DAY ONE OF THE MLB DRAFT

FIRST 18 ROUNDS

YANKEES POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN

14 Pitchers
3 Outfielders
1 Infielder

well i think our infield is set for the time being (sans first base, which can be helped via FA), so i dont blame them for addressing their weaknesses

well i think our infield is set for the time being (sans first base, which can be helped via FA), so i dont blame them for addressing their weaknesses
Sans 1st base????? Ever hear of Andy Phillips???

Be Patient, the kid is good. Imagine if we kept Johnson....



Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB

2006 WAS 58 204 41 60 14 0 12 29 36 31 5 2 .294 .410 .539 .949

Andy Phillips is also 29. How much more time are you willing to give him?

Andy Phillips is also 29. How much more time are you willing to give him?

Andy Phillips is a young 29 with barely any real long time major league expierence. You've also got Eric Duncan (whose only 21) down at AAA playing 1B waiting for his chance as well.

The infield is set for years and the outfield is shaping up the same way except the need for some young CF's.

Melky and Thompson are the future out in LF and RF.

Thompson is nowhere close to the future. Melky probably is the future in RF, starting next season, as I think the Yankees cut bait with Sheff after 2006, by not exercising his option.

In the Minors, there is a speedy CF named Brett Gardner. A solid fielder, with plus speed. Not a HR hitter at all, but gets on base, and runs very well. Good baseball instincts. Plus arm in the OF.

In the lower Minors, there is a RF name Tabata. Only 17 year old, he can do it all. Power (still growing), speed, solid OF, RFers arm, excellent hitter.

In the lower Minors, same team, is a guy named Austin Jackson. Speedy, with some power, excellent arm, solid OF, solid bat.

You will hear of these guys within 2-3 seasons.

There are others with potential, but these 3 are the cream of the crop.

The Minor league system has not many inf. prospects, although there are a few in the lower levels (Reegie Corona, C.J. Henry, Chris Malik ) who may become solid players. I still have high hopes for Eric Duncan, but he now needs another year, as he has lost a lot of time to a back injury thus far in 2006. But they are a bit away from helping the Yankees.

Pitching. In the pen is Matt Smith (just promoted last weekend), a righty named T.J. Beam, who is 6"5, and throws 95, with excellent control, and high strikeout ratio. There also is J.B. Cox, who throws in thelower 90s, but has good control, and a decent amonut of pitches. These 2 are setup types, and should be ready by Spring Training 2007, if not earlier. There is a lefty named Charles Manning who is doing very well this season.

Phil Hughes, Christin Garcia, Jeff Marquez, Steve White, Ty Clippard are all in various stages of their Minor League careers, and all are projected to be starters in the Majors. Hughes and Garcia are potyential aces, while Clipard and Marquez are more likely bottom-of-the =-rotation types. White should be a #3. These guys should start arriving by ST of 2007 (White), and continue to come during the next 2 years.

There is a lot to like in the system. We constantly get panned as having a weak Minor League system, but we have brought up a Cano, a Wang, a Cabrera, a Phillips, and now Matt Smith, all within the past 13 months. 25% of the roster is homegrown from the Minors just within the past year!!

Show me another system that has done this. Not some team that is losing, like the Royals. Show me a team that is playing above .550 ball, and has also promoted 6 guys from their system in the past year.

Not many. But the Yankees did.:cheers: