Yankees Minor League Baseball Blog

1)  Jesus Montero  C
2)  Manny Banuelos  LHP
3)  Dellin Betances  RHP
4)  Gary Sanchez  C
5)  Mason Williams  OF
6)  Dante Bichette  3b
7)  Ravel Santana  OF
8)  Austin Romine  C
9)  J.R. Murphy  c/3b
10)  Slade Heathcott  OF

Jose Quintana was probably the best arm in the rotation for Tampa.  He finished with a 10-2 record and a 2.91 ERA with 88 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 102 innings.

Chase Whitley was one of the better relievers in 2011.  He had just a 1.68 ERA in 48 1/3 innings before his promotion.  I also like his 40 strikeouts and 10 walks.

Ryan Flannery was the team’s closer and he was about as good as you can ask.  He had a 1.24 ERA, 19 saves and he struck out 35 in 43 2/3 innings.

Only three players played in more then 100 games for Tampa so getting a handle on the best hitters can be tough.  Still, here were some of the better guys in 2011.

Zoilo Almonte led the team with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs before he was pushed up to Double A.  He was also solid with a .293 batting average.

Walter Ibarra was second on the team with 59 runs and he played solid second base for Tampa most of the season.  His 116 hits were tied for second on the team.

Abraham Almonte led the team with 52 walks and he scored 92 runs in a solid season.  He also had a team high 11 triples and 30 steals.

Here’s the Yankees top ten prospects from Baseball America

1) Jesus Montero  C
2)  Manny Banuelos  LHP
3)  Dellin Betances  RHP
4)  Gary Sanchez  C
5)  Mason Williams  OF
6)  Dante Bichette  3B
7)  Ravel Santana  OF
8)  Austin Romine  C
9)  J.R. Murphy C/3B
10)  Slade Heathcott  OF

Trenton had a sub-par season and it’s not surprising because the team was particularly thin in hitters.  Here’s a look at the stand outs in 2011.

Corban Joseph – Joseph led the team in just about everything because he played in 131 games.  He led in runs (75), RBIs (58) and walks (59) and he also had the best OPS of the regular players but it was a decent .768.  He just turned 23 though so let’s see what he can do as me matures.

Melky Mesa – Mesa was second on the team with nine home runs but he hit just .251 so his OPS was a mediocre .733.  He also struck out 129 and walked just 36 times and he’s getting past prospectdom because he turns 25 next month.

Cody Johnson – The designated hitter belted a team high 15 home runs but he hit just .226.  This was after a very nice stint with the Tampa Yankees where he raked for .326.  He’s 23 so he has some time, just not too much time.

Dellin Betances was probably the most reliable starter and the guy with the most potential that played for the Thunder this year.  He struck out 115 in 105 1/3 innings and he finished with a 3.42 ERA.  He struggled in his four starts when he got promoted but this kid showed that he has an arm.

Josh Schmidt – One of the best relievers, Schmidt was nearly unhittable.  He finished with a 1.83 ERA, a .155 batting average against and 48 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings.

The SWB Yankees had their run and they had their share of hitting stars.  Let’s look at the best of the best.

Jorge Vazquez – Vazquez was one of the best hitters in all of the minor leagues. He finished with 32 home runs and 93 RBIs.  On the downside, he struck out 166 times and walked only 30 times.  His .830 could be better if he worked on his patience and this is indicative of his .314 OBP.

Jordan Parraz – Parraz led the team in hits (128) and he was second in runs with 66.    He also led the team in doubles with 28 and his 42 walks led the team.  His .802 OPS was more indicative of his doubles power and his ability to take a walk.

Jesus Montero – Montero was second on the team in home runs with 18 and while he still kept his billing at a top prospect, he might not be as high on the list as he was this time last year.  He did hit .288 and his OPS was .814 and if that can translate into his stats with the Yankees, he could still be an All Star catcher.

Pitching was a strength, especially out of the pen for the SWB Yankees.  Here are some of the better pitchers in 2011.

D.J. Mitchell – Mitchell finished 13-9 and he was the workhorse on the staff.  He led the team in innings pitched (161 1/3), strikeouts (112), and Wins.  He also led the team in losses and walks allowed (63).  Mitchell might compete for a big league spot next year so we’ll see if he can keep up his consistent performance.

Kevin Whelan – Whelan was is the last guy standing from the Gary Sheffield trade and he was the team’s closer for most of the year.  He finished with 23 saves and a 2.75 ERA.  He had a solid 54/14 strikeout to walk ratio and a 0.99 WHIP.

George Kontos – Another solid reliever, Kontos struck out 91 in 89 1/3 innings.  He did get four starts to go along with his 36 relief appearances and he had a 2.62 ERA.  He did give up twelve home runs though and his fly ball rate is a concern.

Trenton ended their season with a 5-3, eleven inning win against New Britain.  Steve Garrison had a really nice start and he gave up one unearned run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in seven innings.  Wilkin Arias threw a shutout ninth and he picked up his second save of the season.

Addison Maruszak went two for four with two runs.  Jose Gil went two for four with a double, a walk, a run and an RBI.  So no playoff tickets this year for Trenton fans.

D.J. Mitchell improved 5-7 on the season and he had about as good of a start as you canget.  He gave up just one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in the seven inning shutout.

Austin Krum went two for three with a walk, two runs and an RBI.  Jesus Montero went two for four with a home run and three RBIs.

Dellin Betances improved to 2-1 in a nice start in the Thunder’s 2-0 win.  He gave up just one hit and four walks with seven strikeouts in five shutout innings.  Josh Schmidt threw two shutout innings and he picked up his first save of the season.

Austin Krum went one for three with a double and an RBI.  Corban Joseph went one for two with a walk and a run.