Prospect Profile: Brett Gardner (#13)

Age: 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180
Drafted: 3rd round in 2005 out of the College of Charleston
Position: Centerfield
Bats: Left

Tools: Speed. Speed. More Speed. Lots of Speed. He has it. He is Willie Mays Hays. Brett Gardner has 80 speed on a 20-80 scale, and he uses it. He has stolen 77 bases in 191 career minor league games. Of course, the minors are filled with players with 80 speed who could never be decent major league players (Justin Christian, Gardner's teammate, is a prime example). Gardner combines his speed with outstanding plate discipline. He looks to have the ability to put together 80+ walk seasons. He likes to hit a lot of weak slappy line drives, which rarely translate in to extra base hits. For this reason, his ceiling is limited. His speed and excellent sense in the outfield translate to an outstanding defensive game, among the best in the Yankee farm system. His arm is average, although fairly accurate.

Performance: A former walk on at Charleston, Gardner has been constantly progressing as he moves up the minor league ladder. He was one of the many stars in Staten Island last year. This year, he started at Tampa and earned his promotion to AA with a .323/.433/.418 line and 30 stolen bases in 63 games. His performance at Trenton was not excellent, but it did show some good signs with a .272/.352/.318 line. Although his power dissolved, Gardner continued to show a special ability to reach base. Gardner then went to the AFL, where he has stumbled since starting off incredibly hot. Still, he has managed to put up a .252/.414/.359 line with 6 stolen bases in 26 games.

Outlook: Garder will be a major league player in some context. His ability to at least hit for doubles into the gap and his ability to maintain a respectable batting average will determine the role that he plays. In both Trenton and Arizona, he has shown a worrying tendency to strike out. In 26 games in Arizona, he has struck out 21 times (walking 27 times by the way). In 118 games in 2006 between Tampa and Trenton, he struck out 90 times while walking 70 times. A power hitter can afford to strike out, but a speedster like Gardner needs balls in play in order to reach base. Gardner has Juan Pierre type tools, with a little bit more on the plate discipline side of things than Pierre does. He plays better defense than Pierre. But the reason that Pierre was able to be a marginally good major league player for a couple of years was his ability to not strike out. By not striking out a lot, Pierre was able to hit .320+. Gardner will need to hit .300+ to allow his plate discipline to take over and be an effective hitter despite the lack of power. He can't strike out 110+ times a year and do that.

Grades: Ceiling B-, Health A, Comparison: Dave Roberts

Prospect Profile: T.J. Beam (#14)

Age: 26
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 215
Drafted: 10th round in 2003 out of U Mississippi
Position: Relief Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: T.J. Beam did not have the stuff to remain a starter, as is common with many excellent relief pitchers. He has an excellent fastball, which clocks in at 93-95 mph, touching as high as 97 on the gun. He uses his lanky body to full effective, producing a deceptive top-down movement on his fastball. He'll see a lot of hitters swing and miss on balls in the dirt as a result. He complements it with an even better slider, at about 83-84 mph. He can place it anywhere he wants, almost as if he was locating a good fastball. Beam has experiemented with a slow looping curveball, changeup, and cutter in the past but none developed into a decent pitch.

Command: His true asset as a reliever is his ability to command that slider. He can place it anywhere he wants, almost as if he was locating a good fastball. He is not slouch with the fastball either, possessing command among the best in the Yankee system. When he walks somebody, he usually means to. Despite struggles early in his career, he posses a 3.54 career K/BB ratio and a 2.59 ERA.

Outlook: T.J. Beam struggled at first in the majors. This can be expected, considering that he entered the 2005 season in Low A Charleston. Beam has never been less than excellent at every step of the minors since converting to the bullpen. He will be an excellent major league reliever, and could put up some stellar seasons. I have a lot of faith in Beam, and the Yankees clearly do too. After not pitching an inning over Tampa, they put him on the 40-man prior to last season. He could prove to be a workhorse too, as he pitched over 90 innings last season. He will return to the Columbus bullpen, and should be the first to be called up to the major leagues. He'll be 27 in August, so time is certainly a concern. He may be the oldest prospect on this list, but do not read too much in to that. He was drafted after four years in college at 23 years old and only converted to a reliever around his 25th birthday.

