Baby Bomber Bonus Recap: A review of the 2015 Staten Island Yankees

The 2015 Staten Island Yankees reached the New York-Penn League finals before ultimately falling. For a team predominately comprised of recently drafted college players, they turned out to be a pretty cohesive unit, performing well on every side of the ball.

OF Trey Amburgey .367/.391/.684, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 7 SB, 87 PA
Continuing his great debut season, Amburgey continued to hit well in Staten Island, where he even found his power stroke. He will get a shot in A-ball next year and could quickly become an interesting name to watch.

1B/3B Kevin Cornelius .304/.369/.416, 16 RBI, 29/13 K/BB, 141 PA
Making up for lost time after an injury in 2014, the corner infielder hit well in the GCL and brought his bat with him at Staten Island. Next year is his age-23 season, so he needs to make it through A-ball soon, if he wants to remain on the team's radar.

SS/2B Thairo Estrada .267/.338/.360, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 8 SB, 30/23 K/BB, 279 PA
In his second season with Staten Island, the 19-year-old Estrada shifted over to second base to accommodate Kyle Holder. He performed well in his second go-around and should see time in Charleston, though at what position is yet to be determined.

SS Kyle Holder .213/.273/.253, 12 RBI, 6 SB, 34/17 K/BB, 250 PA
The controversial draftee didn't show much to give any indication that the Yankees knew something we all missed. he didn't hit and scouts were mixed–at best–on his defense. However, he's only 21 and still has plenty of time to develop into a productive player.

OF Jhalan Jackson .266/.338/.452, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 59/16 K/BB, 198 PA
After being drafted in the seventh round, Jackson had maybe one of the more impressive professional debuts out of the Yankees' draft class. If he continues to hit like this next year, he could move quickly.

OF Junior Valera .305/.342/.465, 32 RBI, 9 SB, 44/9 K/BB, 200 PA
Valera has hit well over the last few seasons, moving from second base to outfield this year. If he can stick in center he could be an intriguing prospect, otherwise he'll need to add some home run power.

2B/3B Brandon Wagner .228/.347/.364, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 48/28 K/BB, 193 PA
Drafted in the sixth round this year, Wagner split time between second and third base. He showed the ability to get on base and hit for some power, but he lacked in the batting average department.

OF Zack Zehner .232/.309/.351, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 12 SB, 56/24 K/BB, 257 PA
Largely overshadowed by others among his draft class, Zehner showed potential on the base paths and even displayed some pop.

RHP Domingo Acevedo 1.69 ERA, 9.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 48.0 IP, 11 GS
Able to hit 100 mph, the Yankees' top 30 prospect dominated at Staten Island and got a chance in Charleston before the end of the season. If this keeps up, he could be the team's next can't-miss prospect

LHP Ethan Carnes 1.98 ERA, 7.43 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 36.1 IP, 9 G/7 GS
After an impressive 2014 season in the bullpen, Carnes was given a chance in the rotation and proved to be one of SI's most impressive arms. Unfortunately, he's already going to be 24 next year, so the Yankees need to be aggressive with him next year.

RHP Luis Cedeno 3.82 ERA, 7.0 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 66.0 IP, 12 GS
After an impressive 2014 between the rotation and bullpen in rookie ball, Cedeno was given a real shot as a starter. He performed so well in Staten Island that he earned a push up to Charleston at the age of 20.

LHP Jonny Drozd 1.24 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 36.1 IP
He dominated Staten Island at the age of 23, eventually spending a few innings with High-A Tampa. He's a former non-drafted free agent, so 2016 will be key in terms of whether or not he's a legitimate prospect to watch.

RHP Travis Hissong 3.09 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 23.1 IP
Another former non-drafted free agent, Hissong proved to be a strikeout machine, but his control issues held him back from a truly elite season. He's worth keeping in mind, but he has yet to reach A-ball heading into his age-24 season.

RHP Kolton Mahoney 2.29 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, 55.0 IP
In his first professional season, Mahoney proved to be more than a match for Short Season, but never got to see Charleston. 2016 should see him on the move and as one of the more promising starting pitchers the Yankees took this year, he could really make a name for himself soon.

RHP Jose Mesa 0.42 ERA, 14.5 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 21.2 IP
After being drafted in 2012, Mesa didn't pitch until the 2014 season. This year he dominated the Short Season level before getting a brief call-up to Low-A Charleston. He's still only 22 and next year should be key for him.

RHP Michael Schaub 1.37 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 26.1 IP
Signed out of the independent league, Schaub performed well with his second professional team. He's already 23 and has been released by another organization, so take his numbers with a grain of salt.

Some of these guys will get a chance in A-ball next year while others will soon fall by the wayside. The fun is in figuring out which will be which.