The 2013 MLB Draft netted the Yankees 31 new prospects out of 40 picks and some of them impressed, while others disappointed and still others brought exactly what was expected of them. Take a look at what each of them did, though, after signing in June and July, these prospects had limited time to impress, so take the results with a grain of salt.
1st Round Pick Eric Jagielo - He was the first of the Yankees' first round haul and is probably one of the most refined college bats in the draft. While working out at the Tampa complex, Jagielo pulled a hamstring and eventually began a rehab assignment with the GCL Yankees. After four games, he joined the Staten Island Yankees and hit .266/.376/.451 with six home runs. He had a good 11.8 BB%, but also struck out 24.8% of the time. Jagielo crushed lefties, hitting .381/.500/.643 against them, but he was less impressive against righties with a .232/.339/.397 batting line. His inaugural season in pro ball easily makes him the top third base prospect in the system and next year he'll have a chance to jump up prospect lists.
1st Round Pick Aaron Judge - He held out down to the deadline in order to get as much bonus money as possible. After finally signing he reported to the Yankees' training complex in Tampa in order to prepare for an assignment on either the GCL Yankees or Staten Island, but he tweaked his quad and any chance of getting into some games were basically dashed. It's disappointing to see that he wasted the small amount of time he could have used to acclimate to pro ball, but he'll be ready to go next season.
1st Round Pick Ian Clarkin - After recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered before the draft, Clarkin finally made a cameo appearance in the Gulf Coast League and, despite the significantly small sample size, he got knocked around a bit. Between three starts and five innings, Clarkin had a 10.80 ERA, giving up six runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. You can't really take anything from this, but it would have been nice to see something a little more positive. Hopefully a full season in 2014 will give us a better look at what he can do.
2nd Round Pick Gosuke Katoh - He was probably the biggest surprise of the 2013 draft class after an almost universal head-scratching reaction when the Yankees drafted him. In his first 215 plate appearances of pro ball, Katoh hit .310/.402/.522 with six home runs, five triples and put up a 1.019 road OPS for the GCL Yankees. He had a good 12.6 walk rate, but also had a 20.5 strikeout rate as well. Despite his good looking season totals, his offensive production started off strong with a .908 OPS in July and an .826 OPS in August. He has a great glove, but the bat is what has been questioned, so if he can hit like this next season he could find his way onto some prospect lists. That's a big if, though.
Third Round Pick Michael O'Neill - The Yankees drafted Paul O'Neill's nephew in the third round, but the right-handed outfielder doesn't have much in common with his uncle. O'Neill is supposed to be more of a light-hitting speedy outfielder and in his first season he hit .219/.282/.293 in 281 plate appearances for Staten Island. He did steal nine bases, but was also caught seven times as well. He split time between left field and center field, displaying the potential to be a Brett Gardner-like player, but he'll need to walk more (50 BB%) and strike out less (33.1 K%) if he wants to be more successful down the line.
Fourth Round Pick Tyler Wade - He was the first shortstop taken by the Yankees in 2013 and managed to impress in rookie ball by hitting .309/.429/.370 in 198 plate appearances over 46 games and earned a call up to Short Season in the last few days of the season. He had a good walk rate (16.2%) and decent strikeout rate (21.2 K%) and managed to steal 11 bases as well, but his defense wasn't his strength after he committed seven errors. He isn't expected to be a top prospect, but if this season is legitimate he could quickly find himself moving up the system.
Fifth Round Pick David Palladino - The Yankees picked a big right-hander to overpower hitters, but in 2013 that's not really what happened. In 54 innings and 15 games (12 starts), Palladino had a disappointing 4.67 ERA with a 4.3 BB/9 and 9.5 H/9, but he did also have a 8.2 K/9 and 3.85 FIP. There is promise in his ability to strike batters out and keep the ball in the park (0.7 HR/9). Opponents had a .848 OPS against him at home, while they had a .668 OPS against him on the road, so perhaps he had some bad luck on Staten Island. Regardless, the potential is there, he just needs to harness it.