Grades: Ceiling B, Health A, Comparison: Steve Karsay

Prospect Profile: Steve White (#15)

Age: 24
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 205 lbs
Drafted: 4th round in 2003 out of Baylor University
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: The big righty draws most of his strength from his two fastballs. He uses his long legs to pump his fastball up to the mid 90s. He is capable of throwing 95-97, but easily loses his command if he attempts to. The Yankees have him settling down at the 93-94 mph range, staying away from the meat of the plate. When not overthrowing, his fastball is a strength. He throws an above average major league slurvy curveball at 76-80 mph. He compliments this with a near-plus changeup at about 80 mph. PP.com points out that since he isn't throwing at full effort, he can stay effective deep in to games.

Command: If White is going to succeed, it will not be for lack of stuff. He certainly has the tools to compete as a good major league starter. That said, White's head is his greatest enemy. He has had trouble adjusting to higher levels, struggling both when first exposed to AA and AAA hitters. The Yankees believe that this is due to White trying and failing to throw the ball harder when he gets in to jams. He gets very nervous out on the mound. His control is not a strongpoint, but does improve considerably when he calms down. When focused, he has a reputation of a tactical baseball mind.

Outlook: White has a few things going for him. He is just 24 years old. His health record is exceptional (he was hurt by nagging non-arm related injuries such as an oblique strain in 2005, but pitched 175.1 innings in 2006), and his low-stress approach to pitching bodes well to his potential as a starting pitcher. The Yankees have a lot of faith in White, calling him up along with Hughes, Cox, and Clippard to sit in during the later regular season. White is however in danger of suffering from "Sean Henn syndrom" if he struggles at first in the major leagues. Joe Torre does not like to give rookie pitchers a second chance. Steve White may end up being trade bait because of this.

Grades: Ceiling B-, Health B+, Comparison: Steve Trachsel throwing a little harder.

Prospect Profile: Marcos Vechionacci (#16)

Age: 20 (just turned)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 170 lbs
Drafted: Signed out of Venezuela in 2002
Position: 3rd base (With experience at 2nd and SS)
Hits: Switch
Throws: Right

Tools: Vechionacci is a legit 6-tool player. He has a ton of plate discipline and speed, and the Yankees project power to develop out of his swing. His ability to hit for average is questionable, as he has had some low batting averages in recent years, but many scouts believe that this is just a result of Nacci playing at an age far below his league. His real tools though fall on the other side of the ball. Vechionacci used to be a catcher, but was quickly converted to the infield. He tried shortstop and 2nd base, but eventually settled in at 3rd base. His defensive ability at 3rd base is nearly unrivaled, impressing even Joe Torre in spring training last season. He has Rolen/Chavez potential there.

Performance: Vechinacci has had mixed results in his three season minor league career. He was excellent as a 17 year old in 2004, hitting .319/.387/.454 between Staten Island and the Gulf Coast league (which a brief appearance in Tampa). He did not hit well in Charleston the following year, but displayed ISO and IsoOBP numbers are were very encouraging. Despite the low batting averages by Vechinacci, the Yankees were forced to rush him to Tampa in 2006, mostly because of the incredible amount of infield talent in Charleston. Along with a few other young Latino players, Nacci flopped. He was sent back to Charleston, where he improved upon his already decent ISO and IsoOBP numbers while maintaining a low batting average. He finished 2006 with a .255/.352/.386 line. His defense improved further.

Outlook: While a long way off, the results are encouraging for a prospect like Nacci. 20 may sound old, but remember that most college prospects are 22 or 23 by the time they high High A ball. Marcos will be given a second shot at Tampa in 2007, where he will have a chance to make a difference on a very good team. He has the tools, talent, and track record to make a major break out next season. Raw power and plate discipline are incredibly important for a toolsy prospect like Vechionacci. The Yankees settled him in at 3rd not because it was where he would be the most valued defender (he was excellent at short and 2nd as well), but because they believe he has the bat to hold down the offense-centered position.

