Winter League Week Part 2 - Javelinas in the Sun

Considering how badly the Joe Torre situation has been handled, I think it'll be good for everyone to take some refuge in actual baseball. So, as promised, I'll continue with my review of the Yankees' winter league action by looking at the six prospects the team has sent to play for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.

As I mentioned before, one of those players is a personal favorite of mine, Kevin Whelan. He's not a favorite because he's a huge talent like Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, but because of his arsenal. Whelan throws three pitches, and they're all fastballs. His four seamer is strong, sitting in the low to mid 90's, and he complements that with a splitter and a forkball, both of which can be exceptional when he's on. Unfortunately, like so many hard throwing prospects, he struggles with his command. Its been no different in Peoria so far, where he was dominant in his first outing, and wild in his second. Of course the whole point of the AFL is for players to learn, and I'm hoping to see some improvement from a him.

The other pitching prospect that accompanied Whelan to Peoria is Steven White. White was drafted in 2003, and the Yankees had high expectations. However, like so many promising pitchers, injuries have kept him from fulfilling those expectations. He's not a bad pitcher, mind you. He's performed well as he's slowly moved up the ladder, but he hasn't stood out in any way. He's now 26 and coming off of another typically good but not great season in Triple A, and has been rocked in his first two starts in Arizona, giving up eight runs in just three innings. To me, he's a classic Quadruple A player; the kind of guy who can do well in Triple A, but won't make it in the majors. He might have some success if the Yankees move him to the bullpen, but otherwise I wouldn't expect much.

In addition to the two pitchers, the Yankees have sent three positional players to the Javelinas, all of whom could be in pinstripes in the coming years. I've written about center fielder Brett Gardner before, and there's nut much to add to it. He's one of the fastest men in baseball, hits for average and draws walks, but lacks any real power, having hit all of six home runs in 294 minor league games, and only one in the past two years. At best, he develops enough doubles power to be a Kenny Lofton kind of player. At worst, he's a fourth outfielder who provides excellent speed and defense at all three outfield positions. Either way, he's a useful player to have.

Another player whose power will determine his fate is Reegie Corona who's currently a shortstop, but can play all over the infield. Like Gardner he hits for average and draws walks, but has very little power. Unlike Gardner, he only has average speed, meaning there's an even greater chance that those ground balls which are slipping through for hits will turn into outs when they hit Triple A and major league fielders. Still, he's a strong defender and could very well become a useful utility infielder, something every team needs.

Finally, there's Juan Miranda, who is something of a mystery. A first baseman who defected from Cuba to the Dominican Republic in 2004, he was signed to a four year, $2 million contract last year and split the season between Advanced Single A and Double A. He put up solid numbers in Tampa and replicated them after being promoted, which is a good sign. Another good sign is that while he was merely solid statistically, he recieved nothing put praise from coaches and scouts, who say he has light tower power, and just needs to refine his game after having spent two years out of the game. His performance thus far in Arizona certainly speaks to that, as he's currently sporting a .571 SLG, and a .250 ISOP (ISOP stands for isolated power, a quick measurement of a player's power which is simply a players slugging percentage minus his batting average). Granted, it's a lot to read into seven games, but this kind of performance and the Yankees' current hole at first gives him an outside chance of becoming part of a major league platoon as early as next season.