See, the Yankees farm system isn't so bad
Baseball America released their list of the top 100 prospects the other day. For the Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka ranked fourth and Gary Sanchez ranked 35th overall. None of their other so-called top prospects reached the top 100 in baseball, but BA has released their position-by-position prospect rankings and now a lot more Yankees show up.
Catching: Gary Sanchez (2), J.R. Murphy (12)
Overall Positional Rating: B+
Comments: We already knew that Sanchez would be up there, but seeing Murphy here is a nice surprise. I've been wondering how the rest of the baseball world would value him, so if he ranks this high, either because of his ceiling or MLB-ready talent, it looks like the Yankees could get something for him if they made a trade.
First Base: Greg Bird (11)
Overall Positional Rating: D+
Comments: They ranked Bird lower than I had hoped, considering the sorry state of the first base landscape. If you don't want to count Jose Abreu, the current No. 1, he moves up a slot. BA is probably looking for a repeat performance before he's given a top 10 nod.
Second Base: Gosuke Katoh (21)
Overall Positional Rating: B
Comments: Even after just one half season of pro ball, Katoh's defense and surprising offense allowed him to be considered one of the best second base prospects in baseball. He clearly shows more promise than Angelo Gumbs or Rob Refsnyder, but I want to see what he can do in a full season.
Third Base: Eric Jagielo (14)
Overall Positional Rating: B
Comments: The 2013 draft proved to be a real winner for the Yankees, seeing as how several of their draft picks already rank among the best in the league. For reference, he ranks nearly 10 spots ahead of Mike Olt, who has recently lost a lot of value.
Right-Handed Pitcher: Masahiro Tanaka (1)
Overall Positional Rating: A
Comments: Maybe you don't count Tanaka, but he's right at the top of a very strong class of right-handed starters. He's obviously the best of the litter, but considering his age, he might not have the ceiling an Archie Bradley or Taijuan Walker has. I thought we'd also see Jose Ramirez or Rafael De Paula on here, but alas.
Left-Handed Pitcher: Ian Clarkin (22)
Overall Positional Rating: C
Comments: The high school lefty is already considered to be one of the best, even though he only accumulated a handful of professional innings this season. I'm somewhat surprised over the absence of Manny Banuelos, who should return to action this year after missing so much time from Tommy John surgery.
Corner Outfield: Aaron Judge (19)
Overall Positional Rating: C
Comments: The Yankees drafted a monster, and Baseball America must believe in his power potential. Ranking him in the top 20 is pretty high for someone who hasn't played pro ball, but we'll see how it goes for him this year. The absence of Tyler Austin is a bit startling and pretty concerning.
Center Field: Slade Heathcott (15), Mason Williams (19)
Overall Positional Rating: B+
Comments: I would rank Slade over Mason, if it wasn't for all the injuries. He might never be able to play regularly, so if Mason Williams is below that, it's not looking too good for his career. Heathcott is still not participating in spring training after undergoing offseason knee surgery.
As you might have noticed, the Yankees didn't have any prospects place among the top shortstops in the league, which isn't unexpected. This is pretty bad with Derek Jeter retiring.