Grades: Ceiling A, Health B, Comparison: Eric Chavez without the lefty problems.

Prospect Profile: Kevin Whelan (#17)

Age: 22
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 200
Drafted: 4th round in 2005 by Detroit out of Texas A&M
Position: Relief Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: Whelan was converted from catcher for two reasons. First, he couldn't hit. Second, he throws hard. Whelan sits at 92-95 mph, but with more experience and innings he could crank it up even harder. He very quickly developed a plus splitter, which he uses as his strikeout pitch. He was the top relief pitcher in the Cape Code league in 2004, less than a year after converting. His delivery is still a little messy, as can be expected. He has a career K/9 in college of 11.57 and 12.68 in professonal ball.

Command: As can be expected, Whelan is wild. He walked over 5 per 9 innings in college, and 4.26 per 9 in the minor leagues. Despite all of this, Whelan boasts a 2.97 K/BB ratio. As his control improves, Whelan will become a serious weapon. He has front line closer stuff if he can control it. Despite the poor command, Whelan clearly is a step ahead of the low minor leagues. He has allowed 4.49 hits per 9 innings in his career.

Outlook: The Yankees will likely push Whelan to Trenton, where he could serve as the team's closer. Whelan's developing arm will be pushed harder, probably to the tune of 75+ innings. The Tigers were careful with his innings last season, limiting him to just 54. Whelan is just 22 years old and will need at least two full seasons in the minors to learn how to pitch. The Yankees have no reason to rush him with J.B. Cox and T.J. Beam waiting in the wings to take spots on the major league roster.

Grades: Ceiling B+, Health B Comparison: Too early to tell. Give him time.

Prospect Profile: Jeff Karstens (#18)

Age: 24
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 170
Drafted: 19th Round in 2003 out of Texas Tech.
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: Karstens throws an average fastball at 90-91 mph. He has a decent slider, which is one of the better in the Yankee system. It used to be his out pitch. He throws a curveball in the mid 70s, but he only really throws it when behind in the counting and needing a strike. His main out pitch has become an above average 78 mph changeup, which he uses to get a significant amount of weak fly balls and pop ups. He can throw a slightly slower heavy fastball, but rarely ever uses that pitch.

Command: Karstens is a major league prospect not because he has one particularly good pitch or a good fastball, but because he can consistently throw all four pitches for strikes. He locates his curveball especially well. Karstens functions well when he is able to keep his pitch count down and force contact on batters. He gets tired easily into higher pitch counts and his control suffers.

Outlook: Karstens is rated so high purely because he is such a fair bet. His minor league record indicates that Karstens is incredibly average. Good control. Average velocity. Four average pitches. Average strikeouts. Karstens just uses his skill to pitch good fundamental baseball. He changes speeds and throws strikes. If he continues to attack hitters and throw the right pitch at the right time he will have a very long replacement level major league career. His future might be in a Ramiro Mendoza role, thanks to his lack of ability to sustain high pitch counts. His health record is as good as it can get.

Grades: Ceiling C+, Health A, Comparison: Rodrigo Lopez

Prospect Profile: Angel Reyes (#19)

Age: 19
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs
Signed: International Free Agent in 2004 out of the D.R.
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Left

Stuff: Reyes is the only lefty pitcher who is a serious prospect in the Yankee system. He is the only lefty with a plus fastball (93-95 mph). He has a plus curveball and has just started to learn a changeup. His changeup is about 12-13 mph slower than his fastball with his curveball a few ticks slower than that. His fastball has deception and electric movement. Reyes is very raw, but his velocity and curveball are advanced well beyond his young age.

Control: Reyes came into the GCL season with a reptuation of wildness. As is a common theme with such a young player, he had trouble repeating his mechanics coming into this short season, but got straightened out and posted decent walk numbers. He got to show his stuff against more advanced competition this year after the GCL season ended with Staten Island. He pitched 46.2 innings with the GCL Yankees, striking out 45 while posting an ERA of 1.35. He followed this dominating performance up with an equally dominating 16 strikeouts in 17 innings of 1.54 ERA ball. He walked just 20 the whole time. This dominating performance follows two excellent years in the DSL as a 17 and 18 year old. Reyes could not have been better in his first season of American baseball.