Sixth Round Pick John Murphy - The second shortstop drafted by the Yankees, Murphy proved to be less successful, hitting .173/.226/.220 with one home run and two stolen bases in 37 games. He also only walked six times in 137 plate appearances. He primarily played shortstop, but did play a few games at second base as well. He was likely drafted to provide depth, but there's plenty of time for him to change his stock around.
7th Round Pick Nick Rumbelow - In 23 innings over 19 games he pitched to a 2.35 ERA and 2.81 FIP as Staten Island's closer. He collected seven saves while putting up a 4.7 H/9, 2.0 BB/9, and a 7.8 K/9, which is a little low for a closer. He also kept hitters to a .341 OPS in July and August and kept lefties to a .296 OPS, so he has the ability to keep hitter off base. If he can up his strikeout rate next season he could really start to move quickly through the system.
8th Round Pick Brandon Thomas - He proved to be the Yankees' steal of the draft, having fallen down to the eighth round because a case of mono somehow hurt his perceived value. He hit .214/.318/.337, six home runs, and nine stolen bases (caught six times) in 280 plate appearances over 66 games For Staten Island. As a switch hitter, he was stronger as a left-hander against righties (.679 OPS) against them, while he struggled against lefties (.577 OPS). He had a decent walk rate of 10.7%, but struck out at an alarming rate of 32.1%. He mostly played center field, but also played some left and only made one error all season. It would appear that for every positive, there was also a negative to go along with it. He displayed potential, but he'll have to show improvement in multiple areas if he wants to prove the Yankees right for drafting him.
9th Round Pick Conner Kendrick - The left-hander struggled with his peripheral stats in his first professional season, accumulating a 3.7 BB/9 and 5.6 K/9, leading him to a 4.15 ERA and 4.24 FIP in 43.1 innings across 13 games (eight starts). Righties OPS'd .717 against him, but he did manage to keep lefties to a .621 OPS. He's going to need to improve his walk and strikeout rates if he wants to have a future in baseball.
10th Round Draft Pick Tyler Webb - The Yankees drafted the University of South Carolina closer, hoping for him to move fast through their system. It turns out, he moved quicker than expected. After five innings in Short Season-A, Webb already had eight strikeouts and was on his way to Low-A Charleston. In 30.1 innings, the lefty had a 11.9 K/9 and a 1.8 BB/9 while keeping both righties and lefties to a sub-.300 OPS. In the 16 games he made an appearance for the RiverDogs, he pitched two innings in 10 of them and even three innings on two occasions. A dominant reliever who can go multiple innings is exactly what this organization will need in the near future. If he can keep this up next year he could find himself as high as Double-A, depending on where he starts the season.
11th Round Pick Kendall Coleman - He didn't get too much time to make an impact as an 18-year-old who only appeared in 10 games with 30 plate appearances. In that time he got time at all three outfield positions, collected four hits with one extra base hit, two walks, and managed to amass a total of 11 strikeouts for the GCL Yankees. It's hard to determine what they have in him after such a small sample size, so reserve your judgements until he plays a full season.
12th Round Pick Philip Walby - Drafted out of San Diego State, he pitched 36 innings over 14 games with an ERA of 2.75, keeping hitters down to 6.0 H/9, 0.2 HR/9, and 9.2 K/9 rates, while right-handed batters OPS'd only .516 against him. Unfortunately, he walked an incredible amount of people 7.5 batters per nine innings, to be exact, and as a result he put up a 1.50 WHIP and a 4.09 FIP. He actually uncorked 12 wild pitches, making it obvious that he was dealing with extreme control problems. We've seen struggles like this before from Dellin Betances, but he was older and further into the system than Staten Island when his control problems got out of hand. If this becomes a regular issue, Walby might not make it.
