Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season #16-20

Last weekend, I posted my list of Yankees prospects ranked 30-21. You can follow the link for more details. Here is the list of prospects ranked 21-30:

Let's move on to prospects 16-20:

20. Angelo Gumbs (video here) was drafted in the second round in 2010 out of Torrence, CA. He was a toolsy up-the-middle player who was a bit of a surprise in the second round. However, he was also one of the youngest players in the draft, and young high school draftees have higher success rates than older ones. He possesses amazing bat speed, being compared to Gary Sheffield by some. His defense at second is average, with the potential to be more than that. So far he has put up a .254/.308/.394 line in professional ball, which on the surface seems weak. Overall, that equals a 96 wRC+ over 791 PA, with 53 stolen bases at a 76.8% success rate. Over the 2011 and 2012 seasons, he had a 110 wRC+, while being one of the youngest players in the league. He is in his fourth pro season, and he won't turn 21 until after the end of the year. He did have some struggles in his first taste of Tampa, but has turned it around since being demoted back to Charleston, putting up an .800 OPS and a 121 wRC+. Don't be surprised if he gets promoted back to Tampa at some point. He is one of my favorite Yankees prospects, and was in my top ten before the season. However, the K% and his low batting averages are a concern, as are his struggles in Tampa. This drop in the ranks is a reflection of that, combined with some new draftees and prospects that have gone up in the rankings. I am not sure if he will be in the top ten at the end of the year, but he could easily be in the top fifteen.

19. Ty Hensley (video here) was the Yankees first round draft pick in the 2012 MLB draft out of high school in Edmond, OK. His father was a pro ballplayer, and he was a consensus first round pick leading up the the draft. I had proposed him as a possible Yankees draft pick in December 2011 over at minorleagueball.com, due to him being a big high school righty (6'4", 220) with a plus fastball and curveball, comparing him to Phil Hughes (the draft prospect). However, he was old for the draft class, turning 19 shortly after signing. He signed 25% less than slot due to an abnormality found in an MRI of his shoulder. He did have 12 innings of pro ball to get his feet wet, posting a 3.00 ERA, 24.6 K%, and 2.0 K/BB. Going into the season, I had him in my top ten Yankees prospects. However, late in March it was discovered that he had a tear in his hip labrum (the same injury that sidelined A-Rod). He will not pitch this year, and will return next year in his age-21 season, probably in Charleston. Because we don't know how he will come back from the injury and surgery, he has fallen down the rankings.

18. Brett Marshall (video here) was drafted by the Yankees in the sixth round in 2008 out of high school in Baylands, TX. It took $850,000 (plus $200,000 for future college costs) to sign him away from playing college ball at Rice. He broke out in 2010 in the Yankees system, getting noticed with a 2.57 ERA, 20.5 K%, and 2.7 K/BB over three levels and 84 innings before finishing the year in Tampa. He continued this success in 2011 and 2012, reaching Double-A Trenton as a 22 year old, with a 3.52 ERA, 18.1 K%, and 2.3 K/BB in 158.1 innings. His strikeout numbers have slipped as he has gone up the ladder, as has his ERA. However, he has continued to post excellent ground ball rates, posting a 60.8 GB% over his minor league career. He has struggled this year, posting a 5.99 ERA in Triple-A Scranton, with a 18.6 K% and only a 1.43 K/BB, the worst numbers of his career. His BB% has jumped, as has his HR%, while his LOB% has dropped. And that isn't even including his horrible MLB debut. He could be hitting a developmental wall, finding out his stuff isn't quite up to par for the high minors and the major leagues. However, for now I still have faith that he can become a back of the rotation starter or swingman, especially with that sinker, and could fill Adam Warren's role next year if Warren makes the starting rotation. If he continues to struggle this year, he may be much lower in the rankings by the end of the year.

17. Peter O'Brien (video here) was a third round draft pick in the 2012 draft out of the University of Miami. He had previously been drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2011, but went back to school for his senior year. He was known as a bat-first college catcher, someone who was too big (6'3", 215) and too rough defensively to stay behind the plate. The Yankees gave him 94 games at catcher before recently moving him to third base. He has the arm for the position, but I'm not sure how the hands and range will pan out at the hot corner. If it doesn't work, he will have to move to first base – he doesn't have the range to handle the outfield. But wherever he plays, he will reach the majors because of his bat. So far, in 546 professional plate appearances, he has hit .272/.322/.513 with a 26.9 K% and a 6.4 BB%. This year he has scorched the ball with a .317/.370/.598, 166 wRC+ line combined between Charleston and Tampa. He was showing some promise in Charleston, dropping his K% and increasing his BB%, but that improvement has disappeared in Tampa, with his BB% dropping from 9.7% to 3.2% and his K% rising from 25.7% to 29.0%. And there is the rub with O'Brien. As good as his bat has been, he has significant issues with plate discipline and contact. This, combined with his defensive homelessness and old-for-competition age, makes me hesitant to move him much past this spot. He does have an outside chance of the top-15 at the end of the year if he can improve the walk and strikeout numbers, and show some growth at the hot corner defensively.

16. Dietrich Enns (video here) was a 19th round draft pick in the 2012 draft out of Central Michigan University. Picked as organizational filler with a chance to be a MLB reliever, Enns has so far exceeded those modest expectations. The short lefty (6'1", 195) can reach the low 90s with his fastball, and has a good curve and excellent change-up. In 2013, he has become one of the more exciting prospects for the Yankees, and probably would've made the top twenty had he stayed in the bullpen given his strong K% and K/BB ratio. However, the Yankees saw potential in him to be a starter and so far he has not disappointed. His first start came in Charleston. Afterward, he was promoted to Tampa, where he has remained in the rotation. Overall, he has a 1.46 ERA, 35.7 K%, and 4.3 K/BB between Charleston and Tampa this year. As a starter in Tampa, he has a 3.04 ERA, 27.1 K%, and 3.3 K/BB over his first 23.2 innings. Over his professional career, he holds a 1.71 ERA, 29.0 K%, and 3.5 K/BB. Even more exciting is that he has yet to give up a home run in his first 110.2 professional innings. If he continues this, he could vault into the top three arms for the Yankees, and the top ten for the farm system by the end of the year. Added pluses - one of cooler names in the system, he already did an interview with Jason Cohen, and he has an old-school over the top mechanics that remind me of Sandy Koufax (only the mechanics, not the expected results).

So, what do you think of this list so far? Who is your favorite of these five? You can vote below. Who do you think will be present in the next five? Share in the comments.