Outlook: Reyes, the only serious lefty prospect in the Yankee system, may have some troubles remaining as a starter. His 3 pitch repetoire is excellent, but his small frame could impede his durability and ability to go deep into games. The bullpen is a common place for flame throwing small pitchers. That said, it would not be unprecedented for Reyes to remain a starter. He has the stuff and poise to progress quickly throughout the Yankee minor league system. He will start in a deep Charleston rotation next season. He may be a leading candidate for promotion to Tampa if he pitches well (and if there are spots open in another crowded rotation).

Grades: Ceiling A, Health B, Comparison: Erik Bedard

Prospect Profile: George Kontos (#20)

Age: 21
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215
Drafted: 5th Round in 2006 out of Northwestern University
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: George Kontos has a nasty fastball. It tops out in the mid 90s, but he primarily throws it as a 2-seamer. Watching him on TV, I saw exactly why Kontos was picked in the 5th round despite a terrible college record. His stuff is just electric. He also throws a straigher 4-seamer, a decent change (it used to be about 84-85 mph, compared to a 94 mph fastball, but the Yankee coaches refined it and it's now in the 78-80 range). His best pitch is however his slider, and he gets a lot of swing and misses with it. It is probably the best or second best slider in the Yankee farm system. He has a curveball but doesn't use it too much.

Command: Kontos had a bad record of walking people in college. He walked 123 in 219.2 innings in three college years, including 53 in 95.1 this season. However, this was one case where the scouts were able to tell what statheads like myself could not. Scouts said that he did not have control problems; he simply was forced to nibble against aluminum bats. His mechanics were sound. As soon as he met wooden bats, Kontos excelled. The inside third of the plate opened to him and the strikes came like crazy. He pounded his slider to righties and located his fastball like a seasoned pro. In his 78 innings, Kontos only walked 19.

Outlook: I am a huge Kontos fan. He is probably my favorite prospect on this list. He has a first round slider and a great fastball to go along. His future is certainly going to be determined by the development of his changeup. Without a reliable third pitch, his future is in the bullpen. The Yankees seem confident however that Kontos will stay in the rotation (they are less confident in Tim Norton, who is primarily a fastball pitcher). If his changeup becomes an average or better pitch, look for a major steal from the 5th round pick. He has handled significant workloads between college and Staten Island (over 160 innings this season) and has a clean bill of health. I would not be surprised to see him pitch in Trenton at some time during 2007. I am a fan.

Grades: Ceiling B+, Health A-, Comparison: I really don't know who to compare Kontos to.

Prospect Profile: Zach McAllister (#21)

Age: 18
Height: 6'5" (6" taller than two years ago)
Weight: 230 (60 lbs heavier than two years ago)
Drafted: 3rd Round in 2006 out of High School
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: McAllister is in the midst of a major change in pitching style. Due to rapid growth, he has become much more of a power pitcher than he used to be. He was signed throwing around 90, mostly throwing 2 seam fastballs and changeups. The heavy sinking action on his fastball was enough for him to get by. The Yankees, seeing his newfound power frame, decided to change his style immensely. They got him throwing a 4-seamer, adding a lot of velocity (it's hard to tell what he is throwing at now. Some reports have him as high as 93). He is still 18 years old and will certainly get stronger as he puts muscle on his big body. His change is average, although improving. His slider was a plus pitcher in High School, but we'll see if he replaces it with a curveball like Hughes did.

Command: A finessed pitching style has one advantage: the pitcher learns how to pitch instead of throw. McAllister has phenominal command of his fastball for his age, and is very aware of the batter when on the mound. His strategic approach could be a serious boon if he develops a power fastball. His pitching mind is years ahead of his peers. In this regard, he has been commonly compared to Phil Hughes (although Hughes has a much better fastball than McAllister, so don't read too much in to the comparison). He prefers to get the groundball over the strikeout.