13th Round Pick Cale Coshow - The big 6' 5" 255 pound right-hander struggled with 4.9 BB/9 and 8.0 H/9 rates, however, he did have an 8.0 K/9 and 0.4 HR/9. In 40.2 innings over 15 games (four starts), Coshow had a 3.76 ERA and 3.91 FIP for Staten Island. Hopefully he will be able to use his size to his advantage in order to overpower hitters, but, as he showed in 2013, size can lead to control problems.
14th Round Pick Caleb Smith - In 47.2 innings and 13 games (nine starts) he pitched to an ERA of 1.89 with a 2.09 FIP for Staten Island. He had a good walk rate (2.8 BB/9) and strikeout rate (9.8 K/9) on the season, and while he had success in every role, he excelled as a starter. In 37 innings he had a 1.70 ERA and a 10.0 K/9 to earn a trip to Trenton for a spot start. If there's one thing he struggled at, it was against lefties, despite being a lefty. They OPS'd .714 while righties only managed to OPS .431 against him. He's had success, but he'll need to prove that he can deal with lefties before he can start to really move through the system.
15th Round Pick Jordan Barnes - He signed quickly and was able to collect 169 plate appearances across 48 games. Unfortunately, he didn't hit particularly well after hitting .200/.281/.213 and striking out 30 times. As a plus he did steal seven bases, but he was also caught a total of five times. He was drafted after impressing at a tryout and was the GCL Yankees 1 starting center fielder, so the organization clearly sees something in him. Hopefully he can show more next season. He was the first Yankees prospect we interviewed.
18th Round Pick Dustin Fowler - He hit .241/.274/.384 with eight doubles, four triples, and three stolen bases in 117 at-bats across 30 games, which shows that he has some promise as a speedy outfielder. He played all over the outfield, but mostly stayed in left field, likely due to a weak arm. He only walked four times against 23 strikeouts, so he isn't a clone of Brett Gardner just yet. Hopefully with more playing time we can get a sense of what kind of player he can be.
19th Round Pick Andy Beresford - In his first season in pro ball, he pitched to a sparkling 1.80 ERA with a 1.5 BB/9, however his other peripherals, a 9.6 H/9 and 5.7 K/9 were less desirable in 30 innings over 19 games. He had a 3.17 FIP for the season and kept opponents to a .491 OPS in August, however lefties OPS'd .720 against him for the season. While the results were decent, his abilities might be lacking, so he's going to need to be able to strike opponents outs if he wants to make it up through the system.
20th Round Pick Drew Bridges - In 85 plate appearances and 22 games, he hit just .153/.271/.236 with one home run, striking out 24 times against 11 walks. He spent time at first base and third base, but will probably end up being a first baseman. It's hard to expect much from a late-round first base prospect, but he's young and has plenty of time to turn into someone to watch.
21st Round Pick Ethan Carnes - As a reliever, he pitched to a 3.86 ERA with a 8.8 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 16.1 innings among nine games. Despite the very small sample size, the southpaw kept left-handed batters to a .410 OPS, but right-handers hit .862 against him. Opponents actually had a .941 OPS against him at home, a stadium that is supposed to be around league-average, while hitters bat .599 on the road off him. However, it's in such a small sample size that it's difficult to determine if there's anything significant there.
22nd Round Pick Derek Toadvine - The Staten Island starting second baseman hit .237/.329/.279 in 246 plate appearances over 56 games. He stole seven bases, but also was caught six times and committed nine errors at second and two in two games at short. After OPSing .571 through July, he picked up his production by OPSing .665 for the rest of the season. He OPS'd .665 against right-handers, but only .457 against lefties. He wasn't able to hit much and he hasn't been able to field too well, so it doesn't look good for him going forward.
23rd Round Pick Alex Polanco - A local kid from New Jersey, he merely got a small taste of pro ball before being shut down in July for unknown reasons. In 3.1 innings over four games he struck out three and walked four without giving up any earned runs. Hopefully whatever hampered him from getting more playing time won't be an issue going forward.
