the postseason.

Players of Note:

Oswaldo Cabrera: 97 G; .285/.341/.570, 26 HR, 28 2B, 21 SB (Double-A and Triple-A since June 8^th)

Miguel Andújar: 4 G; .500/.588/1.000, 2 HR, 2B

Matt Krook: 6 G; 0.55 ERA, 33 IP, 19 H, 12 BB, 37 K

Oswald Peraza: 115 G; .297/.356/.477, 18 HR, 26 2B, 2 3B (Season Totals from High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Final Record: 72-47 First place in the Double-A (Northeast) 2.5 GA (Division Champs)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Final Record: 71-49 First place in the High-A East (Northern) 12.5 GA

Low-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 73-43 First place in the Low-A Southeast (West Coast) 3.5 GA

Florida Complex League Yankees:

Record: 36-16 2nd place in the Florida Complex League 3.5 GB

Dominican Summer League Yankees 1

Final Record: 31-28

Dominican Summer League Yankees 2:

Final Record: 30-29

DSL Players of Note:

Allen Facundo: 14 G; 4.25 ERA, 48.2 IP, 84 K

Alan Mejia: 47 G; .293/.395/.529, 8 HR, 2 3B, 9 2B

Daury Arias: 49 G; .287/.416/.486, 8 HR, 3B, 10 2B

Geradro Abrego: 12 G; 2.68 ERA, 47 IP, 56 K, 22 BB

Lis Arejula: 12 G; 4.30 ERA, 44 IP, 60 K, 13 BB

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Editor’s note: Thank you for the kind comments throughout 2021 about PSA’s minor league coverage. It’s always fun to glimpse into the future at the next generation of Baby Bombers, and it’s even better when guys like Volpe and Peraza break out. Stay tuned for potential offseason prospect coverage, and we’ll see you in the spring for a new minor league season!