Outlook: McAllister is incredibly young, so this one is tough to call. He should start the year in Charleston, and likely will stay there for the entire season. His first priority will be improving his curveball. His second priority will be adding muscle and velocity. I have a lot of faith in McAllister's ability to outsmart A ball hitters, so 2007 should be a good season for Zach. Guile alone will not beat AA and beyond hitters though, so his future will be determined less by success in the Sally league and more by improvements across the board on his all of his pitches. His head is the only plus tool he posses right now, although the potential for a plus fastball is certainly there. He was the only Yankee pitcher signed out of the 2006 draft from High School.

Grade: Ceiling B+, Health Incomplete [too young], Comparison: Freddy Garcia

Prospect Profile: Tim Battle (#26)

Age: 21
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180 lbs
Drafted: 3rd round out of High School in 2003
Bats: Right

Tools: Battle is all about tools. He has the ability to hit for power, take walks, run like the wind, and throw a cannon. The downside? He strikes out... a lot. Battle illustrates the difference between great walk taking ability and great plate discipline. Battle knows how to take a pitch for a walk, but he does not know how to manipulate the count to drive a ball. Instead, he takes far too many pitches, gets into bad counts, and swings and misses for the strikeout. He has Mike Cameron-like tools. He just needs to learn how to use it.

Performance: The only reason that Battle is not higher up on this list is that he has consistently not performed at the A- level in three years. He came closest in 2005 when he put up a .259/.335/.455 line. His raw power and walking ability were offset by his 195 strikeouts in 134 games. He cut down on the Ks in 2006, but his raw patience and power suffered at the same time, and he still struck out 140 times in the same playing time. On defense however, he has blossomed. Battle was rated the best corner outfielder in organized baseball by minor league baseball.

Outlook: I am pessimistic about Battle. On the surface, his ability to make more contact is a big leap forward. Unfortantely, he lost his ability to drive the ball. Battle certainly has the ability to be a late bloomer, but I wouldn't count on it. He will probably start the season in Charleston, marking his 4th season below Tampa. He is no longer a young toolsy kid who has an excuse. At least his defense is excellent.

Grades: Ceiling A, Health B-, Comparison: Mike Cameron

Prospect Profile: Tim Norton (#22)

Age: 23
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 230 lbs
Drafted: 7th round in 2006 out of UConn.
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: Norton sports a 92-95 mph fastball, thanks to his big power pitcher frame. He was drafted with a reputation of having very poor mechanics in his pitching motion. The Yankee staff in Staten Island cleaned that up, and he dominated. He throws a hard breaking slider, which is top-notch. He compliments it with an above average splitter. When pressed, he usually resorts to the slider over the splitter, which Yankee coaches are trying to reverse. He is also working on a changeup. He came out of college throwing a Slurve/Forkball combo instead of Slider/Splitter. The Yankee coaches changed this and the results showed.

Command: After cleaning up his mechanics, Norton took hold of the strike zone and never gave it up. He posted a team best 83 Ks in 72 innings, allowing just 12 walks. He posted the best ERA for a starting pitcher on the team at 2.60, to go along with two dominating playoff performances. He is very good at locating his fastball and slider, although his splitter needs work in that regard. His consistent, mature approach on the mound reflects his four years of college experience.

Outlook: I like Norton a lot, but I am a little skeptical of his potential. His college record is lackluster, with his only real stellar year being 2006. He never struck out too many batters, walked a lot, and didn't pitch a ton of innings. That said, Norton posted excellent peripheral numbers against wooden bats this summer. There has been a lot of speculation that he could end up in the bullpen, due to the lack of a third reliable pitch. With his pitchers frame, he could crank the radar gun up to 96-97 in shorter stints. I don't entirely disagree with this. The Yankees will see how he does in 2007 as a starter before making any decisions. Norton does not show all the signs of a short season bust that Zach Kroenke showed in 2005 (Kroenke had sub-par K/BB numbers and only pitched 39 innings. Norton had some of the best K/BB numbers in the league and pitched almost twice that).