24th Round Pick Sam Agnew-Wieland - He had a 3.72 ERA and 4.34 FIP in 38.2 innings over 17 games as a long reliever. He had an unfortunately high walk rate of 4.0 BB/9, but an impressive strikeout rate of 9.8 K/9, though he was specifically hurt by a high home run rate of 1.2 HR/9. Despite being a right-handed pitcher he kept lefties to .602 OPS, though righties blasted him to a .747 OPS. High strikeout and walk rates are fairly common among potential high-leverage relievers, but right now Agnew-Wieland is somewhere in the middle.
27th Round Pick Dillon McNamara - Despite being drafted so low, he actually had a good season. He had a 2.19 ERA, though his 3.69 FIP was less desirable due to his high amount of walks (4.1 BB/9) and low amount of strikeouts (7.5 K/9) by comparison. He gave up only 5.6 hits per nine inning in 37 innings over 20 games with one start. In the month of August he kept opponents to a .453 OPS, so he has the tools to be an effective reliever and possibly even serviceable starter if they decide to move him to the rotation.
28th Round Pick Trent Garrison - The Yankees drafted one catcher in the draft and it seemed like he would just be organizational filler, however he hit pretty well batting .262/.287/.408 with three home runs. He struck out at a low rate of 13%, but only managed one walk in 108 plate appearances over 29 games. He had a .753 against right-handed hitters and OPS'd .751 over July and August. Garrison gave up five passed balls and had a decent caught stealing rate of 27%, giving hope that he could be a decent backstop, especially if he can continues to hit well.
31st Round Pick Kevin Cornelius - Drafted out of a Texas Junior College, he was one of the older players to play for the GCL Yankees right out of the draft. In 93 plate appearances, Cornelius hit a respectable .274/.326/.369 while playing primarily at third base behind Christopher Tamarez, previously of the DSL Yankees. Over the span of the season he actually played for both GCL Yankees teams, starting on Yankees 1 and moving over to Yankees 2 for three games in late August. While he's nowhere near the majors, the Yankees have a very weak cache of third base prospects. If he can improve from here then he can ascend right behind Eric Jagielo.
32nd Round Pick Kale Sumner - He was a little bit of a surprise, hitting .253/.360/.337 with three home runs. He had a decent walk rate of 12.2% and strikeout rate of 21.3%. He doesn't really have much of a position, but he did primarily play at third base (committing his only five errors there) and DH, while also playing first base, left field and right field. He OPS'd .936 in June and hit .267/.368/.362 through July. There's not much expected from him, but if he can hit for some power and get by in the infield he could make his way up the system.
34th Round Pick Hector Crespo - He hit .220/.297/.232 with one extra base hit in 91 plate appearances in 24 games for the GCL Yankees. He played second base and some third base and even made the surprising jump to Triple-A to fill in at shortstop for a few games during the season. He's likely to only amount to organizational depth, but anything is possible.
36th Round Pick Nestor Cortes - One of the Yankees' later signings, Cortes had a decent professional debut. In 18.1 innings pitched, he had a 4.42 ERA with a 2.00 FIP and a 9.82 K/9. As a starter, opponents had a .726 OPS against him in three starts, while they had a slightly lower .706 OPS against him as a reliever in seven games. He also kept righties to a .669 OPS, though lefties had a .835 OPS against him, despite being a lefty himself. We previously spoke to Nestor about how he was impressed the Yankees.
39th Round Pick Ty Afenir - The Yankees' last draft signing of the year looks to be a utility infielder. He didn't hit much over 116 plate appearances with a .184/.286/.224 batting line between rookie ball and Low-A Charleston. He did spend time at shortstop, second base and even third base for the RiverDogs, so if he can provide serviceable offense he can still be useful. Of course, that all depends on how good his defense is.
Will any of these players make it to the majors? Will they amount to anything at all? We have a long ways before we find out.