Grades: Ceiling B, Health B+, Comparison: Brett Myers.

Prospect Profile: Colin Curtis (#23)

Age: 21
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 204 lbs
Drafted: 4th Round in 2006 out of Arizona State University
Position: Centerfield
Bats: Left

Tools: Curtis is an excellent athlete. His range in centerfield is superb; he is probably the fourth fastest prospect in the organization behind Brett Gardner, Justin Christian, and Austin Jackson. He has an excellent approach to the strike zone (walking more times than he struck out in college). His power is very weak, although he's not Joey Gathright. He arm is strong for a centerfielder. His smooth swing and mature approach will allow him to hit for high averages in the major leagues.

Performance: Curtis played at Arizona State for three years, with a great deal of success. In 173 games, he hit .328/.426/.460 with 118 BBs, 107 Ks, 13 HR and 40 2bs. He stole 50 bases. He transitioned well to the pitching-dominated Staten Island Yankees, hitting .311/.361/.437 (including a 3 game stint with the GCL Yankees). He only stole 5 bases in 47 games. He cut his K rate down, striking out only 19 times (walking 13 times). His defense matched his reputation. He helped lead an excellent Staten Island team to the Ny-Penn League Championship.

Outlook: Curtis is basically the outfield version of Mitch Hilligoss, with a little more athleticism. He is about as safe a 4th round pick as they come. He will probably never develop much of a home run swing, but is solid in all other aspects of the game. He should move quickly, in a similar way that we saw Brett Gardner move this year. He will start the year in Tampa, and if he does well he will end it in Trenton. We could see him in New York in September of 2008. He lacks the ability to be a star, but his plate discipline and athleticism will ensure him to be at least a major league bench player some day.

Grades: Ceiling C+, Health A-, Comparison: Dave Roberts.

Prospect Profile: Mitch Hilligoss (#24)

Age: 21
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs
Drafted: 6th round in 2006 out of Purdue
Position: Shortstop/Third Base
Bats: Right

Tools: The only tool that Hilligoss lacks is power. He has an incredibly efficient swing, which will result in high batting averages throughout his career. It is quick, mechanically sound, and he compliments it with superior strike zone judgement. A college scout once called him "The best pure hitter I have ever seen". That said, for all the praise he profiles to hit less than 10 home runs in a season, slugging near .400. His defense is excellent at shortstop, even though he was moved to 3rd base temporarily for the short season. His arm is especially strong, and he is quite the athlete.

Performance: In three college seasons, hit he .378/.421/.521, with a 57/45 K/BB ratio and 12 in 163 games. He stole 49 bases over that time. He had mixed results in Staten Island, hitting .292/.357/.352 in a strong pitchers league. He hit 3rd for Staten Island for the whole season, racking up 36 RBIs. Pinstripes Plus labeled him the best hitter in the short season.

Outlook: Hilligoss's outlook is muddled. His three extensive seasons in college have him earmarked for Tampa next season, with the possibility of a quick promotion to Trenton. There have been strong rumors that he will be converted to catcher. I can certainly understand this, considering his compact frame and light bat. I can't see Hilligoss being useful as a 3rd baseman, where he played in many of the his Staten Island games, due to the lack of power. That said, he could certainly put some muscle on and acquire Boggs-like power. His plate discipline and athletic build are a strong combination, which will at least assure him a major league bench spot one day.

Grades: Ceiling C+, Health A-, Comparison: Craig Counsell

Prospect Profile: Cody Ehlers (#25)

Age: 24 (25 in April)
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs
Drafted: 11th Round in 2003 out of the University of Missouri
Bats: Left

Tools: Cody is a rare small body 1st baseman. While not fast, he has quick reactions and glove work. His arm is strong (he was used as a pitcher on rare occassions in college) and accurate. He lacks slugging power, although has excellent bat control to both gaps. Mostly due to size he does not profile to hit a ton of home runs. His plate discipline is absolutely stellar, showing a mature and systematic approach to the plate. He never gets rattled, hitting very well with runners in scoring position.

Performance: Cody had a mixed college career. He stayed on for four years at Missouri. His freshman and junior years were not strong, but the other two absolutely were. He found his home run stroke as a senior, batting .364/.460/.693/ with 18 home runs (equal to 47 over 162 games). After being drafted, he faltered in short season ball, hitting below .200. Ehlers showed enough to the front office however to bring him back, initially placing him on the Trenton spring training roster. He spent the season in Charleston, posting solid numbers. He was promoted to Tampa late in the season, where he was slow to adjust. But adjust he did, hitting .298/.375/.487 in the extreme pitchers league (suppresses offense by 12%), with 18 home runs and 108 RBIs, while playing excellent defense. He was named Tampa's MVP.

Outlook: Ehlers now faces the challenge of AA. I believe he will do very well there. Hitters relying on raw tools and free swings are usually the ones who die out in AA. Ehlers succeeds more upon excellent mechanics and judgement than tools. He doesn't have a lot of room for error, as 2007 will be his age 25 season. With any luck, he'll be on the 40 man roster in 2008, just an injury away from the majors. Ehlers doesn't project to hit more than 20 home runs, so his starting ability at 1st is questionable, but his solid defense and ability to get on base could give him an opportunity to have a solid career.

Grades: Ceiling C, Health A-, Comparison: Kevin Millar.

Prospect Profile: Francisco Castillo (#27)

Age: 20 (just turned it this month)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195 lbs
Drafted: International Free Agent out of the D.R. in 2005
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: R

Stuff: Castillo has plenty of it. He throws a moving fastball at 95 mph. He throws it with smooth delivery with some deception to it. He throws a plus slider to compliment it, and is working on a changeup. Overall, everything he throws is very raw and will likely improve as he ages/.

Command: Castillo, being so raw, needs to do some serious work on the command of his fastball. He walked more than a batter every three innings over his past two seasons in the minors. He can blow the 95 mph heat by A ball batters, but will need to locate it to beat more advanced ones. He commands his slider better than his fastball, but both are very raw.

Outlook: Castillo is a very hard pitcher to predict, purely because he is so young and inexperienced. Castillo will likely start the season in Charleston, and will do his best to mature his command and changeup. He is still very young with very little minor league experience under his belt, so he has time to make mistakes. Scout.com has speculated that Castillo is destined for the bullpen, where his two excellent pitches could make him a good setup man. It is also suggested that with age and shorter outing his fastball could climb a few mph higher.

Grades: Ceiling A, Health B, Comparison: To be honest, I don't know.

Prospect Profile: David Robertson (#28)

Age: 21
Height: 5'11
Weight: 175 lbs
Drafted: 17th Round out of U. Alabama in 2006
Position: Relief Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: David Robertson is on this list purely out of stuff. He throws both a 2 seamer and a 4 seamer in the mid 90s very consistently. He also throws a plus power slider in the mid 80s, along with an average cut fastball. The movement on all of his pitches is excellent. In his 127.2 college innings Robertson struck out 170 batters.

Command: In those same college innings, Robertson managed to walk 65. Scouts believe that the walking is not resulting from wildness but from nibbling. A transition to wood bats could help him immensely (similar to what the transition did to George Kontos), as he will be able to use the inside third of the plate to his advantage. Still, his control is what keeps him from being on the level of the other two Yankee big time relief prospects Mark Melancon and J.B. Cox.

Outlook: Robertson signed too late in 2006 to play in the minor leagues. Prior to signing, he absolutely dominated the Cape Cod League, earning playoff MVP honors. Robertson pitched 15 innings against the elite college hitters, striking out 15 while not allowing a hit or walk. This is significant because Robertson absolutely dominated wooden bats, and shined when the pressure was most severe (He struck out his final 6 batters to win the title). I think that Robertson may start in Charleston purely because of the loaded Tampa pitching staff, but he could be pushed up too. 2007 will be a telling year for him. If he can control his walks, Robertson could be an elite closer prospect in the minor leagues.

Grades: Ceiling A-, Health B, Comparison: Ferdnando Rodney.

Prospect Profile: Bronson Sardinha (#29)

Age: 23
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195 lbs
Drafted: 1st Round in 2001 out of High School
Position: Corner Outfielder (Who has also played 3b and SS in the past)
Bats: Left
Throws: Right

Tools: Sardinha has the classic physical tools of a 1st round shortstop out of High School. He is agile, fleet of foot, and has a strong arm. He reportedly handled 3b pretty well, but was moved to the outfield due to Eric Duncan and Alex Rodriguez. Sardinha shows moderate power (20 HR), and extremely good walking ability (Iso Patience of .083). His weakness is in the ability to hit for average (.269 career average) due to striking out too much (127 K per 162 games).

Performance: Sardinha has been very inconsistent in the minor leagues, in part due to frequent position change. The Yankees had him set in the outfield for awhile, then moved him back to 3rd prior to the Alex Rodriguez trade. They then moved him to left field. Sardinha's career minor league line of is .269/.352/.398. He took a major step forward in the later part of 2006, hitting .286/.365/.492 after earning a call up to Columbus. He's finally meeting expectations, and still has his youth.

Outlook: I am a big fan of Sardinha. The only reason that I do not rate him higher is that no one really agrees with me. I can see Sardinha putting together a few hitting seasons similar to what Johnny Damon did this this season, minus the stolen bases. It seems like he has been around forever, even though he is only 23 years old. The one knock against Sardinha is that he may be left exposed to the Rule V draft this offseason. Luckily for him, the new CBA rule changes give the Yankees a little more breathing room in this regard. I could see Sardinha coming into play in 2008 as a call up.

Grades: Ceiling C+, Health B+, Chance of Reaching Majors 40%. Comparison: Pre-Steroids Luis Gonzalez

Prospect Profile: Alan Horne (#30)

Age: 23
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 195 lbs
Drafted: 11th Round in 2005 out of the University of Florida
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: Alan Horne features a lightly sinking fastball topping out at 94-96 mph. He throws a plus 12-6 curveball that has very strong bite to it. He also throws an above average slider. He is a very experienced pitcher who knows how to use all of his pitches. His stuff is top-notch. Without his other problems, Horne would be a high end pitching prospect.

Command: Alan Horne has been very inconsistent with his command since he had Tommy John surgery in 2004. When Horne is on, his stuff is dominating. When he is off, he has a lot of trouble throwing any of his three pitches for strikes. He has looked intimidated at times in Tampa. That said, his stuff is solid and if he learns not to nibble he could become a serious A.J. Burnett type pitcher.

Outlook: Horne could be really dangerous as he develops. With a little more muscle on his frame, Horne could be topping out at 97-98 mph. Horne was drafted in the 1st round by Cleveland a few years ago for a reason. The injury concerns and general surplus of Yankee starting pitching could land him in the bullpen if he fails as a starter. Horne should start 2007 in Tampa, but could move to Trenton fairly quickly.

Grades: Ceiling: A-, Health C-, Chance of Reaching Majors 30%. Comparison: A.J. Burnett

Testing, Testing, Testing

Age: 24 (turned in September)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs
Drafted: 13th Round in 2006 out of the University of Oklahoma
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right

Stuff: McCutchen throws a pretty standard 92 mph fastball. It isn't particularly straight or live. He was throwing harder during his time in relief at Oklahoma, but settled in to the 92 mph range once he was converted to a starter. However, his breaking stuff is what really seperates him. I've been reading quote after quote of Big-12 hitters talking about being fooled by McCutchen's curve/split combination. Several hitters said "We just kept swinging at pitches in the dirt. We couldn't do anything about it". McCutchen's three different speeds really aid him in keeping hitters off balance.

Command: McCutchen's command was decent throughout college, walking about 1 batter every three innings. He projects to have average major league command and control if everything goes well. Typically, he spots his curveball better than his splitter. The difference in break between the two serves to keep hitters off balance a lot, getting him a lot of swings and misses.